Russian state TV demands Vladimir Putin grabs entire Black Sea coastline of Ukraine

Russian state TV is demanding Vladimir Putin seize the entire Black Sea coast of Ukraine.

Forces are making advances in the Luhansk region as military officials are reportedly planning to annex it.

This would mean taking a 300-mile-wide strip in addition to the currently occupied territory in the Donbas and Kherson regions as well as the entire Black Sea coastline.

State-run Rossiya TV highlighted the demand in a show fronted by Moscow's leading propaganda couple Yevgeny Popov and Olga Skabeyeva, aged 43 and 37.

Political scientist Vitaly Tretyakov told viewers that a 500 kilometre - or 310 mile - wide swathe of Ukraine should be controlled by Russia as a security “guarantee”.

An eldery man walks by a damaged apartment building after a strike in the city of Slovyansk at the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas (AFP via Getty Images)

Tretyakov said: “We need to go to secure our territory, apart from the DPR and the LPR, by at least 300km [186 miles]. And with a guarantee ... 500 km [310 miles].

“And remember that right now our western and southern airports do not work.

“You have to fly to Sochi by such a [complicated route].”

Russia has limited or banned flights from many airports amid fears that they could be vulnerable to attacks from Ukraine.

Vitaly Tretyakov, a political scientist, told viewers on state TV that a 500 kilometre wide swathe of Ukraine should be controlled by Russia as a security 'guarantee' (Rossiya 1 / east2west news)

So a Russian-controlled zone was needed to ensure that internal Russian flights can operate.

Tretyakov added: "We need to make these airports work with the same 500km [buffer zone].

“And we need to secure navigation in the Black Sea, which means that we have to take the Black Sea coast under our control. So that's where we need to get to .”

An eldery woman walks away from a burning house garage after shelling in the city of Lysytsansk (AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine’s other coastline - the Azov Sea - is already controlled by Pro-Russian forces.

Popov - a TV anchor and propagandist as well as an MP in the pro-Putin United Russia party - asked: “So by your theory, we should go as far as Rivne?”

Tretyakov replied: “If we don’t want to be killed? Then yes.”

Popov is married to outspoken propagandist Skabeyeva who this week claimed that World War Three has already started.

She said: “It's time to admit, perhaps, that Russia's special operation in Ukraine is now over.

“In the sense that a real war has started, World War 3.

“We are being forced to demilitarise, not just Ukraine but NATO as a whole.”