Vladimir Putin issues World War 3 warning to Donald Trump as Russia shows off nuclear missiles

has staged a show of 's nuclear strength by placing a ballistic missile into its launcher shortly before ’s re-election.

The move hints at a warning by the Russian leader, who ordered the hulking Yars intercontinental ballistic missile into a silo launcher at Russia's Kozelsk missile unit in Kaluga.

Yars missiles are made up of six small-class warheads, each with a power of more than 100 kilotons, making them six times more powerful than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima. They also have a range of up to 7,500 miles, enabling strikes on the US as well as Europe.

Russian defence ministry’s channel, Zvezda, showed the 19,000mph missile, designed to lay waste to the West, being put into place using a special transport and loading unit after crawling to the secret site at a speed of less than 12mph.

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Yars missiles are currently the main element of the ground-based component of the Russian strategic nuclear force.

The latest drills follow Trump’s re-election amid deep strains in relations between and the NATO countries over Putin’s war against .

While there was an assumption that Moscow preferred Trump to his opponent Kamala Harris, Putin has not officially congratulated the US president-elect. On Wednesday, Putin’s spokesman said of the US: “Let us not forget that we are talking about an unfriendly country that is both directly and indirectly involved in a war against our nation.”

Some reports suggested that Putin did offer congratulations to Trump via a back channel communication route.

Putin's missile comes shortly after US showcased its own following - by launching their own hypersonic nuclear missile.

The unarmed Minuteman III (ICBM) soared from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Tuesday night at around 11pm, according to the Air Force Global Strike Command. The move is part of a routine activity intended to demonstrate the US' nuclear deterrent is "safe, secure, reliable and effective to deter 21st century threats".

“These tests are demonstrative of what Striker Airmen bring to the fight if called by the president,” said Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, commander, Air Force Global Strike Command. “An airborne launch validates the survivability of our ICBMs, which serve as the strategic backstop of our nation’s defense and defense of allies and partners.”