Free Republic

PUTIN’S newest and only remaining missile cruiser in the Black Sea was destroyed by Ukraine forces in a huge blow to his naval forces. The “Zyklon” was destroyed alongside the 266-M minesweeper, Kovrovets, in a devastating strike at the weekend. The Zyklon is the 26th to be sunk by Ukraine and was blown up by US-supplied ATACMS missiles killing six people and injuring 11, sources said. It comes after Russia retreated its naval headquarters from the occupied Crimean Peninsula to Krasnodor. The Zyklon, which was launched into service in July last year, was a Karakut-class missile ship armed with various...

A large part of Russia's mauled Black Sea Fleet was seen leaving the port of Novorossiysk this week, with satellite images suggesting the berths of the southern Russian port had been largely emptied despite the ever-present threat posed by Ukrainian maritime drones and missiles. The intentions of the vessels departing Novorossiysk—further from Ukrainian-controlled territory and considered safer than the Crimean ports repeatedly bombarded by Kyiv's forces—remain unclear. -snip- The Black Sea Fleet has been forced to largely abandon its traditional bases of choice on the occupied Crimean Peninsula because of numerous—and ever more sophisticated—Ukrainian long-range attacks. Despite having no conventional...

Angry outbursts over agreement allowing Russian Navy to stay.Politicians pelted Ukrainian lawmakers with a smoke bomb and eggs as the parliament approved an agreement that will keep the Russian navy based in the Crimean Peninsula. Chamber speaker Volodymyr Litvyn was forced to take shelter under his umbrella as he was hit by eggs after deputies from newly elected President Viktor Yanukovich's coalition approved the extension to the Russian Black Sea Fleet's base in Crimea. Ukrainian nationalists, led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and former President Viktor Yushchenko, regard the base as a betrayal of Ukraine's national interests. They wanted...

MYKOLAIV REGION, Ukraine — A platoon of U.S. Marine reservists with the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment trained with Ukrainian marines to attack a fictitious foe, roughly 100 miles from the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. The purpose of Thursday’s exercise was to increase combat effectiveness and demonstrate resolve among the 17 allied and partner nations participating in the training known as Exercise Sea Breeze, now in its 18th iteration. Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent conflict in eastern Ukraine have led to a sharp increase in tensions throughout the region. Moscow warned on Thursday that the multinational maritime...

Putin was surprised at how easy Crimea went. Obama is nothing if not consistent when it comes to undermining allies and appeasing enemies. He kept on being flexible even as Russia was invading a potential NATO member. As Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces took over Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in early 2014, the interim Ukrainian government was debating whether or not to fight back against the "little green men" Russia had deployed. But the message from the Barack Obama administration was clear: avoid military confrontation with Moscow. That's easier to do when you aren't being invaded by Moscow. But nonetheless, McFaul...

Ukraine-NATO Exercises To Proceed Despite Protests June 4, 2006 -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko says controversial joint Ukraine-NATO military exercises will go ahead despite strong protests. In a presidential decree, Yushchenko ordered authorities to expel foreigners accused by Kyiv of taking part in anti-NATO demonstrations in the Crimean Peninsula. The protests by pro-Russian activists started on May 27 with the arrival of the "USS Advantage" at the port of Feodosiya.