Putin's paranoid patriots: why Russians are wary of his brutal war

From high up in his block of flats, Aleksandr can hear the patriotic songs sounding around Moscow. He can seen the Russian and Soviet flags being hung from the lampposts. He watches men in uniform practise marching through the city's central thoroughfares.
As the city readies itself for 80th anniversary celebrations of victory over Nazi Germany, an advertisement has been pasted to the entrance of his building, seeking recruits to sign up for service on some of the same battlefields where the Red Army fought the Wehrmacht in the 1940s.
As much as President Putin has sought to draw a comparison between the Soviet Union's struggle against Nazism in the Second World War with its current and confected campaign of 'denazification' in Ukraine, that advertisement

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Metro

an hour ago

• Metro

If World War Three erupts this is the UK bunker we're all heading to

With the Doomsday Clock remaining extremely close to midnight and Donald Trump striking Iran after previously suggesting the US was on the verge of World War Three, tensions are extremely high across the globe. Last year, Britain's top general, General Sir Patrick Sanders, warned civilians could be conscripted to fight a war against Russia, saying the UK's military is much 'too small' to handle such a conflict on its own. General Sanders' remarks come nearly two years after he said Britain was facing a '1937 moment' – a reference to the two years preceding the Second World War. But if full-blown world conflict breaks out, AKA World War Three, there are several places across the globe which would probably be safe – one of which is located in the UK. Wood Norton, a tunnel network running deep into the Worcestershire forest, is easy to miss from above ground. Only a small radio mast and security banner is visible from ground level. Originally bought by the BBC at the beginning of World War Two, its initial purpose was to be a hidden base for the broadcaster in the event a crisis in London. Wood Norton is now used as a training base for sound engineers and technical staff at the broadcasting company. Its mast would continue broadcasting messages from the BBC if the UK were ever to go into crisis mode. Also referred to as PAWN, Protected Area Wood Norton, the site boasts several storeys of architecture underground. BBC documents released in 2016 revealed that the base would be utilised in the event of a grave attack on the UK. The facility is reportedly able to house up 90 BBC staff – including 12 news editors and sub-editors – and is even equipped with a ping-pong table. Peters Mountain, situated in the vast Appalachian Mountains, has beenused as an AT&T communications station for some time. You can even see an AT&T logo painted on a helicopter landing pad. It serves as one of several secret centres also known as AT&T project offices, which are essential for the US government's continuity planning. The centre can house a few hundred people, and according to Mr Graff, the bunker has received renovations costing $67 million in recent years. He stated that if an attack on Washington were to occur, it would potentially be used as a relocation site for intelligence agencies. The Raven Rock Mountain Complex, dubbed 'Harry's Hole' after President Truman who gave the project the thumbs-up, has maintained an air of mystery since its construction began in 1948, first opening its doors in 1953. Raven's Rock was constructed with the intention of being a 'centrepiece of a large emergency hub' according to Garret Graff, author of Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself – While The Rest Of Us Die. Boasting 100,000 feet of office space, the bunker could facilitate up to 1,400 people. The base also has two 1,000 foot-long tunnels as well as 34-ton blast doors to help reduce the impact of a possible bomb attack. The site was placed into standby mode by President George H.W. Bush in 1991 – however, $652 million worth of upgrades were added to the site following 9/11. According to Graff, the underground city was kitted out with 27 new fuel tanks in 2012, both carrying 20,000 gallons. Right now the bunker is thought to have 900,000 square feet of office space, as well as space for 3,000-5,000 government employees. However, family members wouldn't be allowed to live in the base. Mr Graff added: 'Families would have been prohibited from Raven Rock — as they would have been from effectively all of the Doomsday bunkers. 'Although in recent years as the veil of complete secrecy has lifted, family members of Raven Rock personnel are allowed to visit it for specific ceremonies. 'So at the very least, family members today can picture where their relatives will spend Doomsday, even as they're barred outside.' Cheyenne Mountain Complex, located in El Paso County, Colorado, is a defence bunker for the United States Space Force. Better known as the headquarters for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the site was built in the 1950s over paranoia about the Cold War. Its five chambers have reservoirs for fuel and water – and in one section there's even reportedly an underground lake. More Trending Almost $40 million was invested into the facility in order to kit it out with the best technology, including 15 console displays and three room-sized Philco 212 computers. The Cheyenne Mountain Complex costs $250,000,000 to run every year and can hold up to 1,000 people a month. It was on the brink of closure prior to 9/11 and was briefly put on standby mode in 2006, but the Obama administration revived the base and the Pentagon announced it would re-staff the bunker in 2015. A version of this article was published in February 2024. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: River Island's £32 flip flop wedges could easily be mistaken for £545 Gucci shoes MORE: Putin tells Russians 'the whole of Ukraine is ours' in 'disdainful' speech MORE: Neighbour 'killed couple on nudist ranch after being humiliated with a hot dog'

