WW3 warning issued as Putin stockpiles long-range weapons ready to attack the West

Vladimir Putin is stockpiling long range weapons which could be used against Western countries, the US has warned. Despite the war in Ukraine, the Russian military machine is producing missiles at an alarming rate that threatens European countries, it is feared.

The stark warning of a World War 3 jeopardy came from US Army Secretary Daniel P Driscoll in a meeting in Kyiv with Western diplomats, according to The New York Times. This threat was given as a reason why it is essential to tie Russia down to a peace deal in Ukraine, so – it was argued – reducing the risk that the conflict spills over into other European countries. The concern is that Putin’s burgeoning stockpile of long range missiles could deliver a knockout blow to Ukraine and then spill over its borders, said Western sources at the session.

While Russia is seen as unlikely to slow its arms production even if the war ends, a halt to the conflict may remove a potential justification for the Kremlin to menacingly unleash its missiles – a rising number of which are hypersonic – or drones on other European states.

Driscoll – a close ally of Vice President J D Vance – has strongly argued for Ukraine to conclude a deal now, stressing Moscow has the upper hand.Latest calculations are that Russia can produce almost 3,000 cruise and ballistic missiles a year.

“The launches are not keeping up with production,” Fabian Hoffmann, a missile expert at the University of Oslo told the New York Times.

But Hoffman also warned that a Russian victory in the war could spell danger rather than safety to other European states.

“If Russia gets away victoriously from this war, they might feel very adventurous in the future and have a massive stockpile of long-range armaments,” he said.

As if on cue, Putin today made clear Moscow had sufficient firepower to offer weapons to ex-Soviet states in the Russian-led CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organisation], so binding them to the Kremlin.

Speaking at the CSTO session in Bishkek, he said: “We propose launching a large-scale programme to equip the collective forces with modern Russian weapons and technology that have proven their effectiveness during real combat operations [in Ukraine].”

He demanded “increasing the combat readiness of national contingents and improving the command of the collective forces”.

Putin’s forces overnight once more carried on striking Ukraine despite behind the scenes efforts, led by the US, to seek a peace deal.

A man, 53, was killed in Sumy region as attacks once more hit civilians in their homes.

Russian strikes also hit Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions. A girl, 12, died from wounds sustained last week in Putin’s strike on civilians in Ternopil, which have now killed 35 people.

Ukraine staged a new oil refinery drone attack on Novokuybyshevsk, in Samara region, with multiple explosions thundering across the city.