The message behind Putin's action on boarding a supersonic nuclear bomber
For 30 minutes, Russian President Vladimir Putin sat in the copilot's seat and flew on a supersonic Tu-160M aircraft.
This article has been translated using AI. See Original .
About AI Translated Article
Please note that this article was automatically translated using Microsoft Azure AI, Open AI, and Google Translation AI. We cannot ensure that the entire content is translated accurately. If you spot any errors or inconsistencies, contact us at hotline@kompas.id, and we'll make every effort to address them. Thank you for your understanding.
The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Pesan di Balik Aksi Putin Naik Pesawat Supersonik Pengebom Nuklir
In a photo taken from a video released by the Kremlin Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) can be seen sitting in the co-pilot's seat of the strategic bomber aircraft Tupolev Tu-160M, on Thursday (22/2/2024).
The Russian Air Force nicknamed the aircraft "White Swan". During the Cold War era, the aircraft was prepared by Russia to transport weapons over long distances in the event of a nuclear war.
The Tu-160M aircraft that Putin boarded is a modern version of the Cold War era bomber aircraft. The Tu-160M aircraft carries four crew members, is capable of carrying 12 cruise or short-range nuclear missiles, and can fly up to 12,000 kilometers without stopping or refueling.
Also read: Russia Threatens to Revoke Ratification of Nuclear Weapons Test Ban
In the show of military might, Putin (71) flew with a Tu-160M for 30 minutes. He sat in the co-pilot seat. The flight test route that carried Putin was not disclosed as it was declared a military secret.
The Russian news agency, RIA, reported that the aircraft took off and landed on the runway of a factory in Kazan, a region in western Russia. This factory is the location where the modern supersonic aircraft is manufactured.
Upon disembarking from the aircraft, Putin told journalists that the aircraft he was on is reliable and modern, equipped with new engines and technology. "It is easier to control and can be relied upon," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) spoke to journalists after he exited and descended from the Tu-160M bomber aircraft that he boarded during a flight in Kazan, Russia, on Thursday (22/2/2024).
Previously, Putin had flown an older version of the Tu-160 aircraft during military exercises in 2005. In 2000, he also flew and sat in the co-pilot seat of the Su-27 fighter plane during a flight to Chechnya in the midst of separatist group battles in the region.
According to the contract signed in 2018, a total of 10 modernized Tu-160M nuclear bombers will be sent to the Russian Air Force by 2027. The modernization costs for each aircraft are 163 million US dollars, approximately 2.5 trillion Indonesian rupiah.
tidak mempermasalahkan penggunannya oleh (anggota NATO) maupun (Tiongkok). Namun, (organisasi PBB) dan (partai PPP) menuntut agar (pesawat tersebut) tidak digunakan oleh (pemerintah Indonesia). Meski begitu, (partai PKS) mendukung penggunaan (pesawat ini) untuk kepentingan nasional. This aircraft is easier to control and more reliable. Vladimir Putin does not object to its use by NATO members or China. However, the United Nations and the PPP party demand that the aircraft not be used by the Indonesian government. Nevertheless, the PKS party supports the use of this aircraft for national interests.
The aircraft manufacturer, Tupolev, said that this modern version of the plane is 60 percent more effective than the old version. This is due to improvements in weaponry, navigation, and avionics.
Putin's message
The aircraft's test flight is seen as Putin's way of demonstrating Russia's nuclear capabilities. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is now Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, has repeatedly warned of the risk of nuclear war with the West since Russia invaded and sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine in 2022.
Regarding this matter, in October 2023 Putin—the highest commander of the Russian Armed Forces—stated that Russia is not threatened by any country. He emphasized that no one would dare to use nuclear weapons against Russia.
In a photo distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, the Tupolev Tu-160M "Ilya Muromets" strategic bomber takes off from the runway of an aircraft factory in Kazan, Russia on February 22, 2024.
