It is acknowledged that neither prisons nor the colonies, nor any system of hard labor, ever cured a criminal.
Dostoevsky, House of the Dead
Dear Readers:
Continuing with this story which consists of fascinating interviews with Wagnerite zeks, recruited directly from the Russian prison system to fight on the front lines, in return for the commutation of their sentences. The Wagnerites have distinguished themselves, especially in the arena of urban warfare and even hand-to-hand fighting.
The reporters are Abbas Dzhuma and Vasilisa Nikolaeva. Yesterday we read the story of “Dmitry” aka Kurva, who was serving hard time for operating a sort of meth-lab out of his house.
Today we hear the story of Andrei Yastrebov, a 23-year-old car thief from the Leningrad Oblast around St. Petersburg. In February of 2022, just 3 days after the start of the Special Military Operation, Andrei was convicted to a 2-year sentence. Andrei had a bad habit of helping himself to other peoples Zhigulis, and this was not the first time he was caught doing this. Nor was it his first time in prison, he was a recidivist. In between his first and second terms, Andrei found various jobs: in construction, in a factory, in a hospital. But he just couldn’t keep his hands off those Zhigulis…
Valor. He earned it in a heavy battle, in which he was wounded, but never gave up his position.
Sent to the labor colony for the second time, Andrei suddenly disappeared. His relatives always kept in touch and were surprised when, all of a sudden, later that summer, he phoned them from a Ukrainian area code. Then he sent his mom a photograph of himself wearing a uniform. His relatives freaked out, especially his aunt. The latter started writing frantic letters to the Prosecutors Office. She gave interviews to the press, stating categorically that her nephew could not have possibly agreed to this, “that they must have coerced him into joining the army.” Andrei’s mom also gave interviews, but she didn’t sound quite so sure about it. Especially after she showed up in the Wagner office building, demanding Andrei’s salary check. [yalensis: I get a certain feeling about this dysfunctional family…]
Later a video appeared on the internet, in which Andrei himself stated that he had signed the Wagner contract of his own volition: “I want to help the Motherland.” He also stated in the video that he had already experienced his first real battle, and had received a wound from a shell fragment; but had already healed and planned to return to the front lines. He also stated that he has no dealings with his aunt and doesn’t speak to her any more.
And this is how Yastrebov worked through his 180-day contract and returned to civilian life with the very first tranche of zeks. And now gives an interview to the KP reporters.
“It was a heavy battle…”
Andrei: I went out there with one of the first groups of zeks. A lot of the guys told us, “You’re idiots!” But we had the sensation of complete unity and equality among the soldiers. We never abandoned our own guys, we always collected the wounded and dead. And we never gave up our positions. We felt our brotherhood, and we always held on.
Just like Kurva, Andrei fought for the Ugledar Power Station, and for the villages of Novoluganskoe, Nikolaevka…
Reporters: “How did you get that medal?” [The Medal of Valor, by the way, is a serious one. Nobody working in the rear gets a medal like that. It is the most respected medal among the front-line soldiers, and one has to perform a real feat to get it.]
Andrei: It was a very heavy battle. The first group attacked, while we covered them from the rear. While doing this, we captured some fleeing enemy soldiers. When I was leading the captives to our Commander, our guys radioed us to say that they are being surrounded. The Commander ordered us to go and help out, so we went back. It was really tough out there, the enemy artillery was working us hard, the mortars… And then a tank came right at us, barked out more than 15 shots, I was wounded in the head. But our Commander over the radio told us, “Boys, you have to hang on there.” And we held on. For this, I got a medal. I have to say though, that every battle is hard. But when you have a Commander who is a good leader, who inspires you, then it becomes easier. All of our commanders are good, they have a lot of experience.
You ask, what is my attitude toward our enemy? I have encountered 19-year-old teenagers. When I asked them, “Why are you here?” they replied, “We were mobilized.”
Aidar, that’s another story. Yes, they are mercenaries too. But even they run away sometimes. Wagner is stronger than Aidar. More than once we found both alcohol and drugs among the Aidarites. They love to get drunk and fall asleep at their positions. And our recon works beautifully, we knew when to approach them, while they were sleeping it off. That’s when we were able to take some Aidarites captive. One of them even gave me his armored vest [as a gift].
“You don’t regret that you joined the Wagner Company?”
Andrei: Not one bit! Right now I am on leave, but I am going back. Because I miss the brotherhood there. And out there, in civilian life, I can’t help but look at the grown men and wonder, Why aren’t they out there fighting? Go on, sign a contract, they will give you everything you need: a machine gun, ammunition, even a tank if you need one.
