Free Republic

A veteran Russian legislator has issued an appeal to Vladimir Putin to stop military action, bring his troops home and end the war in Ukraine. Communist deputy Leonid Vasyukevich, 69, blasted the use of Moscow’s servicemen in Ukraine, as a Russian court dismissed more than 100 national guardsmen in the first case of soldiers refusing to fight in Ukraine as politicians demanded the army return home. Members of the National Guard of the Russian Federation, a separate military branch from the Russian army refused to carry out an assignment related to Moscow's 'special operation' in Ukraine. A military court in...

SNIPPET: "The attack took place at a hippodrome in the city of Nalchik, capital of Russia's North Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria." SNIPPET: "A law enforcement source told the RIA Novosti news agency the explosive was a time bomb, equivalent to about 5 kg of TNT. The ministry officials said the attack was aimed at civilians and was designed to hit as many people as possible." Posted by Robert on May 1, 2010 5:21 PM

When Abdul-Khalim Sadulaev succeeded the late Aslan Maskhadov as the leader of the Chechen resistance, he was initially described by Russian sources as an Arab and a representative of al-Qaeda. Even after it was shown that the new President was a Chechen, many observers suggested that the presidency of the Islamic scholar would function merely as a rubber-stamp for the terrorist ambitions of warlord Shamil Basaev, Arab fighter Abu Hafs and others. Contrary to these expectations, the young President has moved the Chechen resistance away from terrorism and any potential association with al-Qaeda. Military operations are the order of the...

Shooting has broken out in the southern Russian city of Nalchik, five days after 130 people were killed in clashes between security forces and rebels. Officials said they were in the middle of a fresh operation against militants, who are believed to have Chechen links. There were reports of gunshot in three districts of the city, including close to the morgue where the bodies of dozens of those killed are being held. Residents are being urged to stay in their homes. Parents are also being advised to collect their children from school. Russian media reports say police killed a...

ALARM - Naltchik: the police force gives the attack to a building NALTCHIK (Russia) - the police force gave the attack Friday morning to a store of Naltchik (the Caucasus of north) where had taken refuge Thursday of the combatants of an armed commando, noted a journalist of AFP.

ALARM - men armed in a school with Naltchik VLADIKAVKAZ (Russia) - armed men entered a school of Naltchik, the capital of the Russian Caucasian republic of Kabardino-Balkarie, and shootings were heard there, brought back a witness, questioned by telephone by AFP since the republic close to Ossétie of North.

NALCHIK, February 20 (Itar-Tass) - The gunmen, killed in Nalchik on Sunday, were members of armed gangs, subordinated to Basayev and Maskhadov, Russian Deputy Interior Minister Arkady Yedelev told reporters on Sunday. According to deputy minister, they are members of the Karachayevo-Cherkess jamaat and were on the federal Wanted List for committing terror acts in the Rostov Region and Stavropol Territory and were hatching new terror acts. In Yedelev’s words, new methods were used during the special operation: officially permitted Cheremukha-7 gas was used to neutralize the bandits who entrenched themselves in an apartment. “Gunmen suffered a serious blow”...