Putin's current state of paranoia could head him towards a Black Swan event.

The last week has seen a dramatic series of events, spearheaded by Ukraine's drone attack on an oil refinery that supplies Moscow with fuel i.e. petrol and diesel.

As reported by Reuters,

"Moscow's oil refinery will be offline for at least six months after suffering extensive damage in Ukrainian drone attacks, two industry sources said on Wednesday, ​complicating Russian efforts to tackle fuel shortages across the world's ​largest country. " (Reuters : 24 June 2026) (my emphasis)

 

 Reuters : 19 June 2026 : YouTube 

With the fuel shortages now being experienced practically throughout Russia,  

Konstantin Samoilov (left) analyses the critical economic effects that this fuel shortage is having on the Russian economy, and comes to the conclusion that,

"Russia has entered a period of very fast economic changes.
… 
Russia's economy is falling apart, live, right now in front of our eyes. 
Economic reports now resemble reports from the war [with Ukraine]." (Inside Russia: 25 June 2026) (my emphasis)

 

Russia Has Entered Survival Mode: Inside Russia: 25 June 2026: YouTube

Many experts are now reporting that Ukraine is fiercely, and successfully, overwhelming Russian forces in Ukraine and, more significantly, reclaiming Ukrainian lands stolen by the Russian invaders.

Even Trump is now realising that his bosom buddy, Putin, is losing in his war against Ukraine.

As reported by Morning Joe on MS NOW,

"Meanwhile President Trump's tone on the war continues to shift. 

At the White House yesterday, President Trump praised Zelensky as courageous stating, "Ukraine is doing pretty well and holding its own despite heavy losses on both sides ..." (MS NOW: 25 June 2026: YouTube)

 

 MS NOW: 25 June 2026: YouTube

With nowhere to run to as the Russian economy implodes and Ukraine's Crimea, stolen, occupied by Russian soldiers, illegally annexed to Russia in 2014, now on the verge of being re-gained by Ukraine, Putin is panicking.

Russian soldiers and civilians flee the peninsula via Crimean bridge. 

 

 Kanal13: 26 June 2026: YouTube 

Unfortunately for Putin, 

"You can fool all the people some of the time 
   and some of the people all the time, 
   but you cannot fool all the people all the time."

As it begins to dawn on the Russian people that Putin, who invaded and started a war with Ukraine, and that has led to them  now having to cope with :-

(i) Chronic Fuel shortages because of the destruction of oil refineries by Ukrainian drones

(ii) Rising food prices that cannot be harvested due to a lack of fuel for farm machinery

(iii) No more internet

(iv) Ukrainian drones  constantly flying overhead and bombing the industrial war machine,

Putin  is now turning his sights onto Europe as a last resort to try and salvage his growing diminishing standing with the Russian people.

In an interview on PBS, Arkady Ostrovsky (left) of The Economist warns of Putin now having reached the stage of escalation of his war with Ukraine.

He argues that,

"The elite, by now, has completely embraced the idea that this is NOT Russia's war with Ukraine.
…
This is Russia's fight with the West.
… 
Russia is a nuclear power. So where does that lead us. It's always going to be at the back of everybody's mind.
… 
Escalation is a real risk." (PBS Newshour: Compass Points: 20 June 2026: YouTube)

 

 Excerpt from: PBS Newshour: Compass Points: 20 June 2026: YouTube 

This 'real' risk may also be behind the back of the mind of Lukashenko who, recently, was warned by Zelensky not to continue to support Putin's drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.

As reported by Oleksiy Sorokin (left),

"President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 19 accused Belarus of facilitating Russian drone attacks on Ukraine and warned that Minsk has one week to remove communications equipment allegedly helping guide strikes from Belarusian territory, or Ukraine would take action itself.
… 
"When Lukashenko says he does not want to be involved in the war,  he should be honest, at least with his own people," Zelensky said. "It is not only he who could be drawn into the war — his entire country could be dragged into it by Russia." (Kyiv Independent: 26 June 2026) (my emphasis) 

Mark Trevelyan (right) further reports that, 

Lukashenko, a close ally of ​Russian President Vladimir Putin, said in televised comments that Zelenskiy's representatives had been in Minsk recently.

"I told them bluntly: 'Guys, ​tell your president: if he thinks he can talk to us like that — and drag us into a war to boot — ⁠then he needs to understand that the nature of the war would change instantly,'" Lukashenko (left) said, adding that Belarus had no desire to fight Ukrainians.

