0 $
2,500 $
5,000 $
2,180 $
10 DAYS LEFT UNTIL THE END OF NOVEMBER

Is Il-76MD Shootdown Part Of Kiev Regime’s Internal Power Struggle?

Support SouthFront

Is Il-76MD Shootdown Part Of Kiev Regime's Internal Power Struggle?

Click to see the full-size image

Written by Drago Bosnic, independent geopolitical and military analyst

On January 24, the Kiev regime shot down a Russian Il-76MD transport aircraft packed with Ukrainian POWs (prisoners of war) who were on their way to a prisoner exchange. Reputable geopolitical expert Lucas Leiroz covered the topic more extensively, explaining both the internal and strategic consequences of the incident. According to his assessment, it could result in a dangerous escalation, as it raises serious questions about the Neo-Nazi junta’s intentions. There are several possibilities, including that it was an attempt to sabotage the POW swap, as well as a way of provoking Moscow, possibly accusing it of a false flag, all in order to justify the termination of potential peace talks. Another (albeit remote) possibility is that it was simply a terrible mistake made by NATO-trained Ukrainian personnel or even Western instructors themselves.

There are many questions regarding the incident, particularly as the Kiev regime forces initially bragged about downing the large Russian transport aircraft. However, this soon gave way to silence, as the Neo-Nazi junta is refusing to take responsibility for the downing, as it would be “too inconvenient” having to explain the death of over 60 Ukrainian POWs, particularly to their families who were eager to see them after months or perhaps even years. On the other hand, the incident might be a part of the rapidly escalating internal power struggle in Kiev, particularly between the regime and the military. Their disagreements are more serious than ever as the Neo-Nazi junta frontman Volodymyr Zelensky and his top general Valery Zaluzhny have been at each other’s throats for months, especially in the aftermath of the failed summer/fall counteroffensive.

It’s not outside the realm of possibility that Zelensky might use the incident to accuse Zaluzhny of incompetence or even treason, thus using the anger of the families and the general public to gain much-needed political points while also diminishing Zaluzhny’s growing popularity, built around the image of a “war hero”. It will certainly depend on the view held by the United States, although not before the political crisis in Washington DC is resolved. With American politics in a power struggle of its own, resulting in a sort of political vacuum, it’s still not entirely clear who the US would side with. Zelensky has been a good puppet so far, effectively handing over Ukraine to his neocolonialist overlords and their oligarchic financial backers. However, the image of a “hero” that they’ve been trying to build for him hasn’t really caught on.

On the contrary, the mainstream propaganda machine even failed to suppress information about Zelensky’s corruption scandals, as well as the absolutely unflattering rumors about his out-of-control drug abuse, perhaps best illustrated by the now nearly omnipresent meme parody “Slava Cocaine”. In that regard, and depending on who takes more power in Washington DC, Zaluzhny soon might be seen as a more adequate replacement for Zelensky. In order to make sure that doesn’t happen, the incumbent Kiev regime frontman could simply try to remove Zaluzhny and the Il-76MD incident might be the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And before anyone even suggests that killing his own soldiers might be a “step too far”, we should remember that Zelensky is completely unmoved by any battlefield casualties.

In fact, one of the major contributors to his ongoing spat with Zaluzhny is precisely Zelensky’s insistence on launching counteroffensives such as the one that failed last year. Although anything but humane and concerned about the well-being of his soldiers, Zaluzhny certainly understands that he needs results in order to keep his position. However, if the political leadership keeps meddling in military affairs just to accomplish PR “victories”, then this makes it virtually impossible for Zaluzhny to actually do his job. In that regard, he’s certainly more interested in preserving the lives of his soldiers than Zelensky could ever be. What’s more, it could be argued that it’s in the Neo-Nazi junta frontman’s interest to have the military perform worse while Zaluzhny is in charge, as it directly undermines the general’s position.

American political analyst Andrew Korybko already made a similar hypothesis, but went a step further by suggesting that the Head of GUR Kyrylo Budanov might replace Zaluzhny. According to his assessment, the incident could be used to shift blame from Zelensky and his entourage to the Kiev regime’s top general and “facilitate his replacement with the much more politically reliable Budanov without much resistance from the armed forces or civil society”. This possibility certainly shouldn’t be excluded, particularly as Korybko posits that the Neo-Nazi junta knew Ukrainian POWs were on board the Russian transport aircraft. This further leads to suspicion that the POWs were deliberately targeted. Korybko suggests that the primary reason could be to sabotage any potential peace talks led by Zaluzhny.

