Free Republic

A Senate Armed Services hearing turned heated this week when Sen. Angus King, chairman of the Strategic Forces subcommittee, laid into John Hill, deputy assistant defense secretary for space and missile defense, about why the Biden administration’s 2025 missile defense budget request falls far short on funding to maintain readiness against the growing threat of hypersonic missiles from adversaries — namely Russia. “We have no defense for hypersonic missiles, yes or no? Mr. Hill? Any defense on hypersonic missile?” Mr. King asked during one exchange. If Russia launches a hypersonic missile traveling 6,000 mph and “you are the commander of...

For the second year in a row, a lone Soviet-era tank rolled across Moscow's Red Square during Russia's Victory Day parade, prompting social media users to mock President Vladimir Putin's military's procession on a day which is traditionally used to display the country's might. A single T-34 tank participated in the parade in Moscow to mark May 9, or Victory Day, which is the annual commemoration of Nazi Germany's defeat during World War II. Like last year, this year's procession was notably muted in contrast to previous events amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, during which both sides have suffered...

There was a striking lack of military hardware on display after major losses in Ukraine. VLADIMIR Putin has vowed Russia is "always" ready to strike the West and snubbed Britain in a snarling World War 2 rant at Russia's annual Victory Day parade. The Russian tyrant instead lavished praise on China and declared Russia was "combat ready" in these "difficult" times as nuclear missiles rumbled through Moscow's streets. -snip- However, today was a much pared-down parade indicating the strains of war. For the second year in a row, it featured just one measly tank - reportedly an 80-year-old T-34.

"Your church has no right to exist, as it has connections with America and other Western countries," Russian authorities told the deacon of the Pentecostal church in Nova Kakhovka, Oleksandr Prokopchuk. They arrested him and his 19-year-old son. Both were later found dead in a forest. In occupied Sloviansk four members of the Evangelical Church of the Transformation were accused of being American spies because some U.S. dollars were found in their pockets. They were subsequently shot and killed. Evangelicals are targeted by the Russians disproportionally... Protestants were the victims of 34 percent of the reported persecution events...Baptists made up...

Russia is threatening to strike British military facilities and has started practicing the use of nuclear weapons. A threatening statement released by the Kremlin stated that "British military facilities may be targeted" by the Russian army. A similar threat was also directed at France. The threats from Russia come after statements by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who expressed support for Ukraine's right to use British weapons in the war with Russia, and Macron did not rule out the possibility of deploying French troops to assist Ukraine in the war. In addition, the Kremlin announced...

The figurehead president of the Cuban communist Castro regime, Miguel Díaz-Canel, arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for a two-day official visit that will include a meeting with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, who has been recently inaugurated for a new six-year term as president. According to the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Díaz-Canel will “address bilateral agenda priorities” following Putin’s inauguration, meeting with other representatives of the Russian government before meeting with Putin on Thursday. Díaz-Canel will also participate in Wednesday’s meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, representing Cuba in its capacity as an observer member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU)....

Vladimir Putin wore thick make-up with his eyebrows darkened and used cheek filler when he was sworn in for a fifth term, says a security expert. -snip- Prof Anthony Glees, from the University of Buckingham, told The Mirror that Putin was “heavily made up” for the event including user filler. It comes with the Russian leader having typically tried to give a macho image of himself whether it is riding shirtless on horseback or doing judo. “The doors open and Putin ambles in, greeted by an adoring audience. He is followed by a goose-stepping presidential guard of in uniforms,” said...

Retired US Army colonel: ‘They’re not bluffing’; Russian tactical nuke drills are loud warning to US/NATO to stay out of Ukraine Russian troops are sitting at the doorstep of victory in Ukraine, whose forces look just weeks away from collapsing given the current situation on the ground. Ukraine is losing 500 to 800 men every day and showing signs of cracking. But Western globalists are talking tougher than ever and threatening Russia with new forms of direct military warfare from the West. Don’t believe for a second that our Western puppet leaders will let go of their anti-Russia, anti-Putin crusade...

Natalia Kruglova last spoke to her husband, Pvt. Ivan Petrov, on Sept. 29. The Russian army conscript told Kruglova he had been ordered back to the front lines in southeastern Ukraine. Then he disappeared. Kruglova wrote to her husband’s commanding officers, the Defense Ministry and even military prosecutors in search of news, but to no avail. Weeks later, the army declared Petrov missing but offered no explanation of what had happened to him. “It’s as if no one owes you anything, no one cares,” Kruglova, 45, said in an interview from her home in the Russian far eastern city of...

