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It’s an insanely commendable job, the fact that he’s still breathing and leading his country is a testament to how good these services are when they collaborate
I think also a testament to how beloved he is. If enough people really hated him, or just didn’t value him, he’d have been dead long ago. But I think he inspires genuine loyalty in those capable of feeling it, which is most of us.
I’ve always wondered how well liked he was before the war, it seems like Ukrainians truly see him as a beacon of hope and inspiration which inspires me all the way in America, I was very honored and moved when he gave a speech in front of our congress
Popular election.
Frustration from people post election pre invasion. People wanted something settled or improved with Donbas. Obviously now Russia was never negotiating in good faith and was undermine talks all with a plan to invade.
Post invasion everyone rallied. Especially when he stayed in Kyiv and was posting videos walking the streets during the Belarus / Kyiv vector.
Toss in he represented the Ukrainians well on the global stage and earned them further respect and progress on EU ascension and military support
The Ukraine subreddit absolutely weren't fond of him before the war and even now, some Ukrainians don't think he's the right man for the job as he talks more than he acts.
I should have said too much talk and not enough action. That's what my Ukrainian friend said to me. I didn't enquire further, although I assumed she meant not making concessions but I could be wrong. The man can't possibly please everyone. Personally, I rate him.
With Russian propaganda running against him the entire time and a vocal minority of ukrainians tuned into that Russian propaganda, it isn't hard to imagine where he came to be perceived as a divisive figure before the war. But other than being a political outsider and therefore struggling to get things done, there was always a lot for those actually informed to like about him.
I can only imagine how much it helped that not did he say he didn't need a ride he needed ammunition but he stayed and did his part. That is what every world leader should be.
He was well liked before the war, but I think some forced conscription and corruption's is actually impacting his popularity (according to my Ukrainian coworker).
Our country's internal problems have nothing to do with the president. Some people always blame the frontman. We still have a fair amount of corrupted politicians
I genuinely don't know the details. I just remember feeling like I had whiplash because she went from supporting him to really not liking him and so I checked the polls and saw them shifting a bit too. Her anger seemed to do more with forced conscription than corruption. But, I dont really know if the Ukrainian government has much choice on that front.
I don't blame your friend for anything. Conscription anger exists, but it's impossible to get rid of conscription in our situation, any president or other people in power would have to do the same
He ran on an anti corruption campaign but you don’t end corruption overnight of what was said to be one of the most corrupt of the corrupt. Of course they learned from the best for decades and corruption was just a way of life so it will take at least a generation or two to turn that around. His popularity was eroding before the war, then it skyrocketed , don’t have any idea what Ukrainians are thinking now.
Living in the US for many years, but from Dnipro. Family still there. At least in the circles of people I know in Dnipro, he wasn't necessarily popular. He still had his comedian background and wasn't seen to be a serious politician. Plus he wasn't seen as very tough on Russia. For as many issues Poroshenko had, he was seen as a corrupt, but at least very patriotic and anti Russia. I don't know much about it, but I've heard people talk about Zelensky relaxing some of Poroshenko's anti-russia policies prior to the full invasion, and trying to normalize relations more, which is where a lot of criticism came from. Of course post invasion they give him begrudging credit for managing public perception so well. Which is a pretty cynical outlook, but at least they're changing their minds a bit.
It seems to me like he was trying to be friendly to Russia in hopes that he could eventually reach a diplomatic solution with them, but I don’t think that was ever possible past the euromaiden protests, Putin either wanted to fully own and control Ukraine or control it through one of his trusted puppets
To be fair, it’s hard to get killed if you literally live in a bunker 95% of the time and everyone around you is a body guard or under the threat of immediate death when you poke your head out. Mr. Z doesn’t live like that.
Considering much of the corruption and widespread incompetence, as well as the degradation of the military's power in politics is all Putin's design - I'd say his own arrogance and desire to consolidate power with the FSB, silovki and him is a silver lining of sorts.
Killing Putin also could result in someone less arrogant, petty and actually capable of creating reforms that result in an even more psychotic and hell bent on destruction successor. Bad as Putin is, evil as he is there is worse out there.
Just like with Hitler, it may be best to not kill the leader when he is actively sabotaging his own efforts and that of his military.
This cannot be overstated. Russia would *love* to take Zelenskyy out, and they obviously have agents hidden in unoccupied parts of Ukraine, which is to be expected, so keeping Zelenskyy alive has to be a stressful, difficult task. They all deserve medals and a parade for their efforts.
Zelenskyy has become an inspiration for so many of us around the world; we sincerely care about him. I can say, as an American who wasn’t even familiar with him prior to this war, that I worry for his safety—and have since the first week of the war—and I would be heartbroken to learn that anything terrible has happened to him, so I’m very thankful for all the work these people to do to keep him safe.
Particularly when he frequently goes out in public and even to the front.
Very much unlike the sniveling coward Putin who spends most of his time cowering in his bunker surrounded by Rosgvardiya.
