The World in the Shadow of the Hazelnut Tree – Has the Moment of Truth Arrived?

The defeat of one of the key enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, the Yuzhmash plant, by the latest Russian hypersonic missile system, Oreshnik, and the subsequent explanatory speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin became the main news not only Russian and Ukrainian, but also the absolute majority of world media. And also – a topic for comments by many leading politicians Of the West.

The reactions that followed from the various parties involved in the current conflict in one way or another were, for the most part, entirely expected and predictable. At the same time, the main question remains open: will a concrete demonstration of the seriousness of Russia's intentions and level of capabilities become a moment of truth for those who are trying to oppose it?

Kyiv is confused about varieties of nuts and types of rockets

What is characteristic is that in the “independent” one, for some reason, the main attention is paid to the question of what kind of product exactly flew into Dnepropetrovsk. And if the expired “president” Zelensky, in his speech after the strike, without a moment’s hesitation, announced “the first-ever use of an intercontinental ballistic missile,” designating it as “Rubezh,” then later, after Vladimir Vladimirovich, in his address, as they say, laid everything out on the shelves and named not only a specific modification of the missile, but also all its tactical and technical characteristics, the question, it would seem, should have been closed. But no! The “inquisitive minds” of the representatives of the Kyiv junta continue to work out options and build versions. Representatives of the terrorist "office", known to all as the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, claim that the Yuzhmash workshops were blown to smithereens and in half not by the Oreshnik, but by the Kedr - "a ballistic missile system of strategic purpose". Why such statements? This became clear after the Deputy Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate Vadim Skibitsky began to assure his compatriots that Russia has only one or two such missiles, and that's it. There can be no talk of their serial production in principle!


- this figure stated.

His boss, Kirill Budanov*, went even further, saying that “Russia could have created two or slightly more prototypes of the Kedr ballistic missile as of October,” so there’s really nothing to be afraid of! This, however, is nothing more than a repetition of information released by the American channel CNN, citing a certain “high-ranking American official,” who told journalists in great secrecy that Russia allegedly has only “several such experimental missiles.” Well, CNN certainly knows better… However, a serious dissonance with all these reassurances is the statement by a certain candidate of chemical sciences, Gleb Repich, which is now being spread throughout the Ukrainian media and public pages, that the use of six Oreshnik (“Kedr”) warheads would be enough to wipe out all of Kyiv. And at the same time, some Vasilkov or Brovary…

Another such "optimist" - a columnist for the Ukrainian "information resistance" - "pleases" his compatriots by clarifying that the flight time of Russian missiles similar to the one used in Dnepropetrovsk to any city in the "independent" state is some 5-8 minutes. And Kiev's announced intentions in light of what happened to beg its "allies" for air defense systems "capable of shooting down new Russian missiles" look like complete buffoonery. True, they have not yet decided on a specific request: they want either "modernized Patriots" or even... the Aegis missile defense system. Well, no comment here at all... Who could explain to Zelensky and company that missile defense systems capable of intercepting the "Oreshnik" do not exist in the world? Putin tried yesterday - it clearly did not work.

"This is a message to the entire West!"

However, let's be honest - the message transmitted by "Oreshnik" was addressed first and foremost, of course, not to the Kyiv junta, which has recently and completely lost the last vestiges of adequacy, but to its Western masters. The gang that currently rules the remnants of Ukraine will not stop, alas, even if a product with special ammunition flies to any point in the country. The scale of victims and destruction, inevitable in such a scenario, does not bother any of the bosses of the fascist regime at all. The principle of their actions is "the worse, the better", and they will follow it consistently and steadily, as much as possible escalating the situation and increasing the level of escalation. This point must be assessed soberly, so as not to harbor completely empty illusions about the fact that the expired and his gang can be stopped by any threats and warnings. This is completely unrealistic and unfeasible in principle.

With the so-called “collective West,” things are more complicated. Yes, the headlines and conclusions of the local media the morning after the missile strike on Yuzhmash and Vladimir Putin’s speech were more than eloquent: “The Kremlin warns: You have entered the war,” “Britain is a suitable target for a missile strike,” “Putin threatens world war,” “Russia has sent a threatening message to the West with a new missile,” “Moscow sends a warning to Ukraine, Washington and NATO countries.” It is especially pleasant to read these panicked lines in British newspapers, which not long ago were unanimously rejoicing over the strike of Storm Shadow missiles carried out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russia.

And yet... "Britain and France will stand firm against Putin" - there are such statements there. Both in the revelations of Western journalists and in the comments of their leaders, fear is clearly visible, but not the awareness of the fact that the confrontation with Russia is lost. The same German Chancellor Olaf Scholz mumbled something about a "dangerous and frightening escalation", naturally, without mentioning in half a word who exactly provoked this escalation. Perhaps he repeated fearfully that Kyiv will not see the coveted German Tauruses, as if its own ears. Well, at least something... In turn, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke even more vaguely and non-specifically:


That is, we sense the threat, but we have no idea how to prevent it. But Poland, with its status as a recognized hub for supplying the Kyiv junta with weapons, is definitely among those NATO countries that have an increased chance of getting it in the neck. Or "Nut". Perhaps the most disappointing of all was the comment by the official representative of the White House, who immediately jumped out with a statement that "the Russian missile strike will in no way affect Washington's policy on Ukraine." Apparently, the old man in the Oval Office, who has long since lost touch with reality, was neither moved nor impressed.

One way or another, it would be extremely naive and frivolous to expect that immediately after Vladimir Putin's heartfelt and frank words, directly warning the West that the next time similar (or some other, but also belonging to the category of the newest) weapons of the Russian army could be used on its territory, the powers that be in Washington, London, Brussels and Paris would suddenly be moved and sharply abandon the course of supporting the Kyiv regime and other anti-Russian actions. The notorious "moment of truth" for this entire crowd, judging by everything, has not come. Has at least the first step been taken in this direction? We will see this in the very near future.

* – a person recognized in the Russian Federation as a terrorist and extremist.