Vladimir Putin Spotted With Nuclear Briefcase During Visit to China
Vladimir Putin sparked fresh World War 3 concerns this week.
Oct. 20 2023, Published 5:30 p.m. ET
Vladimir Putin sparked fresh World War 3 concerns this week after the Russian leader was spotted with a nuclear briefcase during a rare visit to China, RadarOnline.com can report.
In a concerning development to come as tensions between Russia and the world remain at an all-time high due to Putin’s ongoing war in Ukraine, footage surfaced from Wednesday that showed the Russian leader with a nuclear briefcase as he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
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The Russian leader was spotted with a nuclear briefcase during a rare visit to China.
The footage showed Putin walking to a meeting in China’s capital while surrounded by security guards. Two Russian naval officers, each of whom was carrying a briefcase, were seen following Putin closely from behind.
The camera then zoomed in on one of the briefcases and revealed what appeared to be the bag holding Russia’s nuclear codes.
Although the briefcase – known as the “Cheget” – is always with the Russian president, it is rarely filmed like it was on Wednesday in Beijing, according to the New York Post.
“There are certain suitcases without which no trip of Putin’s is complete,” the Russian state news agency RIA wrote on Telegram alongside photos of Putin with the nuclear briefcase.
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“There are certain suitcases without which no trip of Putin’s is complete.”
Putin’s “Cheget” is not unlike the “nuclear football” always carried by the president of the United States.
Both the Russian “Cheget” and the U.S. “nuclear football” hold the codes the respective world leaders would use to authenticate a nuclear launch order if they are not at the Kremlin or White House.
The Russian nuclear briefcase was described as a “secure communication tool” that connects Putin to military top brass and Russian rocket forces through the highly secret “Kazbek” electronic command-and-control network.
Previous footage from a Russian television channel in 2019 reportedly provided a glimpse into the briefcase. It showed several different buttons – including a white “launch” button and a red “cancel” button.
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Russia recently began the process to leave the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
The briefcase is allegedly activated by a special flashcard that is also always in the Russian leader’s possession.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the footage that showed Putin in possession of Russia’s nuclear briefcase in Beijing on Wednesday came amid heightened nuclear tensions caused by Putin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
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Russia’s parliament also recently took the first step toward revoking ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
The nuclear treaty’s top Russian lawmaker, Vyacheslav Volodin, warned the U.S. that Moscow might abandon the pact altogether.
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Putin’s nuclear briefcase is not unlike the “nuclear football” held by the president of the United States.
“We understand our responsibility to our citizens, we are protecting our country,” Volodin said on Tuesday. “What is happening in the world today is the exclusive fault of the United States.”
“And what we will do next – whether we remain a party to the treaty or not, we will not tell them,” he added.
