There is now a lot of discussion about the arrest of Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Timur Ivanov on charges of bribery. This is the second person in the ministry after Shoigu. No matter how funny it may sound for Russia, yes. Precisely for bribes. But
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the detention of Timur Ivanov is a strong blow to Shoigu. Apparently, Shoigu himself did not know about the upcoming arrest, because the day before he held a meeting where Ivanov also took part. It was Shoigu who brought Ivanov to the ministry and covered for him more than
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once in previous cases. Ivanov’s arrest is in no way a fight against corruption - in Russia everyone steals as much as they can. In the Russian system, each official has a separate folder in the FSB, and when a signal comes from above that a person needs to be processed,
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they take it off the shelf and put it into action. A person working for the Russian government, even if he has palaces, yachts and expensive cars, actually does not possess any of this. It does not belong to him and can be taken away at any moment, and he is sent to prison.
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The reasons why he was removed from his post are not yet clear, but most likely it will be known later. Artur Ivanov was not a military man, although he wore a uniform. He was involved in the construction of military and other facilities. For example, he was responsible for
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the construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome, where record amounts were stolen. He was responsible for the construction of the Patriot Park and construction in Mariupol, destroyed by the Russians. He held the civil position of Acting State Councilor of the Russian
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Federation, 1st class. In the army this would correspond to a general's post. That’s why there were all these uniforms with medals. His arrest actually indicates that a serious intra-clan struggle has begun in Putin’s system. Ivanov’s place is very profitable, because during
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construction there are some of the largest kickbacks. Now the struggle for this place will begin and all the contenders will now rush to compromise and snitch on each other in the fight for this place. Putin created a system, like any dictator, where he pits everyone against
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each other and forces one to fight with another. His task is to ensure that no one can unite so much as to become a threat to his own power. Whether clouds are gathering over Shoigu himself is also difficult to say now. After Prigozhin’s rebellion, Putin does not risk
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introducing new players, relying on old, proven and loyal people, albeit absolutely useless. In this system, such people are actually allowed almost everything. Steal, send soldiers in batches to their deaths, but the main thing is to remain loyal. But failures at the
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front may force Putin to make some personnel decisions. So it’s now difficult to vouch for Shoigu’s safety. But no matter what happens there, it’s all for the benefit of Ukraine, because the Russian system is devouring itself in this way, begins to collapse from the inside
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and weakens, and with it, naturally, Putin’s power. The list of Russia's problems is only growing every day. Kadyrov is also preparing to kick the bucket, and if the struggle for power begins in Chechnya, it will explode significantly.
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The occupiers announced attacks on hospitals in Kyiv: people were evacuated, writes . The head of the KGB of Belarus “found terrorists” in a children’s hospital in Obolonskyi District and in a dermatovenerological hospital nearby. And he promised to 1/7 24tv.ua
strike at these hospitals. In his wild statement, Ivan Tertel said that the killed and wounded terrorists will be held accountable. The enemy, judging by the video that appeared on the Internet, announced a strike on medical institutions. They even named the addresses - 2/7
they say there are military personnel in the establishments. "This is a provocation that the aggressor is trying to use to attack the social infrastructure of the capital," – explained the mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko. The SBU wrote that statements by representatives 3/7
1/6 The upcoming months are anticipated to be the most challenging for Ukraine since the initial weeks of the invasion. Quick take by @joni_askola
2/6 russia is acutely aware that with the approved US aid, Ukraine's imminent mobilization, and the construction of defensive lines, they must make significant advances now, before the situation stabilizes.
3/6 Ukraine is confronted with an exceedingly challenging situation in the East, as russia is advancing at a faster pace than before and possesses an increasingly significant manpower advantage.
1/6 The imbalance in the number of military units in Donetsk Oblast is increasingly favoring Russia. Ukraine is facing extremely challenging times in the months ahead. Update by @joni_askola with data from @konrad_muzyka
2/6 Rochan Consulting's @konrad_muzyka highlighted that Russia currently has 114 units in Donetsk Oblast, while Ukraine has 59. This marks a concerning trend, as Russia's advantage in January was only 79 to 54.
3/6 Ukraine faces extremely challenging months ahead, despite the arrival of new aid. russia is aware of the need to expedite its efforts before Ukraine's mobilization and aid contribute to stabilizing the situation.
1/6 According to a senior Pentagon official, the GLSDB is not performing well in Ukraine. Update by @joni_askola
2/6 A senior Pentagon official has indicated that a new ground-launched weapon system has been experiencing difficulties in Ukraine due to russian jamming and other factors. We are not sure yet if he's referring to GLSDB or some other system.
3/6 It wouldn't come as a shock if the system in question turned out to be the GLSDB, considering the known issues and repeated delays associated with it. This is disappointing, especially considering the system's potential as a cost-effective solution.
1/6 Ukraine has pulled back its limited number of Abrams tanks from the front lines. Update by @joni_askola
2/6 According to AP News, the withdrawal of the Abrams M1A1 tanks from the front lines in Ukraine has been prompted by the destruction of five out of the 31 tanks by russian drones.
3/6 Losing a significant number of these tanks in defense would be detrimental for Ukraine. The inadequate quantity provided by the US has amplified Ukraine's apprehensions regarding avoidable potential losses.
Part 2.
Yeltsin again abolished the state monopoly on production in 1992, but a year later it had to be introduced again due to the appearance of low-quality surrogate on the market. The production, import and sale of vodka was concentrated in the hands of the Society of 1/7
Afghanistan Veterans, the National Sports Foundation and the Russian Orthodox Church. Yes, the church has started supplying alcohol again. And this scheme is very reminiscent of those that were introduced by different tsars at different times, encouraging the merchants, the 2/7
church and the boyars. But in the 90s, 95% of imports of tobacco and alcohol belonged to sports funds. They were exempted from duties in order to develop sports in the country, and they tried very hard. The money from the sale of vodka was used to organize tennis tournaments 3/7