Russia State TV Questions Whether Putin Actually Has Nuclear Weapons

A Russian propagandist and close ally of Vladimir Putin is openly questioning whether his country actually has nuclear weapons that can be launched against enemies.

Vladimir Solovyov, the host of the Russian state TV program Evening with Vladimir Solovyov, admitted on air Wednesday that the NATO bloc's military and industrial potential "is completely different than what we thought" and will continue to pose problems for Russian forces.

"But at least we're holding exercises with our strategic nuclear weapons," Solovyov said in a video tweeted by Julia Davis, a columnist for The Daily Beast and creator of the Russian Media Monitor watchdog group. "I hope we actually have them. I hope at least in this, we're still capable."

He concluded his statement with an audible sigh.

Russia is expected to begin nuclear exercises this week that coincide with NATO's own exercises portion of the annual "Steadfast Noon," which began October 17 and will conclude October 30. NATO's exercises include no live missile launches.

John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, said on October 13 that U.S. officials were aware of Russia's intentions and that the exercises mirror those conducted in the past, consisting of live missile launches and deployment of strategic assets.

Nuclear escalation has ramped up in recent weeks, notably after Putin said Russia "will use all defense methods at our disposal" if it feels territorially threatened.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu recently told his Chinese and Indian counterparts that Ukraine was inciting panic with a "dirty bomb." The radioactive impact of a dirty bomb is minute in comparison to an actual nuclear warhead, says the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Ukraine Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov tweeted Monday that he spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Lloyd Austin about not reacting to Russian provocations, employing a "zero tolerance of blackmail."

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that "Russia would be making an incredibly serious mistake" if it used a tactical nuclear weapon."

"All of the Russian's signaling about dirty bombs...that's actually all part of an information operation design to degrade Western support for Ukraine and degrade political support for Ukraine," George Barros, an analyst on the Russia and Ukraine portfolio at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), told Newsweek.

Two days prior to questioning the viability of the Russian nuclear arsenal, Solovyov said on his program that nukes could be sent into space and take out Elon Musk's satellites.

Russia is fighting against "Satanists," Solovyov said in reference to Ukrainians. He parroted the words of Chechen Republic leader and Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov, who called the conflict "a jihad" and "a holy war."

Other Russian officials, including Aleksey Pavlov, assistant secretary of the security council of the Russian Federation, have referred to the "desatanization" of Ukraine due to an alleged abandonment of Orthodox values.

Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment.