Sylvie Claire / May 4, 2022
The Russian offensive in Ukraine that began on February 24 is bogged down, and the withdrawal of troops in the Donbass is not as effective as expected, while May 9 is looming. It would seem that Russia wants to achieve a symbolic victory on that very day. Why this date?
For Russia, May 9 is a national holiday, an important military event and it is almost certain that for President Putin, May 9must be a day of victory.
May 9 coincides with the surrender of the Nazis to the Allies, including the Soviet Union. If Russia has announced that it will not try to strike hard on this particular day in Ukraine, it will in any case display its military power during the traditional parades: soldiers, tanks and... planes.
This will be the moment to bring out of the hangar the Doomsday, or the plane of the apocalypse, used by Russia for the protection of Russian officials, including the president. It was spotted flying near Moscow, Sudinfo reports, adding that it should be seen flying over Red Square, this famous May 9. It had not been seen since 2010.
It is an Ilyushin II-80, which can withstand a nuclear explosion. The Russian Federation has three examples of this real flying bunker, estimated at 500 million dollars. The plane has no windows and is intended to allow Vladimir Putin to lead his country in times of nuclear war, according to the Daily Mail. As its president has regularly brandished the threat of a recourse to this weapon, Russia wants to take advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate its power and remind people that it has arguments in this field.