It Can Now Arrive from the West The End of Predictability: Russia is no longer merely demonstrating weapons. It is dismantling the psychological architecture on which Western military planning, European political confidence, and the old rules of deterrence were built. On May 9, Moscow sent a message both to the city itself and to the wider world: if Kiev tried to turn Victory Day into an aerial spectacle, the response would be overwhelming. The era of coercive signaling, Moscow seemed to say, was over. From now on, force would be met with greater force. Russia’s president effectively announced the completion of tests for a whole range of strategic weapons systems. And frankly, the footage of Sarmat rising out of its silo made an impression even on people long accustomed to such things. This is happening against the backdrop of talk about the final stage of the conflict. Whatever anyone says, what is new in the missile is first of all the engine. Russia’s enormous advant...
