How Europe and Britain are getting ready for 'WWIII': Interactive graphic reveals how West will stop Putin unleashing Armageddon, with nukes at Russia's doorstep, mass conscription at 18 and arms fact

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 saw the horrors of a large-scale war darken Europe's doorstep for the first time since the end of World War II. Ukrainian service members of the 37th Marine Brigade fire a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer toward Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine A British soldier looks into a telescopic sight as he holds his sniper rifle during the NATO DRAGON-24 military exercise in Korzeniewo, northern Poland, March 4, 2024 British soldiers stand inside armoured vehicles as they cross the Vistula River during the DRAGON-24 NATO military defense drills on March 05, 2024 Lead soldier from B Company, 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, peers around the corner of the trench during the combined arms live-fire exercise phase of Exercise Swift Response on the 4th of May 2024 A Minuteman III nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile is tested at the US' Vandenberg Space Force Base Defence spending Armies can only fight with the resources made available to them. The Royal Navy's Merlin helicopter from 820 Naval Air Squadron, fires flares after being airborne from HMS Prince of Wales, while embarked for NATO Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024 Ukrainian servicemen of the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade prepare for combat Challenger 2 tank in an undisclosed location near frontline in Zaporizhzhia region German servicemen with their main battle tank Leopard 2 participate in the Canadian Army Trophy tank competition at Adazi Military Base, Latvia, 03 May 2024 Finnish soldiers perform war simulation exercises during NATO military drills Conscription and military service It was revealed this past weekend that Germany is considering a reintroduction of mandatory national service, according to leaked documents, with military planners discussing three potential approaches to preparing future generations for large-scale conflict. The country, which shares a land border with Ukraine, is close to signing a new defence pact that would see Chisinau increase its intelligence sharing with European partners, participate in joint military drills and win inclusion into the EU's joint weapons procurement programmes, according to the FT. Hosting US nukes and upgrading Europe's nuclear deterrent Europe's nuclear deterrence relies massively on the US, which has the second largest stockpile of nukes at around 5,200 to Russia's 5,800 - though more a thousand of them are thought to be retired and awaiting disarmament. HMS Vigilant is one of the UK's fleet of four Vanguard class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines The UK has four Vanguard class submarines that carry our Trident nuclear weapons Russia will make NATO nuclear weapons in Poland one of its primary targets if they are deployed there, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Meanwhile, Britain and France - the only European countries to have their own nuclear arsenals - are both in the process of upgrading their existing capabilities and adding new ones in the coming years.