Putin is preparing for war with NATO, experts warn

They say Putin is looking to enter into 'direct conflict' with NATO

The Institute for the Study of War has claimed that a whopping 300,000 people have signed up to the Russian Ministry of Defence since the beginning of the year.

This means that they are amassing 8,000 new recruits every week, with the insider claiming that some of these recruits are to build up Russia's strategic reserves that the country has been building since July 2025.

The insider, who has 'consistently provided accurate reports about changes in the Russian military command' per MailOnline, did not specify how many were joining these reserves.

The Institute for the Study of War said the reports "indicate that the Kremlin is not interested in ending its war against Ukraine but remains committed to achieving its war goals on the battlefield and may be preparing for a conflict with [NATO]".

"The reported creation of a strategic reserve as part of wider Kremlin preparations for a possible Russia-NATO conflict in the future, particularly as Russia intensifies its youth military-patriotic programmes that aim to recruit Russian youth into the military in the years to come," they added.

It comes after Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK would confront Russian jets that violated NATO airspace.

Speaking at a UN meeting on Monday, September 22, Cooper said British pilots were ‘ready to take all steps necessary’ in protecting the Western alliance from Russia.

RAF Typhoons were deployed on the Eastern Sentry mission after Polish skies woke to dozens of Russian drones entering the country’s airspace overnight.

Speaking at the meeting, Cooper further warned Putin that he risked ‘direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia.’

“These latest acts are dangerous and reckless at worst.

“They are a deliberate attempt to undermine the territorial integrity of sovereign nations and European security,” said Foreign Secretary.

She added: “Our alliance is defensive… we stand ready to take all steps necessary to defend Nato’s skies and Nato territory.

“And if we need to confront planes that are operating in Nato airspace without permission, then we will do so.”

Households urged to buy one crucial item to prepare for war

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Households are being urged to buy one appliance to prepare for the potential outbreak of WW3, or other mass disruptions like another pandemic, internet outages, and extreme weather conditions.

The government runs a website to prepare the public for national disruptions including war, extreme weather and cyber attacks.

As part of its list of advice for households, people are being told to buy one crucial item – battery or wind-up radios.

This is because this type of radio doesn’t need power from the National Grid, which may be disrupted during a crisis.

You can get a wind-up radio from Amazon here for your home emergency kit. And it can be used for activities such as hiking and camping.