Vladimir Putin has made a significant move, as experts fear it could escalate tensions into World War III.
According to the Irish Star, the Russian President has announced an increase in the production of hypersonic missiles - a move that comes amid mounting international unrest.
This latest military development comes on the heels of Iran’s retaliatory strike on American military bases in Qatar, which occurred on Monday (June 23).
The attack followed a U.S. decision to drop six "bunker buster" bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, a command issued by President Donald Trump.
The bombings, reportedly executed by Israel, were prompted by suspicions that Iran was advancing its uranium enrichment program in a bid to create a nuclear threat against Israel.
Iran, which maintains a close alliance with Moscow, has supplied drones used by Russia in its offensive in Ukraine.
Despite a ceasefire agreement taking effect on Tuesday (June 24), Russia is ramping up its military capabilities in what it describes as a defensive measure.
“Serial production of the latest Oreshnik medium-range missile system underway,” Putin said during a press conference.
The Oreshnik, also known as the Hazel tree missile, is a hypersonic weapon that Russia used during its assault on Ukraine in November 2024. One missile reportedly struck a defense facility in Dnipro, causing substantial damage, as reported by The Mirror.
The 72-year-old justified the missile campaign by accusing Ukraine of employing US-supplied ballistic missiles during former President Joe Biden’s final days in office. He also pointed fingers at the United Kingdom for allowing Ukraine to use British-made cruise missiles in attacks on Russian territory.
These hypersonic missiles have a staggering range of up to 3,415 miles, placing vast parts of Europe and even the western US within potential strike range.
Putin previously claimed the Oreshnik was “impossible to intercept” and capable of delivering destruction “on par with a nuclear weapon.” However, military analysts remain skeptical of those assertions.
American officials have brushed off the claims as hyperbole, noting that the missile’s warhead is still "experimental" and that Russia may be inflating the scale of its actual arsenal.
Adding to Western concerns, Moscow plans to station Oreshnik missiles in Belarus later this year. Belarus borders NATO members Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania, heightening strategic tensions in the region.
As rhetoric and military moves ratchet up, so too has public interest in nuclear fallout shelters.
Fallout shelters, unlike bomb shelters, aren’t designed to withstand explosions but instead offer protection from radioactive fallout in the aftermath of a nuclear strike.
Many of these shelters, once everywhere in public buildings across the US, remain in places like New York, Baltimore, Detroit, and Sacramento, though often neglected and unstocked.
A new map from TruePrepper.com has revived interest by cataloging hundreds, possibly thousands, of existing shelters across the country.
“The thicker the shielding, the better the protection. Alternatively, several yards of dirt will work, so many shelters are below ground,” explained Air Force veteran and survival expert Sean Gold.
He added that adequate ventilation, filtered air, and a supply of food, water, and waste management are crucial for long-term survival. Gold warned that if a nuclear strike ever occurs, you only have a few minutes to get to a shelter, and you may need to stay inside for months due to radiation.
Major urban centers like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and cities in Texas and Massachusetts still harbor numerous potential shelters. But others, such as Miami, Orlando, and Chicago, are far less prepared.
As fears of a broader conflict continue to mount, experts advise that now may be the time to reacquaint ourselves with these long-forgotten sanctuaries.