"We received a ​reply: the president and his team understand this. So, let's reach an agreement, guys. We need to reach a substantive agreement."

There was no immediate comment from Kyiv about Lukashenko's ​remarks." (Reuters: 25 June 2026) (my emphasis)

But, as Zelensky says, 

 When Lukashenko says he does not want to be involved in the war,  he should be honest, at least with his own people," Zelensky said. "It is not only he who could be drawn into the war — his entire country could be dragged into it by Russia. (ibid Oleksiy Sorokin ) 

And let us not forget, Putin has stationed 'nuclear' missiles on Belarus soil.

Putin's current state of extreme paranoia, as the 'siloviki' vultures circle around him, could head him towards a Black Swan event. 

 

 

 

(to be continued) 

Putin is now desperately fighting for his survival and, possibly, for his own life.

Reuters reports that,

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (left) said on Monday ‌that he had offered to meet Vladimir Putin at a G7 summit in France this week or even in the United States for talks to end a four-year war.
… 
"We gave message that we are ready to meet with Putin during (the) G7, ⁠because Trump is there and Macron is there, so Europeans plus America. This is a good, I ​think, very good opportunity to meet all together," Zelenskiy told reporters in English. (Reuters: 15 June 2026) (my emphasis)

Let us also recall that,

"In an open letter ⁠to Putin this month, Zelenskiy offered to meet for face-to-face talks and had suggested that the war was increasing the strain on Russia's economy. In response, Putin ​said publicly that he saw no reason for a meeting, and Ukraine's long-range drone ​attacks posed no ⁠economic threat. (ibid Reuters)

Putin's "no reason" for a meeting comes against the backdrop of  Konstantin Samoilov (right) reporting that,

"This is the moment for the Russian economy many have been waiting for. It has entered the stage of "free-fall". In the previous four years, Russian economy survived only due to mass reserves accumulated in the past.

The reserves are depleted now. Russian 'war economy' has been proved to be unsustainable now. The changes are happening fast!" (Inside Russia: 15 June 2026: YouTube) (my emphasis)

 

Inside Russia: 15 June 2026: YouTube 

 In the video above, Samoilov goes on to explain the critical state of food shortages in Ukraine's currently occupied Crimea, food shortages that are beginning to spread inside Russia.

Furthermore, as Steve Balestrieri (left) reports,

"Even Putin’s Biggest Hawks Believe Russia Can’t Win In Ukraine: Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing increasing pressure both at the front and within the country.

The Russian army’s offensive has been stopped, resources are being depleted, and Ukrainian drone strikes are hitting the logistics and economy of the Russian Federation increasingly hard." (National Security Journal: 12 June 2026) (my emphasis) 

 

 CNN 17 June 2026: YouTube

As an indicator that members of Putin's 'siloviki' are realising 'the abyss of total economic bankruptcy' into which Putin's war in Ukraine has thrown Russia, some are now planning their escape routes from Russia.  

As earlier reported in the Moscow Times,

"Denis Butsayev (left), a high-ranking Russian official who was recently dismissed from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, has reportedly fled to the United States to escape criminal prosecution, independent journalist Farida Rustamova reported Thursday.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin formally dismissed Butsayev as deputy minister on April 22, government documents show" (Moscow Times: 1 May 2026) (my emphasis)

Konstantin Samoilov gives a more recent and detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding Butsayev's defection, together with some of Putin's Z-blogger and other enthusiasts for his war against Ukraine.

As he explains,

"First know official of his highest rank to flee the country.
… 
He gets out before he's handcuffed " (Inside Russia : The System Turns: Why Putin’s Loyalists Are Fleeing Russia: 17 June 2026: YouTube) (my emphasis)

 

Inside Russia : The System Turns: Why Putin’s Loyalists Are Fleeing Russia: 17 June 2026: YouTube 

And against this background, swirling like a demented dervish in his underground bunker, Putin has lashed out bombing a near 1000 year-old Cathedral and monasteries in Kyiv.

 

As reported by Joel Guinto (left) and Farouk Chothia,

"At least 11 people have been killed in a wave of Russian strikes on Ukraine that set a major religious landmark in Kyiv on fire, President Volodymyr Zelensky says.
… 
The 11th Century Dormition Cathedral was significantly damaged in what Zelensky called "one of the biggest Russian crimes against Christian culture today". Russia denied hitting the site." (BBC News: 15 June 2026) (my emphasis) 

 

Kanal13: 16 June 2026: YouTube

 

 As Liliana Oleniak (left) also reports

 

"Worldwide backlash grows after Russia strikes Ukraine's Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
... 
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani states that Moscow does not want peace.

