7/26/22, “Bellingcat Denies Officials’ Responsible For Failed Ukrainian Plot – Zelenski Fires Said Officials,” Moon of Alabama
“A few hours after the revelations about the failed Ukrainian secret operation to hijack Russian fighter airplanes were published, Bellingcat’s lead Russia investigator Christo Grozev added a few
more flimsy excuses
for his deep involvement in the failed clandestine scheme:
“Christo Grozev @christogrozev – 14:52 UTC · Jul 25, 2022
“An important P.S. based on questions from readers. The Ukrainian operation was not a project of either SBU or GUR. (If it were, there’d be no way we would – or want to – get access to it). It was organized by maverick ex operatives whom we got to know in the Wagner investigation.
So all the Russian statements from today – claiming this was a “GUR” (Military Intel) operation “with support from NATO” – total, unadulterated bollocks. The whole of the FSB CI were fighting tooth and nail against a bunch of, essentially, volunteers. And not for the first time.”
Ah. Sure. The following is just a weird ‘unadulterated bollocks’ coincidence …
Russians With Attitude @RWApodcast – 16:27 UTC · Jul 25, 2022
“Zelensky has removed Ruslan Demchenko from his position as First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council & dismissed Grigoriy Galagan as commander of the AFU Special Operations Forces, replacing him with Viktor Horenko.”
Erik Zimerman @ZimermanErik – 1:39 UTC · Jul 26, 2022
“[…] After the release of this information, we learned of two high level dismissals in the Ukrainian government. #Zelensky fired the First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Ruslan Demchenko. As part of the Council, which among other tasks coordinates security matters and advises the president, he very well may have been involved in clandestine matters such as this operation. He also worked as deputy minister of foreign affairs.
Perhaps more tellingly Zelensky also fired the commander of Special Operations Forces (SSO), Hryhoriy Halahan. Until 2016 these units were under the Chief Directorate of Intelligence (HUR / GUR), and so are highly correlated with this kind of operation. The SSO includes psychological warfare units and can be regarded as special forces (Spestnaz) of military intelligence.
An operation such as the one Bellingcat and Christo Grozev,
aiming at the defection of Russian pilots and their planes to Ukraine,
would be right up the alley of the SSO.”
More of Erik Zimerman’s interesting thoughts about the case can be found here and here.
The whole thing wasn’t Mr. Grozev’s first foray into making stuff up to further a false narrative. Here is a video documenting previous dishonest behavior by him:
Bellingcat Scams MH17 Warplane Witness
Posted by b on July 26, 2022 at 7:05 UTC | Permalink”
...................................“This smells of MI6 and Brits. It is their way of doing things – dirty “clever” propaganda stuns while they are getting their a**ess kicked in all the things that really matters. Or as they say, sore losers.
Posted by: Abe | Jul 26 2022 7:46 utc | 3″
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“It is not for nothing that most here give RF the benefit of the doubt in all things even vaguely Ukraine-related and, increasingly, in all things generally.
Posted by: anon2020 | Jul 26 2022 7:50 utc | 4
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This was as badly managed as the Skripal affair. it does stink of MI6.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Jul 26 2022 7:55 utc | 5
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When the SBU failed in 2020 in its attempted kidnapping of those former soldiers whom they fooled into travelling to Minsk, Zelensky distanced himself from that operation. It was reported at the time that he called the whole thing off as soon as he heard about it, but that story was more likely just damage control after the Russians uncovered the operation. It would not be surprising though if he was kept in the dark by the SBU about that operation.
The same thing could have happened in the latest hare-brained SBU scheme, but this time Zelensky has more power and he was able to fire some high-ranking officials.
Posted by: Brendan | Jul 26 2022 8:04 utc | 6″
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“Bellingcat was founded by MI6 to pose as a competitor to Wikileaks while publishing British & US intelligence propaganda. This has been glaringly obvious since it launched. A bootstrapped grassroots news organization doesn’t have six figures to spend on a superfluous logo designed by the same agency (Pentagram, the most expensive branding agency on the planet) that designed Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and some of the most famous brands in the world.
Posted by: Francis | Jul 26 2022 8:05 utc | 7″
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“@exiled off mainstree | Jul 26 2022 7:38 utc | 2
For amusement try this URL ==> https://www.google.com/search?q=Grozev+site:.uk&tbs=qdr:d
The UK is beyond bonkers.
Posted by: too scents | Jul 26 2022 8:24 utc | 8″
..................................“The MH17 false flag is not going away.
Posted by: Norwegian | Jul 26 2022 8:37 utc | 9″
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“It is very interesting how the English Wikipedia article on Bellingcat completely removes any reference to any criticism of it whatsoever. Looking under the Talk tab for the article reveals why this is so: the article is carefully policed by some kind of activist editors to prevent any negative word about Bellingcat from appearing. This is quite contrary to the practice on many other topics, where a section of criticism of the subject is often included. Such a section could entirely legitimately cite the published criticism of Bellingcat, which is a lot, without actually endorsing it, but, oh no, the editors can’t allow a single negative word to get through and even delete comments from the Talk page. This illustrates a weakness in the whole Wikipedia idea, as on Bellingcat it is certainly nothing but imperialist propaganda. The article also ought to mention at least that Bellingcat has a particular political stance, but that is also elided.
Interestingly, Russian Wikipedia on Bellingcat, in a much shorter article, also gives little criticism of Bellingcat but at least provides three statements from critics. While this is still thin, it is way better than the disgusting English propaganda piece. I would suppose, though I do not know, that English editors do not intrude into the editing in other languages, but since I don’t know, I am also suspicious of that point….
Posted by: Cabe | Jul 26 2022 9:06 utc | 10″
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“Also, I wonder why the Russian FSB should be taking the lead on the Russian side, as alleged by Bellingcrap. The FSB is the civilian agency. Any Ukrainian operation targeting active pilots would certainly alert the GRU first, the military intelligence agency.
Posted by: Scotch Bingeington | Jul 26 2022 9:15 utc | 11″
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“Wikipedia has been slowly compromised by the War Party over the last decade.
Posted by: Exile | Jul 26 2022 9:29 utc | 12″
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Among comments at Moon of Alabama
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“Grosev got caught with his pants down so he lit them on fire.
Posted by: Deepfake | Jul 26 2022 7:16 utc | 1″
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“What a farce. The fact this is a central element of the Anglosphere deep states reveals how far things have declined.
Posted by: exiled off mainstree | Jul 26 2022 7:38 utc | 2″