Free Republic

Summary Ukraine says it killed a Russian general who died in an explosion in Moscow on Tuesday morning Lt Gen Igor Kirillov was at the entrance to a residential block when a device hidden in an electric scooter went off Sources in the Ukrainian security services tell the BBC Kirillov was a "legitimate target" On Monday, Kirillov was charged in Kyiv for the use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine Kirillov had already been sanctioned by the UK, and others, for his role in Russia's use of chemical weapons The bomb was remotely operated and contained around 300g of explosives,...

Russia will launch the serial production of its new powerful Oreshnik missiles in the "near future," Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday. "In the near future, serial production of such systems should be ensured to protect the security of Russia and our allies," said Putin in a speech at the Russian Defense Ministry's final board meeting of the year on Monday, which was publicly broadcast. -snip- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said last week that he had asked Putin to provide him with the new missiles, and Russia agreed to supply Oreshniks "for free."

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Directorate of Intelligence said on Monday that at least 30 North Korean soldiers were killed and wounded in weekend battles in Russia's western Kursk region, prompting commanders to send reinforcements to frontline units. "North Korean army units are being re-equipped after losses in assaults" around the villages of Plekhovo, Vorozhba and Martynovka in the Kursk region, the GUR wrote in a post to its official Telegram channel. On Dec. 14 and 15, the GUR said, "units of the DPRK army suffered significant losses -- at least 30 soldiers were killed and wounded," using the acronym...