Free Republic

“Dare to Ukraine” is The Kyiv Independent’s wartime travel series that shows the country beyond the war headlines. In Episode 5 of “Dare to Ukraine: Village,” Masha’s journey reaches its final chapter. Before leaving, she brings everyone together for a shared meal, stories, and moments that reflect her month-long experience. From morning fishing to dinner-table singing at night, this episode captures the warmth, connection, and memories that make rural Ukraine unforgettable.

BUDAPEST (Reuters) -Hungary's Viktor Orban said on Monday that Ukraine was not a sovereign country, as he hit back at accusations that Hungarian reconnaissance drones violated its airspace - the latest salvo in an increasingly bitter row between Kyiv and Budapest."Ukraine is not at war with Hungary; it is at war with Russia. It should be concerned with the drones on its eastern border," the Hungarian prime minister said during an interview on a right-wing podcast popular with his supporters."I believe my ministers, but let's say it would have actually flown a few metres there, so what? Ukraine is not...

In 1917, while Germany fought Russia in a devastating conflict, revolutionary conditions erupted within the Russian Empire, ultimately toppling the Tsarist regime and reshaping the global order. Today, we may be witnessing what I call a “reverse 1917” scenario: As Russia wages a proxy war against NATO in Ukraine, it is the Western nations themselves that appear increasingly susceptible to revolutionary upheaval, while Russia maintains relative internal stability. This observation is not made lightly, nor from any sense of satisfaction. As always, one points out problems so they can be solved, not because one enjoys the trouble they are causing....

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Monday that its military was analysing whether or not the United States would supply Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine for strikes deep into Russia, a step that Russian officials say could trigger a steep escalation.U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that Washington was considering a Ukrainian request to obtain Tomahawks. President Donald Trump has not made a final decision, and he has been wary of escalating the Ukraine war into a direct confrontation with Russia. But the fact he is now weighing such a move shows the extent of his frustration with President...

In this age of modern warfare, the U.K. might already be at war with Russia, according to the former head of Britain's domestic intelligence agency. Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller, who led MI5 from 2002 to 2007, told the Lord Speaker's Corner podcast that Russia's escalating hybrid warfare tactics indicate a sustained campaign of hostility against Britain and its allies, The Times U.K. reported Monday. "Fiona Hill may be right in saying we're already at war with Russia," Manningham-Buller said, referencing the prominent foreign policy expert and Vladimir Putin biographer who was key in testifying against President Donald Trump in the first...

Vladimir Putin will expand his war in Ukraine by attacking another European country, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has predicted, and accused Russia of recent drone incursions that he said were an attempt to test Nato’s defences.Speaking in Kyiv after his meeting with Donald Trump at the UN in New York, the Ukrainian president said Russia was preparing for a bigger conflict. “Putin will not wait to finish his war in Ukraine. He will open up some other direction. Nobody knows where. He wants that,” he said. Ukraine’s president said the Kremlin was deliberately checking Europe’s capacity to protect its skies, after drone...

A Russian aerial bombardment that lasted more than 12 hours has killed at least four people and injured at least 70 others in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the deaths all occurred in the capital, Kyiv, where many of the projectiles were aimed, and the victims included a 12-year-old girl. The barrage - involving nearly 600 drones and several dozen missiles aimed at seven regions of Ukraine - is one of the heaviest in recent months. Zelensky warned that Ukraine would retaliate and said the "vile" attack showed Moscow "wants to continue fighting and killing". Russia said it struck military...

It is not hyperbole to think the Moldovan election today may possibly determine whether a NATO war with Russia takes place, or whether the NATO desire for conflict slowly begins to dissolve. {GO DEEP} The small country squeezed between Romania (the largest NATO super-base constructed) and Ukraine, is located in a critical area. Whether Moldova joins the EU, or whether Moldova remains independently free from Brussels influence, is part of the outcome. The Moldova Parliamentary Elections are today.The EU/NATO are at a zero-sum inflection point. THIS is the tinderbox.There are roughly 2.5 million registered Moldovan voters living in Moldova. However,...

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov used his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UGNA) on Saturday to deliver one of Moscow’s starkest warnings yet to the West, accusing NATO and the European Union of waging a "real war" against Russia. He singled out claims by European leaders as "false portrayals" of Moscow’s intentions, echoing President Vladimir Putin’s denials that Russia plans to strike NATO or EU territory. At the same time, Lavrov issued a direct threat: "Any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response. There should be no doubt about this among those in NATO...

Russian drones crossing into Poland and MiG-31s violating Estonian airspace revived the core question: how does a Russia vs. NATO war actually begin? Moscow will keep probing seams—airspace, air defenses, political will—aiming to force NATO into an Article 4/5 dilemma. Europe’s fragmented defense industry, ammunition shortages, and uneven appetite for risk create openings for a rapid, deniable “fait accompli” in the Baltics using EW, drones, and covert forces. That scenario wouldn’t resemble a set-piece tank battle; it would be a shock campaign designed to split allies before they can mobilize.

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian forces have trapped and are destroying Russian units that advanced near Pokrovsk, after weeks of heavy fighting that shifted the front line northward. He shared this at a briefing with journalists on September 26, according to a UNITED24 Media correspondent. Syrskyi said Moscow’s original spring and summer objectives—creating buffer zones in Kharkiv and Sumy regions, seizing the Pokrovsk agglomeration, reaching the Donetsk border, and advancing in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson—“were not realized thanks to the skillful actions of our warriors, smart decisions by commanders, timely reforms, and effective strikes on the enemy rear.” He...

“Dare to Ukraine” is The Kyiv Independent’s wartime travel series that shows the country beyond the war headlines. In Episode 4 of “Dare to Ukraine: Village,” Masha’s quiet rural routine is interrupted by a new mission: uncover the local history and debunk Russian propaganda myths about Ukraine. What starts as a simple day in the countryside turns into a journey through Ukraine’s past and present — proving that even the smallest villages and communities carry stories of independence that shatter Russian lies."

Maria Zakharova drew attention to reports in several Hungarian media outlets about Vladimir Zelensky's plans to carry out sabotage in Romania and Poland with the aim of blaming RussiaMOSCOW, September 26. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has predicted the imminent outbreak of World War III, if Hungarian media reports about Kiev's plans to stage a false flag operation in Romania and Poland are confirmed. In her Telegram channel, she drew attention to reports in several Hungarian media outlets about Vladimir Zelensky's plans to carry out sabotage in Romania and Poland with the aim of blaming Russia. "His office...