Putin sparks more WW3 fears as Russia's most modern warship sets sail from Arctic base

Russian president Vladmir Putin has sparked WW3 fears after a warship left its Arctic base carrying dozens of hypersonic missles. The warship relies entirely off Russian-produced engines

Russia has sparked World War Three fears after its most modern warship set sail from its Arctic home - causing concerns for the West.

The ship, called Admiral Golovko, is armed with 6,900mph Tsirkon [Zircon] hypersonic missiles, officials have warned. Admiral left its base in Severomorsk in what has been described as "its first long-distance" deployment. The ship is viewed as special because it's the first in its kind to be powered solely by Russian-produced engines.

The Admiral Golovko, which is named after a Stalin-era naval commander, has marked a vital step for Vladmir Putin's country to become less reliant on foreign technology. A naval statement said: "The group’s ships set course for the Atlantic Ocean through the designated areas in the Barents Sea." It has been reported that the ship is holding “long-range precision weapons” for the months-long deployment. It remains unclear on Its routing around the British Isles.

The Northern Fleet said: “For this frigate accepted for service with the Russian Navy in December last year, this is the first long-distance deployment.” State news agency TASS said: “The main goals of the long-distance deployment are to demonstrate the Russian flag and ensure Russia’s naval presence in operationally important areas of the World Ocean.”

The vessel was laid down in 2020 and deployed in January this year. It has since participated in various naval exercises, including anti-aircraft and anti-drone drills, in the Barents Sea. “The frigate has successfully test-launched all types of armaments, including long-range precision missiles,” said Captain 2nd Rank Andrey Slavin. “Currently, the crew is ready to accomplish all assigned objectives in full in any areas of the World Ocean.” It is also armed with Kalibr cruise missiles.

It comes after a Russian vessel sparked a frenzy across Great Yarmouth after it docked with 20,000 tonnes of suspected explosives on-board. Residents in Great Yarmouth were left frightened by the "concerning" news following the arrival of the MV Ruby which has already been turned away from Norway and Lithuania. Beachgoers labelled the ship a "floating timebomb" because it is carrying fertiliser, known as ammonium nitrate, which could be lethal in some circumstances.

Shari Wharton, 61, said: “It’s not good dumping all this rubbish on Great Yarmouth. I would rather it wasn’t here. My house was rocked when we had the big bomb go off a couple of months after I moved here two-years-ago. Now we have got to put up with this ship which nobody else wants.” Jackie Shales, 76, of nearby Lowestoft who was beachcombing on Great Yarmouth beach with her husband Keith, 78, shared their concerns and said: “It is a bit worrying. It sounds like a floating timebomb which could go off at anytime. It is all very well saying the ship is safe, but how come other countries have turned it away? We seem to accept all sorts of things that nobody else wants. But it won’t put me off from coming here. I am too old to care.”