Russian State TV Urges Putin to 'Destroy' West, Says 'Real War' Starting

A Russian lawmaker appeared on state-run TV to urge President Vladimir Putin to "destroy" the West and said that the "real war" with Ukraine is starting.

In a video posted to Twitter by Daily Beast reporter Julia Davis, who is also the creator of the Russian Media Monitor, Russian Senator Igor Morozov is heard speaking about the ongoing conflict with Ukraine and said, "the phase of us conducting a special military operation, while Ukraine and the entire West waged a powerful hybrid war, is over. Today, we need to understand: The real war is starting.

"We can't show mercy to anyone any longer...we have to change our own perception with which we entered this special operation. All of them are fighting against us....We need to protect Russia, we need to save our people and to do everything possible to destroy the West."

The remarks by Morozov, who is also a member of Russia's Council of the Federation Committee for Foreign Affairs, comes as fighting continues between the Ukrainian and Russian military.

When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Putin referred to the conflict as a "special military operation," not explicitly a war. However, over the past several weeks, Ukraine has continued to work to push back Russia's military, forcing some troops to retreat and allowing Ukraine to retake control of some regions.

On Friday, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that after Ukrainian troops liberated the region of Izium from Russian control, a mass grave was discovered.

"No peace and freedom are possible where Russia comes," the ministry said in a tweet. "A mass grave site was found in the recently liberated #Izium 440 graves were revealed there. There are more graves in the city, as a police report. All these people died during the 6-month-occupation."

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced another military aid package for Ukraine, worth $600 million.

"In total, the United States has committed approximately $15.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration," the Department of Defense said in a statement. "To meet Ukraine's evolving battlefield requirements, the United States will continue to work with its Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with key capabilities."

However, during his remarks on the Russian state-run TV channel, Morozov criticized the U.S. and the West for "training" the Ukrainian army and "supplying them with weapons."

"This is no longer a hybrid war," Morozov said. "This is a real, open, modern war and we have to be ready for it."

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry and the U.S. State Department for comment.