Free Republic

Admiral Berezovsky read out his oath in Sevastopol alongside Crimea's pro-Russian leader, Sergiy Aksyonov Crimea explained The newly appointed head of Ukraine's navy has sworn allegiance to the Crimea region, in the presence of its unrecognised pro-Russian leader. Rear Admiral Denys Berezovsky was only made head of the navy on Saturday, as the government in Kiev reacted to the threat of Russian invasion. Russia's troops have been consolidating their hold on Crimea, which is home to its Black Sea Fleet. The US has warned Moscow may be ejected from the G8 for its actions. US President Barack Obama called Russian...

Commander-in-Chief Of Ukraine Navy defects, pledges allegiance to Crimean Republic

Ukrainian armed forces dispatched to Crimea have switched to the side of local authorities and are expected to take military oath soon, Russian news agencies report. Facts you need to know about Crimea and why it is in turmoil “Today the majority of the Ukrainian armed forces deployed in Crimea passed to the side of the authorities of the Crimean autonomous region. The transition was absolutely peaceful, without a single shot fired either by the military or by the forces of self-defense,” an unnamed source told RIA Novosti news agency. The source added that some of the servicemen also ran...

At the moment the square in front of the regional administration building is packed with people holding Russian flags. The protesters elected Pavel Gubarev, the commander of the Donbass People’s Militia, as the Donetsk region’s new Governor. For his part, he called on the demonstrators to set up a tent camp in the square in front of the regional administration. Thousands of Odessa residents have gathered under Russian and Soviet flags in the Kulikovo Field, the Interfax-Ukraine reports Saturday. The demonstration organizers state there are some 20,000 people, the police says they have counted about 5,000 participants. The purpose of...

Ukrainian Navy flagship Hetman Sahaidachny has reportedly refused orders from Kiev and defected to the Russian side, a Russian senator has claimed in an interview with Ivestia Daily. “Ukraine’s Navy flagship the Hetman Sahaidachny has come over to our side today. It has hung out the St Andrew’s flag,” Sen. Igor Morozov, a member of the committee on the international affairs, told Izvestia. “The crew has fulfilled the order by the chief commander of Ukraine’s armed forces Viktor Yanukovych.” The ship recently took part in counter-piracy patrols with EU naval forces and was sailing towards its homeport of Sevastopol, Naval...

Signs of fascism and neo-Nazi extremism were evident during the Euromaidan protest, according to independent news magazine AlterNet. White supremacist banners and Confederate flags were draped inside Kiev's occupied City Hall, while demonstrators displayed Nazi SS and white power symbols, AlterNet explained. White supremacist banners inside Kiev's City HallYoutube EuroMaidan protesters also destroyed a memorial to Ukrainians who died battling German occupation during World War II. "The taking down of the 'Soviet Soldier' in the town of Stryi, Lvov region, turns a new page in the chaos that gripped the nation in November, and has taken on dangerously nationalist overtones...

US President Barack Obama's warning that Russia would have to pay for a planned military intervention in Crimea is "a direct threat," a deputy head of Russia's upper house of parliament said on Saturday, saying Obama has "crossed the red line and insulted the Russian people." "Yesterday we heard from various media sources that the US president, Obama, had said Russia would pay dearly for its policy. We know that Maidan militants who were active in Kiev, and not only there, had been trained in Lithuania and Poland. Now they want to spread their influence with their activities to eastern...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked the country’s senators to approve sending Russian troops to Ukraine to settle the situation there. Russian MPs have said that the turmoil in Crimea could allow for such a move. Earlier on Saturday, the speaker of the Russian State Duma Council Valentina Matvienko said that the current circumstances in Ukraine make such a move possible. The final decision to send troops to Crimea lies with President Vladimir Putin as Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, speaker of the Russian State Duma Council Valentina Matvienko said. The current circumstances make such a move possible, she...

Kalashnikov-wielding members of Ukraine's radical nationalist opposition group, Right Sector, have pledged to resort to arms in their fight against those involved in "lawlessness" and looting, saying they will shoot to restore "order and discipline." "I warn you, if anyone in this town, this area, engages in 'lawlessness' and looting, Right Sector squads will shoot the bastards on the spot. Then there will be order and discipline," one of the radical nationalist opposition group leaders, Aleksandr Muzychko, said on Friday. On February 21, when Berkut police officers arrived in the western Ukrainian town of Rovno from Kiev, Muzychko said that...

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- God once used a donkey to alert a wayward prophet that he was on the wrong track. Could it be the Lord is using a bear, a Russian Bear, to do the same with the nations of the West, in particular the United States? "Many Euro-Atlantic countries have moved away from their roots, including Christian values," Russian President Valdimir Putin said in his state of the nation address in mid-December, The Washington Times reported. Putin continued, "Policies are being pursued that place on the same level a multi-child family and a same-sex partnership, a faith in...

