Free Republic

Stanislav Orlov, the founder of the Russian reconnaissance and sabotage brigade “Espanola”, has been killed in Russia, Militarnyi reported on December 19, citing Russian war correspondents and statements from the unit itself. According to information published by pro-Russian military bloggers, Orlov, known by the callsign “Spaniard,” died from gunshot wounds sustained during his detention. He was reportedly accused of illegally misappropriating 1.5 billion rubles (approximately $18.5 million). The pro-Kremlin outlet Mash claimed that Orlov had been in a coma for several days prior to his death, though the exact cause of the coma was not disclosed. Orlov arrived in the...

The armed forces have destroyed a militant who previously killed people in Syria and Libya and wrote the book "#theyarenotthere". As Censor.NET reports about it with reference to the "Myrotvorets" center. According to the Center, the pro-Kremlin mercenary is the author of the autobiographical book "#theyrenotthere", which tells about his participation in hostilities in Ukraine, Syria, and Libya. "Orlov was so eager for fame that until the last day he posted photos and videos of his participation in the fighting in Ukraine, while merging the dispositions of orcs in the Donbas. Using even these data, the Ukraine Armed Forces...

The bad news: 1. Russian NTV channel reported the detention of 25 Ukrainians on the territory of the Russian Federation. According to NTV, they were planning terrorist attacks in Rostov, Volgograd, Tver, Orlov, Belgorod oblasts [regions] and the Republics of Kalmykia and Tatarstan. Among the detained activists, it was stated there were activists of “Right Sector” [ultra-nationalist group], who “confirmed the receipt of instructions from representatives of the SBU [Security Services of Ukraine].” We can laugh out of habit at this and forget about it – you never know what lies PutinTV will come up with next. But in reality,...

How does a society go about checkmating itself? There is no shortage of real-world examples, but real life is complicated, so here is a simple allegory. Let's suppose that there is a tribe called the Merkanoids, which remains quite ordinary for most of its history, but which at some point undergoes a strange cultural mutation. An accidental synergy between atmospheric electricity and chemicals in the water produces a strange effect on their minds that causes them to decamp from the towns and villages wherein they had hitherto happily dwelt, and take up residence in little huts scattered throughout the surrounding...

Let the honeymoon begin. With Antonio Villaraigosa officially ensconced as mayor, many of his supporters are viewing his first year as a test as much of the city as of him. "The biggest enemy out there for Antonio Villaraigosa is Antonio Villaraigosa," one supporter said at the $500-a-person Music Center gala that preceded Friday's inauguration. The fear, voiced by many, is that Villaraigosa - and his staff - will begin to believe all the hype about his political potential. Most immediately is the prospect of him entering the governor's race next year. As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's poll numbers drop and...