Free Republic

Vladimir Putin has pulled back the curtain on what has been described as the ‘largest and most secret’ drone factory ahead of a joint naval drill with Iran. Footage – a blend of Cold War secrecy and TikTok-era propaganda – offers a rare glimpse of the Yelabuga production facility in the Russian republic of Tatarstan. Recorded by Zvezda, the Russian defence ministry’s TV channel, it shows the star of Putin’s war in Ukraine – the ‘Geran-2’ drones. This is the Kremlin’s locally branded version of Iranian-designed Shahed 136. -snip- Above the entrance to the factory, a giant screen read, ‘Kurchatov,...

China is positioning itself to host a summit with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the aim of aligning their meeting with the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, as was reported on July 18. As China prepares to commemorate this historical milestone with a grand parade in Tiananmen Square, there are mounting suggestions that this event could serve as a backdrop for a pivotal summit involving the leaders of the US, China, and Russia, The Times writes. The anniversary, which marks the end of the war and China's victory over Japan,...

-snip- Russia has one of the world’s highest divorce rates — 60% higher than the United States’. Its abortion rate is more than twice that of Ukraine’s. Barely 1% of the population attended Christmas services last year. And at the center of it all sits the Russian Orthodox Church, less a religious institution than a state-security affiliate. When Tucker Carlson mourned the fate of Ukraine’s Moscow Patriarchate, he left out two crucial details. First, it is Russia — not Ukraine — that has damaged or destroyed more than 600 houses of worship since 2014. And second, Ukraine isn’t banning religion;...

Vladimir Putin has been left humiliated after Ukrainian drones penetrated Russian air defences for the fourth successive day. Moscow and the surrounding regions were under siege as Ukrainian forces unleashed more than 100 aircraft, targeting multiple buildings in the early hours of this morning. Footage circulating on Russian pro-war Telegram channels shows several explosions leaving homes shaking and windows shattered. Chaos also engulfed four of the capital’s airports – Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovskiy – with as many as 134 flights having to be redirected. By 10am local time, only two remained closed to air traffic – Vnukovo in the...

UKRAINE unleashed chaos at Moscow’s four airports with a fourth successive drone blitz rocking the city. Hundreds of passenger planes had to be diverted as waves of flying bombs converged on the Russian capital. Footage showed explosions as Russian air defences attacked incoming unmanned planes in Zelenograd, a district 23 miles northwest of the Kremlin. Ukraine has stepped up assaults since Donald Trump reportedly told Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky it was time to make Russians feel “the pain” of war. Russia's defence ministry claimed to have downed 93 Ukrainian drones overnight across nine regions - 19 of them over the...

American Derek Huffman thought he’d found the perfect solution. Move his family from Texas to Russia for “traditional values.” Join the military for fast-track citizenship. Work as a welder, not a fighter. Instead, he’s heading to Ukraine’s front lines after three weeks of training despite assurances he would serve in a non-combat role. Some Americans move to Russia seeking what they view as “traditional values”—conservative Christian beliefs, traditional family roles, and strict opposition to LGBTQ+ rights and “woke” ideologies they feel are overwhelming American culture. Russia’s new “Shared Values” visa program, launched in August 2024, specifically targets these disaffected conservatives...

DOJ official Bruce Ohr called a meeting of several federal agencies to discuss ‘working with’ a Russian oligarch because of his belief, premised on the unverified Steele dossier, that Trump was corrupt. A previously unnoticed passage in Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s report on federal surveillance abuse suggests Bruce Ohr and his compatriots were willing to bargain with a Russian oligarch to take down Donald Trump.Two-hundred-plus pages into the IG report, while discussing former Associate Deputy Attorney General Ohr’s continued contacts with Crossfire Hurricane dossier author Christopher Steele, Horowitz revealed a significant detail that to date has been overlooked: “On December...

An American father who moved to Russia to avoid LGBTQ+ “indoctrination” for his kids is being sent to the front line in Ukraine, despite being assured he would serve in a non-combat role. Derek Huffman, 46, feels he is being “thrown to the wolves” after being told that his job in the military would be as a correspondent or as a welder, his wife, DeAnna, said in a recorded plea for prayers, which has since been removed from her YouTube page. Huffman has no prior military experience, DeAnna said, adding that his limited training was conducted in Russian. She suggested...

Grocery stores in Belarus could be fined if they don’t keep enough potatoes in stock, as the country grapples with shortages, high prices and poor-quality spuds. The new regulation imposes penalties of up to €2,200 (8,400 Belarusian rubles) for failure to supply the staple, widely regarded as Belarus’ national vegetable. The decree, signed into law on Saturday by President Alexander Lukashenko and officially published on Wednesday, puts the onus on both shops and wholesale suppliers to ensure that common ingredients are delivered to stores, especially in the off-season. Belarus has been hit by an apparent potato crisis this year, with...

Russia's Defence Ministry has quietly cancelled its flagship military exhibition, in a major blow for Vladimir Putin. Several sources have confirmed to Russian media that the prestigious International Military-Technical Forum "Army 2025" will no longer go ahead as planned. The event is Russia's largest annual defence exhibition and has been held without fail every year since its inception in 2015 - even during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Russian Army used the forum as an opportunity to showcase its latest weapons and technologies and help the Kremlin sell its military hardware. The event had been scheduled to take place at Patriot...

