"The Phenomenon. The most fitting name. Everyone relates to it differently, but no one doubts the uniqueness of this occurrence." The invited expert on the evening TV show crosses his legs.
"And how does he refer to himself?" asks the host.
"We don't know. You know he doesn't communicate with anyone."
"Yes. And that's surprising. Considering he's probably the most publicized figure over the past year. Fighters on both sides of the front line record videos with commentary, give interviews, and share observations sometimes more interesting than war correspondents. But him... We only see footage from drones, occasionally recordings from soldiers' action cameras with whom he... With whom he interacts. Nothing else."
"I don't think he even has a smartphone," the guest smiles.
"Probably not. Because when we approached the Ministry of Defense, they cited secrecy... Quote: 'the secrecy of this unit.' Does that mean the phenomenon isn't alone?"
"I don't rule that out. The way he unexpectedly appears in different sectors along the frontline suggests he might not be acting alone. And if that's the case, it's very bad news for our adversary."
"And not just for them. It should be noted that recently there's been particularly noticeable unease within the international community..."
"They should have gotten used to the fact that we don't care anyway. Nobody here cares what they say over there!" interrupts the expert. "The attempt to push through a UN condemnation... To frame it as a ban on biological weapons... That's laughable."
"And how do we ourselves define this... type of weapon?"
"I would say it's a new kind of private military company."
"From a single fighter?"
"We don't know exactly," the expert smiles. "In any case, we adhere to all norms of international law, including humanitarian ones. But for us, the lives of our soldiers are paramount. And the phenomenon has reduced our relative losses by 19-20 times. That's an obvious benefit supported by our citizens."
The host perks up, turning toward the large LED panel behind him.
"Just on this topic, we conducted a poll... On screen. Fifty-seven percent of respondents evaluated the appearance of the phenomenon positively. Thirty-seven percent expressed caution, admitting that it frightens them. The rest haven't yet formed their opinion. What would you say to those who are hesitant?"
"I would recommend trusting only official media outlets. There are currently too many rumors, speculations, and deliberately spread fakes."
"Do online broadcasts from the Holding fall into this category? Can we consider them a reliable source? Because we contacted them for comment, and they deny any connection to the phenomenon or the Ministry of Defense."
"I think it's simply high-quality documentary footage. As long as they provide objective material—videos tied to specific locations without any falsification or manipulation—they can be considered a source."
"And this source is frightening! We have a large number of concerned human rights activists..."
"Concerned people have always existed everywhere," the guest interrupts again. "To everyone who's worried, I suggest listening to the Patriarch's latest address. He called this technology blessed by God. If that authority isn't enough, then I don't know..."