Vladimir Putin’s media loyalists have intensified nuclear rhetoric against Britain, with Kremlin-backed television commentators and propagandists claiming Russia’s new intercontinental missile could “wipe out England” in a single strike.
On Russian state television, self-described members of what one panel dubbed a “nuclear maniacs club” discussed the capabilities of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile — known in the West as “Satan-2” — amid renewed boasts about its readiness for deployment.
The remarks come as Moscow steps up its messaging war alongside the grinding conflict in Ukraine, where Russia has struggled to secure decisive battlefield gains despite heavy losses and sustained Western support for Kyiv.
The Sarmat system, a heavy silo-launched missile designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads, has been repeatedly promoted by Russian officials as a breakthrough weapon capable of bypassing existing missile defence systems. However, its development programme has experienced repeated delays, with officials previously announcing its deployment on several occasions, none of which materialised.
On air, Russian military commentator Col. Yuri Knutov claimed a single Sarmat launch would be sufficient to destroy Britain.
“One missile would be enough to wipe out England,” he said, according to comments broadcast on state television.
Other figures went further, suggesting Russia should consider what they described as a “demonstrative strike” using smaller tactical nuclear weapons intended to send a political warning to the West rather than escalate into full-scale nuclear exchange.
The rhetoric was echoed by prominent Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, who told viewers that Britain was “too small” a target for the Sarmat system, while also warning that Russia should not wait to act if tensions continue to rise.
“There are more and more of us nuclear maniacs every day,” he said during the broadcast.
The escalation in language has been accompanied by renewed warnings from senior Kremlin-aligned voices that Russia could be forced into extreme measures if it perceives continued Western military backing for Ukraine.
Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and now deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, also weighed in on social media, posting congratulatory remarks linked to the missile programme and warning of closer confrontation with the West.
Meanwhile, hardline commentator and adviser Sergei Karaganov — often referred to in Russian media as “Professor Doomsday” — has previously argued that Britain and France could be “wiped off the face of the earth” if they challenged Moscow’s strategic interests.
He has advocated expanding Russia’s nuclear posture in order to deter what he described as Western escalation.
The renewed rhetoric comes as Moscow continues to frame its war in Ukraine as part of a broader confrontation with NATO, even as analysts note Russia’s increasing reliance on nuclear signalling and propaganda messaging rather than decisive advances on the battlefield.
Western governments have consistently dismissed such threats as reckless nuclear sabre-rattling, but officials remain concerned that escalation in rhetoric could increase risks of miscalculation as tensions between Russia and NATO persist.
Leave a Comment