This story is insane.

Breaking news: Panarin is taking a leave of absence from NYR in aftermath of political hit piece against him from Russia alleging that he beat up an 18-year-old girl in Russia in 2011.

— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) February 22, 2021

I have translated Panarin’s interview to a Russian Youtube channel, where he rips Putin to shreds. It’s absolutely magnificent. Nothing like this has ever been said by a Russian athlete, ever. Please, read this. The Breadman is an absolute monster.https://t.co/F6u6wZbdQo

— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) July 19, 2019

Russian state media is targeting the New York Rangers superstar center, Artemi Panarin, with a hit piece alleging Panarin beat up an 18-year-old girl.  It appears to be a revenge play by Russian President Vladamir Putin for coming out in support of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny a few years ago and more recently in an IG post.
Russian players have been targeted for a variety of reasons but this one is different. 3 years ago Panarin came out in support of Navalny and shit all over Putin and Russia’s current political system and this is Putin’s way of dealing with him. And it’s crazy.

I’ve confirmed with #NYR that Artemi Panarin has taken a leave of absence. They’re not saying much else for now, but clearly eyebrows are raised at these allegations coming after Panarin’s been outspoken against Putin and he’s concern about the well being of his family in Russia.

— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) February 22, 2021

Source: New York Rangers star Artemi Panarin is taking a leave of absence from the NHL team after allegations emerged in Russia that he beat up an 18-year-old girl in 2011.

Panarin is one of the few Russian athletes to have publicly criticised Vladimir Putin and his team suggested the assault allegations are a smear tactic to punish the player.
“Artemi vehemently and unequivocally denies any and all allegations in this fabricated story,” the Rangers said in a statement on Monday. “This is clearly an intimidation tactic being used against him for being outspoken on recent political events.
“Artemi is obviously shaken and concerned and will take some time away from the team. The Rangers fully support Artemi and will work with him to identify the source of these unfounded allegations.”
Although Panarin lives in the United States he still has family in Russia.
Panarin recently posted the message “Freedom for Navalny” to Instagram in reference to Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition figure who was jailed earlier this month in what many saw as a sham trial.

Apparently, Putin had former NHL pylon/KHL coach/noted psycho Andrei Nazarov make up a story about Panarin beating up an 18 year old girl in 2011.  According to a few sources we spoke with today, Panarin’s family has been targeted and under surveillance by Putin’s GRU for 2 years and after Panarin’s post in support of Navalny on Jan 21, Putin has escalated ‘agressions’ against Panarin’s family still in Russia.

Andrei Nazarov, the mentally unstable ex KHL coach/NHL goon is claiming that Artemi Panarin beat up an 18-year-old girl in a Russian bar years ago. He says it set a pattern of evil behavior that has culminated in his anti-Putin statements.
Russian media is running with this. https://t.co/mQYk2bN4H3

— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) February 22, 2021

Banana-land.  Putin is so scared of anything related to Alexi Navalny that he’s using old school ‘sexpionage’ spycraft to silence and discredit a hockey player thousands of miles away.  I watched the Spycraft series on Netflix last week, so I’m an expert now.

The Russian GRU invented ‘sexpionage’ back in former communist East Germany in 1944 and are considered masters of using sex-related spy tradecraft.  The scheme is to either lure or accuse a target into a sexually awkward narrative in an effort to control or discredit said target.

Rangers superstar Artemi Panarin appears to be that target.

According to team sources, Panarin is extremely concerned for his family in Russia and is trying to figure out what to do so he’s taking a team sanctioned break and is currently ‘working with authorities’.  It all started with an interview Panarin gave in 2019 supporting Navalny while condemning Putin and his regime.

On Jan 21, Panarin also posted a picture of Navalny with his family voicing support for Him as he returned from Germany after Putin poisoned his dick and balls a few months ago.

This appears to be the IG post that caught Putin’s attention and since then, he and his family have been targeted with ‘numerous’ aggressions from Russian GRU and Panarin is understandably shitting his pants.

If the craziest dictator on the planet targets you and your family, you tend not to be able to focus on your job and it probably requires your undivided attention.  It would be impossible to hit the ice at MSG wondering if there’s a Putin hitman in the rafters, or to take a drink out of your Gatorade bottle knowing how Putin likes to ‘handle things’.

I doubt this is a lot of fun for Artemi Panarin no matter how James Bond-ish this looks so godspeed to him getting his family to safety and putting some permanent distance between him and Putin.

This will be a movie in 5 years or less, depending on how the rest goes.  Fucking CRAZY.

DB