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<\/p>\nWorld War 3 fears have erupted once more after Vladimir Putin ordered thousands of troops from Russia’s nuclear missile force to run “combat readiness” exercises.<\/p>\n
The combat drills took place in the Sverdlovsk region on Thursday and saw 3,000 Tagil Rocket Division soldiers being trained on the “highest degrees of combat readiness”, according to RadarOnline.com.<\/p>\n
Video footage of the nuclear missile division’s combat drills was shown on the Russian defense ministry TV channel, Zvezda.<\/p>\n
The clip shows thousands of soldiers training and Yars thermonuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles, feared throughout the world because of their massive 6,835-mile range.<\/p>\n
These drills reportedly covered several elements, including how to “maneuver on combat patrol routes” in the nearby Ural mountain range.<\/p>\n
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They also educated the thousands of soldiers on how to fight back against attacks from the West on Putin’s prized and devastating arsenal of nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n
The use of such weapons on Ukraine and the West would be a huge drastic step from the Russian president as it force NATO to immediately strike back in a scenario that would undoubtedly trigger World War 3.<\/p>\n
Vladimir Putin and Russia have increasingly found themselves with their backs against the wall as Ukraine significantly intensifies its counteroffensive, smashing vital Russian infrastructure in a bid to reclaim regions and cities from the enemy.<\/p>\n
It has led to fears the Russian tyrant could eventually resort to desperate measures by unloading his country’s huge nuclear weapon arsenal.<\/p>\n
He has been warned against making such a drastic move – even by some of his closest allies, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.<\/p>\n
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But last week’s meeting between Putin and North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-un in Moscow escalated fears the two allies with huge nuclear weapon arsenals may have grown closer.<\/p>\n
This comes with Russia and Putin suffering a massive blow after Joe Biden told Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky the US will hand Ukraine devastating long-range missiles dubbed the “wonder weapon”.<\/p>\n
The US president made the announcement to his Ukrainian counterpart in the latest round of crunch talks between the two leaders, three US officials and a congressional official familiar with the discussions told NBC News.<\/p>\n
It is a massive win for Ukraine and Zelensky who have long-pleaded for the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS.<\/p>\n
The weapon would give their troops the ability to strike targets from as far away as about 180 miles, hitting supply lines, railways, and command and control locations behind the Russian front lines.<\/p>\n
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Defense officials have however conceded the US does not have a large stockpile of excess ATACMS as they are more expensive to provide to Ukraine than traditional artillery.<\/p>\n
Joe Biden’s administration has significantly shifted its position on which it is going to send to Ukraine having previously been accused of being too slow when compared to other Western nations.<\/p>\n
The White House initially withheld approval for requests for the likes of stinger anti-aircraft missiles, Howitzer artillery pieces, anti-ship missiles, and HIMARS systems, before later giving them the green light.<\/p>\n