Free Republic

"This violent mutiny did not emerge in a vacuum; it is directly tied to the hopeless bloodbath unfolding near the Kupiansk front, specifically at the Pischane funnel. For months, Russian forces have tried and failed to break through Ukrainian defenses here. The Ukrainians have created a deadly trap by controlling the flanks, exposing any Russian assault to relentless drone and artillery fire from both sides. Yet commanders continue to send wave after wave of infantry into the funnel, hoping to drive a wedge through Ukrainian lines. Every new wave knows exactly how it will end, as almost no one from...

Russian President Vladimir Putin made one of his starkest declarations of the war this week, stating at a St. Petersburg forum that "all of Ukraine is ours" because Russians and Ukrainians are "one people." -The imperialistic claim, met with applause, effectively torpedoes any near-term hope for peace negotiations. Putin's comments came as Russia's ground forces continue to make slow but steady progress in Donetsk and after he presented maximalist demands at the failed Istanbul peace talks. -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by warning that Putin's ambitions extend beyond Ukraine to any country "Russian killers can reach."

"Russian forces launched a new offensive into Sumy Oblast, charging across open fields with the expectation of minimal resistance. But what they encountered was a carefully planned Ukrainian trap. Drawn far from their defensive lines and exposed in the open, Russian units were hit hard by a sudden Ukrainian counterstrike. Artillery, drones, and precision infantry movements devastated the attackers. Ukrainian forces quickly overran Russian command posts, shattered frontline cohesion, and forced dozens of Russian soldiers to surrender."