Putin's ranting TV propagandist warns of war 'against Europe and the world' after Ukraine invasion and says 'there will be no mercy'
- Vladimir Solovyov warned of Russia waging war against NATO and Europe
- He said Russia's war is entering a 'new stage' and 'Ukrainians no longer enough'
- Russian state TV presenter questioned whether NATO and Europe will have enough weapons and people to defend themselves against Russia
By RACHAEL BUNYAN FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 22:31 AEST, 22 April 2022 | UPDATED: 22:35 AEST, 22 April 2022
prominent Russian state TV presenter has warned of Russia waging a war 'against Europe and the world' after the invasion of Ukraine, as he threatened there 'will be no mercy'.
Vladimir Solovyov, known as 'Putin's voice', threatened Europe and all NATO countries with war as he said Russia's war is entering 'a new stage', adding that 'Ukrainians are no longer enough'.
The Russian propagandist questioned whether NATO, which consists of 30 member countries including the UK and US, and Europe will have enough weapons and people to defend themselves once Russia's invasion of Ukraine comes to an end.
Vladimir Solovyov, known as 'Putin's voice', threatened Europe and all NATO countries with war as he said Russia's war is entering 'a new stage', adding that 'Ukrainians are no longer enough'
'I believe the special military operation is entering a new stage,' Solovyov said on the state-owned Russian television channel Russia 1.
'Ukrainians alone are no longer enough. Now they're talking about NATO countries supplying de-facto their own weapons. We'll see not only NATO's weapons being drawn into this but also their operators.
'De-facto, we're starting to wage war against NATO countries. We'll be grinding up NATO's war machine as well as citizens of NATO countries.'
Solovyov added: 'When this operation concludes, NATO will have to ask itself: Do we have what we need to defend ourselves? Do we have the people to defend ourselves?
'And there will be no mercy. There will be no mercy. Not only Ukraine will have be denazified, the war against Europe and the world is developing a more specific outline which means we'll have to act differently and to act much more harshly.'
The disturbing comments come as Russia today outlined plans to seize the entire Donbas and the south of Ukraine in the second phase of its offensive to create a land corridor stretching to Moldova.
The deputy commander of Russia's central military district, Rustam Minnekayev, said Russia planned to forge a corridor between Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula which Russia annexed in 2014, and the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.
The remaining Ukrainian fighters left in the port city of Mariupol are holed up at the vast Azovstal industrial facility which Putin has ordered to be blockaded, effectively condemning the soldiers and civilians inside to their deaths.
Mariupol sits between areas held by Russian separatists and Crimea and its capture would allow Russia to link the two areas.
The Russian propagandist questioned whether NATO, which consists of 30 member countries including the UK and US, and Europe will have enough weapons and people to defend themselves once Russia's invasion of Ukraine comes to an end
An armoured convoy of pro-Russian troops waving Russian flags moves towards Mariupol yesterday which Putin claims he has 'liberated'
A view of a Mykolaiv Regional Council building which was destroyed as a result of a shellfire yesterday as Russia continues to pound Ukraine
Minnekayev said taking control of southern Ukraine would improve Russian access to Moldova's pro-Russian breakaway region of Transdniestria, which borders Ukraine and which Kyiv fears could be used as a launching pad for new attacks.
Kyiv earlier this month said that an airfield in the region was being prepared to receive aircraft and could be used by Moscow to fly in Ukraine-bound troops.
'Control over the south of Ukraine is another way to Transdniestria, where there is also evidence that the Russian-speaking population is being oppressed,' TASS quoted Minnekayev as saying at a meeting in Russia's central Sverdlovsk region.
Ukraine's Defence Ministry denounced the plans announced by Russia to take full control of Donbas and southern Ukraine as 'imperialism'.
'They stopped hiding it,' the ministry said on Twitter. It said Russia had 'acknowledged that the goal of the 'second phase' of the war is not victory over the mythical Nazis, but simply the occupation of eastern and southern Ukraine. Imperialism as it is.'
Solovyov's rant about Moscow waging war on Europe and NATO countries just weeks after arsonists targeted his Lake Como villa and suspected activists scrawled 'killer' onto another of his seized Italian properties and poured red paint into its swimming pool.
Italian firefighters were called to put out a fire at the villa, reportedly owned by Solovyov, in Menaggio, one of the picturesque towns that dot the lake in northern Italy, earlier this month.
Police are investigating the fire as a suspected act of protest. The villa was under renovation and the blaze involved tires at the site, said an official who declined to be identified by name, citing official policy.
Solovyov's swimming pool was filled with red paint by unknown vandals in what local police suspect to be an act of 'protest'
The Russian state TV propagandist owns two houses on Lake Como that are worth a combined eight million euros, according to the Italian government that announced the property seizures last month
Solovyov owns two houses on Lake Como that are worth a combined eight million euros, according to the Italian government that announced the property seizures last month.
Police are also investigating anti-Russian graffiti at the second property, Italian state news agency ANSA reported.
'Just one team of firemen put out the fire within a very short time,' Como fire chief, Gennaro di Maio, said. 'There is hardly any damage, it was burnt tyres that gave off visible black smoke,' he said.
Solovyov has bemoaned EU sanctions brought against him and has seemed particularly offended by the prospect of losing his Italian holiday destinations.
The vandalized facade of one of the two villas belonging to Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov on the shores of Lake Como, Italy, seen on April 6, 2022
Pictured: The entrance to Solovyov's villa, with red graffiti sprayed by suspected activists. the word 'killer' can be seen sprayed down one column
At another of his properties - a large salmon-pink villa also on Lake Como, pictures showed the words 'killer' and 'no war' pained in red on the building's facade and entrance way. Red paint was also poured into the pool
According to the EU list of sanctions, Solovyov is 'known for his extremely hostile attitude towards Ukraine and praise of the Russian government.'
The EU says he was targeted because of his support for 'actions or policies which undermine the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.'
Days after Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Solovyov publicly lamented losing access to his multimillion-dollar vacation homes due to Italian-imposed sanctions spurred by Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
'Is this the Iron Curtain?' Solovyov opined on the set of his late-night program. 'I was told that Europe is a citadel of rights, that everything is permitted, that’s what they said.'
Pictured: Tyres are seen outside the villa which firefighters were called to on April 6. They said tyres were involved in the small fire
A general view of the villa owned by Russian TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov, after unidentified people attempted to set fire to it, in Menaggio, on Lake Como, Italy, April 6, 2022