Free Republic

“Dare to Ukraine” is The Kyiv Independent’s wartime travel series that shows the country beyond the war headlines. In Episode 4 of “Dare to Ukraine: Village,” Masha’s quiet rural routine is interrupted by a new mission: uncover the local history and debunk Russian propaganda myths about Ukraine. What starts as a simple day in the countryside turns into a journey through Ukraine’s past and present — proving that even the smallest villages and communities carry stories of independence that shatter Russian lies."

Maria Zakharova drew attention to reports in several Hungarian media outlets about Vladimir Zelensky's plans to carry out sabotage in Romania and Poland with the aim of blaming RussiaMOSCOW, September 26. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has predicted the imminent outbreak of World War III, if Hungarian media reports about Kiev's plans to stage a false flag operation in Romania and Poland are confirmed. In her Telegram channel, she drew attention to reports in several Hungarian media outlets about Vladimir Zelensky's plans to carry out sabotage in Romania and Poland with the aim of blaming Russia. "His office...

Russia plans to raise value-added tax (VAT) to help finance its war on Ukraine, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday. Under the draft 2026 budget proposal, the VAT rate would increase to 22% from the current 20%. The government said it would continue to meet all social policy commitments, but listed defence, security and support for soldiers and their families as "strategic priorities." Military and security spending already accounts for about 40% of total government expenditure in the 2025 budget, according to government estimates. Large state orders for the defence industry and hefty payments to soldiers and their families have...

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev responded on Wednesday to United States President Donald Trump's comments about the Ukraine conflict by stating that he "has once again fallen into an alternate reality." The US president "issued a series of political incantations on the theme of 'How weak Russia is'" Medvedev wrote on Telegram. "After meeting with the clowns in Kiev and Paris, he published a colorful post. It mentions Kiev's final victory, a return to the former borders, Russia's failed military economy, queues for gasoline, and a 'paper tiger.'" Moreover, Medvedev went on to suggest that Trump "will return....

Europe is preparing to occupy the tiny nation of Moldova with the first group of Nato troops ready for a "landing" in Ukraine's Odessa, Russian news agency Sputnik reported on Tuesday, citing the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). Moldovan authorities, meanwhile, have arrested 74 people in connection with an alleged Moscow-backed plot to stage a mass uprising in the former soviet European nation. Is Moldova becoming the latest flashpoint in Europe's battle with Russia? The raids come ahead of Moldova's September 28 elections, amid claims of rigging, Russian backing for a party, and Putin's alleged plot to "hijack the polls"....

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned Russia that NATO’s “combined strength is unparalleled”, that “reckless” aerial provocations should end, and that British jets can “confront” Russian aircraft that in NATO airspace.The United Nations Security Council sat for what it said was the 10,002nd time on Monday, ahead of a greater gathering for the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, for an extraordinary meeting called by Estonia to discuss “threats to international peace and security”. The meeting was called in response to the incursion by fast jets of the Russian Federation — a permanent member of the Security Council, of course —...

Baltic incidents—drones, airspace brushes, GNSS spoofing—could cascade into a NATO–Russia war driven by fear, honor, and interest. Opening phases likely favor NATO in air and sea with superior ISR, EW, and standoff fires; Russia counters with missiles, dense air defenses, cyber, and navigation attacks. Two plausible endgames emerge: a non-nuclear grind to an armistice shaped by attrition and political risk, or limited nuclear use to coerce termination, shattering the taboo and accelerating crisis instability.

Polish defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has rejected a suggestion by Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky that Poland would not be able to protect its population from a mass Russian drone attack. He called the remarks “unnecessary and untrue”. During an interview this week with British broadcaster Sky, Zelensky was asked about drone defences in his own country and in Poland, which last week saw its airspace violated by around 20 Russian drones. He noted that, during one recent attack, Ukraine had faced 810 Russian drones and had shot down over 700 of them. By contrast, Poland “had I think 19 drones...

Russia’s gasoline sales hit a two-year low on Tuesday as Ukrainian drone strikes and surging harvest-season demand intensify the country’s fuel shortage. Data from the St. Petersburg Exchange, reported by Kommersant on Wednesday, shows that sales of A-92 petrol dropped 21.7 percent to 15,600 metric tons on Tuesday, the lowest level since 2023. Sales of A-95 petrol fell 15.5 percent to 12,060 tons compared with the previous day, bringing total gasoline sales on the exchange down 19.1 percent to 27,700 tons. The sharp decline comes amid unscheduled shutdowns at several large Russian refineries, as Kyiv reportedly escalated its campaign against...

