Although Russia has been in the news, China is the huge red army of World War III. Control of the South China Sea and America's weakness may start World War III but fighting quickly spreads to China, India, Pakistan and all the way to the Euphrates River in Iraq. China, India, United States and Far East have about half of the world's population. With five nuclear powers, the war may start conventional with cyber but then go nuclear. Revelation 9 says a third of humanity (~2.5 billion people) will die (Revelation 9:15-16). After Antichrist's coronation, Russia is the leader of World War IV.

The beast [European Union] which I saw was like unto a leopard [Germany], and his feet were as the feet of a bear [Russia], and his mouth as the mouth of a lion [United Kingdom]. And I saw one of his [seven] heads [or nations - Germany] as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast (Revelation 13:2-3).

The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989 and on December 25, 1991, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev passed power to Russian President Boris Yeltsin. He transformed the socialistic economy by increasing crony capitalism and profited from changes. Most of government businesses transferred to friendly Russian oligarchs. Yeltsin needed a successor to ignore his corruption. Former KGB agent and St. Petersburg mayor's deputy, Vladimir Putin, became Yeltsin's hand-picked successor.

Putin became president on December 31, 1999. The Russian bear finished hibernating and went back to its old Soviet ways. He took corruption beyond Yeltsin, making billions. Despite term limits, he went to prime minister then back to president. The European Union and Russia played tug-of-war with Georgia and Ukraine. In 2008, Georgia leaned west so Russia invaded Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In 2014, the Russian friendly Ukraine president was ousted with western help. Putin retaliated by annexing Crimea and invading Ukraine. In 2015, Russia intervened in the Middle East to help Syria and unite with Nuclear Iran and Turkey against a future war with Israel.

We face growing threats from revisionist powers as different as China and Russia are from each other, nations that do seek to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models, pursuing veto authority over other nations' economic, diplomatic and security decisions.
---- US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, January 2018

World War III occurs during the first half of the Tribulation. China, India and United States decline and Europe becomes the new superpower. The Russian bear joins the German leopard and United Kingdom lion to rule the world. The lion's mouth is English, the bear's feet are socialism and the leopard's wound healed when East and West Germany unite in 1990. The weak European alliance only lasts three years.

We have liberated Gaza, but have we recognized Israel? Have we given up our lands occupied in 1948? We demand the liberation of the West Bank, and the establishment of a state in the West Bank and Gaza, with Jerusalem as its capital - but without recognizing [Israel]. This is the key - without recognizing the Israeli enemy on a single inch of land.... We will not recognize the Israeli enemy.
---- Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, June 15, 2010

When you shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads, let him understand:) Then let them which are in Judaea (West Bank) flee into the mountains (Matthew 24:15-16).

In April at the middle of the Tribulation, ten kings give power to the Antichrist. He creates a political, religious and economic world power. When he sits in the third Jewish temple, those in Judea must flee (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Putin's Russia (Gog, prince of Magog) joins with a radical Islamic alliance that includes Iran, Libya and Turkey to attack Israel (Ezekiel 38:4-5, 6, 8). Their goal is to wipe Israel off the map and take their wealth (Psalm 83:4-5). The civil war defies Antichrist's power. Jerusalem is a burdensome stone (Zechariah 12:2-3). This may include the destruction of Damascus, Syria (Isaiah 17:1) and Aswan dam flooding the Nile in Egypt. (Ezekiel 29:9-10, 11). World War IV lasts about three years as Russia suffers a devastating loss (Ezekiel 39:2, 7). The war transitions from Russia and Islam to all nations attacking Israel starting at the battle of Armageddon in northern Israel (Revelation 16:16).

At the time of the end shall the king of the south [Islamic nations] push at him [Antichrist]: and the king of the north [Russia] shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over (Daniel 11:40).

References: 21st Century Revelation: World Wars, Iraq Wars & End Wars, Chapter 20 - Players in the Game, Chapter 25 - Iraq War III, Revelation Outline, Timeline of the Tribulation, Tribulation Articles, Revelation Articles, Covenant Articles, National Defense Strategy