Where is Putin?
 

This is why it’s impossible for the Kremlin to lie about Putin’s weird disappearance

WORLD VIEW: PUTIN’S DISAPPEARANCE MAY BE PART OF A MAJOR MOSCOW POLITICAL CRISIS

Here are the best theories about why Putin has disappeared

Fresh Kremlin images spark new debate over whereabouts of Vladimir Putin

The Russian President has not been seen since March 5

As the world continues to wonder where is Vladimir Putin, rumours continue to fly fast and furious. The Russian President was last seen on March 5th and since then, the Kremlin has released pictures and videos of Putin, but question marks over their authenticity have only fuelled more speculation that something has happened to the Kremlin strongman.

Social media was thrown into a frenzy after pictures emerged late Friday night of multiple unmarked white trucks pulled up beside the Kremlin. Various rumours started to circulate when other images of a stage being set up were posted to Twitter.

Some suggested the stage was being erected for Putin's funeral other suggested it was to mark Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. But at this point, very few concrete facts are available about Putin's whereabouts......

http://image.tsn.ua/media/images3/99.../384674155.jpg

http://image.tsn.ua/media/images3/99.../384674156.jpg

http://image.tsn.ua/media/images3/99.../384674157.jpg

An unusual state of affairs at a precarious time in present day geopolitical happenings. As always there are guiding forces behind the show window of President, so it's not critical that Vlad has vanished. It seems that his girlfriend has given birth to baby Vlad in the last week somewhere near Lugano in Switzerland where said girlfriend lives and he was there for the show. If he was discrete and used a smallish biz jet it might well have been possible to have arrived and departed with little fanfare in the local airport.

Getting ready for Mothers' Day?

CG

His aid convoy to the Ukraine has arrived back with the stolen contents of the factory he plundered ;)

He is on maternity leave.

please, please be dead!!!




FISH.

I would imagine a lot of people in power having tasted the good life of the west are in dread of it going back to the bad old ways... Agree with you Mr fish, it may solve a lot of problems.

Mr Fish - be careful what you wish for - but odd BBC quiet on the topic

Indeed, a dead Putin could lead to more chaos and confusion. The Devil you know and all that.

Perhaps the trucks are just shifting some furniture to his new Palace in Crimea?

It will be announced tomorrow that Vladimir Putin is to be the next Top Gear lead presenter.

No confirmation yet that Clarkson is taking over Russia, but James May has been seen wearing that furry hat again.

...also explains the BBC staying schtum.

Perhaps he's gone to have the gap between his eyes to be widened a little. According to my late grandmother, it might help with perception of his apparent trustworthiness. Having said that...Oops, too late!

A source has let it be known that Mr Clarkson's application for the role of Caliph was rejected by ISIS, on account of his political incorrectness.

Just moving all his gold, art and valuables to a secret underground bunker, before he declares WW3 on the USA and Ukraine.

All of those trucks are carrying pieces of a very large statue of him, thats why the crane.
:E:E:E
f

There is a crane in the bottom picture - that is either just a bit random or is he going to do some bungee jumping.

Mussolini did that. But they never told him that piano wire doesn't have much give in it. And it's better to put it round your ankles, not further up.

I thought old Musso and Clara were shotted before they were inverted?

Vlad's still around. It will take more than a stake through the heart to get rid of him.
What has more than likely happened is that he copped an unexpected faceful from a martial arts opponent, and he's looking pretty bruised and battered.
Either that, or he stumbled and fell down a flight of stairs, and ended up looking like he copped a flying foot in the face.

Regardless of what happened, Vlad is no doubt looking the worse for wear, and probably will be for about 10 days - and there is no way he is going to appear in public, looking battered and showing weakness.

We're talking here, about the greatest macho guy on the face of the Earth, who leads the greatest macho society in the world - and who is also the worlds biggest image manipulator as a leader (and there's more than a few of them).
Anything that appears that he's less than totally invincible, will be carefully removed from public view - worldwide - for as long as it takes.

Wow. Tony Abbott really did shirtfront him!

