this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2023
1102 points (99.5% liked)

World News

39368 readers
2381 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] JerkyIsSuperior 120 points 2 years ago (2 children)

"Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous; and if one holds his state based on these arms, he will stand neither firm nor safe."

Niccolo Machiavelli - The Prince

[–] zeppo 28 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

"Windows are dangerous. Also, radioactive umbrellas" - zeppo, a Lemmy Member

[–] [email protected] 27 points 2 years ago (1 children)

A merc is loyal, until the last payment clears.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] downpunxx 107 points 2 years ago (5 children)

The Wagnerites also seized the buildings of the head office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB department, the administration of #Rostov and one of the police departments, according to local channels. Nobody in the city understands what's going on.

https://press.coop/@nexta_tv/110596856860216270

[–] andobando 31 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] Ghostalmedia 23 points 2 years ago

Like watching Cobra attack the Decepticons.

[–] mookulator 20 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Can you explain the significance of these buildings?

Are they the head offices of those departments, or the offices that are in that city?

How powerful are these departments?

[–] [email protected] 29 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Rostov is the admin centre of Rostov Oblast (state capital city). I would assume the main offices are in Moscow and these are the regional headquarters.

So while it is big if they have taken them it is not as big as if they had done so in Moscow.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 2 years ago

The city is apparently the base for the Russian southern military district command which is key to the war efforts in Ukraine - according to the Institute for the Study of War via the Guardian

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 80 points 2 years ago (7 children)

Holly shit this has been picked up by the BBC.

Remember, it doesn't matter if they succeed or not. The fact it has happened will terrify Putin.

[–] Arbiter 60 points 2 years ago (3 children)

I feel like this might be on behalf of Putin.

Wagner has been pretty careful to call out everyone but Putin.

Feels like setting the stage for a claim that the war was orchestrated by rogue elements in the Russian military, giving an out to tuck tail and run and move toward easing sanctions.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Nah, this feels more like an "evil counsellors" situation - you don't want to take on the king directly, so you instead give him an out by saying that he's OK but he's been given bad advice. Which also means if you do take over you can keep him around as a figurehead who now listens to better advisers like yourself.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] sudneo 21 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Judging from the address to the nation, this doesn't seem the case now.

The situation is still very confused.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] DrElementary 19 points 2 years ago (1 children)

This is what I'm worried about. I hope they all tear themselves to pieces, but if Putin gets out scot free, I'll be disappointed

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 years ago

I mean i hear what you're saying, but if it means less death and destruction for innocent Ukrainians then I'm all for letting Putin live.

load more comments (6 replies)
[–] lewis6991 72 points 2 years ago (1 children)

This is not a "war", it is a "special military operation".

This is not a "coup", it is a "march for justice".

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] i_simp_4_tedcruz 52 points 2 years ago (6 children)

I would like to submit "Putin panics and nukes his own people to stop the advance" for my Bingo card.

load more comments (6 replies)
[–] GONADS125 51 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I welcome russian infighting. Hope it makes it easier for Ukraine to retake Crimea.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] easeKItMAn 47 points 2 years ago (2 children)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 44 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Holy shit.

Things are getting real real.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] wheresyourshoe 41 points 2 years ago (5 children)

Things are escalating quickly in Russia.

[–] assembly 24 points 2 years ago

It’s just a special military coup operation, nothing more to see.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] ghostnotes 40 points 2 years ago (2 children)

If Kiev has been saving something up for a special occasion, this occasion is starting to look pretty special.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] lycanrising 40 points 2 years ago (11 children)

my mind is so blown. i didn’t have wagner turning against russia on my bingo card

[–] HerrLewakaas 23 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I mean Prigozin has been advertising his eventual turning against Putin for a while, but I didn't think it would happen as a full on military coup

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (10 replies)
[–] [email protected] 37 points 2 years ago (4 children)

Wagner switching sides was not on my bingo card

[–] [email protected] 54 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

They didn't switch sides. They created a third side. A Mêlée à Trois.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 years ago

To be honest I thought Wagner and also the Chechen commanded forces would cause chaos in Russia after the war - Putin unleashed the genies from their bottles in his desperation. Both see themselves as successors to Putin should he fall, and civil war was on the cards but more likely a conflict between Wagner and the Chechen forces of some form. I agree - moving DURING the war with Ukraine - that is totally unexpected!