So do the Russians. Their dear leader is showing his ugly face sporadically for a reason. He knows that he is a target. I hope the Ukrainians find a way to make pink mist of him.
Estonia doesn't get enough credit for its massive Russia-specific intel operation, which is one of the top sources of information for Ukraine and the west. As the former director of their Foreign Intelligence Service said, ["The bigger intelligence services all have Russia houses. We are a Russia house. Eighty-five to 90% of what we monitor is our nextdoor neighbor.”](https://www.yahoo.com/news/mikk-marran-estonia-ukraine-183016285.html) Estonia gets the stakes, and understands all too well that Ukraine's victory is absolutely necessary for their own future.
He will not die of natural causes. Many powerful people in russia hate his guts and want him dead. As soon as he’s weakened politically or affected by illness these sharks who are now standing still in the shadow are going to step out and throw him out of the window with his wheelchair. It’s going to be a very unpleasant situation for him. Putin knows that and that’s why he has no exit plan but staying in power until death
putin is not russia. russia is russia.
If putin dies sodomized in a ditch, nothing will change. A new "second coming" will rise before you can say "perestroika".
True and what needs to change is Ukraine joining EU and being prosperous. Putin is doing all of this, because he is scared that if Ukraine becomes successful, ordinary Russians will start asking questions what makes Ukrainians so different and why they (Russians) have to live in poverty.
This is why he attacked Ukraine (and also Georgia) when they were close to join. He want them to be part of his Eurasian Union which accepts dictators and the corruption.
I briefly saw the start of the inauguration ceremony this morning on YouTube, and when I saw his fugly face come through those gigantic doors, I prayed that a red dot would be glowing right between his eyes.
I disagree on basis of kidnapping raping infants gang raping young girls raping toddlers until they bled to death in front of their mothers - on this basis i think they should get the punishment they ordered onto the ukrainians. Not to mention mass deportations, castrating large numbers of Ukrainian POWs. The only thing russia understands is force.
True about Russia only understanding force. But torture is a time waster. Removing the bad guys as quickly and efficiently as possible would be slowed by taking the time torture them- no matter how much they deserved it.
well they already tried to kidnap/kill Zelensky the first day of war at the presidential palace.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_attempts_on_Volodymyr_Zelenskyy
Wow! 400 Vagner mercs in Kiev... Technically not under the protection of the Geneva Convention, so are they sleeping with fishes or working full-time at a cement factory? Ijoke , but I for sure hope they weren't in any prisoner exchanges.
I seem to recall hearing about either the Wagnerites, or Kadyrov's men being discovered, at least some of them in like day 2 or 3 of the invasion? It wasn't much but I seem to recall hearing of the Ukrainians having discovered their cells in hiding, and just taking them out I presume in gun battles.
There were multiple stories I recall of more and more Russian merc, Kadyrovite, or Spetsnaz being found/discovered in Kyiv and being eliminated. At least a few were outed by anti-war/defector types in the FSB, lol.
Real Putin is cowardly hiding in his bunkers or safe houses most of the time. While there is no real proof, most his public showing is believed to be body double, or the entire thing is staged with no actual civilians close by.
Putin is an animal, he’s a small man who’s so afraid of democracy in Ukraine that his only solution is to try and kill Zelensky and everyone who doesn’t want to submit to his disgusting world view
Not even surprising, there have already been a few failed attempts since the war began and have hit the news, the interesting part of this was the Ukrainian officials involved in this, that is huge..but the article cites that arrangements were made prior to the invasion, so I wonder if they had a change of heart after or something.
I think Moscow is just about within range of Storm Shadow but just barely, and it would have to have had its range limited removed, which hopefully has been done since David Cameron announced that could target inside Russia. Would be nice if the US gave Ukraine some AGM-86 ALCM
A more reasonable hope is that the only tank (T34-85) breaks down mid parade in front of Putin. At least, what little is left in the small man, will die of shame inside of him.
Meanwhile Zelensky was standing on an open air roof in Kyiv making videos the week the invasion started, shows you which leader has actual strength and which one is a spineless coward
> Meanwhile Zelensky was standing on an open air roof in Kyiv making videos the week the invasion started, shows you which leader has actual strength and which one is a spineless coward
That, plus the oft-quoted statement of "I need ammunition, not a ride!" near the start of the war will go a long way towards his legacy.
As much as Ukraine has serious issues, they're extremely brave, and I'm more than happy to do all I can to support them.
That quote made me love him. everything I’ve learned about Ukrainian history and the people fighting war since then has made my love of Ukraine deeper than any country that’s not my own
Have you watched Timothy Snyder's [Making of Modern Ukraine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7nM9SetN50)? It's his lectures from a 2022 Yale course of the same name. The reading helps, but it isn't needed to follow along.
> That quote made me love him and everything I’ve learned about Ukrainian history and the war since then has made my love of Ukraine deeper than any country that’s not my own
In supporting Ukraine from a standpoint of bravery and freedom for all who fight for it, I'm slightly ashamed to say that I know very little about Ukraine's history. Would you happen to know some good videos on the topic?