Rus Calls West Bluff; Threatens Strikes UK; Warns France Nukes; Massive West Climbdown:

An ailing warlord pal of Vladimir Putin appeared to be in a bad state when he turned up at the Russian dictator’s inauguration in Moscow today (May 7). The bloated Chechen maniac Ramzan Kadyrov, 47, struggled to walk up the steps into the Kremlin for the ceremony, and then had difficulty getting his coat off. The dad-of-15 needed help from his ally Adam Delimkhanov, 54, a Russian MP, and an aide to sort himself out. It was the first public sighting of Putin lackey Kadyrov in Moscow since reports emerged last month that he was terminally ill, suffering from “pancreatic...

All five Central Asian presidents are scheduled to attend a parade on Red Square on May 9 to commemorate the end of World War II in Europe in 1945, while the majority of the world's leaders continue to condemn Russia's ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022. Yury Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, on May 7 said Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, and Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhammedov will attend the event in the Russian capital’s Red Square. Ushakov added that President Miguel Diaz-Canel of...

In September 1943, as the tide of the Second World War was turning in the Soviet Union’s favour, the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin called a meeting at the Kremlin. Alongside the foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the head of the secret police Vsevolod Merkulov were three men in Stalin’s office for the first time: Metropolitan Sergius, Metropolitan Aleksey, and Metropolitan Nikolay, three of the few Orthodox Church hierarchs left in the Soviet Union. The fact of such a meeting taking place is naturally surprising. Even those who know little about the Soviet Union are familiar with its anti-religious policies, especially...

American actor Steven Seagal has made a surprise appearance in Russia for Vladimir Putin's fifth inauguration ceremony. The Hollywood star arrived at the Kremlin in Moscow for Tuesday's event in a long black robe, wearing his trademark glasses and famous beard. -snip- Seagal, who received his Russian citizenship in 2017, first bonded with the Putin over a shared love of martial arts and the pair have formed a bromance over the years. Last year, the The Under Siege and Hard to Kill actor described himself as "one million percent Russian" after receiving an Order of Friendship medal from Putin for...

Steven Seagal made a surprise appearance at Vladimir Putin's inauguration ceremony today. The Hollywood actor, who previously hailed himself "one million per cent" Russian arrived in Moscow for president-elect's Kremlin event taking place today (May 7). Putin begins his fifth term as Russian president today after nearly a quarter-century in office. -snip- Seagal pledged his allegiance to Russia at an event held by International Movement of Russians in Moscow in March last year. During the event, the 'Above The Law' star accused the US of spending "billions of dollars on disinformation, lies" which was an attempt to "try to discredit,...

🔺Russia itself and only itself will determine its own fate; 🔺Russia will pass through the difficult, milestone period with dignity and become even stronger, it must be self-sufficient and competitive; 🔺The key priority for Russia is the people's safeguarding, preservation of age-old values and traditions; 🔺Russia is ready to strengthen good relations with all countries, with the world majority; 🔺Russia will continue to work with partners on the formation of a multipolar world order;

Vladimir Putin has been sworn in for his fifth term as Russia's president in front of dignitaries, celebrities and friends, including US actor Steven Seagal and a biker gang leader known as 'The Surgeon'. -snip- Also in attendance was Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, a crony of Putin's who has been the subject of claims that he is terminally ill in recent weeks. The Head of the Chechen Republic appeared to struggle up the stairs into the hall as he arrived flanked by his aides, who helped him to pull off his jacket when they reached the top.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia will treat F-16 multi-role fighter jets operated by Ukraine as nuclear-capable assets, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday. "We cannot ignore the fact that these planes are dual-purpose platforms that can be used both for nuclear and non-nuclear tasks … No matter what modification of the aircraft will be supplied [to Ukraine] we will treat them as nuclear-capable and we will consider this step of the United States and NATO as a purposeful provocation," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry further warned the regime in Kiev and its Western donors that their reckless...

Russia will have to increase its entire missile arsenal to deter the West as Moscow is now in an open confrontation with the United States and its allies, a Russian diplomat was quoted as saying on Monday. President Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine touched off the worst breakdown in relations between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, according to Russian and U.S. diplomats. Russia has ramped up weapons production and is now forecast by the United States to manufacture this year more artillery than all of NATO's 32 members combined. "We are now at the...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has continued his deranged nuclear warnings to the West, warning Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that London's iconic No.10 Downing Street is on a hit list. Russian president Vladimir Putin has today ordered nuclear missile firing drills and warned not even Downing Street will be safe. He told defence minister Sergei Shoigu to prepare exercises in the near future "in order to increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to fulfil combat missions." A Russian defence minister said it would involve land, air and naval forces. A ministry spokesperson said: "A set of measures will be taken...