- April 28, 2026
- 3:54 pm
- World News
Confidence in victory is disappearing in the Russian military camp
In the Russian propaganda and pro-military space, the tone is noticeably changing. Previously, they confidently spoke of “victory,” “demilitarization” of Ukraine, and the imminent defeat of Kyiv, but now completely different words are being heard: stalemate, lagging, fatigue, drones, losses, and even “catastrophe.”
The reason for the new discussion was the publication by NZZ, retold by Ukrainian media on April 28, 2026. It states that Russian propagandists and pro-military commentators increasingly acknowledge the gap between the Kremlin’s declared goals and the real military situation. The German-language review Perlentaucher on April 28 also notes that in the war against Ukraine, the Russian propaganda environment already sees a contradiction between military goals and military reality.
For the Israeli audience, this is important not only as a Ukrainian-Russian topic. Israel itself lives in the logic of war, drones, missiles, propaganda, and pressure on society. Therefore, Russian nervousness around Ukrainian technologies clearly shows how modern warfare changes the balance even against a large army.
Why the date is important
The symbolic moment is indeed strong: Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has already lasted longer than the Soviet-German war of 1941–1945. For Russian propaganda, which constantly relies on the cult of the “Great Patriotic War,” this is a painful comparison.
The Kremlin promised a quick operation. In reality, Ukraine was not destroyed as a state, the Ukrainian army did not disappear, and Ukraine’s defense industry, on the contrary, became one of the key problems for Russia.
The original material correctly notes: today in the Russian environment, there is less talk of triumph and more attempts to explain why the declared goals have not been achieved.
Drones, long-range strikes, and fear inside Russia
The main reason for this nervousness is Ukrainian drones and long-range strike capabilities. For years, Russia built the image of a country that cannot be reached. Now this image is cracking.
On March 17, 2026, Reuters reported, citing TASS, that the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Sergey Shoigu, acknowledged: the pace of development of Ukrainian drone systems and their methods of application are such that no region of Russia can feel safe anymore. He also spoke about the increase in sabotage attacks against Russia in 2025.
This is no longer a Ukrainian assessment. These are the words of a person from the top of the Russian security system.
For the Kremlin, it is especially unpleasant that the problem has become not only military but also psychological. Previously, Russian missiles flew over Ukrainian cities, and Russians watched the war as a television picture, but now the war is physically approaching Russian territory, industrial facilities, refineries, pipelines, military factories, and cities far from the border.
Yekaterinburg as a new signal
On April 25, 2026, Reuters reported a Ukrainian drone hitting a multi-story building in Yekaterinburg, the fourth-largest city in Russia. According to local authorities, there were no fatalities, several people received minor injuries, and one woman was hospitalized. Reuters separately noted that Yekaterinburg is located about 1900 kilometers from Kyiv and is in a region with defense sector enterprises.
Even if Ukraine does not always publicly comment on such episodes, the very fact of strikes at such depth changes the perception of the war.
The Russian viewer is used to the picture where the danger is “there,” in Ukraine. Now propaganda is forced to explain why Russian air defense does not guarantee safety, why drones are flying further, and why the huge army cannot secure its own territory.
“We have legendary weapons, they have modern ones”
The original text provides a telling phrase by Vladimir Solovyov: “We have legendary weapons, they have modern ones.” Even if it is presented in the propaganda broadcast as an emotional outburst, the meaning is unpleasant for Moscow.
For decades, Russia sold the image of a military superpower. But the war against Ukraine showed that legends do not shoot down drones, do not protect the Black Sea Fleet, and do not compensate for technological lag.
Ukrainian drones, sea drones, long-range developments, and flexible military engineering have gradually changed the battlefield. That is why Russian pro-military bloggers are already discussing not only “heroism” but also real technological lag.
Economy, fleet, and the search for the guilty: what scares the Kremlin camp
Military problems are compounded by economic ones. War requires money, people, equipment, production, repair, logistics, and constant pressure on the domestic labor market.
On March 31, 2026, Business Insider reported that Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska proposed considering a 12-hour workday and a six-day workweek as a way to get through economic transformation. He linked this to the new reality of restrictions and the need to “work more” in a crisis.
For the average Russian, this does not sound like victorious mobilization, but as an acknowledgment: war and sanctions require an increasingly harsh regime within the country.
The Black Sea Fleet as a blow to the imperial myth
A separate pain for Russia is the sea. Ukraine practically does not have a classic large fleet but managed to seriously change the situation in the Black Sea. Russian ships were destroyed, damaged, or forced to hide in ports and move further away from Ukrainian strikes.
For a country that builds its military pride on parades, naval traditions, and imperial symbolism, this is especially humiliating.
It is important not to exaggerate: Russia remains a dangerous opponent, has large resources, and continues to strike Ukraine. But the very need to justify the fleet, air defense, drones, and losses shows that the previous image of invincibility is shattered.
Why this is important for Israel
Israel should closely watch the Ukrainian experience. Not because the wars are the same, but because technologies, drones, long-range strikes, and information warfare have already become a common reality for different fronts—from Ukraine to the Middle East.
In this context, NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency sees the main lesson: a small or medium-sized country can change the strategic balance if it quickly learns, develops its own technologies, strikes at the enemy’s logistics, and does not allow propaganda to replace reality.
For Israel, this is not theory. Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other forces also rely on missiles, drones, attrition, and psychological pressure. Ukraine shows that the response can be not only a classic army but also technological flexibility, mass production, intelligence, range, and constant adaptation.
Propaganda seeks the guilty because the victorious picture is no longer there
When the war does not go according to plan, propaganda begins to look for traitors. The original material mentions that former “people’s governor of the DPR” Pavel Gubarev spoke about a possible huge number of Russian military casualties, after which Solovyov called him a traitor and demanded his arrest.
This is typical logic of an authoritarian system: as long as everything is fine, they talk about national unity; when problems begin, they look for the guilty inside.
But behind this cry lies the main fact. Russia’s war against Ukraine has become much longer, more expensive, and more dangerous for the Kremlin than promised to society. Ukraine not only withstood but also created threats that the Russian system is forced to acknowledge even through its own propaganda.
Russia can still fight for a long time. It retains resources, people, missiles, aviation, defense factories, and the readiness to throw new forces to the front. But talks of a “quick victory” have been replaced by talks of drones, lagging, mobilization, economic tension, and “catastrophe.”
And this in itself is an indicator.
For Ukraine, this is not a reason to relax. For Israel, it is a reason to carefully study the experience of modern warfare. And for the world, it is a reminder: an empire may look huge, but its weak points become visible precisely when the victim stops being afraid and starts responding technologically, systematically, and far-reachingly.