Russian state television has issued a chilling warning to the West, threatening a 'universal nuclear war' if NATO deploys peacekeepers to Ukraine. The propaganda push comes as Moscow's invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth week, with Russian forces facing stiff resistance and logistical difficulties.
On state-owned Rossiya 1's show '60 Minutes', host Olga Skabeyeva said that sending peacekeepers would lead to a direct clash between Russian and NATO forces, calling it 'World War Three'. Meanwhile, on Channel 1, retired Colonel Yury Knutov warned that Russia would be forced to use tactical nuclear weapons in the theatre of operations, escalating to strategic nuclear weapons and 'universal nuclear war'.
Russian MP and former commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel-General Vladimir Shamanov, called on President Putin to secure Ukraine's border with Poland. Presenter Vyacheslav Nikonov claimed that Russian truck drivers had spotted an accumulation of American and Polish troops at the border, alleging that Poland seeks to reclaim historically Polish territories such as Lviv.
The threats come as Russia's invasion continues to stall, with early plans for a lightning takeover failing. Russia has not updated its official death toll in weeks, and reports suggest Moscow has requested military equipment and financial support from China to circumvent sanctions.
