A prominent Kremlin propagandist, Vladimir Solovyov, has issued a chilling threat against RAF pilots deployed to protect Poland, a NATO member, from Russian provocations. Solovyov falsely claimed France might supply nuclear missiles to Poland alongside its Rafale fighter jets, escalating tensions.
NATO has deployed Western warplanes, including RAF Typhoons, to patrol Polish airspace under the Eastern Sentry mission after Russia violated the country’s airspace with 23 drones last week. Solovyov mocked the deployment, saying, “The British want to die… RAF fighters will patrol Poland’s skies. Don’t run into the [French] Rafale [fighters]. Where will we bury you all?”
He further stoked fears by claiming French Rafale jets in Poland could carry nuclear weapons, admitting they currently lack such armaments but insisting they “can be delivered at any time.” Solovyov warned, “Paris, brace for a nuclear dawn. Every takeoff is the start of a nuclear war for us.”
The threats follow Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov’s claim that NATO is “at war with Russia,” citing the alliance’s direct and indirect support for Ukraine. Russia underscored its stance with strategic Tu-160 bomber flights over the Barents Sea during the Zapad-2025 war games.
Meanwhile, Russia intensified attacks on Ukraine, killing a 41-year-old man and injuring 13, including a four-year-old, in Zaporizhzhia, where fires raged. In Kyiv, Russian forces struck a shopping complex, with a follow-up attack targeting rescuers. A massive blaze erupted at an Epicentre logistics store after a reported Shahed drone strike. In Sumy, drones hit a gas distribution station.
