Kathrine Frich
Wars run on public belief just as much as bullets.
When leaders try to boost morale with a massive show of force, they expect their loyal supporters to cheer.
But sometimes, dedicated followers see right through the smoke.
Expensive scrap
Over the weekend, the Russian military launched its new Oreshnik missile at Kyiv. It was supposed to project sheer power. Instead, the strike triggered a wave of mockery from an unexpected group.
Pro-war bloggers are openly roasting the Kremlin. According to The Moscow Times cited by Onet, these nationalist voices view the high-profile launch as a hollow publicity stunt.
Vladimir Romanov, a prominent Russian military blogger, dismissed the display completely. He described the strike as “Just absurdly expensive scrap driven into the ground. For a striking image that no one, except retirees, believes in anymore.”
Fairy tales on TV
The discontent runs deep across Telegram. Many commentators argue the weapon lacks real combat value because it relies entirely on visual impact.
A former employee of the Russian defense ministry, writing under the name Rybar, explained the tactic. He wrote, “The attack, which uses ‘kinetic dummies’ instead of warheads, has primarily a psychological effect, which, obviously, becomes weaker with each subsequent attack.”
War correspondent Yuri Kotionok claimed the missile launches exist mainly for “telling fairy tales to grandmothers on TV” rather than winning battles.
Frontline reality
Behind the scenes, troops face grim shortages. Military blogger Anatoly Radov pointed out a severe lack of essential gear.
“The crux of the problem with all these costly retaliatory strikes is that there is a dramatic shortage of equipment at the front, primarily Mavic and FPV drones,” Radov wrote.
He added that military leaders are hiding the real drone numbers. Radov wrote, “But Putin was told that everything is great with Mavic drones, and when it comes to FPV, we’re supposedly even better than the Ukrainians. This is simply a terrible lie.”
Masking the failures
The strike makes sense to outside observers. The American Institute for the Study of War noted that commanders likely ordered the launch to “demonstrate strength and power to both domestic and foreign audiences.”
Meanwhile, the defense ministry declared the weekend strike a total success. They stated that “the strike objectives were achieved and all designated targets were hit.”
But those on the ground remain unconvinced. As the military channel Voyenny Osvedomitiel noted, “And firing an empty ‘Oreshnik’ missile at Kyiv once every six months won’t solve this situation, unfortunately.”
Sources: The Moscow Times, Telegram, American Institute for the Study of War, Russian Defense Ministry