"Kyiv is also a religious capital, so Russia must also be careful not to desecrate the sentiments of all Christians and Orthodox Christians in Russia as well. The Kremlin is making serious mistakes, demonstrating that it is in difficulty," he says." (RBC Ukraine on MSN: 16 June 2026) (my emphasis)

 

With Trump and Iran now having reached a deal to end the war, and the Strait of Hormuz possibly being re-opened for the free flow of trapped shipping very soon, the 'apoplectic and demented dervish-swirling' Putin realises that his days are numbered in more ways than one. 

 

Even his 'shadow fleet' of oil tankers are having the proverbial noose tightened around their necks, stemming the flow of illegal dollars into Putin's empty coffers in the vanishing hope that he can  sustain his war with Ukraine.

 

As Patrick Jackson reports,

"An Indian national has been arrested on suspicion of sanctions offences after the dramatic seizure of a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the English Channel, the National Crime Agency has said.

He was taken into custody for questioning by investigators following the operation mounted by Royal Marine Commandos along with the NCA on Sunday." (BBC News: 15 June 2026) (my emphasis) 

 

 

ITV News: 15 June 2026: YouTube 

 

Putin is now desperately fighting for his survival and, possibly, for his own life. 

 

 

 

(to be continued)

Cornered Putin readying to dangerously lash out!

The total 'fantasy 'world in which Putin is living, surrounded by his 'siloviki' that are constantly showering him with 'praises' and false information about his continuing success  in his war with Ukraine, is best illustrated by Daryna Halperina (left) who reports Putin saying that,

"Lately, I won't name the number of settlements right now because I'm afraid of making a mistake, but the Russian army has taken roughly 2,440,000 square kilometers under its control," Putin boasted, even though this figure exceeds the country's [Ukraine's] total area by more than four times." (New Voice of Ukraine on MSN: 5 June 2026) (my emphasis) (cf. also: Jens Asbjørn Bøgen: Dagens on MSN: 5 June 2026)

She goes on to further report that,

"Ukraine's area within its internationally recognized borders is approximately 603,600 square kilometers. The text transcript on the Kremlin's website reportedly removed the word "thousand," leaving the phrasing as "2,440 square kilometers." (ibid Daryna Halperina)  

Further illustrating the fantasy' world occupied by Putin, a Sky News defence reporter (right) describes the subtext of the recent letter Zelensky sent all over the world as follows:

"We Ukrainians are fighting for our lives and so we have no choice but to carry on. We dont't want to, but if we have to we will. But you don't have to Mr. President. You are suffering, your economy is suffering. 

So the message is, "We can last as long as it takes. But Mr. Putin, can you". (Sky News: 5 June 2026) (my emphasis)

 

Sky News: 5 June 2026 

To save himself, and preserve his tortured sanity within his 'world of fantasy', Putin simply must believe that he can win his war with Ukraine.

As Andrey Kelin (left), the Russian ambassador to the UK states in a Sky News interview,

"We cannot loose this war. We have to win it." (Sky News: 4 June 2026) (my emphasis)  

 

Sky News: 4 June 2026 

And at the recent St Peterburg International Economic Forum, where Ukrainian drones hit St. Petersburg oil terminal before the city hosted the economic forum, 

 

AP: 3 June 2026

 and bathed it in the ensuing fumes and dark clouds of the Ukrainian drone strikes (cf: AP: 3 June 2026),  DPA International reports that,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday expressed firm belief that his country retains the technological upper hand in the air war against Ukraine." 

whilst at the same time,

" … urging his military to take more effective measures to neutralize Ukrainian drones" 

notwithstanding the fact that,

"... increasingly sophisticated, longer-range Ukrainian drones are now causing major damage deep inside Russia – particularly to the oil industry." ( DPA International on MSN: 5 June 2026) (my emphasis)

As Konstantin Samoilov (left) reports,

"Lack of gasoline at the pumps all over Russia. It's the biggest problem right now. 

