Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The increasing capabilities of Ukrainian forces allegedly make the Kremlin nervous.
A prominent Russian businessman aligned with the Kremlin has intensified fears over the war in Ukraine with stark comments about nuclear weapons.
His remarks come amid rising anxiety in Moscow over Ukraine’s growing military capabilities.
The statements add to a wave of increasingly aggressive rhetoric broadcast on Russian state-linked platforms.
Rising nuclear threats
According to The Daily Express, Konstantin Malofeev, a wealthy media figure and owner of the pro-Kremlin Tsargrad channel, warned that the conflict could be decided through atomic force.
According to his remarks in Russian media, “Everything will be decided by a nuclear strike,” as he urged swift escalation.
“It’s time to end this war [in Ukraine] now,” he said, according to the outlet, after stating that “everything will be decided by a nuclear strike.”
He claimed Russia would give civilians “72 hours’ notice in advance of a nuclear strike on Western Ukraine,” adding that “a strike of 20–25 kilotons will cause critical destruction and panic across the country […] The war will end within a month.”
For comparison, the “Little Boy” bomb, which was dropped on Hiroshima, had an explosive yield of 15 kilotons, and “Fat Man,” which was dropped on Nagasaki, had an estimated explosive yield of 21 kilotons.
Record losses in March
According to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, March turned out to be the deadliest month of the war so far for Russian soldiers.
More than 35,300 Russian soldiers were killed or seriously wounded over the month, and a large amount of military equipment and systems was destroyed as well.
According to both Ukrainian officials and Western analysts, Russian losses are now outpacing replenishment in the army.
Calls intensify
The remarks came after similar rhetoric aired on Russian state television, where some commentators discussed the potential use of nuclear strikes to destroy Ukrainian cities and eliminate President Volodymyr Zelensky, including in protected locations.
Military analyst Col. Mikhail Khodarenok indicated that the conflict could not be resolved using Russia’s existing conventional arsenal.
He suggested that so-called special weapons could be deployed to bring the war to a rapid conclusion within days, adding that their use should no longer be viewed as exceptional.
At the same time, television presenter Vladimir Solovyov issued warnings to civilians in major Ukrainian cities, urging them to evacuate while claiming those areas faced the threat of total destruction.
Sources: The Express, Russian state media, Tsargrad, televised broadcasts, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
