The Kremlin's hand

A towering, vertically developed cumulonimbus cloud rises against a dark, overcast sky, its base illuminated by a faint glow on the horizon, while a thin vertical pole stands in the foreground on the left. The cloud's structure shifts subtly, with its upper portions appearing to grow and change shape as it extends upward. The scene then cuts to a man in a dark suit and patterned tie, seated at a table with a microphone, holding a pen in his right hand and looking slightly to his left. The scene cuts again to a close-up of an older man wearing a flat cap and a thick, textured sweater, looking d