Russian state media has continued to pursue pro-war rhetoric as the bloody conflict in Ukraine rages on, with an MP appearing on a TV show to threaten Poland.
Host of state-run TV show 60 Minutes Olga Skabeyeva announced that Russia was now "forced to conduct the demilitarisation not only of Ukraine, but of the entire NATO alliance".
TV pundits are now routinely referring to Ukraine as "the territory formerly known as Ukraine".
The worrying announcement came after fresh reports claimed Russia's military was suffering "catastrophic" losses and is risking a collapse from within as morale on the ground wanes.
"I have some unpleasant news. Even though we are methodically destroying the weapons that are being delivered to Ukraine, but the quantities in which the United States are sending them force us to come up with some global conclusions," she said.
"Perhaps it's time to acknowledge that maybe Russia's special operation in Ukraine has come to an end, in a sense that a real war had started: WWIII. We're forced to conduct the demilitarisation not only of Ukraine, but of the entire Nato alliance."
Skabeyeva said Great Britain and the United States have also "all lined up" in direct opposition to the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Avatkov from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs chimed in, reminding viewers of Vladimir Putin's threat to Nato nations providing support for Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden this week announced a reinforcement of medium-range missiles was on its way to the embattled nation as it enters the fourth month of the invasion.
"You mentioned WWIII and the way Americans and Poles are acting on the territory of Ukraine — indeed, we need to remember the words of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, who said that anyone who tries to interfere in the special military operation will pay a heavy price," Avatkov said, before Skabeyeva interrupted.
"We never forget about these words of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, but a great number of people are already standing in line, trying to interfere in Russia's special operation on the territory of Ukraine," the host said.
"Turns out, we have to act — but we're yet to figure out how we can act without conducting a nuclear strike."
Russian parliament member Oleg Matveychev then sent a chilling warning to Poland, declaring its borders would be "worthless" if it chooses to intervene more directly in the conflict.
Skabeyeva chimed in: "I wasn't talking just about Poland, but mainly about Great Britain and the United States... they're all lined up."
The comments came after Russian Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev claimed Poland, among other unnamed nations, is "actively working to dismember Ukraine" by attempting to seize territory in the nation's west.
Meanwhile, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Andrey Kartapolov attempted to justify Russia's territorial push as the nation's "birthright", comparing the current conflict to wars in centuries past before encouraging Russians to continue to support the "goal that has been set by the Commander-in-chief".
"For us, the special military operation is just the first act, an introduction. The war that is going on right now... it's not just an economical war and info-war, this war is about our faith," he said on the TV show Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovyov,
"It's about our right, as the people, to have faith in what we want to believe, to love those we want to love and to live the way our ancestors would have wanted, on our land and by our birthright.
"These wars are not the first wars. In the 19th century — Napoleon, in the 20th century — Adolf Aloisovich Hitler, and every time all of Europe came at us.
"The same thing is happening now... It's a good thing that a realisation is coming, it's time to stop lying. Stop lying to ourselves, stop lying to our leader, stop lying to our own people. It's time to be responsible for our words and deeds and to move forward as one, to the goal that has been set by the Commander-in-chief."
Lawmaker Oleg Morozov wants to abduct a NATO-member def minister from a train bound for Kyiv. “He’ll wake up in Moscow,” he says, confirming to state TV host Olga Skabeyeva that he’s advocating kidnapping. Admittedly, this is the only way many people would visit Moscow today. pic.twitter.com/mMMQBZKoHb
— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) May 31, 2022
The development came after Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of Russia's Chechnya, threatened to attack Poland unless it agrees to withdraw its support of Ukraine.
Kadyrov, who calls himself a "foot soldier" of Vladimir Putin, has been accused of extrajudicial killings and has previously threatened to kill his opponents.
"Ukraine, Ukrainian is a done deal. What I'm interested in is Poland," said Kadyrov in a video posted on his social media this week.
"After Ukraine, if we are given the command, in six seconds we will show what we are capable of. You should better take back your weapons and your mercenaries. And beg official forgiveness for what you did to our ambassador. We won't just ignore it, bear that in mind."
Meanwhile, three more European countries -- Latvia, Estonia and Slovakia -- have joined an international investigation team probing war crimes in Ukraine.
Prosecutors from Poland, Lithuania and from the Hague-based International Criminal Court are already part of the team.
"Today is a momentous day that the [team] has three new members," ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said at the news conference alongside the Ukrainian prosecutor.
The ICC was "hopefully" going to open a field office in Kyiv in the next few weeks to have a more permanent base for its investigation in Ukraine, Khan added.
"We can't fly in and fly out," said Khan.
The ICC earlier this month dispatched the largest team of investigators in the court's 20-year history to probe suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
Ukraine's Venediktova said she hoped her country would handle "95 per cent" of cases but that some larger or more difficult ones could be dealt with by the ICC.
Russia's invasion and the subsequent discovery of hundreds of killings in places such as the Kyiv suburb of Bucha have prompted unprecedented international investigative efforts.
"Never in the history of armed conflict has the legal community responded with such determination," Eurojust President Ladislav Hamran said.
More than 60 fighter jets hit alleged missile production sites in Tehran.