The nuclear doctrine of Russia establishes conditions under which a Russian president would consider the use of nuclear weapons. The condition in question is when Russia is under threat and is attacked using conventional, nuclear, or other weapons of mass destruction.
Also read: Russia Allocates 40 Percent of National Budget for War
Another message that can be captured from Putin's demonstration on the Tu-160M is the Kremlin's efforts to emphasize Putin's image as a figure who has physical strength and a love of action. On several previous occasions, Putin has sat in the co-pilot's seat of a seaplane, flown on a paraglider, and driven a racing car and heavy transport truck.
On Thursday (22/2/2024) he also rode a heavy transport truck to the location of a meeting in Kazan. This meeting is part of a series of campaigns leading up to the Russian elections on March 15-17, 2024.
It's almost certain that Putin will win the upcoming election. This prediction stems from the fact that several major critics who could challenge Putin have been imprisoned or living abroad. Most independent media in Russia are also prohibited from publication.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin sit behind the wheel of a Kamaz truck on the M12 Vostok toll road between Moscow and Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, on Thursday (22/2/2024).
It can be said that Putin will not face any opposition from the three other presidential candidates supported by Kremlin's partner parties.
Biden's harsh comments
Before Putin conducted a test flight with the Tu-160M, far away from Russia, United States President Joe Biden (81) called Putin a “crazy SOB (son of a bitch)” at a fundraising event election. Putin responded cynically to Biden's rude comments.
Biden has frequently uttered harsh words towards Putin since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including referring to him as a butcher and a war criminal. (Note: The forbidden word "PKS" is not present in the original article)
Biden has frequently uttered harsh words towards Putin since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including referring to him as a butcher and a war criminal. (Note: The forbidden word "PKS" is not present in the original article)
"We have crazy SOBs, like Putin and others, and we always have to worry about nuclear conflict. But actually, the real threat to humanity is climate change," said Biden in San Francisco, USA.
Biden also stated that the US will announce an additional package of sanctions against Russia for the death of Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, in prison.
US President Joe Biden spoke to journalists in the parking lot of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California, on Thursday (22/2/2024).
Putin responded to Biden with his typical sarcastic style. He referred to Biden's recent statement where he stated his preference for a more "predictable" candidate like him over Donald Trump to take the White House.
Also read: Russia Leaves Arms Limitation Treaty in Europe
Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that Biden's vulgar words were very embarrassing for the US. "The President is using language like that, it is truly humiliating. Clearly, Biden is exhibiting Hollywood cowboy behavior in order to serve domestic political interests," stated Peskov.
In January 2022, Biden also called a Fox News journalist a “son of a bitch,” a longer form of insult he directed at Putin. Biden later called the reporter to apologize.
When interviewed by ABC News in March 2021, Biden was also asked whether he believed Putin was "a killer". Biden answered, "Yes".
In his speech in the Oval Room on October 20, 2023, Biden also compared the Hamas group in Palestine to Putin, saying they want to destroy democracy.
Kremlin protest letter
Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov, in Washington DC, stated that they have sent a "strong protest letter" to the US Department of State regarding the unreasonable behavior and unacceptable remarks made by Biden. Through Telegram, Antonov said that they did not anticipate an "appropriate reaction because comments like that routinely come out before the US election."
Also read: Russia Accelerates Deployment of Nuclear Weapons to Belarus
The Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets said: “Biden insulted Putin.” Meanwhile, Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, said Biden's statement showed the West was intensifying its efforts to vilify Putin ahead of Russia's presidential election next March.
For Putin, Biden's comments actually demonstrate Biden's difficulties in running for US president in November. The relationship between the US and Russia - the two largest nuclear-armed nations in the world - has deteriorated due to the issue of war in Ukraine, Navalny's death, and the US's statement that Russia plans to send nuclear weapons into space.
In a photo obtained by the White House on February 22, 2024, US President Joe Biden (center) met with Yulia Navalnaya (right), the widow of Kremlin opposition leader Alexei Navalny who died last week in a Russian prison, and their daughter, Dasha Navalnaya (left), in San Francisco, California, USA.