On the other hand, one last possibility, not necessarily in any opposition to the previous hypotheses, is that the Kiev regime is also engaging in a possible cover-up. Some sources suggest that the Il-76MD was also carrying a dozen “Azov Battalion” members. If true, this wouldn’t be the first time they’re targeted. Namely, on July 29, 2022, the Neo-Nazi junta destroyed a Russian POW camp housing precisely “Azov Battalion” members who surrendered in Azovstal. The camp, located in Elenovka, housed upwards of 150 of them. The “Azov Battalion” was infamous for its war crimes against the people of Donbass since the moment the US/NATO orchestrated the war in Ukraine back in 2014. By killing them, the Kiev regime also eliminated the possibility of having these POWs reveal the Neo-Nazi junta’s direct involvement in the said war crimes.

MORE ON THE TOPIC:

Support SouthFront

SouthFront

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
20 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Ihavebeenhere

that nazi-jewish-clown also learning from zionists in palestine – this is called hannibal directive.

hash
hashed
theicemancometh

think of it this way, it saved the ukies the bother of executing those pows on arrival for not fighting to the death like cannon fodder that got one hour training on which end of the gun to hold is supposed to.

sick you think? nah, just ukrainians doing the things they do..

Last edited 9 months ago by theicemancometh
jens holm

most likely you told him ourselves too.

theicemancometh

my brain hurts just from reading that.

Alan James Winder

what makes the scenario of an incompetent missile crew ‘remote’? i would say that is by far the most likely. half trained at best, quite possibly drunk or drugged, relying on receiving information on valid targets or off-bounds ones from equally incompetent officers or liaison teams. it certainly wouldn’t be the first time. hardly a week goes by without several videos surfacing of ukrainian anti-aircraft crews firing at buildings, their own drones, their own anti-aircraft missiles.

hash
hashed
theicemancometh

no radar was used. that means a brit probably ran the shootdown by other means. the brits over there are even worse than nazis.

Last edited 9 months ago by theicemancometh
jens holm

i see 2 things. 1) target was hit. no drunks are you write and 2) what was in it.

B.F.Finlayson

rus leaders are either sh*t soft or plum stoopid; often both. would mxco or cnda bring down a u-s military aircraft on u-s territory? 1. they wouldn’t dare. 2. if they did their governments and military would be flattened, along with thousands of civilians. the good people of rus deserve far better than the crop of cowardly clowns now putting their whole nation in danger from the yapping nto dogs, who rightly sense weakness. smo should have been over in 6 bl**dy relentless months!!

Last edited 9 months ago by B.F.Finlayson
jens holm

you show well. in april they elect between one person. i dont like girkin as well as russia, but why is jailed for 4 years.

and you still bileíve the rest of the world behove and are sitting ducks less clever then you, because you learn it in school and by rt.

theicemancometh

what’s behove mean, diddley doo?

jens holm

here we has the to runs for seats. all has. by that we see how small or small they are. they see it too.

theicemancometh

running for seats? you mean they don’t have enough toilets where you live? i don’t get it.

jens, can i offer you to the smithsonian, because there are anthropologists there that have been working on the very beginnings of language in homo sapiens and we could both make a nice profit if you let me rent you out.

B.F.Finlayson

if rus acted like c c c p: 1. plst wouldn’t suffer gncdl bmbng. 2. murika wouldn’t occupy syr or shell ymn. 3. uk would shut its yapping mouth, not threaten war. (etc, etc).

and why?? because isr-us-uk-nto knew c c c p would react, and were afraid. without this fear factor previously chicken-nto became king, and millions have died as a result (inc rus ctzns).

but ptn apologists on sf don’t want to face facts.

B.F.Finlayson

a s-power or a banana republic? lvrv lectures un, a us-proxy, but doesn’t use rsn veto in unsc. ptn sucks up to eu (keeps oligchs happy) which supplies arms to ukr, frzs rus assets and jointly blew nrdstrm! btw, blgm is sending % rus frzn assets to kill more rsns, yet rus still supplies eu and murika with energy.

so many examples (ygo, lbya, irq etc) of a ‘s-power’ needing strong leadership, inc a 10 yr bloody disaster in ukr (which still kills rsn citizens without fear).

jens holm

we have strong leadershop nand fx not collapse. we also has high wellfare where i come from and same as whole western europe.

russia has made no improments in syria. there is no syria.

but thanks for you reflexions.

Captain

total truth, hopefully it all changes soon for the better

Piipii

very hard to read you. please even write correctly, even if you write s*it.

theicemancometh

except for gaza, ukraine will end up being biden’s worst nightmare.

hash
hashed
therose

i noticed a previous comment that was spot on. they are depopulating with suicidal attacks as well so the lives of their countrymen do not count in this airplane. this is just a pr stunt to keep the war in the news for their sponsors. ordinary people in the west do not read the background and do not know kiev is losing on all fronts.

hash
failed
Jull

those batteries are likely operated by westerners. for the west, ukrainian lives dont matter, all they see is they’ve down a russian plane.. now its interesting to see articles popping up to state otherwise, that suggests they need to cover up.

hash
hashed
20
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x