Free Republic

Russian opposition leader challenging Vladimir Putin in March's presidential election can expect to be poisoned or imprisoned, according to prominent Putin ally Vladimir Solovyov. Boris Nadezhdin, a former State Duma member who is known for opposing Russia's war in Ukraine, announced on Wednesday that he was filing papers to challenge Putin in the election. The announcement came after a successful campaign to collect at least 100,000 voter signatures required to appear on the ballot. Solovyov, the host of a popular Russian state television show known for pushing Kremlin propaganda, warned Nadezhdin during a broadcast a short time later that his...

PUTIN has suffered a serious security blunder after Ukraine published the names and numbers of more than 600 Kremlin spies.The spies were thought to be "involved in the invasion" of Ukraine. The massive and embarrassing security blunder is the latest in Russia’s faltering invasion. In total, the details of 620 Russians working for the FSB spy agency “involved in criminal activities” were released by the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine. Many of the spies can be traced back to their work addresses, based at the Federal Security Service’s, FSB, Lubyanka headquarters in Moscow. The mobile phone numbers and car licence...

This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates. MOSCOW — A deadly shooting erupted near the fortresslike headquarters of Russia’s Federal Security Service in central Moscow on Thursday evening, the security agency said in a statement that also reported several people had been wounded. Russian news reports said up to three people had been killed. “An unknown person opened fire near building #12 on the Bolshaya Lubyanka street,” the security service statement said, according to the Interfax news agency. “Some people were injured.” The statement also said that the assailant had been “neutralized” and was being identified....