Russia hates the UK, the UK is blamed for all the ills of Russia.

Normally I would have looked at this and filed it into an archival file, citing this as further evidence that the UK is Russia’s #1 target.

But Russia’s historical emotions run much deeper than merely placing the UK on top of their target list.

• Here Dr. Igor Panarin, of Russia’s Foreign Ministry, calls the UK  “enemy”
  • Not adversary
  • Not competitor
  • Not antagonist
  • Not foe
  • Not opponent
  • Not contender
  • Not even an archenemy
  • Panarin calls the UK an enemy
• This was recorded and posted onto YouTube on 20 August 2010
• This was posted onto Facebook on 16 April 2016

I’ve read past Panarin postings about the UK. Many of facts he cites are many hundreds of years old. Their anger, their outrage, their rage – seethes.

Panarin then talks about how to “defeat” London.   Nations talk about ‘defeat’ when they go to war.  Given these assertions, is Russia declaring de facto “war” with the UK?

• This video declaring Russia an enemy of the UK
• Hyperaggressive flyby of USS Donald Cook
• Iskander launch destroying “enemy”

How should this be taken?

</end editorial>

The “Russian World” – Russia’s Soft Power and Geopolitical Imagination

May 2015

The Center on Global Interests (CGI) Introduction

Introduction

The concept of the “Russian World” (russkii mir) has a long history rooted in the 1990s, but it was propelled under the media spotlight in 2014, when Russian President Vladimir Putin used it to justify Russia’s interference in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea. The Kremlin’s actions in its so-called “Near Abroad” — a reference to the post-Soviet space — are motivated mainly by its perception of Russia’s national security interests and the need to protect the country and the current political regime from destabilizing influences, be they coming directly from abroad or fed by domestic factors.

The concept of the Russian World offers a particularly powerful repertoire: it is a geopolitical imagination, a fuzzy mental atlas on which different regions of the world and their different links to Russia can be articulated in a fluid way. This blurriness is structural to the concept, and allows it to be reinterpreted within multiple contexts. First, it serves as a justification for what Russia considers to be its right to oversee the evolution of its neighbors, and sometimes for an interventionist policy. Secondly, its reasoning is for Russia to reconnect with its pre-Soviet and Soviet past through reconciliation with Russian diasporas abroad. Lastly, it is a critical instrument for Russia to brand itself on the international scene and to advance its own voice in the world. The Russian World is thus by essence a floating signifier developed by diverse actors around the Kremlin, one that speaks to different audiences and that can take specific flavors to be operationalized depending on the context.

This paper analyzes the trajectory of the term, its genesis and development, and moves on to discuss its dual identity — as Russia’s policy for the Near Abroad and Russia’s voice in the world. Finally, it explores the articulation of this term with Russia’s foreign policy orientations.

Source: http://globalinterests.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/FINAL-CGI_Russian-World_Marlene-Laruelle.pdf

The “rehabilitation” or rewriting of Soviet history has begun.

I only read about half of the below article before the retching noise and sensation emanating from my throat and stomach became bothersome.

• The Soviet Union did not force communism upon Eastern Europe.
• The Iron Curtain protected Soviet citizens from the West.  I’m grossly paraphrasing but that is the gist of that section. The Iron Curtain exists today in the form of sanctions against Russia.
• The Soviet Union was the most technically advanced country in the world.
• The Soviet Union (and now Russia) was falsely accused of aggressive behavior.
• The media forced the West to create NATO and later to expand.

On and on and on…

Russian propaganda and now, again, Soviet propaganda, exists. Russia is rewriting history.  There will be an alternative history in Russia’s future, conspiracy theories may well be a reality in their future.

</end editorial>

If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people. Virginia Woolf

(Translated from Russian by my Chrome browser)

About the falsification of history

Grigory Vanin

Continued at http://www.nakanune.ru/articles/111599/

By Mary-Ann Russon

April 14, 2016 16:48 BST

Sources in the Swedish government have blamed Russian intelligence for causing a major cyberattack on Sweden’s air traffic control system that lasted for at least five days in November 2015, allegedly due to Russia testing out its electronic warfare capabilities.

Between 4-9 November 2015, hundreds of domestic and international flights were grounded at multiple airports across Sweden due to its air traffic control system going offline. The attack caused the radar systems to stop working, which made the computer screens to go blank. This meant that air traffic controllers were unable to see any aircraft on their screens at all.

At the time, the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration publicly blamed a solar storm for knocking out air traffic control systems, which also impacted radar stations in Norway and Estonia. According to a Swedish military leaks news site, however, the real story was much deeper.

Anonymous sources told Aldrimer.no that during the attack, Swedish authorities traced the source of the attack to an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group that has previously been linked to the Russian military intelligence agency, Spetsnaz GRU. Although Sweden is not part of Nato, it was so concerned that it sent urgent messages warning neighbouring countries that are Natoallies about the ongoing cyberattacks.

“The message was passed on to NATO either by Sweden’s National Defence Radio Establishment [Försvarets radioanstalt, FRA] or the Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service [Militära underrättelse- och säkerhetstjänsten, MUST],” a senior Nato source told Aldrimer.no.

