Micro-managing his failing offensive, top advisors frozen out and food tasters to guard against would-be assassins. No, it's not Adolf Hitler in 1945. Professor MARK GALEOTTI examines the madness and paranoia inside Vladimir Putin's isolated bunker

Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | May 20, 2022 | Mark Galeotti

[Cecily]

Some years ago, I lived on Kutuzovsky Prospekt, one of the wide, radial roads that leads into central Moscow — and the favoured route of President Vladimir Putin’s motorcade to the Kremlin.

Putin never liked travelling in helicopters so the 18-vehicle extravaganza, including outriders, an ambulance and a string of gleaming, black limousines with tinted glass, was a familiar sight.

Around 45 minutes before it passed, the road would be sealed — and I mean sealed. A security man was stationed in the doorway of my apartment building preventing residents from leaving.

The Russian president has always been security conscious, but today, on the losing side of his ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine for which he has only himself to blame, Putin is more paranoid than ever.

He rarely ventures even into his office at the Kremlin now, preferring to do business from his grand, yellow-painted, pillared mansion on his summer estate, Novo-Ogaryovo, in an exclusive suburb popular with rock stars and oligarchs just west of Moscow.

People come to him if and when he wants to see them. And increasingly, he doesn’t.

He has his staff, his bodyguards, his team of food tasters and so on, but for months senior ministers, advisers and aides with whom he would once frequently consult, have been kept at a distance. The pandemic facilitated this — but he shows no sign of wanting to change the status quo.

[AndyJackson]

We have definitely exceeded max Daily Mail. They served a purpose printing everything that US media would not, but they have taken us into the twilight zone.

[AndyJackson]

Self-sufficiency and rising ruble are definite strong negatives in this globalist world.

[Cecily]

Is that you, Ms. Jankowitz?

[rx]

The name ‘Lusitania’ is a dead give away that Deep State, Luciferian Brotherhood was involved. Such things are the markers that communicated to all secret hand-shakers in politics and the media to come to their mendacious, hoaxing aid.

[AndyJackson]

No I was just being ironic. Of course Daily Mail is where we all go for our dose of reality - as much as we can stand of it.

[StAnDeliver]

"We have definitely exceeded max Daily Mail. They served a purpose printing everything that US media would not, but they have taken us into the twilight zone."

Ridiculous. Every Putlim has tried the same worn-out bs you just tried to pimp, because just like you, THEY CAN'T GET ENOUGH DAILY MAIL AND CAN'T WAIT TO SPREAD IT THICK ON FREEREPUBLIC.

Putlims are just obsessed with making complete goddamn fools of themselves.

You post the comPost over and over, The sHill over and over, NYT, CNN, you name it, but oh lawd and mighty, Andy has come down from the Hill to tell us he has decided The Daily Mail is no longer among his favorite MSM sources.

L. O. F. L.

Putlim complaints about The Daily Mail ring hollow from their hollow Soviet skulls.

These same Putlims have fawned over the foreign press for decades here on FR over the indisputable fact that the foreign press is far more reliable than the American MSM.

The German press correctly reporting on Palin's campaign; the Israeli press correctly reporting on anti-Obama sentiment; the Oz press correctly reporting on Gore sexually harrassing a licensed massage therapist; and more recently, Putlims praising The Daily Mail for revealing Xiden's frailty when he nearly broke his neck on AF1's stairs:

Nothing to see here: How most of the left-leaning US media totally ignored Biden's Air Force One stumble - while the foreign press did their job for them, UK Daily Mail | March 20 2021 | KEITH GRIFFITH

So you Putlim moonbats stfu and slurp your borscht and enjoy your daily daydrinking ration of wodka. Your 2024 Soviet ballot receipt with one name on it: "Putin", will be delivered shortly, already signed with your signature, and deposited in the Москва ballot box under Putlim's desk, just like the State Farm Arena ballots in Georgia. Unfortunately, you won't be here to see my SCHADENFREUDE!

[Antioch]

Why did Lloyd Vader and White Rage Millie call Russia last week asking for ceasefire if Putin’s offensive was failing? Simple questions….

[Pete Dovgan]

So, Putin believes that Ukraine people are traitors so it’s ok to wipe them out.

When the war turns on Russia, and it might go very badly, will the Ukrainian’s think the same?

Winner take all?

[Gen.Blather]

A couple of parallels here, but in the industrial world. I have had a few micromanaging bosses. I’d be given a task and then told in excruciating detail how to do the task by someone who had either never done the task, or who hadn’t done it in more than a decade. During that time materials and techniques had advanced but the boss’ knowledge had not. I’d painstakingly explain why the designated approach wouldn’t work all the while facing impatient body language. Then, told I didn’t understand I’d faithfully execute the orders, not maliciously but with best effort and intentions...only to have it fail as predicted. Then, I’d be blamed. Later, when I was the boss, I rapidly learned to my surprise and shock that techniques and tools had changed since I’d done the job and from that point forward, I outlined the goals and made sure my guys had the tools and funding they needed, and I was always pleased with what they did.

In the early seventies the top-level executives at GM were chatting about something to counter the VW and the other foreign competitors that were steadily eroding GM’s commanding position on the car scene. They sketched out and even did some of the “engineering” work and then handed off the project to Chevrolet with precise instructions. That car, 800 pounds heavier than the VW, underpowered and using not-ready-for-primetime technology became known as the Vega.
If you’re not aware and you’ve never seen one, that’s because it was a resounding failure.

Putin never was in the military. But he doubtless has what I’d term “Ceasar Syndrome.” Nobody ever says no or corrects him so his views have strayed further from what’s real until you can’t see reality from his point. Now, reality is obvious...well, probably to anyone but Putin.