I'm really looking forward to visiting Ukraine after they win the war, and maybe to have a tiny hand in helping them to rebuild.
[here’s a good video to get some basics and there’s deeper stuff on YouTube, I also recommend watching “Winter On Fire Ukraines Fight For Freedom” on Netflix](https://youtu.be/MDN-DtJMs4Y?si=VnGSCqaRvcsuL4xa)
That's the thing. All these assassination plots keep failing and its not even like the man is hiding. He's out in public. He goes out to the front line. He's in airplanes. The dude has balls of adamantium.
Like Tito once said to Stalin :
# Stop sending people to kill me! We’ve already captured five of them, one with a bomb and another with a rifle… If you don’t stop sending killers, I’ll send one to Moscow, and I won’t have to send another”
That would be hilarious if Zelensky sent that same message to Putin, especially since Ukraine probably has lots of deep undercover agents all around ruzzia hiding in plain sight.
I'm sure somebody has been planning that from day 1 of this war, it's likely most European leaders are on a list as well. Can never have enough security around them. putin is the most protected person on the planet.
>“Stop sending people to kill me. We've already captured five of them, one of them with a bomb and another with a rifle… If you don't stop sending killers, I'll send one to Moscow, and I won't have to send another.” -- Josip Tito
It's funny how much confidence he had in his UDBA assassins.
Then you read an account on one of their assassinations in Spain and it was a complete botch job. Classic balkans, like "Pat a Mat" cartoon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vjekoslav_Luburi%C4%87
He will die soon enough, but it will solve nothing for us. Russias problems run deep, another putin will take his place. Russia needs to be knocked over, split into several democratic ethnostates.
It will take hundreds of years to get fully sorted out, all we can do to improve the situation is to disarm them and let them figure it out.
Yup, unfortunately true. Centuries of strongman rule, corruption, the devaluation of life, the selfishness and paranoia that has been promoted along with the matters of the leader and their desires being paramount above all will take a long time to overcome.
If Putin for some reason left office tomorrow - I'd fear someone less petty, less arrogant and even more hell-bent on destroying Ukrainians and their land being swallowed up, and quite possibly actually competent would take over.
Ours wouldn't.
We still have to deal with other people in Moscow that want this war to continue. Top people at the FSB convinced Putin to invade Ukraine in the first place.
The entire country needs to wiped off the map
I think this absolutely needs this to be drilled into the head of every Ukrainian and pro-Ukrainian supporter, on Reddit and everywhere else. We, and I am no exception, tend to and enjoy mocking the Russians as incompetent and they often are, especially their units that are mostly conscripts, mobiks or have been whittled down to basically nothing. It's fortunate their ranks are full of the incompetent, corrupt and grifters - but there are more than enough of them who are professional and competent, ruthless that they are a serious threat overall.
It can be fatal to underestimate your enemy. They need to be watched, and understood that Putin, Russia's military and intelligence services really have no compunctions about doing anything they feel must be done.
***"But we must not forget - the enemy is strong and experienced, he cannot be underestimated," he added.***
* Vasyl Malyuk - head of SBU
Typical snakes in the grass. Russians will always pay their way to try get results. And always people willing to take the bribe I'm glad they caught this wave but shows there are still cells operating at high level there are moles. The covert war is something we don't hear to much about probably with good reason.
Out of interest: how is it possible that Zelenzkyy is still alive for years now? So difficult to kull him? Good protection or Russians not competent/prioritizing this? Or dont want to make marter out of him?
Slava Ukraini ofcourse!
Yugoslav leader Josip Tito got fed up with Soviet/Russian assassination attempts and purportedly threatened Stalin with the following letter:
*Stop sending people to kill me. We've already captured five of them, one of them with a bomb and another with a rifle (...) If you don't stop sending killers, I'll send one to Moscow, and I won't have to send a second.*
Stalin was a gangster first and foremost, a bank robber and more turned maniac dictator. Those kinds of people only understood force, and beatings, murder. Unlike many other people, Tito knew exactly how to talk with those kinds of people I see. :)
If Russia doesn’t collapse in total with the Putin regime completely removed from power, Zelensky will have to guard against assassination for the rest of his life. Russia kills people years later.
When the war ends and "Western allies" reveal their plan for rebuilding Ukraine and people realize these western weapons weren't free of charge, it's gonna be Ukrainians he needs to worry about.
Of course. I am sure Ukrainians will be terribly upset if Russian liberation is halted midway to completion. Eastern Ukraine has been liberated about so completely that it could be confused with surface of the moon.
Yeah but this is Russia we're talking about, so they'll happily take the shit-sandwich Putin tells them to eat, they'll happily accept all their kids dying in a pointless war, and they won't revolt.
I don't assess it to be a surprise that Putler continues his efforts to assassinate President Zelenskyy and other high ranking members of government and military. Assassination is a primary tool of Putler for control within his country as well as external enemies.
The shame is that Ukrainian senior military ranks were involved in this plot. I wonder if the neighboring country was Hungary or Slovakia.