The source says that Swedish authorities were particularly concerned that Vattenfall, the Swedish state-owned power company, would be targeted by Russian hackers. As Vattenfall is one of the largest energy providers in Europe and owns several nuclear power plants in both Sweden and Germany, the potential damage from a cyberattack could have been astronomical.

The source also says that at the same time that Sweden issued its warning to neighbouring Nato countries, at the same time Nato independently detected that Russia instigated electronic warfare activity in the Baltic Sea region that was jamming air traffic communication channels. Nato traced the signals and they led to a large radio tower in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, to the south of Lithuania.

In October 2015, a month before the cyberattack on Sweden’s air traffic control systems, a leading electronic warfare expert reported that Russia was using electronic warfare to both jam Islamic State (Isis) communications in Syria, as well as to mask its military activities from Nato.

The Swedish Civil Aviation Administration is currently investigating the true cause of the air traffic control system outage, but currently is not ready to release results from its analysis of data during the attack. Nato and the Swedish Armed Forces have both said they cannot comment on the issue.

Source: http://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/3205728

Source: https://news.pn/en/RussiaInvadedUkraine/158849

The latest edition of StopFake News with Irena Chalupa.

This week’s fakes includes:

• claims that Odessa’s iconic statue of its Duke de Richelieu will be dismantled;
• a Russian publication accuses President Poroshenko of cutting benefits for those Ukrainians who participated in the Chornobyl nuclear disaster clean-up operation;
• distorted claims about abolishing EU visas for Ukrainians and more.

April 18, 2016 – 16:20

Aggressive propaganda accompanies Russian aggression on Ukraine, writes Akademia Europejska.

Kremlin’s “information warfare theory” grew bigger and became a crucial element of the “hybrid warfare”.

Kremlin surprised the West with its propaganda activity, having used Internet very skillfully in their actions. Huge means are being invested in propaganda activities in Russia. Targeted area is Russia itself, Ukraine and almost all of the western countries. The essential message of Kremlin’s propaganda is not only the necessity of recreating the Russian Empire but also the exposure of the decadence of the democratic societies of the West. This message is to justify the need for a civilizational change, which is to be done on the whole continent, and steered by Russia.

Kremlin’s propaganda serves both lying in the news feed, as disintegrating Western societies and moldingof the attitudes of recruited elite supporters.

Kremlin’s propaganda is largely addressed to marginal circles, both far-right and far-left (or post-communist) oriented, as well as amorphous groups of the “outraged”, willing and ready to question “the system” of the West.

The “information warfare” done with the use of Internet is largely correlated with the traditional activities of agents.

The influence of Kremlin’s propaganda is especially dangerous in social media, where it targets mostly young people of yet unformed views and personalities.

Activities on the Internet – the virtual world – are to lead to activities in the real world. The ultimate goal of the informational warfare is not only the propagandistic success, but winning the war, gaining territories, power and influence. Kremlin’s military activities are tightly correlated with propaganda activities. Winning the war on propaganda precedes deciding on taking military actions.

One of the ways of stopping Kremlin should be taking an adequate response to its propaganda activities. It calls for both a proper theoretical thought, as well as a reaction from governments of countries supporting social activity on the Internet.

Psychological warfare and the disintegration of society

The war, which Russia is having against Ukraine today, is not only related to breaking the post- World War II rules of engagement, but is also ran in a new way, which was unknown to a certain degree before. The phenomenon had been named “the hybrid warfare”, initially paying attention mainly to the military aspect of the issue, symbolically represented by “little green men”.

The focus of attention had been shifting to what military actions of the hybrid-war are often accompanied by; intense propaganda activities, with Internet being the main tool. They are planned and carried out in Russia, having deep supply source in Russian literature on so-called “information warfare”.

Leading theoreticians of this war are Aleksander Dugin, one of the prominent ideologists of the Russian nationalism, and an ex-KGB officer from the “information front”, Igor Panarin. Joanna Darczewska, an analyst from OSW (Center for Eastern Studies), writes:

Russian authors describe “information warfare” as influencing consciousness of the masses as part of the global rivalry between systems of civilizations in the arena of information (…) Therefore, in some measure, by definition mixing military aspects with the non-military, technological (cyberspace) with social (information space), directly referring to the Cold War and psychological wars between the East and the West. ¹

According to Panarin, information warfare should imitate military operations and is to be a planned manipulation. This propaganda war machine follows rules of: mass and long-term action, the desirable effect (irrespectively of the facts, the information desired by the propaganda is to be spread and repeated), the rule of emotional awakening (making people act irrationally, without thinking), the rule of intelligibility (the message is simplified, shown in black and white), the rule of reputed obviousness (contains associations with well-known stereotypes and myths). In other words, it is about fabricating information and fragmenting the public opinion, intimidating, and creating the impression that minority is majority, introducing chaos to channels of communication of an open, pluralistic society, viewed as the main threat by Putin’s Russia.

