Russian state TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin may soon order strikes on European NATO members as Moscow's war with Ukraine continues.
The Russia-Ukraine war has recently escalated following President Joe Biden's decision authorizing Kyiv to use U.S.-made weapons to strike targets inside Russia. Ukraine used U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike Russian targets including an ammunition depot for the first time last week.
Solovyov suggested during a recent broadcast that Russia's retaliatory attack days later on a Ukrainian missiles factory, which was carried out using experimental hypersonic ballistic missiles could soon be followed up with strikes on similar targets in NATO countries.
While pointing to German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall as a potential target, Solovyov warned that Russian attacks in NATO countries would come without any warnings to civilians, since the countries do not include "our civilians."
"You didn't like the strike on [the Ukrainian missile factory]?" Solovyov said, according to a translated clip shared by Ukrainian internal affairs adviser Anton Gerashchenko on X, formerly Twitter. "Do you realize that Rheinmetall could be next? [Putin] said that we will only warn civilians in Ukraine."
"We don't need to warn those [in Europe]," he added. "There aren't our civilians there. That means that something could happen to the NATO bases in Poland, Romania, Britain or anywhere from where those missiles that the Americans Ukraine at targets on Russian territory are supplied."
Newsweek reached out for comment to NATO via email on Monday night.
Solovyov followed up his warning of Russian attacks on NATO countries by bizarrely tying the threat to a Bible verse that suggests gay men who have sex have "committed an abomination" and "shall surely be put to death."
"This brings to mind the biblical 'they shall be put to death, their blood be upon them,'" said Solovyov. "That was said in reference to homosexuals, which has some relevance to the people who make various decisions in the West. Come to your senses a little bit, all of you."
Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov accused the Biden administration of undermining "a peaceful path" in Europe favored by incoming President-elect Donald Trump in a Russian TV broadcast over the weekend, according to German press agency DPA.
"During the election campaign, Trump talked about wanting to make peace in some way and was leading everyone down a peaceful path," Peskov reportedly said. "And now they are doing everything they can to escalate the situation in such a way that peace agreements are doomed to failure."
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he will be able to end the Russia-Ukraine war "within 24 hours" of taking office, although he has not provided any details of how this would be achieved. Critics of the president-elect have warned that the peace plan may consist of little more than convincing Ukraine to cede a large amount of its territory to Russia.
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