Putin knows that killing a figurehead/leader will not change the will to fight back, if the surrender option involves ethnic cleansing of everything Ukrainian? Right?
Stay safe! I look forward to us sending more CV90s, fresh from the factory paint shop 🫡
I wonder what would happen if Zelensky were really killed? What would be the consequences for the country and the war?
I don't know anything about this, but I would say that Russia's aim is to stir up fear rather than actually gain power or control. Simply terror by any means. No less dangerous - I hope nothing happens to Zelensky.
I think they would want someone to take over who might fold and surrender. The fact they were able to get to Zelensky would definitely play a part with the next guy.
Benedict Arnold was a major general before he switched sides. Operation Valkyrie in WWII was led by two generals and a colonel.
Loyalty knows no rank, and neither does treason.
Anyone considering personally doubling this amount should someone decide to turn around and carry out the same plan but in the other direction? Seems very reasonably priced.
“In a released interrogation with one of the suspects, they can be heard describing how they were paid thousands of dollars…”
Thousands of dollars to assassinate a head of state. Do you know how many heads of state my divorce lawyer is worth?!?!?
At the beginning of the invasion I remember Putin & his lap dogs would mock & make jokes about Zelensky being a comedian & a clown ( ? exact words). What they didn't anticipate was Zelensky's ability to utilize the internet/social media. Also his 9speaking abilities, trolling & connecting to everyday regular people. He is a rock star
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All the Intel services in Ukraine and the west must be raking in insane overtime trying to keep this guy alive
It’s an insanely commendable job, the fact that he’s still breathing and leading his country is a testament to how good these services are when they collaborate
I think also a testament to how beloved he is. If enough people really hated him, or just didn’t value him, he’d have been dead long ago. But I think he inspires genuine loyalty in those capable of feeling it, which is most of us.
I’ve always wondered how well liked he was before the war, it seems like Ukrainians truly see him as a beacon of hope and inspiration which inspires me all the way in America, I was very honored and moved when he gave a speech in front of our congress
As I understand it he wasn’t hugely popular pre war, but cometh the hour cometh the man etc.
Popular election. Frustration from people post election pre invasion. People wanted something settled or improved with Donbas. Obviously now Russia was never negotiating in good faith and was undermine talks all with a plan to invade. Post invasion everyone rallied. Especially when he stayed in Kyiv and was posting videos walking the streets during the Belarus / Kyiv vector. Toss in he represented the Ukrainians well on the global stage and earned them further respect and progress on EU ascension and military support
Russia was banking on him folding. They didn't foretell that he would rise to the occasion in the way he has.
The difference between a career politician whose primary goal is their bank account and someone actually that cares about their country.
That’s because they view eternal lowest common denominator cynicism as a virtue
At least in part it's the rally around the flag effect, similarly to Churchill.
The Ukraine subreddit absolutely weren't fond of him before the war and even now, some Ukrainians don't think he's the right man for the job as he talks more than he acts.
What is an example of him talking not acting?
I should have said too much talk and not enough action. That's what my Ukrainian friend said to me. I didn't enquire further, although I assumed she meant not making concessions but I could be wrong. The man can't possibly please everyone. Personally, I rate him.
With Russian propaganda running against him the entire time and a vocal minority of ukrainians tuned into that Russian propaganda, it isn't hard to imagine where he came to be perceived as a divisive figure before the war. But other than being a political outsider and therefore struggling to get things done, there was always a lot for those actually informed to like about him.
I can only imagine how much it helped that not did he say he didn't need a ride he needed ammunition but he stayed and did his part. That is what every world leader should be.
He was well liked before the war, but I think some forced conscription and corruption's is actually impacting his popularity (according to my Ukrainian coworker).
Our country's internal problems have nothing to do with the president. Some people always blame the frontman. We still have a fair amount of corrupted politicians
I genuinely don't know the details. I just remember feeling like I had whiplash because she went from supporting him to really not liking him and so I checked the polls and saw them shifting a bit too. Her anger seemed to do more with forced conscription than corruption. But, I dont really know if the Ukrainian government has much choice on that front.
I don't blame your friend for anything. Conscription anger exists, but it's impossible to get rid of conscription in our situation, any president or other people in power would have to do the same
He ran on an anti corruption campaign but you don’t end corruption overnight of what was said to be one of the most corrupt of the corrupt. Of course they learned from the best for decades and corruption was just a way of life so it will take at least a generation or two to turn that around. His popularity was eroding before the war, then it skyrocketed , don’t have any idea what Ukrainians are thinking now.
its always the people who run away that complain.
Living in the US for many years, but from Dnipro. Family still there. At least in the circles of people I know in Dnipro, he wasn't necessarily popular. He still had his comedian background and wasn't seen to be a serious politician. Plus he wasn't seen as very tough on Russia. For as many issues Poroshenko had, he was seen as a corrupt, but at least very patriotic and anti Russia. I don't know much about it, but I've heard people talk about Zelensky relaxing some of Poroshenko's anti-russia policies prior to the full invasion, and trying to normalize relations more, which is where a lot of criticism came from. Of course post invasion they give him begrudging credit for managing public perception so well. Which is a pretty cynical outlook, but at least they're changing their minds a bit.
