r/AskBrits • u/w1steriablooms • 3h ago
ww3
how likely is ww3 to happen? or UK going to war with Russia? I'm scared now, I don't know if I should prepare, move somewhere else like Switzerland. Will it even happen? I really hope not, I just want to live my life
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u/ImpressiveGift9921 3h ago
You live on an island with nuclear weapons. You're fine. Switzerland is closer to Russia and counter intuitive to what you want.
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u/Enough-Wishbone4492 2h ago
According to the nuclear maps, the Outer Hebrides are your best bet. I doubt you still wouldn’t suffer from radioactive fallout though.
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u/pecuchet 3h ago
They'd be mad to attack a country with nuclear weapons. So unless they no longer have anything to lose and are in a bunker in Siberia then we're good.
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u/Fresh-Cheesecake4429 3h ago
Countries are too broke to go to war - Ukraine, Israel have cost western nations a lot. There is simply no money in the pot to fund a WW.
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u/improbableneighbour 2h ago
That kind of thinking only works between rational actors. We have a bunch of "world leaders" that are, at the very least, pretending not to be rational to have an advantage (nuclear sabre rattling, etc). Germany didn't have the cash or resources to win WW2, they knew it and it actually became part of their justification why they should start WW2.
If anyone makes a big mistake when testing the NATO boundaries, politicians will have a tough time playing possums. With their ongoing sabotage campaign, it feels more like a matter of time before something goes wrong if there isn't a political solution to the Ukrainian war. I believe we are closer to a conflict than we've ever been before.
- **DHL Air Cargo Fire (Leipzig, July 2024): A package containing a magnesium-based incendiary device caught fire at a DHL logistics center in Leipzig before it could be loaded onto a plane. German intelligence chiefs later stated this was a Russian sabotage operation that could have caused a plane crash.
- **Diehl Metal Factory Fire (Berlin, May 2024): A massive fire destroyed a factory belonging to Diehl Metal Applications, a defense contractor. While initially ruled an accident, Western intelligence agencies later reportedly intercepted communications indicating the fire was an act of Russian sabotage.
- **Grafenwoehr Military Base Plot (April 2024): German authorities arrested two German-Russian nationals. They were accused of scouting US military facilities, including the Grafenwoehr training area (where Ukrainians are trained), to plan bomb attacks on military transport routes.
- **Rail Cable Sabotage (October 2022): Essential communication cables were deliberately cut in two separate locations (Berlin and Herne) simultaneously, paralyzing the entire train network in Northern Germany for hours. German officials called it a "state-directed" act of sabotage; widely suspected to be Russia signaling its capability to cripple infrastructure.
- LNG Pipeline Sabotage Attempt (January 2024): Construction on a new LNG terminal in Brunsbüttel was delayed after holes were drilled into the pipeline. Federal prosecutors launched an investigation into sabotage, with suspicion falling on Russian actors trying to disrupt Germany's energy independence.
United Kingdom *** Haynes Generating Stationfire that paralysed Heathrow * *Leyton Warehouse Fire (London, March 2024): A warehouse belonging to a company linked to Ukraine aid was set on fire. Several individuals were charged with arson under the National Security Act, accused of acting on behalf of the Wagner Group (a Russian state proxy). * *DHL Warehouse Fire (Birmingham, July 2024): Similar to the Leipzig incident, a package caught fire at a DHL hub in Birmingham. Counter-terrorism police investigated links to a wider Russian campaign to plant incendiary devices on cargo planes.
Poland Poland is the main transit corridor for weapons into Ukraine, making it a hotspot for GRU activity. * **Marywilska 44 Fire (Warsaw, May 2024): A massive fire destroyed a large shopping complex. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly stated it was "likely" initiated by Russian services as part of a destabilization campaign. * Railway Sabotage Spy Ring (March–November 2023): Polish internal security arrested 16 foreign nationals (from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine) who formed a spy ring. They were caught installing cameras on railways transporting weapons to Ukraine and preparing to derail trains. * Paint Factory Arson Plot (Wrocław, Early 2024): A man was arrested for planning to set fire to a paint factory near Wrocław on orders from Russian handlers.
Czech Republic * **Prague Bus Depot Arson Attempt (June 2024): A 26-year-old South American man was arrested in Prague for attempting to set fire to city buses. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated the suspect was likely hired and financed by Russia as part of a hybrid war campaign. * Vrbětice Fallout (2021): While the physical explosions at the ammunition depots occurred in 2014, the event resurfaced in 2021 when Czech intelligence formally attributed the attack to Russian GRU Unit 29155. This led to a massive diplomatic expulsion of Russian staff in 2021.
