Nuclear Threat Issued to US by Russian State TV

A Russian state TV host and Kremlin propagandist has issued the latest nuclear threat against the U.S. over the ongoing war in Ukraine, threatening a possible nuclear strike from Moscow.

Anchor Dmitry Kiselyov made the remarks during a segment on state TV channel Russia-1. An excerpt of the broadcast was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by journalist Francis Scarr from BBC Monitoring.

“It’s time for more nuclear threats from Dmitry Kiselyov,” Scarr wrote as a caption. “He says if NATO sends troops to [Ukraine] to defeat [Russia], nukes will hit [U.S.] decision-making centres and launch sites, [France] will be ‘disarmed in an instant’, and – I apologise to any Irish – ‘the British Isles will go underwater’.”

Kremlin propagandists have routinely warned of a looming world war and nuclear strikes by Russia on NATO territory over aid and weapons provided to Kyiv by the Joe Biden administration and members of the military alliance. Newsweek has contacted Russia’s Foreign Ministry for comment by email.

Kiselyov said Russia will respond if members of the NATO military alliance deploy their troops to Ukraine amid the ongoing war, which began when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.

“If NATO countries deploy their forces to Ukraine in order to deal strategic defeat to Russia, then that very moment will come of which Putin has spoken: ‘Why do we need a world if Russia’s not in it?’ In that case, we’ll send everything flying everywhere! Sarmat, Yars, and Avangard missiles,” Kiselyov said.

The idea that a nuclear war could break out amid the conflict in Ukraine has been floated by numerous Russian officials, including Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and prime minister.

Putin said during his annual state-of-the-nation address in Moscow on February 29 that his “strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness.” The Russian leader has said since September 2022 that Russia would be prepared to use nuclear weapons to defend its “territorial integrity,” adding that “this is not a bluff.”

“American decision-making centers and launch sites on land and sea are already in our crosshairs,” said Kiselyov. “France, as a nuclear power, will have to be disarmed in an instant. The British Isles will simply go underwater. We have the technologies for this. And we’ve spoken about them before.”

The state TV host added: “But it would be better not to take things that far. And this isn’t propaganda.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this year that there are “no limits” to Paris’ support for Kyiv, and added that “nothing should be excluded” when it came to providing Ukraine with assistance in the ongoing war.

In late February, Macron said that NATO members could send ground troops to Ukraine. He added that “we cannot exclude options” because “the security of Europe and the security of the French people is at stake here.”

Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via [email protected].