Category: Red Horse

The risk of a nuclear conflict is now at the highest point since the height of Cold War

Ricky Scaparo – June 15, 2022

The risk of a nuclear conflict is the highest it has been since the times of the Cold War, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The “SIPRI Yearbook 2022,” a report published Monday assessing the current state of armaments, disarmament, and international security around the world, stated that nuclear arsenals are expected to grow over the coming decade.

Despite the fact that the total number of nuclear weapons in the world has slightly declined between January 2021 and January 2022 (just before the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), the number is likely to increase in the near future, according to SIPRI.

Some 90 percent of the world’s nuclear arsenal is owned by Russia and the United States, with a total inventory of respectively 5,977 and 5,428 nuclear weapons as of 2022. The nine nuclear-armed states—the U.S., Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea—continue to modernize their nuclear arsenals.

The weapons that have been dismantled in the U.S. and Russia last year were already “retired” from military services, leaving the arsenal of useable nuclear weapons of the two countries virtually unchanged.

“Although there were some significant gains in both nuclear arms control and nuclear disarmament in the past year, the risk of nuclear weapons being used seems higher now than at any time since the height of the Cold War,” said SIPRI Director Dan Smith.

https://endtimeheadlines.org

Russian Pundit: ‘Next Comes World War III; Nuclear War Is Coming’

Eric Mack – June 5, 2022

A Russian political science pundit says the West boasting about the continued shipping of lethal aid to Ukraine is going to ultimately lead to World War III and nuclear war.

“[The West] talks about how many more weapons are being sent and how frightening these weapons are, they don’t understand what happens next,” political scientist Sergey Mikheyev told Russia’s Channel 1, according to an Express translation. “They all say ‘terrible weapons are arriving over there, they keep coming and coming.'”

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Newsmax in an exclusive sitdown interview in Kyiv this week that he has promised the medium-range HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) will only be used in Ukraine to defend their territory – and not to launch attacks in Russia.

“I know some of the people in the United States are saying, or people in the White House are saying we might be using them to attack Russia: Look, we’re not planning to attack Russia,” he said. “We’re not interested in the Russian Federation. We’re not fighting on their territory.

“We have the war on our territory. They came to our country. We want to de-block our cities.”

But the Russian pundit is skeptical.

“They promised not to use them a certain way, but most likely they will do it anyway, and that will lead to World War III,” Mikheyev continued. “Then we’re being told ‘calm down, comrades, everything will be alright.’

https://www.newsmax.com

100 Days, A Grim Milestone in the Russia-Ukraine War

JAMEY KEATEN and YURAS KARMANAU – June 3, 2022

GENEVA (AP) — One hundred days into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war has brought the world a near-daily drumbeat of gut wrenching scenes: Civilian corpses in the streets of Bucha; a blown-up theater in Mariupol; the chaos at a Kramatorsk train station in the wake of a Russian missile strike.

Those images tell just a part of the overall picture of Europe’s worst armed conflict in decades. Here’s a look at some numbers and statistics that — while in flux and at times uncertain — shed further light on the death, destruction, displacement and economic havoc wrought by the war as it reaches this milestone with no end in sight.

THE HUMAN TOLL

Nobody really knows how many combatants or civilians have died, and claims of casualties by government officials — who may sometimes be exaggerating or lowballing their figures for public relations reasons — are all but impossible to verify.

Government officials, U.N. agencies and others who carry out the grim task of counting the dead don’t always get access to places where people were killed.

And Moscow has released scant information about casualties among its forces and allies, and given no accounting of civilian deaths in areas under its control. In some places — such as the long-besieged city of Mariupol, potentially the war’s biggest killing field — Russian forces are accused of trying to cover up deaths and dumping bodies into mass graves, clouding the overall toll.

With all those caveats, “at least tens of thousands” of Ukrainian civilians have died so far, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday in comments to Luxembourg’s parliament.

https://www1.cbn.com

Russian TV warns that nuclear war is the only alternative to Russia obtaining victory in Ukraine

Ricky Scaparo – May 22, 2022

(OPINION) New threats of a nuclear strike were made on Russian state TV, as the head of state-controlled Russia Today (RT) Margarita Simonyan said on air that the war in Ukraine will either end with Russia’s victory or a catastrophe for all humanity.

“They all believe we’ll definitely lose, and the West will definitely win,” Simonyan said. “They say this, not understanding that it’s impossible. It’s just not possible, it will not happen. Either this ends badly for all humanity or we win. There’s no third option.”

