Free Republic

A four-square-mile patch of Kursk Oblast in western Russia is a graveyard for Russian vehicles—and a harbinger of a looming catastrophe for the Kremlin as its yearlong offensive in Ukraine begins to falter. Kriegsforscher, a Ukrainian marine corps drone operator supporting the 20,000-strong Ukrainian force that has held a 20-by-12-mile salient in Kursk since August, tallied around 90 wrecked and abandoned Russian vehicles just in his two-by-two-mile sector on the northwest edge of the salient. That’s an entire brigade’s worth of vehicles. Ukrainian losses in the same sector have been much lighter: just 20 or so. A four-to-one loss ratio...

Earlier in September during Russian Security Council's permanent meeting, Vladimir Putin proposed to discuss updating the foundations of Russia's state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence. Vladimir Putin expressed hope that Western governments heard his warnings against striking deep into Russia. “They did not report to me, but, I hope, they heard [my warning]," Putin said in an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin. Ukraine cannot independently use long-range weapons; this can only be done by specialists from NATO countries, which is why the issue is not about granting permission to Kiev to use such weapons against Russia, stated...

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to hold a large-scale exercise of the Kremlin’s nuclear forces on Tuesday, including practice missile launches, as tensions boil over the Ukraine war. Putin oversaw the drills in a video call with military leaders, as Russian soldiers simulated a nuclear attack using ballistic and cruise missiles. “Taking into account growing geopolitical tensions and emerging new threats and risks, it’s important for us to have modern strategic forces that are always ready for combat,” the Russian president said. Despite the show of force, Putin claimed his nation’s nuclear arsenal would only be deployed under...