In-depth article from Reuters... How Russia spread a secret web of agents across Ukraine https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/ukraine-crisis-russia-saboteurs/
Some follow-up commentary Basically the Kremlin's own agents were scamming them and stealing the allocated funds -- which were to be used to undermine Ukraine. Kremlin Was Duped by Its Own ‘Sleeper Agents’ in Ukraine https://www.thedailybeast.com/kremlin-was-duped-by-its-own-sleeper-agents-in-ukraine It’s no secret that Russia had installed its own moles in Ukrainian government agencies long before the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, but a new report sheds light on just how sloppy the Kremlin’s plans for “sleeper agents” to ensure a quick takeover actually were. Sources cited in an extensive investigation by Reuters published Thursday said the Kremlin was duped by its own proxies, who exaggerated their own influence and ability to pull off what Russia wanted and then failed to carry out their tasks. One person close to Russian-backed leadership in the east of the country was quoted saying the Kremlin had staked its bets on “clowns” who “know a little bit, but… always say what the leadership wants to hear because otherwise they won’t get paid.” Some of Russia’s proxies have already been nabbed by Ukrainian prosecutors, like Putin crony Viktor Medvedchuk, who is behind bars awaiting trial on treason charges. The Kremlin’s “sleeper agents” scheme has also sparked a slew of investigations by Ukrainian prosecutors, including of officials linked to Chernobyl. Sources cited by the news agency said Russia’s weeks-long occupation of the power plant was actually years in the making, with Russian agents sent to bribe officials there as early as 2021 in the hopes of a quick capture.
I am just going to leave this article here. If it is propaganda then let that be shown. Otherwise........ It is true that a while back a Ukrainian doctor mouthed off and said the Russians should be castrated and there was a flap over that comment. But there is a difference between mouthing off in anger and actually doing it. But I put that out there because the Putin apologists will go there. Footage showing 'Ukrainian POW being castrated by Russian soldiers' sparks outrage in Kyiv https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...s-film-castrating-Ukrainian-prisoner-war.html
Russia's 49th Army trapped like a rat now. All three bridges leading to their position are still up but requiring work- all three have sustained strikes. It is not pretty to see how many Russian forces are being aggressively deployed south to help out but it is only because the 49th is fucked- so that is not pretty for the Russians. We will see how it plays out. Going to be messy for a while before long. Probably going to be another general or two killed in this mess in the next ten days or so. Usually that is how they get killed. Vlad ordering them to advance or don't bother to return to Moscow and then they start pressing too hard. As always, the advantage is always with Russia based on their overwhelming troop numbers and fire power, until it isn't. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022...s-hint-at-imminent-ukrainian-offensive-a78408
Hey... Master Pu -- here is your opportunity to earn $10 Million by turning whistleblower at your troll farm. State Department singles out Russian troll farm while offering $10 million for information on election interference https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/28/politics/state-department-ira-troll-farm-russia/index.html The State Department on Thursday announced a reward of up to $10 million for knowledge on foreign attempts to interfere in US elections and sought information on the Internet Research Agency, a notorious Russian troll farm known for meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The department singled out the IRA, its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin -- who is a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin -- "and linked Russian entities and associates for their engagement in U.S. election interference." Both the IRA and Prigozhin -- nicknamed "Putin's chef" -- are sanctioned in the US. The troll farm used Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms to attempt to sow discord and interfere in the 2016 presidential election, according to the Justice Department. The State Department appealed for "information on foreign interference in U.S. elections" in its announcement, which comes just three months before Americans head to the polls for the midterm vote. The US military's Cyber Command was concerned enough about the IRA to conduct a hacking operation to target the troll farm during the 2018 midterm elections. Then-President Donald Trump confirmed the operation in an interview with The Washington Post in 2020. It's the latest in a running series of public appeals from the State Department, under a program called Rewards for Justice, which offers multimillion-dollar awards for key information on American adversaries. Other announcements in the last year have covered Russian-speaking ransomware gangs, North Korean hackers and a Russian man accused of building malicious computer code that led a petrochemical plant to shut down in Saudi Arabia in 2017. The State Department program is an attempt to cast a wide net in gathering information on threats to US organizations, complementing more traditional and covert intelligence collection from US spy agencies. It's unclear how successful the program has been. The department said its appeal is part of the US government's "wider efforts to ensure the security and integrity of our elections and protect against foreign interference in our elections." US officials are bracing for a mix of foreign interference and domestic disinformation campaigns about the voting process as the midterm vote approaches.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/29/putin-ruble-west-sanctions-russia-europe The ruble is soaring and Putin is stronger than ever - our sanctions have backfired
Maybe a veiled threat at nuclear war at the end of this video, maybe prognostication about difficult times with energy supplies this winter in Europe. Probably both.