Rumblings about World War 3 are increasing a few days after Russian media made a very chilling statement. One TV news reporter said, “Russia is the only country in the world that is realistically capable of turning the United States into radioactive ash.” Earlier this month, a top Ukrainian official questioned why Russia doesn’t understand that the Crimea crisis is “the beginning of World War 3.”
Second Ukrainian military base falls
On Tuesday, the Russian army stormed a Ukrainian military base in Crimea, and Ukrainian solders barricaded themselves into the second floor of a building on the base. However, Kiev said they halted that attack and began negotiating the handover of the base back to Ukraine.
Now today, The Washington Post reports that Russian-backed forces have stormed a naval base in Crimea. They raised the Russian flag there after taking the base. Reports indicate that no shots were fired and that it was difficult for the attackers to be identified. Some witnesses said there were approximately 200 attackers who rammed through the gate in a truck. At the end of the raid, soldiers wearing unmarked uniforms guarded the gate of the base. Russia also took Ukrainian Naval Forces Commander Serhiy Haiduk in for questioning.
Witnesses saw some of the troops involved in the raid on the naval base leaving the compound wearing civilian clothes. A local self-defense militia reportedly took part in the attack and has pledged to continue raiding other Ukrainian facilities.
Russia warns the West of retaliation
Meanwhile, Russian officials are now warning the West of retaliation over sanctions the U.S. and the European Union have placed on certain Russian individuals. According to the BBC, Russian Foreign Minister Segei Lavrov issued the warning to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry via telephone. That warning came just hours after leaders of Crimea and Russia signed a treaty which annexed Crimea into the Russian Federation.
After the signing of that treaty, the White House said it would expand the sanctions on Russia. Moscow called the West’s sanctions “unacceptable” and said they “will not remain without consequences.” It did not say what the consequences could be, but some are worrying that we’re on the brink of World War 3 as U.S. officials warn Moscow not to push further into Ukraine.
