Retired Russian General Yevgeny Buzhinsky sparked controversy this week when he claimed that Russia should deploy Poseidon nuclear-capable super torpedoes against the United States on Russia’s state television channel, Russia 1. In a conversation with anchor Vladimir Solovyov, Buzhinsky suggested that the Poseidon and Burevestnik missiles should be used against Western countries supporting Ukraine.
In January, state-run news outlet TASS reported that Russia had manufactured its first Poseidon torpedoes. These nuclear-powered drones have an unlimited range and can travel up to 80 mph. They are designed to carry a 2-megaton nuclear-tipped warhead or conventional munitions. According to TASS, the first batch of Poseidon ammunition is set to be delivered to the nuclear-powered submarine Belgorod.
During the discussion, Buzhinsky and Solovyov expressed their desire to see Poseidon in action, with the retired general warning that further involvement of Western countries in Ukraine could result in a catastrophic tsunami caused by the Poseidon torpedoes. Solovyov added that Great Britain would be no more in such a scenario, to which Buzhinsky agreed and emphasized that he was also referring to the United States.
The conversation on Russia 1 also included discussions of other advanced weaponry, such as the hypersonic nuclear-capable missile code-named “Satan 2” or Sarmat, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously boasted about. Solovyov mentioned that he would like to see Sarmat in action if Western countries continued to act “impudently.”
Guests on the show “Evening with Vladimir Solovyov” frequently discuss Russia’s nuclear capabilities and frame the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as a proxy war between Moscow and NATO. Francis Scarr of BBC Monitoring highlighted the casual discussion of apocalyptic nuclear combat on the program, who shared a clip of the exchange on Twitter.
Another totally normal evening on Russian state TV as Solovyov and Simonyan join military commentator Yevgeny Buzhinsky in fantasising about the Poseidon underwater drone causing a nuclear tsunami that engulfs Britain pic.twitter.com/kNigUAmMo8
— Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) March 14, 2023
In addition to discussing military capabilities, the conversation also included some political commentary. Solovyov jokingly referred to the close ties between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron. At the same time, Margarita Simonyan, the head of the RT channel, made a pun involving Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which was met with laughter from the host and guests.
While it is unclear whether Buzhinsky’s comments should be taken as official policy or simply provocative rhetoric, they underscore the high stakes involved in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. As tensions continue to rise, the international community must remain vigilant and work towards diplomatic solutions to prevent the potential escalation of hostilities into a full-scale nuclear confrontation.