For sure, I could apply for, and get, any [civilian] job I liked, but I don’t want to. I want to go back to the front. Do you understand? It’s easier for me out there, than it is in civilian life. What would I do here? Work as a security guard in a department store? No! That’s not for me. In times like this a real man has to be out there where he is needed.
Reporters: For the time being, Andrei is at home, in the Leningrad Oblast. We were able to speak with his girl friend Svetlana.
Svetlana: Yes, he is still here. He has changed quite a lot. For the better, it seems to me. But he is telling everyone that he plans to return soon to the SMO. They pay good money there, so he says. And they perform heroic feats. Whereas, back here, nothing. Just boredom.
[to be continued]
Awful Avalanche 
Not on faceborg or twatter so i go by others commentary, this is really interesting,
(link headline):
‘Wagner wants American patriots to join its ranks.’
AC says: “Says we can help fight the evil of Globohomo before it destroys our country and sets off a nuclear war. I cannot find a flaw in their logic.”
https://twitter.com/Blackrussiantv/status/1619769832156860416
Some pretty profound implications tight there, it means Crusades Bitchez if anything else, but crusades against what and who… right? Well because them guys on the sharp end are seeing the world without the wool pulled over normie land eyes, dollars to donuts they know like in really know, eyeballs on it, unvarnished incarnate wicked, how truly evil and depraved, of inhuman ones committing inhuman things, and the list of actors and agencies involved, these ukronazi tools of the khazarian mafia, are the tip of that foul spear of destiny, with its client state DC and London regimes direct involvement, but mostly globo=peedo; as in whats been all along – what operates, along the fringes of the shadows for many centuries, ie, they can not hide what they are in war, its impossible to hide evil from combat Warriors on the sharp end. I know. There are unspeakable things in this world, kind of things killing is what it needs, nothing less suffices most of all what is the only effective remedy. And if you an’t been there you can not judge it, you got zero rights to judge Soldiers who must kill, so much so just that concept is almost incomprehensible to good folks. No fault on either its just what it is and as good folks its imperative upon us we trust and value the Warriors among us who honor the 3 great warrior virtues, because without those Soldiers who have those great virtues the human race is toast. Because there’s nothing else between us and this incarnate evil afoot and moving. Listen, 100 million armed to the effin’ teeth Muricans are not wrong, they too like Pat, smell the same rat, same rat been around a long time.
Wagner’s, they are so effective tactically, they overwhelm the enemy, which causes them to make mistakes, revealing mistakes, in other-words Wagner gets thru their layers of security that are there to give them time to move back but clean up and leave no traces of themselves and what they do, so Wagners are finding things a lot of good folks are gonna have real difficulty grokking, truths so nasty and betrayal so foul it destroys their personal paradigms. Guarantee it. Wagner knows. They know the truth must out. And the best conduit is combat warriors coming home again changed by what they have seen and what they did, most especially by what they did not do. But there for The Grace of GOD I dare go. That kind of great virtues, that is what Wagner is for, after its ground mission, see Ol’ Putin is nobodies or nothings fool, such a crafty cunning outlier capable leader of Men, they understand you can not stop the message, and his Patriarch mentor of the Russian Orthodox Church advises him on this evil, that old priest is one sharp old dude, he knows what lurks and has lurked for many moons, and its how ain’t no message like that of war existential with the enemy who has haunted our world for centuries and how its more than WW 3, its war for everything we know and love its about to be extinguished and stopping this begins in Ukraine and goes outward in all senses.
You bet Prigozhin and his crew does, because if war for the hearts is art, then war for the minds is a science, its time too:
‘Wagner wants American patriots to join its ranks.’
AC says: “Says we can help fight the evil of Globohomo before it destroys our country and sets off a nuclear war. I cannot find a flaw in their logic.”
https://twitter.com/Blackrussiantv/status/1619769832156860416
“AC” is Anonymous Conservative, a wonderful high critical thinking outlier guy and blog, the Wagner twatter link is from todays daily brief, near bottom of todays linked pieces,
https://www.anonymousconservative.com/blog/news-briefs-01-30-2023/
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Um… not to hurt your feelings, but sounds like a lot of Trumpite nonsense to me.
Honestly, if I am scanning some rant and I see the word “khazar”, I switch off immediately, just sayin’….
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“Khazar” is definitely a “tell.” It tells me someone is a Nazisymp. Who else uses that word, eh?
