Ukraine War Day #350: Sad Anniversary + Deck Chairs

Dear Readers:

First a sad reminder: Today (February 8) is the 6th anniversary of the death of Givi, the legendary Donbass Commander for the Separatist forces. This is a timely reminder that this was did not start just a year ago, it has been waging for many years.

Givi: A true Russian hero

Colonel Mikhail Tolstykh was born in 1980 in the Donetsk city of Ilovaisk. Growing up, he served his obligatory term in the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF). This turned out to be useful, as it imparted some military skills that he was to need later. After the Maidan Coup of 2014 Tolstykh assumed the call sign Givi [a Russian humorous nickname for those of Gruzian ancestry; sort of like, in America, calling an Irishman “Paddy”] and volunteered in the Donbass militias. He commanded a Battalion called Somali. [He picked the name because he had read that Somali pirates and ohter fighters were the fiercest in the world.]

Givi took part in the major battles of that first period of the war: Slavyansk, Ilovaisk, the Donetsk Airport. He earned a medal as Hero of the DPR, was promoted to Colonel, became a Cavalier of two St. George crosses, and an extra medal for “Defender of Slavyansk”.

On February 8, 2017 Givi was killed when a bomb exploded in his HQ in Makeevka. He was buried in Donetsk. Givi’s legacy was his dream, which he expressed numerous times, that Donbass would someday throw off the Ukrainian yoke and reunite with Mother Russia.

Rearranging Deck Chairs On The Titanic

Next, switching from the inspiring to the disgusting in a single beat: I have this piece by reporter Darya Volkova. Who dishes to us some new names to watch out for, as the Titanic chugs on to meet its destiny.

Darya’s source is the ever-alert political analyst Larisa Shesler, who keeps her eye on what passes for “Ukrainian politics” so that the rest of us don’t have to look at those feral rodent faces too much.

Readers may be aware, from other sources, that Zelensky has just distinguished himself with a new round of purges of the establishment, even reaching into his inner circle. According to Shesler, one of the main themes here is the elimination of oligarch Igor Kolomoisky and all of his people, from the political scene. That sounds good, right? Getting rid of an oligarch…

Unfortunately, one of Zelensky’s prime motivations, in addition to just grabbing all the money for himself, is to find ever new sources of “fresh meat” for his suicide army.

Human Rights activist and political analyst, Larisa Shesler

Shesler: As his first order of business, Zelensky wants to apply more pressure against the population. Indeed, it is in the Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhie, Kherson, and also Nikolaev Oblasts, that Zelensky is imposing the most stringent tasks, in terms of mobilization into the UAF.

These pro-Russian regions form the backbone of the Ukrainian Defense industry. It is in these regions where you will find most of the production and repair facilities for military hardware, including drones.

Zelensky also wants to eliminate the possibility of any political forces arising who are not loyal to him and might challenge his power. For a long time now political life in Ukraine has been moribund; now they are burying the corpse once and for all.

For the leadership of [the aforementioned] regions, they are appointing new men who are not only loyal to Zelensky, but who were formed inside the very forge of this ideological system of personalities from the repressive organs. I think we ought to expect new waves of repressions and purges within the business circles of these Oblasts. The entrepreneur Igor Kolomoisky used to be very powerful in these regions. Therefore we should expect to see further purges of his people.

Zelensky’s new hires: Larry, Curly and Mo.

Next a specific list of new names and faces to look out for: Sergei Lysak is the new head of Dnepropetrovsk. Yury Malashko is the new head of that part of Kherson Oblast still under Kievan control. Alexander Prokudin is the new head of that part of Zaporozhie Oblast still under Kievan control.

All of these men come from service in the repressive organs. Malashko used to head the “Anti-Terrorist Center” within the SBU. Prokudin headed the “National Police” in Kherson. Lysak was head of SBU in Zhitomir Oblast up to July 2022; and now heads the SBU in Dnepropetrovsk.

With these guys in their new posts, and what with all the other personnel changes taking place in his administration, and always under the figleaf of “Fighting Corruption”, Zelensky is clearly set to tighten the screws against the Ukrainian population; especially those living in traditionally Russian-speaking and pro-Russian Oblasts.

Advertisement