It’s not the first time Simonyan made a nuclear threat on air. In late April, the RT editor-in-chief said that British support of Ukrainian strikes on Russian soil is leaving Moscow short of options besides the “complete destruction” of Ukraine and “a nuclear strike.”

On that occasion, there was no evidence that the Kremlin supported the threat made by the journalist on state TV. But the most recent comment by Simonyan comes as the head of Russia’s space agency has announced that Moscow will soon have 50 new nuclear missiles.

“The Anglo-Saxons are publicly calling on Ukraine to take the combat activity into Russian territory. And giving them the ammo to carry out that plan,” she said. “What choice are you leaving us, idiots? Complete destruction of what remains of Ukraine? A nuclear strike?”

There is no evidence that the Kremlin shares the same views as Simonyan on a nuclear attack, although it’s sure that Moscow is equally as annoyed with Britain for its recent statements in support of Ukraine.

https://endtimeheadlines.org

Israel to simulate striking Iran in massive IDF drill

ANNA AHRONHEIM – May 17, 2022

The IDF will simulate striking targets far from Israel’s borders with a large number of planes while simultaneously acquiring new targets on various fronts in real-time during its largest military drill in history.

The drill is unique and unprecedented in scope and will enable the army to maintain a high level of readiness in an ever-changing region, the IDF said. It aims to improve the military’s capabilities in an intense, multifront and prolonged war on all its borders.

During the drill, the IAF will practice striking targets far from Israel’s borders, while troops continue to contend with a multifront war on its borders.

The IDF is planning several military options against Iran should the nuclear talks between the West and the Islamic Republic fail, and it will practice one of the possible options during the exercise.

The military will also implement the lessons learned from Operation Guardian of the Walls throughout the entire month. During the 11 days of fighting last year, there was heavy rioting in those areas as well as in mixed Arab-Israeli cities such as Lod and Jaffa. Two people were killed, and several civilians were injured.

As part of the drill, the IDF will simulate scenarios in which there is rioting twice as violent as last year.

The military wants to be able to send troops before violence breaks out, and not in response to the violence, and it will work to keep roads open in areas in the Negev and in the Wadi Ara area of the North.

Thousands of soldiers and reservists are taking part in the drill, dubbed Chariots of Fire. All commands, including the IAF and Israel Navy and regular and reserve forces, will take part.

https://www.jpost.com

IDF opens largest training drill in Israeli history

ANNA AHRONHEIM –  May 9, 2022

As tensions boil over in the West Bank amid a string of deadly terrorist attacks in Israel, the IDF launched the largest exercise in its history on Sunday.

Thousands of soldiers and reservists will take part in the drill, dubbed “Chariots of Fire,” including the air force, navy and regular and reserve forces.

The four-week drill will simulate a multifront and multidimensional war against Israel’s enemies in the air, at sea, on land and on the cyber front.

“There won’t be a unit that doesn’t take part in this drill,” IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Ran Kohav said.

The goal of the drill is to improve the readiness of the entire military and examine the ability of troops to carry out a powerful and prolonged campaign against enemy forces. It will also reveal logistics and firepower issues that soldiers might face in a war.

The drill aims to improve cooperation between the IDF, government ministries, security organizations and civilian bodies, including their capabilities to transition from routine to a full emergency scenario with multiple areas that are constantly evolving.

A “cabinet” was also established to simulate the political echelon that would be an active partner in the decision-making process during war. The cabinet is made up of former reserve officers, including Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Yaakov Amidror and Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Gershon Hacohen.

https://www.jpost.com

US Says NKorea Could Be Ready to Conduct Nuclear Test This Month

Newsmax – May 6, 2022

North Korea has recently stepped up weapons tests and resumed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches this year for the first time since 2017.

It has not tested a nuclear bomb since 2017, but U.S. and South Korean officials have been saying for weeks that there are signs of new construction at Punggye-ri, North Korea’s only known nuclear test site, and that Pyongyang could soon test another bomb.

Punggye-ri has been officially closed since 2018 and Porter’s statement that the site could be ready this month was more specific as to possible timing of a test and was the first such statement on the record from a U.S. official.

“The United States assesses that the DPRK is preparing its Punggye-ri test site and could be ready to conduct a test there as early as this month, which would be its seventh test,” she told a regular briefing referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name.