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It’s one of the Jew-haters’ dog-whistle words. Those “anti-khazar” ideologists weave some weird historical theory about khazars and Ashkenazi, I can’t even be bothered to figure it out or go into it. Who cares anyhow? Only they care, because it feeds into whatever genetic narrative they have going; but all ends up in the same place, namely that they want to kill all Jews. Even innocent Shmuel the Tailor who lives down the street and minds his own business… But no, he is part of the Globalist Hive-Mind as well.
And as if their bloodlines are all so impeccable, give me a break…
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I didn’t want to jump with both feet onto Mtnforge yesterday, but hopefully he’s not reading this thread any more. And he appears to have been quoting this “AC Anonymous Conservative” with the “Khazar” stuff. Not sure if it’s Mtn’s words in the long text block, but that seems to be his writing style. So let me say today that “globohomo” (quoting AC?) is another “tell.” Short for “I hate fags!” (Like the Westboro Baptist Church of the deservedly deceased Fred Phelps.) Which is underlain by the sentiment of “Let’s kill ’em all.” Even if the globo-spouters don’t want to consciously acknowledge their sick desires. The “globo” term is popular with Raevsky at the Saker and many of his commenters, and I think Martyanov and Larry Johnson favour it too, but not as strongly as the Saker crew. Still, even to drop someone else’s words into a comment thread indicates some support of that mindset.
It’s sad that so many in the Russosphere have their own mind-twists, but that’s the nature of masses of humans. Not all are angels… And don’t get me started on how haterz have ruined what it means to call oneself “conservative.” Now it’s synonymous with “I want to kill ______ ” (fill in the group.) “Liberals” have also trashed their brand with so much pointlessly idiotic woke nonsense, so it goes both ways.
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His was a long and incoherent rant, I just had to assume that Mtnforge either endorsed these rambling sentiments, or these were his own words. Maybe he was on meth or something at the time. I didn’t ban him or anything, I just expressed my disapproval. (And sort of hope he won’t come back.)
And yeah, that “Globohomo” thing is also a tell, another cute little meme from their hive mindset. Another dog whistle.
Timmy my lad, when Lassie barks in that kind of voice, I think what she is trying to say, is this: The Globalist billionaire Jews [of which they do exist, just look at the freaks like Soros who serve in the Court of Emperor Palpitator] have united with the Globalist Homosexual and Trans-gender Lobbyists [who also exist, so there is always a grain of truth in every wild conspiracy!] conspire to deny individual nations their sovereignty and to tear down Old-Time Religion and all good things, while turning men into women, and vice versa.
or whatever… Like I said, there is a grain of truth, which is why their barkings can be a powerful force for hate. And lead to the “Kill them all” kind of mentality.
Me, my compass is the Class Struggle. It never fails me. If somebody is on the correct side of the class line, be it Shmuel the Tailor or Glenn Greenwald the Homo, then they are a friend. And they should not be oppressed or killed, in my view. Personally, I’d rather see Saker/Martyanov choke on their own venom.
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Andrei R. is terminating the Saker site by the end of this month, so his venom will be squelched. He’s been in dicey physical health, and I think his psychological state has not been the best. I reckon he cracked from the stress of his self-imposed preaching mission to enlighten the world, plus whatever pressure he’s been getting for being an anti-empire voice while living in the belly of the belly of the Beast (not just in the U.S., but Florida on top of that! Or considering Fla’s geographical position, the bottom of that…). Who knows what kind of SS (Security State) thumbscrews were subtly applied? Someone who gets a bit of a following while challenging the Establishment line is not going to go unscathed. Martyanov could be in a similar circumstance, living in the Pac Northwest as he does. But he seems more of a buzzing gadfly rather than a burr under the saddle like the Saker. You’d better hope you never get too popular, Yalensis! You might find yourself in a casual conversation with two guys in suits who seem to have read deeply into your blog. Nothing hostile, just letting YOU know that THEY know. That’s how it starts, at least.
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I wonder sometimes how long I’ll be able to get away with this, before the guys in suits come knocking at my door… It hasn’t happened yet and, god willing, it won’t. I think what saves me (a) I’m still obscure (that’s the beauty of being a niche market), and (b) I don’t make money off my blog. Not sure about Saker, did he actually have subscribers and try to schnorr money, and stuff? I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that.
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I am pretty sure Wagner’s just trolling with this.
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Regarding what is happening in Ukraine, if the revival of Nazism is worrying, it is even more worrying that, according to Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande, it is a Western operation in development since 2008, as happened with Hitler’s Germany, that if after Weimar it was in ruins, all We assume that it was armed by the West to launch it to kill Russians.
