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Growing up in Russia in the 90s, assassinations (usually of folk associated with various organized crime groups, but also the occasional journalist or politicia

Growing up in Russia in the 90s, assassinations (usually of folk associated with various organized crime groups, but also the occasional journalist or politician) were fairly common. As I recall, usually the person would get shot with some common weapon - often milsurp TT - somewhere in their daily routine where there aren't people around, e.g. on the stairs in their apartment building. But sometimes you did get more spectacular hits; there was that one time when a local crime boss was shot with a rifle while dining in a restaurant, through the window.

sakopov 2y ago
Yep. Grew up in the 90s Russia. Every spring when the snow melted you had bodies show up in nearby forests. It was such a common thing people started calling them snowdrops (after the first flower of spring). Everyone tried to keep cash in USD and you often got better rates from the guys selling currency in the streets. These guys were dying like flies. I've lost count how many times we'd find dismembered hand or foot while at a family outing in nature. Nobody reported any of this stuff because the cops were often bought by these criminal organizations. It was truly a wild west.
- tomcam 2y ago
  > people started calling them snowdrops I adore the Russian sense of humor.
userabchn 2y ago
My suspicion is that this murder was organised by Russia as an attempt to normalise and encourage further vigilante actions, thereby weakening society. They chose their target well for this one, but I imagine, even after the shift it has caused in what is considered acceptable, there will be less widespread approval of future killings.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- beefnugs 2y ago
  Even if this was completely accurate, doesn't it make you mad that they will spend millions of dollars and 100 times more man hours trying to hunt this guy down than 99% of all other murders? Also they are going to track and investigate thousands upon thousands of social media normies who decided to let some schadenfreude slip for a sweet meme opportunity

sakopov 2y ago

Yep. Grew up in the 90s Russia. Every spring when the snow melted you had bodies show up in nearby forests. It was such a common thing people started calling them snowdrops (after the first flower of spring). Everyone tried to keep cash in USD and you often got better rates from the guys selling currency in the streets. These guys were dying like flies. I've lost count how many times we'd find dismembered hand or foot while at a family outing in nature. Nobody reported any of this stuff because the cops were often bought by these criminal organizations. It was truly a wild west.

tomcam 2y ago
> people started calling them snowdrops I adore the Russian sense of humor.

userabchn 2y ago

My suspicion is that this murder was organised by Russia as an attempt to normalise and encourage further vigilante actions, thereby weakening society. They chose their target well for this one, but I imagine, even after the shift it has caused in what is considered acceptable, there will be less widespread approval of future killings.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
beefnugs 2y ago
Even if this was completely accurate, doesn't it make you mad that they will spend millions of dollars and 100 times more man hours trying to hunt this guy down than 99% of all other murders? Also they are going to track and investigate thousands upon thousands of social media normies who decided to let some schadenfreude slip for a sweet meme opportunity