Welcome back to The Restricted Handling Podcast, where geopolitics meets straight talk. In today’s episode — “RH 10.28.25 | Russia: Nukes, Sanctions, Drones & Desperation” — we break down the wildest 24 hours yet in Putin’s latest act of global brinkmanship. This one’s got it all: nuclear flexing, collapsing oil deals, battlefield chaos, digital spies, and a healthy dose of Kremlin-level denial. 

Russia’s dusting off its Cold War cosplay again, parading the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile — or as we like to call it, the Flying Chernobyl. Putin claims it flew for 14,000 kilometers in 15 hours, while his generals beam like proud parents at a science fair. But let’s be honest — a radioactive boomerang isn’t exactly the flex he thinks it is. President Trump isn’t buying it either, telling Putin to “end the war instead of testing missiles,” while casually reminding everyone that U.S. nuclear subs are parked just off Russia’s coast. It’s diplomacy, 2025 style: a mix of swagger, sarcasm, and submarine deterrence. 

Meanwhile, sanctions just got real. The Trump administration hit Russia’s oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil with crippling restrictions, and the effects were immediate. India and China froze imports, Lukoil announced it’s selling off international assets, and the Kremlin started sweating bullets under its fur hat. Putin called the move “unfriendly,” but the numbers don’t lie — Moscow could lose over $7 billion a month in oil revenue. Europe’s energy politics are now in the blender, with Germany given six months to clean up Rosneft’s mess and Hungary’s Viktor Orban racing to Washington to plead his case. 

On the ground, Ukraine’s holding firm and hitting harder. Drones slammed into Russia’s Belgorod reservoir dam, flooding trenches and cutting supply lines. Inside Pokrovsk, small Russian teams are trying to infiltrate through basements and rubble while Ukrainian troops fight block by block. Moscow’s propaganda calls it an “encirclement.” Reality says it’s a mess. 

Beyond the frontlines, the hybrid war is spilling across Europe. Lithuania’s shooting down Belarusian balloons. Poland’s busting spies. Germany’s exposing Russian Telegram recruitment networks. It’s digital espionage meets discount sabotage — the kind of low-cost chaos that’s become Moscow’s specialty. 

In Asia, Japan’s scrambling jets after Russian bombers buzz the coastline, and Tokyo’s new defense minister just dropped the big hint: nuclear-powered subs might be back on the table. 

This episode packs everything — nuclear theatrics, energy warfare, cyber infiltration, and Putin’s growing panic behind the propaganda. If you want to understand how Russia’s desperation is reshaping the global chessboard, this is your briefing.