Moscow has announced an “anti-terrorist operation” as the mercenary group says it’s engaging in battles with the regular Russian military.

  • Clbull@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    We all know how this is gonna end. Prigozhin marches his 25,000 troops into Moscow, faces stiff resistance and is either killed in combat or captured.

    Putin then goes full Vlad the Impaler and parades his corpse skewered on a pike for all of Russia to see, as a stark reminder of what happens to rebels.

    This is a substantial setback for the Russian war effort, but I really cannot see Prigozhin overthrowing Putin. Best thing he could have done was defect to the West instead of try to depose the figurehead.

    He is pissing on a hornet’s nest.

    • Rusticus@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Isn’t ~97% of Russian military engaged in Ukraine? Where would this “stiff resistance” come from? Wagner is already 1/2 way to Moscow!

    • el_cordoba@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      After seeing how much of a coward Putin is I have a hard time seeing him be anything more than an opportunist who takes easy cheap shots. He is out if his league now.

      • graphite@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        After seeing how much of a coward Putin is I have a hard time seeing him be anything more than an opportunist who takes easy cheap shots. He is out if his league now.

        A coward? Lol, idk about that.

        It takes real balls to last as long as he has as a dictator. It also takes balls to piss off the entire UN while continuing to double down.

        I don’t see this turning out well for him, but if he was really a coward none of this shit would have happened.

        Nah, he’s just a dictator who finally bit off more than he could chew.

        • el_cordoba@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Yes and no. I think being a dictator like him goes hand in hand with being a coward. For example, repeatedly resorting to war crimes when a war isn’t going your way, pretending to show up in public when there is a chance of assasination (but I guess Putin has plenty of enemies so it makes sense 🤣), poisoning and killing anyone who doesn’t show 100% loyalty to you, jailing your opposition, and even jailing and using excessive force against protestors for simply appearing upset.

          The situation with Prigozhin could even demostrate his cowardice (assuming it isn’t just a tactic to move wagner closer to Kviv) considering how bizarre it was. Either he caved to Prigozhin or it was fake.

          At this point I am curious how this ends for him and Russia, but I am sure it won’t end well.

          • graphite@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            For example, repeatedly resorting to war crimes when a war isn’t going your way, pretending to show up in public when there is a chance of assasination (but I guess Putin has plenty of enemies so it makes sense 🤣),

            You sure his reasoning for performing those war crimes is because the war wasn’t going his way? I could see him performing them regardless of the outcome - it aligns with his ruthless behavior.

            I still wouldn’t it cowardly though.

            pretending to show up in public when there is a chance of assasination (but I guess Putin has plenty of enemies so it makes sense 🤣),

            Of course he does: he’s a ruthless dictator. What do you expect? The dynamic has always been the same for people like that; Stalin, Hitler and Sadam each dealt with the same problems.

            poisoning and killing anyone who doesn’t show 100% loyalty to you

            If you’re a dictator, a lack of 100% loyalty implies you’re dealing with someone who would try and kill you if given the chance.

            In the dictator’s regime, this isn’t cowardice; it’s survival.

            and even jailing and using excessive force against protestors for simply appearing upset.

            Again, he’s a dictator and a fascist. There’s nothing out of the ordinary here for someone who chooses to play that role.

            At this point I am curious how this ends for him and Russia, but I am sure it won’t end well.

            Well, yeah. The entire world is against what he’s doing.

            Putin is just a dictator. You can’t survive as a dictator without doing all of these things that you’re associating with cowardice.

            But that’s the thing: we’re talking about someone who would laugh if he was called a coward. He doesn’t care what you think.

            But if you want to pretend that you’re a part of a country that holds a moral high ground above Russia’s dealings, you have that right in a non dictatorship.

            The US government has been involved in and supported some of the most haneous shit you can imagine.

            Yes, Putin is a scumbag. If you’re going to criticize someone, though, you should do it in a way that actually makes sense.

            Otherwise, you’re just a part of the media mob circlejerk.

    • Flipht@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Ultimately, it doesn’t matter who wins or loses this battle. Either way, Ukraine wins.

      Wagner was the only Russian force I regularly saw succeeding in the headlines. Without them bolstering the Russian military and in fact detracting from and wasting the resources of the Russian military, the whole house of cards is going to start falling.

      • MiddleWeigh@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Yea I’m not too in the loop on this topic, but following, and I’d like to think I understand people, especially bad people, and if anything this just acts as a destabilizer for putins power consolidation, and that is good for Ukraine regardless whether both parties are pos, which they are.

        • damnYouSun@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          The thing that’s worth thinking about is that most of the Russian people can’t really resist Putin because the military are all on his side and put down protests.

          But if the military would have switched sides they’d be far less inclined to put down protests against Putin. Theoretically this could lead to a full on Rebellion.

          • MiddleWeigh@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            I’m wondering if and how things will change when it gets to their door step, as far as the Russian people vs Russian military dynamic goes. I’m not gonna pretend im in the know, culturally, and all the nuance, but I’m learning more following the story. Thanks for that insight.