Russia’s steady advance on the battlefield is a defeat for the US and its allies.

Written by – Elijah J. Magnier:

Drones have struck the Kremlin and other oil depots on Russian territory in an attempt by the US to move the fight inside Russia instead of keeping it confined to the Ukrainian arena. This escalation raises fears of a direct clash between Moscow and Washington. Is it an uncalculated risk for the US to push Moscow into a direct conflict with Washington? The US seems to be well aware of the dangers of escalation and is taking calculated risks to achieve its goals of further challenging Russia. Moreover, Moscow’s armed forces can significantly damage Ukraine without using unconventional weapons or direct attacks on the US.

President Vladimir Putin is no stranger to the risks of confrontation and calculated escalation with the US. There is no doubt that Russia lacks the military capability to confront the US and its other 30 NATO allies in a classic confrontation short of nuclear war. The Kremlin has no intention of sending its soldiers into a classic confrontation with the West and its allies.

America has long experience waging war, has occupied many cities, and has the weapons to do so. Conversely, Russia is well aware that it is no match for the US military and does not have an army capable of confronting NATO, a coalition of 31 countries, in a classic war. Therefore, any war against Russia, in which nuclear weapons would be the first word, would destroy several countries or capitals, which would be wiped out along with their populations.

This nuclear war scenario is not on the table because the attack on Moscow only damaged Russia’s prestige and targeted the flag flying over the Kremlin. This attack deliberately indicates that the drone was sent from within Russia and did not fly hundreds of kilometres to reach the heart of the Russian capital and over the most protected Russian buildings. This is a message about US allies inside Russia, which is nothing new as the two superpowers – like many other countries – have ongoing security breaches between countries. There is always some level of espionage and intelligence work carried out by all major nations.

Therefore, these attacks should not provoke a nuclear response from Russia because security breaches between the US and Russia are tolerated. While such attacks damage Russia’s prestige, flag and oil reserves, they do not require a nuclear response or a wider confrontation.