Russia

[stevebrooks]

It appears the gunmen responsible for the attack on the stadium in Moscow got away! I simply have trouble understanding this, surely security forces would have been on the scene almost immediately, I mean they are basically at warm that's what Putin keeps saying. It beggars the imagination they can simply walk away without being captured! Also where was security at the stadium?

The problem of course is, news from inside Russia is, well, suspect at best, rubbish at worst so we need a lot more info until we get the full story!

[stevebrooks]

Propaganda from Russia is indistinguishable from news these days. The first thing is to try and blame "the enemy" of the time;

“They tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them from the Ukrainian side to cross the state border,” he said.

“Whoever they are, whoever is guiding them. I repeat: we will identify and punish everyone who stands behind the terrorists.

“The main thing now is to prevent those who are behind this bloodbath from committing a new crime.”

I don't believe for a moment these were Ukrainian or there was any Ukrainian involvement, there is no other even remotely similar incident from Ukraine, but blame must be apportioned, and who better than the current enemy.

Despite being warned by various intelligence agencies the Russian security services implemented no heightened security procedures and seemed to take so long to react that the gunman simply walked out, bizarre!

Earlier this month, the US embassy in Moscow issued a security alert after receiving reports that “extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts”.

At the time, US citizens were advised “to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours”

US National Security Council spokesman Adrienne Watson said the US government “shared this information with Russian authorities in accordance with its longstanding ‘duty to warn’ policy.”

But in a speech earlier this week, Putin dismissed warnings and accused the West of making “provocative statements”.

“I’ll remind you of recent, let’s say directly, provocative statements of certain official Western structures about potential terror attacks in Russia,” Putin said.

“All of this looks like obvious blackmail and an attempt to intimidate, destabilise our country.”

It gets even stranger, they just walked in, through the main entrance, no guards, no security despite the warning that concerts were likely to be attacked, it's almost as if the security forces were instructed to stay away;

Horror footage of five heavily armed gunmen in camouflage gear has appeared online.

Reports suggest the men entered the concert hall at around 8pm Friday night local time (4am Saturday AEDT) and began shooting at around 6200 people believed to be inside.

It has been reported they gained access through both the main entrance and underground parking lot.

There were there shooting for 15 to 20 minutes and still just walked out?

“People who were in the hall were led on the ground to protect themselves from the shooting for 15 or 20 minutes,” the RIA Novosti journalist was quoted as saying.

Exits locked!

“They threw some petrol bombs, everything started burning. We were led out towards an exit. The exit door was locked so we went to the basement of the venue, where we waited for rescuers.”

Another witness said there was a “terrible crush” as people tried to escape and people “were climbing on their heads to get out”.

How much is this is propaganda, how much is actual news who knows, but some of the men, apparently captures by Chechens while en route to Ukraine, were apparently interrogated on the spot with violence and torture.

One suspect can be seen barefoot with his arms and legs tied together while blood pours from the forehead of the second suspect. Another suspect is shown shaking on his knees as he apparently confesses to carrying out the mass shooting, which left at least 133 people dead.

We may never know the actual truth of this attack, but every report just makes it a more bizarre incident, a concert where children and teenagers were present, no security at the doors or indeed any other entries, locked exits, up to 20 minutes of freedom to kill with no police presence? Surely they should have been nearby but they aren't even mentioned in any reports. No military security, no venue guards mentioned at all as dying in the attack? The entire thing is so strange. It has been suggested Putin will use this attack to ramp up Russian war efforts and come down even harder on dissidents and opposition....oh surprise!

https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/40 ... 02d7a63ae3

https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/mu ... 5528504cc2

[joele]

I don't believe for a moment these were Ukrainian or there was any Ukrainian involvement, there is no other even remotely similar incident from Ukraine, but blame must be apportioned, and who better than the current enemy.

100%

Yeah it doesn't make any sense as the eastern side of Ukraine (where borders are shared) is controlled by Russia now.. So these were Ukraine funded terrorists, they were going to head back into Ukraine (despite coming from Türkiye by their own admission) through Russian army controlled regions and through the Russian front lines back into Ukraine with assistance from the Ukrainians???

