A LEAKED military report reveals what could be Vladimir Putin's step-by-step plan to bring the West to the brink of World War 3 - and it starts in weeks.
The secret docs detail the despot's possible "path to conflict" which reaches its climax in the summer of 2025 on "Day X" when half a million Nato and Russian soldiers will face each other.
The bombshell files, obtained by Bild from Germany's Ministry of Defence, lay out exactly how the Kremlin boss might be preparing for a hybrid attack on Nato as early as next winter and a full-blown war next summer.
Classified as "For Official Use Only", the chilling scenario would see Putin kick off his plans this February with a fresh mobilisation of 200,000 men.
Moscow could the be planning to launch a spring offensive against Ukraine to secure a victory in June, which would then be followed up with hybrid attacks on the West.
In the meantime, the Russian tyrant may plan to build up troops and missiles on Nato's eastern flank, trying to antagonise the West and destabilise the Baltics.
But all the while, German military intelligence believes he will secretly be planning to conquer the Suwalki Gap - a 60-mile corridor that sits between Russian territory and Nato soil.
Such a move would bring the West and Russia to the brink of war - and the report suggests Putin is gearing up an invasion for the summer of 2025.
Marked "Day X", Nato is predicted to order 300,000 soldiers to defend its eastern border and 30 days later - these troops will face the full-force of Russia's military with an "unknown outcome".
Here is the 10-step plan that Germany's military appears to believe Putin will take to drag Nato into war with Russia - sparking the outbreak of World War 3.
In a few weeks, the report believes Putin may order a mass mobilisation of 200,000 men to bolster his depleted army after nearly two years of grinding war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin may then begin a fresh offensive in spring across Ukraine - bolstered by wavering Western support for Kyiv.
The scenario suggests that Russia will wear down Ukraine's army bit-by-bit until finally achieving victory in June.
The next step follows Putin's success on the battlefield and involves an initially covert and then later open attack on the West using a wave of cyber and hybrid warfare strategies.
These attacks lead to unfolding crises and help to incite Russian ethnic minorities to cause conflict and chaos inside Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Next September could see Moscow - as it did in 2021 ahead of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine - begin a huge troop buildup in Belarus.
Under the cover of a large-scale "military exercise" known as "Zapad 2024", 50,000 troops will be stationed at the Russian puppet state's border with the Nato states of Poland and Lithuania.
Russia moves troops and mid-range missiles to Kaliningrad, Russia's most westerly territory.
The Baltic sea enclave is sandwiched between Poland to the south and Lithuania to the north and east.
It is used as a headquarters for Russia's Baltic fleet and some of its most powerful armaments including hyper-sonic missiles.
However, the leaked report states that the troop movement is a deliberate attempt to fool the West and suggest an imminent attack on Nato.
Instead, the Kremlin's secret goal will allegedly be to later invade and conquer the Suwalki Gap - the narrow Polish-Lithuanian corridor between Belarus and Kaliningrad.
For the West, it is the only land link to the three ex-Soviet Baltic republics - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - which would be left vulnerable to Putin if the west lost control of the gap.
For Russia, control of the corridor would give Moscow a land link to Kaliningrad from Belarus.
From December, the Kremlin will be trying to stir-up trouble and artificially create "border conflicts" and deadly "riots" across the Baltics to destabilise the small collection of Nato states.
This will take place just as the US could be potentially leaderless for a few weeks after a possible election defeat for Joe Biden - distracting America from foreign affairs.
Russia will then use a UN Security Council meeting to bizarrely accuse the West of preparing to attack Russia to help form the impetus for moving further troops and weapons into Belarus.
Moscow would now have two tank divisions, a mechanised infantry division and a division headquarters stationed close to Nato's borders with more than 70,000 soldiers.
Finally in May 2025, Nato decides on "measures for credible deterrence" in order to prevent a possible attack on the Suwalki Gap that now appears imminent.
Over 200,000 soldiers stationed in Belarus and Kaliningrad are ready to be launched.
On the mysterious and dreaded "Day X", which falls sometime in summer 2025, Nato will send 300,000 troops to its eastern flank - to counter the growing threat posed by Russia.
According to the report, Putin's "path to conflict" plan ends exactly 30 days after this - with the outcome of the military stand-off uncertain.
Over half a million Russian and Nato troops will stand against each other at the Suwalki Gap - bringing the world to the very edge of a World War 3.
A German Ministry of Defence spokesperson told Bild they did not want to comment on the specific alliance defence scenario - called "Alliance Defence 2025".
They said: "Basically, I can tell you that considering different scenarios, even if they are extremely unlikely, is part of everyday military business, especially in training."
It comes as Britain will send 20,000 troops to take part in one of Nato’s largest military exercises since the Cold War.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps today announced the deployment of all three Armed Forces to the 31-nation drill.
Focusing on Eastern Europe, it aims to prepare for potential aggression from Russia and be a show of force against enemies of the West.
But it also comes shortly after the US and UK’s military strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In a major speech, Shapps outlined how the UK plans to respond to the end of the “peace dividend” — the post-Cold War period marked by a significant reduction in defence spending.
"We are in a new era and must be prepared to deter our enemies, prepared to lead our allies and prepared to defend our nation whenever the call comes.
“Today our adversaries are busily rebuilding their barriers. Old enemies are reanimated. Battle lines are being redrawn. The tanks are literally on Ukraine’s lawn.
“And the foundations of the world order are being shaken to their core. We stand at a crossroads.”
The Nato exercises — codenamed Steadfast Defender — will see 16,000 British troops with tanks, artillery and helicopters deployed in eastern Europe from next month.
The Royal Navy will send 2,000 sailors across eight warships and submarines, while 400 Royal Marines will be sent to the Arctic Circle.
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron told Sky News it was “hard to think of a time when there has been so much danger and insecurity”.
