Factory producing show-off for export - Ukraine's top official on the nature of modern Russia
Photo: Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Russia is trying to give the impression of a supposedly strong country, but in reality, its "ponty" (showboating) is worthless, according to the Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak.
He noted that the assessments of Western "Sovietologists" and "Kremlinologists" often differ from Ukrainian ones. In particular, Ukrainians are always confident in their statements.
Podolyak also recalled how the conclusions of the world's key intelligence agencies about the "fall of Kyiv in three days" have actually failed.
"In Russian, there is a word "ponty". It does not have an exact translation into English in the Russian sense of the word, although the closest option to it is "show-off," he wrote.
The advisor emphasized that Ukrainians know the nature of today's Russia better than many. Namely, the post-Soviet Russia of the era of dictator Vladimir Putin is a large factory for the export production of "ponty", which is a way of hypercompensating for its own complexes.
At the same time, he noted that many Western colleagues continue to evaluate Russia as a diminished Soviet Union and think in terms of the Cold War. Moreover, they have an emotional memory of life in those times. So, as Podolyak points out, they are doomed to be constantly surprised by the mismatch of predictions.
"Remember. All Russian politics is based on a well-known idea: "fear takes molehills for mountains". Do not buy Russian "ponty". There is nothing behind them. This has been proven by Moskva cruiser, S-400 Triumph air defense systems, and Kinzhal "hypersonic" missiles," Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine added.
Ukraine's achievements
On the night of April 13-14, Ukraine attacked the Russian cruiser Moskva with two Neptune anti-ship missiles. The loss of the Moskva cruiser was the most expensive during Russia's war against Ukraine. Its remaining value was about $750 million.
On September 23, a strike was launched against a Russian military unit in Crimea. The S-400 Triumph system was destroyed.
As for the Kinzhal missiles, which the Russians call "hypersonic," for some time Ukraine was unable to shoot down such targets. However, the situation has changed with the introduction of the SAM Patriot. Now Ukraine is handling such enemy weapons as well.
