A wave of Flamingo missiles and drones shattered Moscow’s defenses, plunging the capital into chaos and darkness, exposing the Kremlin’s intelligence failures and sparking global shock and fear as the world now questions who launched the attack — and whether it marks the beginning of a new world order.

Moscow — a city once thought untouchable — descended into chaos and darkness late Thursday night after a wave of Flamingo missiles and unmanned aerial drones struck multiple sites across the Russian capital, in what analysts are calling one of the most devastating and symbolic attacks in modern European history.

The assault began just after 10:40 p.m.

local time, when residents in the Arbat and Khamovniki districts reported hearing a series of sharp detonations followed by the eerie hum of drones overhead.

Within minutes, the skyline glowed orange as fire engulfed government and industrial complexes, knocking out power grids and sending plumes of smoke high into the night.

Eyewitnesses described a scene of “pure panic” as emergency sirens wailed and cell networks crashed.

According to preliminary intelligence, the missiles — code-named “Flamingo” by Western analysts — penetrated Moscow’s advanced S-400 air defense systems, long touted by the Kremlin as impenetrable.

“This shouldn’t have been possible,” said retired NATO defense strategist Erik Holtz.

“Either someone found a new way to blind Russian radar, or something inside the system failed catastrophically.”

The Kremlin’s official response has been muted, with President Vladimir Putin reportedly sheltering in his private residence outside the capital.

Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov appeared briefly on state television early Friday morning, claiming that “defensive operations are underway” and that “foreign-backed terrorists” were responsible for the assault.

Yet, no group has claimed responsibility, and Russia has not presented evidence linking the attack to any state or organization.

American journalist Rachel Maddow, in a new 40-minute special report titled “Moscow in Flames,” called the event “the most shocking intelligence failure since the fall of the Soviet Union.

” Maddow’s investigation dissects how Moscow’s vaunted defenses — backed by billions in annual funding — were breached so swiftly.

She notes, “The pattern of attack was surgical, deliberate, and designed to humiliate.

Whoever planned this wanted to show that Russia’s shield could be shattered.”

The broadcast also delves into the geopolitical shockwaves reverberating far beyond Russia’s borders.

Within hours of the strikes, global markets responded violently — crude oil prices surged past $120 a barrel, and the ruble fell by nearly 17% before Russian trading was suspended.

European governments held emergency security meetings, while U.S.

intelligence sources confirmed that Washington had “no prior warning” of the event.

Satellite data reviewed by Western analysts indicate that at least 24 Flamingo-class projectiles were launched from an unknown origin, possibly outside Russian territory, accompanied by a swarm of over 60 kamikaze drones.

The coordinated timing suggests advanced synchronization — something typically seen only in state-level operations.

Maddow’s report highlights the eerie silence that followed the attack.

For nearly six hours, the Kremlin offered no communication, fueling speculation that command and control systems had been compromised.

Meanwhile, independent Russian journalists — operating under severe censorship — reported widespread confusion among local defense units, some of which allegedly received conflicting orders from Moscow’s central command.

By dawn, major sections of the capital remained in blackout.

Social media videos captured miles of stalled traffic, burning structures, and citizens huddling in metro stations.

“It felt like the apocalypse,” said 28-year-old resident Alina Petrova, who fled her apartment with her two children.

“We were told this could never happen here.”

Maddow’s analysis doesn’t shy away from the broader implications: that this attack may mark a turning point in the post-Cold War balance of power.

“The myth of Russian invulnerability has been shattered,” she said during the broadcast.

“And the silence from global leaders — from Beijing to Washington — speaks volumes.

Everyone is recalculating tonight.”

Unconfirmed reports from European intelligence circles suggest that at least one of the Flamingo missiles carried a previously unseen guidance system, possibly hinting at advanced AI-assisted targeting — a development that could redefine 21st-century warfare.

If true, this technology may have bypassed electronic countermeasures once thought foolproof.

As dawn broke over the smoldering capital, the question on everyone’s mind remained: who did this, and why now? Was it an external strike — or an inside job designed to destabilize the Kremlin from within? Maddow ends her segment with a chilling observation: “In every major turning point in history, there’s a single night that divides what came before from what comes after.

For Russia — and maybe for the world — that night was last night.”

For now, the investigation continues amid growing unease across global capitals.

Moscow burns, the Kremlin stays silent, and the world watches — wondering if this was merely an attack, or the opening move in something far larger.