On Friday, June 26th, I read about a Russian blogger and war veteran who had previously served in Ukraine, and who on June 25th had posted a video on Instagram describing alleged widespread torture of Russian soldiers in the war zone by their own officers. He further demanded a live, on-air meeting with Vladimir Putin, warning that if Putin did not respond promptly, “the army will turn its weapons against the Kremlin.” [Steve Gutterman, RFE/RL, June 26, 2026.]

That man identified himself as Aleksandr Lunin, and said he was simply relaying a message from unidentified military and security officials with whom he had allegedly met a day earlier. And I immediately thought:

He’s a dead man.

The very next day, Lunin recanted in a second video, in which he claimed that his earlier statements had been twisted. As described by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, “every other word [in the second video] is a crude expletive and in which at one point he spits to punctuate his derisive remarks.” [Id.]

And again I thought:

Too little, too late. He’s still a dead man.

In Russia today, one does not badmouth Vladimir Putin; and most importantly, one does not criticize the Russian military in general, or the “special military operation” in Ukraine in particular. This man had to be either supremely egotistical to think he could get away with it, or batshit crazy, or both . . . and especially considering the fate of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder and head of the Wagner Group of mercenaries until he decided to stage a march on the Kremlin in 2023 to call attention to problems in the military.

Well, the jury is still out on the question of Lunin’s sanity. But it took the authorities no time at all — only until Saturday, June 27th, according to Russian independent news agency Verstka — to arrest him and bring him before a court for a hearing. And, while court officials refused to provide a copy of their decision, saying that “cases like this are not made public,” posts on Lunin’s Telegram channel said that he had been sentenced to 11 days in detention, with no reason given. [Anastasia Protz, Ukrainska Pravda, June 29, 2026.]

According to The Moscow Times, he had been found guilty of “displaying extremist or Nazi symbols” — an infraction that carries a sentence of up to 15 days in detention. [The Moscow Times, June 29, 2026.]

But in his video, Lunin had said that:

“ . . . dozens, hundreds, thousands of our soldiers are rotting in [pits], thrown there by their own commanders. Just sitting, rotting, being tortured and abused by what their own ranks call the Gestapo. Why? For refusing to follow idiotic, suicidal orders. For refusing to hand over their own money. And in the end they are zeroed out, listed as missing in action.” [Ukrainska Pravda, op.cit.]

That language is far more serious than simply “displaying extremist or Nazi symbols.” And thus I am sorry to say that I don’t hold out much hope for Aleksandr Lunin’s future. Based on the way such matters are usually handled, the most likely scenario would involve further charges being entered while he is in detention — charges that would require his remaining in custody, ultimately being brought to trial (most likely behind closed doors), and inevitably being convicted of some higher crime and sentenced to years in prison, or perhaps a mental institution.

We’ll see if I’m right, or even close . . . that is, if there is any follow-up information forthcoming from Russian authorities. After all, as the first court official said,

“Cases like this are not made public.” [Id.]

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/30/26

I’ve been talking a good bit lately about the progress of my “move from hell” — as though anyone has ever experienced a move that wasn’t absolute hell.

With just eight days left before D-Day (Departure Day), and with some things working out surprisingly smoothly and others . . . well . . . not so much, I found these words from Winston Churchill to be particularly apropos:

“If you are going through hell, keep going.”

Easy for him to say — he was only dealing with a little world war, not a full-blown interstate relocation. But I will take inspiration and hope from his wisdom, and keep on keeping on.

As if I had a viable option.

Happy Monday, everyone.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/29/26

In a fiery speech before a gathering of right-wing Republicans at the Faith and Freedom Coalition on Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson painted a nightmare scenario more revealing of his own — and his party’s — twisted mentality than of any sort of reality.

But who needs truth when one’s purpose is to stir up anger, fear and hatred in order to influence the outcome of the upcoming midterm elections?

What he said was this:

“If we were to lose the midterms, heaven forbid, these Democrats, impeachment is not even the big concern. They will turn every committee of Congress into an investigative body and they’ll go after the president’s family, the cabinet, his donors and friends. Half of you in this room will be targeted. I run the protection program. I’ll take care of you.” [Facebook post by Occupy Democrats, June 26, 2026.]

What he did, in five short sentences, was 1) attempt to ascribe to Democrats the very attributes of corruption, vengeance, and disregard for the law that are the hallmarks of the Trump administration; and 2) offer his own Republican party carte blanche to break whatever laws they may choose, under cover of his (and, by extension, Trump’s) personal protection.

In so doing, he not only broke a few more laws himself; he also gave away the Republican playbook for the elections.

But he was not entirely wrong; when the Democrats regain control of the House, and possibly also the Senate, there will indeed be a slew of investigations. I would hope that they will be conducted properly and not vengefully, to ensure full accountability within the letter and the spirit of the laws and the Constitution of the United States.

