Free Republic

Four years after the liberation of Bucha, the town remains a central reference point for understanding the nature of the war in Ukraine and the limits of current diplomatic efforts. The events that followed the withdrawal of Russian forces in March 2022, when hundreds of civilians were found dead across the Kyiv suburb and the wider region, continue to shape how Ukraine defines both security and peace. Bucha has become more than a historical episode. It functions as a political and moral benchmark in discussions about any future settlement. Ukrainian authorities report over 400 civilian deaths in the town itself...

Iran has likely earned $139 million per day by selling its flagship Iran Light crude so far in March, according to Bloomberg calculations based on export estimates by Tankertrackers.com and prices for Iranian Light. The estimated daily revenues were nearly $25 million higher compared to the average of $115 million daily proceeds from Iranian Light in February, according to Bloomberg's calculations. Iran is benefiting in several ways from the Hormuz crisis. First, its tankers are transiting the Strait of Hormuz while most other Gulf oil supply is still trapped. Then, the massive supply shock from the Middle East has hiked...

Beriev A-50U radar planes are Russia’s eyes in the sky. As Ukraine knocks out more of the A-50Us, Russian forces are slowly going blind. Russia went to war in February 2022 with potentially just seven Beriev A-50U radar planes The A-50Us use top-mounted radars to watch for Ukrainian warplanes and drones In a series of attacks going back three years, the Ukrainians may have knocked out more than half of the A-50Us A drone strike last week reportedly damaged a fourth A-50U on the ground in western Russia Sortieing drones deep inside Russia on 17 March, Ukrainian forces may have...

https://fakti.bg/en/world/1040027-ukraine- The Supreme Court of Ukraine recognized for the first time a de facto marriage between two men, UNIAN reported, quoted by tsn.ua. The men in question are Zoryan Kissa, first secretary of the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel, and Timur Levchuk, a social activist. This was reported by the non-governmental organization Insight LGBTQ (NGO "Insight"). „Opponents of equality tried to interfere in the personal lives of two people and annul their victory. But the country's highest court gave a clear answer – a third-party organization that has no connection with the couple cannot simply come and annul decision concerning their...

Robert Fico 🇸🇰@RobertFicoSVKREACTION OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC, ROBERT FICO, TO THE BLACKMAILING BEHAVIOR OF UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT ZELENSKYYI express full solidarity with the Prime Minister of Hungary, @PM_ViktorOrban. If the Ukrainian president continues like this, it may happen that other EU member states will also block the 90-billion loan for Ukraine.And I officially ask all the highest representatives of the European Union and I will be very specific: 👉🏻 the President of the European Commission, @vonderleyen👉🏻 the President of the European Council, @eucopresident👉🏻 and also the so-called EU foreign affairs chief, @kajakallas☝🏻 to distance themselves from these...

"This is the proportional response that Russia has the right to," the Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman stressedMOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. A nuclear strike on targets in Ukraine, as well as in France and the United Kingdom, would be considered lawful and justified in the event that London and Paris provide Kiev with nuclear capabilities, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Max, commenting on Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service’s (SVR) reports about such plans by the two European countries. According to Medvedev, this information "radically changes the situation." "This is a direct transfer of nuclear weapons to a...

Ukraine is outmatched by Russian forces and requires significantly more infantry and weapons if it hopes to win the war, according to military intelligence and independent battlefield monitors. Although Moscow is paying an extraordinary price for comparatively minimal gains, western officials believe the country can sustain at least another year of war at the current rate of attrition. On Tuesday it will be four years since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. After months of incremental advances, it appears to be on the verge of capturing a series of strategic locations in Ukraine’s so-called “fortress belt” and is expanding...

When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine surpassed 1,418 days last month, it officially exceeded a historic milestone — the same span of time it took Moscow to defeat Nazi Germany in World War II. And unlike the Red Army that pushed all the way to Berlin eight decades ago in what it called the Great Patriotic War, Russia’s 4-year-old, all-out invasion of its neighbor is still struggling to fully capture Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland. After Moscow failed to seize the capital of Kyiv and install a puppet government in February 2022, the conflict turned into trench warfare with tremendous cost....

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that the UK and its allies should deploy non-combat troops to Ukraine right now, to "flip a switch" in Russian President Vladimir Putin's head. Speaking exclusively to Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg alongside the former head of the military, Adm Sir Tony Radakin, Johnson said troops should be sent to peaceful regions in non-fighting roles. He said: "If we can have a plan for boots on the ground after the war, after Putin has condescended to have a ceasefire, then why not do it now?" The UK government is currently working with its allies to...

