Dead Drop: November 4

REPORTS OF RUSSIAN GENERAL'S DEATH LIKELY PREMATURE: Well, you can’t fault people for assuming the worst. Media accounts over the past weekend, reported that one of Vladimir Putin’s top generals was axed from his position of commanding Russian troops in eastern Ukraine and had subsequently been found dead, floating in the Moskva River. Apparently, the story is (at most) only half true.  Colonel-General Alexander Pavlovich Lapin was indeed given at least a temporary Red Army pink slip – but subsequent stories said he was alive – if not well.  According to The Sun, Russian media said Lapin was taking a “three-week holiday” but "At the beginning of next week, he will fly to the hospital, heal, then rest for another week and return to duty.” We should note that The Sun is only marginally more reliable in our book, than Russian media.

CSI USV: Russian officials are really upset with those cheeky Ukrainians who have the nerve to attack their warships – simply because their warships are attacking Ukraine. Over the weekend, Russia temporarily suspended an agreement that allowed safe passage of Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea because some of their warships were attacked in port Sevastopol.  An official statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry termed the attack – “terrorism.” Press accounts suggest that the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov was damaged in the action.  The Makarov became the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet after the previous flagship, the Moskva, became an artificial reef. What made the attacks especially noteworthy is that it apparently was conducted by “uncrewed surface vessels” or “USVs.” The innovative use of these waterborne drones has been seen, in the eyes of some observers, as an historic turning point in naval warfare. There is a very detailed video online with footage from the actual attacks that will tell you more than you probably want to know about USVs and this particular assault.