A Russian state TV commentator has called for the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine, igniting fresh fears of nuclear escalation as the war in Ukraine continues. The comments came after a major Ukrainian drone assault on Moscow and amid Russia's vow to launch massive strikes on Kyiv.
Nuclear Rhetoric on State TV
During an episode of the political talk show One's Own Truth on Russian state television, military analyst Yury Knutov argued that Moscow should dramatically escalate its response to Ukraine's drone strikes. He claimed that Ukraine had effectively declared war on ordinary Russians, citing a statement attributed to President Volodymyr Zelensky. “They've declared a war against Russia's population, which is cruel, merciless and cynical,” Knutov said. He then advocated for nuclear weapons: “The way I'm seeing it, it's now time to move on to using nuclear weapons during the first phase. These could be nuclear munitions. We could use them to break their defences in a number of places.”
Drone Attack Sparks Debate
The remarks followed what host Roman Babayan described as the “most massive” drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region in the past two years. Black smoke was seen rising above Moscow's oil refinery after the Ukrainian drone strike. Babayan opened the debate by asking, “How should we respond? What can we do? Where can we strike so they no longer even think of doing anything like this?”
Differing Views on Escalation
While Knutov called for nuclear action, research fellow Gevorg Mirzayan appeared to shake his head, arguing instead for tougher conventional measures. Mirzayan suggested striking symbolic targets in Ukraine to demonstrate that Russia's threats carry weight. He warned that if the conflict continued to escalate, the West would face a stark choice: “You will have a nuclear war.” Another panellist, nationalist writer Nikolai Starikov, accused Kyiv of waging an “information war” against Russia, targeting the psychological state of every Russian citizen.
Official Kremlin Stance Unclear
The comments were made on Russian television and do not represent an official statement from the Kremlin. However, such rhetoric has become increasingly common on state media since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The discussion also included calls from State Duma deputy Boris Chernyshov for Moscow to make “certain decisions” to stop Ukraine's attacks, and from former politician Sergey Stankevich for a new nationwide air defence system.