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has arrived in Kyiv and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "Maidan Nezalezhnosti. The People’s Memorial of National Remembrance," Zelenskyy wrote Tuesday on X. "A memorial honoring our heroes, warriors, our people who defended Ukraine against the enemy, fought, and made the ultimate sacrifice in this war. Together with @SecGenNATO Mark Rutte, we honored the memory of fallen Ukrainian defenders today. Eternal honor to our warriors. "Eternal gratitude for their sacrifice and for defending the country. It is our duty to preserve the memory of our fallen heroes." Rutte's visit comes after Russia attacked Ukraine...

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has claimed that President Vladimir Putin's state residence in the Novgorod region was the target of a Ukrainian drone attack overnight into Monday, and said it would have implications for the peace negotiations.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the claim as "typical Russian lies" made because Moscow does not want to end the war.The allegation comes as U.S. President Donald Trump hailed progress toward peace following his latest talks with Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.Securing a long-sought deal on Ukraine would be a crowning moment for Trump, the self-styled global...

While President Donald Trump is negotiating with Russian and Ukrainian officials to end the war between the two countries, some in the Russian delegation are already undermining the progress.... Trump also noted how Ukraine's parliament will need to approve any peace deal with Russia. He is also willing to speak directly to the parliament to get them on board with the deal. 'I’ve offered to go and speak to their parliament,' Trump told reporters on Sunday at a press conference following his meeting with Zelensky. 'I’d have no problem with doing it.'

Last night, on October 19, a series of explosions occurred at the Novokuibyshev Oil Refinery in Russia’s Samara Region following a drone attack. Drones also struck a gas processing plant in the Russian city of Orenburg. According to eyewitnesses, black smoke rose above the Novokuibyshev refinery after the attack, and videos shared on social media show heavy smoke over the facility. Regional Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev confirmed the UAV attack but did not disclose details regarding the damage. The Novokuibyshev refinery, owned by Rosneft, is one of the key enterprises in the Samara Region, with a capacity to process up to...

Trump urged Zelenskyy to accept Russia’s terms to end the war, warning that Putin would “destroy” Ukraine if he refused

Potential supplies of these missiles will not be able to change the battlefield situation for the Kiev regime, Dmitry Peskov emphasizedMOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/. Potential supplies of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kiev will be a serious spiral of escalation, since such weapons can be equipped with nuclear warheads, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. "This will imply a serious spiral of escalation, which, however, will not be able to change the battlefield situation for the Kiev regime. But it is important to bear in mind in this context, putting aside various nuances, that these missiles can be equipped with...

President Donald Trump said Monday he has "sort of" made a decision on whether to supply Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine or NATO allies but signaled caution, stressing he wants more information before proceeding. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he intends to learn "what they're doing with them" before finalizing any decision, adding that his goal is to avoid escalating the conflict. Washington is carefully weighing a significant step in military support as Kyiv continues its defense against Russia, but Trump's emphasis on oversight reflects concerns about how advanced U.S. weaponry might be used once transferred....

Located between Ukraine and the EU member Romania, Moldova has received increased international media coverage since Russia's full-scale war invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. In addition to coverage of pro-EU and pro-Russia parties battling for parliamentary control, there has been increased international reporting on the internationally unrecognized Kremlin-aligned Republic of Transnistria in eastern Moldova. Meaning "land beyond the Dniester," the name Transnistria refers to the area along the eastern lower reaches of the Dniester River. At the end of the 18th century, the region it was annexed by the Russian Empire. During the Soviet era, Transnistria was initially...

“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."

One of Vladimir Putin's advisers has left his post due his opposition to the Russian president's policies on the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it has been reported. Dmitry Kozak, who is of Ukrainian origin, "resigned" from his position as Kremlin deputy chief of staff, according to Russian publication RBC. But the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that he was likely pushed from his post following "years of disagreement" with Putin about the Ukraine war. Why It Matters Kozak is said to have opposed the full-scale invasion. His exit from the Kremlin inner circle signals the commitment from...

Speaking in China at the end of a visit there, Putin said that he perceived "a certain light at the end of the tunnel" given what he said were sincere efforts by the United States to find a settlement to Europe's biggest land war since World War Two. "It seems to me that if common sense prevails, it will be possible to agree on an acceptable solution to end this conflict. That is my assumption," he told reporters in Beijing. "Especially since we can see the mood of the current U.S. administration under President Trump, and we see not just...