[MarvinStinson]

Daily Mail (U.K.), huh?

[BobL]

“I can’t wait to hear the spin after 12,000 UkroNazis are encircled and surrender in Severodonetsk later this week.”

I feel bad for the Ukrainian regulars (with the liberation of Mariupol, most of the Nazis are now enjoying their one-way trip to the beautiful outback of Russia), because they’ll be treated well (after all Russia is allowing Red Cross access, something Ukraine is still ‘considering’), but when they get back home (which is looking sooner than later), they’ll be treated as ‘collaborators’ and likely be given the same treatment by Ukraine as the so-called ‘collaborators’ in Bucha.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

I remember when FReepers could recognize manipulated news

[BobL]

“We have definitely exceeded max Daily Mail. They served a purpose printing everything that US media would not, but they have taken us into the twilight zone.”

I really like Daily Mail when it comes to reporting on US stuff, such as inner city crime, as that is no longer allowed in the US media because it ‘stigmatizes’ a certain group of people. But I have no idea why they’d then go off looking like total idiots when it comes to reporting on Ukraine.

[Antioch]

I think a lot will resettle settle in parts of the former Ukraine now controlled by Russia. As long as. AZOV, Aidar and Right Sector battalions are still active it’s not safe for those that want peaceful coexistence with ethnic Russian Ukrainians

[Cecily]

What if the Daily Mail and other news outlets are not wrong in their reporting? That prospect never seems to occur to Adolph Putin’s fans.

[BobL]

“I think a lot will resettle settle in parts of the former Ukraine now controlled by Russia.”

I think you’re right and now I feel better. They’ll be released and allowed to choose where they want to live. Overall, Ukrainians and Russians did get along reasonably well, which is why it things were peaceful in the country for 24 years, until the Neocons decided to install their puppets and ignite a civil war there.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

—> What if the Daily Mail and other news outlets are not wrong in their reporting?

If you like your yellow journalism. You can keep your yellow journalism.

—> That prospect never seems to occur to Adolph Putin’s fans.

I don’t know any. If you do, point them out by name.

[CarolinaReaganFan]

Daily Mail propaganda is always good for a laugh!
You soil yourself just like the other trolls.
.
Yesterday was another very bad day for the ukes.
Noose getting tighter around L-chansk/Severo
Popasna breakout continues..........
.
While Ukrainian militants continue to surrender in the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, the Russian-led forces continue to advance on the main front lines in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.

In the Kharkiv region, Russian units are fighting for the buffer zone along the Russian border and for full control of the left bank of the Seversky Donets River in the area of Stary Saltov. No significant advances of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been recently reported.

The Russian Armed Forces launched a counter offensive on the village of Ternovaya. Fighting continues in the area of Staritsa. Ukrainian units are strengthening their positions in the area of Cossack Lopan and Stary Saltov. To the south, the front lines remain unchanged in the area of Chuguev and Balakleya.

In the area of Izyum, the Russian-led forces resumed their advance to the west. Having secured their positions in the town of Velikaya Kamishevaha, they moved towards the village of Grushevaha.

Positional clashes continue to the south of Izyum and east of Oskol. Some progress of Russian forces was reported in the area south of Yampol. They reportedly advanced towards the village of Ozernoe located nearby.

In the area of Liman, the AFU are almost surrounded. After the Ukrainian military blew up a dam across the Seversky Donets River, they cut off the way to retreat for their units in Liman.

On the outskirts of the city of Severodonetsk, massive artillery shelling on the Ukrainian military positions continues. Russian-led forces took control over the villages of Schedrischevo to the north and Sirotino to the south of the city. The forest area on the north-eastern outskirts of the city was also moped-up. Fighting continues in the Voronovo area in the south-east of the city. The LPR units are likely attempting to cut the AFU grouping in Severodonetsk which counts about 3-4 hundred servicemen, from their comrades deployed in Lisichansk. In Lisichansk there are reportedly more than 10000 of Ukrainian fighters.

Clashes continue along the road leading to Lisichansk from the south-eastern direction. The joint Russian-led forces took control of half of the village of Toshkovka. Fierce battles continue in the area between Orekhovo and Gorskoe.

In the area of Popasnaya, Russian-led forces are surrounding the AFU in various settlements. Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was broken through in three directions at once. The villages of Troitskoye to the south, Tripillya and Vladimirovka to the west, Kamyshevakha railway station and Vladimirovka to the north fell under DPR control.

Fighting is going on in Kamyshevakha and Vrubovka. The AFU groupings in Gorskoe and Zolotoye are almost half surrounded. Fighting is going on for Novaya Kamenka. The Russians reached the outskirts of Soledar.

In the city of Mariupol, about two thousand Ukrainian militants have already surrendered at the Azovstal plant. They are not the only Ukrainian servicemen who have laid down their weapons.

Over the past day, twenty servicemen of the 95th airborne assault brigade surrendered on the front lines in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

[Renfrew]

So according to you:

* Socialist Robert La Follette - American hero
* Conservative Daily Mail - bunch of villains

Are you sure you haven’t confused which site you’ve been sent to post disinfo to today?

[PGR88]

Not too long ago, Biden visited our area for a few hours. I am in a suburb about 12 miles away from the city center where he was to be.

That morning of Biden’s arrival, police in their SWAT gear had check points and stopped and looked in every vehicle at the entrance of the highway and on two major roads heading into the city.

I’ve never seen such an operation before in our town before. Our town votes quite conservative. I can only guess at the connection.

I wish everyone would STFU about Russia.