One of the chief advocates for Vladimir Putin has cautioned the Russian populace to prepare for a potential global cataclysm. Alexander Dugin, a 64-year-old ultra-nationalist thinker often regarded as a key influencer of the Kremlin’s ideology, issued what many interpreted as a veiled alert about the increasing risk of nuclear conflict.
In a foreboding online statement, Dugin, known as “Putin’s brain” or “Putin’s Rasputin,” urged all non-baptized Russians to undergo baptism promptly and advised those who do not attend church to start doing so in anticipation of a heavenly afterlife. “We cannot be certain that eternity will not arrive soon, and then it will be too late,” he expressed. “At some point, eternity will come, and the moment of choice will vanish. Everything will disappear, but the decision to receive holy baptism and participate in church rites will endure.”
While not directly referencing nuclear weapons, the apocalyptic language used by the Orthodox-nationalist philosopher echoes the manner in which Kremlin-aligned thinkers depict nuclear war: as an irreversible rupture in civilization against the West, leaving only faith behind.
He ominously added, “This moment of freedom is likely to be brief. Our faith lies in the Savior. Only He can save us. It is to Him that we must turn. Without delay.”
Dugin’s daughter, Darya Dugina, a well-known pro-Kremlin commentator, tragically perished in a car bombing near Moscow at the age of 29 in August 2022. Authorities suspect her father was the intended target and attributed the attack to a Ukrainian assassination squad.
Following the seizure of the Russian-affiliated oil tanker Marinera, Russian lawmaker Alexei Zhuravlev directed a threat towards the UK and US, advocating for aggressive action in retaliation. He called for Putin to “launch torpedoes” in response to the US-led operation, supported by British forces, and to sink American Coast Guard vessels. Describing the incident as piracy, Zhuravlev emphasized the necessity for a resolute and rapid response, highlighting the potential use of nuclear weapons as outlined in Russia’s military doctrine.
On a subsequent note, Moscow conducted a test involving the firing of a nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile close to Lviv, only 40 miles from NATO territory in Poland. The hypersonic missile, reportedly traveling at around 8,000mph, was apparently aimed at Europe’s largest underground gas storage facility near Lviv, emitting bright flashes that illuminated the night sky in shades of pink and red.
The missile’s high velocity led to speculation that it might be an Oreshnik-type ballistic weapon. The Russian Defence Ministry later confirmed the strike, attributing it to an alleged Ukrainian attempt to target Putin at his Valdai residence in the Novgorod region. However, Western intelligence sources and Ukraine denied any such attack took place.
In response to the incident, the Russian Defence Ministry stated, “In reaction to the terrorist assault by the Kyiv regime on the residence of the President of the Russian Federation in the Novgorod region, the Russian Armed Forces launched a substantial strike using long-range, ground- and sea-based precision weaponry, including the Oreshnik medium-range ground-mobile missile system, targeting critical sites in Ukraine.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the strike as a significant threat to European security and a test for the transatlantic community, confirming that the ballistic missile was directed towards the Lviv region.