Vladimir Putin’s blundering chief TV propagandist has given away the top secret location of Russia’s most elite drone unit. An unburied toilet sign in a report by Vladimir Solovyov led to the Rubicon HQ being geolocated. The trail leads to Hall D and part of Hall C at the Patriot Exhibition Centre, near Moscow. The site has been already targeted by Ukrainian attack drones, and could be again. Solovyov is a highly-paid state TV propagandist for Putin and the war - and the careless blunder failing to mask the toilet signs in a report about Rubicon is a huge embarrassment....

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the number of Russian servicemen currently in the war zone in Ukraine, APA's Moscow bureau reports. He noted at a meeting with the leaders of the State Duma factions that more than 700,000 Russian servicemen are currently on the line of contact.

Russia's state oil and gas sales in September are set to fall by around 23% from a year earlier on lower prices and a stronger rouble, Reuters calculations show, hitting Moscow's biggest source of revenue. The projected decline comes as President Vladimir Putin and his economic officials are preparing Russia's 2026 budget while funding its highest military spending since the Cold War.

Ukraine has carried out a drone attack on a Gazprom-owned oil refinery in Bashkortostan, APA reports, citing Unian. The strike targeted the ELOU-AVT-4 unit of the facility No further details have been provided regarding the incident.

The 9 September events demonstrate two interlocking realities. First, the prospect of a NATO–Russia war is no longer an abstraction. Moscow has shown a willingness to test NATO directly. Second, the most likely path to such a conflict is not through deliberate escalation but through miscalculation. The means to a wider war exist; the question is which one. Technical failure, human error, or political panic could cause escalation to spiral in a single instant.

Key Points and Summary – Western aspirations for regime change in Russia are a “dangerous delusion” that ignores the lessons of past interventions in Iraq and Libya. Such efforts are not only unrealistic, given Russia’s nationalist resilience, but also risk provoking greater instability and a more aggressive Kremlin.

Vladimir Solovyov threatens America

Speaking on the State TV channel Russia-1, pro-government host Vladimir Solovyov warned that Russia could destroy both US coasts using nuclear-powered Poseidon torpedoes—underwater weapons designed to trigger a “radioactive tsunami.” During the broadcast, Solovyov directly addressed US President Donald Trump: “Will Trump understand that two Poseidons, launched from different sides, could wipe out the US and create a radioactive disaster? That would be the end—nothing will save them.” “No protective element will help them,” Solovyov declared, referring to US missile defense systems. Framing the hypothetical strike as a response to “Western aggression,” he suggested that Washington underestimates Russia’s capabilities and...

The secretary of state added that the US president was also disappointed by the lack of progress in the Russia-Ukraine peace processKUALA LUMPUR, July 10. /TASS/. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump has been frustrated by the rigidity on the Russian side over the conflict in Ukraine. Nevertheless, the United States is prepared to continue dialogue for reconciliation. "The president has been pretty clear: he is disappointed and frustrated that there’s not been more flexibility on the Russian side to bring about an end to this conflict. We hope that can change. We are going to...

President Trump said Monday his administration would send Ukraine additional weapons after his administration imposed a pause on some shipments to Kyiv. “We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now,” Trump told reporters during a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Defensive weapons, primarily, but they’re getting hit very, very hard. So many people are dying in that mess,” he added. The Pentagon last week confirmed a decision to halt the delivery of some air defense missiles and munitions to Ukraine, citing concerns...

WASHINGTON—President Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he wasn’t responsible for a halt in weapons shipments to Kyiv, signaling U.S. openness to continuing military aid for Ukraine. Trump informed Zelensky in a Friday phone conversation that he had directed a review of Pentagon munitions stockpiles after the U.S. struck Iran’s nuclear sites last month but didn’t order the department to freeze the arms deliveries, according to people briefed on the conversation. The call came shortly after Trump publicly acknowledged he was “very disappointed” and “didn’t make any progress” on an Ukraine peace deal in a separate call Thursday with...