First of all, it’s a bird. A rather large seabird, ranging in size from 6.6 to 11 pounds, with a wingspan of 59-83 inches and a body length of 31-37 inches. In flight, it is described as bearing a slight resemblance to an albatross; but it is a particularly ugly bird, with a huge beak and small, suspicious-looking, beady eyes. At one time, petrels were thought to be a divine warning that storms were on their way; they have been referred to as “water witches,” “Satanites,” and “birds of the devil,” due to their association with storms. But that’s not all they are today.

The Russian word for a petrel is burevestnik. Now, where have I heard that word before, and what does it matter?

Ah, yes, I remember — it’s what the Russians have chosen to name their newest generation of nuclear-powered cruise missile. They — the birds, not the missiles — are “extremely aggressive and will kill other seabirds (usually penguin chicks, sick or injured adult penguins and the chicks of other seabirds), even those as large as an albatross, which they kill either by battering them to death or drowning. At sea, they feed on krill, squid, and fish.”

Okay . . . now I see the connection. In March of 2018, it — the missile, not the bird — was described by Vladimir Putin as “a low-flying stealth missile carrying a nuclear warhead, with almost unlimited range, unpredictable trajectory and ability to bypass interception boundaries.” So they’re both — the birds and the missiles — basically killing machines that swoop in and terminate anything and everything in their path. And I really don’t know how I feel about that “unpredictable trajectory” thing. Plus, to cap it off, in 2019 the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) quoted Russian military expert Alexei Leonkov as describing the Burevestnik thus: “a weapon of retaliation, which Russia would use after Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles to finish military and civilian infrastructure and not leave a chance of survival.” [All quotes from Tim Lister and Sergey Gudkov, CNN, October 5, 2023.]

Well, that’s pretty specific. It’s also pretty much what one would expect from a nuclear weapon: total annihilation. But why would Vladimir Putin choose this particular time to be testing new nuclear-powered missiles? And why announce it at the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club (a Russian think tank) in the resort city of Sochi, Russia, where it was bound to make the worldwide news reports? Is it to be taken as a warning that “a storm is on the way”? Or is it just more of the saber-rattling for which Mr. Putin is so well-known? We don’t know, of course; although it does seem to tie in nicely with the constant prattling of his Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, about a nuclear response. And it’s just one more thing to add to our list of reasons for insomnia.

*. *. *

But we’re apparently not the only ones plagued by a lack of sleep; Putin has also had cause lately to lie awake at night . . . which, when you think about it, is only fair. The reason? “Authorities in Russia are looking into an alleged plot to ‘remove’ President Vladidmir Putin, according to a report, after receiving a tip about a suspicious conversation in a karaoke bar.” [Dan Ladden-Hall, Daily Beast, October 5, 2023; as also reported by Telegram Channel VChK-OGPU.] *

* NOTE: This is the first I’ve heard of this particular Telegram (social media) channel, VChK-OGPU, which appears to have named itself after the Russian security service of the 1920s, which later became the KGB. Am I the only one who finds that odd? Odd, and a little disturbing?

Okay, it’s a “report” on a “tip” about a “suspicious conversation” held “in a karaoke bar.” Hardly what one would call a reliable source. But these things can’t be ignored, so let’s see what’s going on, according to this “report.” It seems that the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) have been searching for an employee of an unspecified law enforcement agency, after being tipped to a “secret conspiracy against the head of state.” That employee reportedly had received a call from a man named Mikhail Yurchenko, who was alarmed to have had a conversation with yet another man (the one in the bar) “about the war and future life in Russia.” That third man showed Yurchenko something called a “red service ID,” and said that he had been tasked “to remove Vladimir Putin.” Wisely, Mr. Yurchenko reported the incident to the proper authorities. I am surprised, though, that Mr. Yurchenko’s name has been made public. Wouldn’t that place him in serious jeopardy if the threat turns out to be real? If that’s even his real name, of course.

Now, we all know that famous people — and particularly people in positions of power — live constantly with the knowledge that there are others out there who really, really don’t like them, and are unstable enough to try to harm them. In other words, the world is full of crazies. And it seems that Vladimir Putin has become completely paranoid, to the extent that he no longer even trusts his own security details. Add this recent report to the mix, and he must be going bonkers.

I don’t know that we’ll ever learn the result of this investigation, unless someone is actually arrested, thereby demonstrating the efficiency of Putin’s security forces. But it’s an interesting side story, and I just thought I’d share it with you today.

And by the way, if you’re waiting for an expression of sympathy from me for Vladimir Putin’s nerve-wracking situation . . . don’t waste your time. It’s not gonna happen.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/7/23