Mysterious deaths and disappearances are nothing unusual in Russia. A journalist (Anna Politkovskaya) who reported on the war in Chechnya is shot and killed in the hallway of her apartment building; an opposition leader (Boris Nemtsov) is shot and killed on his way home from dinner, just yards from Red Square and the Kremlin; a famed dissident (Alexei Navalny) is poisoned but survives, then is arrested and dies mysteriously in prison; a high-ranking military officer opposed to the war in Ukraine is killed by a car bomb; a close associate of Vladimir Putin who dared criticize the military (Yevgeny Prigozhin) is blown out of the sky when his private plane explodes; a startling number of officials and other VIPs “fall” out of windows to their deaths.

In Moscow, it’s just business as usual.

Those things don’t happen here in the United States. The current administration has somewhat less drastic — though still vicious and unethical — means of dealing with adversaries: some are fired from their jobs for specious reasons, or no reason at all; others are sued for ludicrous sums of money; still others have their reputations besmirched. The lucky ones are just called “moron,” “scum,” “loser,” or “piggy.”

But when two mysterious events take place in rapid succession, involving two senior and very powerful members of the U.S. Senate, the mind of an old Russia hand such as myself naturally turns to the most ominous, albeit unlikely, scenarios. It is easy to imagine what events such as these would have meant had they occurred in Moscow . . . and to be thankful that we still don’t do things that way.

Just think about it.

First was 84-year-old Mitch McConnell, seven-term Senator from Kentucky and a fierce ally of Donald Trump. He has had numerous health problems over the years, so it wasn’t surprising to learn that he was once again hospitalized on June 14th. The public was advised that he had been injured in a fall. But when the details of his condition are kept secret, he is not seen or heard from for a month, and a still photo is finally released that can only be described as a hybrid of scenes from “Dave” and “Weekend At Bernie’s” . . . well, one has to wonder why.

McConnell’s survival is of extreme importance to Trump and the entire Republican Party because of the order of succession in Kentucky. His party cannot risk his Senate seat going to anyone other than a Trump loyalist in a special election.

So is McConnell being kept technically alive, perhaps on life support, for the requisite amount of time? Or is he . . . ?

Well, that doesn’t even bear contemplating.

*. *. *

Even more shocking, because it was totally unexpected, was the sudden death this weekend of another Trump loyalist, 71-year old Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. His death came just a day after a very successful meeting in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he assured Zelensky of America’s continuing support . . . despite Trump’s recent cooling attitude toward the provision of additional help for the war-torn ally.

Reports are that Graham suffered a sudden cardiovascular event resulting from an apparently unsuspected, silently progressive condition. And there is no reason at this time to question that diagnosis.

But if we were in Moscow, and Graham were a member of Putin’s inner circle of siloviki (strongmen, or people of influence), our first reactions might have been entirely different.

All of which makes me very grateful that, despite the distressing devolution of the Trump administration into blatant authoritarianism, we haven’t yet sunk quite that low.

Nor must we ever do so.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/14/26

I have long believed that no one can match, much less surpass, the wisdom of the ancient Greek philosophers . . . except, perhaps, the ancient Chinese philosophers.

Possibly the best known of these was Lao Tzu (alternatively spelled Laozi), revered as the author of the Tao Te Ching, one of the foundational texts of Taoism.

Being on something of a journey myself at the present time, I decided to see what he had to say about the directions we take in life, and I was immediately reminded of these famous words:

Well, having already taken that first step, I dug a little further into Lao Tzu’s writings and was delighted to find this bit of irony:

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”

How delightful it is to know that even the ancients could be possessed of both wisdom and a sense of humor.

And what excellent advice for some of today’s world leaders and their slavish followers . . . if only they had the intelligence and the will to listen.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/13/26

It’s well known that Ukraine’s recent successes in targeting and destroying so many Russian oil refineries and tankers has played havoc with fuel supplies on the Russian mainland, and in Russian-occupied Crimea.

As to Crimea in particular, fuel is being severely rationed (if available at all), and there have been reports of a large-scale exodus of those who purchased property there, or simply came to visit, on Vladimir Putin’s assurances that life was good in the Black Sea paradise since his illegal invasion and occupation in 2014 . And apparently, it has been . . .