Daily Mirror

2 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

Putin hardliners call for Russia to 'take up arms' for Iran after US strikes

Vladimir Putin has been told Russia must send military support for Tehran following the US attacks on Iran nuclear sites overnight, with Russians urged to be ready for world war Hardliners close to Vladimir Putin have demanded Russians "take up arms" in a furious response to the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. US President Donald Trump sanctioned the bombings of three nuclear sites in Iran overnight, escalating the Middle East crisis further. Missiles were dropped from American B-2 stealth bombers, including on Iran's Fordow nuclear site, which has caused some Russian oligarchs to demand military support for Tehran. Oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, who runs propaganda empire Tsargrad, demanded: 'It's high time we helped Tehran with satellite intelligence, air defence, and missiles.' He accused Trump of mocking Putin by 'pretending to be peacekeepers' in the Ukraine conflict. Demanding military support for Iran, he declared: 'Two can play this game. Fate is giving us a historic chance. ‌ ‌ The Kremlin has yet to issue an immediate reaction to the attack by the US on Iran., with which Moscow has a 'comprehensive strategic partnership' signed by Putin in January. Despite no formal mutual defence clause, the treaty includes assurances regarding security cooperation and non-support for aggressors. Multiple Russian sources noted the date of the strike - the same day, June 22, 1941 - as Hitler attacked his former ally, the Soviet Union. Putin's former deputy premier and space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin, now a warmongering senator, said: 'Today is Sunday, June 22. America has struck Iranian nuclear facilities. 'The internationalisation of armed conflicts is evident. Their main provocateurs are two people - Zelensky and Netanyahu. Let's mark this for history.' He went on to claim Russians must be ready for a world war. 'Whether our grandchildren will be proud of their grandfathers depends on you and me, on our national instinct for self-preservation, on our readiness to take up arms, learn the high-tech rules of modern warfare and end it with a convincing victory,' he said. The one who is ready to go to the end always wins.' Former Putin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov - now a critic - praised an alleged US misinformation campaign ahead of the strikes. 'Part of the work to prepare the American strike was the leak to Reuters of 'information' about disagreements between Israel and the United States,' he said. ‌ 'At the very moment when the ayatollahs were rubbing their hands with glee, reading the report that [vice president J D] Vance accused Israel of trying to drag America into war, the B-2s were taking off." Other Russian outlets played down the impact of the strikes, stressing Iranian denials that the three nuclear facilities were destroyed, as the Trump administration claimed. There was only 'minor damage' at the Fordow facility, several reports claimed. Pro-Kremlin pundit Sergey Mardan warned that Putin's nightmare of a US bid to assassinate Iran's supreme leader was clearly now on the agenda. 'Earlier this week, several US officials told CBS News that Trump opposes Israel's plans to assassinate Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,' he posted. The Iranians, of course, can believe this. But only if they really want to. Then they will face more strikes.' One Telegram channel - On The Frontline - warned the likely Iranian response was 'a retaliatory salvo at American bases". It added: "The targets could be – US air bases in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. 'Yemeni forces have already announced that they will attack US ships in the Red Sea. Now they have a formal pretext. All logistics through Suez are at risk. The most severe scenario is blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Closing it even for 72 hours will lead to an increase in oil prices and potential disruptions in energy supplies to Europe and Asia and the likelihood of the US having to launch a naval operation to lift the blockade.'

The Herald Scotland

3 hours ago

• The Herald Scotland

Putin says 'the whole of Ukraine is ours'

Read more: 'Very disappointed': Trump continues to criticize Putin's war tactics during negotiations "Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours," Putin said. Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, condemned Putin's remarks, which he called "deranged." "Putin's cynical statements demonstrate complete disdain for US peace efforts," he wrote on X. "While the United States and the rest of the world have called for an immediate end to the killing, Russia's top war criminal discusses plans to seize more Ukrainian territory and kill more Ukrainians." The back-and-forth comes nearly two weeks after Russia launched one of its largest air attacks on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, in over three years of war. Read more: Russia launches one of Ukraine war's largest air attacks on Kyiv Contributing: Reuters Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@ Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @