Ded Drop: December 6

WAR-A-THON: The latest in a long string of things we have learned from watching video clips posted by Russian Media Monitor Julia Davis is that Putin’s State TV buddies are running tele-a-thons to help crowd fund the war in Ukraine. Host Vladimir Solovyov recently had on as a guest Jackson Hinkle an American “influencer” to chat about how wonderful people like Mike Flynn and Tulsi Gabbard are and to express his hope that Russia defeats Ukraine. In the background a tote board was adding up the rubles pouring in to help buy “scopes, communications devices and everything (Russian) soldiers need.”

BUT DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME: Raising money for the war effort can get you in trouble according to some posts on social media. Allegedly, the commander of the Russian 13th Guards Tank Regiment was arrested for “extorting tens of millions of rubles, tooth veneers, and other material goods from soldiers under his command in the ‘Luhansk People’s Republic.” The head of the outfit, a Colonel named Shagiakhmetov (whose first name appropriately is ‘Fail,’) made his soldier pay him or be sent to prison.