Putin’s TV cheerleaders rant that UK and America will ‘pay a heavy price’ for role in Ukraine war

Russian propagandists have claimed World War Three has already begun and warned that Britain and the US will be made to ‘pay a heavy price’ for interfering in the war with Ukraine.

In her latest sabre-rattling broadcast, state television channel Russia One’s Olga Skabeyeva effectively declared war on the UK, US and NATO and advocated for a fresh Russian military campaign extended beyond Ukraine’s borders.

‘Perhaps it’s time to acknowledge that Russia’s special operation in Ukraine has come to an end, in a sense that a real war has started: WWIII,’ Skabeyeva said.

‘We are forced to conduct the demilitarisation not only of Ukraine, but of the entire NATO alliance.’

Her outrageous statement came on the 60 minutes programme, which sees several Russian analysts, commentators and ‘political experts’ gather to discuss President Vladimir Putin’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine.  

Vladimir Avatkov, from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then delivered his own warning to Western allies providing support to Kyiv.

‘We need to remember the words of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, who said that anyone who tries to interfere in the special military operation will pay a heavy price,’ he said solemnly – but the threats quickly began to escalate even further. 

Russian MP Oleg Matveychev chimed in to declare that ‘Poland’s current borders will be worthless’ if it were to intervene in Ukraine, before the warmongering Skabeyeva cut in: ‘I wasn’t talking just about Poland, but about Great Britain and the United States… they’re all lined up!’

The presenter’s repeated calls for Russia to take on the West appeared too outlandish for Avatkov, who quietly reminded the panel: ‘No need to rush, there is a line… everything will come in time.’

But the outright call for war with NATO is just the latest in a string of bombastic Kremlin-controlled propaganda broadcasts designed to inspire patriotism in Russian citizens and turn the narrative against the West.

Last week, one of Putin’s chief propagandists threatened that Moscow will only stop its military push when its forces reach Stonehenge.

The laughable comment came during the weekly show of firebrand television anchorman Vladimir Solovyov – a.k.a. ‘Putin’s Voice’ – who has previously threatened to use nuclear Zircon missiles to bomb Britain back to the Stone Age.

In a new threat he told a Ukrainian pundit, who asked when Russia will stop its onslaught in the Donbas, that Russia’s forces may go as far as the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire because of British foreign secretary Liz Truss’ vocal support of Ukraine and her decision to provide Ukraine with weapons.

‘Well, when we have to stop, then we will,’ he said.

‘Where will we stop? As I was saying today, maybe Stonehenge.

‘Liz Truss says she’s the one fighting the war.’

Solovyov’s rant at Ukrainian political analyst Vasil Vakarov also saw him label Vakarov and his countrymen ‘Nazis’.

The Ukrainian told Solovyov that the Russians are poised to take strategic town Severodonetsk – the final Ukrainian held city in the Luhansk region – and will soon control both the Luhansk and Donetsk regions that constitute the Donbas.

He challenged the Putin cheerleader: ‘Where will you stop… When will you stop?’

Solovyov ignominiously suggested that Putin should go on and storm ‘Kyiv and Lviv’, before threatening to invade Britain.

For all of the Kremlin’s threats and claims of Russian military superiority, Putin’s forces are still locked in a painstaking battle of attrition in eastern Ukraine with no end in sight – though Ukrainian officials this morning reported Russia had managed to consolidate its recent advances.

Russian troops this morning had reportedly taken control of much of the industrial centre of Severodonetsk – the last remaining urban centre in the Luhansk region that was still held by Ukrainian forces.

If Russia captures the rest of Severodonetsk and its smaller twin Lysychansk on the higher west bank of the Siversky Donets river, it will essentially hold all of Luhansk, which together with the Donetsk region constitutes the Donbas.

The city has now been largely reduced to rubble, with nearly all critical infrastructure destroyed and 60 per cent of residential property damaged beyond repair, regional governor Serhiy Haidai said on Tuesday. 

Russian shelling has made it impossible to deliver aid or evacuate people, he added, before warning residents of the city not to leave bomb shelters due to what he said was a Russian air strike on a nitric acid tank.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence also said in its latest intelligence bulletin that Russian forces including Chechen fighters now controlled more than half of Severodonetsk after two days of intense street fighting.

Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council aid agency which had long operated out of Severodonetsk, said he was ‘horrified’ by its destruction.

Up to 12,000 civilians remain caught in crossfire, without sufficient access to water, food, medicine or electricity, the former UN Humanitarian Affairs chief said.

‘The near-constant bombardment is forcing civilians to seek refuge in bomb shelters and basements, with only few precious opportunities for those trying to escape.

‘We call on parties to the conflict to immediately allow all humanitarian organisations to access Severodonetsk with lifesaving assistance and to enable safe evacuations of civilians who wish to leave the city.’