Putin Says Cassette Bombs from US Threaten Russian Soldiers who are Peacefully Killing Ukrainians, Russians Say

Paul Goble

            Staunton, July 8 – In yet another act of breathtaking hypocrisy, some Russians are now saying, Vladimir Putin has started complaining that cassette bombs the US is ready to supply Kyiv will threaten Russian soldiers who for the last 500 days have been “peacefully killing Ukrainians.”  

            That is just one of the telling anecdotes Russians are sharing with each other as they seek to put their arms around what is happening in their country. These have been collected by Moscow journalist Tatyana Pushkaryova (publizist.ru/blogs/107374/46233/- and publizist.ru/blogs/107374/46242/-). Among the best of the rest are the following:

·       Moscow has announced plans to send cassettes to Ukraine, not bombs but rather recordings of popular songs.

·       The Russian Central Bank has announced plans to move from a floating Russian ruble exchange rate to a sinking one.

·       If Russians want to continue to fly, they are going to have to learn how to repair their aging fleet of planes without making use of any imported parts.

·       This week, the “cowardly” president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, travelled about Europe, while the “courageous” Vladimir Putin spent the last seven days in his bunker.

·       Chechnya is truly a bellwether republic. Any lawlessness there soon spreads to the rest of Russia such as pouring green paint over opposition figures. As a result, “the green Chechenization of the Russian Federation is in full swing.”

·       According to the Russian foreign ministry, the only way Ukrainians can show real courage is to surrender to Russian forces rather than continuing to fight for more than 500 days.

·       With its own losses, Russia has made a contribution to the demilitarization of Ukraine. Unfortunately, Ukraine with the help of its Western supporters has been working in the opposite direction.

·       Kadyrov’s decision to go on vacation has attracted the kind of attention Russian officials normally get only when they die or are replaced. Is something going on?

·       Election day is the only occasion on which Russians throw waste paper into the proper urn and not just on the streets.

 

And in a clear sign that Russian reality and Russian anecdotes are converging, with the former becoming more like the latter rather than the other way around, tour operators in Rostov are now featuring visits to places where Prigozhin’s Wagner PMC occupied that city (thenewtab.io/rostovskie-gidy-nachali-vodit-ekskursii-po-mestam-myatezha-chvk-vagner/).