'World War 3 has begun': Terrifying warning from Ukraine's former military chief who says North Korea, Iran and China are now openly standing beside Putin

Ukraine's erstwhile subject main has warned that World War Three is already underway - with Vladimir Putin's autocratic allies, North Korea, Iran and China, openly supporting his forces connected the battlefield.

Valery Zaluzhny, who is present Ukraine's envoy to the United Kingdom, told the UP100 grant ceremonial successful Kyiv: 'I judge that successful 2024 we tin perfectly judge that the Third World War has begun.'

The General said that arsenic of this year, 'Ukraine is nary longer facing Russia. Soldiers from North Korea are lasting successful beforehand of Ukraine.'

He made the comments aft reports emerged that astir 10,000 soldiers had been sent by Pyongyang to combat alongside Russian troops successful the Kursk region, arsenic Moscow aims to replenish its forces and reclaim the territory taken from it 3 months ago. 

Zaluzhny went connected to item the enactment Putin's armies had received from Tehran, which has sent thousands of Shahed onslaught drones to Moscow and besides assisted it with the exertion to physique the drones itself, according to reports.

More than 8,000 Iran-developed drones person been launched since the warfare began 2 and a fractional years ago, Kyiv said successful September, with galore targeting civilian homes arsenic good arsenic subject targets.

'Let's beryllium honest. Already successful Ukraine, the Iranian 'Shahedis' are sidesplitting civilians perfectly openly, without immoderate shame,' Zaluzhny said, adding that Chinese and North Korean weapons were besides being utilized against his country.

It comes aft Moscow's ambassador to the UK declared that Britain is present 'directly involved' successful the warfare aft Kyiv's Storm Shadow onslaught connected Russian territory.

Asked if the UK is 'at war', the PM told BBC section radio: 'We're not astatine war, but Ukraine surely is.' Sir Keir slammed Putin's 'irresponsible rhetoric'. 

'Russia is the aggressor,' helium said. 'This warfare could extremity contiguous if Putin stopped being the aggressor.'

As Russia continues to gully connected enactment from its allies successful presumption of weaponry and manpower, Kyiv continues to property its occidental backers for subject aid.

An onslaught connected Kursk earlier this week is believed to beryllium the archetypal clip Ukraine has utilized British Storm Shadows to onslaught into Russia, aft the US acceptable precedent with support for usage of ATACMS long-range missiles against Russian targets.

While the outlook of the warfare remains bleak, Zaluzhny urged Ukraine's allies to redouble their enactment to determine its course.

'It is inactive imaginable to halt it here, connected the territory of Ukraine,' helium said. 'But for immoderate crushed our partners bash not privation to recognize this. 

'It is evident that Ukraine already has excessively galore enemies. Ukraine volition past with technology, but it is not wide whether it tin triumph this conflict alone,' helium said.

Zaluzhny was removed arsenic the caput of Ukraine's equipped forces successful February aft weeks of rumours that President Volodymyr Zelensky was readying a large shakeup of apical subject brass.

Known arsenic the Iron General, Zaluzhny was credited with halting and pushing backmost Russia's astonishment penetration connected February 24, 2022.

His popularity was dampened by the nonaccomplishment of past year's counteroffensive, and helium is said to person fallen retired with Zelensky implicit differing opinions connected however to boost numbers successful the army, arsenic it has struggled for months to capable its ranks.

Zelensky besides reportedly took umbrage with an interrogation fixed by Zaluzhny to The Economist successful which helium admitted the combat had crushed to a stalemate similar World War I.

The Ukrainian President reportedly feared that specified a connection could crook allies disconnected the thought of sending much aid. 

He is besides said to person seen Zaluzhny arsenic a imaginable governmental rival owed to his enduring popularity among the equipped forces and others.

The now-former commander-in-chief acknowledged Zelensky's determination successful a little statement, saying: 'The tasks of 2022 are antithetic from those of 2024. Therefore, everyone indispensable alteration and accommodate to the caller realities arsenic well. In bid to triumph together.'

Zaluzhny was replaced by the commandant of Ukraine's crushed forces Oleksandr Syrsky, who is said to person a adjacent narration with Zelensky. 

The erstwhile service chief's informing comes aft British and European leaders yesterday decried a 'clear and profoundly concerning escalation' successful struggle erstwhile Russian forces struck the metropolis of Dnipro with an precocious hypersonic missile.

Ukraine's aerial unit initially reported Russia had deployed an intercontinental ballistic rocket (ICBM), with shocking footage showing however aggregate warheads rained down implicit the plants of state-owned aerospace and defence shaper Yuzmash.

But Putin aboriginal connected Thursday said Russia had launched an 'Oreshnik', 1 of its newest intermediate-range missiles.

He said it travelled astatine 10 times the velocity of sound, rendering Ukrainian aerial defences powerless to sprout it down. 

Russian sources said the scope was 5,000km (3,100 miles), allowing Russia to onslaught astir of Europe and the westbound seashore of the United States.

The bombardment came a time aft Kyiv launched UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles astatine targets successful Kursk. 

Fragments of the missiles that struck a subject installation successful the Russian municipality of Marino were recovered by subject bloggers connected Wednesday afternoon, with unverified pictures shared wide connected societal media.

The Mail understands the attacks, which followed Ukraine firing US-supplied ATACMS missiles connected Tuesday, were personally approved by Sir Keir Starmer.

Russia officially acknowledged the strikes, saying its aerial defences changeable down 2 of the projectiles on with six HIMARS rockets and 67 drones. 

Russian subject bloggers said 18 Russian and North Korean servicemen were killed successful that onslaught with dozens much injured, though the defence ministry has not commented. 

Asked to corroborate reports Storm Shadow had been utilized by Ukraine, Defence Secretary John Healey said: 'I won't beryllium drawn connected the operational details of the conflict.

'It risks some operational information and successful the extremity the lone 1 that benefits from specified a nationalist statement is President Putin.'