Modern Russian war on information is largely composed of well-known propaganda tactics of a totalitarian regime. Consequently, it is not an overstatement to compare Putin’s propaganda officers to Goebbels, although earlier propagandist standards of the bolshevics and stalinists seem to be more influential. Use of Internet is a brand new addition in the “information warfare”. It is not in the least about the mere ability to share information (in this case disinformation). Internet created completely new structures of social communication, it deeply changes the structure of society in a way not yet fully explored, and creates new psychosocial mechanisms.”Information warfare” is a propaganda project involving much deeper mechanisms.

Against the will of those Internet theoreticians, who idealistically believe in cyber-utopianism – picturing Internet as a giant forum of ideas, with free spoken public opinion – it is to be used for an aggression, escalating disintegrative tendencies and becoming a tool for questioning the democratic order of open societies. Any accomplishments so far of the theoreticians of the Internet are used as tools for mass disinformation, e.g. the rule of hive. Internet is used as an instrument for the essential content is to be dictated by “leaders of opinion” through modeled “web hubs”. You can say that Russian propagandists are creating an alternative idea of using Internet as a weapon, completely opposite to how cyber-utopianism views it².

The internet environment of Alexandr Dugin is a perfect example of such a web and a system of hubs. It consists of a few dozen mutually connected internet portals. This is a very powerful tool of influence in Russian internet, consequently in Russian society. His intoxication with nationalism and post-Soviet revisionism (desire for reclaiming the empire with its areas of influence and dominance) is greatly a success of the “information warfare” Kremlin is having with their society. ³ Similar methods of “information warfare” are being introduced throughout the countries of the European Union, Poland being one of the areas of focus.

This very particular way of propagandizing had been given the name trolling⁴. Although the phenomenon of trolling had been widely noticed, the its methods of functioning are yet to be properly studied and analyzed. The most superficial understanding of trolling views it as a lie, which can be shared with masses, thanks to Internet. Truly, trolling is incomparably more complex and it cannot be understood outside a broader social context, nor without proper understanding of its psychosocial mechanisms.

On the rudimentary level trolling is sharing memes ⁵ – as content units (it could be one sentence, a picture, symbol) are called in sociology of the Internet. Trolling seems to be a technical act of using the Internet for reaching out a vast amount of people with a propagandistic, and therefore false information.

For example; supporters of French right receive memes about defending Christianity, post-communist German left get memes about defending peace and pacifism against American militarism, while Slovak receive content warning about German dominance in the EU. The goal is not convincing all recipients to one, consistent group of contents.

That is why no old-style ideology, like communism, is the content of memes. The primary objective of trolling is the disorganization and manipulation of enemy’s public opinion, and disorganization of society, not promoting any specific ideas.

While traditional propaganda referred to a consistent and uniformed ideology in order to persuade targeted social group to support idea of the choice, trolling’s objective is mainly social disintegration. Propagandistic content aimed at different groups, often of contradicting contents, are to build divisions, cause conflicts (e.g. “Volyn slaughter” meme is to strengthen the Polish-Ukrainian antagonism and create an impression of the authorities trifling with the memory of the victims).

Toxic memes therefore have a task much more complicated from an ordinary lie. They are shared throughout various place and can often reach groups of contracting values. It makes toxic memes greatly differentiated so that they can serve different goals, with different variations dedicated for different recipients.

It must be noted that trolling in principle doesn’t offer new content, only strengthening the ones already existing, emphasizing some contents over other.

Disintegrating public opinion is to cause insecurity and lack of trust. The anonymous, frustrated, lonely, part of an easily-controlled mob (mob being a crucial conception at Hannah Arendt’s theory of totalitarianism). The main objective is breaking the structure of a democratic discourse and destroying open society. ⁶

While we will not find an old type, consistent ideology behind the “information warfare”, it does come as part of a clearly presented view of the world. Democracy and the West are seen as decadent and nearing their end, and they inevitably have to be replaced with a new civilizational order. Escalating all tensions and conflicts (e.g. traditionalism-modernism, centralized state-regionalisms, social identity-individualism etc) is to lead to disintegration and destruction. It is to be a world of uncertainty faced with the resilience and strength of the “Russian project”. Only in this context can one see the importance of the role of the demonstrative lie used by Putin, Lavrov and other Kremlin representatives. A lie is a demonstration of force and decisiveness showing the doubtful ones the inevitability of what is coming (you can see a similar pattern in the strategy of ISIS.

Information warfare conducted with the use of Internet is an important, perhaps the most important element of the hybrid war. The military force is part of propaganda of fear and can be fully used when “an advantage in information war is reached, causing uncertainty, divisions, and defeatism”.

Continued at http://www.stopfake.org/en/report-eak-internet-and-information-warfare-of-president-putin/

April 18, 2016 – 15:59

Russian Propaganda in Georgia bears fruit

Last year the Georgia’s Media Development Foundation published a research about Russian propaganda in the country, based on the year-long observations over the content in the local media, statements of the NGOs and public figures. Quite predictable, media turn out to be the main source of the anti-western rhetoric in Georgia, followed by politicians and religious servants.