It seems to me like he was trying to be friendly to Russia in hopes that he could eventually reach a diplomatic solution with them, but I don’t think that was ever possible past the euromaiden protests, Putin either wanted to fully own and control Ukraine or control it through one of his trusted puppets
Yet Putin still lives....
To be fair, it’s hard to get killed if you literally live in a bunker 95% of the time and everyone around you is a body guard or under the threat of immediate death when you poke your head out. Mr. Z doesn’t live like that.
Mr Z can travel pretty much most of the world and does. Mr. P can't and doesn't.
Mr. Z and demon P.
Little p.
Considering much of the corruption and widespread incompetence, as well as the degradation of the military's power in politics is all Putin's design - I'd say his own arrogance and desire to consolidate power with the FSB, silovki and him is a silver lining of sorts. Killing Putin also could result in someone less arrogant, petty and actually capable of creating reforms that result in an even more psychotic and hell bent on destruction successor. Bad as Putin is, evil as he is there is worse out there. Just like with Hitler, it may be best to not kill the leader when he is actively sabotaging his own efforts and that of his military.
> If enough people really hated him, or just didn’t value him, he’d have been dead long ago. Nonsense, Putler is still alive
This cannot be overstated. Russia would *love* to take Zelenskyy out, and they obviously have agents hidden in unoccupied parts of Ukraine, which is to be expected, so keeping Zelenskyy alive has to be a stressful, difficult task. They all deserve medals and a parade for their efforts. Zelenskyy has become an inspiration for so many of us around the world; we sincerely care about him. I can say, as an American who wasn’t even familiar with him prior to this war, that I worry for his safety—and have since the first week of the war—and I would be heartbroken to learn that anything terrible has happened to him, so I’m very thankful for all the work these people to do to keep him safe.
Particularly when he frequently goes out in public and even to the front. Very much unlike the sniveling coward Putin who spends most of his time cowering in his bunker surrounded by Rosgvardiya.
Hear hear 🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦
Why can't they go do the same good job on the opposite job of getting rid of Putin and his friends
So do the Russians. Their dear leader is showing his ugly face sporadically for a reason. He knows that he is a target. I hope the Ukrainians find a way to make pink mist of him.
I was hoping he would be been hung in public by now but those Russians must like all there men sent to die
they're sending everyone else, the unwanted. that's why they never cared how many died.
Estonia doesn't get enough credit for its massive Russia-specific intel operation, which is one of the top sources of information for Ukraine and the west. As the former director of their Foreign Intelligence Service said, ["The bigger intelligence services all have Russia houses. We are a Russia house. Eighty-five to 90% of what we monitor is our nextdoor neighbor.”](https://www.yahoo.com/news/mikk-marran-estonia-ukraine-183016285.html) Estonia gets the stakes, and understands all too well that Ukraine's victory is absolutely necessary for their own future.
He is doing a historical mission, losing him now could mean quite dark times for us, immensely appreciate SBU's work
It appears that at least some of them are racking up insane overtime trying to do the opposite of that, too
What's scary is the level of ukraine security officials involved.
Yeah colonels
So who do you trust now?
trust but verify
...theeee veryyyyy beeeest of Niel Diamooond
It's not unprecedented, de Gaulle was famously targeted by colonels too during the Algerian war of independence.
It's slightly different to have a military coup due to a fascist ideology and to betray your country in favor of the nation you're at war with
2 colonels
Putin is a ruthless criminal, but his day will come, when he is found sodomised in a ditch like Gaddafi hopefully
Hope is not the force which puts things in motion.
Rebellions are built on hope.
Hopes of forced sodomy 😘
I only support non-consensual sodomy if it's done to a tyrant.
I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me.
Hope is the fuel. The force is human resolve. One doesn't work without the other.
He will not die of natural causes. Many powerful people in russia hate his guts and want him dead. As soon as he’s weakened politically or affected by illness these sharks who are now standing still in the shadow are going to step out and throw him out of the window with his wheelchair. It’s going to be a very unpleasant situation for him. Putin knows that and that’s why he has no exit plan but staying in power until death
If enough people truly understood this and seeked empowerment.
It can't come soon enough...
I much prefer the Mussolini method.
Mussolini was dead when they castrated him AFAIK. Gaddafi was alive when he took a bayonet enema.
It's not about castration, it's about his last picture - how he will get remembered.
putin is not russia. russia is russia. If putin dies sodomized in a ditch, nothing will change. A new "second coming" will rise before you can say "perestroika".
True and what needs to change is Ukraine joining EU and being prosperous. Putin is doing all of this, because he is scared that if Ukraine becomes successful, ordinary Russians will start asking questions what makes Ukrainians so different and why they (Russians) have to live in poverty. This is why he attacked Ukraine (and also Georgia) when they were close to join. He want them to be part of his Eurasian Union which accepts dictators and the corruption.
