Free Republic

Vladimir Putin is leading Russia towards a 'total collapse' and 'civil war', according to a Federal Security Service (FSB) agent. The FSB insider also claimed that the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov will exploit the ensuing political chaos to create an "Emirate of the Caucasus" on Russian territory. In a letter to the Russian human rights campaigner, Vladimir Osechkin, the FSB agent predicts Putin's army will fail in achieving its objectives in the Battle for the Donbas. This in turn will have serious political and security consequences for Putin and ultimately could lead to the breakup of Russia as a unified...

In a New York Times op-ed, Russian President Vladimir Putin takes issue with President Obama's reference to American exceptionalism during his speech on Syria on Tuesday, calling the notion "extremely dangerous "It is alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United States," Putin wrote. "Is it in America’s long-term interest? I doubt it. Millions around the world increasingly see America not as a model of democracy but as relying solely on brute force, cobbling coalitions together under the slogan 'you’re either with us or against us.' "We must stop using the language...

An ex-KGB agent who defected to the West has said 'paranoid' and 'insane' Putin is likely to be suffering from Parkinson's and early stage dementia, but added that members of his inner circle may be kept in the dark about his physical state. Boris Karpichkov former KBG agent who defected from Russia, told The Sun that Putin was 'insane' and becoming 'obsessed by paranoid ideas'. 'He sees literally everyone, including those inside the Russian security services and even inside his close inner circle, to be "traitors"', he said. Putin may be keeping those closest to him unaware of his health...

Russian forces are setting conditions to establish permanent control over the areas of southern Ukraine they currently occupy, either as nominally independent “People’s Republics” or by annexing them to Russia. Russian sources reported that stores in occupied Melitopol and Volnovakha are beginning to transition to using the Russian ruble.[1] British Defense Intelligence reported that the ruble will be used in Kherson City starting on May 1 as part of a 4-month currency transition scheme enacted by the occupation administration.[2] These measures, which are not necessary or normal in military occupation administrations, indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely intends to...