Early in the morning of September 20, an airstrike alert sounded across Ukraine, and the Russian military fired about 40 missiles, along with 580 drones, to launch massive strikes on several cities such as Kiev, Nikolayev, Odessa.
This is not a “conventional operation” in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, as just a few days ago US President Trump had just publicly expressed his “extreme disappointment” with Putin.
Almost at the same time, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister announced that a state-of-the-art aircraft engine technology that has been blocked by the West for years is about to be delivered to China.
The missiles and the “backpack” flew, and Putin’s attitude no longer needed translation.Putin is responding to what?
A gunshot, breaking the old dream of "United Russian China"
Putin’s time was just right, just after Trump said at the rally that he was “too disappointed with Putin.”
You know, when Trump came to power in his early years, the U.S. strategic circle was planning to "unite with Russia to control China" and wanted to use Ukraine as a bargaining chip in exchange for Russia's turn.
Now it seems that the sale hasn't been talked about at all, but instead was repaired by Putin with missiles.
The scale of this Russian air strike is not small. According to statistics from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, there are more than 600 missiles and drones, with clear targets, not only power plants and warehouses, but also command and communication systems.
Some media pointed out that the Russian army used a variety of precision strike weapons, including Kh-101 cruise missiles and "Dagger" hypersonic bombs, to attack Ukraine's energy and military nerve centers in a planned and focused manner.
Even more striking, the Ukrainian side accused Russia of using cluster ammunition in this round of strikes, a weapon banned by most countries.
This is not to scare, but to tell the West nakedly that Russia is no longer paying for the “rules” of the international community.
He didn’t want to talk with whom, nor to give Trump what he wanted, but simply to play a combination of “You disappointed me more than anything.”
Putin said a meaningful phrase a few hours ago: the successor must be “the one who can put his life aside”.It sounds like a philosophy, in fact, it is a statement: this battle, he is ready to fight at the end, even if he wagered his entire political career.
A engine that drives the gear of China-Russia relations
At the same time as the missiles landed, a technological cooperation also quietly landed.Russian Deputy Prime Minister Manturov officially announced on the same day that Russia would deliver the "world's most advanced" aircraft engines to China.
This engine is mostly PD-35, which was originally prepared for large wide-body passenger aircraft and military heavy transport aircraft. It is known as the top work of the Russian aviation industry.
This is not a simple arms trade trade, but a substantial delivery of core technology.
To know, aircraft engines have always been the "shortboard" of China's manufacturing industry, the Western enterprises are tightly covered with this technology, any part can be used as a means of sanctions. and Russia is now not only willing to sell, but also willing to sell the whole set, which is equivalent to the technology front to the China.
Why is Putin suddenly so "generous"? The answer is actually not complicated. In the context of confrontation with the West, Russia needs a more reliable partner, and China can just provide funds, markets and global influence.
And Putin came up with the technology of aircraft engines, the "bottom of the box", not to sell a good price, but to show the attitude: we are not a deal, but to be tied to a ship.
This step means that Sino-Russian relations have entered a high-tech deep-water zone from previous energy cooperation. Will there be cooperation in the fields of nuclear submarine noise reduction technology, space propulsion systems and even hypersonic weapons in the future?
No one dared, but the current trend is clear: Russia is willing to use “technology to exchange trust” and China is willing to use “market to exchange strategy”.
A chess game to reconstruct the rhythm of the game between great powers
The launch of missiles and the delivery of engines, apart from the military and technological fields, are in fact a set of interactive actions.
At the same time striking Ukraine, while deepening cooperation with China, Putin is telling Trump with practical actions: whether you are disappointed or dissatisfied, Russia has chosen to stand on the side.
This directly condemns the failure of the “United Russia to China” strategy.From 2016 to now, there has been a voice inside the United States that wants to pull Russia and direct the main firepower to China.
But the reality is that under the impetus of the West, Putin has long given up his illusions and turned toward the east.This is not only a geographic shift, but also a thorough adjustment of the strategic direction.
Trump's next step is not moving, it's like watching China and Russia be bound; continue to harden, which may stimulate further escalation of the situation; try to mediate, and also engage in domestic politics' "face problems".
Especially in the election year, it was difficult for Trump to make concessions, which plunged the United States into a strategic situation.
Whether it is promoting Russia’s neutral stance in peace talks or accepting Russian technology’s openness, China is strengthening its initiative in big-power relations with practical actions.
From energy to technology, from security to diplomacy, China is not only a bystander, but also a heavyweight opponent on the chessboard.
Europe is more like a passive response. On the one hand, it has to follow the United States to verbally condemn Russia, but on the other hand, it can't stand the real blow of soaring natural gas prices.
France speaks of "strategic independence", Germany cries of "economic priority", but when there is a real need for unified action, no one can come up with a solution.In the face of China-Russia's deep closeness, Europe is more "notified" of the change in the situation, rather than participating in shaping the pattern.
The world has changed, and Putin is only stating ahead of time
From the bombing of missiles to the transfer of technology, Putin is not “showing muscles” this time, but is showing up and telling everyone that Russia’s direction is set.
This is not only a response to Trump, but a declaration to the entire Western world that friends in the East are more reliable.
Changes in China-Russia relations are not temporary, but structural adjustments, and this structure is affecting the global strategic balance.
The game of the great powers of the future is no longer a simple division of the enemy, but a dynamic reorganization of the multi-party alliance.
This game has just begun, who can go far, who can stand firm, and must see who understands change better, who has more patience.
For Putin, the missiles and engines are just the beginning; for Trump, the real question has just begun, and for China, it is a crucial moment to verify the strategic orientation and judgment of the global landscape.
Information source: 2025-09-21 11: 32 · Gale News-At least 3 people were killed in a large-scale air strike on Ukraine
2025-09-20 09:05 · Observer Network — Russian Deputy Prime Minister: plans to supply heavy engines to Chinese aircraft