Putin readies a SECOND monster Yars nuke for combat – as pro-Putin MP threatens ‘hotbed of all nastiness’ London with missile strike
- Russian state media filmed Yars missile being loaded into silo on Wednesday
- More footage of a second missile being loaded was released on Thursday
- Ex-general told state media viewers that Russia should consider a nuclear strike on London ahead of hitting Washington DC
Russia has today issued a fresh nuclear threat to the UK after loading a second huge missile into a silo near Moscow.
Footage released by state media shows the Yars rocket, which can be tipped with a nuclear warhead and range all of Europe and the mainland US, being loaded into the ground at the Kozelsky base, 160 miles south of Moscow.
It comes just a day after more footage showed another missile arriving at the same base, and as a retired Russian general told state TV viewers that Russia should prioritise striking London over Washington.
Russian state media has released footage of another Yars nuclear missile being loaded into a silo to the south of Moscow
Yars missiles are capable of ranging the whole of Europe and the mainland United States from the Kozelsky base where they are being stationed
‘You don’t have to [strike] Washington first – it’s too far away,’ Lt. Gen. Andrey Gurulev told viewers. ‘London is next door…. Lonndon is the main hotbed of all nastiness.’
Vladimir Putin has been ramping up his nuclear sabre-rattling since declaring war on Ukraine back in February, with the West his main target.
Such threats have been dialled back in recent weeks after Beijing told him to cut it out, but are slowly building again ahead of Russia’s annual Strategic Missile Forces Day on 17 December.
The last time Russia showed off its Yars missiles was back in October when Putin oversaw the annual Grom nuclear drills.
Submarines, nuclear-capable bombers, and Russia’s nuclear missile forces all took part in those exercises – watched over by Putin in his nuclear command centre.
Colonel Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of Russia’s National Defence magazine, said afterwards that the drills were a rehearsal for destroying the UK and US.
Lt. Gen. Andrey Gurulev suggested to Russian state media viewers that Russia should consider striking London with nukes ahead of hitting Washington DC
Russia released footage of the Yars missile being transported a day after showing another missile being taken to the same site
A soldier of Russia strategic missile forces is seen in state media footage transporting one of the Yars nuclear missiles to its silo
Speaking after the latest Yars missile footage was released, General Gurulev said the West is hell-bent on seeing Ukraine attack Russia.
‘So why are we embarrassed to say that we should strike London,’ he asked.
‘I am not saying that we should demolish everyone. We should destroy critical facilities – control centres, military bases, and airfields.
‘I am sure we should have a catalogue in the General Staff and it is being updated all the time… Is it nuclear…[or not]?
‘If it is not nuclear, you have to calculate how many missile carriers, ships, aircraft, satellite constellation(s)…and long range [drones] are needed.
‘And a strike on London, strange as it may sound, would be the first and last warning to the [real decision-makers – Washington].’
The Kozelsk missile compound in Kaluga region is undergoing modernisation and a revamp, said reports.
The Yars is a modification of the Topol-M missile system, and was first deployed in 2009.
Vladimir Putin has been threatening to use his nuclear arsenal since starting war in Ukraine earlier this year, but has toned down the rhetoric after warnings from Beijing
Moscow carried out a test-launch of one of its Yars missiles back in October, when propagandists said they were rehearsing for a strike on the UK or US
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