A prominent Kremlin oligarch and propagandist has warned that Vladimir Putin will unleash nuclear destruction on Ukraine, citing the threat of new Ukrainian ballistic missiles capable of striking Moscow.
Konstantin Malofeev, owner of the hardline Tsargrad channel, urged Putin to press the nuclear button, stating: “Everything will be decided by a nuclear strike.” He claimed Russia would give 72 hours' notice before a 20–25 kiloton strike on western Ukraine, predicting the war would end within a month.
Malofeev compared a potential nuclear strike to the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, arguing that such a move could save lives. His comments follow similar rhetoric from other pro-Kremlin figures, including a state TV segment where pundits called themselves the “Nuclear Maniacs Club” and advocated wiping Ukrainian cities off the map.
The warnings come as Ukraine's new home-produced FP-9 ballistic missile, with a range of 530 miles, is expected to be operational within weeks. Its designer highlighted the FSB headquarters at Lubyanka near the Kremlin as a potential target, raising concerns for Putin's annual Victory Day parade on 9 May.
Despite the threats, the Kremlin insists the parade will proceed as planned. Malofeev also forecast a future puppet leader in Ukraine and public executions of what he termed “Bandera leaders”, echoing Kremlin propaganda.
