Free Republic

Kyiv says it needs all its drones for the battlefield, but manufacturers insist the foreign revenue from exports would let them expand their production.KYIV — Foreign drone companies are swarming Ukraine, hoping to be a part of one of the most exciting unmanned vehicle production hubs in the world. There’s one problem: Ukraine’s drone makers are severely limited in exporting their production and know-how. Drone use and production have skyrocketed in the war between Ukraine and Russia, now in its fourth year, because of these machines’ low cost and deadly effectiveness. The constant battle-testing has accelerated the pace of evolution...

The deputy governor of a Russian region bordering Ukraine has been detained as part of a criminal case involving the embezzlement of 1 billion roubles (S$15.8 million) earmarked for defensive fortifications, the Tass state news agency reported. The office of Deputy Kursk Governor Vladimir Bazarov, who previously worked as deputy governor in the neighbouring Belgorod region, was being searched, Tass reported. The detention of Bazarov was confirmed by Kursk Governor Alexander Khinshtein, who said the case related to his work in the Belgorod region. He gave no further comment. Reuters was unable to contact Bazarov or his lawyer. Since Ukrainian...

US President Donald Trump joined other world leaders in sending messages of support to Ukraine on Sunday as it celebrates Independence Day at a time when there is little hope for peace despite intense diplomatic efforts. Trump sent a letter to Ukraine on the country’s 34th Independence Day – which marks the anniversary of declaring itself free of Soviet rule – praising its courage and saying the United States believes in its future as an independent state. -snip- In the letter, Trump wrote: “The people of Ukraine have an unbreakable spirit, and your county’s courage inspires many. As you mark...

Ukrainian forces obliterated a critical part of Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline overnight — as Kyiv fought back against Moscow’s ramped-up attacks despite ongoing peace deal talks. Ukraine bombed the Unecha oil pumping station in the Bryansk region late Thursday, according to the commander of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces, Robert Brovdy. Footage posted on Telegram showed a huge inferno raging at a facility with multiple fuel tanks in the wake of the strikes. Bryansk regional Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said Ukraine had fired HIMARS rockets and drones at the region in a combined attack, setting the energy facility ablaze

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has awarded medals to his returning and fallen troops, who fought for Russia in the war against Ukraine, as he held an emotional meeting with the families of soldiers killed on the battlefield, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). “The combat activities of overseas operational forces … proved without regret the power of the heroic [North Korean] army,” and that the “liberation of Kursk” proved the “fighting spirit of the heroes”, KCNA reported on Friday, quoting Kim. “Our army is now doing what it ought to do and what needs to...