Free Republic

In north-eastern Ukraine, a counter-offensive has seen the nation's forces recapture swathes of territory, and drive out Russian troops. But in the newly-liberated areas, relief and sorrow are intertwined - as accounts emerge of torture and killings during the long months of Russian occupation. Artem, who lives in the city of Balakliya in the Kharkiv region told the BBC he was held by Russians for more than 40 days, and was tortured with electrocution. Balakliya was liberated on 8 September after being occupied for more than six months. The epicentre of the brutality was the city's police station, which Russian...

Russia has 'unleashed chemical weapons on Mariupol' with Ukrainian troops reporting they are suffering breathing issues and dizziness - as the besieged port city's mayor reveals more than 10,000 civilians have died in the conflict so far. The unidentified agent is said to have been dropped on the city from a Russian drone, according to unverified reports from the city's Azov regiment. Details of the assault, via the Telegram messaging app, say a 'poisonous substance of unknown origin' has led to the city's defenders suffering from symptoms including breathing issues, 'respiratory failure' and 'vestibulo-atactic syndrome'. The alleged attack came just...