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Vladimir Putin's Mercenary Chief (and Chef) Deepens Feud With Russian Leader, Dismisses Moscow Generals As 'A Bunch Of Clowns'
MSN-Radar ^ | 1-24

Posted on 01/25/2023 3:50:59 AM PST by dennisw

Even more startling are reports that Prigozhin may be preparing a coup against Putin to take over as Russia’s leader as a result of the disastrous military campaign still taking place in Ukraine nearly one full year after the “special military operation” was first launched in February 2022.

"Prigozhin has 20,000 bloodthirsty, armed and aggressive men," one intelligence official revealed in December. "They’re telling me: ‘We’re wondering if we should just lay down our arms because we’ve been turned into cannon fodder and go to Moscow?’”

“That’s in their thought process already,” the source added.

If Prigozhin were to execute a coup against Putin, it would be “uncharted territory” for the Russian leader – particularly because Putin’s health is reportedly failing and his own Kremlin officials are growing increasingly more skeptical about Russia’s chances of beating Ukraine.

Now, Prigozhin has angered Putin further by ridiculing the Russian president’s generals while also bragging that his soldiers are “superior” to Putin’s Russian Armed Forces.

According to Daily Mail, Prigozhin raged against Moscow’s top brass after Russian Commander-in-Chief General Valery Gerasimov ordered Russian soldiers to shave off their beards and facial hair in an effort to discipline the troops.

Vladimir Putin’s mercenary chief deepened his ongoing feud with the Russian leader this week by calling Moscow’s generals “a bunch of clowns,” RadarOnline.com has learned.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, who served as “Putin’s Chef” before becoming head of the Wagner Private Military Company, initially angered the Russian leader earlier this month when he claimed his mercenaries successfully took the Ukrainian town of Soledar without the help of Russia’s main military.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: asplanned; russialosing; smartandsavvy; tacticalgenius

1 posted on 01/25/2023 3:50:59 AM PST by dennisw
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To: dennisw

What is Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Freeper name? His tell is using the word “clowns”. We have lots of Freepers who sound similar. He is Putin’s chef but does he know how to make an everything bagel? Or cook goulash? Or pierogi?


2 posted on 01/25/2023 3:55:24 AM PST by dennisw ("You don't have to like it. You just have to do it")
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To: dennisw
According to Daily Mail, Prigozhin raged

Do you see the problem here?

3 posted on 01/25/2023 4:07:09 AM PST by JonPreston
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To: dennisw

Hi Dennis,

This could get fun. Maybe they could destroy each other LOL

What do you think would happen is putin is taken out or locked up?


4 posted on 01/25/2023 4:17:41 AM PST by Sunsong
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To: dennisw

He is Putin’s chef but does he know how to make an everything bagel? Or cook goulash? Or pierogi?

__________________________

For what I read, he is a hands on boss.
He started making hot-dogs and then expanded.
I would say, the answer to your question is affirmative.


5 posted on 01/25/2023 4:18:10 AM PST by AZJeep
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To: dennisw

Clowns is the technical name for the CIA. Since before they offed JFK and took pictures of Hoover getting bummed by his deputy secretary while wearing high heels these people have had to depart this earth el rapido. No greater nexus of villainy on earth.


6 posted on 01/25/2023 4:24:53 AM PST by LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget (I am a lesbian trapped in a man's body... gives me more rights. )
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To: dennisw

He is kind of right. His Wagner group is the only Russian fighting force of decent quality. The rest does not care.
But he may be playing with fire. Attacking the deep state is always a risky proposition.
Putin is his only friend, attaching him makes Prigoshin pretty vulnerable.


7 posted on 01/25/2023 5:40:28 AM PST by AZJeep
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To: AZJeep
He is kind of right. His Wagner group is the only Russian fighting force of decent quality. The rest does not care.

Girkin, who rose to notoriety for his military role in the 2014 annexation of Crimea, revealed in a Telegram post on Sunday the top factor inhibiting Russian success in Ukraine.

The former Russian commander pointed to low morale among Putin's troops as making success "impossible" for the Russian leader.

"The majority of mobilized (and most of the cadre) servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation lack the motivation to sacrifice when conducting hostilities against the Armed Forces of Ukraine, since the goals of the war are not only not explained by the authorities, but even not officially defined at all," Girkin wrote.

He explained Russia can deploy elite units for successful attacks "only in very narrow, limited areas," but a larger offensive would require numerical and technical superiority over Ukraine. Still, he said these conditions are "not a guarantee" when faced with "the most persistent and professional" Ukrainian troops.

Due to low morale, an offensive could only be "saved" by Ukrainian troops being in an even worse state, according to Girkin.

"Faced with persistent and skillful enemy resistance, such an offensive will inevitably die out due to the impossibility of the command to force its troops to go into battle with the necessary degree of military prowess," he wrote.

https://www.newsweek.com/ex-russian-commander-explains-why-putins-success-ukraine-impossible-1775576

8 posted on 01/25/2023 5:51:05 AM PST by tlozo (Better to Die on Your Feet than Live on Your Knees )
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To: dennisw

The Wagner group are seasoned veterans. If the premise came to save Mother Russia, I believe their zealotry will become a focused fury, that Mssr. Putin’s houseguards would not endure.