Russia has lashed out at the US, accusing the Trump administration of “blackmail” as it continues to threaten Moscow with a sanctions ultimatum. Washington has told the Kremlin that if it does not agree to a Ukraine peace deal within 50 days, then it will impose 100% secondary tariffs on Moscow’s trade partners that buy Russian oil, gas and other products. -snip- It comes as Russia continues to suffer heavy casualties on the frontline in Ukraine. The UK Defence Secretary said it is likely Russia seized 550 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory — “an area greater than the size of...

After a long stretch of undeserved patience for the bad faith and brutality of Vladimir Putin, President Trump is now conveying, in action as well as words, that he is done being strung along. Trump announced Monday that, under a new arrangement, NATO would buy American weapons and pass them on to Kyiv, amounting to billions of dollars in new matériel. Trump said new Patriot batteries could reach Ukraine in days. Trump also announced his intention to impose new tariffs if there is no cease-fire within the next 50 days, although the details are vague, and he’s made these kinds...

Russia’s banks are reportedly seeking to arrange bailouts from Moscow as borrowers struggle to repay loans across the war-battered economy. At least three of the country’s biggest banks are investigating the possibility of a state rescue, according to Bloomberg News, in the latest sign the nation is struggling under the pressure of its invasion of Ukraine. Officials are said to have ordered banks to avoid disclosing the full level of bad loans and instead to restructure their books to present a healthier image. But this tactic may be nearing the end of the road, requiring support from Moscow. Russia’s economy...

Russia's catastrophic labour shortage has forced businesses to hire teenagers and retirees to fill jobs as the population crisis worsens. This issue has been brewing for years as the war with Ukraine continues, which has sent many working age people to the frontlines. Job adverts asking for "young applicants" as young as 14 skyrocketed by 119% in the first quarter of last year, Russian outlet Nakanune reported. Demand for workers between 16 and 18 also doubled. Openings for workers 55 and above increased by 65% in the culture and education sectors, and 12% in the service industry. Vladimir Putin has...

A black woman who moved from the US to Russia to escape ‘discrimination’ and ‘racism’ revealed on social media that the entire plan backfired on her in a disturbing way. In a heartbreaking video, Francine Villa claims both she and her baby were brutally attacked by racist neighbors in Moscow. The fact that the attack occurred in her homeland is an extra painful blow. Villa had previously spoken about her move back in the 2020 documentary “Black in the USSR” which aired on the Russian State Media channel, RT. After a year of living in Moscow, she told RT, “I...

Core inflation’s mild “only” 2.9% annualized rise is not cause for relief. Government agencies, central banks, and regulators all react to data. The Fed, having held rates steady since May, will now sit on its hands until reports confirm if inflation gets a firm grip. Jerome Powell has come out once more to state that the FOMC would have lowered rates if not for Trump’s tariffs. Trump is in opposition with the Fed as fiscal policy blames monetary policy, and no one opens their eyes to see the underlying problem. A massive systemic risk looms on the horizon as consumer...

Russia has stepped up its attacks to discredit Donald Trump, as relations between Washington and Moscow go south. -snip- Appearing on Solovyov live, former New York Times journalist and pro-Russian commentator John Varoli laid into Trump following his meeting with Nato chief Mark Rutte over the weekend. "Unfortunately yesterday we witnessed and became totally convinced that President Trump's health is drastically worsening," he said. "He isn't able to speak clearly, coherently or intelligently. The situation with Donald Trump's health is very, very serious. We understand that Donald Trump has truly lost his mind." As evidence, he cited the fact that...

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov revealed on Wednesday that there are currently no plans to organize a phone call between Russian and United States presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. At the same time, he noted that the call could be organized "very quickly." Trump and Putin last spoke on July 3, with the latter leader telling the US president that Moscow will not abandon its goals in Ukraine. The relationship took a turn for the worse in the aftermath of the conversation, with Trump expressing disappointment with his Russian colleague. The US leader subsequently decided to resume weapons supplies to...

Russia has more potential agricultural area than anywhere else in the world but it has run out of potatoes and onions. Even President Vladimir Putin conceded there is a problem. "It turns out we are short of potatoes," he recently said, noting the lack of sugar beet and some other vegetables too. That came after the price of potatoes soared in Russian shops, almost tripling within the last year, according to official figures. Meanwhile the price of onions has doubled. Cabbage is now 50% more expensive than it was a year ago, says statistics agency Rosstat. Russians had to pay...

Daniel Richard Martindale, a U.S. citizen accused of aiding Russian military operations inside Ukraine, has been granted Russian citizenship by decree of President Vladimir Putin. The announcement was made Tuesday in Moscow, where Martindale was shown on state television receiving his Russian passport. Martindale, who reportedly transmitted Ukrainian military coordinates to Russian forces during the war, was praised by Russian officials for his loyalty and direct support of Kremlin objectives in eastern Ukraine, News.Az reports, citing Reuters. Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed leader in occupied Donetsk, handed Martindale his new citizenship documents and expressed personal gratitude, stating: “This is a sign...