Kremlin insiders have warned that Vladimir Putin could order nuclear strikes to “wipe Ukrainian cities off the face of the earth” and assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky, as Moscow struggles to make gains on the battlefield.
The extraordinary warnings follow a series of military setbacks for Russia, with conventional missiles, drones, and ground forces failing to achieve Moscow’s objectives.
Kremlin propaganda outlets have amplified the rhetoric, with Col. Mikhail Khodarenok admitting in a broadcast that Russia’s four-year strategy is faltering and hinting that nuclear weapons remain on the table.
Russian propagandists even referred to themselves as the “Nuclear Maniacs Club,” highlighting frustration and a willingness to escalate threats to unprecedented extremes.
Analysts warn that while the statements are largely propagandistic, they heighten the risk of miscalculation and international tension.
Western officials say nuclear threats are a tool to intimidate Ukraine and its allies.
Military experts note that actual deployment would carry catastrophic consequences for Russia, suggesting the threats are intended more as psychological warfare than an imminent strike.
Khodarenok said: “The Ukrainian leadership will be faced with the question of whether the country will be left in complete ruins, or we move to some kind of peace agreement.
“The task isn’t solvable with conventional weapons, the ones we have, so perhaps we should switch to special [nuclear] weapons and end this conflict within ten days, by 1 May?”
Putin’s chief propagandist, Vladimir Solovyov said: “Welcome to our Nuclear Maniacs Club. I’ve been calling for this for a long time.
“If the [Ukrainian] leadership, the military-political leadership, certain high-ranking officials, political leaders, are hiding in underground bunkers, located at considerable depths.
“How can they be reached there, except with special weapons…?
“For me that the time has come when the use of special weapons should not be considered an out-of-the-ordinary occurrence.
“Because the conflict must be ended, ended as quickly as possible.
“This will save tens of thousands of lives.
“This will protect our country’s infrastructure from attacks.”
Solovyov warned: “Citizens living in Kyiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv, leave your cities immediately.
“They will be wiped off the face of the earth.”