Unfortunately, the writer of the Occupy Democrats article took a wrong turn and ended on a sour note. While first properly encouraging Americans to “get out there and vote out every single Trump-enabling Republican and put an end to his rampant crime spree,” they blew it by veering into a diatribe that was not far from the rabid spirit of Johnson’s speech, suggesting that:

“Congress absolutely needs to turn every committee into a subpoena factory the second we retake the gavels. . . . America needs to know the truth, and we need JUSTICE. Go after Trump. Go after his family, his cabinet, his donors, his friends, and everyone who has ever lifted a finger to protect him. We’re done going high. Now they’re going DOWN.” [Id.] [Bold emphasis is mine.]

No! No! No!

This country is better than its current administration. Yes, we absolutely need to see that justice is done. But nothing would be gained by stooping to the Republicans’ level and fomenting an eye-for-an-eye bloodbath, whereas we have everything to gain by reclaiming and reinstating the moral and legal standards that made us the world’s greatest nation in the first place.

Mike Johnson and the other Trump sycophants can rabble-rouse ‘til the cows come home. We Americans — the vast majority of Democrats and non-MAGA Republicans and independents who truly love this country and what it has always stood for — are not buying what they’re selling. We need to show that, even while taking the lawbreakers to task, we are still the occupiers and defenders of the high ground.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/29/26

Apropos of my regular Sunday post on the status of Vladimir Putin’s political prisoner-hostages, I just came across a two-day-old Facebook posting by Vladimir Kara-Murza — himself a former hostage — in turn quoting a declaration made at a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg, France:

“We express our solidarity with members of the Yabloko Party and with all Russian citizens who are speaking out against the war in Ukraine despite the ongoing repression . . . All political prisoners must be released, politically motivated prosecutions must end, and conditions must be created for the Russian people to freely express their will.”

– PACE Written Declaration No. 840, “Persecution of anti-war voices ahead of so-called elections in the Russian Federation.”

It is indeed encouraging to know that the fight continues on behalf of those already wrongfully imprisoned, as well as those in danger of prosecution for the simple act of speaking up for freedom and truth.

Thanks to Mr. Kara-Murza for bringing this to the world’s (and my) attention.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/28/26

Other than the 21.5 million people living in the greater metropolitan area of Moscow who are now suffering the direct effects of Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine — and who might thus be considered “hostages” of his regime — this has been another week without actual hostage news . . . which, as my readers know, I always consider to be good news.

But of course we continue to remember those who remain confined in prisons and penal colonies as human collateral. Once again, the ones whose names are known to us are:

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
6/28/26

The movers are coming today.

I’m not leaving yet, but most of my belongings are. The movers are due here shortly, and once they’re gone with a few pieces of furniture and a sh**load of boxes, I’ll have another nine days to finish sending things off to be donated, clearing out the excess, and packing my last-minute things to go with me in the car.

And accompanying me on the road trip will be my sister Merna.

Yes, I know she died nearly nine years ago. But, as she had directed, she was cremated, and left it up to me to choose the final destination of her ashes. But I don’t think I’ve ever written about what I ultimately decided.

Merna was an avid Washington Redskins fan and for many years a season-ticket holder, and had once thought it would be fun to spend eternity at RFK Stadium. But after the team moved from their original site in D.C. to a new arena in suburban Maryland, she changed her mind; the sentimental attachment was no longer there.

So I thought about connections to other places she loved. As she was a Civil War history buff, I checked into historic sites around D.C., but nothing really jumped out at me as the perfect spot.

Then I thought of Cape Cod, where we often vacationed together. They have strict environmental regulations, but there are boats that take you the legal distance away from shore for a burial or scattering ceremony at sea. That sounded lovely; but it meant that none of her friends would have been able to attend. So I scrubbed that idea as well.

And then it hit me. We had taken a few cruises together over the years — the eastern Canadian coast, Alaska, and a fantastic Baltic excursion — and were planning another one when she became ill and never recovered. So, since I also want to be cremated when the time comes, I decided that I would keep her with me (in her beautiful Himalayan pink salt urn) until our remains could be combined and scattered in the Potomac River, whence they would drift out to sea for one final cruise together.

You can stop laughing now . . . I’m serious. It’s just whacky enough that Merna would have loved it.

So she will be making the drive with me back to Virginia, where my daughter eventually (not too soon, I hope) will be able to wish us both bon voyage, along with those of our old friends and relatives who may still be around.

*. *. *

So there you have it: just one of the many details of this move from hell that I’ve been agonizing over for the past several weeks.

And now, to get ready for the arrival of the movers. Wish me luck.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/27/26

Looking around at the rather exceptional (and hopefully temporary) state of my life at the moment, the first word that comes to mind is “chaos.”

