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

Why Nigerien Protesters Want French Army Out & Wave Russian Flags

"The latest protests in Niger were organized by the M62 movement, a group of NGOs which reportedly describes itself as "peaceful" and committed to "the dignity and sovereignty of the Nigerien people." Seydou Abdoulaye, the coordinator of the M62 Movement, told Agence France Presse (AFP) that Nigeriens demand the immediate departure of French troops from Niger as the military deployment violates Niger's sovereignty and destabilizes the Sahel.

France has beefed up its presence in Sahel since January 2013 when it launched Operation Serval to halt the advance of a coalition of Tuareg rebel and Islamist fighters in Mali. The French intervention came on the heels of the 2011 destruction of Libya by NATO. Following the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi’s government by NATO-backed rebels, the power vacuum saw greater destabilization in the region. The French-led Operation Barkhane succeeded Operation Serval in August 2014: approximately 4,500 French troops were deployed between Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad.

The fact that Nigeriens carried Russian flags during the protests could be explained by the people's belief that "Russia’s presence in the region may rescue them and Russia as a strong nation is maybe able to secure the region by fighting the insurgency," according to Dr. Ismael Buchanan.

On the other hand, the pro-Russian sentiment in Niger could be driven by Mali's decision to invite Russian military advisers from the PMC Wagner Group to cope with the rebel and jihadism threat following France's unilateral decision to pull out from the country." Sputnik

Pakistan PM's Legs Were 'Trembling' During Meeting With Vladimir Putin

"Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan mocked the behavior of the nation's current
leader Shehbaz Sharif during the latter’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Samarkand.

A video of the meeting, which has been widely shared online, shows Sharif struggling to plug in his translator earphone in front of the Russian President.

The video was also featured on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, a popular American comedy talk show." Sputnik.

Turkish banks suspend use of Russian payment system

"Turkey’s Isbank and Denizbank announced on Monday that they have halted the use of
Russia’s Mir payment system following a warning from Washington that financial institutions risk secondary sanctions if they help Moscow bypass US penalties." RT

Ban On All Russian Tourists In Baltic States & Poland Takes Effect

"Travel bans targeting Russian citizens took effect in four out of the five European Union
countries bordering Russia. This comes after the EU considered but didn't ultimately go through with implementing a bloc-wide travel ban, saying visa policies would be up to individual nations.

"Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania imposed new restrictions as Finland decided to remain open, though it has cut back the number of consular appointments available to Russian travelers seeking visas," Al Jazeera reports." ZEROHEDGE