Oreshnik threat not distracting from Kremlin's setbacks

On the morning of June 15, a massive Russian missile strike hit Kyiv. No use of the Oreshnik has been reported, however. Technical problems could have delayed the launch, but Putin is also likely considering the possible reactions of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France. The summit will likely focus on the agreement to end the Iran conflict and to open the Strait of Hormuz, though that remains uncertain. Putin’s refusal to reckon with strategic and economic realities is increasingly at odds with the preferences of Russian elites, but he is trapped by his denials and braggadocio. This senseless course is certain to produce more problems for Russia, and one of them may become the last straw that breaks the enfeebled back of his regime.