World war 3 alert: russia shows off terrifying new weapons

The Russian Defence Ministry released sabre-rattling footage shot from several angles of the first launch of the Kh-35 Uran anti-ship cruise missile. The images were taken from onboard the

modernised Smerch (tornado) fast attack craft. The Zvezda Kh-35 is a Russian turbojet subsonic cruise anti-ship missile. The deadly weapon's newest incarnation with a rocket booster, an

Uran, was unveiled in images broadcast by Russian state media shortly after Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu told a Russian newspaper: "We don’t need aircraft carriers, we need

weapons to sink them with." The same missile can also be launched from helicopters, surface ships and coastal defence batteries with the help of a rocket booster, in which case it is

known as Uran or Bal. The terrifying weapon is designed to attack vessels up to 5,000 tonnes. Tensions between the West and Russia have been on a knife-edge since US President Donald Trump

withdrew the US from a nuclear accord known as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).  READ MORE: NUCLEAR WAR WARNING: THREAT REMAINS THE ‘BIGGEST RISK’ TO HUMANITY Tensions are

also high in the Middle East as it was revealed on Thursday Russia is to expand its Hmeimim airbase in Syria as conflict rages in the beleaguered region. Moscow is expanding its military

capabilities in Syria and rebuilding a second landing strip to allow the facility to serve more aircraft, Russian news agencies cited an unnamed Defence Ministry official as saying on

Thursday. The ministry has also set up new buildings to house aircraft at the site that will defend against drone attacks, the official was cited as saying. Thirty fighter planes and

helicopters are currently deployed at the base, he added. The video of the first launch of the Kh-35 Uran anti-ship cruise missile was posted to Russian state news agency RT's YouTube

page, with users quick to offer their thoughts. One person said: "Respect for mother Russia and president Putin." Someone else wrote: "And that, comrades, is how you defeat

the largest naval military power in the world." Meanwhile, others were not so positive.  One user said: "Warmongering!"