The methods used by the Russian channels, compared to the propaganda during the Soviet times, have become more refined. Media specialists play with most sensitive human issues such as religion, tradition and family values. The surveys show that the number of Georgians who are concerned with respect for local traditions in case the country enters the EU have increased twofold over the last two years, up to 28%.

The National Democratic Institute research shows that among foreign TV channels a large part of the Georgian population prefers Russian not Western ones.  Young Georgian generation often does not Russian, but Georgians in their 40s and older speak Russian well and watch the Russian language media (TV/Newspapers). In most of Georgian cinemas, even non-Russian movies are demonstrated in Russian.

The Kremlin uses its propaganda tools not only via TV channels, but also with the help of certain newspapers, social networks and NGOs. For instance, the Georgian branch of the  Eurasian Society campaigns against the NATO and the EU and promotes so-called Eurasianism.  Part of the Orthodox clergy of Georgia also promotes anti-Western propaganda. The Russian Orthodox Church enjoys quite significant influence over the Georgian clergy.

As it comes to the matter of national security, it makes sense to set up a special counter propaganda center which will provide adequate information to all interested citizens and serve as a positive mediator in interethnic relations.

How the EU fights Russian propaganda

The European Union aims at fighting Russian propaganda by supporting independent media in the Eastern Neighbourhood countries and increasing awareness of “disinformation activities by external actors”, according to a strategic EU’s Communications action plan. The document also states that communication towards the east should “first and foremost focus on the development of positive and effective messages regarding EU policies towards the region”. The document, drafted by the EU’s diplomatic corps, also calls for efforts to persuade people in the benefits of EU-style reforms.

Last year a special communications unit called the East StratCom Team was set up, focused on proactive communication of the EU policies and activities in the six EaP countries and beyond, including Russia itself. Explaining the reasons to create the East StratCom Team, the European Council stressed „the need to challenge Russia’s ongoing disinformation campaigns.”

The action plan also calls for the 28-nation EU to promote more actively freedom of the media in the “eastern neighbourhood” region, mainly with the participation of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe. Proposals include targeted training and “capacity building” for journalists and media representants in the region. Brussels will also “consider how best it can support training for journalists experiencing conflict situations, to better enable them to report on issues of relevance to local populations.” The action plan doesn’t mention the creation of new media outlets in Russian language, but it notes that a “number of Member States are already increasing their support for broadcasting in the Russian language to cater to national minorities. In the meantime the EU will continue its support at local level for independent media, including Russian language media, to ensure that citizens have access to alternative sources of information in their local language.”

Source: http://www.stopfake.org/en/russian-propaganda-in-georgia-and-the-eu-s-measures/

“We are at war”.  Russia is at war.

• Panama papers
• Karabakh (Nagorno-Karabakh fight between Armenia and Azerbaijan)
• Belarus President Lukashenko’s “strange behavior”seeking alliance with Turkey
• Brazil President Roussef’s impeachment
• Sabotage in North Caucasus
• Criticism of the Russian government
• Sanctions as a result of Crimea

All ‘provocations targeting Russia’.

Russia is always the victim.  </end sarcasm>

• “But the main external threat to Russia comes from the territories of former Soviet republics.” 
• “That is the Russian way or another will have to intervene, not for the sake of the establishment there of its rules, and to protect their interests.”

These two sentences worry me.  Does Russia intend to forcibly seize their former territories?

Julia Brazhnikova is not a published author, nor is she a dissident, a politician, nor active in anything of note.  But when the Russian Foreign Ministry highlights her blog piece, people notice.

Will Russia use this to crack down on former Soviet republics?   Will Russia use this as justification for steps leading to invasions?  Will Russia use this as justification for more hyper-aggressive actions outside Russia’s borders?

On a side-note, notice that all these hyper-aggressive actions take place away from Russia, creating a false buffer zone around Russia?   Are these sort of an anti-Gleiwitz incident?

</end editorial>

Julia Brazhnikova

The jokes are over. Information on the Russian attack proved so effective that began directly to threaten national security. This is clearly stated in a tough, outspoken, and very pragmatic article, Alexander Bastrykin, published in “Kommersant”. It is recognized as an accomplished fact: against us using novoizobretёnnyh and hitherto unknown methods of conducting military actions. Therefore, we must act accordingly. As the war.

The attack in the modern sense – it is not always armed clashes or fighting. This, above all, the destruction of the mentality of the population, in order to manipulate them.

Too many negatives befell Russia in recent weeks. Panamanian documents.The outbreak of the conflict in Karabakh. The strange behavior of the leader of the Union State Alexander Lukashenko, for no reason at all to put things Turkey. Does not abate the activity of the fifth column. Impeachment Brazilian President Dilma Roussef. Frequent sabotage in the North Caucasus. The ongoing recruitment of Russian and CIS citizens to terrorist organizations.

Shrugs off event and say that we are fine – then abandon objectivity and sober look at the situation, and, therefore, give undeserved handicap opponent.