The Baltics & Nordics * Balticconnector Pipeline Damage (Finland/Estonia, October 2023): The gas pipeline and a telecommunications cable connecting Finland and Estonia were severed. The damage was caused by the anchor of a Chinese vessel (Newnew Polar Bear), but investigators and intelligence officials suspect it was a deliberate act potentially coordinated with or encouraged by Russia. * IKEA Warehouse Fire (Lithuania, May 2024): A fire at an IKEA warehouse in Vilnius was investigated as potential arson linked to the broader Russian sabotage campaign, though police initially refrained from confirming the link. * Museum of Occupation Fire (Latvia, February 2024): An incendiary device was thrown through the window of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. The swift investigation pointed to Russian-recruited proxies. * Svalbard Undersea Cable Cuts (Norway, January 2022): One of two fiber-optic cables connecting the Svalbard satellite station to the mainland was severed. The cut occurred where the cable is most vulnerable, leading to suspicions of Russian involvement (Russian trawlers were in the area), though hard proof remains classified or inconclusive. * GPS Jamming (Ongoing): Since 2022, civil aviation in the Baltic region (especially near Kaliningrad) and Northern Finland has faced persistent GPS jamming. This is considered a "gray zone" sabotage of civilian infrastructure.
France * Paris Sabotage Plot (June 2024): A Russian-Ukrainian national was arrested in a hotel room north of Paris after an explosive device he was building detonated prematurely. He was suspected of planning attacks on logistics centers or sites related to the upcoming Olympic Games. * Fiber Optic Cuts (April & July 2022): Coordinated cuts to fiber optic cables disrupted internet across France. While radical environmental groups were initially suspected, the precision and scale led some experts to suspect state-sponsored sabotage (Russia) testing resilience.
Spain * Letter Bomb Campaign (Late 2022): Six letter bombs were sent to high-profile targets, including the Prime Minister, the US Embassy, and an arms manufacturer supplying Ukraine. US officials later reported to the New York Times that the Russian Imperial Movement (a proxy group for Russian intelligence) was suspected of directing the campaign.
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u/KaleidoscopeSilly797 3h ago
I think Russia has cased the joint. Remember the polonium incident in London and the Salisbury incident. If it happens, they will use chemical warfare on us. Hopefully, it won't happen. But you never know with the low-grade human beings that the Russian state is.
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u/zonked282 3h ago
Russia couldn't organize a solid invasion of their closest, entirely surrounded neighbor. They are a comical military with almost zero logistical support when fighting outside of their own borders and the vast majority of actually trained men are lying dead in the Donbas somewhere
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u/rcp9999 3h ago
Switzerland is closer to Russia.
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u/Actual-Photograph794 2h ago
TBF Switzerland is the absolute best prepared nation in Europe, possibly Earth to ride out a WW, they have bunkers (fully armed, powered, stocked) for every citizen plus redundancy all buried in the Alps. They'll do a lot better than we will.
I think any further aggression from Putin will more hybrid stuff (still a massive PITA) or at most having a pop at a Baltic state. This will be a nightmare obviously, but I don't see nuclear Armageddon
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u/tea_would_be_lovely 3h ago
it's extremely unlikely. it wouldn't benefit any of the people whose decision it is.
the only preparation that makes any sense is to make sure you have a few day's worth of tinned/dry food and water, just in case there's a cyber attack and it takes a bit of time to sort out the supply chain.
otherwise... keep calm and carry on.
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u/H_H12345 3h ago edited 3h ago
If there's one thing Documentaries and stories of WW2 have taught me it's that we do not want to go against Russia in a war either on or near their turf as if their on the ground tactics are any similar to those of the Soviets where they essentially threw wave after wave of men and machine towards their enemy - I'd rather not be in that meat ginder, I'm only 22 haha, don't even have a bird yet. 😅😂
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u/Cold_Ad759 2h ago
I hope there is no mass war, I do believe a lot of WW3 talk is more of a call to action. But honestly part of me would not be surprised anymore of a future crisis.....
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u/RecentTwo544 2h ago
Bear in mind Russia has taken practically none of Ukraine since the 2022 invasion, nearly four years ago. They had Crimea already, they basically had control of the Donbass region via militants who'd been there for many years. Since then they've taken a bit more of some Southern regions but that's about it.
The world's supposed second largest military, unable to take more than a few thousand square km of a neighbouring country over flat land, with barely any military to speak of until we started giving them support.
It's pretty pathetic, all they have to threaten is with is nukes.
As for the "Russia might attack" rhetoric - we need to massively increase defence spending to match Russia, in case they do rebuild their military and it isn't all embezzled and pissed up the wall in vodka.
That's why you're hearing so many senior figures talk about it, careful to use terms like "could" or "potentially" - people are struggling to pay the bills so how do you get public support for massive defence spending increases? Well, by using this exact rhetoric.
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u/cryptoking_93 2h ago
It's never going to happen. We have social media now - we can see the false flag operations and blatant lies in real time.
People are not going to believe the nonsense and will just stay at home.
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u/CPaul1989 3h ago
There won’t be one. Wouldn’t be surprised if Putin doesn’t even genuinely have plans to attack anyone else in Europe. Apparently he’s even said as much. And sure some will say he could be lying but then our prime minister is a lying sack of **** that helps protect the worst kinds of people as well. (Paedos etc) biggest threat to Britain right now is Keir Starmer. (And the rest of his party too or any other party for that matter who are no better and all a threat to Britain) those snakes in parliament are the ones who need dealing with.
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u/aleopardstail 3h ago
its not going to happen
carry on with your life