Russian State TV Host Admits People Were Wrong To Joke About U.S. Weapons

A Kremlin propagandist has admitted that Russia had underestimated the impact that U.S.-supplied weapons would have on Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

During an exchange on Russia's Channel One on Tuesday, anchor of Vremya Pakazhet (Time Will Tell), Artyom Sheynin, discussed with State Duma deputy chairman Pyotr Tolstoy the role that Western countries and their leaders were playing in helping Ukraine.

After Tolstoy spoke about the importance of Russia taking Odesa, Poltava, Sumy and Kharkiv, Sheynin responded that the likelihood of seizing these Ukrainian cities would depend on whether German Gepard tanks and French howitzers "end up there or not."

Tolstoy said that Russian forces had the capability "to burn European humanitarians with napalm along with their weapons" as he rejected the idea of negotiations to end hostilities. He was insistent that the only outcome to the war would be "capitulation to Russia" or "Russia's capitulation."

But Sheynin then called for Russia "to be honest and straight with ourselves", describing how "we joked for a long time about the Ukrainian army, but many no longer think it is a laughing matter," he said.

"We were joking about American weapons," he continued. "After getting to know HIMARS and 155mm projectiles up close and personal, it's not very funny any more when we see how they dismantle our warehouses and command centers with precision."

Sheynin was referring to U.S.-supplied weapons that have delivered considerable gains to Ukraine's forces.

Sheynin said that he understood the rhetoric of talking tough but that "maybe we will wrap them, but this wrapping isn't happening too quickly."

The exchange was tweeted by journalist Julia Davis from Russia Media Monitor.

"Russian state TV host destroys lawmaker's bravado about Russia's intent to take all of Ukraine and 'burn European humanitarians with napalm' by injecting a rare dose of honesty into the conversation," she wrote.

Ukraine's American-supplied weapons have been a bone of contention for guests on Russian state television. This week, it was reported that the U.S. will send Patriot missiles batteries to Ukraine, the most advanced surface-to-air missile it has provided Kyiv.

Host of Russia 1 program, 60 Minutes, Yevgeny Popov appeared concerned about the move in a clip tweeted by Francis Scarr of BBC Monitoring.

"We shouldn't underestimate these systems technical characteristics," said Popov, or the fact that that "on the borders of Russia, U.S. air defense systems are appearing."

The Patriots will help Ukraine address gaps in integrated air defense capabilities that have to deal with barrages of missiles and Iranian-supplied drones that have hit civilian and infrastructure targets.

Sean McFate, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and an adjunct professor at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs described their supply as a "major step up in U.S. commitment."

"The Patriots will provoke a Russian reaction," he told Newsweek in an emailed statement. "It will be diplomatic, but it's the U.S.'s most escalatory action to date."