If those eyeballs were trained on moi, I’d be ducking behind the nearest tree, current events being what they are. As in “Nobody here but us chickens, Vlad, dude.” Seriously. I’m starting to think there may be something nefarious going on.

Pavel Antov, Russian sausage tycoon who criticized Ukraine war, dies in fall

…Pavel Antov, who was reportedly celebrating his upcoming 66th birthday, was found dead outside the Hotel Sai International in Rayagada, the UK’s Telegraph reported.

According to Russian state media, Antov, who was also a politician, died in a fall from his third-floor window at the swanky hotel.

It seems that Antov, even though a wealthy and well-placed member of the powers that be in Russian hierarchy, wasn’t exactly a shrinking violet when it came to criticizing the war in Ukraine.

…The wealthy member of Putin’s United Russia party was chairman of the agriculture committee at the legislature in Russia’s Vladimir region, the Telegraph reported.

Antov was the founder of sausage producer Vladimir Standard and the country’s top-earning lawmaker, according to Russian Forbes, which put his annual income at almost $156 million.

In July, Antov slammed the Kremlin’s missile attacks on Kyiv as terrorism on WhatsApp, where he posted a story about a girl who had been pulled out of the rubble at her demolished home.

“It’s extremely difficult to call all this anything but terror,” he wrote.

Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Vladimir Region, Pavel Antov, died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in India. He was one of the richest deputies in Russia https://t.co/cy6CDD6fnX

— Olga Lautman 🇺🇦 (@OlgaNYC1211) December 26, 2022

Although he must have gotten a private intimation of displeasure from someone because he apologized for the thoughts – using the classic American celebrity dodge, “I was hacked!” – and reiterated his undying support for the regime shortly thereafter.

…In July he posted a story on his WhatsApp messaging app, criticising Russia’s missile attacks on Kyiv as “terrorism”.

He was referring to reports of a girl that had been pulled out from rubble after her house had been shelled.

Shortly afterwards, Mr Antov apologised for the post, claiming that the message had been posted by someone else. He said he was “a supporter of the president and my country’s patriot” and “shared the goals” of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Not quick enough, I’m guessing and they were going to make sure he fell for the cover story even if they didn’t.

The Russian Consul General in Calcutta said nothing was amiss about the dive out the third floor window. Apparently, it happens frequently enough to Russians who’re depressed that no one’s concerned.

…Alexei Idamkin, Russia’s consul-general in Calcutta, told the Tass news agency that there was no foul play in the lawmaker’s death.

A senior police officer was quoted by NDTV as saying Antov was depressed “due to the death of his friend”.

Oh, his friend died – that’s awful. When did tha…WHUT.

…The MP’s friend was named as Vladimir Budanov, 61, also Russian, and there were two other unidentified men in the group.

Diplomat Mr Idamkin said: ‘There was a tour group of four staying at a hotel in Rayagada.

‘Last Thursday, a Russian man called Vladimir B. died. According to the police, the cause of this was a heart attack.

‘On Saturday, a second Russian, deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Vladimir Region, Pavel Antov, fell out of the window.’

YOICKS. I think I’d change hotels if I were the two guys left.

It hasn’t been great back in Russia for anyone connected to Putin or Ukraine, either. Getting pretty sketchy. For example, this happened a couple of days ago, on the 25th…

Vladimir Putin was supposed to visit the Uralvagonzavod, but he never arrived.https://t.co/bmLCbWu0en

— The New Voice of Ukraine (@NewVoiceUkraine) December 25, 2022

Pay attention to the city Putin canceled his visit to – Uralvagonzavod. Maybe he was ill…OR maybe there was unfinished business he didn’t want to be in the area for on that particular day.

YOICKS There’s an awful lot of “suddenly” going around. The guys catching it aren’t making out too well, either.

Thoughts and prayers…

Wiki isn’t good for a lot, but they do love lists, and someone found this inventory of 2022’s Russian oligarchical window trips and accidental hangings. It is mind-blowing.

Feast your eyes and engage your holy moly.

Even allowing for “natural causes,” Putin is offing the grumblers and underachievers at a cyclic rate.

“The assassinations accidents will continue until morale improves” method of governance can only go on for so long. You either run out of windows or someone puts you through one.