One of Vladimir Putin's allies has claimed World War Three has already started as he called for Russia to launch a nuclear missile strike on Britain, France and Poland.
TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov told Russians that Moscow should target the West to disrupt NATO countries from sending supplies to Ukraine.
It comes as Britain is poised to supply Challenger II main battle tanks to Kyiv, in the first such move of the war.
France is shipping French AMX-10 reconnaissance vehicles, Germany is sending 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and the US is promising 50 M2 Bradley fighting vehicles.
Solovyov told his viewers across Russia’s 11 time zones: “There is a full-scale Third World War.
“We do not strike at the territory of NATO countries, because ‘then NATO will intervene’.”
But such supplies should amount to a “red line” for Putin, said the war hawk who the Kremlin leader is said to watch avidly on state TV.
He said: "Now they're coming in tanks….No matter how much Britain gives, for us, the red line should be simple.
“France gave what they call wheeled tanks…Poland made a decision, Britain made a decision.
“Therefore, any military target on the territory of France, Poland and Britain are legitimate targets for us to strike.
“We need to make it official….If necessary, then not a nuclear [weapon]
“And if necessary, then [we can use] tactical nuclear [weapons].
“Or should we wait until hundreds, thousands of tanks appear on our territory?”
He implied that unless Russia acts with preemptive strikes on these three NATO countries, they face being overrun by Western tanks and armoured vehicles.
His words come as Kremlin jitters on this subject are already clear.
This week ex-president Dmitry Medvedev, seen as a Putin lackey, read the riot act to Russian arms-makers this week, threatening them with up to ten years in jail if they failed to provide more frontline firepower with tanks and armoured vehicles.
Security council deputy chairman Medvedev - a former Russian president - issued the threat as he inspected the 61st Armoured Vehicle Repair Plant in St Petersburg.
“The tasks here are obvious, and they need to be promptly addressed, in no way allowing for the disruption of approved deadlines,” said Medvedev, reading from a prepared script.
He blasted failures to supply military equipment on time.
He said: "In the case of repeat violations, let me remind you that special criminal punishment has been introduced [under] the Russian criminal code.
“These are the new norms, and they have not yet been applied.
“But we must understand that if necessary, we will be forced to apply them.”
Putin has put Medvedev in charge of speeding up arms supplies, but his last attempt - shouting at the boss of Russia’s biggest tank plant in October - has failed to yield the required results.
Medvedev complained that the West was repairing and improving Soviet-era T-72 tanks for supply to Ukraine faster than Russia was doing with its own stocks.
He whinged: “I drew attention to information that our opponents have financed the modernisation of 100 T-72 tanks.
“I stress - not some foreign tanks, but T-72s, in order to supply them to Ukraine from the Soviet legacy….
“We must act faster, more persistently and more efficiently.”
