Free Republic

Russians have blamed their own air defenses for the reported loss of an A-50 surveillance aircraft over the Sea of Azov. Pro-war Telegram channel Fighterbomber, which is believed to be affiliated with the Russian Air Force, published a lengthy post after Ukraine claimed to have downed an A-50 and damaged an Il-22M airborne command post on Sunday. The Rybar Telegram channel, which has links to Russia's Defense Ministry, also said the aircraft could have been struck by "friendly fire." -snip- The A-50 is a Soviet-era reconnaissance aircraft used to prepare strikes and prevent enemy attacks; the loss of such an...

As the war in Ukraine rages on, Vladimir Putin has another battle on his hands: the one to rein in soaring egg prices. Moscow is scrambling to contain a flare-up in basic food costs that's driven up inflation and caused long queues outside supermarkets that hearken back to when the country was a part of the Soviet Union. Eggs have come to symbolize the economic disruption that Russia is facing, with prices jumping 42% in the 12 months prior to November 2023, per data from the country's statistics agency Rosstat. They've become so expensive that shops in some regions are...