Family Guy Takes Simpsons' Crown As Fans Claim It Predicted 'Putin's Ukraine Strategy'

The Simpsons fans will be used to seeing scenes from the show come to life, but now Family Guy appears to have stepped into the prediction game with a storyline about Vladimir Putin.

Putin remains in the spotlight amid ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, where thousands of troops have gathered on the border.

Moscow claimed this week that it is moving troops away from the Ukrainian border after the completion of military exercises, however Western officials say they have seen no evidence to support the claim and a senior White House official has said there have actually been more troops arriving in the area.

The outcome of the military buildup remains to be seen, though some Family Guy fans have likened Russian president Vladimir Putin's actions to a storyline in a season eight episode titled Spies Reminiscent of Us.

The episode aired more than a decade ago in 2009 but draws similarities to the current events as it shows the Russian leader terrifying those around him by brandishing a series of weapons in an aggressive manner, before quickly revealing their alternative uses.

A baton becomes a hanger on which he places his jacket; a crossbow is used to shoot an arrow into a wall where he hangs his tie, and a machine gun is used to light a cigarette. The revelation of each weapon is accompanied by gasps from Brian, Stewie and two other characters, but the panic turns to relief as each situation de-escalates.

The clip has gone viral after it was shared on Twitter with the caption 'Putin's Ukraine Strategy', with users describing the episode as 'too accurate'.

One viewer wrote: 'Amazing how cartoons can sometimes pre-empt reality...', while another commented: 'Stand aside Simpsons, time for Family Guy to predict something.'

Satellite images released today show what appears to be new Russian military activity close to Ukraine's border, according to Sky News, with analysts at the space technology company Maxar reporting that one image showed a recently-erected field hospital in the Osipovichi training area, as well as training activity at the base, while another image showed nearly 20 attack helicopters in a new unit Zyabrovka airfield.

However, Maxar also noted that other troops which had been recently sent to this airfield seemed to have departed. A third image showed a military pontoon bridge which had been built over less than four miles from the Belarus-Ukraine border, though it was not possible to determine whether the bridge had been put up as part of a training exercise.

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