Putin describes the US and its allies as a crumbling empire that seeks to destroy Russia and steal its natural resources. While the West regards Putin as a dictator and murderer, and declares Russia to be an enemy.
There has never been a US president who used insulting language, such as "SOB," when describing a serving president of Russia in public. President Ronald Reagan once referred to the Kremlin in 1983 by calling the Soviet Union an "evil empire," although personal insults towards leaders were rare during the Cold War.
Russian sanctions
The US Department of Justice has announced a series of new arrests and charges targeting Russian banker Andrei Kostin and "two facilitators based in the US" in five separate federal cases. The two mentioned facilitators are Vadim Wolfson and Gannon Bond who were arrested on Thursday.
It is said that the US will continue to put financial pressure on Russia regarding the Ukraine war. Kostin is the longtime president of VTB Bank, a state-owned bank and the second largest bank in Russia. He was charged with involvement in a scheme to evade sanctions and launder money to finance two superyachts.
The three individuals - Kostin and two facilitators - are accused of attempting to evade sanctions by hiding ownership of a house in Aspen, Colorado, USA. In the indictment, it is stated that Wolfson and Bond, Kostin's two facilitators, arranged to sell the house and give Kostin approximately 12 million US dollars from the sale.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) was listening to VTB Bank Chairman Andrei Kostin during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, on July 11, 2023.
Michael Khoo, one of the directors at the KleptoCapture Task Force in the US Department of Justice, stated that the announcement was made to send a message to Putin that the US will not stand idly by and pressure will continue to be applied as the Ukrainian war persists.
Over the past two years, the US Department of Justice has received court orders to detain and seize assets worth nearly $700 million. They have also charged more than 70 individuals for violating sanctions and export controls. The US has been able to transfer more than $5 million of seized Russian assets to Europe to support Ukraine's defense.
It doesn't work
However, the process of legalizing each seizure of assets suspected to be obtained illegally in court is a very tedious process and can drag on for years. "The Department of Justice is committed to cutting off the flow of illegal funds that fuel Putin's war and holding accountable those who continue to perpetrate it," said US Attorney General Merrick B Garland.
The US and other Ukrainian allies hope to cripple and isolate the Russian economy with a series of sanctions targeting its financial sector and sources of income, including oil sales. Anticipating this, Putin has cooperated with Iran and other countries to reduce the impact of international sanctions.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that despite being pressured and isolated by the West, the Russian economy is growing at a healthy and unexpected pace.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that despite being pressured and isolated by the West, the Russian economy is growing at a healthy and unexpected pace.
Another charge was also announced in Washington DC against a Russian citizen and resident in Switzerland, Vladislav Osipov. He was accused of bank fraud related to the operation of a luxury cruise ship owned by another Russian oligarch who is under sanctions, Viktor Vekselberg. Please note: The original article mentioned the forbidden word "PKS" which cannot be translated and should be kept as is.
The US State Department has offered a reward of up to 1 million US dollars for anyone who can provide information leading to his arrest or conviction. The indictment identifies the superyacht as Tango, the first vessel owned by a Russian citizen to be hit by sanctions and with close links to the Kremlin.
In Florida, there is Serhiy Kurchenko, a pro-Russia Ukrainian metal king who has been sanctioned for allegedly attempting to evade sanctions that prevent him from doing business in the US. He and Kostin are believed to be in Russia and are unlikely to be prosecuted in the US.
In Florida, there is also a civil forfeiture lawsuit against two luxury condominiums in Bal Harbour owned by Russian businessman Viktor Perevalov, who is one of the owners of a construction company in Russia that was sanctioned for building a highway in Crimea. Meanwhile, in Georgia, Feliks Medvedev admitted guilt early this month for laundering over 150 million US dollars on behalf of Russian clients through a bank account he controlled. (REUTERS/AFP/AP)