It is, however, more specifically accents. Firstly, all of the above events – and this is just tip of the iceberg – are clearly provocative. Secondly, they somehow are the consequence or result of the information war being waged against Russia.

In the inside of the Russian Federation the main danger is posed by the remnants of NPOs and NGOs. In large cities, first and foremost, of course, in Moscow and in St. Petersburg, feeding a huge number of media, and it is unclear who funded analytical, political, sociological agencies, centers and institutes. They are, in fact, are the producers and distributors of those same provocation in question.

By creating an unstable mental environment, sort of a swamp, they emit fluids designed to give rise to doubts in the whole positive. Drafts of these figures are based on two key settings: 1) all the achievements and successes of Russia leveled, 2) all actions of the authorities declared ineffective. Why joined Crimea – you can see, there are some problems. And why not joined the Donbass – there are also some problems. Why war in Syria – contacted in vain. Why do we need these EAEC, SCO, CSTO, CIS – all sit on our necks.Why the Central Bank raised the rate – it was necessary to omit. Why I dropped when it was necessary to raise?

Their main weapon in order of importance – Russian Internet segment.Actually, according to the theme, you can track the activity of trolls and provocateurs, causing their uncontrolled irritation. The key of them – is to support the economic policy of the government. It seems that someone is very influential forbidden to speak positively about the financial unit and the government as a whole. Any steps the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economic Development and the Central Bank in advance ridiculed and presented harmful to society. But every attempt to objectively evaluate their tactics is downright furious.

Criticism of the government is reduced to several positions, declared, of course, without any proof:

1) all economists and government bloc in the Kremlin – the Liberals.Although neither Nabiullina nor Ulyukayev nor Gref never made statements, even remotely resembling a liberal;

2) The Government and the Central Bank in its actions are subject to the West, in particular the IMF. But how this relationship affects their decisions – in the arguments of the “patriots” will not understand either one analyst and financier;

3) the government traitors! The most common slogan to find the enemy at all times. Recall: in an interview on the results of the “straight line” the President said that the government trusts and believes it is quite capable.Otherwise it can not be. To assume that a team of scouts near many years sitting candid pests – thus assume sorry, incompetent, and those and others.

The articles and comments on “traitors financiers” and “government, subordinate to the West” accents frankly distracts from external causes of the current economic problems. This is, firstly, the global economic crisis, in one way or another affects all countries of the world. Secondly, it sanctions and pressure on the Russian trading partners. Under these conditions, any inherent weaknesses of the Russian economy, such as the notorious resource orientation and insufficient development of domestic production, will inevitably be secondary.

Another trend lies in the publications of the “economic failure” related to efforts subconsciously cast a shadow over President. According to the principle of “tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are.” Since Putin is satisfied with the government, then, he shared his views. And again and Ulyukayev views Gref harm to the state, then … Complete themselves.Going wild president’s rating protects it from such infoatak. But abandoned suspicions are deposited in the unconscious to be activated as required. Of course, it is far more dangerous than open attack, which is always easy to refute.

On the same direction stuffing working overseas, like the movie about the secret riches of Putin or publications about the Panamanian offshore. They hit on the president’s friends, indirectly aiming at him. When people cease to trust “corrupt” Putin’s entourage, then gradually it will transfer distrust and state leader.

To oppose information attacks can only alternative information. If the articles “for Putin”, thank God, is greater than, the internal policies do criticized mercilessly. And at this stage, support is needed here. It is worth paying attention to the authors of the materials, without proof denouncing Russian financiers. Many of them are not averse to personal insults against the authorities, which may be a reason to remove them from the pages of websites and social networks.

All these facts outline the direction of future attacks “fifth column” and the non-systemic opposition. Its subject will be the executive and economic policy, which adheres to Russia.

Democratically blind eye to the obvious agents “from abroad” is becoming risky. The fact that the post of Director of the State Archive many years sat Sergei Mironenko, regularly expressing ideas against the state, not to say fascist, is a flagrant negligence on the part of those responsible for the Russian information space. Allow from the official statements of the rank that feat heroes Panfilov, is a myth, and Vlasov do have to justify – is unconditional surrender to the “fifth column”. The scary thing is that this is really done on a regular basis.

Next vector “brain” attacks on Russia – it is always delicate and extremely sensitive national issue. The most striking examples of attempts to warm up discontent in this area – information attacks on Ramzan Kadyrov. The figure of the Chechen leader, infinitely loyal to the President, became a sign of unity of Russia and not without reason infuriating non-systemic opposition.

However, in the Internet space rotates a number of semantic clichés accessing the subconscious archetypes. They are connected with the figures of the Jewish and Asian nationalities. All of them are characterized by trolls exclusively using derogatory adjectives and contemptuous epithets. Actively exaggerated about stuffing their cherished plans for the destruction of the white / Slavic race, like the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion”, “Asian dominance in Moscow”, etc. They contrasted novoizobretёnnaya “ancient Slavic faith”, in fact, imbued with extremism and calls to ostracize foreigners.Infoprovokatory very cleverly used attitudinal stereotypes, remaining even with the 90s, transferring them to the modern stage. Needless to say, as far as it is dangerous in any multicultural society, especially located at such a serious mental pressure.

