What is going on in Russia?

[Workingman]

The closest troops to do that were Chechen troops.

Eh, how do you work that one out? Chechnya is 600km from Rostov. Rostov is a staging post for troops going to the front and a major logistics hub, so Russian troops were already there. Rostov is only 90km from the Donbass with tens of thousands of Russian troops and it looks like Wagner forces drove straight through them from where they were fighting around Bakhmut to get to Rostov. Could that be why the Chechens have been invited?

Right now there are local citizen reports that Wagner have crossed the last obstacle, river, between them and Moscow.

Would that be the Oka River? The one where the BBC has just shown a video posted by Russian authorities on Telegram showing tens of HGVs blocking the bridge in both directions? That river? The one not yet crossed?

MSM so far behind the times eh, or just the fog of war?

However, I do agree that it looks like the Russian forces might be playing a watching game to see how the dice falls. I guess that many of them are conscripts and do not want to be part of the "special military operation" so don't give much of a stuff.

[Suff]

All ended with an agreement and immunity for Prigozhin. Wagner is returning to base.

Have to have a long think about how this worked out. Because there were too many unanswered questions.

[Workingman]

Saundra asked how this will go before removing her post.

My answer was going to be that Shoigu and Gerasimov could be sacked to appease Wagner's Prigozhin, but that might see in hardliners more to Prigozhin's taste. There are some very nasty individuals under the current desk generals who are ready for promotion.

That is not good news for Ukraine or the West as it will show that Putin is no longer in control. A putsch could be on the cards.

It has not ended, it has only just begun.

[TheOstrich]

All ended with an agreement and immunity for Prigozhin. Wagner is returning to base.

Have to have a long think about how this worked out. Because there were too many unanswered questions.

I wonder, Suff. Because we have just seen a considerable force of Wagner mercenaries rapidly deploy to a position to the north of the Ukraine.
I hope the Americans are keeping track of their next movements ......

[cromwell]

There is nothing simple about any of this is there?

[saundra]

No there isent who knows what will happen

[Workingman]

No, there is nothing simple about it or what willl happen next.

It will probably take weeks or even months for this to completely unfold.

That hasn't stopped the MSM and UnSocial Media speculating what definitely, absolutely, 100% will happen to Putin, Wagner, the counter counter-offensive, the price of gas and grain, Zelenskyy and anything else they can shoehorn into their war "coverage".

War as a (speculative) soap opera is not a good look.

[Suff]

Well their action has exposed to the people one downside of the war.

Russia, internally, is vulnerable.

This will send shock waves for quite some time.

[Workingman]

Russia, internally, is vulnerable.

Is it really? Russia is not a democracy. It controls free thought and speech at all levels.

If Putin goes who takes over? Do the Russian people have any say - they are controlled! Could things get much worse... for the Russians and us? Oh yes they can.

[saundra]

Saundra asked how this will go before removing her post.

My answer was going to be that Shoigu and Gerasimov could be sacked to appease Wagner's Prigozhin, but that might see in hardliners more to Prigozhin's taste. There are some very nasty individuals under the current desk generals who are ready for promotion.

That is not good news for Ukraine or the West as it will show that Putin is no longer in control. A putsch could be on the cards.

It has not ended, it has only just begun.

I deleted my post because I sounded flippant and it assent very appropriate WM