what the fuck is happening in Russia?

Damn

Probably safer than meatpacking factories at least.

(citations needed, as usual)

Apologies, I think I posted that when I was on the bus on the way into town and forgot to add later. I don't think I noted anything down specifically as I tend to listen to things when running rather than reading but I'll see what I can find

Gleb Pavlovsky Frontline PBS Interview 2017

I wonder how long until Shoigu falls from a window/expires from some mysterious health condition that had previously shown no symptoms of

I think he's 'pretty safe, he hasn't exactly been fired or even demoted. Just looks like a sideways kind of move, and brining in an economics guy as the replacement looks more like gearing up for the long haul

Patrushev is the more interesting move, but at sam time his son got promoted. We're squarely back in reading the tea leaves kremlinology era now, but I think this might not be much more than a simple reshuffle

I was listening to a Russian podcaster saying that this sideways move has much reduced the influence and status of Shoigu to the point that he's practically a nobody now.

Which podcaster?

Technically he's now replacing Patrushev who definitely isn't a nobody! That being said, Patrushev's power and influence is probably contained inside Patrushev and not his office, so it could be this is a case of being promoted out of harms way. But Putin rewards loyalty, arguably above anything else, and Shoigu certainly has a lot of that

oh not someone I'd recommend to anybody, he's an idiot. But he's right about some stuff and badly wrong at other times. Lol, he reckoned Tucker Carlson is a good journalist, that kind of wrong. Sometimes I prefer the bad podcasts just for background noise while I'm washing the dishes and for occasional lolz.

and he tells amusing stories about his childhood in the Soviet Union and stuff from the Yeltsin era, which is always good value.

I'm sort of in two minds when it comes to this stuff. I found the long-form video interviews with the Z patriot medic from Bakhmut and his Wagner mate upthread really interesting. It was good to be able to hear from them directly, by someone that didn't interrupt and gave them the floor.

But if they had controlled the podcast instead of being interviewees, I'd have been less inclined to listen - even though the interviewer barely challenged them at all (which is good! I don't really want interviewers to challenge guests, just ask good, probing, interesting questions, and give them space). But I think there is a need to hear 'wrong answers' too

Not that there is a "wrong answer" to "why did you volunteer to fight in Bakhmut?", so there's kind of nothing to challenge on other than understanding the perspective (as well as the experience)

bump

Popov dubiously arrested for stealing 100m roubles worth of metal after criticising the meat grinder tactics. He seems like someone on borrowed time. He was apparently popular with the rank and file, Putin doesn't like that kind of shit.

has he by any chance a broad yorkshire accent

he could probably do a better Yorkshire accent than Jason Issacs!

Timur Ivanov and Vadim Shamarin also arrested, along with a couple of others, not sure of significance of timing.

These feel separate to the Shoigu move. Shoigu must be delighted with his move

wars with a smile on his face but the lad needs trophies