The Kremlin’s having a week — and not in the good way. In this latest episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we’re breaking down Russia’s wild 24-hour news cycle of nuclear showboating, sanctions pain, drone warfare, and economic denial so intense it could qualify as an Olympic sport. 

We kick things off with the Burevestnik — yes, Putin’s “flying Chernobyl” is back in the headlines. This nuclear-powered cruise missile is supposedly capable of flying halfway around the world, but experts say it’s more “glow stick” than “game changer.” Still, Putin’s parading it as proof that Russia’s still got Cold War swagger, even as his troops slog through the mud in Donetsk. It’s geopolitical cosplay at its finest. 

Then we dive into the real shockwaves: sanctions. The U.S. just turned the screws on Rosneft and Lukoil, and the fallout’s immediate. Lukoil’s fire sale is turning into a bonfire, India’s cutting back on oil imports, and China’s quietly backing off. The ruble’s dropping, Moscow’s oil money is drying up, and even state propagandists can’t spin this one into a “strategic realignment.” Putin calls it “unfriendly,” but the truth is, his economy’s bleeding faster than his army’s morale. 

On the ground in Ukraine, Pokrovsk remains hell on earth. Russia claims it’s closing the noose; Ukrainian footage says otherwise. The city’s become a drone battleground, with both sides launching swarms like it’s a dystopian version of Top Gun. Weather’s playing spoiler, with fog grounding Russian drones — proving even Mother Nature’s not on Moscow’s side. 

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s hitting back hard. Three nights of drone attacks have forced Moscow to shut down airports again, while strikes on oil refineries are burning deep holes in Russia’s war chest. Zelensky’s not just fighting; he’s industrializing. With Sweden, Ukraine’s gearing up to build its own Gripen fighter jets and start exporting weapons by next month. Ninety-five percent of its long-range strikes are now homegrown — not bad for a country under siege. 

Inside Russia, repression’s ramping up. Year-round conscription’s official, treason trials are spiking, and the FSB’s digital goon squad is in overdrive. And beyond the battlefield, China’s still playing puppet master — keeping the war going just long enough to keep America distracted from the Pacific. 

It’s nukes, sanctions, drones, and denial — all in one 1,000-megaton episode of global chaos. 

Tune in, turn it up, and get briefed — fast, sharp, and with just enough sarcasm to make geopolitics actually entertaining.