More Bad News for Russia

[AkMike]

Yeah and the chess championship just a bit ago.. 

[sleepycat]

And to top off all the bad news Russia lost to Ukraine in boxing last weekend. Olexander Usyk won the fight by KO while a patriotic crowd cheered him on.

Did the crowd do the 'putin huilo' chant?

[Anotherkiwi]

Yeah and the chess championship just a bit ago.. 

Slightly better news on the sporting front, though - the Russian women's Rugby Sevens team made the final of the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series tournament in Langford, British Columbia, this weekend, although beaten by New Zealand.  It's the first time they've ever made a final - pretty impressive for a team ranked eight coming into the tournament.  Star player for the Russians was Ekaterina Kazakova, who scored all their 10 points with two tries.

http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=ekaterina+kazakova&biw=1366&bih=617&tbm=isch&imgil=ahl72rN8_eFeXM%253A%253BEfuEHHywr1tHDM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.zimbio.com%25252Fpictures%25252FdjW8EBfHOGa%25252FIRB%2525252BWomen%2525252BSevens%2525252BWorld%2525252BSeries%25252F6bpSKWOAI-N%25252FEkaterina%2525252BKazakova&source=iu&pf=m&fir=ahl72rN8_eFeXM%253A%252CEfuEHHywr1tHDM%252C_&usg=__7SJxqyHk-g3KLxfcc-6R3WQw-Y4%3D&ved=0CCcQyjc&ei=eaE1VYS3IIWymAWF74CwBA#imgrc=LTC4dQLrYPP2XM%253A%3Bp-OcYBWrk6y8hM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ffotos.areah.com.br%252Fimages%252Ffotos%252Fmh_interna_galeria_ekaterina%252520kazakova%2525202%252520-%252520facebook.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.areah.com.br%252Fgaleria%252Fentretenimento%252Fgaleria%252F92003%252F2%252Fpagina_0%252Fekaterina-kazakova.aspx%3B411%3B621

[lordtiberius]

Russians killed Chechen Freedom Fighter and Challenger to Razman Kadyrov: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/21/world/europe/aliaskhab-kebekov-reported-killed-russia.html?_r=0

a middle aged teenager and Russian Troll @Rogozin claims Norwegian Island for Russia:  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32380101

An optimistic looks at the war never mind the dead bodies:  http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2015/04/17/ukraine-crisis-is-a-geopolitical-game-changer-that-weakens-russia#

Anatoliy Gerej and Anastasia Ivchenko – winners of the Championship of Ukraine on fencing on swords

[Boethius]

According to Prime Minister Medvedev, the sanctions will cost the Russian economy more than US$100 billion.
 
http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/21/news/economy/russia-ukraine-sanctions-price/
 

[lordtiberius]

At best that is 5% of their economy.  They trade more with the Europeans and the sanctions have affected them as well particularly Finland.  If the truce holds, I hate to say it but I can see them lifting their sanctions off set by moving troops closer to the Russian border

[AkMike]

Russia's Ghost Army in Ukraine, Part III  Vice News

http://news.vice.com/video/russias-ghost-army-in-ukraine-part-3

[AkMike]

Sanctions inflicted damage worth of 25 billion euros to the Russian Federation. It can grow by several times in 2015 - Russian PM


The damage inflicted to the Russian economy by the sanctions could grow by several times in 2015.


Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said, "I'm not going to specify what kind of sanctions we have been living under for almost a year. But there is almost no sector of the economy which they had not hurt. Starting from the financial sector which was impacted by the restrictions on access to foreign loans and ending with the import of technologies," Medvedev said, speaking at the State Duma with a report on the activities of the government.

"The damage from the restrictions imposed against our economy is significant and let's not conceal it. According to some foreign experts, Russia has suffered damage worth of 25 billion euros (1.5% of GDP). It can increase by several times in 2015," the prime minister said.

http://en.censor.net.ua/news/333489/sanctions_inflicted_damage_worth_of_25_billion_euros_to_the_russian_federation_it_can_grow_by_several

[AkMike]

Militants booby-trap body of Azov soldier violating basis of international humanitarian laws – ATO HQ

Separatist militants booby-trapped the body of a Georgian volunteer who served with Azov battalion in Shyrokyne, near Mariupol, which violates the fundamental basis of international humanitarian laws, the press service of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) headquarters has reported.

"Criminals took the shoes and individual protective gear off the victim. After that the body was booby-trapped to kill the soldiers who would come to take their fallen comrade from the battlefield. Only aid from OSCE SMM inspectors, who removed the mines from the body, helped to avoid additional victims.
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/261712.html

[alex330]

Did the crowd do the 'putin huilo' chant?

There were some anti Putin jeers from the crowd but mainly they were chanting the fighters name.
Usyk is originally from Crimea and remains in his hometown of Simferopol while refusing to take Russian citizenship.

[LiveFromUkraine]

I'm surprised I didn't see some of you guys salivating over the EU's antitrust charges against Gazprom.  Could be a big hurt for Russia.

[AkMike]

I'm surprised I didn't see some of you guys salivating over the EU's antitrust charges against Gazprom.  Could be a big hurt for Russia.

 We're waiting until after the court nails them for this, stealing Krym as well as the war crimes.

[lordtiberius]

They have 3 months to respond

[LiveFromUkraine]

We're waiting until after the court nails them for this, stealing Krym as well as the war crimes.

I suspect if they filed they have a lot of evidence to back their claims.


Google has been battling EU antitrust claims as well.  From what I have read, they have a solid case and imagine Gazprom is in for a big fight as well.

