U.S. Blew Up Russian Gas Pipelines Nord Stream 1 & 2, Says Former Polish Defense Minister

"A former Polish Defense Minister, Radek Sikorski, has attributed to the United States the
sabotage of two pipelines, Nord Stream 1 and 2, which carry natural gas from Russia to Germany." ZH

 

 

Kremlin says no decision to seal Russia’s borders amid chaos

"The Kremlin says no decision has been taken on whether to seal Russia’s borders to stop an
exodus of military-aged men fleeing the country after days of chaotic scenes during partial mobilization for its war in Ukraine." AlJazeera

 

Gunman attacks Russian military center; protests over mobilization

"A man opened fire at a Siberian military recruitment office on Monday — the latest sign of
unrest within Russia after President Vladimir Putin announced a military mobilization affecting up to 300,000 reservists from around the country....." WP

Russian methanol industry shutting down

"Suspension of trade with customers in Europe and a drop in domestic demand are forcing
producers to dramatically reduce output and sell their produce to China at a knockdown price.....Methanol, the simplest alcohol, can be obtained from natural gas and has a variety of industrial uses. It's a chemical building block for plastics, paints and building materials and also widely used in the car industry and as a fuel....Methanol producers want to avoid closing plants completely as restarting them would be costly, however, some factories have already been partially shuttered." RT

 

Kremlin spokesman's son refuses to join Russian army in prank call Access to the comments

"The son of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to join Russia's army in a prank call
with opposition activists. The hoax was conducted live by Dmitri Nizovtsev, host of "People's Politics" YouTube channel that was created by supporters of jailed Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

The viral stunt was released online shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "partial mobilisation". ....But the 32-year-old implied that he would refuse to be enlisted, stating "of course, I won't come tomorrow at 10:00.....I have no problem defending my homeland - but I need to understand the expediency of my appearance there, I am talking about certain political nuances." EuroNews

 

Sri Lankans describe abuse as Russian captives in Ukraine

"A group of Sri Lankans held captive by Russian forces in an agricultural factory in eastern Ukraine has alleged torture for months before escaping on foot as the Russians withdrew from the Kharkiv region.

Group was captured at a checkpoint near Ukraine’s Kupiansk city and Russian troops shot one in the foot and beat them with rifle butts." AlJazeera

Odesa bombed by Iranian drones

"Ukraine says the southern port city of Odesa was hit by Iranian-made drones, two days after a similar Russian attack reportedly killed two civilians. Iran denies its drones are used in the conflict." AlJazeera

Russian Lawmakers Approve Long Jail Terms for Military Surrender, Refusal to Serve

"Russian lawmakers passed sweeping legislation Tuesday introducing jail terms of up to 15 years for wartime acts, including surrendering, as the country’s forces face major battlefield setbacks nearly seven months after invading Ukraine.

Voluntary surrender and looting are punished by 10 and 15 years in prison, respectively, with “mobilization, martial law and wartime” listed as aggravating circumstances.

Desertion during mobilization or wartime will be punished by up to 10 years." MT

How a fully-fledged war between two ex-Soviet states could threaten stability in Central Asia

"While the leaders of more than 20 major Asian countries – – held talks in the ancient city of
Samarkand only a few hundred kilometers away, large-scale hostilities erupted on the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, last week. As their presidents also participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, the conflict erupted with the use of heavy weapons and claimed hundreds of lives. 

It all began on Wednesday, when the Kyrgyz border service discovered their Tajik counterparts had taken up combat positions on part of the state border, thus nullifying previously reached agreements. In response to the demand to leave the territory, they opened fire. Fighting with the use of heavy weapons continued for several days." RT

Tens of Thousands Rally Across Russia in Support of Referendums in Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson

"Tens of thousands of people are rallying across Russia on September 23 in support of the
ongoing referendums in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as the liberated territories of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

People in the Donbass republics as well as the two regions are voting on whether to join Russia. The votes are being held on September 23-27." Sputnik

The Mobilization Begins - Scenes Around Russia: "What Are We Going For?

"The day after President Putin's partial mobilization order - wherein at least 300,000 Russian reservists have been called up - was met with some scenes of enthusiasm in Moscow, but also many instances of frustration and confusion in various parts of the country.....some places sparked immediate protest by local anti-war voices who complain that the country's young men will be sent to front lines in Ukraine as "cannon fodder"." ZeroHedge

 

Ukraine Threatens 5-Year Prison Sentence For Anyone Voting In "Sham Referendums"

"Ukrainian lawmakers began seeking to implement severe consequences for those
participating in Russia-sponsored referendums in occupied territories of Ukraine. 

Proposed possible punishments have included losing Ukrainian citizenship, or even lengthy jail sentences. But other officials have argued for a more compromising approach given the necessity of survival in occupied areas. But now the Ukrainian government has reiterated its willingness to impose steep penalties for even participating in any Kremlin-sponsored vote to join the Russian Federation." ZH

Russia releases captured Western mercenary fighters

"Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has mediated the release by Russia of ten
foreign combatants in the Ukraine conflict, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry announced on Wednesday. Hailing from five countries, the mercenaries had been captured while fighting for Kiev.

The prisoners, who are citizens of Croatia, Morocco, Sweden, the UK and the US, were transferred from Russia to Saudi Arabia by Saudi authorities, according to a statement from the ministry." RT

Putin & Powell Pummel Markets; Yield-Curve Inversion Nears Volcker Lows

"Wooosh...Total chaos across markets as Putin's escalating global war rhetoric and Powell's nuclear bomb drop of 'higher for longer' rates smashed into extreme positioning, negative gamma, and low liquidity.

Chair Powell just announced another extreme interest rate hike while forecasting higher unemployment. I’ve been warning that Chair Powell’s Fed would throw millions of Americans out of work — and I fear he’s already on the path to doing so." ZH

US taking Putin’s nuclear weapons comments seriously

"Washington has slammed as “irresponsible” a recent warning by President Vladimir Putin
that Russia is prepared to use any means necessary to protect its territorial integrity.

Putin further claimed that several senior officials in NATO states have suggested using tactical nuclear weapons against Moscow’s forces, and said Russia is prepared to use all means necessary to defend itself and its people." RT