. . . that is, until he decided to stage a repeat performance involving the whole of Ukraine in 2022. And the rest is well-known: a war, in its fifth year, that is not going at all as Putin had anticipated and promised. Since then, Crimea itself has become a war zone, particularly in areas housing military facilities and in coastal areas where Russia’s famous Black Sea Fleet has been located, making them prime targets of Ukraine’s drone forces.

Why, then, were the Feenstras — Arend, Anneesa, and seven of their eight children — sent to that very place on a week-long farm tour?

Their specific location on the peninsula has not been mentioned in their videos, and it appears that their first two days were spent at inland agricultural areas — much safer locations, due to the absence of military installations that might be targeted by Ukraine. So I followed them through three episodes on their long train ride and to a couple of apparently thriving farms, where they learned a good bit about Russian agriculture and husbandry.

Skipping over episodes 4 and 5 — visits to a goat farm and a cheese farm — due to a lack of time and, quite frankly, a waning interest in the details of Crimean farm life, I went directly to episode 6: a relaxing day by the Black Sea.

My reason for this was twofold: first, to see how the videos would depict life in the more populated areas of Crimea; and also to make a comparison, as much as possible, with the Black Sea resort (Sochi) I visited on my first trip to the then Soviet Union in 1988.

Obviously, 38 years can make a tremendous difference. And, as Arend Feenstra explained in the video, the recreational areas have been updated and expanded in just the last eight years. Needless to say, he commented on how clean and “gorgeous” everything is, how much attention is paid to lifestyles that help “build community” throughout Russia, and how important that is to quality of life in general. If he hadn’t become a farmer, he would have been a great public relations guru.

There was a stop for lunch.

And more strolling around town.

Again, the exact location was not revealed, but it appeared to be a small resort city or town, with both historic and newly-developed areas. He began his video by commenting on the historically amicable co-existence of substantial Muslim and Jewish communities in the region, and pointed out an “Orthodox church” — without mentioning whether it was Russian or Ukrainian Orthodox. The smart money would be on Russian, of course, as all Ukrainian history, language, culture and religion have been or are being eradicated by Putin in Russian-occupied areas.

The video ended with a walk to the Black Sea itself, where one thing hadn’t changed: the typically European rocky beach surface. (We Americans are accustomed to soft sandy beaches.) Some of the Feenstras seemed to have no difficulty walking barefoot on the stones. But I distinctly recall the amusement of some locals when I was unable to manage without my rubber flip-flops, even in the water.

Happily, the region they visited was indeed beautiful and peaceful. The video showed a coastline devoid of large military vessels — just a couple of lesser ships in the distance, a few smaller boats, and a plethora of lovely swans.

Looking at a map of Crimea, they could have been anywhere along a lengthy stretch of coastline.

And it was obvious from the videos thus far that their itinerary was well planned to keep Russia’s celebrated Canadian emigres as safe as possible.

Which is a good thing.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/13/26

No, this is not a eulogy for Lindsey Graham . . . but it is about him, indirectly.

It is, rather, about this man:

Graham passed away last night, just two days after returning from his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. Predictably, the news and social media reports are filled with some praise, much criticism, and a deluge of downright meanness about him. That much is to be expected when any controversial individual dies.

I do not advocate trying to deify a person who in fact has led a far-from-exemplary life, simply because they are now dead. But it seems unnecessary, uncharitable, and — most especially in those who profess to be such good Christians — downright un-Christian to celebrate their demise.

Therefore, when I read Robert Reich’s statement this morning concerning Graham’s passing, I was particularly touched. Already a great admirer of Reich’s intellect, moderate political stance, and concern for his country and his fellow human beings, my respect for him grew exponentially today. I would like to share some of his words with those of you who may not have seen them:

“It’s tempting in these perilous times to say bad things about Republican leaders who have died. Trump has no trouble demeaning and ridiculing opponents who have passed. But Trump shouldn’t be our guide on this or anything else.”

– Robert Reich, July 12, 2026

He reiterates, in moderated tones, some of the criticisms he has expressed of Graham’s 180-degree turn to the dark (i.e., Trump) side, and his refusal to oppose even the most horrific and insane of Trump’s actions during this second term.

But he then goes on to cite some of the good work that Graham did over the years of his tenure in the Senate: opposing Trump after the January 6th attack on the Capitol; remaining steadfast in his support for Ukraine, and for further sanctions on Russia; backing an opportunity for the so-called “Dreamers” — children born in this country to illegal immigrants — to find a pathway to citizenship; and his close friendship with Senator John McCain.

