Explosion in Lugansk. There are rumours that gas pipeline is burning.

He betrayed the nation by ordering violent dispersal of protesters and by signing the "dictatorship laws" in Jan 2014. He forgot that Ukraine is not Russia and things like that just won't pass.

Pro-Russian candidates still participate in elections and have a chance to be elected. Luckily Ukrainians received a "vaccine" against friendship with Russia after the violent actions of Russia in 2014, so only a small part of population votes for them since 2014.

Current president is a compromise and unfortunately Ukraine will really have to pay a high prise for not electing more pro-western candidate on the last elections.

Flashing on RT as well. Kommersant says it is the Druzhba "gas pipeline" - which actually is not a gas but an oil pipeline.

Now waiting for Russia blaming this on Ukraine.

They opened a wrong page of the guidance from their Kremlin curators. Who knows maybe some provocations in Crimea are planned for tomorrow as well, some more explosions. Putin cares neither about lives of Ukrainians nor Russians. No amount of human victims is too high for him.

Sorry, misread. RT reports a "car bomb" in Donetsk next to the govt building of the "DPR".

https://www.rt.com/russia/549901-don...osion-ukraine/

What he really cares about is to perpetuate and protect the oligarchic economic system where a few get rich and stay rich.

Yesterday there was a report in the main evening news on Russian TV that DNR got the plans of Ukrainian army to invade DNR/LNR in 4 days. They showed the journalist the maps with the arrows and specially stressed that the signs on the maps are made according to the standards of NATO.

Few hours ago Putin signed a decree calling up Russians reserves for military training.

This is pathetic, the Putin propaganda machine is in overdrive. Only a mentally challenged person would believe that NATO somehow has developed plans to invade DNR/LNR and gifted them to the Ukrainian government. It's also sad from another angle: the propaganda machine of Russia has apparently a very low opinion of the intelligence level of the Russians; if they believe this will be credible enough, they must believe the audience is full of morons.

Not just of the Russians. I just read what RT has to tell us Westerners, and if this wasn't bad enough, look at the comments section.

https://www.rt.com/russia/549944-bre...-mobilization/

What if Russia wins? Foreign Affairs article by the same guy interviewed above.

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/artic...if-russia-wins

We are going into interesting times. It is this context why I am also so concerned where the US are headed domestically.

Truly amazing indeed! One of my favorites:

"I call upon all NORMAL, h-eterosexual, decent, honorable men of Europe to support Russia. Only Russia, the last remaining sane, free and h-eterosexual family-loving Nation can now rescue the de-mented, d-emonic, f-eminist and lib-t-arded West / Anglosphere.

Russia, we beg you on behalf of humanity, come rescue us!."

I've always wondered, does Putin pay the trolls in Russian rubles or in EUR? My guess is that the rouble isn't exactly their preferred currency, so they'll have to be paid in EUR to explain how powerful Russia is and how weak the West is. Oh, the irony.

Luckily this new 'majority' can now enjoy partitioned Ukraine. What is and will be left of it, if any.

One consequence of a Russian invasion, and western counter-sanctions is going to be a dramatic increase on the value of the franc.

Mikhail, as you are what you are, and also claim to be a gas expert - tell us in which of the Geneva oligarch shops you working? Gunvor, Lukoil, Rosneft?

My prediction is Russia will look to occupy and fortify the Donetsk to Moldova region, effectively landlocking the remainder of Ukraine. He'll keep that up until Kyiv chokes.

I think it's actually worse than that. I know quite a few people there and I can vouch for their firm grasp on reality, unlike our friend here who is at best a Ruble-paid troll or at worst, an actual believer.

Yes as Biden keeps on telling us, The Russians are coming !, the Russians are coming ! at last a CIA video of a Russian Chief of Staffs meeting to attack the west and reach the River Rhine within 5 days , a bit dated I know but there again the intelligence agencies have to cover their tracks, to ensure their sources are not compromised before finally being released to
the public.

Russian Chief of staffs meeting to attack the west

Disagree. The controlled leaks are not alarmist at all, in fact they are quite successful so far in taking away the initiative and surprise element from Putin. For the first time in a while, he's at a backfoot and for me the interesting question is how long can this game of chicken actually continue as the US cannot maintain credibility indefinitely while at the same time Moscow can't pose an imminent threat indefinitely either.

The other unintended consequence that Putin's gambit has achieved is a surprising unity among EU and NATO, something he will certainly regret. Even ze Germans and Hungarians are completely aligned with imposing sanctions should he move in. As spring is slowly coming to Europe his gas threat will be weaker as well, so he'll have to do something fast.

probably they just collected for a picnic at UA borders

And in another unsurprising move ...

"Two artillery shells hit Russian territory, Moscow claims"

https://www.rt.com/russia/549984-art...rostov-region/