Free Republic

Pavel Filatyev knew the consequences of what he was saying. The ex-paratrooper understood he was risking prison, that he would be called a traitor and would be shunned by his former comrades-in-arms. His own mother had urged him to flee Russia while he still could. He said it anyway. “I don’t see justice in this war. I don’t see truth here,” he said over a tucked-away cafe table in the Moscow financial district. It was his first time sitting down in person with a journalist since returning from the war in Ukraine.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the Kremlin inadvertently put its military forces in an unsustainable position, ordering them to take on more operations than they could bear. It had nearly all its soldiers surge simultaneously and rapidly into Ukraine to fight along multiple fronts. It did so without taking necessary protective measures, such as clearing routes of explosives. It had its forces advance at an unsustainable pace. As a result, Russian troops were vulnerable to ambushes, counterattacks, and severe logistical problems that cost the military enormous numbers of soldiers and equipment. That initial error was caused by the Kremlin’s...

Putin has no questions about the money allocated for the army, also for the reason that in exchange for the stolen, Defense Ministry officials are ready to carry out any, the most “dirty”, order of the head of the Russian Federation. Sergei Shoigu and his entourage profit from the money allocated for the Russian army / Screenshot Sergei Shoigu and his entourage profit from the money allocated for the Russian army / Screenshot High-ranking officials with real estate abroad and fabulous incomes that are not declared – this is what the new investigation of Alexei Navalny’s team is all about....

The staggeringly high rate of Russian casualties in Ukraine means that President Vladimir V. Putin may not be able to achieve one of his key war objectives: seizing the entire eastern region of the country this year, officials in the Biden administration and military experts say. With 500 Russian troops killed or wounded every day, according to the latest estimate by American intelligence and military officials, Russia’s war effort has decelerated to a grinding slog, the officials said.

Russian paratrooper reveals how he had NO idea he was invading Ukraine until the shelling started and tells how his comrades were slaughtered while using rusty machine guns and 'the tactics of our grandfathers' Pavel Filatiev, 33, highlights Russian army's shortcomings in explosive new book Paratrooper Pavel was part of invading force, but quit on medical grounds He now opposes war and said: 'We had no moral right to attack another country' Soldiers under Putin are 'dissatisfied' and under-supplied amid 'terrible war' Mr Filatiev, 33, dressed in his army uniform, was part of Russia's invading forces on February 24. But...

Russian spies are refusing to move to occupied parts of Ukraine, FSB insider says Even salaries six or eight times the usual amount cannot entice reluctant agents Some are hiding behind medical certificates signed by compliant doctors Retirees are now being called on, but just three of 200 'said they would consider' Vladimir Putin's secret services agents are refusing to work in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, an FSB 'insider' has claimed. Even salaries six to eight times higher than usual are failing to persuade counter-intelligence officers to move to conquered areas, the alleged source said. Putin urgently needs both regular...