Deranged Putin could unleash devastating ‘Hiroshima-sized’ blast to spark fresh Hitler-style land grab in Europe

VLADIMIR Putin has his eyes set on unleashing a devastating ‘Hiroshima-sized’ explosion as the deranged leader looks to cause chaos in Europe.

A desperate Kremlin could be set to use Transnistria, a pro-Russian region in Moldova, to orchestrate a deadly blast in an ammo depot so Russia can spark a fresh Hitler-style land grab.

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Deranged Putin is thought to be preparing to rig an ammo depot with explosives to send a chilling blast out in Moldova and towards Ukraine[/caption]

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The Kolbasna ammunition depot is a huge warehouse full of 20,000 outdated Soviet artillery, bombs, and other deadly explosives[/caption]

Fears are rising that Russia could use allies Transnistra – part of Moldova – to spark a fresh Hitler-style land grab in EuropeEast2West

Putin’s newest wave of tyranny will involve a huge warehouse full of 20,000 outdated Soviet artillery, bombs, and other deadly explosives that can be rigged to unleash a deadly blast, an expert warned.

Russia is already believed to have an unknown number of infiltrated troops and trained sleeper agents in the area of Kolbasna in Transnistria where the mammoth depot is.

Around 1,500 Russian soldiers are also thought to guard the Kolbasna ammunition depot daily to protect one of Putin’s biggest stash of war weapons.

These Kremlin cronies could soon get to work rigging up the warehouse – which is the size of 20 football pitches – with explosives to unleash a devastating ‘Hiroshima-sized’ blast.

The huge potential blast has the ability to rock Europe and distract the West from Russia’s oncoming attacks.

Sergey Panashchuk, a Ukrainian war journalist based in Odesa spoke to The Sun and gave a sinister warning of Putin’s potential plans.

Panashchuk said: “There is an actual bomb that can explode really hard in the breakaway region.

“Twenty thousand tons of outdated Soviet artillery shells, air bombs, and other explosives are being stored in a arms depot sized at 20 football fields in the village of Kolbasna – just 2km from the Ukrainian border.

“More than 60 per cent of them are outdated and could explode when moved. It is guarded by around 1,500 Russian soldiers.

“The explosion of the warehouse could be compared with a nuclear attack on Hiroshima and affect both Moldova and Ukraine.”

Russia won’t be allowed to send its troops into Moldova meaning they can’t perform conventional military ground operations.

But with the high number of potential undercover soldiers already in the Kolbasna region – known as Cobasna in Romanian– they could play a pivotal role in the operation.

The journalist claims Putin could end up using them to cause chaos and start up anti-government protests.

This can then lead to Russia attacking Moldova in the air as Transnistrian troops attack on the ground.

“Russia can strike Moldovan infrastructure with missiles and drones as Moldovans don’t have sufficient air defence to repel the attacks,” Panashchuk said.

“Under the cover of Russian strikes, the Transnistrian army can start ground operations. Both the Moldavian and Transnistrian armies are equally unprepared for ground military operations.

“The Transnistrian army is larger, around 10–15,000 versus around 5,000 Moldovan, and Russian air strikes could give them superiority.

“It may be crucial and lead to a blitzkrieg.”

Currently Putin has several thousand Russian troops in the entire Transnistria region as part of a so-called “peacekeeping force” since the end of Soviet times.

The area, seen as a hotbed of crime, corruption and smuggling, has a population of about 470,000 – about 30 per cent Russian.

With thousands of paramilitaries believed to be waiting on the ground, ready to take arms when the call comes in.

Transnistria has already pleaded for Putin’s help as the region has long been used as a “political bomb” by Russia.

Panashchuk said: “There is no doubt that the plea was orchestrated by Putin. He used the region as a political bomb that could have exploded at any moment.

“It was included in his initial plan at the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“Russian forces were supposed to get to the Transnistrian border and join the local army to encircle and smother Odesa.

“The Russian advance was stopped in Voznesensk, Mykolayiv region, around 150km from the border.”

East2West

Transnistran troops are thought to be part of Putin’s plan as they battle against Moldova on the ground as Russian air strikes attack from above[/caption]

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Transnistria is made up of a mixture of Russian, Moldovan, Romanian and Ukrainian citizens[/caption]

EUROPEAN CHAOS

If Moldova is badly caught out by the potential barrage of attacks from above and below then it could spark a terrifying period for Europe.

Hundreds of thousands of Moldovans could be forced to flee to Romania and across the continent for safety.

As the ones that are left could become severely restless and frustrated before they also leave their homeland.

Panashchuk continued: “Putin’s ultimate goal in this possible conflict is to topple the pro-EU government with President Maia Sandu and bring pro-Russian forces to power, so Moldova can be used as a bigger threat to Ukraine and NATO.

“Another reason why Putin has decided to play the Transnistrian card is to test the West and NATO, again.

“How long can he test the world’s patience, before he is stopped?”

Despite being backed by Russia, the Transnistrian army shouldn’t be too hard for Ukraine to deal with.

With Panashchuk saying the task could be completed “in a matter of a few days if not hours”.

But the use of the pro-Russian state by Putin is only a potential distraction for his much larger and more devastating plans.

Local opposition politician Gennadiy Chiorba claimed a Putin plot to grab Transnistria is already in progress, as part of the dictator’s re-election campaign.

This will give Putin a supposed “legal” power to step into Transnistria which has been in limbo since the end of the Soviet Union.

The dictator senses he could get away with a new annexation, say experts. 

Russia could potentially use the territory to move against the rest of Moldova and use it as a fresh point for attacks on the Ukrainian port of Odesa.

Moldova president President Maia Sandu last year claimed Russia was planning a coup in her country.

Chiorba warned Sandu of the Kremlin threat saying that “the psychology of the current leadership of Russia, in particular Putin, is very similar to the psychology of Hitler in the late 1930s…

“Attempts to appease people like Putin lead to only one thing – the growing appetite of the aggressor.”

If Putin gets his way and manages to storm Moldova, he could have the crucial upper hand in the Ukraine war and it could lead to Russia’s painful victory.

Something that could then potentially spark WW3 or even a space war.

The despot Putin warned the West is in danger of being nuked as he ranted at his annual state of the nation speech.

In his more than two-hour-long diatribe, sniffling Putin accused the West of trying to “destroy” Russia as he vowed to fulfil Moscow‘s goals in Ukraine.

Speaking before an audience of lawmakers and top officials, he also lashed out at the US, claiming it is trying to defeat Russia and “drag us into an arms race“.

Putin, 71, went on to insist western Russia must be “properly protected” after Nato welcomed Sweden and Finland into the military alliance.

The rambling tyrant claimed Nato forces are “preparing to strike out territory”.

Russia already has a collection of terrifying superweapons at their disposal.

The Russian leader has the hardware for every scenario imaginable and has assured the world his artillery is capable of mass destruction.

He previously bragged he will use nuclear weapons against the West if anyone interferes in Ukraine.

Putin has 5,977 nuclear warheads – the largest confirmed stockpile of nuclear warheads in the world.

In comparison, the UK has just 260.

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There is believed to be thousands of Russian troops in Transnistria and plenty of undercover sleeper agents near to the Kolbasna ammo depot to rig up explosives[/caption]