Because everything, literally everything, is running on fuel ... " (Inside Russia: 5 June 2026: YouTube) (my emphasis)

 

Inside Russia: 5 June 2026: YouTube 

We now also learn from Brian McDonald (left) that,

"RBK reports that Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina (right) has disappeared from the speaker list for this year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Two sources close to the regulator confirmed she will not attend. Nabiullina had initially been scheduled to speak tomorrow at a session on economic growth alongside Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Putin aide Maxim Oreshkin." (X post: 3 June 2026) (my emphasis) 

Adding to Putin's woes, Nicole Silverio (left) reports that,

"Eighteen Republicans voted with Democrats Thursday to send more aid to Ukraine and provide weapons from Pentagon stockpiles despite House leadership urging them to vote against it.

The legislation passed in a 226 to 195 vote, which would allocate $8 billion in direct loans to Ukraine and allow the U.S. to send Ukraine weapons from Pentagon stockpiles." (Daily Caller on MSN: 5 June 2026) (my emphasis) 

Furthermore, Clea Caulcutt  (right) informs us that, 

"French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday invited Ukraine's allies to attend France's Bastille Day celebrations in Paris on July 14.

Speaking on the margins of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Montenegro, Macron said the so-called Coalition of the Willing nations (n.b.: not icluding the US) would discuss support for Ukraine and attend France's annual military parade." (Politico: 5 June 2026) (my emphasis)

Added to which, AP reported that, 

"Zelenskyy (right) acknowledged shifting U.S. priorities, saying it would be wrong to simply wait for the Trump administration to return its attention to ending the Ukraine war while it remains heavily focused on the Iran war.

“I am proposing a meeting,” Zelenskyy wrote.

U.S. President Donald Trump said it “would be great” if Putin and Zelenskyy met. “They should get it done,” Trump said." (AP: 4 June 2026) (my emphasis)

As Putin's delusional dreams of recreating "Novorossiya" with his war in Ukraine crumble to dust in his hands, we have Sergey Ryabkov (right) on the sidelines of the forum in St. Petersburg 

"warning Ukraine and allies of aggression against Russia".

He stated that,

"As regards us, those hypothetical extreme situations that may trigger the use of these [i.e. nuclear] weapons were outlined in detail in Russia's military doctrine and the fundamentals of Russia state policy on nuclear deterrence. ... 

These documents send a signal that encroachments on Russia or its territorial integrity by aggressors, including those who may possess such weapons, could prompt us to use such weapons in the worst case scenario."  (Tass: 3 June 2026) (my emphasis)

Putin's failing war in Ukraine, and his imploding Russian economy, has now reached the stage of prompting him to use his 'nuclear' option. 

In the words of Andrey Kelin, Russian ambassador to the UK, 

"We cannot loose this war. We have to win it."  

UPDATE: 8 June 2026 : GMT 11.43 

True to form, Türkiye Today reported that,

"A Russian drone struck Ukraine's Centralized Spent Fuel Storage Facility in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone early Sunday, significantly damaging a fuel reception building and causing a fire, Ukrainian officials said. 

.... 
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately targeting the facility with a Shahed attack drone and described the strike as an attack on critical nuclear infrastructure." (Türkiye Today: 7 June 2026) (my emphasis) 

As in the case of Stalin, who caused the massive man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians (Wikipedia), Putin is deliberately trying to cause a nuclear 'radiation' leak from Chornobyl to similarly kill millions of Ukrainians. 

 

 

 

 

(to be continued)

Putin's finger now hovers over the 'nuclear' button.

In one of his now rare forays into the outside of the bunker, in which Putin is frantically pacing as Ukraine continues its successful drone directed dismantling of the oil refineries that  are Russia's 'bread makers', we now learn that, in his recent visit to Kazakhstan (Pravda Ru: 27 May 2026),

"An assassination attempt on Putin is becoming a new reality. The dictator no longer dares to move around as he used to. Now his roads are accompanied by unprecedented and heightened security measures, special equipment, and even air cover." (Ukraine Reports (left: Reporter): 31 May 2026: YouTube) (cf also: Kyiv Post: 28 May 2026)

 

Excerpt from:  Ukraine Reports : 31 May 2026: YouTube 

As Sevinj Osmanqizi (left) reports, however,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent diplomatic push into Central Asia yielded high-minded rhetoric but few substantive gains, as Kazakhstan resisted Kremlin pressure on trade and labour, foreign policy expert Paul Goble told Kyiv Post." (Kyiv Post: 30 May 2026) (my emphasis)

And against the backdrop of Putin's visit to Kazakhstan, Defense Express reports that,

"Ukraine's Defence Forces have carried out another wave of long-range strikes against military and infrastructure targets deep inside Russia, including an oil refinery in Saratov located about 700 kilometres from the frontline

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the results, describing the attacks as part of Ukraine's long-range campaign against facilities supporting Russia's war effort (Defense Express: 1 June 2026) (my emphasis)

It is thus no wonder that, as Konstantin Samoilov (right) reports, 

"Russia, one of the largest oil producers on the planet, is now importing gasolene. Not from a strategic partner, not from China ... importing gasolene from Belarus, it's vassal state. 

