re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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The Koran burning protest that infuriated Turkey and derailed Sweden’s NATO application was organised by Russia.

Here’s how…

The protest was conducted by far right Danish politician Rasmus Paludan.

But, curiously, he said that his action was the idea of "some Swedes who would like me to burn a Koran in front of the Turkish embassy".

Well, here’s a clue as to who he’s talking about.

According to Swedish media, the protest permit was paid for by Chang Frick, a “journalist” with an interesting background we should explore.

Chang Frick is a Putin supporter who worked for RT, has made multiple trips to Moscow, and set up his own “alternative” Swedish news site, Nyheter Idag.

Chang Frick appears in this 2019 investigation by the New York Times about how Russia was working to polarise Swedish society by staging provocations while also supporting the growth of far right media outlets that amplify them, like Frick’s Nyheter Idag.

Frick said another alternative Swedish news site, Exakt24, told him about the Danish politician’s plans and mentioned that he needed help to pay the fee because he couldn’t transfer the money to Sweden in time.

So, Frick says, he paid it in order to support free expression.

But, when Exakt24 was approached for comment, they told a different story.

It was Frick who initially contacted them and said he wanted to find someone who’d burn the Koran - for which he’d offer to cover expenses. They recommended Paludan.

Sweden’s entry to NATO would have hugely positive security benefits for Europe & the world - especially in the Baltics. This incident played a key role in its attempted sabotage.

Yet the connections to Russia are barely covered outside of Swedish media.

Yet this incident was initiated, facilitated, covered and amplified by a “journalist” with Kremlin connections, Kremlin financing, and Kremlin sympathies who has long worked within a much larger Kremlin plot to polarise Swedish society.

Of course, the Danish politician does this stuff already. And there were already tricky issues to resolve between Sweden & Turkey, in addition to cultural divisions relating to free expression.

But these are resolvable.

The goal of Kremlin propaganda is to prise open divisions among its adversaries & polarise democratic societies, including by initiating provocations and amplifying fringe people as if they are important mainstream voices.

It’s why many of the Westerners who play their roles within this machine are just such mediocre individuals. They can’t make it on their own merits in politics or media in a free society so they’re propped up and amplified by the Kremlin.

The same pattern is being constantly repeated across Europe and around the world in order to support Kremlin narratives. This is just one of the most consequential. We should never have let it go this far.

It’s still not clear what outcome will be reached for Sweden’s NATO application. But if protestors in Turkey really wanted to stick it to the people who burnt the Koran, they should support the application.

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Could probably kill 30-40 tanks in one sortie given how inept the Russians are.

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I just feel like they are going to do anything and everything but aircraft.

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That's a good article, thanks for posting.

It seems like sowing discord among its enemies is the one thing the Russians do well.

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Russian forces launched another massive series of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine on January 26. Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Valery Zaluzhnyi stated that Russian forces launched 55 air- and sea-based missiles, including Kh-101, Kh-555, Kh-47, and Kh-95 Kalibr and Kinzhal missiles at Ukraine from Tu-95, Su-35, and MiG-31K aircraft from the waters of the Black Sea.[1] Ukrainian air defense shot down 47 of the 55 missiles and all 24 Shahed 136 and 131 drones.[2] Several missiles struck critical infrastructure in Vinnytsia and Odesa oblasts.[3] Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov notably reported that Russian forces had 90 Iranian-made drones remaining as of January 7.[4] Russian forces have enough drones for only a few more large-scale strikes unless they have received or will soon receive a new shipment of drones from Iran.

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A recent altercation between Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin and former Russian officer Igor Girkin is exposing a new domain for competition among Russian nationalist groups for political influence in Russia. Girkin accused Prigozhin on January 25 of deliberately misconstruing his criticism of Prigozhin’s political aspirations and exploitation of the information space as an attack on Wagner forces fighting in Ukraine.[6] Girkin claimed that Wagner-affiliated outlet RiaFan’s interview with an unnamed Wagner commander who blamed Girkin for abandoning positions in Donbas in 2014 was an effort to anonymously discredit him.[7] Girkin also accused Prigozhin of continuing to commit Wagner forces to support operations in Syria and African countries instead of deploying his mercenaries to win the war in Ukraine.