A protester outside a government building in Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina, during protests over job losses. Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Reuters Thousands of Bosnian protesters took to the streets in the centre of Sarajevo on Friday, setting fire to the presidency building and hurling rocks and stones at police as fury at the country's political and economic stagnation spread rapidly around the country. As many as 200 people were injured in protests that took place in about 20 towns and cities. Government buildings were set on fire in three of the largest centres – Sarajevo, Tuzla and Zenica. At one point in the central...

In his interview with TIME, Yarosh, whose militant brand of nationalism rejects all foreign influence over Ukrainian affairs, revealed for the first time that Pravy Sektor has amassed a lethal arsenal of weapons. He declined to say exactly how many guns they have. “It is enough,” he says, “to defend all of Ukraine from the internal occupiers” — by which he means the ruling government — and to carry on the revolution if negotiations with that government break down. But so far, those negotiations have been making significant strides toward resolving the crisis. On Tuesday, the parliament began debating a...

As violent scenes play out on the streets of Kiev, we look at the major role extremist right-wing movements have played in Ukraine's "pro-democracy" movement. Ukraine's far-right is gaining support and confidence through its role in the street protests, with the Svoboda party assuming a leading role in the movement and paramilitary groups leading the street fighting. In December US senator John McCain travelled to Ukraine to offer his support to the opposition, appearing on stage with leaders of the three opposition parties leading the protests - including the far-right Svoboda party. Svoboda is currently Ukraine's fourth biggest party and...

Russian Christian terrorists are apparently a major threat to America. If I didn’t know better, I would think that Hollywood had some kind of left-wing agenda. But instead Hollywood is just depicting real life. Like its attempt to make a Jack Ryan movie not based on a Tom Clancy movie, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (currently at no. 4 after Ride Along, Lone Survivor and The Nut Job) which depicts the reality of terrorist sleeper cells operating out of Russian Orthodox churches in Dearborn. A discerning viewer might notice that Russia essentially employs al-Qaeda tactics, of which would be ironic considering...

China has successfully tested its first hypersonic missile delivery vehicle capable of penetrating US missile defense system and delivering nuclear warheads with record breaking speeds, Pentagon officials have confirmed. The new hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), dubbed the WU-14 was allegedly spotted flying at record-breaking speeds during a flight test over China on January 9, an anonymous Pentagon official told the Washington Free Beacon. The new weapon delivery system is reportedly designed to be launched as the final stage of China’s intercontinental ballistic missile, which would approach its target at a velocity of up to 10 times the speed of sound....

The deadly suicide attacks in Volgograd forced Vladimir Putin to make changes to his traditional New Year address, with the Russian President promising to wage “a confident, tough and consistent” war on terror until total victory. “The inhumane terrorist acts in Volgograd” were among the biggest challenges Russia faced in 2013, the Putin said in his address to the nation, broadcast minutes before the New Year. “In the time of challenges Russia always stood united and solid,” he stressed. At least 34 people have lost their lives and over 80 injured in two suicide blasts in Russia’s southern city of...

he inventor of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, Mikhail Kalashnikov, has died aged 94, Russian TV reports. The automatic rifle he designed became one of the world's most familiar and widely used weapons. Its comparative simplicity made it cheap to manufacture, as well as reliable and easy to maintain. Although honoured by the state, Kalashnikov made little money from his gun. He once said he would have been better off designing a lawn mower. Mikhail Kalashnikov was admitted to hospital with internal bleeding in November.

(CNN) -- A U.S. general who oversaw nuclear weapons boozed, fraternized with "hot women" and disrespected his hosts during an official visit to Russia this year, an investigative report shows. Maj. Gen. Michael Carey led the 20th Air Force responsible for three nuclear wings. He was relieved of duty in October because of loss of confidence in his leadership, the Air Force said at the time without providing specific details. But an Air Force Inspector General report released Thursday sheds more light into the case. It details the events of a July trip to Moscow in which witnesses recalled Carey...

"I envy Obama because he can spy on his allies without any consequences," said Putin when asked about how his relations had changed with the US following Snowden’s espionage revelations. During an annual question-and-answer session with journalists, Putin praised Edward Snowden’s actions, saying that he was working for a “noble cause.” At the same time he accepted the importance of espionage programs in the fight against global terrorism, but said the NSA needed guidelines to limit its powers. “There is nothing to be upset about and nothing to be proud of, spying has always been and is one of the...

TUBAN KAMA, Russia -- The parents of a suspect in arson attacks against Orthodox churches in Tatarstan say they believe their son was tortured by police. Rakyip Zaripov, father of Rafail Zaripov, told RFE/RL on December 13 that his son's lawyer was first allowed to see his client four days after his detention. The lawyer said he found Rafail Zaripov on the floor of his cell, unable to move due to a severe spinal injury. He said Zaripov had bruises on his body and blood in his urine. Zaripov is currently receiving treatment in the emergency room in the central...