There’s no doubt about it, the tensions between Washington and Moscow are at their highest levels since the 1973 Mideast War.

Russia’s UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, insisted that a “string of things” – including the US pushback against Russia’s military actions in Syria and Crimea and the most recent the cyber-hacking accusations – have been a massive contribution:

Although the Cold War ended in 1991, according to the NY Post:

Last week, Washington publicly blamed Russia for hacking into the computer communications of officials from the Democratic National Committee; Russia is also suspected of hacking the e-mails of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman.

The hacked correspondence was leaked to WikiLeaks and other entities in recent months, spurring front-page stories critical of the DNC and Clinton’s campaign.

Russia has insisted it isn’t hacking the US.

Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told CNN the claims were “flattering” but baseless, with not a “single fact” to prove it.

The Kremlin was propelled to the heart of American politics in July after Clinton’s campaign blamed Russia for an embarrassing leak of DNC emails that showed the organisation blatantly favouring the Democratic nominee over progressive contender Bernie Sanders.

In one leaked e-mail, DNC officials strategised about getting reporters to ask Sanders right before the key West Virginia primary whether he is an atheist.

Now, Russia is preparing its citizens for nuclear war.

In July, Vladimir Putin spoke to the media, already warning of the potential nuclear war:

We know year by year what’s going to happen, and they know that we know. It’s only you that they tell tall tales to, and you buy it, and spread it to the citizens of your countries. You people in turn do not feel a sense of the impending danger – this is what worries me. How do you not understand that the world is being pulled in an irreversible direction? While they pretend that nothing is going on. I don’t know how to get through to you anymore.

This month, Russia’s state-owned TV told civilians to prepare for war by locating themselves near bomb shelters and checking that their gas masks were prepared:

What do you think?

[source:thedailybeast&nypost&allnewspipeline&abcnews]