Free Republic

Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokesperson for the Iranian government, announced that a 20-year cooperation agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia will be signed soon. She stated, “We hope to witness the signing of the comprehensive cooperation document between the two countries on January 18th of this year.” On Wednesday, January 8th, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported that Fatemeh Mohajerani confirmed detailed discussions about this cooperation document had taken place. While the details of the agreement have not been disclosed, it is believed that Iran has accepted the changes Russia requested in the agreement. Ismail Baghaei, the spokesperson...

A state of emergency has been declared in the Russian city of Engels after a Ukrainian drone strike hit an oil depot that supplies Russia's nuclear bomber planes. Saratov regional governor Roman Busargin said that two firefighters had been killed while tackling the blaze. A huge fire exploded at the “Kristal” oil complex, as well as multiple explosions, in the city of Engels after long-range strikes, said Ukraine’s military. It added that the oil depot supplied fuel to the “Engels-2” military airfield, where Russia’s nuclear bomber fleet is based. “The strike of the oil depot creates serious logistical problems for...

Russian vodka enthusiasts are seething after the Finance Ministry implemented a 17 percent price hike for a half-litre bottle on New Year's Day. Russia holds the title as the world's largest vodka producer, accounting for over 30 percent of global production. Domestic consumption makes up more than 90 percent of Russia-made vodka, making it one of the country's most beloved beverages. As of January 1st, a bottle will now set consumers back 349 rubles (£2.53), up from 299 (£2.16) - a jump of 50 rubles. This follows a 6.4 percent increase in June 2024, meaning that within the last six...

Russia-appointed officials in occupied Crimea have announced a regional emergency as oil was detected on the shores of Sevastopol, the peninsula's largest city. Fuel oil spilled out of two stricken tankers nearly three weeks ago in the Kerch Strait, about 250 kilometres from Sevastopol on the southwest of the peninsula. "Today a regional emergency regime has been declared in Sevastopol," regional Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev wrote on Telegram. Oil was found on four beaches in the region and was "promptly eliminated" by local authorities working together with volunteers, Razvozhaev said. "Let me emphasise: there is no mass pollution of the coastline...

Ukraine has launched a fresh offensive in Russia's Kursk region, the Russian Defence Ministry says. In a statement, the military said efforts to destroy the Ukrainian attack groups are ongoing. Officials in Ukraine have also suggested an operation is under way.

Watch the historic moment the sea drone takes down an aerial target. DRAMATIC footage shows the moment Ukraine claimed the historic downing of a Russian M-8 military helicopter off the coast of occupied Crimea by a missile-firing sea drone. Kyiv's military intelligence announced the strike in the Black Sea with a Magura V5 and included a clip of the historic moment. In the black-and-white footage taken from the sea drone, bursts of water can be seen around the drone launching into the air as Vladimir Putin's chopper attacked. Viewers can quickly spot the Russian aircraft in the top right-hand corner...

The Russian-occupied port of Sevastopol, Crimea has come under renewed attack by Ukraine's drone forces after a monthslong lull. Three loud and heavy explosions were reported in Kozacha Bay late Monday night, and citizen journalists said that a large fire was burning in the area. Both aerial and maritime drone attacks were reported. Sevastopol's Russian-backed governor, Mikhail Razvozhaev, told state media that two Ukrainian aerial drones had been shot down over the Black Sea. He did not confirm local reports of large blasts. Kozacha Bay is located five miles southwest of the main harbor, which is more heavily protected by...

Chinese nationalists are calling for Russia to return land they claim was stolen by the Kremlin in the 19th century. A video on Chinese social media has called on Beijing to take advantage of Moscow's weakened position to seize large parts of Siberia and Russia's Far East. The clip has gone viral in China and has racked up millions of hits among viewers on TikTok. -snip- The Treaty of Aigun in 1858 forced China to cede much of Manchuria to the Russian Tsar Alexander II. The territory, comprising some 600,000 square kilometres, is part of Russia's Far East and includes...

AZERBAIJAN president Ilham Aliyev confirmed the passenger plane that crashed killing 38 people was shot down by Russia. Aliyev made the blistering public statement after a phone call with Vladimir Putin in which the tyrant apologised for the disaster. He confirmed the plane had been jammed by electronic warfare weapons before being shot at by the Russians. Aliyev raged he wanted Russia to accept it was guilty of downing the plane and punish those responsible for fatally damaging the aircraft. Speaking on state TV, he said: "Unfortunately, in the first three days we heard only absurd versions from Russia. "We...

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to visit Moscow on Jan. 17 and sign a cooperation agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian state news agency RIA cited Iran’s ambassador to Russia as saying on Thursday. Russia has cultivated closer ties with Iran and other countries hostile towards the U.S., such as North Korea, since the start of the Ukraine war. The country’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in October that Moscow and Tehran intended to sign a deal which would include closer defence cooperation.

