Free Republic

On May 23rd, The Times published an extraordinarily candid probe into how militarised drones have irrevocably revolutionised warfare in the 21st century, with Russia far at the forefront of this radical shakeup of how conflicts are waged. Meanwhile, there is little indication NATO members even vaguely comprehend this battlefield reality, let alone a single one of them is undertaking any serious measures whatsoever to prepare for conflict such as that currently unfolding and evolving daily throughout Ukraine’s eastern steppe.The Times piece is a first-person report of a visit to the assorted headquarters of Kiev’s 93rd Mechanised Brigade, in basements of...

Ukraine’s official military casualty figures in the war with Russia may be vastly understated, according to a report published by the French newspaper Le Monde on Monday. Russia’s death toll is much higher, but official figures show the Kremlin’s voluntary recruitment drive is replenishing the ranks faster than its soldiers are being killed. Death tolls in the four-year old war are state secrets on both sides of the conflict and analysts have been reduced to using proxies to estimate the true toll and official estimates from Defence Ministries are almost certainly massaged up or down. However, even these estimates are...

Russian drone attacks appear to be overwhelming Ukraine's besieged air defenses with their highest hit rates since the war began, it was reported Monday. Moscow's military has used "swarm" tactics, with drones striking targets at three times the typical rate in recent months, Financial Times reported, citing official data. Roughly 15% of Iranian-designed drones, manufactured in Russia, penetrated defenses on average between April and June. That was up from only 5% during the previous three months. The war began in February 2022 when, in an unprovoked attack, Russia invaded Ukraine. The increased effectiveness of the slow-moving Shaheds — drones that...

ransomnote: The source, Expresso TV, is Ukrainian.Espreso TV (Ukrainian: Еспресо TV) is an Internet television station in Ukraine that started to operate in November 2013. Espreso TV enabled the Euromaidan protests to be broadcast worldwide.Odesa aviator and combat pilot Colonel Kostyantyn 'Kamikaze' Oborin gave his life for Ukraine during a combat mission, officials and his loved ones announced on July 19, 2025News of Colonel Oborin’s death was shared by Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov and head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration Oleh Kiper."A very sad news for Odesa. Kostyantyn Oborin died during a combat mission — a veteran of the...

US President Donald Trump’s 50-day pause ahead of possible secondary sanctions on Russia gifts the Kremlin a window to exploit the incremental gains of recent weeks, which analysts say increasingly put key Ukrainian strongholds in the east in peril.Russia is thought to be days or weeks away from surging into a heightened summer offensive, perhaps using the 160,000 troops Ukrainian officials have said are amassing near their front lines. But in the past two weeks, Russia has also made small but vital advances, placing its forces in a better position to cut off Ukrainian troops in three key towns –...

Hans Braunfisch wants Americans to invest in Ukrainian startups, but there's a problem: there's no clear path for individual investors to put money into the more than 26,000 Ukrainian startups out there.The former PwC consultant plans to change that with Pravo Venture, a platform streamlining foreign investment for Ukrainian startups. Think of it like a meeting point for Ukrainian companies and U.S. investors accredited by the Securities and Exchange Commission who want to support the country with capital instead of aid.While co-heading PwC's Ukraine Taskforce, Braunfisch attempted to persuade clients to invest in Ukraine’s entrepreneurs to help its economic recovery....

BlackRock, a U.S. investment firm, suspended work on a multibillion-dollar Ukraine recovery fund following U.S. President Donald Trump's election victory, prompting France to work on a replacement, Bloomberg reported on July 5.The plan nearly secured the initial support of institutions backed by the governments of Germany, Italy, and Poland, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.Kyiv has sought to secure investment in Ukraine's reconstruction as Russia's war continues to destroy infrastructure across the country.BlackRock halted its search for institutional investors in January, causing the planned funding that sought to secure $500 million from governments, development grants, and investment banks, and...

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth unilaterally suspended military aid to Ukraine for the third time, despite military conclusions that there was no threat to US stockpiles. This decision surprised the State Department, Congress, and European allies, drawing bipartisan criticism. The suspension of military aid to Ukraine was a unilateral step by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, citing three congressional aides and a former US official familiar with the matter, NBC News reports, writes UNN. "The Department of Defense (US) this week delayed the delivery of American weapons to Ukraine due to, according to officials, concerns about its low...

The Russian Ministry of Defence stated on Saturday that its armed forces destroyed two air defense platforms and two radar stations of the Patriot system. "Operational-tactical aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery of groups of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed two launchers and two AN/MPQ-65 radar stations of the [United States] US-made Patriot anti-aircraft missile system," the ministry wrote on Telegram. It also shared that the Russian military's air defense systems managed to down a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, a Neptune long-range guided missile, three guided aerial bombs and 371...