That sort of thing would make “the days of Yeltsin” appear to be a high school rendition of ‘Richard III’.


9 posted on 01/25/2023 6:08:57 AM PST by Terry L Smith
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To: Terry L Smith
The Wagner group are seasoned veterans.

The core is seasoned veterans, but a large bulk of them(40,000) were recruited convicts. Not sure how many of those survived.

Human rights activists: Of the first thousand Wagner prisoners, 20 returned home

Of the first thousand prisoners recruited by the Wagner Group to participate in the war against Ukraine, only 20 have returned home, Olga Romanova, head of the Rus Seated NGO, said in an interview with Current Time.

According to her, the third wave of recruitment of prisoners into the “Wagner group” is now underway in Russia. The first wave went in the prisons of central Russia from June 26 to September 21, the second – in the Urals and the Far East from September 21 to the end of December. The third one has begun, covering the whole country, including Chechnya.

https://odessa-journal.com/human-rights-activists-of-the-first-thousand-wagner-prisoners-20-returned-home/

10 posted on 01/25/2023 6:27:42 AM PST by tlozo (Better to Die on Your Feet than Live on Your Knees )
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To: dennisw

Everyone should understand that Prigozhin is not just some guy with an army - he’s backed by the FSB. He and D. Utkin (Wagner) control vast amounts of natural resources around the world, principally in Africa.

Short bios:
Yevgeny Prigozhin:
Oligarch, part of Putin inner circle. Was a caterer to Russian government and military. When he saw people caught up in arrest and were mercenaries, it looked bad for Russia as mercenaries are disliked. Saw an opportunity; he was party of the Russian security apparatus, FSB and so on, so he took over the group as a manager/owner to develop them as a business, and as a external part of the RGF that could be sent to places the RGF could not, and do dirty jobs: Syria, Central Africa, Mozambique, Mali, Libya, Sudan. In that way the Group became selfish-financing and is not a drain on the Russian military or economy, but actually adds to Russia power and influence.

He would earn a lot of money with this new business. Along the way, he also got parts of valuable natural resource extraction operations like uranium, gold and diamond mines, oil production companies. He then used the money to help Russian political leaders to project their power and the power of the Russian state around the world. oil rigs, refineries etc. When, after fighting in Syria, they returned to Russia all of them were arrested.

*Dmitriy Valeryevich Utkin:
One of the members of the Slavic Corps born 1970 Soviet Union, Ukraine. Served in 2nd Special Forces Brigade, fought in both Chechen wars.

2nd Special Forces Brigade was organized on an as needed basis - not as a formal military unit. His group was designated 700th Independent Spetsnaz Detachment. Retired in 2013 as a Lt. Col. He then joined the security group to earn money which is the typical path for retired military.

When Utkin & Prigozhin returned to Russia, they were arrested - the point was to take them into the GRU, then they were released after bring taken into the GRU.

Utkin became the director of the group’s military operations, based in Moltino Crimea 30km from Krasnodar. Started with 1500 people initially based on size of Special Operations (Spetsnaz) Brigades. Recruited troops who had specialized, valuable skills. Quality over quantity

Called ‘Wagner’ because that is Utkin’s operational nom de guerre - nick name. First operation was taking of Crimea. Next step was the invasion of the Donbas region, which opened the door for this war. After that, they took up operations in Syria. This was the group’s heyday, and grew a lot. A skirmish with US in Syria didn’t go well - fight over oil refinery controlled by US, cost them 200-300 troops. Utkin was promised third to half of profits.

As they took up other operations in Africa, they began to acquire more heavy weapons tanks, BMPs, aircraft, anti-air missile systems. Became a small-scale professional army with high morale, common sense driven, no bureaucracy. Moderately successful overall. Pay was 400,000 rubles (US$6,000 - $7,000) per month when they are fighting. Lots of Russians wanted to join, but still had stringent requirements.

When Ukraine war began, things changed. They expanded exponentially with estimates now 8,000 -10,000 people split into 4 groups in Ukraine. Requirements for recruits changed to anyone can apply as long as they have no murder convictions. Quality went down, but self-selects for people who want to fight. New recruits start in one of their other low intensity conflicts in Africa or there ME.

Once they get adjusted, they move up to fight in Ukraine. However, pay got lowered to Russian standard of 200,000 ruble when on the front line. Having no bureaucracy allows them to show initiative - what Russian Army lacks lower level, be more efficient and get better results.


11 posted on 01/25/2023 6:40:42 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: JonPreston

Your attempt at being smart failed, troll. Again…


12 posted on 01/25/2023 7:14:33 AM PST by exinnj
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To: exinnj

13 posted on 01/25/2023 8:03:20 AM PST by JonPreston
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