Putin sparks WW3 fears with uncommon missile check as tempers attain boiling level
Vladimir Putin has sparked WW3 fears after launching a rare live-fire missile test off disputed Japanese islands shortly after making a rare visit to the zone
Vladimir Putin has sparked WW3 fears after launching a rare live-fire missile test
Vladimir Putin has ratcheted up World War 3 tensions after ordering a missile exercise in a heavily disputed zone. Russia’s Pacific fleet flexed its military muscle off a chain of islands long claimed by Japan.
The provocative drill featured a deadly surface-to-ship missile system alongside a guided missile cruiser and a nuclear-powered submarine. The war games simulated a brutal barrage on enemy vessels, with missiles blasting targets nearly 200 miles away.
The fiery flex comes just days after tyrant Putin caused friction by making a personal appearance on the contested territory. Tensions over the chain if islands, known as the Northern Territories in Tokyo and the Southern Kurils in Moscow, have been simmering since Soviet troops seized them in the final days of World War Two.
The provocative drill featured a deadly surface-to-ship missile system alongside a guided missile cruiser
Russia has controlled the islands ever since, blocking a formal peace treaty between the two nations for nearly 80 years.
Japan reacted with fury to the military escalation. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said: “We cannot tolerate moves [by Russia] to strengthen military power on the four northern islands because they go against our country’s stance [on the territories].”
In a dramatic shift from previous diplomatic caution, the Russian leader used his high-profile island tour to mingle with workers, eat caviar and hug children in front of cameras.
The war games simulated a brutal barrage on enemy vessels
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi slammed the visit as “absolutely unacceptable.”
She said: “This visit can be said to have further hardened anti-Russian sentiment within Japan and made the medium- to long-term recovery of relations more difficult.”
The volcanic island chain sits off Japan’s northernmost region of Hokkaido, linking it to Russia’s remote Kamchatka Peninsula.
Relations between Tokyo and Moscow hit rock bottom after Japan backed Western allies following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and slapped heavy sanctions on the Kremlin.
Fears are now mounting over a sinister axis linking Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. North Korea recently test-fired a salvo of missiles towards the Sea of Japan, while Moscow and Beijing have stepped up aggressive joint air and sea patrols.
Russia’s drills are expected to rage on across the contested waters until August 29.
