The attack on Ukraine using the latest Russian “Oreshnik” missile, carried out on the night from Saturday to Sunday and presented as a “retaliatory strike” for the attack on a student residence in the Luhansk People's Republic, i.e. a self-proclaimed pro-Russian separatist formation in the occupied territories of Ukraine, did not cause much enthusiasm in the Russian community of Z-propagandists and war bloggers.
— writes “Rybar”, a former employee of the Russian Ministry of Defense, on his pro-government military-analytical channel on Telegram.
This is not an isolated reaction in the Russian war support community. More and more pro-Russian bloggers and propagandists openly admit that Putin may have a much bigger problem today than Ukraine itself – the crumbling faith of his own base in the sense of this war.
The target of the Oreshnik attack was not any “strategic or even symbolic object,” notes the Russian military channel associated with the pro-Kremlin circle Z “Two Majors”.
Many expected a much more severe blow to the opponent
– he adds.
The military senselessness of this attack “no longer evokes the martial exultation that accompanied the first use of Oreshnik,” the channel complains.
Just ridiculously expensive scrap stuck into the ground. For an eye-catching image that no one, except pensioners, believes in anymore
— Vladimir Romanov, a Russian military blogger and propagandist associated with the environment supporting the Russian invasion, is outraged.
In turn, the Russian war correspondent and propagandist Yuri Kotionok “Voyenkor Kotionok” claims that the use of “Oreshnik” is only for “telling fairy tales to grandmothers on TV”.
The crux of the problem with all these expensive retaliatory strikes is that there is a dramatic shortage of equipment on the front lines, primarily Mavic and FPV drones
— writes Russian military blogger Anatoly Radov.
According to him, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have a two- or three-fold advantage over the Russian army in terms of the number of drones. That is why the Russian spring-summer offensive is bogged down with “huge losses” and sometimes even ends with the Russian troops losing their positions.
But Putin was reported that everything is great with Mavic drones, and when it comes to FPV, we are apparently even superior to the Ukrainians. This is just a terrible lie
– Radov is outraged.
“Firing an empty Oreshnik once every six months will not solve this situation.”
The American Institute for the Study of War believes that the Russian command may have carried out the attack on Kiev in an attempt to divert public attention from failures on the front, as well as “demonstrate strength and power to both domestic and foreign audiences.”
The Russian military analytical channel “Voyennyy Osvedomitiel” points out that the Ukrainian armed forces, using drones, have placed fire on the R-280 “Novorossiya” route – a key artery of the land corridor leading to Crimea.
The enemy's goal is to paralyze the entire logistics of the peninsula, including even the supply of ordinary everyday goods. And launching an empty “Oreshnik” to Kiev once every six months will unfortunately not solve this situation.
– laments “Wojennyj Osvedomitiel”.
The Kremlin's propaganda success
The Russian Ministry of Defense on Sunday officially confirmed “a massive attack with Oreshnik ballistic missiles”, emphasizing that it was carried out “in response to terrorist attacks by Ukraine on civilian objects on Russian territory.”
The ministry also added that “the strike objectives were achieved and all designated objects were hit.”
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