But they've not switched sides tbf - this seems to be the first steps in a civil war. And it shows just how broken Russia is. The question is, will Wagner step back from the precipice after exacting some sort of price out of the Russian state? Or is this a battle for survival and so unstoppable.

The really really worrying this is when things get unpredictable like this, there is no telling how things could escalate further. Look at WW1 - the death of Franz Ferdinand helped unleash chaos in a way no one could have forseen.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] andrei_chiffa 36 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Generally, I don't like to gloat, but I did call that one ~ June 5th over on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/france/comments/140qkwu/destructions_incursions_%C3%A9vacuations_dans_la/jmyndp3/?context=3; in French because it was on r/France).

It actually is much worse than it seems - I did a write up over on Mastodon to explain why and how (https://mastodon.social/@andrei_chiffa/110599724720727202). The TLDR is that cities taken by Wagner mercs will be hard to retake without leveling, all internal protection troops are either tied or were lost in Ukraine, and mercs themselves have nothing to loose and all the revenge to take.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] assassinatedbyCIA 35 points 2 years ago (3 children)

More evidence as to why you don’t hire mercenaries. They are only loyal to the money. I hope the US is watching with their love of PMC’s.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] dangblingus 34 points 2 years ago (2 children)

25,000 troops marching on Moscow. How many does the Kremlin have not already in Ukraine?

[–] Thepinyaroma 30 points 2 years ago (1 children)

How many do they have not in Ukraine... Who are also willing to kill fellow Russians? If the average Russian military sentiment is, "Eh, let them through" this could be huge.

Plus a lot of the "Royal Guard" may be well-connected rich kids who are even less inclined to fight.

Way too soon to know for sure, but. 🍿

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] innkeeper 33 points 2 years ago

Ukrainian army called ...they need fresh supplies of popcorn...

[–] political_avacado 32 points 2 years ago

The Ukraine counter-offensive sure is effective.

[–] green_dragon 30 points 2 years ago

People are tired of this war. Putin wanted to secure food reserves and have an open access sea port for his military; however he wasn't honest as to his reasons why; understandably so. Given this the Russian public doesn't see the actual geopolitical value of the conflict. This was inevitable. If Russia couldn't play nice with the rest of the world as their money mostly comes from oil and gas; which we are moving away from. Let them pay for their crimes.

[–] Yoz 28 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Can someone please explain what's going on ? I am out of the loop. I know Wagner was fighting for Russia but what happened now?

[–] certain_people 60 points 2 years ago (10 children)

Everyone in Wagner was about to be conscripted into the regular Russian Army as the latest in an ongoing power struggle between Wagner's boss and the Russian MoD. So to avoid losing his private army, the boss has stepped up the power struggle to an attempted coup, basically.

load more comments (10 replies)
[–] UniquesNotUseful 36 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The head of Wagner was unhappy with Russian military leaders and thought he'd take matters into his own hands as Putin was going to support him. Putin did not. Now there are 10,000 men heading to Moscow.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] wet_squid 23 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

While it’s always great to watch enemies turning against each other (Boebert vs MTG!), let‘s not forget that Putin is a mad man with his finger on a nuclear button.

I wish the best for the people living there who will suffer the consequences of a dictator who gets pushed into a corner.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Nerrad 21 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I for one welcome their new Military overlords.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] boilingpenguin 20 points 2 years ago

If there's one thing I've learned from my history classes it's that power vacuums (or even perceived power vacuums) and the ensuing instability always end well for everyone involved....

/s

load more comments
view more: next ›