ANNOTATED NEWS

SCOTT RITTER—Prigozhin’s antics, which were played out in intimate detail on social media, caught the attention of pro-Ukrainian information warfare specialists, who began promoting the narrative of Prigozhin—a former convict with zero political experience—assuming a leadership position in Russia. Prigozhin himself seemed to feed off this notion. While publicly denying any such ambition, Prigozhin continued his public trolling of Shoigu and Gerasimov. The vitriol became so intense that Putin was compelled to summon both men to the Kremlin, where they were read the riot act by an irate Russian President.

EDITOR—In this insightful interview, Scott Ritter sits down with Stephen Gardner to delve into the latest developments in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. The dam explosion between Ukraine and Russia will be damaging to both sides for a long time. They explore the significant impact of a recent explosion that has altered the dynamics on the ground, particularly in the Russian-occupied territory resulting from the dam’s destruction in Southern Ukraine. The conversation also delves into topics such as Putin’s role, the connection between terrorism and the war, and predictions on how the conflict might conclude. Scott Ritter gives very important insight to this conflict.

GARLAND NIXON’s in-depth discussion of the oncoming economic crisis likely to hit the collective West, plus Ukraine’s endless preparations for an offensive that—given the pre-emptive shellacking administered by Russia on its troop concentrations, ammo depots and critical weapons—may never materialise.

KIT KLARENBERG—In November of 2022, a final judgment arrived in the trial of alleged perpetrators of the attack on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17). Russian nationals Igor Girkin and Sergey Dubinskiy, and Donbas separatist Leonid Kharchenko, were convicted in absentia for the murder of MH17’s 283 passengers and 15 crew members. They were ruled to have arranged the transfer of the Buk surface-to-air missile system that reportedly struck the plane. The Malaysian airliner had been purportedly shot down by a missile on July 17th 2014, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew aboard.
Heavily dependent on information supplied by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) and the Western government-funded “open source” investigations organization known as Bellingcat, the guilty verdicts appeared to vindicate an established narrative in which Russia and its Donbas allies were solely culpable. 

THIERRY MEYSSAN—Pakistan has never been independent. It has always remained a toy in the hands of the United Kingdom and the United States. During the Western war against the Afghan communist regime, it became a rear base for Bin Laden’s mujahideen and Arab fighters. However, for the past decade, a cricket champion like no other has been trying to liberate it, make peace with India and create social services: Imran Khan.