The brave defenders of Ukrainian Mariupol, hidden in the Azovstal steel plant, caught the world’s attention by refusing to surrender to the Russian invaders. Then President Vladimir Putin abruptly “canceled” plans to storm the plant, ordering his forces to simply block it.
Azovstal, which covers four square miles and has an extensive underground structure, has been the target of relentless artillery attacks in recent weeks. But despite their huge numerical advantage, Russian forces failed to remove the Azov Regiment from the plant.
Now the Russian state media has come up with a strange explanation for Putin’s decision to back down – that the steel plant is teeming with Western mercenaries and even senior NATO officers.
On Friday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said: “The rest of the Ukrainian nationalists from the Azov Regiment … along with foreign mercenaries from the United States and European countries are probably blocked on the territory of the Azovstal plant.
The day before, state television experts began to speculate that the conviction may have played a role in Putin’s decision to stop the bombing of the besieged steel plant.
Appearing at 60 minutes on Thursday night, military expert and retired Colonel Yuri Knutov said Azovstal was hiding secrets of global importance. He speculated that revealing them would have an exciting effect, including the possibility of influencing the re-election of French President Emmanuel Macron. His right-wing populist rival, Marine Le Pen, has long been backed by Russia’s state media as the Kremlin’s preferred candidate. Even imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has entered France’s presidential battle via Twitter, urging French voters to support Macron and reject Le Pen, who is too closely linked to Russia.
During the 60-minute broadcast, Knutov said: “Many experts say that in addition to members of the Azov and Ukrainian armed forces, there are also NATO advisers. [at Azovstal]- and those at a very high level. And if they fall into the hands of the Russian army, it will cause an international scandal and have major political consequences in NATO countries. Political leaders, leaders of NATO countries, say none of their advisers are there and that NATO has no part in this other than providing secondary assistance by sending weapons. Suddenly – if it turns out to be a lie – Macron can be defeated by his choice. Many other politicians may be forced to resign. “
Smoke rises above the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine, in this still image obtained from a recent video with a drone posted on social media.
Mariupol Municipal Council through Reuters
The presenter Evgeny Popov, who is also a member of the State Duma of Russia, weighed: “For him [Macron] in order to lose the election, we need to get the people out of NATO – especially the French – in the next two days.
Knutov said the destruction of Azovstal by bombing would not be difficult, but would deprive Russia of the opportunity to identify the people who remain there. Therefore, Putin’s idea of a blockade is more likely to reveal the secrets of the steel plant. Knutov predicts that within a week or less, the current residents of Azovstal will show up and surrender, as they are forced to starve and suffer from water shortages.
Speaking about the Kremlin’s intention to overtake the entire Donbass region, Knutov said the Pentagon expected Russia to rely on the same tactics it uses in Syria. Knutov ominously predicted: “They say that new tactics will be applied … our tactics, developed in Syria, have been proven. Maybe something new will be used, I’m not ready to talk about it and reveal it. ” He later added: “We have reached the stage where, in my opinion, NATO is directly involved in this military conflict. We can now talk not only about a special military operation of our army on the territory of Ukraine, but also about the NATO war against Russia on the territory of Ukraine. That’s where we are right now. “
Olga Skabeeva, co-host of 60 Minutes, said the release of people from the Azovstal steel plant had been demanded by a number of Western officials, including German Foreign Minister Analena Burbock and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Rejecting the idea that these politicians are concerned about the release of civilians reportedly trapped in Azovstal along with members of the Ukrainian armed forces, Skabeeva concluded: “They want to free people from the catacombs, which means there are some very, very special people – very valuable people there. “
The state media is promoting the idea that the Kremlin’s offensive in Ukraine is stagnant because Russian troops are fighting not only local troops but “the whole of NATO.” As Russia’s losses grow rapidly, so do the blatant threats of revenge expressed by the Kremlin’s most notorious mouthpieces. On state television, watched by millions, presenters and experts routinely laugh at the possibility of Western cities being destroyed by nuclear strikes.
Speaking at 60 minutes, State Duma MP Andrei Isayev complained about a recent statement by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who said: “In the event of the use of weapons of mass destruction, the United Kingdom reserves the right to retaliate. strike alone without consulting other NATO countries. Angered, Isayev replied: “We can launch a nuclear strike against Britain without consulting NATO. Britain is an excellent target in this regard. ” Ridiculing the garland adorning Johnson’s neck during his recent trip to India, Isayev said: “The noose that was placed around Mr. Johnson’s neck during his trip to India suits him very well.
The incendiary rhetoric on state television, often seen as a reflection of prevailing Kremlin sentiment, is becoming more militant. During the program “Evening with Vladimir Solovyov” on Tuesday, the host tried to stop NATO countries from helping Ukrainians in their self-defense against Russian aggression. He went on to accuse Western countries of secretly sending their operatives to fight in Ukraine, saying they would be destroyed along with Western-supplied weapons.
Solovyov threatened: “In fact, we are starting a war against NATO countries. We will grind the NATO war machine, as well as the citizens of NATO countries. When this operation is over, NATO will have to ask itself: “Do we have what we need to defend ourselves? Do we have enough people to defend ourselves? ” Solovyov expressed the opinion that not only Ukraine will have to be “denazified”, which means that Russia will continue to march through Europe. He added ominously: “And there will be no mercy. There will be no mercy. “
Add Comment