Part of Putin’s true appeal is centered on his public defense of Russia and stated desire to reclaim the country’s superpower status. Building advanced weapons that are on par or better with those in the West fits this narrative.

“Damn you! What about NATO coming up to our borders and Crimea is ours,” is how Anne Garrels, a longtime correspondent for NPR in Russia and author of Putin Country: A Journey into the Real Russia, described the sentiment of the nation’s average citizens on another edition of War College podcast. “We’re sick of being ignored.”

As improbable as they are, reports of a nuclear-armed space plane are hard to ignore at home and abroad. And that might be enough for most Russians.

This first appeared in WarIsBoring here.

Image: Creative Commons.