One of Vladimir Putin’s key propagandists has cautioned Russians to prepare for the potential end of the world. Alexander Dugin, a 64-year-old ultra-nationalist philosopher known for shaping the Kremlin’s worldview, recently raised concerns about the escalating risk of nuclear warfare.
In a prophetic online message, Dugin, often referred to as “Putin’s brain” or “Putin’s Rasputin,” urged all unbaptized Russians to undergo baptism promptly and advised non-churchgoers to start attending services to ensure readiness for the afterlife paradise. Emphasizing the uncertainty of eternity’s arrival, he stressed the importance of making the decision to undergo holy baptism and embrace church sacraments before it is too late.
While he did not explicitly mention nuclear armaments, the apocalyptic tone of the Orthodox-nationalist thinker’s rhetoric mirrors how Kremlin-aligned ideologues depict nuclear conflict as an irreversible rupture with the West, leaving only faith as a foundation post-catastrophe.
Dugin ominously stated, “This fleeting moment of freedom may soon vanish. Our faith lies in the Savior. Only He can rescue us. We must turn to Him promptly without delay.”
The philosopher’s daughter, Darya Dugina, a well-known pro-Kremlin commentator, tragically lost her life in a car bombing near Moscow at the age of 29 in August 2022. Russian authorities suspect that her father was the intended target, attributing the attack to a Ukrainian assassination squad.
These developments followed Russian lawmaker Alexei Zhuravlev’s threats to the UK and US in response to the seizure of the Russian-affiliated oil tanker Marinera. Zhuravlev urged Putin to retaliate aggressively, suggesting torpedo attacks and the sinking of American Coast Guard vessels, condemning the operation as an act of piracy conducted by the US armed forces with British support.
In a bold move, Moscow launched a nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile near Lviv, just 40 miles from NATO territory in Poland, on Friday. The hypersonic missile, reportedly traveling at speeds of around 8,000mph, appeared to target Europe’s largest underground gas storage facility on Lviv’s outskirts, causing vibrant flashes that illuminated the night sky with hues of pink and red.
Speculation arose swiftly regarding the missile’s nature, with suspicions raised about its Oreshnik-type ballistic characteristics. The Russian Defence Ministry later confirmed the strike, attributing it to an alleged Ukrainian assault on Putin at his Valdai residence in the Novgorod region, a claim refuted by Western intelligence and Ukrainian authorities.
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the strike aimed to retaliate against a supposed terrorist attack on the Russian President’s residence, targeting key facilities and infrastructure supporting Ukraine’s military-industrial complex. The ministry vowed to respond firmly to any further provocations by the Ukrainian regime.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha denounced the strike as a severe threat to European security and a challenge for the transatlantic community, confirming via social media that the ballistic missile had struck the Lviv region.