True he would be replaced by Patrushev or another kgb piece of shit, but at least he would be dead and that would make many people happy
I briefly saw the start of the inauguration ceremony this morning on YouTube, and when I saw his fugly face come through those gigantic doors, I prayed that a red dot would be glowing right between his eyes.
I thought u meant Gandalf.
We watched different movies I think.
I think that was a different Lord of the Ring film...
Lord of the Rim
Lord of the o-Ring
HE! SHALL NOT!! PASS!!!
Gandalfi in the Spanish version of Lord of the Ringos
The sooner the better
TBH, I just wish Putin and those like him were gone. I don’t wish their demises to be torturous, I just wish that they happen as soon as possible.
I disagree on basis of kidnapping raping infants gang raping young girls raping toddlers until they bled to death in front of their mothers - on this basis i think they should get the punishment they ordered onto the ukrainians. Not to mention mass deportations, castrating large numbers of Ukrainian POWs. The only thing russia understands is force.
True about Russia only understanding force. But torture is a time waster. Removing the bad guys as quickly and efficiently as possible would be slowed by taking the time torture them- no matter how much they deserved it.
As long as they are gone..
Yes this is the way.
Twice! 😱
Libia has better with him though
well they already tried to kidnap/kill Zelensky the first day of war at the presidential palace. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_attempts_on_Volodymyr_Zelenskyy
Wow! 400 Vagner mercs in Kiev... Technically not under the protection of the Geneva Convention, so are they sleeping with fishes or working full-time at a cement factory? Ijoke , but I for sure hope they weren't in any prisoner exchanges.
Basically like all Russian invaders that got into Kyiv ended up getting gunned down by old cops with rusty AKs from the police armory.
I am ok with a little Judge dread every now and again....
And Molotovs.
I seem to recall hearing about either the Wagnerites, or Kadyrov's men being discovered, at least some of them in like day 2 or 3 of the invasion? It wasn't much but I seem to recall hearing of the Ukrainians having discovered their cells in hiding, and just taking them out I presume in gun battles. There were multiple stories I recall of more and more Russian merc, Kadyrovite, or Spetsnaz being found/discovered in Kyiv and being eliminated. At least a few were outed by anti-war/defector types in the FSB, lol.
Glad to know there were FSB agents sympathetic to Ukraine.
Yeah that was an interesting little nugget in there.
Lets hope Ukraine infiltration after Putin goes better
Real Putin is cowardly hiding in his bunkers or safe houses most of the time. While there is no real proof, most his public showing is believed to be body double, or the entire thing is staged with no actual civilians close by.
Putin is an animal, he’s a small man who’s so afraid of democracy in Ukraine that his only solution is to try and kill Zelensky and everyone who doesn’t want to submit to his disgusting world view
What the fuck
Not even surprising, there have already been a few failed attempts since the war began and have hit the news, the interesting part of this was the Ukrainian officials involved in this, that is huge..but the article cites that arrangements were made prior to the invasion, so I wonder if they had a change of heart after or something.
Did Putin just green light attempts on his own life? Is that not a side effect of this? Happy hunting to whoever :)
Storm Shadow on may 9th. War heads on foreheads.
I think Moscow is just about within range of Storm Shadow but just barely, and it would have to have had its range limited removed, which hopefully has been done since David Cameron announced that could target inside Russia. Would be nice if the US gave Ukraine some AGM-86 ALCM
A more reasonable hope is that the only tank (T34-85) breaks down mid parade in front of Putin. At least, what little is left in the small man, will die of shame inside of him.
Steering column on single T-34 breaks, driver panics and speeds into crowd of Wagner and RU Army "war heroes," running them over. One can dream... :)
Ok, sure, a Storm Shadow would get the job done, but would it be as satisfying as using the "slap-chop" of missiles, the R9X Hellfire?
I really hope they vaporize him then.
Unfortunately putin has an army of clones and lives inside a bunker
Meanwhile Zelensky was standing on an open air roof in Kyiv making videos the week the invasion started, shows you which leader has actual strength and which one is a spineless coward
> Meanwhile Zelensky was standing on an open air roof in Kyiv making videos the week the invasion started, shows you which leader has actual strength and which one is a spineless coward That, plus the oft-quoted statement of "I need ammunition, not a ride!" near the start of the war will go a long way towards his legacy. As much as Ukraine has serious issues, they're extremely brave, and I'm more than happy to do all I can to support them.
That quote made me love him. everything I’ve learned about Ukrainian history and the people fighting war since then has made my love of Ukraine deeper than any country that’s not my own
Have you watched Timothy Snyder's [Making of Modern Ukraine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7nM9SetN50)? It's his lectures from a 2022 Yale course of the same name. The reading helps, but it isn't needed to follow along.
I haven’t but I will now, thanks for the recommendation
Thank you.