Prigozhin replied that he does not have political ambitions and stated that his team attempted to bribe Girkin in an effort to silence his criticism of Wagner forces which could have led to the imprisonment of his fighters for illegal mercenary activity.[8] Prigozhin also made a point of exaggerating his authority by claiming that he cannot withdraw Wagner from Africa because he “made a promise to several presidents” that he will “defend them,” claimed that Wagner “de-facto” won the Syrian war, and noted that Wagner was kicked out of Donbas in 2015.[9] Prigozhin reiterated that he founded, controls, and sponsors Wagner and sarcastically invited Girkin to join one of Wagner’s assault units in occupied Luhansk Oblast, which Girkin stated he would do if Prigozhin sent him a serious invitation.[10] Prigozhin further demeaned Girkin by stating that Wagner does not send out invitations and stated that Girkin would not be effective on the frontlines because he is only interested in promoting himself for financial benefit.

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Prigozhin and Girkin – both critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s conduct of the war – are likely competing for influence and patronage among pro-war politicians disillusioned with the progress of the war. ISW assessed on October 4 that the Russian nationalists are split among three distinct groups that pursue different objectives while unilaterally criticizing the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD): Russian or proxy veterans, nationalists with their own private forces, and Russian milbloggers and war correspondents.[12] Girkin represents the veteran faction due to his connections with veteran organizations such as the All-Russian Officers Assembly, while Prigozhin is a self-proclaimed nationalist with access to a parallel military structure.

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Prigozhin’s attack on Girkin may benefit Putin, however. Prigozhin is very prominent in the Russian information space, and many milbloggers accused Girkin of lacking combat experience and cowardice in response to this exchange.

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Prigozhin is likely attempting to maximize his influence to avoid Girkin’s fate. The Kremlin had seemingly rid itself of Girkin after his militants retreated from Slovyansk and following his involvement in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in July 2014.[18] Girkin was removed from the position of Minister of Defense of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) in August 2014 and has not resurrected his influence within the Kremlin since then

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Russian President Vladimir Putin continued his campaign against critical and opposition voices by cracking down on several major opposition media outlets while continuing to platform highly critical Russian milbloggers. Putin signed a law on January 25 designating several major Russian language media and investigative outlets, including Meduza, Important Stories, Bellingcat, The Bell, and The Insider as undesirable organizations within Russia, outlawing the publication, distribution, or financial support of the organizations and their publications.[19] The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office claimed that the activities of Meduza and other outlets threaten the “foundations of the constitutional order and security” of Russia.

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The United States Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting the Wagner Group’s global support network, likely in response to the Wagner Group’s renewed efforts to support its operations outside of Ukraine. The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 16 entities that support the Wagner Group’s military operations as sanctioned entities including a Russian-based technology firm, a Chinese-based satellite imagery company, a Central African Republic security company controlled by the Wagner Group, a United Arab Emirates-based aviation firm, and several Russian nationals.[24] OFAC redesignated the Wagner Group as a significant transnational criminal organization and cited its role in Russian operations in Ukraine and its involvement in serious criminal activity in the Central African Republic and Mali

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Key Takeaways

Russian forces launched another massive series of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine on January 26.

A recent altercation between Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin and former Russian officer Igor Girkin is exposing a new domain for competition among Russian nationalist groups for political influence in Russia against the backdrop of Russian military failures in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin continued his campaign against critical and opposition voices by cracking down on several major opposition media outlets.

The United States Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting the Wagner Group’s global support network, likely in response to the Wagner Group’s renewed efforts to reinvigorate its operations outside of Ukraine.

Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces relaunched counteroffensive operations near Kreminna.

Russian forces continued ground attacks around Bakhmut, on the western outskirts of Donetsk City, and in the Vuhledar area.

Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces in Zaporizhia Oblast are not conducting offensive operations at the size or scale necessary for a full-scale offensive.

Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces continued to conduct limited and localized ground attacks in Zaporizhia Oblast.

The Wagner Group likely experienced significant losses in attritional offensive operations in eastern Ukraine over the past few months.

Russian occupation officials are reportedly continuing to “nationalize” property and close places of worship belonging to the Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Christian communities in occupied Zaporizhia Oblast in an effort to establish the Kremlin-affiliated Moscow Patriarchate Orthodox Church as the dominant faith in the region.

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