Free Republic

Vladimir Putin suffered a humiliating blow on the world stage this week after the Russian ruble crashed yet again, with one Ruble now worth exactly one US cent. One hundred Rubles is now worth just one dollar, as the Russian currency appears on the verge of collapsing. The currency crash is the latest humiliating blow for Vladimir Putin, who has poured billions into his war with Ukraine. The stunning decline of the currency sparked a televised meltdown this week among Kremlin allies. remlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, who is often seen as a mouthpiece for President Putin, demanded an explanation from...

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has reportedly kicked the Wagner PMC out of Belarus, after refusing to finance the Russian mercenaries. (snip) But reports have now emerged suggesting Lukashenko has refused to finance their stay in the country and the mercenaries are being 'bussed' back to Russia for a “vacation.” According to the VChK-OGPU Telegram channel, operations to remove all Wagner Group men began earlier in the month, with a second phase to remove the rest going into effect this weekend. Wagner’s services don’t come cheap. Putin recently admitted that the Kremlin has spent around $1bn on the private military company...

The Kremlin has claimed it has downed two Ukrainian missiles aimed at Russia's Kerch Bridge to Crimea - as video shows smoke billowing over the crucial link to the annexed peninsula. The 12-mile crossing carries heavy significance for Moscow, both logistically and psychologically, as a key artery for military and civilian supplies and as an assertion of Kremlin control of the peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014. Russia's foreign ministry vowed retaliation for what it called a 'terrorist attack' on the bridge in Crimea.