“This assessment is consistent with DPRK’s own recent public statements. We’ve shared this information with allies and partners and will continue closely coordinating with them as well,” Porter said.

https://www.newsmax.com

UK Defence Secretary warns that Putin could declare World War III within days

Ricky Scaparo – April 29, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin could declare World War 3 in just two days’ time, according to the UK defense secretary. Ben Wallace said that the despot will “probably” attempt to “mobilize the Russian people” amid his failing “special military operation”.

Russian troops first crossed the border into Ukraine on February 24, claiming they wanted to “denazify” the country. Putin has also threatened to use nuclear weapons against western powers if they get in his way, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying the threat of nuclear war “is serious”.

Now, speaking to LBC, Wallace warns that Putin may ramp up his rhetoric in the coming days. He said: “I would not be surprised . . . that he is probably going to declare on May Day that, ‘We are now at war with the world’s Nazis, and we need to mass mobilize the Russian people’.”

“Putin, having failed in nearly all objectives, may seek to consolidate what he’s got . . . and just be a sort of cancerous growth within the country. “We have to help Ukrainians effectively get the limpet off the rock and keep the momentum pushing them back.”

It is believed Mad Vlad was once hoping to use the parade to declare victory in the war in Ukraine. Chilling pictures show the might of Russia’s military rolling through the cities – with tanks and nuclear missile launchers.

Eager Russians took selfies with the military vehicles and troops – even while thousands of their soldiers have been killed and hundreds of their tanks & aircraft blown up in Ukraine. Mr. Wallace told LBC radio’s Nick Ferrari: “I would not be surprised . . . that he is probably going to declare on May Day that ‘We are now at war with the world’s Nazis and we need to mass mobilize the Russian people’.”

https://endtimeheadlines.org

Iran threatens to target ‘the heart’ of Israel if the Jewish state makes ‘slightest move’ against it

Ricky Scaparo – April 18, 2022

The armed forces of Iran will target “the heart” of Israel if the Jewish state makes the “slightest move” against it, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi warned Jerusalem in a televised address Monday.

“If you make the slightest move against our nation … our armed forces’ destination will be the heart of the Zionist regime,” Raisi warned. He spoke as talks stalled in Vienna amid President Biden’s attempt to resurrect former President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran.

While Obama and Biden stated that their deals aim to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, critics like former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Ron Dermer have claimed that the Biden deal would put Iran on a glide path to nuclear weapons. Reporting surfaced last month that the U.S. may consider removing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard from its list of designated terrorist groups in exchange for regional peace.

Israel has opposed such a deal, and Israeli officials have said they will unilaterally do what is necessary to protect their country. “The Zionist regime [Israel], you should know that … if you take the slightest move against our nation, our armed forces will target the heart of the Zionist regime” Raisi said in a televised speech at a military parade to mark the national Army Day.

Troops marched in front of the podium where Raisi stood with army officers. Helicopters flew overhead and parachutists dropped down over the parade area near the tomb of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic state. The United States and Iran have been engaged in indirect talks for more than a year to rescue the pact.

Washington left it in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. But the talks were suspended last month over the unresolved issue of whether the United States might remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organization list, as demanded by Tehran.

https://endtimeheadlines.org

Russia Could Use Nuclear Weapons in Ukraine War, Zelenskyy Warns

Jay Clemons – April 15, 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sounded an alarm to the rest of the world Friday, warning that Russia could resort to using nuclear weapons in its war with Ukraine.

While appearing with CNN host Jake Tapper, Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin does not value the lives of Ukrainian citizens, and that he could potentially go to extremes to win this war.

“I think all of the world, all the countries, have to be worried, because it can be not real information, but it can be truth,” said Zelenskyy, when pressed if Putin would ever authorize the usage of tactical nuclear weapons on the neighboring Ukraine.

Zelenskyy added: “[The Russians] could do it, for them the life of the people [means] nothing. … We should think, not be afraid, be ready. But that is not a question … only for Ukraine, but for all the world.”

Zelenskyy’s messaging is a tangible shift from last month, when the leader characterized Putin’s threat of implementing nuclear weapons on Ukraine as a “bluff.”

Back in March, Putin ordered that his nuclear forces be placed on higher alert after Zelenskyy repeatedly called for NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

On Thursday, CIA Director William Burns echoed Zelenskyy’s weapons warning about Russia, while giving a speech in Atlanta.

“Given the potential desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership, given the setbacks that they’ve faced so far militarily, none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a potential resort to tactical nuclear weapons or low-yield nuclear weapons,” said Burns, the CIA director since March 2021.

https://www.newsmax.com