Russian Journalist Killed on Orders from the Kremlin Actually Wasn’t
[guest post by JVW]
Well, this is a story that is shaping up like some Hollywood thriller. Yesterday brought news that Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin who had been forced to leave Russia for his family’s safety, had been shot and killed on the street in Kiev, Ukraine. This comes only six weeks after the mysterious five-story fall that killed Russian journalist Maxim Borodin, who had first reported the story of the Russian “mercenary troops” killed by U.S. forces in Syria, and it fits a pattern where Russians harshly critical of the Kremlin have a curious habit of dying.
But today, a major plot twist:
The fierce anti-Kremlin Russian journalist who was reported dead in Ukraine’s capital showed up to a news conference on Wednesday very much alive, as authorities revealed it was all part of a foiled murder plot against him.
Vasily Gritsak, the head of the Ukrainian Security Service, said at a news conference that the agency faked Arkady Babchenko’s death to catch those who were trying to kill him.
[. . . ]
Before ushering Babchenko into the room, Gritsak said investigators had identified a Ukrainian citizen who had been recruited and paid $40,000 by the Russian security service to organize and carry out the killing. The unidentified Ukrainian man in turn hired an acquaintance who had fought in the separatist war in eastern Ukraine as the gunman.
The Associated Press has reported that Ukrainian authorities have detained a suspect who is believed to be the local man who organized the plot. Naturally, the Kremlin is denying that they have anything to do with this.
No doubt that scriptwriters are at this moment working on an outline to shop around to the studios.
– JVW
When first I saw that, I about sat down hard in the elevator. Just when I thought that Putin had committed another brazen murder, it turned out that the brazen murder was a sting!
Dianna (b7aa4f) — 5/30/2018 @ 11:45 amCommies are like that. Sneaky. You know those reputed lebenteen gazillion CIA plots to kill Castro? Maybe three at the most were real. The rest he had set up himself.
nk (dbc370) — 5/30/2018 @ 11:54 amThe title is a little confusing. “Orders from the Kremlin” falls into the “was” column. Glad to see Putin busted on one of his little murder plots. I’m sure the Kremlin will deny everything, maybe even turn it around and say it was a Ukrainian plot to pin this on Putin.
Paul Montagu (e6130e) — 5/30/2018 @ 12:11 pmNo doubt that scriptwriters are at this moment working on an outline to shop around to the studios.
Meh. Dead Man Walking gets a rewrite into Dead Man Talking
DCSCA (797bc0) — 5/30/2018 @ 12:13 pmThe title is a little confusing. “Orders from the Kremlin” falls into the “was” column.
Intentionally so. I was going for irony there with “wasn’t” referring back to “killed,” but perhaps I missed the mark. I also debated on whether placing a comma between “Kremlin” and “actually” would help, but I decided that it didn’t.
JVW (dadb0c) — 5/30/2018 @ 12:17 pmmaybe it’ll turn out the orders to kill Roseanne’s show was just a sting and everyone will have a good chuckle and go out for fish tacos and happy hour margaritas (lovin those big summer flavors)
happyfeet (28a91b) — 5/30/2018 @ 12:19 pmSo Putin murdered a journalist who does not exist?
nk (dbc370) — 5/30/2018 @ 12:20 pmWhat a time to be alive. In secret. Because the NYT misquoted you or a communist dictator is plotting your death or you’re the producer of an ABC sitcom or whatever the case may be.
Dustin (ba94b2) — 5/30/2018 @ 12:57 pmWell rolamdo cubela, was a double agent.
narciso (d1f714) — 5/30/2018 @ 1:11 pmPutin was pretty messed up on ambien when he murdered the journalist that didn’t exist
he doesn’t even remember
happyfeet (28a91b) — 5/30/2018 @ 1:13 pmfeets, ambien is a hell of a drug!
Dustin (b1b43a) — 5/30/2018 @ 1:27 pmis that the one that gives you the crappy taste way on the way back of your tongue or is that lunesta?
happyfeet (28a91b) — 5/30/2018 @ 1:30 pmlooks like that’s a lunesta thing
happyfeet (28a91b) — 5/30/2018 @ 1:31 pmHere’s a BBC article about this:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44307611?via=newsletter&source=CSPMedition
He didn’t even let in his wife that he wasn’t killed.
This is perhaps the best way to shortcut, if not this plot, future plots.
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 5/30/2018 @ 1:41 pmWell that’s what Jim Gordon did in dark night,
narciso (d1f714) — 5/30/2018 @ 5:31 pmthe problem with that is a cry wolf problem emerges,
I’m sure the contraktiki didnt succeed for lack of trying
Yep…because if you really, truly, seriously believe a global geo-power – with a demonstrated historical penchant for whacking those disfavored by their ruling elite – has sent assassins to kill you, the thing you do afterward is to hold a press conference to essentially say “Neener-Neener, Missed Me Bitches!”
The only thing that seems missing is the supposed “victim” sticking his thumbs in his ears and wagging his hands at the camera while gloating.
MJN1957 (f1b2f0) — 5/31/2018 @ 5:32 amHas Trump tweeted a defense of Vladmiir yet?
noel (b4d580) — 5/31/2018 @ 5:43 amContraktiki are mercenaries, and not the Warner corps contingent.
narciso (d1f714) — 5/31/2018 @ 6:27 am