Russian TV host Vladimir Solovyov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, recently called for Alaska's return to Russia during a recent Russian-state media program. -snip- During the recent program, Solovyov said Finland, Warsaw, the Baltics, Moldova, and Alaska should be "returned to the Russian Empire." "Do you think I'm joking when I mention Finland, Warsaw, the Baltics, Moldova? Everything returned to the Russian Empire. And Alaska too, while you're at it," Solovyov said in a translated video.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologizes to Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, for what the Kremlin said was a “tragic incident” in Russian airspace involving the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan on December 25. Putin tells Aliyev that Russian air defense was active when an Azerbaijani Airlines plane tried to land in Grozny before it crashed in a phone call, the Kremlin says. “During this time, Grozny, (the town of) Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were being attacked by Ukrainian combat drones and Russian air defense was repelling these attacks,” the Kremlin says Putin told Aliyev, without explicitly acknowledging that...

Russia suffered a major setback after Ukrainian missiles reportedly destroyed a key army military command post in Kursk. HIMARS missiles reportedly took out the headquarters of Russia's elite 810th Marine Brigade, which was hidden in an abandoned five-storey civilian building in Lgov. The devastating attack took place overnight on Christmas Day and caused heavy casualties, killing 17 marines. Lieutenant Colonel Salim Pashtov, one of the brigade's senior officers, was reportedly among those killed. Video footage purportedly of the missile strike shows a huge mushroom cloud of flames and smoke rising into the night's sky on the horizon. Further images shot...

THE bizarre fiefdom of Chechnya has long been controlled by warlord and top Vladimir Putin crony Ramzan Kadyrov and his trigger-happy cosplay soldiers. Disturbed chief Kadyrov, 48, has ruled over the twisted Russian republic since 2007 with his reign now coming under fire again since the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash took place on his doorstep. The Christmas Day disaster left 38 dead after the packed passenger plane lost control and smashed into a fireball as it hit the ground. Reports have been swirling in the days since saying it was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile believed to...

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed unwavering confidence in Russia's triumph in its conflict with Ukraine, asserting that divine support is on Moscow's side. Speaking to reporters on Thursday after attending the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (SEEC) meeting in St. Petersburg, Putin’s remarks stirred fresh debate amid ongoing speculation about US mediation efforts. When asked whether Russia would secure victory by 2025, Putin said, “I believe in God. And God is with us.”

This is the heartbreaking moment a man sent a last message to his wife seconds before the Azerbaijan Airlines was reportedly shot down before a crash that killed 38. The passenger identified as Subkhon Rakhimov started filming a video for his wife as soon as he realised the plane was losing altitude, telling her that the plane tried to land several times, after which the people on board heard a loud bang. His footage shows oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling and passengers can be heard crying and praying, with damage visible inside the cabin minutes before the plane crashed...

Azerbaijani government sources have exclusively confirmed to Euronews on Thursday that a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Aktau on Wednesday. According to the sources, the missile was fired at Flight 8432 during drone air activity above Grozny, and the shrapnel hit the passengers and cabin crew as it exploded next to the aircraft mid-flight. Government sources have told Euronews that the damaged aircraft was not allowed to land at any Russian airports despite the pilots’ requests for an emergency landing, and it was ordered to fly across the Caspian Sea towards Aktau in Kazakhstan. According...

President-elect Trump’s choice for special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, slammed the Russian military missile and drone attack on Christmas Day and said the U.S. is “more resolved than ever to bring peace to the region.” “Christmas should be a time of peace, yet Ukraine was brutally attacked on Christmas Day,” Kellogg wrote Wednesday on social platform X. “Launching large-scale missile and drone attacks on the day of the Lord’s birth is wrong. The world is closely watching actions on both sides. The U.S. is more resolved than ever to bring peace to the region.”

A Russian cargo ship that Ukraine claims was sent to Syria to collect weapons has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea, according to officials in Moscow. Two crew members are missing after an engine room explosion sank the Ursa Major between Spain and Algeria, the foreign ministry said. Fourteen other crew were rescued and taken to Spain. Ukraine's military intelligence claimed yesterday that the ship, previously called Sparta III, had been sent to Syria to remove weapons and military equipment after the fall of Bashar al Assad.

As Russians prepare to celebrate the New Year or the week of public holidays that follows, they might notice this year's festive bill at the supermarket come out to significantly more than last year's – especially for fans of sandwiches with butter and red caviar, a New Year's dinner staple in the country. In October of last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin denied that Russia was “spending too much money on guns and forgetting about butter,” prices of which have seen some of the biggest increases of all produce, growing by over 33 percent since the start of 2024. Caviar,...