World War 3 news: “World War 3 is already here”: No mushroom clouds, but here’s when it really began
World War III, as described by national security expert Mark Toth and former US intelligence officer Colonel Jonathan Sweet, is not like the global wars of the 20th century. “This third global conflagration doesn’t look or feel like what Hollywood envisioned. No mushroom clouds or apocalyptic wastelands. Rather, it is war by a thousand cuts, conducted across multi-regional and multi-domain battlefields,” they explained in an interview with the Daily Mail. The early stages of the conflict, they argue, were set in motion with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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The Hybrid Warfare of Today: A New Form of Conflict
The concept of hybrid warfare lies at the heart of the assertion that World War III is already underway. In today’s conflicts, battles are fought not just with physical weapons, but with a mix of cyberattacks, disinformation, and economic manipulation.
Toth and Sweet particularly point to Russia’s involvement in Ukraine and beyond as an example of hybrid warfare, highlighting Moscow’s use of paramilitary groups like the Wagner Group to destabilise regions across Africa, as well as its growing influence in space and cyberspace. Russia’s efforts to use disinformation, including troll farms and AI-generated deepfakes, spread across social media to manipulate public opinion and sow discord in Western democracies, further complicating the landscape of this new war.
In addition to the cyber front, Russia has increasingly relied on unconventional tactics such as espionage, sabotage, and covert operations, including arson attacks on logistics hubs in the West and assassinations of political opponents. As told to the Daily Mail, Toth and Sweet assert that “Putin’s ability to conduct hybrid warfare is arguably his greatest strength,” as he spreads misinformation and aims to weaken the unity of Western nations.Also Read: World War III: Why Putin’s nuclear threat is real- Russia’s former officer reveals alarming secrets
Kinetic Warfare: The Physical Battlefronts
While hybrid tactics dominate the global stage, certain regions are still experiencing intense physical warfare. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Ukraine, where the war continues to escalate, and the toll on both civilians and soldiers has been catastrophic.
Recent strikes using Western-supplied missiles have prompted Russia to retaliate with new weapons, including the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, a weapon capable of flying at Mach 10. Russia’s strategy is not limited to the battlefield; it includes the weaponisation of energy, as millions of Ukrainians continue to suffer from power outages as a result of Russian missile and drone strikes.
Putin’s military campaign also represents a larger geopolitical shift. The invasion of Ukraine, Sweet and Toth argue, signalled the end of the post-World War II order. “Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was the opening stage (of World War Three). It was his marker to the global community that the world order as it had existed since the end of the Second World War was no longer,” Sweet and Toth assert.
Elsewhere in the Middle East, tensions are rising in the wake of Hamas’ October 2023 attacks on Israel, with escalating violence in Gaza and Lebanon. Meanwhile, China’s growing aggression in the Indo-Pacific, particularly its increasing threats against Taiwan, has caused widespread concern. US defence officials have warned that Beijing may seek to invade Taiwan well before the decade’s end, making the region another hotspot for potential conflict.
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Great Power Competition and Ideological Divides
The global conflict is not only being fought on the physical and digital fronts but also in the realm of ideology. Former French President François Hollande has stated, “We are in a world war between democracy and authoritarianism.”
This ideological divide is becoming increasingly evident, as Russia, China, and North Korea align against Western democracies. Hollande emphasised that Europe must come together to defend its democratic values, warning, “Do we want to keep defending democracy? Are we ready to give part of our lives to uphold it?”
This ideological battle is compounded by the growing competition between great powers. Sir Richard Knighton, Chief Air Marshal of the RAF, noted that the West’s strategic advantage is eroding as countries like China modernise their military forces at an unprecedented rate. “We are witnessing a return to great power competition,” Knighton said, underscoring the urgency of shoring up defences to counter these emerging threats.
In this environment, the West’s military and technological supremacy, particularly in air and space domains, is increasingly under challenge. Knighton pointed out that “with the rapid advancement of technology and the economic, technical, and warfighting capabilities of other major powers, we no longer have total air supremacy.” This realisation calls for significant investments in military resilience and deterrence.
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Can the Global Crisis Be Averted?
Despite the rising tensions, some analysts remain cautious. Adeline Van Houtte, Senior Europe Analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, cautions that while the risk of escalation is high, World War III is not yet a certainty.
“The revised nuclear use threshold and the Oreshnik [missile] are most likely intended to send a message to the West, but a nuclear escalation remains highly unlikely,” she suggests. She believes Russia’s hybrid tactics, including cyberattacks and disinformation, are primarily tools of intimidation rather than indicators of an imminent large-scale war.
However, Toth and Sweet remain resolute in their view that the world is already experiencing the early stages of World War III, even if it is largely confined to Ukraine for now. “It’s already a World War, only largely contained to the borders of Ukraine – until August when Ukraine invaded Kursk,” they assert.
As the geopolitical situation continues to evolve, the question is not whether the Third World War has begun but how it will unfold. Knighton’s warning about the need for adaptation and strategic resilience is more relevant than ever. “The ability of a nation and its armed forces to adapt during a conflict is a key determinant of success,” he said, urging investment in defence systems and proactive measures to counter emerging threats.