. Next . Interestingly, Bastrykin drew attention to the situation in Crimea bazaar, pardon the expression, scandals in the region, the birthplace of “Russian Spring” – the phenomenon is not exactly random.That is, since the annexation of Crimea, Russia began to lead an active independent political line. Due to the Crimea, at least formally, we were under sanctions. Its origins are 80-percent rating from Putin Crimea. If all of these logical chains to remove the Crimea, the cause-and-effect relationships, has taken root in the Russian collective unconscious, may weaken or collapse. This, in turn, greatly hamper the growth of self-consciousness began in Russia and undermine the credibility of the government, which primarily seeks opponent.

“Our friends” are not idiots and extremely refined by working with other people’s mentality. West says the uncompromising position of the Crimea that they still hope to return it to Ukraine. Therefore, they will continue to be taken of all kinds of provocation, discrediting the process of integration of the Crimea to Russia and, ultimately, the outcome of the referendum.

It is necessary to remind all residents of the Crimea, which, if not for their firm will, the Black Sea Fleet would be in the hands of Ukraine, and the United States, and NATO bases would have settled in the Black Sea. This is likely to lead to full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine, and in fact – with the United States and the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance. Therefore, their position on the entry of the peninsula to Russia simply must be unshakable.

And the leaders of the Republic of Crimea would be worth to remember that they, like all Crimeans, steel for the world and a symbol of the new Russia of Russians. It is a symbol, of course, very difficult, because it is connected with great responsibility, not only for their own actions, but also for its image.Any personal ambitions should be forgotten forever and prevent factors that could affect the course laid by the Government for the Crimea.

In addition, according to the failure of many projects launched in the Crimea two years ago ( http: //ria.ru/tourism/20160415 … . The country should deal with the professionalism and competence of existing personnel Sitting 20 years in the Ukrainian reality is clearly not officials cope with the role of carriers of the Russian national idea. not wanting to reformat is necessary to change, and as soon as possible. Otherwise, they will remain one slot in which “our colleagues” will always be able to drive a wedge.

But the main external threat to Russia comes from the territories of former Soviet republics.

Since “our colleagues” love to combine purpose they prepare a momentary break in relations between Russia and the former republics, primarily within the EAEC, and the explosion of dissatisfaction with the government, especially its economic bloc, in Russia itself. What leads a double blow from the outside and from the inside – is not difficult to imagine.

Probably not whether adepts LIH seeping in Russia, we have a long time did not pay attention to the situation prevailing in the post-Soviet space. Very concerned about the fact that article Bastrykin among countries – terrorist recruitment channels named hitherto considered relatively calm in this respect, Moldova and Belarus. This confirms the view that the entire post-Soviet area is under surveillance in the United States. And all Implemented (Ukraine) and upcoming (Moldova, Transnistria) coups, fighting, fighting – it’s not just the capture of individual countries to American hegemony. It is a springboard for the development of the preparation of an attack on Russia.

It should result in one detail. Immediately after the aggravation of the situation in Nagorno Karabakh was held two telephone conversations of the Russian and Kazakh presidents, with an interval of one day. This suggests that the Karabakh conflict threatens not only directly involved in his party. It is directed primarily against the Eurasian Union and is a danger to the integration processes in the post-Soviet space.

And if it was only the Karabakh …

One has not yet identified areas of work of the fifth column – its introduction in integration associations on the lands of the former Soviet Union.

An article about the Belarusian president’s visit to Turkey (! Well, what he forgot) posits the idea that Russia’s policy in relations with the former republics absolutely disastrous ( http: //regnum.ru/news/polit/21 … At sufficiently high quality diplomatic work Belarus would be so itself does not lead. We clearly underestimated the technique of brainwashing our partners in the USSR and the time did not understand what it is we are facing. Russia has long allowed Lukashenko all sorts of feints in his address, and now he went to establish contact with inadequate Erdogan.

The point, of course, not only in Belarus, as this is just one example. A similar situation exists in varying degrees in all the republics. Here’s an article with the intimidating title “Russia is losing influence on Transnistria» ( http: //www.ng.ru/editorial/201 …

Leaving the issue can no longer be left to chance. The situation in the post-Soviet Union is that Karabakh and Donbass could erupt at any time, anywhere. Again: the ultimate goal of these conflicts are not their members.They are the result should be the rupture of relations with Russia.

The first and most painful question – is the degree of interference in the affairs of another state.

Sami republic can not understand in their own countries due to the fact that they do not belong to these countries. In this space hosts an open enemy of Russia. He spends the public anti-Russian policy, constantly arranges provocations and conflicts in order to cause the Russian economy, fashion, and sometimes, as in Ukraine, and military damage.

That is the Russian way or another will have to intervene, not for the sake of the establishment there of its rules, and to protect their interests. This must be done, of course, not with the pressure point on the governments of neighboring countries, especially since many of them are actually in the service of the American NGO. This can be done only from the standpoint of clarifying them and to their populations the true extent of foreign intervention and its unfortunate and even disastrous consequences for their countries.

