Suspected Spy Pigeon Finally Released

Indian police have cleared a suspected Chinese spy pigeon and released it into the wild after eight months in detention, according to a news report in the Press Trust of India. 

 

The pigeon’s ordeal began in May when it was captured near a port in Mumbai with two rings tied to its legs, carrying a message that was said to look like it was in Chinese, local media said. 

 

Police suspected it was involved in espionage and took it in, later sending it to Mumbai’s Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit hospital for animals. Eventually, it was revealed that the pigeon was an open-water racing bird from Taiwan that had escaped and made its way to India. 

 

With police permission, the bird was transferred to the Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, whose doctors finally set it free on Tuesday. 

 

It is not the first time a pigeon (Family: Columbidae, Order Columbiformes) has come under police suspicion in India. 

 

In 2020, police in Indian-controlled Kashmir released a pigeon belonging to a Pakistani fisher after a probe found that the bird, which had flown across the heavily militarized border between the nuclear-armed nations, was not a spy. 

 

In 2016, another pigeon was taken into custody after it was found with a note that threatened Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

 

Indians are becoming paranoid. Like the Americans.

 

The war in Ukraine plods on and Ukrainian casualties have been hugely heavy. In January alone, Ukraine lost more than 23,000 troops, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Friday, claiming that Kiev had to deploy reserves to prevent a frontline collapse. 

 

And yet, its military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov (right), who is [V]ladimir [Z]elensky's loyal lapdog, shares his president's “messianic” belief in a military victory over Russia.

 

He told UK's The Telegraph on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces will go on the offensive against Russia once more in the spring. 😂😂😂

 

It remains unclear how Kiev will acquire the weapons or the tens of thousands of men it needs to cover its losses after last summer’s counteroffensive.

 

And the counterattack proved to be a futile attempt to penetrate Russia’s defensive lines at multiple points across Kherson, Zaporzhye, and Donetsk Regions. In fact, it failed miserably and cost Kiev around 160,000 lives, according to figures from the Russian Defense Ministry.

 

All I can say is, Ukraine is a doomed state! [Z]elensky (and Budanov) are on a fool's errand if they believe the country can triumph over Russia. For the sake of remaining Ukrainian lives, Ukraine should surrender. Unconditionally.