Fear of attacks: why the mayor of Moscow suddenly started talking about ballistic missile defense
20 November 17:24
Moscow is panicking. Explosions near the capital and drone attacks in the central regions, airports shut down again – Mayor Sobyanin demands that the military “immediately protect Moscow from ballistic missiles.” Against this backdrop, experts say, Putin himself is being hidden away from danger. What is really going on in the Russian elite? Do the Kremlin’s new hysterics mean that the war has reached a dead end for them?
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has called on the military to “immediately protect Moscow from a ballistic threat.” A source in his entourage told the Kremlin Snuffbox Telegram channel.
According to the source, Sobyanin saw a report on the Internet about an alleged ballistic missile attack on Russian territory. He allegedly did not know whether it was ATACMS or other missiles capable of reaching Moscow. Nevertheless, the mayor immediately sent a request to the military to strengthen the defense.
“Sergei Semenovich is worried that missiles can reach the capital. He insists: Moscow should be working, not thinking about where to hide from the war,” the channel’s source said.
However, the military officers the journalists spoke to believe that Sobyanin is “engaging in unnecessary panic.”
“We are aware of all the threats, the analysis is ongoing. There is no reason to panic. The mayor should better check the bomb shelters and put things in order – it will definitely not hurt,” said a senior source in the Russian Defense Ministry.
Moscow under attack by drones
On the evening of November 18, explosions were heard in the central regions of Russia, including the Moscow region. The Russian authorities announced a “massive flight of Ukrainian drones” in the direction of Moscow.
Sobyanin said that air defense forces allegedly shot down three drones, and emergency services are working at the sites where the wreckage fell. Several airports imposed restrictions on departures and landings – the “Carpet” plan was activated at Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo.
Russian propaganda media even reported about “small balloons” that were also called a threat.
At the same time, the temporarily occupied Crimea announced the “danger of a missile strike”.
Running around with a suitcase in Moscow
There is a real panic in the Kremlin today because of Trump’s missiles. Aviation expert Kostyantyn Kryvolap commented that what is happening now is a “boyish prank” between the Russian dictator and Donald Trump. Putin is trying to demonstrate strength, but the real state of his arsenal is well known to experts. Even the former CIA director, who had access to most of Russia’s nuclear facilities, hinted at this.
Against this backdrop, the Kremlin is in panic mode: security forces are grabbing their “suitcases” and running between bunkers, trying to insure the dictator against his own statements.
Trump, according to the expert, reminds Putin that the United States has submarines that can sneak up on him and strike with Tomahawks, against which no bunker can help.
“They will approach quietly… and once they hit, no bunker will save you,” says Kryvolap.
The expert concludes that this is not strategic state management, but theatrical skirmishes in which Putin is trying to prove his “greatness,” and the West is only showing him the absurdity of such attempts.
According to the expert, the story of the Burevestnik, a missile with a nuclear reactor on board, looks especially absurd. The expert is sure that Putin has already been warned about the consequences of launching theBurevestnik.
Sobyanin’s public anxiety only reinforced the impression that Moscow no longer feels out of reach. The split between politicians and the military demonstrates the main point: the fears of the Russian elite are growing faster than their ability to defend their own capital. And the louder officials talk about “defense,” the more obvious it becomes that they no longer believe in their own security.
