According to Russian media, the first suspect in the plane crash case is Prigozhin's personal pilot.

Artem Stepanov is also the former founder of MNT Aero, the company that owned the crashed aircraft. Sources suggest that Stepanov had access to the aircraft and that he fled before the explosion, leaving for Kamchatka. Russian law enforcement authorities have reportedly been unable to locate him, and Stepanov's brother claims that Artem has been camping for several days and is not available by phone.

⚡️Russian media report that Prigozhin's body was officially identified by one of Wagner PMC commanders in the morgue. The main sign was the absence of a finger.

Dmitriy Utkin was reportedly identified, as well - by his height and tattoos.

I am not surprised by what happened yesterday. Immediately after the failure of the Wagner PMC's mutiny, I wrote that Prigozhin was a dead man walking.

Elimination of political opponents is what Putin has always done.

Why was the option of execution on board the plane chosen, rather than poisoning or bullets for Prigozhin, Utkin, and other mercenaries?

The arguments in favor of elimination in the air are simple and clear. Novichok agents, after the failure of Navalny's poisoning, proved to be an unreliable means. Prigozhin has always been surrounded by dozens of loyal and experienced bodyguards.

They wanted to eliminate not only Prigozhin but also his closest associates. To decapitate and completely defeat the entire Wagner PMC in one blow.

The airplane became a convenient and symbolic place for a group execution. From there, it was a mere formality.

There are three possibilities for what happened:
1️⃣ Planting an explosive device.
2️⃣ Creating a fatal technical malfunction.
3️⃣ Shooting down with an air defense system.

According to Russian Telegram channels, Prigozhin's plane had recently undergone maintenance and was therefore accessible to Putin's special services. There were no difficulties in planting and disguising an explosive device on board. There were no problems to create technical difficulties in the operation of important plane control systems, which, ground-controlled, could be launched at the agreed time.

▪️ I consider the possibility that Prigozhin's plane was shot down by an air defense system to be the most unlikely because in that case, it would be too difficult to deny Putin's involvement. No one would believe that the plane of Putin's biggest enemy was shot down by accident by Russian air defense that can't even stop drones on their way to Moscow.

But a bomb detonation or a deliberate technical malfunction opens up wide opportunities for Russian propaganda to lie that the bomb was planted on the plane by Western or Ukrainian special services.

▪️ In any case, it is obvious that the "Prigozhin era" that began just over a year ago is over. Putin's regime has transformed into a totalitarian dictatorship, ready to destroy anyone in its way.

In this regard, I think the terrorist Girkin-Strelkov may also die "unexpectedly".

This is also a signal to all those in Russia who have ambitions and have their own private armies to think about. Kadyrov, for example, as well as other "elites" who are planning their game.

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1694680691038908762?t=SKJOPwHsZ3-dxJOSMV-JKQ&s=19

What does the news about the execution of Prigozhin and Utkin mean for Ukraine?

🔹 First of all, it means Russia will become weaker. A dangerous, cunning, determined, and clever enemy of Ukraine in the person of Prigozhin has been eliminated. He was capable of unconventional approaches and solutions in complex situations - something that neither Putin, Shoigu, Gerasimov, nor their subordinates are capable of.

🔹 Those war criminals - soldiers and officers of the Russian army, as well as mercenaries from other PMCs who fought against Ukraine and were inspired by Prigozhin and Utkin are now demotivated.

As one such stoned bastard wrote yesterday in his Telegram channel: "It's not clear whether the Hero of Russia Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin was on board, but if he was, then pack your belongings, and we don't f*cking need this war".

🔹 Wagner PMC as a fighting unit no longer exists, as it was held on the iron will and bloody traditions of Prigozhin and Utkin.
The remnants of Wagnerites will be persecuted and will seek salvation by being recruited into the service of dictatorial regimes in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, guarding bloody diamond mining and drug production in the jungle.

Of course, they will be offered to sign a contract with Shoigu and go to war against Ukraine, but I think not many will agree to this, as few will want to give their lives again for Putin, whom they hate and who killed their leaders.

🔹 Tens of thousands of families of the destroyed and wounded Wagnerites, who previously received payments through Prigozhin's structures, will now receive nothing. This will further increase social tensions and the level of internal destabilization in Russia, which, of course, is to our advantage. Also, this public execution will increase tension and uncertainty among the Kremlin elites.

🔹 I also do not rule out and would like very much if a small secret group were to be created among the most loyal to Prigozhin and Utkin Wagnerites, which would set upon itself the task to take revenge on Putin, Shoigu, and Gerasimov at any cost and liquidate them according to the laws of bandit bloody vengeance.

I believe and hope that all these three scoundrels will now definitely not live to see the 33rd anniversary of Independence Day.

Slava Ukraini!

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1694681026247749831?t=LD-uOMP-0efAh-4CUSJZSw&s=19

"We all realize who is responsible for this" - President Zelenskyy about the plane crash.

A sledgehammer was brought to Prigozhin's "memorial".

Well...

Now a bloodied sledgehammer crashing through skulls became one of the symbols of the "Russian world".

A Russian "military blogger" says:

"All the military commanders listed below died not on the battlefield but as a result of terrorist attacks or unclear circumstances (except for Strelkov, but there's still time).

This has never happened in any country involved in any conflict.

◾️Alexander Bednov (nicknamed "Batman") - 1 January 2015 (death)
◾️Yevgeny Ishchenko - 23 January 2015 (death)
◾️Aleksey Mozgovoy - 23 May 2015 (death)
◾️Pavel Dryomov - 12 December 2015 (death)
◾️Gennady Tsyplakov - 24 September 2016 (death)
◾️Arsen Pavlov (nicknamed "Motorola") 16 October 2016 (death)
◾️Valery Bolotov - 27 January 2017 (death)
◾️Mikhail Tolstykh (nicknamed "Givi") - 8 February 2017 (death)
◾️Alexander Zakharchenko - 31 August 2018 (death)
◾️Igor Strelkov - 21 July 2023 (arrest)
◾️Yevgeny Prigozhin - 23 August 2023 (death)
◾️Dmitry Utkin - 23 August 2023 (death)"

Ukrainian Independence day.