Learn Lukashenko and the Transnistrian government to the principles of honor, I think, is useless. To persuade them not to go to Turkey and did not enter into an agreement with opaque Europe behind Moscow – even more so.However, the methods of the American demon expulsion from the post-Soviet territories, of course, there is.

Keep in mind that the main weapon of the Dark – a lie. All that lies in 90% of cases, works for the enemy.

Russian business should develop programs to strengthen Russia’s economic presence in the post-Soviet Union. To do this, identify the mechanism of capture by American and Western companies the economic resources of the Middle foreign States with considerable raw material reserves: Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, etc. No need to be an expert to realize that the lion’s share of income goes to colonize donor States, and multinational corporations. When this information will be made public, the enemy will lose one of the top levels of their defense – secrets.

In order to eliminate the non-systemic opposition structures embedded in integration projects (the main target for them – EAEC), it is necessary to start to monitor jointly with Russian companies in the former USSR. It should assess their real effectiveness and profitability, compared with businesses, effectively owned by the US and its allies. In cases of inefficiency and unprofitability even have to raise the question of their future feasibility.

Ministry of Culture is high time to take action on a significant intensification of cultural cooperation with the republics. The task should include not only the development of relations and joint leisure for your own pleasure, and to develop tactics to otvoёvyvaniyu mentality of the local population engaged enemy ideas. This direct strategic interests of Russia and its security. It lies in the cultural activities the main burden for the creation of a positive image of Russia in the “former”.

For this very worth to identify all the distortions of the history taught in schools, secondary and higher educational institutions of the CIS and Baltic countries, aimed at the creation of opinions about Russian-interventionists, invades the Soviet republics time right people, the so-called “dictatorship of the Kremlin.” Make public the juggling of the facts and on the basis of archival documents expose their lies, bringing it to the attention of the government and the population of the country.

For the sake of preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War need tough diplomatic measures in response to public attempts at revival of fascism, with the connivance of the authorities, as is the case in the Baltic countries. It is necessary to finally stop the flow of offensive remarks and actions against the Soviet army. Why veterans living there have to endure the abolition of May 9, the broken monuments and ripped St. George ribbons?

And the main thing. It’s time to familiarize the Russian public with the present state of the Russian population in the former republics. Speak the number of Russian, who left after the collapse of the Soviet Union not only from Ukraine, but also from Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Belarus.Describe the position of the Russian language there is, among other things, which is the language of international communication in the CIS. Compare it with the distribution of the number of hours set aside for teaching English.And do not miss the sight of the that Britain and America are God knows where, but forgotten republics of Russia – nearby, in two steps. And the common historical past are much longer than in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and the United States … It is time to take your eyes from the suffering of Ukraine, which, in general, everything is clear for a long time, and pay attention to her “sisters.”

Some would say that it is, they say, will lead to a deterioration of relations with the “former”. Yes, the referendum in the Crimea and its reunification with Russia led to a sharp conflict not only with Ukraine, but also from the US and the West. But the truth is that these relationships deteriorate from overseas without us. Here it is necessary to watch that would cost, so to speak, more expensive: a broken rather conditional friendship or a new war.But America is committed to bring the post-Soviet countries is to open war with Russia. The last attempt – it is Donbass, Transdniestria, Karabakh. The next scheduled obviously, Belarus, Kazakhstan and beyond it, as the founders of the Eurasian Union.

It would be better to call this war is not the information, and the mental.This is a war for our thoughts. The enemy made a target of the thinking of whole nations. It handles the conscious and subconscious of our neighbors, and inside Russia poisons our souls through lie fifth column.

Yes, the opposition will require significant efforts. We still have not mastered the techniques of working with the collective unconscious, which are zakordonnye spin doctors, and prefer to continue to rely on intelligence and statistics. But according to the article, the head of the Investigative Committee, we are already in the front area. If you do not take urgent preventive measures, war is inevitable.

Source: https://cont.ws/post/250906

Please note the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin is referring to information activities outside Russia which he is asserting have increased extremist activities inside Russia.

The Investigative Committee of Russia is supposed to be neutral, but this appears to be a strongly biased recommendation.

De facto he is asking to restrict this information inside Russia OR restrict the information outside of Russia.  He is not sufficiently specific in his call for action, what he says is illegal, immoral or unethical if enacted outside Russia. Internally, only, he is advocating further restricting free speech within Russia, which is already highly restricted.

The last decade of Russia, and a number of other countries, live in so-called hybrid war unleashed by the US and its allies. This war is being waged on different fronts – political, economic, informational, and legal. And in recent years, it has moved into a qualitatively new phase of open confrontation.