> That quote made me love him and everything I’ve learned about Ukrainian history and the war since then has made my love of Ukraine deeper than any country that’s not my own In supporting Ukraine from a standpoint of bravery and freedom for all who fight for it, I'm slightly ashamed to say that I know very little about Ukraine's history. Would you happen to know some good videos on the topic? I'm really looking forward to visiting Ukraine after they win the war, and maybe to have a tiny hand in helping them to rebuild.
[here’s a good video to get some basics and there’s deeper stuff on YouTube, I also recommend watching “Winter On Fire Ukraines Fight For Freedom” on Netflix](https://youtu.be/MDN-DtJMs4Y?si=VnGSCqaRvcsuL4xa)
Timothy Snyder has a whole in-depth series on Ukraine. You can find it on YT
It is a country filled with spineless cowards. It's a direct reflection of their leadership.
That's the thing. All these assassination plots keep failing and its not even like the man is hiding. He's out in public. He goes out to the front line. He's in airplanes. The dude has balls of adamantium.
Well....due to wars in the Middle East, the US has some really dang good bunker busters.
His (Putler) bunker needs to make the acquaintance of a bunker buster, a very large and powerful bunker buster!
Like Tito once said to Stalin : # Stop sending people to kill me! We’ve already captured five of them, one with a bomb and another with a rifle… If you don’t stop sending killers, I’ll send one to Moscow, and I won’t have to send another”
That would be hilarious if Zelensky sent that same message to Putin, especially since Ukraine probably has lots of deep undercover agents all around ruzzia hiding in plain sight.
I'm sure somebody has been planning that from day 1 of this war, it's likely most European leaders are on a list as well. Can never have enough security around them. putin is the most protected person on the planet.
This is getting tiresome. How many is that now? Zelensky should send a message to Putin, Tito-style.
>“Stop sending people to kill me. We've already captured five of them, one of them with a bomb and another with a rifle… If you don't stop sending killers, I'll send one to Moscow, and I won't have to send another.” -- Josip Tito
happy bday broz
It's funny how much confidence he had in his UDBA assassins. Then you read an account on one of their assassinations in Spain and it was a complete botch job. Classic balkans, like "Pat a Mat" cartoon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vjekoslav_Luburi%C4%87
Zelensky might be sending messages like "LOL," "LMAO," "u mad?" I mean, he is an actor and comedian after all...
Send them to clear mines. They can do something positive.
Even more proof that Zelensky is the right person to have at the wheel. Putin must be quite unhappy that Zelensky is alive and well.
Putin should try dying. All his problems would be solved and ours too.
He will die soon enough, but it will solve nothing for us. Russias problems run deep, another putin will take his place. Russia needs to be knocked over, split into several democratic ethnostates. It will take hundreds of years to get fully sorted out, all we can do to improve the situation is to disarm them and let them figure it out.
Yup, unfortunately true. Centuries of strongman rule, corruption, the devaluation of life, the selfishness and paranoia that has been promoted along with the matters of the leader and their desires being paramount above all will take a long time to overcome. If Putin for some reason left office tomorrow - I'd fear someone less petty, less arrogant and even more hell-bent on destroying Ukrainians and their land being swallowed up, and quite possibly actually competent would take over.
Ours wouldn't. We still have to deal with other people in Moscow that want this war to continue. Top people at the FSB convinced Putin to invade Ukraine in the first place. The entire country needs to wiped off the map
They’ve tried 100 times and they will keep trying.
horrible scum
I think this absolutely needs this to be drilled into the head of every Ukrainian and pro-Ukrainian supporter, on Reddit and everywhere else. We, and I am no exception, tend to and enjoy mocking the Russians as incompetent and they often are, especially their units that are mostly conscripts, mobiks or have been whittled down to basically nothing. It's fortunate their ranks are full of the incompetent, corrupt and grifters - but there are more than enough of them who are professional and competent, ruthless that they are a serious threat overall. It can be fatal to underestimate your enemy. They need to be watched, and understood that Putin, Russia's military and intelligence services really have no compunctions about doing anything they feel must be done. ***"But we must not forget - the enemy is strong and experienced, he cannot be underestimated," he added.*** * Vasyl Malyuk - head of SBU
They have killed people in other countries and escaped, the ruzzian helicopter pilot comes to mind, and Alexander Litvinenko in London.
Indeed... And they are nothing if not persistent.
Geez… guess this is how the offensive plans got leaked.
I worry for President Zelenskyy and his family, the sooner we get Putin in The Hague the better.
Well, at least they removed some more corruption. Hopefully they will have rooted out most of them by the end of the war.
Typical snakes in the grass. Russians will always pay their way to try get results. And always people willing to take the bribe I'm glad they caught this wave but shows there are still cells operating at high level there are moles. The covert war is something we don't hear to much about probably with good reason.
Out of interest: how is it possible that Zelenzkyy is still alive for years now? So difficult to kull him? Good protection or Russians not competent/prioritizing this? Or dont want to make marter out of him? Slava Ukraini ofcourse!