Robert Reich is a realist; he neither flatters nor demeans Lindsey Graham, recognizing that there is good and bad, smart and foolish, in all of us. He is also a kind, decent human being, who sees no value in cruelty. In a word, he has Class, with a capital “C.”

*. *. *

I won’t go into my personal thoughts and feelings about Lindsey Graham here; as I said, this is not a eulogy to him. Instead, I will take my cue from Robert Reich, and say only that I hope Graham finds a better path in whatever world awaits him than he did in this one.

Requiescat in pace, Lindsey Graham . . . you old reprobate.

And thanks again, Robert Reich, for remaining a shining example of reason and humaneness in an increasingly unreasonable and inhumane world.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/12/26

Not just “older” . . . but really, really OLD.

Forget the creeping loss of mobility and balance; everyone experiences those, to some extent. Forget the gradual loss of hearing, eyesight, or teeth; there are doctors to help with those things (if you can afford them). And never mind the insistent aching in the joints and abs and pecs and knees and feet and hands and muscles you didn’t even know you had; take your prescription pain killers and move on.

But the loss of spirit, of drive, of confidence that you can do whatever it is that moves you at the moment . . . that is the real killer.

And the first, most terrifying symptom is when you find yourself saying or thinking:

“I don’t care.”

> “I don’t care” if the picture on the wall is crooked, or the fridge needs cleaning out, or my shirt is wrinkled. It’s not the end of the world.

> “I don’t care” what I eat today; it all tastes the same lately, or it’s too hard to chew, or it upsets my stomach.

> “I don’t care” if it’s a beautiful 70-degree spring day; walking is boring.

> “I don’t care” about my birthday next week; it’s just a reminder of how old I am.

> “I don’t care” that the world is falling apart; I won’t be around to witness it for much longer.

> And finally: “I don’t care” if I wake up in the morning.

You’re thinking that your best years are far behind you, and there’s nothing to look forward to but more of the same: the same aches and pains; the same younger people treating you like a slow-witted child; the same longing for the years of romance, and babies, and jobs, and travel, and the old anticipation that each morning might bring some new adventure.

They say we should be grateful for the long, productive life we’ve had, and for all of the amazing memories. For the things we’ve accomplished, the good work we’ve done, and the people whose lives we’ve touched, and who have touched ours. And most of us are grateful for those things.

But is it enough, when it feels as though those memories are all that’s left? When all or most of your oldest, dearest friends are gone, and you’re one of the last flames still flickering? When your family members insist you’re not a bother . . . but you know better, because they still have busy lives and better things to do than your laundry?

The lucky ones continue to enjoy generally good health and are able to remain active well into their 80s, and even their 90s.

But for most of us — even those with caring family and friends — it’s a gradual decline into decrepitude, and the lonely realization that, no matter how many people you have around you, you’re really on this journey alone.

Because the only people who truly understand how you feel are the people your own age . . . and too many of them are already gone.

*. *. *

That’s not every day, of course . . . or I certainly hope it isn’t. Most days bring something, if not actually exciting, at least cheerful: a phone call from a friend or relative, an invitation to dinner or a show, a new book release by your favorite author, or simply waking up feeling pretty good. In my case, a positive comment from a reader on my latest blog post is enough to brighten my day. It’s all about the little things.

So we go on, because the alternative is not acceptable. And because — again, in my case — I really do want to live long enough to see Ukraine win the war, and every last one of the world’s demagogues brought to justice, and the Red Sox win another World Series.

Maybe I’ll even buy a winning Lottery ticket this week.

Wouldn’t that be something to write about!

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/12/26

As the world has become laser-focused on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the startling geopolitical changes being wrought by the current U.S. administration, I wonder — and worry — whether the people tasked with trying to arrange the release of Vladimir Putin’s political hostages are still doing their jobs.

Such high-level, frequently multi-national negotiations rightly take place behind the scenes, meaning that the public doesn’t hear about them until they become a reality. But there has been only one American — Pennsylvania teacher Marc Fogel — released since the major swap of August 2024; and that was nearly a year and a half ago, on February 11, 2025.

Each week, I pay tribute to the seven known Americans and thousands of others remaining in Putin’s custody, in the hope of reminding them that they have not been forgotten. But is that still true?

Of course, there are humanitarian and advocacy groups around the world working to solve this massive issue. But they do not carry the force of official government representatives; and I wonder whether Donald Trump, or anyone working for him, is putting forth the same level of effort.