And according to the latest data, fuel shipments from Belarus into Russia have jumped by 60000 percent. Not a typo ... 60000 percent" (Inside Russia : 30 May 2026: YouTube) (my emphasis)

 

Excerpt from: Inside Russia : 30 May 2026: YouTube 

 

Anna From Ukraine: 31 May 2026: YouTube 

Consequently, the last week has seen Putin frantically bombarding Ukrainian civilians with hundreds of missiles and drones.

To draw NATO directly into a war against Russia, as a PRETEXT to use a 'nuclear' bomb against the forces of Ukraine pushing Russia out of the Ukrainian territory that Russian forces now occupy, and back towards Russian borders, Putin decided to attack Romania, a member of NATO.

As reported by Mircea Barbu, Jaroslav Lukiv and Chris Graham (left),

"A Russian drone hit a block of flats in Romania, causing a fire and injuring two people, Romanian officials say.
… 
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X: "Russia's war of aggression has crossed yet another line".

"As we continue strengthening our security and deterrence, especially on our Eastern border, we will keep increasing the pressure on Russia," she added.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the incident "proved once again that Russian
aggression poses a real threat to the Black Sea region". (BBC News: 29 May 2026) (my emphasis)

  

 Euro News: 29 May 2026: 

Further, as reported by Dariia Yankovska (left), President Zelensky explained that,

"Ukraine tries to intercept all Russian drones, including those heading toward Romania, Moldova, Poland, or the Baltic states, says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He stated that if a drone cannot be intercepted, Ukraine immediately informs its partners and tries to assist them before the aircraft crosses into their territory.

 Zelenskyy stressed that Russia uses drones not only to strike Ukraine but also as a tool to pressure NATO countries and test their response.

According to him, this is a typical signal from the Kremlin: do not support Ukraine." (RBC Ukraine: 31 May 2026) (my emphasis)

As another typical signal from Putin against those supporting Ukraine, Türkiye Today reports that,

"Türkiye condemned on Friday the growing security risks in the Black Sea after a Turkish-owned cargo vessel—sailing from Ukraine’s Odesa port to Türkiye—was struck by a drone. Two crew members were injured in the strike.

In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the Vanuatu-flagged, Turkish-owned dry cargo ship came under attack on the night of May 28 while transporting cargo from Odesa." (Türkiye Today: 29 May 2026) (my emphasis)

 

OneIndia: 29 May 2026 

These signals from Putin indicate not only 'fear' but also a growing breakdown of his 'vertical of power' into factions that seem to be setting themselves up for a post-Putin era.

 

Putin's fear of "assassination" is real.

 

Actually readying for 'nuclear' war is now the only card he has left.

 

His finger now hovers over the 'nuclear' button.  

 

 

 

(to be continued)

Putins 'siloviki is now 'quietly and desperately' isolating themselves from him.

 

 As Konstantin Samoilov (left) reported 9 days ago,

"Something has changed inside Russia. I dont' mean Putin lost an election. Or the army mutinied. 

Something quiter. And in many ways more dangerous. The system of absolute control that Vladimir Putin spend 25 years building is starting to slip out of his hands." (Inside Russia: 15 May 2026: YouTube) (my emphasis)

         

Inside Russia: 15 May 2026  

He goes on to explain that, 

"Watch what's happened now.  

Russian officials on State television, in Duma hearings, Russian parliament hearings, in public speeches, have quietly stopped using collective language when they talk about the war and big political decisions what Putin makes.

