Putin Shows Off Chilling Convoy of Missiles in Moscow as Sweden Joins NATO

Vladimir Putin seems to have indirectly responded to the NATO acceptance of Sweden as a member state, as Russia marched a convoy of Yars missiles to Moscow.

Knewz.com has learned that the missiles are being transported from the town of Teykovo in the Ivanovo region of Russia to the capital, a 250-mile route.

The convoy of Yars missiles in Russia. By: East2West via Daily Express

Boasting Mach 25 speed, Yars missiles can cover around 19,000 miles in an hour, and have a range of around 7,500 miles.

The Daily Express described the missiles as “the core element of ground-based attacks carried out by Russia’s strategic nuclear forces.”

“The ‘march’ to the Alabino training ground in Moscow was ostensibly in preparation for President Vladimir Putin’s annual Victory Day parade in Red Square. The Victory Day festivities, which commemorate the defeat of Adolf Hitler in 1945, are often used by the Kremlin to flaunt the strength of Russia’s military,” Daily Express reported.

The Victory Day parade is to be held in Moscow in early May.

Russian soldiers in front of the missile convoy. By: East2West via Daily Express

“The ominous convoy of missile launchers comes after Putin was pictured taking a ride in a supersonic Tu-160M strategic nuclear bomber, the latest in a string of apparent attempts to use Russia’s firepower to intimidate Western nations,” the news outlet further wrote.

With Hungary, the final hurdle for Sweden’s acceptance into NATO, having finally approved the nation’s request to join the bloc, Russia’s move to hold the convoy seems to be timed just right enough to be dubbed as an expression of Putin’s hostile rhetoric towards NATO.

During a recent meeting between NATO and EU member states in Paris, French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron claimed that the Western bloc is considering sending troops to the Ukraine war, although the claim has been contested by other participants of the meeting.

Macron’s statement saw a swift retort from Russia as Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the move would lead to an “inevitable” direct conflict between Putin and the NATO states. “In this case, we need to talk not about probability, but about the inevitability (of conflict),” Peskov said, according to The Associated Press.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson previously claimed that the nation will reach NATO’s target of spending 2% of its GDP on military defense in 2024. By: MEGA

Sweden itself has been quite anxious about the threat Russia poses, as two top Swedish defense officials caused widespread panic after announcing that Sweden should prepare for a potential war in January 2024.

Speaking at the Folk och Försvar’ (Society and Defense) conference in Sälen, Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin urged citizens to join voluntary defense organizations to help the country prepare for “upcoming” armed conflict.

“There could be war in Sweden… The world is facing a security outlook with greater risks than at any time since the end of the Second World War. Are you a private individual? Have you considered whether you have time to join a voluntary defense organization? If not: get moving,” the Minister said, according to The Daily Mail.

“It is human to want to view life as you wish it was, rather than as it actually is… For a nation for whom peace has been a pleasant companion for almost 210 years, the idea that it is an immovable constant is conveniently close at hand. But taking comfort in this conclusion has become more dangerous than it has been for a very long time,” he added.

Putin’s decision to flaunt the convoy of Yars missiles could also be dubbed as a bid to further destroy Ukrainian morale as Russia keeps making significant advances in the war on several fronts. By: MEGA

At the time, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson claimed that the nation would reach NATO’s target of spending 2% of its GDP on military defense in 2024. And on Monday, February 26, NATO announced that Sweden has become the 32nd member of the alliance following a parliamentary vote held in Budapest.

On the other hand, Putin’s decision to flaunt the convoy of Yars missiles could also be dubbed as a bid to further destroy Ukrainian morale as Russia keeps making significant advances in the war on several fronts.

The Associated Press wrote in a recent report that Ukrainian forces had to retreat from yet another region, the village of Lastochkyne toward the west of Avdiivka. “The outnumbered defenders were overwhelmed by Moscow’s military might, and Ukraine chose to pull out its troops and mount a defense elsewhere,” the news agency reported.