One major U.S. interagency task force — the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell (HRFC) — is comprised of teams from the FBI, the State Department, and the Pentagon. That sounds impressive . . . until you consider that it places the HRFC under the direction of Kash Patel, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth.

Sadly, that is not a roster that inspires a great deal of confidence.

Still, I continue to hope that the work has not been abandoned, and once again present the names of those known to me:

*. *. *

Prisoners of War:

The 20,000+ Kidnapped Ukrainian Children
The People of Ukraine

Immigrant Detainees in Russia:

Migrants from the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Endangered Exiles:

Pavel “Pasha” Talankin
Mikita Losik
Yulia Navalnaya
Oleg Orlov
Countless Journalists and Other Dissidents

Political Prisoners:

In Afghanistan:

Mahmoud Habibi (Afghan-American)
Paul Overby (American, missing since 2018)

In Azerbaijan:

The “Azerbaijan 7”:
– Farid Mehralizada
– Ulvi Hasanli
– Sevinj Abbasova (Vagifqiai)
– Mahammad Kekalov
– Hafiz Babali
– Nargiz Absalamova
– Elnara Gasimova

In Belarus:

Andrei Chapiuk
Uladzimir Labkovich
Andrzej Poczobut
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In Georgia:

Mzia Amaglobeli

In Russia:

The “Crimea 8”:
– Oleg Antipov
– Artyom Azatyan
– Georgy Azatyan
– Aleksandr Bylin
– Roman Solomko
– Artur Terchanyan
– Dmitry Tyazhelykh
– Vladimir Zloba

James Scott Rhys Anderson (British)
Aleksandr Andreyev
David Barnes (American)
Yevgenia Berkovich
Gordon Black (American)
Hayden Davies (British)
Yury Dmitriyev
Anastasia Dyudyaeva
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman (American)
Stephen James Hubbard (American)
Sergey Karelin
Timur Kishukov
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Michael Travis Leake (American)
Aleksei Liptser
Mikhail Loshchinin
Grigory Melkonyants
Nika NovakSvetlana Petriichuk
Leonid Pshenychnov (in Russian-occupied Crimea)
Nadezhda Rossinskaya (a.k.a. Nadin Geisler)
Lev Schlossberg
Sofiane Sehili (French)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Grigory Skvortsov
Eugene Spector (American)
Joseph Tater (American, disappeared)Karina Tsurkan
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland (American)

You have not been, and will not be, forgotten. Stay strong.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/12/26

Our world — the only habitable one we have — is going through some serious sh*t right now. And most of us are hoping, praying, and/or actively working for a change in direction . . . whichever direction that may be . . . before it’s too late.

We’d better hurry. In the words of the man whom I consider to be the best U.S. president (so far) of this millennium:

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

– Barack Obama

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/11/26

He’s 40 years old. For years, he lived in Brazil under an illegally-created identity, posing as one Victor Muller Ferreira. In 2022, he traveled to the Netherlands, intending to apply for an internship at the International Criminal Court, but was arrested at the airport when his fake identity was detected.

After returning to Brazil, U.S. investigators discovered that “Ferreira” — in reality, Cherkasov — had also been a student at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C., a well-known and highly-respected training ground for diplomats, intelligence officers, and foreign affairs specialists. American authorities indicted him in 2023 on espionage and fraud charges for living as an “illegal” — an intelligence agent of a foreign government living under an assumed identity. The U.S. government has requested that he be extradited from Brazil to the U.S. to stand trial. However, he is already serving a five-year sentence in Brazil for fraud in connection with his use of the fictitious Brazilian identity.

But the United States isn’t the only place authorities would like to get their hands on Sergei Cherkasov. It turns out that there is yet another outstanding warrant for his arrest . . . in his native Russia. Below is a copy of a supposed “Wanted” notice unearthed by RFE/RL. The reason given for the order is simply: “Wanted.” There are no particulars visible on the screen shot as to the charges against him, though unspecified drug trafficking charges have been mentioned.

Also shown are his name, nationality, date and place of birth. And though some of the words are incomplete, it clearly says in the last line, “Without a measure of restraint” — making him sound like a dangerous criminal.

But is this indeed a “wanted” poster in the true sense . . . or is it a specially-created cover for the fact that he is actually an agent of the Russian special services, devised as an excuse for the Russian government to demand his extradition back to his homeland, rather than to the United States?

