Russian President Vladimir Putin was humiliated in front of the world after Ukraine successfully carried out a remarkable military operation called “Spiderweb“.
Kiev destroyed dozens of Russian planes, thousands of kilometers from the border, using drones. Military experts say Moscow allowed this to happen because of its arrogance, and Russian military bloggers are calling on Putin to retaliate – with nuclear weapons, writes focus.de.
Austrian Colonel Markus Reisner told Die WELT that the reason for the huge security gap in the Russian army is “arrogance“. “It is obvious that the Russians do not recognize that the Ukrainians are capable "The Ukrainian operation has even been called the 'Russian Pearl Harbor.' Russian military bloggers also condemn the apparent failure of the military and hope for an even tougher stance against Ukraine. Some military bloggers would like to see a similar nuclear strike against Ukraine. With the drone attack, they already see the reason: because it also hit aircraft that can be armed with nuclear bombs. Therefore, their destruction limits Russia's nuclear deterrence strategy, which is seen as vital. But Putin is unlikely to succumb to public pressure. The US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in an analysis that 'Russia's use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine remains unlikely.' Ukraine has also carried out attacks on strategic bombers and air bases in the past - albeit on a smaller scale and with less success. There has never been any indication of a possible nuclear response from Russia since.
However, the political and military leadership in Moscow is nervous. Perhaps to counter criticism, the Defense Ministry announced that it had arrested several suspects after the drone attack. However, it is debatable whether these were actually Ukrainian agents. The secret services in Kiev reported that at the time of the attack all those involved in the operation were already outside Russia.
Some Russian military bloggers speak of a collective sense of “helplessness and shame“, while others vent their anger at the army and the government of President Vladimir Putin. Initially, official Moscow was silent about the attack, but after it became clear that it could not hide the obvious, it admitted to destroying Russian aircraft. Ukraine is believed to have destroyed 40 Russian aircraft, including strategic bombers.