I don't want to write any banalities.

Today I would like to honor those who fight for our independence and right to exist. Those Heroes who gave their lives for it. We owe everything to them.

We are exhausted but we will never lose faith - that is why we will win. We know we've already come a long way - the destroyed Russian military equipment behind my back is yet another proof.

We will win and we are aware that the hard work will become even harder then.

Slava Ukraini and Glory to Ukrainian Heroes!

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1694706362708869239?t=Dkwagp0ugTBEjbwmAPA6Uw&s=19

Russian propagandist Solovyev still hasn't received instructions regarding the plane crash.

So he plays it safe and praises Putin.

Russian military commissariats conducted a large-scale handover of enlistment notices to migrants in the South Urals, Russian media report. The event was organized together with the support of OMON special forces and took place at the Chinese market located in the Metallurgical District of Chelyabinsk.

Men who have citizenship but have not joined the military register were handed enlistment notices on the spot. And those who had previously received them but failed to respond, were taken to the military enlistment office.

"Where the f*ck did you come from?" - Lavrov once more demonstrates his exceptional diplomacy skills.

📹: CurrentTimeTv

"He had a difficult fate, he made serious mistakes in his life. And he achieved the necessary results both for himself and when I asked him to do so for the common goal, as happened in recent months." - Putin spoke about Prigozhin's death for the first time.

A huge Ukrainian flag was raised in the air and sent from Kherson to temporarily occupied left bank of Kherson region.

Slava Ukraini! Glory to Heroes!

📹: anastasiyacat84/TikTok

According to a report presented by US Senator Lindsey Graham @LindseyGrahamSC during a press conference in Kyiv, allocating less than 3% of the US defense budget to support the Ukrainian military has led to significant achievements.

Thanks to these efforts, the Russian army has been significantly dismantled. The senator noted that during the Cold War, the United States spent significant funds to deter Russian aggression.

Now, the cost of helping the Ukrainian military is less than 3% of the total defense budget, but this support has led to the destruction of half of the Russian army.

Graham stated that this is the best investment in American security in history. He also expressed his gratitude to Ukraine for its partnership, describing it as an outstanding partner and comparing it to the cooperation of Churchill's time.

Thankful to our Allies!

This is what we're fighting for.

The writing on the video says: the son was so lookint forward to see his dad after Bakhmut.

Putin's doppelganger awarded Putin's doppelganger?

‼️Russian media are sharing a new story behind Prigozhin's death: Macron and France will allegedly benefit from this!
They reason that without Prigozhin and Utkin, their PMC will fall apart and lose all the positions they had in Africa, where they were busy "squeezing out" French interests, acting on Putin's orders.

Russian Telegram channels:
"One thing shocks me the most about Prigozhin's death. So many are easily ready to believe that the death of Wagner's founder was revenge for the June mutiny, but they don't give any thought what an incredible, fantastic luck his liquidation was to Paris.

There is significant probability that it won't be possible to hold the African positions Wagner captured for Russia. Control over them was largely tied up in Prigozhin's personal ties and the structure of Wagner itself, which will crumble. "Russian Africa" will crumble with it.

Prigozhin died at the very moment when the French shadow empire faced the crisis in Niger. Losses from that are much more serious for Paris than losing CAR and Mali. Due to the uranium factor, losing control over Niger for the French is economically comparable to losing Algiers.

Now Paris might not only deal with the situation at hand (the elimination of Wagner increases the negotiability of the new authorities in Niamey) but also win back the loss of positions in Bangui and Bamako.

Despite stereotypes, French special services are the real deal. Moreover, their influence is directly tied to the soft power that Paris used for many years in the post-Soviet space, starting with Russia. It's enough to see the number of 'elite' representatives whose children/wives/mistresses have French passports and villas at Côte d'Azur.

Prigozhin's elimination is worth involving all these agents. But it's much easier to mumble that it was Putin who 'decided to pay back for the mutiny', burying the African positions that were so hard to win together with Wagner. The positions that became his, Putin's, geopolitical success".

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1694984176900939985?t=M1N6CbT_12TOpvUb18OiBA&s=19

Russian propagandist Solovyev has also been instructed to hint that Prigozhin's death has something to do with Wagner's activity in Aftica (see my previous post for more information).

The wing and landing gear of Prigozhin's business jet have been found, Russian media report.

They fell 3 kilometers from the crash site into the river Lodyzhenka, near the railway station Kuzhenkino. A few hundred meters from the place where the tail of the plane was found - Russian media

This might confirm the version that the plane broke up while in the air.

Local producers in Russia are asking retailers to take into account the change in the ruble exchange rate as a basis for revising the prices of their products. They are also in favor of reducing the time for revising price tags to two weeks - Russian media.

In other words, it is expected that the cost of all goods in shops will increase starting from September. At the same time, Rosstat reported the fifth position of the Russian economy in the world in terms of purchasing power.

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1695005735359291487?t=h44TswAdeocMWrTR1YVahw&s=19

Groups of Ukrainian Special Operations Forces beat the enemy out near Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region.

The work is extremely challenging: Russian artillery works non-stop, Russian drones crowd the sky, shooting contact with the enemy is very close. Russian soldiers do whatever they can to hold their positions.

This video shows just a small glimpse of what our Heroes endure.

Glory!

📹: Official channel of the Special Operations Forces