Syria’s historic city Palmyra has officially transformed into an icon for Russian arms, becoming an announced candidate for naming a modern intercontinental nuclear missile.
The Kremlin, after testing what is reported to be "the most powerful nuclear-powered missile in the world,” revealed that Palmyra is one of the prime options to label the nuke.
Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed in his annual speech to the Russian legislature that Russia had a massive nuclear engine capable of crossing over 11,000 kilometers whilst carrying out significant maneuvers. A feature which could render the warhead capable of penetrating the most powerful air defense systems.
He pointed out that Moscow did not name the missile, an extravagant military achievement, and asked that suggestions be submitted to the Ministry of Defense.
Immediately after Putin’s speech, the Defense Ministry launched a page on its website for receiving citizens' proposals in a race to determine the name of the modern rocket and two other systems the president had unveiled - a new laser warfare complex and a self-propelled diving device capable of carrying out highly complex maneuvers.
The page was later filled with suggestions ranging from the patriotic “Palmyra,” “Slavyanka,” and “Kremlin’s Hand” to the ironic “Peace Envoy,” “Boomerang,” “She Drowned” and “Goodbye America.”
Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov defended his proposal to name the missile “Palmyra” by saying that the historic name is “worthy of missile capabilities.”
He said that the translation of the historical name of Palmyra from Aramaic meant “miracle”, making the designation additional evidence to "the miracle Russia achieved in Syria.” The name quickly gained popularity among several nominations and suggestions.
It was not surprising that the Russian military campaign in Syria had inspired some proposals for the vote, especially as the local leadership hasn't shied away from flexing muscles on having tested recently developed weapons in Syria.
Propagandist media had over and over again focused on Russian intervention in Syria being portrayed as the cradle of Russia's return to being a superpower in the international arena.
Roman Filipov, the pilot who was killed when his plane landed near Idlib a few weeks ago, was also among the suggestions proposed.
It is worth noting that Filipov was posthumously awarded the honor of the Hero of the Russian Federation.