He's on his way back from the Sydney Mardi Gras.

Где Влад? High Temperature? Room Temperature? Coup-ed Up?

Russian internet imagines a future without Putin

A little bird tells me a Mr Vladimir Putin has placed a deposit on an exclusive property in South Kensington. :cool:

Well, if anyone knows, Mossad would be high on the list :D

Could be an interesting week ... or just another 7 days of speculation, of course ;)

The rumor mill is hot about the death of Viktor Zolotov, Putin's head of security.

Where is Putin?


p.s. If Putin were to go, you'd probably have to get rid of his Head of Security.

n.b. The best indication of trouble will be 'Swan Lake' on the telly. They always play that during coups.

This is interesting

Russia Update: Is There a Slow-Motion Coup Under Way? | The Interpreter

Love the second one

BBC News - Where's Putin? The best of the memes

Looks like Florida...

http://i.embed.ly/1/display/resize?k...K8U8AEIvU_.jpg

Well.....
 

.....according to John Simpson this morning (0810 BBC news from Crimea) he was on Russian TV last night. But is it true? Who knows?


The Ancient Mariner

Looks like Putin's been checking the rapid response ability of some of the Kaliningrad forces. The translation is a bit garbled but it looks like he brought them up to full combat readiness and then stood them down.

"Putin gave the order to bring the Northern Fleet and the number of compounds in the secondary cooling zone and Airborne full combat readiness

16.03.2015, 10:24 | «Times"

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the reduction in full combat readiness of the Northern Fleet and the individual compounds of the Western Military District and the Airborne Troops under sudden check, RIA "Novosti".

This was stated by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

He said that the sudden inspection involved 38 thousand. Soldiers, 3.36 thousand. Pieces of military equipment, ship 41, 15 submarines, 110 aircraft and helicopters."

Ïóòèí îòäàë ïðèêàç ïðèâåñòè Ñåâåðíûé ôëîò è ðÿä ñîåäèíåíèé ÇÂÎ è ÂÄÂ â ïîëíóþ áîåãîòîâíîñòü - Ãàçåòà.Ru | Íîâîñòè

Meanwhile, one of his aircraft is on its way to St. Petersburg:

RA-64521 - Russia Air Force - Aircraft info and flight history - Flightradar24

Prerecorded documentary about the annexation of Crimea. Transmission delayed to coincide with the anniversary.

His non-appearance on the anniversary reinforces the rumours...

Hmm,
Maybe his personal physician has taken him in hand - trying to wean him off the steroids.

Putin is ex boss of the FSB, hundreds of his opponents have met violent deaths, hundreds more are rotting in prison on trumped up charges, his St Petersburg mafia gangsters are in many of the most powerful positions, he is the richest man in history and the best protected. He thinks nothing of using a whole regiment to protect each of his many palaces.

However he has made a lot of enemies. And recently he has annoyed lots of the top people. Their fortunes have collapsed in value and they can't visit their South Kensington homes. Their Gulfstreams are gathering dust at Vnukovo.

Many think Putin has gone too far, that he is a loose cannon and his proclivity to escalate can only end one way. With Moscow becoming a glass car park.

To plan a coup against Putin would be incredibly dangerous for the plotters. So taking time to plan it in detail in advance would expose them to much danger. Better to just do it quickly, then do the planning afterwards. A slow motion coup.

This is one possible explanation for what has happened. Disappear Putin then take time to sort things.

If this were the case the sort of people who carried it out would not be any better than Putin as leaders. Just the usual authoritarian, kleptocratic gangsters.

We will all have a laugh when they start pulling the old "weekend at Bernies" trick with Putin.:p

Twatter reporting he's made a public appearance at a meeting in St. Petersberg.

https://twitter.com/world_reporter/s...367489/photo/1

Buster, that photo reminds me of Hunter S Thompson and Raoul. Looks more like Nevada to me. :cool:

Maybe Mr Putin is in Vegas ... what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and all that.

He looked very unwell and was sweating profusely:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CAN_eoQWYAAvmGq.jpg