Welcome back to The Restricted Handling Podcast!  

Putin cranks up the volume at the Valdai Club in Sochi, threatening “convincing countermeasures” against Europe’s growing militarization while simultaneously trying to charm Donald Trump. He mocks NATO’s warnings of Russian aggression as “nonsense,” yet warns that US Tomahawk missile transfers to Ukraine would bring a “new stage of escalation.” The performance is classic Kremlin theater: scare Europe, sweet-talk Washington, and hope the West second-guesses its own strength. 

Meanwhile, the United States makes its boldest policy shift yet under Trump. Washington has authorized expanded intelligence sharing with Kyiv for long-range strikes inside Russia, targeting energy infrastructure that keeps Putin’s war machine fueled. The much-debated Tomahawk transfers are unlikely given limited inventories, but alternative systems and allied contributions are on the table. Ukrainian drone and missile strikes have already cut nearly 40% of Russia’s refining capacity, creating gasoline shortages that hurt both civilians and the Russian military. 

Europe isn’t sitting still either. At a summit in Copenhagen, Macron, Merz, Starmer, Frederiksen, and Tusk all called for harder measures—shooting down drones, seizing shadow fleet tankers, and tightening sanctions. The French navy’s bold seizure of the Russian tanker Boracay became the poster child for a new European strategy: choke the shadow fleet, cut Moscow’s billions in oil revenue, and make it harder for Putin to finance his war. 

Hybrid warfare is spreading fast. From drones shutting down Munich Airport to GRU operatives planting explosive-filled “cans of corn” in Lithuanian cemeteries, Russian sabotage operations are targeting Europe’s infrastructure and public confidence. Reports link over 110 sabotage incidents since 2022 to Moscow’s networks of criminals and proxies. 

And don’t miss what’s happening above your head. The UK revealed that Russia is stalking and jamming British military satellites on a weekly basis. Space is now an active battlefield, and Russia is showing it has both the capability and the will to weaponize orbit. 

This episode has it all: Putin’s double game, Trump’s policy pivot, Europe’s hardening resolve, shadow fleet takedowns, sabotage plots, space jamming, and Ukrainian drones striking 1,700 km deep into Russia. If you want to understand the frontlines of 21st-century conflict—from the skies over Munich to the orbit above Britain—this is the one to listen to. 

Get ready. It’s sharp, it’s punchy, and it’s Restricted Handling.