As Putin today effectively threatened to start a nuclear war against the West, Russia’s most famous Russian political prisoner Alexeï Navalny has released a chilling video on Twitter of Putin’s intimus, Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin. Known as “Putin’s Chef,” Prigozhin’s other job is running his Wagner Group militia, and the video shows him telling potential recruits in gaol what to expect in the way of working conditions in Ukraine (essentially don’t even think about surrendering, ever).
Following Ukraine’s successes on the ground, the Russian army is so depleted that the state-backed mercenary group, accused of war crimes in Africa and Syria as well as Ukraine, is at the forefront of providing recruits pending implementation of Russia’s new “partial mobilisation” for its “special operation” against Ukraine which must still never be called a war.
The following comes from Alexeï Navalny’s Twitter feed.
“As an inmate of a maximum-security prison, I too would like to give my opinion on the recruitment of criminals for the war.
‘I’ve read the transcript of the infamous video. There’s a lot to talk about, including the number of people who will now decide to commit a serious crime, knowing that even if they get caught, there will be a way to avoid serving time.
“But I have an insider’s perspective on another subject. It is stated that murderers, robbers, brigands, and grievous bodily harm are required to participate in the war.
“And for some reason many are under the impression that these categories of convicts are some sort of brutal fighters. Kind of like in Suicide Squad.
“Of course, there’s different kinds of people in jail. There’s probably a couple of militants, too. But I can tell you that 90% of the time: – A killer is a heavy drinker who once got so drunk that he stabbed his neighbour, drinking buddy, or (most commonly) his wife 18 times.
“A mugger is a guy who, in search of money, would go to shopping malls and extort phones from schoolchildren – A robber is a drunkard who stalked women to their homes, where he snatched their bags from them. To get the bag faster, he hit the women on the head with a hammer.
“Those who are in for grievous bodily harm got into a drunken brawl where they hit someone in the head with a club or a stone. What could such an army even accomplish in combat?
“They don’t call them ‘criminal elements’ for nothing. There is a reason why, both in the USSR and now in Russia, former convicts are not accepted into the army. Almost all such people have big problems with discipline and even bigger problems with alcohol and substances.
“Of course, if the combat mission were to walk around the area asking people for moonshine, the convicts would make perfect soldiers. They would also be perfect for carrying out the order to drain the fuel from the equipment, sell it, and use the money to buy booze.
“I don’t believe in prohibition under threat of execution. Everyone there has a gun and it’s not clear who’s going to shoot who.
“Disciplined convict stormtroopers are as much a tall story as the ‘dozens of successful wars by the Wagner PMC‘. Where are they, these wars? They only exist in Prigozhin’s dreams.
“I think the first thought of any convict who saw this video was: “Dear God, if they are recruiting us for the war, then what is the state of the regular Russian army? Does it not exist at all anymore?”
“The only thing we can be sure of is that the few murderers, robbers and muggers that survive will certainly never go back to a normal life.
“They will continue to rob and kill, but now they will also demand special treatment, shouting: “We shed our blood for you!” You can actually see the first signs of this in this video.
“P.S. I am personally disgusted with the state of lawfulness in the Federal Penitentiary Service. They keep me in a punishment cell for a month for an undone button, but at the same time a man who is a former criminal himself comes to maximum security prisons and makes speeches in front of murderers saying: ‘I will get you out and make storm troopers out of you”. Can you imagine the mess our country has become?'”
- Guardian, London 21/09/22: USA says Putin engaged in “dangerous gamble” (live stream)
- Al-Jazeera 21/09/22 Putin pre-recorded speech announces “partial-mobilisation”
- Reuters 21/09/22: Putin says West wants to destroy Russia – world reaction
- Channel 4, UK 20/09/22: Horrors Ukrainians discovered in liberated town