WW3: Could Russia attack these former Cold War hit list targets including Portsmouth in event of World War Three?Â

President Trump's desire to build new ballistic missiles has raised fears of a new arms race between the USA and Russia.Â
HMS Argyll firing trials of the new Sea Ceptor air defence system. Picture: Royal NavyHMS Argyll firing trials of the new Sea Ceptor air defence system. Picture: Royal Navy
HMS Argyll firing trials of the new Sea Ceptor air defence system. Picture: Royal Navy

The former Cold War rivals have had frosty relations of late as Russia has been accused of meddling in American elections. 

However the chances of WW3 remain extremely slim '“ although the Doomsday Clock, which tracks the possibility of the end of the World, is at two minutes to midnight, the closest approach to midnight, matching that of 1953. 

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Earlier this year The News revealed a hit list of Russian targets in the UK in the event of a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union during Cold War. 

HMS Argyll firing trials of the new Sea Ceptor air defence system. Picture: Royal NavyHMS Argyll firing trials of the new Sea Ceptor air defence system. Picture: Royal Navy
HMS Argyll firing trials of the new Sea Ceptor air defence system. Picture: Royal Navy

Cold War predictions drawn up in secret by the British government reveal the extent of a Russian nuclear strike on the UK.

Portsmouth's Naval Base was on the list of target. 

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At the height of nuclear tensions in the 1970s and 80s, at least 38 towns and cities were feared to be at risk from a strike from the Soviet Union '“ and Portsmouth was one of the key targets.

Could Russia target Portsmouth in event of WW3? Picture: Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via APCould Russia target Portsmouth in event of WW3? Picture: Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
Could Russia target Portsmouth in event of WW3? Picture: Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Dozens of army, navy and air force bases were also earmarked for destruction, with Portsmouth Naval Base topping the list of strategic targets.

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The city is home to a majority of the Royal Navy's fleet, as well as the Senior Service's HQ where much of its top brass are located.

Bases in nearby Gosport and Fareham also house thousands sailors.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously made no secret of the fact he is willing to use nukes and relations between the UK and Russia have reached new lows over the poisoning of Sergei Skripal as fears of a new Cold War grow.

UK defence officials drew up a list of 106 locations they believed were a target for Russia '“ marking them as '˜probable nuclear targets.'

These targets included: 

- Central London

- Cheltenham

- Edinburgh

- Nottingham

- Teesside

- Coventry

-  Wolverhampton

-  Leicester

- Stoke-on-Trent

- Belfast

-  Huddersfield

-  Sunderland

- Gillingham

- Rochester

- Chatham

- Maidstone

- Glasgow

-  Birmingham

- Liverpool

- Cardiff

- Manchester

- Southampton

- Leeds

- Newcastle/Gateshead

- Bristol

- Sheffield

- Swansea

- Hull

- Catterick

- York

- Preston

- Cambridge

- Dover

- Reading

- Salcombe

- Brecon

- Kidderminster

- Armagh

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Alongside these major population centres were 23 RAF bases, 14 USAF bases, 10 radar stations, eight military command centres, and 13 Royal Navy bases.

It is not known if the list of probable targets has changed since the Cold War.