A key ally of President Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia could destroy all Nato countries ‘in half an hour’ – before warning against nuclear war.

The head of the Kremlin’s space agency also suggested that the Russian leader was aiming to defeat the West and remove Ukraine from the map.

Dmitry Rogozin, a former deputy premier, separately announced that a British YouTuber had been arrested by Russians in Kazakhstan – a claim Benjamin Rich denies.

‘Nato is waging a war against us,’ Rogozin, 58, said.

‘They didn’t announce it, but that doesn’t change anything.

‘Now it’s obvious to everyone.’

The hardliner added: ‘In a nuclear war, Nato countries will be destroyed by us in half an hour.

‘But we must not allow it, because the consequences of the exchange of nuclear strikes will affect the state of our Earth.

‘Therefore, we will have to defeat this economically and militarily more powerful enemy with conventional armed means.’

Ahead of tomorrow’s Victory Day parade – a key event in the Russian calendar, Rogozin also hinted that Putin would put Russia on a war footing.

It comes amid speculation that a mass mobilisation may be looming amid heavy losses in Ukraine.

He said: ‘Victory is possible with the full solidarity of the whole country with the army, the mobilisation of the state economy.’

Industry must be immediately forced to serve military objectives, he added.

Calling the invasion a ‘war’ – terminology banned by Putin – Rogozin insisted: ‘This is a war for the truth – and the right of Russia to exist as a single and independent state.

‘The very existence of a Ukraine separate from Russia will inevitably turn it into anti-Russia and a springboard of the West for aggression against our people.

‘That is why what we call a Special Military Operation goes far beyond its original meaning and geography.’

But he also contradicted Putin by saying ‘we are not fighting the Nazis in Ukraine’.

The Roscosmos chief said: ‘We are liberating Ukraine from Nato occupation and pushing the worst enemy away from our western borders.’

Earlier, he had announced that YouTuber Benjamin Rich, who has over 3.5million subscribers, was detained at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, with his Belarusian girlfriend Alina Zelupa.

Rogozin twisted her family name to give it a rude meaning, and implied that the pair could have been spying.

But, playing down the incident, Rich said: ‘Basically, I was questioned by Russian police for a few hours for going to see the Buran rocket without the special permission and given a 60-pound administrative fine just like hundreds of foreign adventurers before me.

‘The police also were nice enough to show me the closed town of Baikonur.

‘Currently lying in my hotel room watching TV and eating doshirak (instant noodles).

‘Hardly a gulag.’

He added that he had not been arrested.’

Russia-Ukraine war: Everything you need to know

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the country has suffered widespread damages and loss of life amid a major bombing campaign.

Millions of people have fled the country, with thousands of British people opening up their homes to Ukrainian refugees.

During the course of the war, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has remained in Kyiv, despite the Ukrainian capital being subjected to a barrage of bombing.

Zelensky has continuously pushed for aid and support from world leaders, as well as pressing for fast-tracked NATO membership.

Meanwhile, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has been widely condemned for his attack on Ukraine.

His actions have been met by harsh economic sanctions, bans from competing in major sporting events, and countries moving away from using Russian oil.

• When did Russia invade Ukraine? A war timeline of important events
• How can I house a Ukrainian refugee or family?
• Where to buy a Ukraine ribbon pin
• When did President Vladimir Putin come to power?
• Who is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky?
• What is Ukraine’s currency, language, and what does its flag symbolise?
• Does Russia have any allies and what have they said about Ukraine?
• What is NATO and which countries are members?
• How to talk to children about what’s happening in Ukraine
• How to cope with World War Three anxiety

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