Experts claim World War 3 has already begun but it's not what people thought

Two military experts have explained why they believe World War 3 has already begun despite the lack of tell-tale signs evident in previous global conflicts.

Characteristics of the first two world wars included the likes of conscriptions, widespread invasions, air raid sirens and evacuations, and while some of these are evident once again in the ongoing war in Ukraine, they're not features that are happening across the globe.

But just because we're not concealing ourselves in blackouts or seeing tanks on the streets doesn't necessarily mean global conflict isn't ongoing, according to national security expert Mark Toth and former US intelligence officer Col. Jonathan Sweet.

War is typically associated with weapons and explosives (Getty Stock Photo)

In an interview with the Mail Online, the two experts pointed to evidence that may suggest a third world war is underway - one that doesn't involve 'mushroom clouds or apocalyptic wastelands', but instead is a 'war by a thousand cuts, conducted across multi-regional and multi-domain battlefields'.

Alongside the standard weapons and explosives often associated with wars, such as the type being used in Ukraine, Toth and Sweet claimed conflict today is also fought through the likes of cyberattacks, disinformation, sabotage and economic manipulation.

The experts referenced Russia and its president Vladimir Putin as examples for this kind of approach, pointing not only to the invasion of Ukraine, but to espionage in Europe, coups in Africa, and a spread of misinformation across the globe.

Sweet and Toth described these methods as 'grey zone' warfare, saying: "Putin's ability to conduct hybrid warfare is arguably his greatest strength."

They continued: "To fully understand the scope of Russia's vast disinformation campaign, just look at the US, UK, and Africa. Russian troll and bot farms use memes and fake fact-check accounts to demonise the West and distract from Russian paramilitaries overthrowing democracies.

"Russian troll and bot farms have infiltrated online spaces with cartoons, memes, and fake fact-check accounts to disseminate discord and erode confidence in Western governments."

Experts pointed to Vladimir Putin's approach to conflict (Contributor/Getty Images)

Concerns about a battle for power have also been raised by Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, of the British Royal Air Force, who spoke in a Q&A at the Freeman Air and Space Institute earlier this month.

"We are witnessing a return to great power competition," Knighton said at the event.

"With the rapid advancement of technology and the economic, technical, and warfighting capabilities of other major powers, we no longer have total air supremacy," he continued.

However, while Toth and Sweet are firm in their belief that the ongoing conflict is 'already a world war', other experts aren't quite so convinced.

Adeline Van Houtte, Senior Europe Analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, told the Mail that while the risk of escalation has grown, World War 3 is not actually underway.

She said: "The revised nuclear use threshold and the Oreshnik [missile] are most likely intended to send a message to the West, but a nuclear escalation remains highly unlikely."