Here I am, down south and in the secondary path of Hurricane Idalia, waiting to see what happens next. And what better way to spend my time than by scouring the headlines for inspiration for my next blog post? So, let’s see what there is . . .

Well . . . Crap!!!

Was that the best they could do? Really?

I started my search with Saturday’s “Good Stuff” from CNN, in the hope of finding something on the cheerful side. I did see a piece on soccer (but not a sports fan, so passed right over that one); a bit about the artistic side of library cards (yawn); and an article that tells us that saying hello to our neighbors is beneficial to our health and overall wellbeing. Okay, then. Certainly not bad news; but I’m having a difficult time trying to figure out how to turn any of those into an article anyone would be interested in reading. Apparently, if it’s not bad, it’s just not news.

Then I went on to today’s items, and . . . Voila! Up popped this lovely fellow.

No, he’s not Yevgeny Prigozhin’s second cousin . . . though he might well be, considering the physical resemblance. But I really wouldn’t know. What he does seem to be, though, is Prigozhin’s replacement: Putin’s gift to Africa, General Andrey Averyanov.

According to Fox News (not my favorite source, but it’s the only one I could find today on this guy), the General “currently serves as the head of covert offensive operations in Russia’s military intelligence service [presumably the GRU], and he has been accused of ordering assassinations of Russian dissidents.” He is also said to have met with African leaders during the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in July. In other words, your typical Putin appointee. So that would answer one question that’s been foremost in people’s minds . . . well, my mind, anyway . . . as to who’s next after Prigozhin.

And what else might Mr. Putin have in store for the remnants of the Wagner Group aside from this new leader of Russia’s answer to Hitler’s Afrika Korps? According to Republic World (India), just days before the announced appointment of Averyanov, Mr. Putin had ordered the mercenary group to sign an “oath of allegiance,” along with other private military groups. The decree is said to read, in part, as follows:

“All persons entering volunteer formations, and other persons contributing to the fulfilment [sic] of the tasks assigned to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, other troops, military formations and bodies and taking part in a special military operation must pledge allegiance to the country and military.”

In other words, the troops who, just two months ago, were ready to follow Yevgeny Prigozhin in a revolt against the Kremlin and the Russian military, are now being conscripted into — and expected to pledge their loyalty to — those very same military forces. And if they refuse . . . well, it doesn’t require much imagination to figure that out.

Apparently, all Wagner troops have been, or are being, removed from Ukraine . . . which would seem to be good news for Ukraine, since the Wagner mercenaries had exhibited the greatest capability — and brutality — of all of the Russian forces since the start of the war a year and a half ago. But there is plenty of room for them in Africa and the Middle East, where their presence has already been a fact of life for some time.

So that’s an answer provided to yet another question — an answer which, along with a number of actual experts, I had already mentioned as one of a few distinct possibilities: what to do with all of those Wagner barbarians. We are now two-for-two.

But let us not forget Belarus. With its self-anointed President, Aleksandr Lukashenko, already casting his eye on Poland . . . well, who knows what’s to come? The most vulnerable next targets would seem to be Lithuania and Latvia — two more NATO members. But I’m getting into worst-case scenarios now, and I don’t really want to do that.

The bottom line here — if there is one as yet — is that the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin is further proof to the world that no one, no matter how valuable, is truly indispensable. Someone leaves a job, and another person is sent in to fill his shoes. And, when you’re dealing with a stone-cold killer at the helm, even a lifetime of friendship means nothing; human life itself has no value; and world opinion isn’t even given a moment’s consideration. Such is the reality of life in the Kremlin inner circle, and the remaining members of that elite group had better take heed. Because no one knows who may be next.

And as though we needed further proof of these sad truths, we were told yesterday — after the fact — that a funeral had been held for Yevgeny. Not at Novodevichy or other noted Moscow cemetery, but in his home town of St. Petersburg; not with a parade or other fanfare as he would have wanted, but quietly and secretly; not with a crowd of people to bid him farewell, but with a small, hand-picked group of mourners. And not with his body embalmed and laid out for viewing, because there was no body; but with a charred set of remains that his family were told were his. Surely, even a person as malevolent as he had been in life deserves a little better sendoff in death.

But not in Putin’s Russia.

*. *. *

Two additional Russia-related items jumped out at me today, having to do with another scary guy I’ve mentioned before — Dmitry Medvedev — and some of Prigozhin’s loyal followers who are now defending Putin and blaming the West (including the U.S., of course) for their former boss’ death. But I’ll save those for tomorrow . . . I’ve already covered enough depressing material for one day.

So, back to my hurricane watch. Good luck to all of you Floridians in Idalia’s path. I certainly hope she’s not as bad as predicted, but in any case, stay safe.

TTFN,
Brendochka
8/30/23