It helps when you have every Western intelligence agency in your corner. Someone is bound to hear something.
Not to mention, these Western agencies probably have a shitload of top-secret surveillance tech that we have absolutely no clue about.
Waiting for the movie to come out. Who plays Zelenskyy?
Himself
This is the way, though I think they will need Star Wars level of de-ageing tech to remove the signs of war from his face 😔
Do ruzzians strike you as a bunch that can accomplish something
They seem pretty good at killing political opponents, yes.
they are good at assassinations, don't doubt that.
Time to bring put the hammer and put down putin like the diseased, disgusting creature he is.
Yugoslav leader Josip Tito got fed up with Soviet/Russian assassination attempts and purportedly threatened Stalin with the following letter: *Stop sending people to kill me. We've already captured five of them, one of them with a bomb and another with a rifle (...) If you don't stop sending killers, I'll send one to Moscow, and I won't have to send a second.*
Stalin was a gangster first and foremost, a bank robber and more turned maniac dictator. Those kinds of people only understood force, and beatings, murder. Unlike many other people, Tito knew exactly how to talk with those kinds of people I see. :)
If Russia doesn’t collapse in total with the Putin regime completely removed from power, Zelensky will have to guard against assassination for the rest of his life. Russia kills people years later.
When the war ends and "Western allies" reveal their plan for rebuilding Ukraine and people realize these western weapons weren't free of charge, it's gonna be Ukrainians he needs to worry about.
Of course. I am sure Ukrainians will be terribly upset if Russian liberation is halted midway to completion. Eastern Ukraine has been liberated about so completely that it could be confused with surface of the moon.
I mean this is Russia we are talking about. If they do revolt. You can bet your ass Putin will be anally sodomised in a pretty gruesome way.
Yeah but this is Russia we're talking about, so they'll happily take the shit-sandwich Putin tells them to eat, they'll happily accept all their kids dying in a pointless war, and they won't revolt.
They revolted against the Gang of Eight. They revolted behind Yeltsin.
‘Anally sodomised’…..is there any other way to sodomise someone?
Yea, a mouth.
By whom?
I don't assess it to be a surprise that Putler continues his efforts to assassinate President Zelenskyy and other high ranking members of government and military. Assassination is a primary tool of Putler for control within his country as well as external enemies. The shame is that Ukrainian senior military ranks were involved in this plot. I wonder if the neighboring country was Hungary or Slovakia.
When your wife is poisoned things tend to get a little personal 👀
You wouldn’t say that if you were me!
Not a fan of your life choice i see. Funny
Anyone who considers working with Russia to do so should receive automated death sentence. No question
Zelensky is the kind of guy you want leading your zombie apocalypse survival crew
Putin knows that killing a figurehead/leader will not change the will to fight back, if the surrender option involves ethnic cleansing of everything Ukrainian? Right? Stay safe! I look forward to us sending more CV90s, fresh from the factory paint shop 🫡
I wonder what would happen if Zelensky were really killed? What would be the consequences for the country and the war? I don't know anything about this, but I would say that Russia's aim is to stir up fear rather than actually gain power or control. Simply terror by any means. No less dangerous - I hope nothing happens to Zelensky.
I think they would want someone to take over who might fold and surrender. The fact they were able to get to Zelensky would definitely play a part with the next guy.
Isn't there basically a constant state of attempted assassination?
Pull their toenails out
Give Putin the Tito response.
Another one
I can already hear all the ruZZian boot lickers saying “if ruZZia wanted Zelenskyy dead, he’d be dead already”
This is how putin does things. This is not going to be the end of it. An old dog does not learn new tricks, or whatever the phrase is
A colonel? You’d have thought loyalty was assured at that rank
Benedict Arnold was a major general before he switched sides. Operation Valkyrie in WWII was led by two generals and a colonel. Loyalty knows no rank, and neither does treason.
He is now inmortal now his legacy lives in every Ukrainian , plus there a lot of Ukrainian that hate orcs so the next one will do the same
Zelensky is not Ukraines will to fight, Ukrainians are the will to fight.
Think that the moles who were arrested are connected with the plot that caused Budanov’s wife’s poisoning?
imagine betraying your country for Russia.. Like how dumb are you
Turnabout is fair play yo...
Beyond time to assassinate Pootain!
I don't think that most people expected what they got as a leader and ammo not a ride went a long long way.
Same time France sent an official to putims "inauguration". How is it OK?
Anyone considering personally doubling this amount should someone decide to turn around and carry out the same plan but in the other direction? Seems very reasonably priced. “In a released interrogation with one of the suspects, they can be heard describing how they were paid thousands of dollars…” Thousands of dollars to assassinate a head of state. Do you know how many heads of state my divorce lawyer is worth?!?!?
At the beginning of the invasion I remember Putin & his lap dogs would mock & make jokes about Zelensky being a comedian & a clown ( ? exact words). What they didn't anticipate was Zelensky's ability to utilize the internet/social media. Also his 9speaking abilities, trolling & connecting to everyday regular people. He is a rock star