Putin orders Russian army to become second largest after China’s at 1.5 million-strong

September 17, 2024 — Reuters reports: “President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the regular size of the Russian army to be increased by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million active servicemen in a move that would make it the second largest in the world after China’s.

In a decree published on the Kremlin’s website, Putin ordered the overall size of the armed forces to be increased to 2.38 million people, of which he said 1.5 million should be active servicemen.

According to data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a leading military think tank, such an increase would see Russia leapfrog the United States and India in terms of the number of active combat soldiers it has at its disposal and be second only to China in size. The IISS said Beijing has just over 2 million active duty service personnel.

The move, the third time Putin has expanded the army’s ranks since sending his military into Ukraine in February 2022, comes as Russian forces push forward in eastern Ukraine on parts of a vast 1,000 km (627-mile) frontline and try to eject Ukrainian forces from Russia’s Kursk region…”  Russia in Bible prophecy is the main instigator of death and suffering during Armageddon – Revelation 16:16.  Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39, which Dr. Van Impe proclaimed for sixty years, aided by Oriental and Islamic nations, bring total chaos and atomic devastation upon the world.  Worse yes, it’s just ahead of us.  Every nation he included in World War III is forming exactly as taught this global blood bath six decades ago.  The only good news is that the Rapture precedes Armageddon – Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth – Revelation 3:10.  Then our deliverance as believers – Revelation 4:1 and our joy because of missing Armageddon.  See the next report.)

Russia, China kick off joint military exercises, challenging US-led coalition

September 11, 2024 — Voice of America News reports: “Russia says it launched massive naval and air drills Tuesday that span a huge swath of oceans and involve more than 400 naval vessels, at least 120 military aircraft and upwards of 90,000 troops.

The large-scale military exercise, dubbed ‘Ocean-2024,’ includes forces from China and will run until September 16 with at least 15 countries invited to observe the maneuvers, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia pays ‘special attention’ to strengthening military cooperation with ‘friendly states’ and warned the United States not to try and outgun Moscow in Asia.

‘Under the pretext of countering the allegedly existing Russian threat and containing the People’s Republic of China, the United States and its satellites are increasing their military presence near Russia’s western borders, in the Arctic, and in the Asia-Pacific region,’ Putin said in a televised remark to Russian military officials on Tuesday. He said Washington and its allies are ‘openly declaring their plans to deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles in the so-called forward zones.’

Analysts say the joint naval and air drills are an effort by Russia and China to deepen military ties and counter increased security coordination between the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region…”

Putin draws new red line on long-range missiles

September 13, 2024 — BBC.com reports: “The headline in this morning’s Kommersant newspaper captured the drama.

‘Vladimir Putin draws his red line.’

Will the West cross it? And, if it does, how will Russia respond?

Speaking in St Petersburg, President Putin sent a clear warning to the West: don’t allow Ukraine to use your long-range missiles to strike Russian territory.

Moscow, he said, would view that as the ‘direct participation’ of NATO countries in the war in Ukraine.

‘It would substantially change the very essence, the nature of the conflict,’ the Kremlin leader continued.

‘This will mean that NATO countries, the USA and European states, are fighting with Russia.’

He claimed that, for missile launches into Russia, Ukraine would require data from Western satellites and that only servicemen from NATO member states would be able to ‘input flight missions into these missile systems’…”  A huge nuclear war is prophesied multiplied times in God’s Word.  Revelation 9:14 – 18 depicts Armageddon: Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.  And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.  And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.  And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.  And Revelation 16:16 tells of the longest and final battle of the ages.  See the next report.)

Moscow says Kyiv could become ‘giant melted spot’ if long-range weapons used

September 16, 2024 — SpaceWar.com reports: “Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday said Kyiv could be reduced to a ‘giant melted spot’ if Western nationals allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons to attack Russia.

Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, made the comments in a lengthy post on his Telegram social media channel.

The comments come after U.S. President Joe Biden earlier in the week suggested the White House may soon end its ban on Ukraine using long-range weapons against Russia.

Biden met Friday at the White House with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The two leaders again pledged their unified support for Ukraine but stopped short of issuing any clarity on the use of long-range weapons.

Medvedev, who celebrated his 59th birthday Saturday, also said in his post that Russia already has ‘formal’ grounds to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine after the latter sent troops into Russia’s Kursk region.

The comments come after Russian President Vladimir Putin this week told Western nations, allowing Ukraine to fire long-range missiles at Russia would equate to being at war with NATO…”

NORAD says it continues to track more Russian military planes near Alaska’s air space

September 17, 2024 — SpaceWar.com reports: “A Russian military aircraft was detected and tracked near U.S. airspace this past weekend in the fourth such incident in less than a week, according to NORAD.

On Sunday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, revealed that it had intercepted two Russian IL-38 military aircrafts flying in international space near Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ, in the fourth such reported incident in five days but was ‘not seen as a threat,’ NORAD said Sunday.

NORAD, the U.S-Canadian military alliance tasked with defending North American airspace, say the airspace in which the Russian jets were flying begins ‘where sovereign airspace ends and is a defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security.’

The string of recent interceptions began Sept. 11 when NORAD spotted a pair of Russian military aircraft operating in international air near ADIZ but also did not enter Canadian or United States sovereign airspace, according to a release on Wednesday.

However, Russian flights occur ‘regularly’ into the airspace known ADIZ with other recent interceptions in recent as July and May.

July’s incident arrived days after the Kremlin’s Defense Ministry claimed it had intercepted two U.S. B-52N bombers near the Russia’s borders just days prior.

On Thursday after the first release, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, called for a greater military presence in the region…”  (Russia preparing to fulfill Ezekiel 38:1, 2, 8, 16; Joel 2:3, 20, 30 for the Armageddon campaign – Revelation 16:16 – which will be fought against America, the EU and the entire Western World. Islamic armies will align themselves with Russia and China for holy jihad – holy war – Ezekiel 38:13; Daniel 11:40; Isaiah 17:1; Ezekiel 38:5-7; Psalm 83: 4 – 7.  See the next report.)

U.S. sounds alarm on Russian aircraft over Alaska as tensions rise over nuclear tests

September 26, 2024 — WND.com reports: “The North American Aerospace Defense Command has issued a statement stating Russian military aircraft were detected operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone.

The Monday statement goes on to say the Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and stayed out of both U.S. and Canadian sovereign airspace, which the statement notes occurs often and ‘not seen as a threat.’

However, NORAD said it is employing a layered defense network which includes the use of satellites, radars, and fighter aircraft, to employ response options in defense of North America.

On September 12, the U.S. Army deployed 130 soldiers as well as its rocket systems 1,200 miles southwest of Anchorage, to Shemya Island, in response to the increased activity of Russian military aircraft…”