World War III is officially here…: Ukraine ex-commander claims N. Korea, Iran, China siding with Russia in conflict

‘Third World War has begun,’ Valery Zaluzhny, the former Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine, claimed noting that ‘two superpowers, Russia and the US being directly involved in the Ukraine war’ proves that. He highlights that currently the tension escalated beyond borders involving global players like North Korea, Iran, and potentially China.

“I believe that in 2024 we can absolutely believe that the Third World War has begun,” Zaluzhny said during an event, according to Politico.

He noted the involvement of North Korean soldiers, the use of Iranian drones deliberately targeting civilians, and the flow of North Korean and Chinese weapons into the conflict as clear indications of the war's broader international scope.

“Because in 2024, Ukraine is no longer facing Russia. Soldiers from North Korea are standing in front of Ukraine. Let's be honest,” he said and added, ”Already in Ukraine, the Iranian 'Shahedis' are killing civilians absolutely openly, without any shame."

Zaluzhny was dismissed from his military position in February following reported disagreements with Zelenskyy regarding war strategies stated that that the Russia-Ukraine war can be stopped, “on the territory of Ukraine. But for some reason, our partners refuse to understand this.” He also emphasised that ““With advanced technology, Ukraine can endure, but victory remains uncertain without greater support.”

‘West can't stop,’ Putin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile

The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Thursday in response to Kyiv's use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, President Vladimir Putin said.

In a televised address to the country, the Russian president warned that U.S. air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile, which he said flies at ten times the speed of sound and which he called the Oreshnik — Russian for hazelnut tree. He also said it could be used to attack any Ukrainian ally whose missiles are used to attack Russia.

“We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities,” Putin said in his first comments since President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light this month to use U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike at limited targets inside Russia.