How does that work? so the Russian front lines and controlled areas are so porous that Ukrainians can drive their ISIS mates through there? cmon, it makes no sense... Maybe they were headed south but if they came from Türkiye that means through Georgia or from southern Russia (Sochi etc) by boat on the black sea back to Türkiye!

[stevebrooks]

I don't believe for a moment these were Ukrainian or there was any Ukrainian involvement, there is no other even remotely similar incident from Ukraine, but blame must be apportioned, and who better than the current enemy.

100%

Yeah it doesn't make any sense as the eastern side of Ukraine (where borders are shared) is controlled by Russia now.. So these were Ukraine funded terrorists, they were going to head back into Ukraine (despite coming from Türkiye by their own admission) through Russian army controlled regions and through the Russian front lines back into Ukraine with assistance from the Ukrainians???

How does that work? so the Russian front lines and controlled areas are so porous that Ukrainians can drive their ISIS mates through there? cmon, it makes no sense... Maybe they were headed south but if they came from Türkiye that means through Georgia or from southern Russia (Sochi etc) by boat on the black sea back to Türkiye!

Ah yes, confessions! Always nice to have, even nicer to get without torture!

The four men accused of involvement in the Moscow concert hall massacre that killed 137 people have faced court bloodied and bruised, with one man bound to a wheelchair and another missing part of his ear.

Just to point out, the one bound to a wheelchair was also missing an eye, it must have been much tougher getting a confessions from him than from the others!

Also until proper corroborating evidence is presented I am totally of the position that these mean are patsies, fall guys, torture invalidates all confessions as far as I am concerned!

The men appeared visibly injured, with Mirzoyev and Rachabalizoda’s eyes blackened and the latter’s ear heavily bandaged – reportedly from it being partially severed during his arrest.

The right side of Fariduni’s face was swollen and Fayzov was brought into court in a wheelchair and appeared to have an eye missing, according to the Reuters news agency.

The court said two of the defendants had pleaded guilty, and one of them, from Tajikistan, had “entirely acknowledged his guilt”.

https://www.news.com.au/world/moscow-te ... d4d8521ae9

[joele]

The Russians also released a picture of one of the suspects on the ground, pants down, with electrodes attached to his genitals.. Not going to post the picture here but will post the words of an exiled Russian journalist Dmirty Kolezev.

The Russian security forces are leaking photos showing that detained terrorist attack suspects are being tortured with electric shocks by tying wires to their genitals.

I have no doubt that after this there will be admissions that the order to kill people in Crocus was given to them personally by Zelensky.

Torture is, unfortunately, commonplace. What is unusual here is that the security forces used to bashfully hide this. But now they are proud of it and, apparently, they themselves release photographs of torture to friendly Telegram channels.

[stylofone]

I can't bear to watch the whole video, on what looks like a pro-Russian propaganda youtube channel. Supposedly there are Australians also doing the "move to Russia" thing, same as the Facepalm family from Canada.

[Irrev-Black]

I can't bear to watch the whole video, on what looks like a pro-Russian propaganda youtube channel. Supposedly there are Australians also doing the "move to Russia" thing, same as the Facepalm family from Canada.

There's a bunch of channels. The patriarch must have brought a bunch of money from somewhere or be getting friendly sponsorship, or all the family would surely be working and parenting so hard there'd be no time to make or post videos.

[pipbarber]

I wish Russia would open their doors to these types of people and make it easier for them to move there. Provided of course they surrender their citizenship. Have at it, i say. How would Pauline go with a nice fish and chippery in Moscow? It'd be a huge success, i reckon.

[joele]

It is interesting, there was a wave of Americans going to the USSR in the very early 1930s too, sadly within a few years most ended up dead or in Gulags.

That was a more left leaning movement with people like George Bernard Shaw on American radio talking about how wonderful Marxist USSR was, jobs for all etc. Though this was also in the context of the great depression.

This time it is more a right wing movement, I hope for their sake it goes better this time.. :-/

https://www.amazon.com/Forsaken-America ... 0143115421

[joele]

Not sure if this really is Russian news or just Georgian, though definitely related to Russia.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68933064