Clicking on the familiar link to the Moscow Exile today, at exile.ru, I was formally redirected to to its new host at exiledonline.com.

‘We’re Back And We’re Very Pissed Off‘ says the lead article, under a new masthead which proclaims, ‘Banned In Russia’. Interesting. That became the advertising slogan for Georgian wine only a few months ago. Way things are going, that slogan could do the rounds.

‘Banned’ might be overstating the case, but run out of town certainly. We learn from the editorial that, after pocketing readers’ rescue contributions, Ames & Co have left the building in Moscow for Panama.

The details of the bust are already widely reported. Some under-assistant toe-nail pullers in Bolsheviki suits pitch up to discuss the editorial content. As if, after ten years of scathing satire and snapper-related porn, Kremlin officials didn’t know. Though Ames insists they published the odd serious article as well.

Certainly, the Exile crew has a right to be pissed off. Of all the English language reporting on Russia, for a whole decade, its stance was the most even-handed. It ridiculed media lies and spin as well as cold war warriors from both sides.

In a strange way, Ames was in fact something of an ambassador for Russia. Thousands of dyevushka chasing debauchers will have flocked to Moscow on the strength of his Whore-R stories. Exile satire humourised as well as humanised Russia for millions. And on occasions, Ames even promoted the country quite sincerely. He made a Russia Today video for Kaliningrad - of all places - without a trace of irony or innuendo . . . which really takes some doing.

Cynics may say it’s all a publicity stunt by the scary mobster savvy Ames.

So what I missed in today’s relaunched ‘Exile’ was the Bearded Conspiracy Theorist. Maybe he has been left behind. Because the word on the street is that, after all this time, they finally upset someone who doesn’t have a sense of humour.

For example, the Exile gave more coverage to TATU’s second place than Russia’s recent Eurovision winner. These things get noticed at posh plov parties.

Then there’s Limonov, who by all accounts isn’t on the plane to Panama with the rest of the crew. Are those reader’s rescue contributions secretly funding a second Kazakhstan liberation army?

Another theory concerns an alleged editorial row in the Exile boardroom when Soviet Hero and Litvinenko waster Lugovoy was refused his own column for the club reviews, Ames preferring Denis Salnikov. But who knows.

I’ll still read the Panama-based Exile of course, along with everyone else. Until the South American dictators string ‘em up. Even bloggers are getting busted these days. It’s getting tough everywhere.