And British author and filmmaker Clive Barker — a leader in the horror fiction genre — may well have been looking over my shoulder when he said:

“[Horror fiction] shows us that the control we believe we have is purely illusory, and that every moment we teeter on chaos and oblivion.”

Thanks for the insight, Mr. Barker. Unfortunately, it’s of little comfort.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/26/26

Yesterday was just plain horrific.

Moving is always a nightmare, and long-distance moving even more so. But when you’re old and partially disabled, and therefore dependent upon the physical help of others . . . well, you can just imagine. So I treated myself to a brief meltdown in the middle of the afternoon, until I saw that I was really upsetting the dog. Those big brown eyes staring up at me brought me back to reality, I gave her a good scratch (which was therapeutic for both of us), and some sense of normalcy was restored.

But today is going to be another crazy one, so I’ll probably be maintaining radio — or social media — silence for a while. I’ll be back to check in with you when the movers have left with most of my possessions tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I’m sure the worrisome headlines will be piling up and waiting for my attention. Unfortunately, that’s the one thing we seem to be able to count on these days.

Just sayin‘ . . .

Brendochka
6/26/26

As the day approaches for my northward move from the Georgia countryside back to a more urban setting in Virginia, I’ve been contemplating the rapid passage of the last six years and the late-in-life changes awaiting me in the future.

These years in the quietude of the rural southland have confirmed what I’ve always known about myself: I’m a city girl. I thought that, at this stage of my life, I might be ready for a simpler, more peaceful existence; but I have found all of this peace and quiet to be — for me, at least — highly overrated. It’s certainly not a bad thing; it’s just not who I am.

I have missed the hustle and bustle, and the easy accessibility of everything: theaters, restaurants, shops, Uber and taxis, home delivery services . . . even the sounds of traffic and sirens and people shouting above the noise.

But no experience need ever be wasted. I have learned a bit about the local wildlife, met some lovely new people, and finally found the time to write the book I’d been thinking about for so many years . . . though goodness knows if it will ever be published. Still, just writing it was an accomplishment.

And now, as I once again shift gears, I have a better understanding of the words of John Guare, the American playwright and screenwriter — best known as the author of “The House of Blue Leaves” and my favorite, “Six Degrees of Separation” — who also wrote:

“It’s amazing how a little tomorrow can make up for a whole lot of yesterday.”

– John Guare, “Landscape of the Body”

And it is with that sense of optimism that I look forward to whatever number of tomorrows await me some 500 miles farther north.

First, of course, I have to get through the move. But after that, it’s onward and upward.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/25/26

Once a Kagebeshnik (officer of the Russian KGB), always a Kagebeshnik. And, when trying to analyze the words of Vladimir Putin, it is wise to remember that that is what, at heart, he was, still is, and always will be: a man trained to say and do whatever is necessary to achieve a goal.

So, when he says he will be ready to resume negotiations concerning the war in Ukraine when U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are finished with Iran and once more available to him, do we take him at his word?

And when he says that:

“Russia, however, as has been stated repeatedly, is ready for peace negotiations with Ukraine. It is ready to proceed on the basis of the agreements reached back in Istanbul, agreements which, I would remind you, were initiated at the time by the Ukrainian delegation.” [Arpan Rai and Alex Croft, independent.co.uk, June 25, 2026] . . .

. . . should we conclude that he is finally willing to admit that he is rapidly losing his “special military operation” — not to mention his own credibility — and is ready to make concessions in order to bring the war to a close?

That is what some people would like to believe. But I’m not getting my hopes up just yet.

To begin with, each time he has said he was ready to negotiate, his stance has remained unchanged: he has simply reiterated his demands that Ukraine cede some 20 percent of its territory to him, including Crimea; that they immediately hold new elections, despite the fact that their Constitution precludes it during wartime; that they forego their hoped-for accession to the European Union; and so on.

Furthermore, his reference to “agreements reached back in Istanbul” is meaningless, since those discussions ended in a stalemate. If an agreement had indeed been reached, the war would have ended months ago.

I could, of course, be wrong. But my gut tells me that Putin is once more stalling until he can get back to the table with the two witless envoys of the easily-manipulated Donald Trump. You see, it turns out that the closely-aligned leaders of the EU nations have been smarter and tougher to deal with than he had anticipated . . . and tougher than Trump, Witkoff and Kushner ever were.

It’s true that Russia is suffering, militarily and economically, from Ukraine’s spectacularly successful attacks on their oil and gas industries, supply lines, and other strategic targets. And Putin is feeling the heat — from Ukraine, from the EU, and internally from his own people.

But is he willing at last to make the concessions that would bring an end to the carnage? Or is this a last-ditch effort to talk Trump into resuming the role of lead negotiator in the hope that they will both be able to claim a victory and salvage some measure of dignity (and their jobs)?

Then maybe he and Trump could begin campaigning together to share next year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

We’ll see how this plays out. But first there’s that little matter of Iran to take care of.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
6/25/26