Russian nationalist media tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev urged President Vladimir Putin to launch a nuclear strike on Ukraine after a 72-hour evacuation warning, while insisting Russians were “good people” who did not want to kill Ukrainians.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the owner of the pro-Kremlin Tsargrad channel proposed an ultimatum threatening nuclear attacks on sites holding Western weapons in western Ukraine.
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Malofeyev argued that the warning would allow civilians to leave before the strike. He presented the proposed attack as a means of ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“We are Christians, we are good people,” he said, describing Ukrainians as fellow Slavs and insisting Russians did not want to kill them.
Morgan challenged that argument: “Good people don’t invade their neighbors.”
Asked to identify something he criticized Putin for, Malofeyev pointed to the Russian leader’s failure to use nuclear weapons.
“And I criticize him for that,” he said.
Earlier call for a tactical nuclear attack
The remarks were not Malofeyev’s first public appeal for a nuclear strike.
In April, he urged the use of tactical nuclear weapons after Ukrainian arms manufacturer Denys Shtilerman discussed developing ballistic missiles capable of reaching Moscow, The Moscow Times reported.
Writing for Tsargrad, Malofeyev expressed concern about potential strikes on the headquarters of Russia’s Federal Security Service, the military’s General Staff and defense manufacturer Almaz-Antey.
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He proposed a nuclear strike on western Ukraine after a 72-hour warning, followed by what he called “denazification,” including public executions of Ukrainian nationalist leaders and officials working for military recruitment centers.
Kyiv Post previously examined Malofeyev’s imperial ambitions, including his relationship with former Russian intelligence officer Igor Girkin and their role in promoting Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Marriage to official wanted by the ICC
Malofeyev is married to Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova. He publicly confirmed their marriage in September 2024.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova in March 2023 over their alleged responsibility for the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied territory to Russia.
The warrants concern alleged war crimes and do not constitute convictions. Kyiv Post’s examination of the deportations details the evidence and accountability efforts surrounding Russia’s removal of Ukrainian children.
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