Free Republic

Russia suffered a major setback after Ukrainian missiles reportedly destroyed a key army military command post in Kursk. HIMARS missiles reportedly took out the headquarters of Russia's elite 810th Marine Brigade, which was hidden in an abandoned five-storey civilian building in Lgov. The devastating attack took place overnight on Christmas Day and caused heavy casualties, killing 17 marines. Lieutenant Colonel Salim Pashtov, one of the brigade's senior officers, was reportedly among those killed. Video footage purportedly of the missile strike shows a huge mushroom cloud of flames and smoke rising into the night's sky on the horizon. Further images shot...

As Russians prepare to celebrate the New Year or the week of public holidays that follows, they might notice this year's festive bill at the supermarket come out to significantly more than last year's – especially for fans of sandwiches with butter and red caviar, a New Year's dinner staple in the country. In October of last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin denied that Russia was “spending too much money on guns and forgetting about butter,” prices of which have seen some of the biggest increases of all produce, growing by over 33 percent since the start of 2024. Caviar,...

Vladimir Putin is regretful over the war in Ukraine, according to the latest claim by one of his closest allies, as US defence officials warned North Korean troops will become 'legitimate targets' if they are seen to fight alongside Russian forces. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko delivered a wide-ranging interview with the BBC and state-owned broadcaster BelTA this week in which he was asked whether his Russian counterpart had regrets over launching his so-called 'special military operation' in Ukraine. -snip- 'Both sides suffer heavy losses... Does Putin regret it or not? Of course he regrets. He's a living man.' -snip- Ukraine's...