Putin Gets Conned: Russia Left Undefended As Ukraine Sets To Unleash Largest Strikes Of The War

As Putin prepares for his May 9th propaganda spectacle, Ukraine appears to have turned the event into a strategic nightmare for the Kremlin. With Russian air defenses reportedly redeployed from across the country to protect Moscow and the parade itself, Ukrainian long-range strikes are now reaching deeper into Russia with growing frequency.
Tonight we examine reports of chaos spreading across Russia: airports shutting down, oil and industrial targets burning, military bloggers openly calling for an end to the war, and Russians flooding social media to mock the increasingly hollow Victory Day celebrations. Meanwhile, Putin is reportedly pressuring foreign leaders to restrain Ukraine ahead of the parade while Russian officials threaten strikes on Kyiv’s government quarter.
We also cover Russia’s worsening economic crisis as citizens rush to pull money from banks, the continued collapse of major steel producers, new efforts by authorities to suppress discussion of inflation, and the bizarre propaganda surrounding this year’s May 9th events — including staged NKVD “arrests” during celebrations.
At the same time, the human cost inside Russia continues to rise, with some regions approaching wartime losses not seen since World War II. And amid the destruction, one small moment from the front line reminds us what this war is truly about: a Ukrainian soldier sending handpicked flowers home to his wife.