It's Putin's special military operation, Putin's agenda, Putin's red lines, Putin's terms for negotiation. .... It's DISTANCING!!!" (ibid Konstantin Samoilov) 

Nowhere is this more apparant, as reported by Tim Lister and Svitlana Vlasova (left) today (24 May 2026) that,

"Kyiv came under a massive aerial attack overnight into Sunday, officials said, after US and Ukrainian authorities warned of a possible incoming Russian missile strike. 
... 
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered retaliation for a deadly Ukrainian attack. "

The attack comes after Putin accused Ukraine of a “terrorist” act, claiming that Ukrainian drones struck a college dormitory in Starobilsk, a Russian-occupied town in eastern Luhansk on Friday. The Russian president ordered the defense ministry to come up with proposals for a retaliatory response.  (CNN: 24 May 2026) (my emphasis)

This 'order' of Putin comes against a backdrop of,

• Russia forced to shut 400 oil wells (Konstantin Samoilov ) because of the successful and ongoing demolishing of Russia oil infrastructure
• 
  Russians banned from Europe.  Visa Applications Close After MORE THAN 500,000 People Flee Russia (Joe Bloggs (left): YouTube: 23 May 2026)
• Ukraine Retakes Strategic Territory: Controls Crimea Corridor. (Anna from Ukraine: 23 May 2026: YouTube) 
• As Ukraine escalates strikes inside Russia, the Kremlin betrays its concern with bluster about nuclear weapons and its neighbor Belarus joining the invasion. (Scott Lucas Worldview: YouTube: 24 May 2026)

 

Scott Lucas Worldview: YouTube: 24 May 2026 

And nothwistanding Xi 'fraternally' hosting Putin only days after Xi's summit with Trump, Liz Lee (left) and Ethan Wang report that,

"Moscow had signalled ahead of the visit that it was ​seeking further energy agreements with China, the largest buyer of Russian oil, including pipeline supplies and sea-borne shipments.
… 
Key issues such as gas pricing remain unresolved, and analysts expect negotiations could take years.
… 
"Russia needs this deal more urgently than China does after losing much of its European gas market, while Beijing still appears content to move slowly and preserve flexibility over future energy supply options." (Reuters: 19 May 2026) (my emphasis) 

Whilst Trump's continuing announcements about a peace deal having been reached between Iran and himself, and which thus far have always been contradicted by Iranian officials, Brandon Livesay (right) now reports that,

"US President Donald Trump says an agreement with Iran has been "largely negotiated" and details will be announced soon.
… 
"An agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalisation between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed," he said.

"Final aspects and details of the deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly." (BBC News: 24 May 2026) (my emphasis)  

'If ', and this is a BIG ' If ', a deal has been reached between Trump and Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz resumes as a safe shipping lane for oil tankers as it did BEFORE the US/Iran war, this will isolate Putin even more from Russian officials on State television, in Duma hearings, Russian parliament hearings, and in public speeches.

It also signifies an even deeper collapse of Putin's 'vertical of power', so assiduously built by himself over his 25 years in power. 

Putins 'siloviki is now 'quietly and desperately' isolating themselves from him. 

UPDATE: 25 May 2026: GMT 07:02 

Putin is now jumping around with fear and frustration in his heavily fortified bunker for not being able to launch a 'nuclear attack' against Ukraine.

With his forces been decimated and pushed back from the Ukrainian land he still occupies, Putin choose to arm the 'nuclear capable' missile, Oreshnik, with conventional arms as a signal to Zelensky that his, Putin's, 'nuclear option' is now on the table.

As reported by Yuliia Dysa (left) and Max Hunder (right), 

"Russia pounded Kyiv and surrounding areas with hundreds of drones and missiles on Sunday in ​one of the heaviest bombardments of the city since the start of the four-year war, firing an Oreshnik hypersonic missile near the capital.
… 
European leaders condemned the Kyiv attack, with Britain ​and Germany describing the use of the Oreshnik - an intermediate range missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads - as an "escalation"."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during the attacks." (Reuters: 24 May 2026) (my emphasis)

As also reported by David Hughes (left),

"Vladimir Putin’s attack on Kyiv and other cities has shown his “weakness”, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said after Ukraine was hit by a hypersonic missile and drone barrage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during the attacks." (PA Media on Yahoo News: 24 May 2026) (my emphasis)Putin's 'panicked' desperation in bombarding the civilians of Ukraine with his 'nuclear capable' Oreshnik missile, to stem the growing tide of blame now been heaped upon his head for his disastrously failing war against Ukraine is, as UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper points out, "Putin’s attack on Kyiv and other cities has shown his “weakness”.

 

 

 

(to be continued)