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Election in Belarus next year. Wagner will be useful for lukashenko in ensuring right result achieved.

Roundabout way of getting there but picking up the last 5 wickets for 80 then closing at 278 for 4 not a bad day's work.

Mousley really kicked on and impressed this season. Tongue I don't get. Not sure he's any better than the likes of Potts, Overton etc. Happy to be proved wrong.

Putin finally admits the state funded Wagner - having denied it previously. So when he talks about other countries military help in Ukraine the obvious question remains about the Wagner involvement in 8-10 countries in Africa,Latin America and Asia - propping up various undemocratic regimes.

I'd been looking at Woakes but his wickets were a while ago there. If they are preparing the docile wickets Stokes asked for then he may not be the answer although he's a very useful lower bat. Stokes not bowling "properly" is a headache for team selection

Never be able to touch a door handle for the rest of his life :)

Like when Shuggs said the CBS signage was just off at the cleaners and would be back in place soon. 😁

Not saying it will be but the speculation is that it was the "carrot" used to get him to stop and leave.

The regime is propped up by Russia. Internal dissent doesn't go well - 20/21 protests. Least democratic country in Europe. Whoever the next leader is it will be a Russian choice. Nuclear control will awlays remain under the Russians - they are not going to give any 3rd party access to them.

already a source of discontent with "pre-war" Russian troops as new recruits getting better money/signing bonuses/death insurance than they are. Be interesting to see how many Wagner sign up andcan be integrated into a formal military system

Or has he been offered Belarus? Lukashenko reportedly seriously ill. Putin basically controls Belarus. That's a theory among the talking heads here this morning.

So Wagner troops will sign MOD contracts - whether that is just those in Ukraine or all Wagner personnel unclear. Wagner operatives in large numbers in several African states - as an unofficial arm of Russian foreign policy. What has Prig been offered? Can't just be some flimsy personal security...

Lukashenko is supposed to have sent his family out to Turkey - just in case

They engage the Wagner forces it won't go down well with regular Russian troops.

Don't think Daddy's boy would be on the front line.

He's also called out members of the elite for starting the war for their own benefit, for profiteering in the Donbas region since 2014 etc. The MOD is taking flak for their handling of the war but others are taking it for causing it to happen in the first place

That's why he's calling out the elite.The accusations of mismanagement, corruption etc aren't confined to the military leaders. It's unlikely he can position himself but he's been allowed almost complete freedom up until now to do what he pleases. Part of this has to be about the July 1st...

Certainly a nutter. Wagner been accused of most of the more serious war crimes against civilian population and their track record as a mercenary group in certain African states is grim. The fear for the Russian leadership is maybe how other "official" troops react - not fight them or even join...

and firmly place himself as Putin's successor??

So you've got a heavily armed force of potentially up to 30000 troops behind your defensive positions in Ukraine where you have deployed the majority of your army's troops. If you move mobile reserves back to counter the situation then your defensive lines are weakened. You can't move large...