On February 27th, one year after Russian troops began military operations in Crimea, a gunman murdered anti-Putin activist Boris Nemtsov in Russia's first political murder in over a decade. He was shot four times at the exact moment a street cleaning truck blocked the only camera. The assailant walked into a getaway car and escapes. On TheBlaze Tuesday night, Glenn looked at the evidence and the players to find out what exactly happened.
To begin, Glenn laid of the unbelievable connections between the date of the murder and the beginning of military operations in Crimea. Nemtsov was a leading voice in opposition to Putin's war in the Ukraine.
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"The murder took place on February 27th," Glenn explained. "A significant date, because it was on February 27th of last year that troops began military operations in Crimea. They were highly trained, well-armed, and wore uniforms that bore no identifying insignia. They were dubbed Putin's 'little green men'. Less than a month later, Crimea fell. Dugin called it "Novorossia" or New Russia. Putin claimed Ukraine is just like the Russian version of Jerusalem."
"Fast forward to February 27, 2015. Putin just happened to create a new holiday, Special Forces Day, to commemorate the operation by Russian special-forces to take over Crimea."
"Later that very same day, the garbage truck hid the killers of one of Putin's foes. It was a surgical takedown. One that had professional written all over it," Glenn said. "So, on Putin's new Special Forces Day there just so happens to be a special forces style hit on a guy who was critical of Putin? Coincidence? Or a message to anyone who dares speak out against him?"
According to Glenn, there were two primary motives behind the assassination: retribution and ultra-nationalism.
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Nemtsov served as Deputy Prime Minister under Boris Yeltsin, and Russia turned towards democracy and capitalism during their regime. When Yeltsin's administration fell apart and Putin rose to power, Nemtsov was forced into early retirement. But he never stopped speaking out against Putin and his policies. However, it cost him dearly. He joined a large bank in Russia, but the bank was accused of money laundering when Nemtsov supported a non-Putin candidate. He and his party were also accused of stealing billions from the Russian government.
"Putin is exacting retribution and making an example of someone to scare the rest," Glenn said.
But Nemtsov also pissed off the Russian ultra-nationalists.
"Nemtsov's biggest sin in their eyes was his actions and views on Ukraine," Glenn said. "In 2004 he was an active supporter of the Ukrainian Orange Revolution and supported the anti-Putin candidate."
"In 2013, Nemtsov declared his support that Ukraine should join the European Union. When Putin annexed Crimea Nemtsov publicly condemned the act. He said that Russia had violated ukrainian sovereignty and that what Putin had done was illegal. When the conflict expanded to eastern Ukraine, Nemtsov was outraged," Glenn continued.
Ultra-nationalists in Russis see the war in the Ukraine as a holy war, and yet one of it's most vocal opponents was killed on a day celebrating the beginning of Russia's invasion. And the assassination went down with military precision right in front of the Kremlin walls. Glenn said that doesn't happen without approval from someone high up in the government.
"Russia's nationalism is heating up, and the radicals Putin has stoked are pushing him to do more. This type of nationalism is a monster. Has that monster become something that Putin can't control anymore? Are the "little green men" in Ukraine now also fighting in the streets of Moscow?" Glenn said.
"Whether Putin personally gave the order or not, he's ultimately responsible for this and the world should hold him accountable."
Subscribers of TheBlaze TV can watch the full monologue from tonight's show HERE