If I were a betting woman, I’d bet on the latter.

In any event, the Brazilian government has now issued a deportation order for Cherkasov. Published on July 6th in Brazil’s official government ledger, it did not specify where he would be sent, though Brazilian media have said he was expected to be returned to Russia.

And the U.S. government is not at all happy about that. There is that outstanding indictment against him here for espionage, and that is no small matter. It also is the likely reason Moscow is so anxious to have him returned there. They don’t need another drug trafficker; but they do have a soft spot for their spies.

So the question is: In whose favor will Brazil decide? Considering the current strained relationship between Brazil and the U.S., particularly since Donald Trump’s issuance of punishing tariffs . . . and taking into account their continuing strategic partnership with Russia, and the fact that Brazil is one of the founding members of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) . . . my money’s on Russia winning this one.

And that could create a whole new nightmare scenario of Trumpian temper tantrums.

(Use your imaginations on the translation of that one.)

This time — and I would have thought the odds of this happening were about the same as that proverbial snowball’s chance in hell — I would have to agree with Trump that we should be allowed to bring Cherkasov to trial.

No, the Cold War is not back; it never ended. And the U.S. is not becoming a communist country, as Trump claims. But adversarial nations — and particularly the Russian Federation — do continue to play their communist-era spy games by planting illegals in countries throughout the world, including the United States. And that is a clear and present danger that cannot be overlooked or minimized.

So we’ll see how this plays out. It may become a major issue that could even place a damper on the negotiations concerning Ukraine. Or Trump might declare it — as he did the bipartisan Congressional housing bill — a “big yawn.”

We shall see.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/11/26

Back in February of this year, I commented on an investigation reportedly being undertaken in Poland, at the behest of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, into Jeffrey Epstein’s connection with Russia. [See “2/7/26: Jeffrey Epstein’s Russia Connection? Really?”]

At the time, it was reported that Russia had been mentioned in the Epstein files at least 5,876 times, and Putin’s name some 1,055 times, in the then most recent release of files from the U.S. Department of Justice. But I’ve seen no follow-up since then, and am unable to find any current reporting on the subject.

British and French intelligence agencies were also said to be involved in an attempt to develop further information as to whether this was what one source called “the world’s largest honeytrap operation,” how many people were involved, how the information may have been used, etc. [Ben Macintyre, The Times, February 6, 2026.]

Again, there has been nothing on the subject more recently than last March, which amounted to mere speculation as to whether Epstein might have been cooperating with Russian or other intelligence services.

I — and possibly a lot of other people — would be interested to learn whether these “investigations” ever fully materialized; were dropped because no evidence of a connection was found; or perhaps were buried because damning evidence was indeed unearthed that involved people at or near the top of the food chain.

So if anyone reading this has any actual information — not rumors or speculation — the world should hear about it. Despite Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to bury the entire Epstein matter, it is clearly too widespread and too potentially threatening to allow it to be deep-sixed.

The public, and especially Epstein’s many victims, have a legitimate need to know; to put a stop to the most horrific, abhorrent criminal conspiracy of our time; and to demand accountability — regardless of how powerful the co-conspirators believe themselves to be.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/10/26

Well, I’m not sure it would be my idea of an “adventure,” but as farmers who obviously love farming, the Feenstra clan seems to be having a wonderful time.

For the average, more urban-oriented reader, the second and third episodes were pretty much of a snore, though the scenery was certainly — to use Arend Feenstra’s favorite adjective — gorgeous.

And the kids, as always, found some animals to cuddle . . .

. . . and fruit to pick . . .

. . . and even time to run off some youthful energy with a little co-ed pickup football . . .

. . . while Dad waxed poetic about the crops of strawberries, blackberries and apples, with their traveling companion Irina acting as translator. (That should answer the question of the reason for her presence on the trip, except that there must surely be translators available in Crimea. But we’ll let that one slide for now.)

While acknowledging that the climate in Crimea is much more favorable for growing certain fruits than in Nizhny Novgorod to the north, Arend nevertheless expressed an interest in giving it a try. Apparently, that is the main purpose of this entire trip: an educational opportunity for Russia’s most famous immigrant farm family.

So, there really isn’t much to report here. But I’ll stay with them to the end of the journey, as always. I only regret that at my age I’m not likely to be around long enough to see all of the youngest Feenstras grow up . . . because they’re the ones I worry about.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/10/26