[lordtiberius]

A surface-to-air missile crashed shortly after being launched in northern Russia on Wednesday, Russian news agencies said, in a failed test that will be seen as an embarrassment for the country's military forces.

http://news.yahoo.com/rocket-crashes-launch-northern-russia-004020572.html

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/russia-wants-build-supercarrier-total-191300008.html

"Russia’s plan to build a supercarrier, if pursued, will likely involve tremendous expenses to retrofit Russia’s navy and foreign policy with a ship that serves no strategic purpose,"

after Russia actually builds the ship, it would have to invest heavily in the development of overseas ports in willing partner countries, which Russia is currently lacking, for the ship to have any strategic value.

Peter the Great he is not . . .

[JayH]

Piece by piece the chickens are trying to roost.Despite the Kremlins best efforts to silence any critics dissatisfaction is leaking out .

Unpaid Russian Workers Unite in Protest Against Putin

 Workers across Russia are starting to protest against unpaid wages and go on strike, in the first nationwide backlash against Mr. Putin's economic policies.


MOSCOW — In the far east, the teachers went on strike. In central Russia, it was the employees of a metallurgical plant. In St. Petersburg, autoworkers laid down their tools. And at a remote construction site in Siberia, laborers painted their complaints in gigantic white letters on the roofs of their dormitories.

“Dear Putin, V.V.,” the message said. “Four months without pay.”

After months of frustration with an economy sagging under the weight of international sanctions and falling energy prices, workers across Russia are starting to protest unpaid wages and go on strike, in the first nationwide backlash against President Vladimir V. Putin’s economic policies.
Unpaid wages, or wage arrears, an old scourge in Russia, rose on April 1 to 2.9 billion rubles, or about $56 million, according to the Russian statistical service. That is a 15 percent increase over a year earlier, but experts say that still does not capture the scope of the diminished pay of workers involuntarily idled during the slowdown.

Discontent over unpaid wages was tamped down for a while by a surge in national pride after the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine a year ago, and by repeated messages on state television that the hardship was an unavoidable price to pay for standing up for Russia’s interests. The strikes, in any case, have not been widely publicized in the state news media.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/world/europe/russian-workers-take-aim-at-putin-as-economy-exacts-its-toll.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=2

[Anotherkiwi]

Piece by piece the chickens are trying to roost.Despite the Kremlins best efforts to silence any critics dissatisfaction is leaking out .

Unpaid Russian Workers Unite in Protest Against Putin

 Workers across Russia are starting to protest against unpaid wages and go on strike, in the first nationwide backlash against Mr. Putin's economic policies...

JayH, this was posted here a couple of days ago.

[AkMike]

Russia Robs graves to feed the state treasury! That's SICK! 

In all want to dig up old graves and found treasures to send to the state treasury


Experts have counted tens of millions of neglected graves throughout.

In Russia wants to amend the legislation on the graves  In Russia planned to dig up all the old abandoned graves, ashes to offer direct cremation and found jewelry will go to the state treasury.

Such innovations stated in the draft law "On the funeral business in and amending certain laws" that paved the Ministry of Construction and Housing, write " Izvestia ".

It is in this project and offer direct state ownership found in jewelry during the planned mass cremation of the remains of the abandoned graves.

http://tsn.ua/groshi/u-rosiyi-hochut-rozkopati-vsi-stari-mogili-a-znaydeni-koshtovnosti-napraviti-do-derzhskarbnici-423151.html

[AkMike]

Poland to bolster Ukraine's army if Russia war escalates

Poland's foreign minister Grzegorz Schetyna said on Thursday that Poland, along with other countries, may support Ukraine's defense capacities if the conflict in eastern Ukraine escalates.

Grzegorz Schetyna, Polish Foreign Minister: "We cannot exclude that in case of renewed escalation of military actions, we will be forced, along with other countries that assess the situation similarly to us, to take a decision on stronger support for the Ukrainian state, including its defense capacities."

http://uatoday.tv/politics/poland-to-bolster-ukraine-s-army-if-russia-war-escalates-423221.html

[AkMike]

20 questions for those who back Putin’s aggression in Ukraine

Viktor Kadochnikov, a Russian blogger, poses 20 questions that he suggests those who support Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine should be asking themselves. If they do and if they are honest, they won’t be able to support the Kremlin leader’s policies any more.

http://euromaidanpress.com/201...gression-in-ukraine/

[Anotherkiwi]

20 questions for those who back Putin’s aggression in Ukraine

Viktor Kadochnikov, a Russian blogger, poses 20 questions that he suggests those who support Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine should be asking themselves. If they do and if they are honest, they won’t be able to support the Kremlin leader’s policies any more.

http://euromaidanpress.com/201...gression-in-ukraine/

That link doesn't work - try this one instead:

http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/04/25/20-questions-for-those-who-back-putins-aggression-in-ukraine/

[AkMike]

Thanks for the  link fix AK. 

[jone]

Geeze, Mike, Kiwi,

I talk to Russians all of the time who can think for themselves.  They don't need twenty such questions. 

As we have seen from various people who post here, anyone can self delude to a position that nothing anyone says will ruin their perception of the world.

[AkMike]

That was for those few w/o  oatmeal between their ears.


Anyone seriously thinking Putin's Russian Federation is not USSR V 2.0?

 A Victory Day billboard in Russia with a fake Churchill quote praising Stalin:
 "I get up in the morning and pray that Stalin may remain alive and healthy.
 Only Stalin can save the world" - Winston Churchill (1943)

[Boethius]

Anyone seriously thinking Putin's Russian Federation is not USSR V 2.0?

Not even close.