Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




SUPERPOWERS
Ukraine's 'Russian Woodpecker' takes stab at Putin
By Michael THURSTON
Park City, United States (AFP) Jan 25, 2015


The Chernobyl nuclear disaster was ordered deliberately by Moscow, as a coverup to distract attention from a failed weapons project.

That's the seemingly wild-eyed conspiracy theory behind a highly topical new film that takes direct aim at Russia, including over its post-Soviet aggression.

"The Russian Woodpecker," screened at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend, tells the tale of a Ukrainian artist's bid to find out what actually caused the 1986 catastrophe in the then Soviet republic.

And its US director Chad Gracia uses the personal story to warn of the dangers by Russia's continued warmongering in its former sphere, over three decades after the end of the Cold War.

"Putin's strategy is to ensure that there are a ring of failed states around Russia," Gracia told AFP in an interview, adding: "Putin holds all the cards. He has nuclear weapons. He has a huge army.

"All those things are in Putin's favor," said the director, who uses extensive footage of Ukrainian street protests that preceded Ukraine's current bloody struggle with pro-Russia separatists.

The "Russian Woodpecker" of the film's title refers to a notorious rat-a-tat (hence the name) radio signal that started being beamed to the West from the Soviet Union in the 1970s.

- Mysterious structure -

Artist Feder Alexandrovich, whose family had long been victim of Moscow's abuse and the Great Famine of the 1930s, became fascinated by the bizarre signals when he began investigating the real cause of the Chernobyl disaster.

Specifically, he traced it to a massive mysterious structure built near the doomed nuclear power plant, site of the world's worst civilian nuclear disaster.

His theory, in a nutshell: the structure and signal were part of some long-running weapons project that was failing. And to distract attention from the failure, the official responsible ordered the Chernobyl meltdown.

"I'm a skeptic at heart," Gracia said of Alexandrovich's analysis.

But he added: "There certainly was a coverup over Chernobyl, I have no doubt about that... whether Fedor's theory is correct or some form of it, until the archives are open, it can only remain a theory."

Alexandrovich, who accompanied the director to the prestigious film festival in the Utah mountain resort of Park City, said he can understand those who are doubtful.

"As an artist and a Ukrainian, I am confident in my theory. But for the rest of the world to take it seriously, everyone has to be united and demand an investigation," he told AFP.

- World War III? -

But he agreed with Gracia that the greater priority is stopping what he described as Russia's continuing aggression in his homeland, which he says is part of a long-standing pattern.

"If Putin was stopped in Chechnya, then there wouldn't be (the brief 2008 war in) Georgia. If he was stopped in Georgia, there wouldn't be Ukraine," he said.

"If it's not possible to beat him in Ukraine, then the next step for him would be the war against NATO. He wouldn't even think that he's starting World War III, but he would begin it."

Gracia said Russia's annexation of Crimea and the current fighting in eastern Ukraine are just the natural progression from Moscow's historical aggression in its former Soviet area.

"To me, it vindicates the film. Fedor has said 'Every time I make a statement, I hope I'm wrong.' But unfortunately so far, he's been right," Gracia said.

Bizarrely, after filming had wrapped up on the movie, the mysterious "Russian Woodpecker" signals began being beamed again, this time aimed at Europe rather than the United States.

"It is saber-rattling. It's Putin reminding the West that he's still there, that he's watching," he said.

"It's a symbol that we're not living in a world where we're allies. We're living in a world that much more closely resembles the Cold War."


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle




Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News





SUPERPOWERS
Ukraine troops abandon airport in bloody day of conflict
Donetsk, Ukraine (AFP) Jan 22, 2015
Ukrainian forces on Thursday abandoned their defence of a long-disputed airport in the country's separatist east and vowed a response to Russia's escalating "aggression" in one of the deadliest days of the nine-month war. In a graphic illustration of the worsening conflict, pro-Russian rebels also paraded some 20 captured Ukrainian soldiers through the city of Donetsk and forced them to knee ... read more


SUPERPOWERS
Service Module of Chinese Probe Enters Lunar Orbit

Service module of China's lunar orbiter enters 127-minute orbit

Chinese spacecraft to return to moon's orbit

Russian Company Proposes to Build Lunar Base

SUPERPOWERS
Team Working on Strategy to Fix Flash Memory Issue

UA-led HiRISE camera spots long-lost space probe on Mars

Lost and found in space: Beagle 2 seen on Mars 11 years on

Crystal-Rich Rock 'Mojave' is Next Mars Drill Target

SUPERPOWERS
European spaceplane is "powered up" for its Feb 11 launch

Tech barons paint rosy future at Davos despite security fears

U.S. food headed for ISS stalled in Russian customs

US venture capital funding near dot-com boom levels

SUPERPOWERS
China launches the FY-2 08 meteorological satellite successfully

China's Long March puts satellite in orbit on 200th launch

Countdown to China's new space programs begins

China develops new rocket for manned moon mission: media

SUPERPOWERS
Russian Cargo Spacecraft to Supply ISS With Black Caviar

Astronauts' year-long mission will test limits

Astronauts prepare for year-long stay on space station

Astronauts take shelter after alarm at space station

SUPERPOWERS
Google aboard as Musk's SpaceX gets $1 bn in funding

Soyuz Installed at Baikonur, Expected to Launch Wednesday

Client Pauses Launch of Proton Rocket Carrying British Satellite

Russian firm seals $1 billion deal to supply US rocket engines

SUPERPOWERS
Planets outside our solar system more hospitable to life than thought

Three nearly Earth-size planets found orbiting nearby star

Three-Planet System Holds Clues to Atmospheres of Earth-size Worlds

Meteorites weren't exactly the building blocks of young planets

SUPERPOWERS
Report says no technological replacement exists for bulk data collection

ASC Signal Awarded NATO Contract for HF Antenna Deployment in Poland

Breakthrough lights up metamaterials

Home cheap home: Vietnam architect's quest for low-cost housing




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.