Ukrainian officials say that despite media reports that the Trump administration is halting the delivery of critical air defense interceptors and other munitions, at least some U.S. arms continue to be provided and they have not been informed that these transfers will no longer be made. The news comes at a particularly critical time, as Russia has stepped up its aerial attacks. Earlier this week, Moscow launched its largest air barrage of the war, firing 477 drones and 60 missiles, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Overall, major and relatively sudden shortfalls in planned weapons deliveries could have wide-ranging impacts...

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine has stopped receiving any military supplies from the US, including shells and spare parts, the Economist has reported, citing Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian officials believe that the administration of US President Donald Trump tries to push Ukraine for political concessions by halting the supplies, the media said. Since January, Trump has not made any new commitments regarding weapons for Ukraine, it recalled. On Tuesday, US media reported that the Pentagon paused deliveries of certain air defense missiles and precision munitions to Ukraine over concerns that the US's own stock was running critically low. White House spokeswoman Anna...

he move “was made to put America’s interests first,” a White House spokeswoman said. U.S. munitions have been depleted. The Trump administration found dangerously low levels of artillery rounds, air defense missiles, and precision munitions. Biden sent billions to Ukraine, leaving the U.S. vulnerable. According to NBC News, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth paused a shipment of missiles and ammunition to Ukraine. Two defense officials and two congressional officials sources told NBC there are concerns about the U.S. military’s stockpiles. Hegseth ordered a review of the U.S. stockpile of munitions week ago. The supply has been depleted in recent years as...

The Pentagon has halted some shipments of air defense missiles and other precision munitions to Ukraine over concerns that U.S. stockpiles are too low, two people familiar with the decision said Tuesday. The slowing of some weapons shipments promised to Kyiv by former President Joe Biden's administration came in recent days, they said, adding that air defense interceptors to help knock down Russian drones and projectiles were among the items delayed. In recent weeks Russia has intensified air attacks on Ukraine's cities, on several nights launching hundreds of drones and missiles at a time, leading to widespread damage and an...

The US Army is considering scrapping General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) management of three new 155mm artillery round production lines in Mesquite, Texas, according to a “show cause” letter obtained by Breaking Defense. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the heavy use of artillery, the Army rushed to bolster 155mm production and produce 100,000 shells per month. As part of that broader push, it opened a new government-owned facility in Texas, tapping GD-OTS to operate it and stand up three Universal Artillery Projectile Lines (UAPL) to produce the metal parts for artillery projectiles, including the shell...

The Pentagon review determined that stocks had become too low on some previously pledged munitions, and that some pending shipments now would not be sent, said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity, according to Politico, which first reported the halt of military aid. 'The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned - just ask Iran,' Kelly said, making a reference to the recent US bombings and missile strikes against the Islamic republic's nuclear facilities. The United States will halt some key weapons shipments to Ukraine that were promised under the Biden administration in a devastating...

While the world is fixated on Middle East tensions, Russian forces continue pounding military and strategic targets all over Ukraine. Having amassed an enormous cache of kamikaze drones and missiles, Moscow is methodically implementing its ‘war of attrition’. As we have often discussed here on TGP, in this kind of warfare the main objective is not so much territorial gains, but rather a campaign to degrade the enemy’s capabilities to the point it can’t fight anymore. The only reason why this ‘attrition’ took more than a few months to be accomplished is that the US under Biden and all the...

A Ukrainian pilot was killed and his F-16 fighter jet crashed after Russia launched a huge aerial assault involving hundreds of drones and scores of missiles overnight, the Ukrainian military said on Sunday.…. Russia has ramped up its airborne attacks against Ukraine in recent weeks, launching hundreds of drones and missiles nearly every night….. Also on Sunday, Zelensky announced he signed a decree that would take Ukraine out of the Ottawa Treaty, the international agreement that bans the use of anti-personnel landmine….

Russia launched its biggest aerial attack against Ukraine overnight, a Ukrainian official said Sunday, part of an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the 3-year-old war. Russia fired a total of 537 aerial weapons at Ukraine, including 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles, Ukraine’s air force said. Of these, 249 were shot down and 226 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. The onslaught was “the most massive airstrike” on the country since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, taking into account both drones and various types...

SummaryPilot shot down seven targets before crash, Air Force says Ukraine's third F-16 loss since deploying the jets last year Zelenskiy urges US, Western allies for more air defence support Russian attack involved more than 500 drones and missiles, Ukraine says KYIV/LVIV, Ukraine, June 29 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot died in a crash while repelling a Russian air attack that involved hundreds of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, authorities said on Sunday, as Moscow intensifies night-time air barrages in the fourth year of war. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for more support from Washington and Western allies to...

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene launched a blistering assault on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, castigating her as a “pathetic little hypocrite” for supporting U.S. military involvement in Ukraine under President Biden, only to suddenly posture as anti‑war today. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez (D‑NY) condemned President Trump’s decisive strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities as “clearly grounds for impeachment,” accusing him of a “grave violation” of constitutional war powers. AOC immediately took to the public stage, calling Trump’s actions “disastrous” and “impulsive,” warning they risked “ensnaring us for generations in a war.” She and other Democrats have begun floating articles of impeachment, claiming the president...