Notice, he says the US and its allies are waging hybrid war against Russia.  Russia is always the victim. </end sarcasm>

</end editorial>

(Translated by my Chrome browser)

Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin – on ways to combat extremism in Russia

MH17 – Potential Suspects and Witnesses from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade

Introduction

In a previous report, Origin of the Separatists’ Buk, 1 the Bellingcat investigation team described the movements of a Buk-M1 missile launcher in Ukraine, which was filmed and photographed in Donetsk, Zuhres, Torez, Snizhne, and Luhansk on 17 July 2014, the day Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) was downed. That report provided evidence supporting the hypothesis that this particular Buk-M1 was likely responsible for downing MH17 for two primary reasons: first, it was in range of MH17 shortly before it was downed; second, a missile was missing from the Buk the morning following the downing.

Origin of the Separatists’ Buk also described two separate military convoys filmed and photographed in Russia from 23 to 25 June and from 19 to 21 July 2014. These convoys transported Buk-M1 missile launchers along with numerous other types of military vehicles from an area near Kursk to an area near the Russia-Ukraine border in the Rostov Oblast2 . One Buk-M1 missile launcher in the 23-25 June 2014 convoy is particularly noteworthy, because it shares many common features with the BukM1 that was located within firing range of MH17 and was filmed on 17 July 2014 driving toward the center of an area that was assessed by the Dutch Safety Board to be the launch area of the Buk missile that downed MH17 in Ukraine.3 An examination of the vehicles and license plates of the military convoys in the summer of 2014 reveals that these convoys originated at a military base near Kursk, just west of the village Marshala Zhukova, where the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade (military Unit 32406) is based. Soldiers of the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade posted images of vehicles seen in the June and July 2014 convoys, as well as photographs of the June 2014 convoy itself, on social media sites such as VKontakte4 (or VK, a popular Russian social network akin to Facebook), Odnoklassniki5 (or OK, a Russian social media site more popular with older generations), and Instagram. In addition to pictures of vehicles, some soldiers posted images of military certificates showing the completion of what can be presumed to be a military exercise that took place between 22 June 2014 and 25 July 2014.

The present report conducts a deeper investigation into the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, its organizational structure and placement in the Russian army, and the military vehicles involved in the June and July 2014 Buk convoys. This report also describes the results of a thorough investigation of soldiers and officers of the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade related to the convoys and/or other military operations in the summer of 2014. If the Buk crew consisted of Russian soldiers and officers, it is likely that some number of these soldiers and officers knew the crew members of the Buk missile launcher involved in the MH17 tragedy, or were possibly crew members themselves. Additionally, this report confirms that the certificates mentioned above belong to students of a technical university who completed a training course at the base of the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade near Kursk. Some officers can be exculpated from involvement in any of the Buk convoys because cadets from two universities posted pictures of these officers in their photo albums at the base of the 53rd AntiAircraft Missile Brigade in the summer of 2014.

Download the report: https://www.bellingcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/53rd-report-public.pdf

Russia scores a failing grade in the subject of history.

</end editorial>

Bruno Maçães

April 14, 2016

Russian Foreign Minister Sergie Lavrov at a meeting of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2015

Bruno Maçães is a former Europe Minister in Portugal and the author of the forthcoming “The New Eurasian Supercontinent.” He is currently traveling in Russia, Iran and Central Asia. Follow him on Twitter at @MacaesBruno.

Gee, do you think Russia is trying to send a message?  Intimidation, flyovers, barrel rolls?

Distance from Kaliningrad to

• Götland, Sweden  – 332.16 km (206.39 miles, and 179.23 nautical miles)
• Riga, Latvia – 336.2 km (208.91 miles, and 181.42 nautical miles)
• Vilnius, Lithuania – 307.11 km. (190.83 miles, and 165.72 nautical miles)
• Warsaw, Poland – 278.64 km (173.14 miles, and 150.45 nautical miles)

Range, Iskander-M, 400 / 500 km.

Now take a look at their oft-copied video.

Russia is still incapable of a conventional invasion and takeover. This is an act of desperation, trying to bully the rest of the world with this gesture of intimidation.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Paul Goble

Staunton, April 18 – Russian propaganda makes use of so many techniques to succeed that Moscow novelist and commentator Elizaveta Aleksandrova-Zorina performs a useful service by listing in an article in “Gazeta.ru” 15 of its favorite and, it should be said, effective methods (gazeta.ru/comments/2016/04/14_a_8178095.shtml).

These include:

• A black and white division of the world into “ours” and the “alien” other;
• Epithets that imply more than they describe;
• Constant assertions that those supporting Putin not only are numerous but united;
• Empty declarations that mean nothing but that appear to promise or justify everything;
• Playing games with cause and effect, often reversing their true order;
• A vicious circle or tautology in which the second part of an assertion is simply a repetition of the first;
• Confusing the part and the whole by focusing on only one part of something such as liberals within the opposition;
• Creating false dilemmas that don’t exist;
• Careful preparation of headlines which are the only thing most people pay attention to;
• Citations to experts, often false and even more often out of context;
• Claiming the media say when in fact only one media outlet does;
• Using weasel words like “so-called” or “it would appear” to give the appearance of objectivity;
• Outright falsification; and
• Conspiracy theories and suggestion of hidden motives.

Source: http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2016/04/15-characteristics-of-russian-propaganda.html