Free Republic

Russian state television has broadcast an extraordinary rant about the state of the war in Ukraine, warning Vladimir Putin’s regime faces “final and complete defeat”. Yakov Kedmi, an Israeli-Russian pundit and former diplomat, is usually a reliably pro-Kremlin voice. But in an appearance on the prime time show Tonight with Vladimir Soloviyev, he was remarkably negative about the situation in Ukraine. Mr Kedmi said Russia could not afford to compromise on the initial goal of its invasion, which was to take major Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, and overthrow the government. In his view, anything less than that –...

In Germany's Lower Saxony and Bavaria, citizens are now barred from publicly displaying the letter "Z," which has become a symbol used by the Russian army during the war. Anyone who displays the symbol at demonstrations or publicly showcases it on cars or buildings could now face a fine or up to three years in jail, according to the Moscow Times. "It is incomprehensible to me how this symbol 'Z' could be used in our country to condone this crime," Boris Pistorius, Lower Saxony's interior minister, said in a statement, according to the news outlet. Similarly, Bavaria's Justice Minister Georg...

@JordanSchachtel US govt should stop weapons deliveries to Ukraine ASAP. Taxpayer dollars are being used to commit atrocities against innocents. There are zero guardrails between the Ukrainian military and the neo fascists that are committing war crimes within its ranks. Hard stop needed, ASAP.

The mayor of Irpin, near Kyiv, said on Monday Ukrainian forces had seized back full control of the town which has been one of the main hotspots of fighting with Russian troops near the capital. "We have good news today - Irpin has been liberated," Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn said in a video post on Telegram. "We understand that there will be more attacks on our town and we will defend it courageously."

UP to 40,000 Ukrainians have been snatched from besieged cities and forced into Russian slave labour in a war crime revealed by The Sun today. Sergei Orlov, deputy mayor of devastated city Mariupol, spoke exclusively from his bunker yesterday to reveal the plight of civilians hauled into enemy territory. And he said hundreds of children are now lost and alone in the clutches of ruthless Russian troops after being forced away from their families. Mr Orlov told the Sun: “Russian troops are bursting into cellars and basements where our people are hiding like frightened mice and telling them: ‘You have...