With this scenario, the Russian people, including criminals, know they must defend their lives. In addition, any Russian common criminal is comparable to a saint compared to Bin Laden and troupes used by the West to kill Muslims in the Middle East and blacks in Africa.
Merkel and Hollande are happy-go-lucky and trustworthy parrots as they must have grown rich in their time in power.
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Personally, I think the German state (depending on the government) never actually renounced [Nazi] revanchism, I think it’s been simmering there ever since WWII. I mean, I am sure most German leaders are not real Nazis any more, or want to kill Jews, or anything like that; but it must still irk them that Hitler lost so badly; and they certainly never gave up on their revanchist plan to defeat Russia. Always egged on by the Americans, naturally.
Americans always like to stir the pot, and god knows there are lot of pots out there just waiting to be stirred.
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West Germany (FRG) never renounced Nazism. This kind of Nazism promoted by Hitler: the Jewish-Bolshevik conspiracy (“jüdisch-bolschewistische Weltverschwörung”). It was and is still active and, over time, has changed only a little: non-Communist Jews are of no evil anymore and if they are outside Germany. But hatred, especially against “Moscoviter”, never calmed down. If you grow up and like “Чебурашка и Гена” or “Ну, погоди!”, you are still suspicious to collaborate with the enemy.
Sorry to say this. Greetings from Germany.
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Greetings back to Germany. It saddens me, but it’s what I suspected. Anal-ina Bareback is the feature, not the bug!
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another good piece – thanks
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You’re welcome!
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“We never abandoned our own guys, we always collected the wounded and dead. And we never gave up our positions. We felt our brotherhood, and we always held on.”
That’s what cohesion and unity is supposed to forge. Kudos to Andrei.
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The Wagnerzeks must be a different class of crim than the ones I’ve met. I worked as an on-call medical nurse (LPN) in Florida through a lot of the 1990s. Sometimes I’d take shifts at the local state prison. (Every county in Florida has a state prison! It’s a big part of the Sunshine State’s economic base. Bigger than Disney. But not so many people coming through the exit gates…)
Anyway, most of the inmates were no great shakes as far as being able to do anything useful. Even when you subtracted the brain-damaged, mentally ill, old ‘n feeble — “life sentence” is not a figure of speech in Fla. — and the sickies (so much HIV) — the rest would have a hard time acting as a combat team. Most of ‘em dumb as stumps, antisocial, would have a hard time getting to Step 3 in a “1-2-3” progression of orders. Many had a level of rat cunning, but not much “team spirit” for covering their mates’ backs. That’s not even getting into the issues of letting such sorts handle high-powered automatic weapons. Yeah, they could wave their Glock around in the streets of Hialeah, but that’s a world away from assaulting a building where people are shooting back.
I wonder whether the Whites in “Best In Hell” are meant to be part of the zek cadre. I haven’t got to the end — 31 minutes in, after about 2 hours spent stop-starting the movie — so no spoilers! Obviously it’s a dramatisation, but as far as the tactics and interactions amongst squaddies, I reckon it looks realistic. Can prisoner-types really pull that off?
That’s why I wonder whether Russia’s got better felons than the West. Maybe more mafiya types? I’m sure Prigozhin doesn’t let just anyone in. (I had doubted that Wagner was giving contracts to cons when I first read about it, because it was mentioned on a right-wing website. Then after reading a translated interview with Prigozhin, I realised it was true. Sometimes the reich-wingers AREN’T lying!) In the job interviews — or is it “filtration” at the prisons? — I guess talking up gang membership would be a resume-sweetener. “Sure, I’ve done drive-bys. I don’t mind cracking someone’s skull with a rod of rebar if they had it coming to them. Lemme tell you about the time me and my mates who were fans of the local football club kicked the shit out of those bastards who came to OUR town wearing the other side’s colours…”
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These are good questions, Bukko. Maybe Russian zeks are not as burned out as American ones, on the whole. I would guess also that Prigozhin only accepts the more functional ones when he goes on his recruiting tours. Also, not every Wagner mercenary is a zek, some are just regular mercs. But don’t ask me to give you a numerical ratio, because I don’t know!
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It makes no difference in Best Of Hell, they all seem regular forces.
If you ask me the majority of Wagner are standard hires, probably with a heavy preponderance of ex Spetsnaz types.
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I think you are probably right about that.
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At least at the front he has no temptation to boost other people’s cars.
His mum might be disappointed.
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She only gets the check if he dies.
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Ouch
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