World War III Update: Survey says 48% of Russians fear Syria crisis could trigger war

While the ongoing Cold War between Russia and the US has inspired developers to create an interactive Red Button Quest game which Russians are playing, almost half of the country’s population actually fear the Syria situation could trigger a global war. A survey by the Levada Center polling agency found that 48 percent of Russians fear the breakdown in relations between Moscow and the west could least to a third world war.

Russians are split in their opinion if a solution could be found, with 39 percent believing there would be no common ground to solve the impasse in Syria. But 35 percent thinks a peaceful solution could end the conflict, Russia Beyond the Headlines reports.

As expected, majority view Russia’s plan to attack Syria as a positive action, according to 52 percent of the 1,600 people aged 18 and above from 48 regions of Russia surveyed from Oct 21 to 24. However, 26 percent find the movement by the Russian Aerospace Forces into the Middle Eastern war-torn country negative.

Dailystar notes that three Russian submarines armed with cruise missiles are within the striking distance of rebel-infested city Aleppo. Russia’s plan to bomb the city has caused fear among the 275,000 civilians living in Aleppo who have lived in constant terror after five years of revolt and civil war.

Since Russia initiated air strikes, there were at least 6,656 civilian deaths in Aleppo as of Oct 11, 2016, according to a study by Airwars, a watchdog based in London.

Although a Russia-declared ceasefire has been in place since Oct 18, there are fears the lulls in Russian air strikes would soon end. On Monday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said at a think tank in London, “We will see whether the Russians have a greater desire to bomb Aleppo into smithereens, claiming they’re going after a legitimate – the terrorists when in fact there are oppositionists there who are prepared to live by a ceasefire,” Time quotes.