Free Republic

The Russian economy contracted steeply in the second quarter as the economic consequences of its war in Ukraine took hold. The economy shrank 4 percent from April through June compared with a year ago, the Russian statistics agency said on Friday. It is the first quarterly gross domestic product report to fully capture the change in the economy since the invasion of Ukraine in February, when Western sanctions shut Russia off from much of the global financial system, and many countries severed trading relationships with Moscow. It was also a sharp reversal from the first quarter, when the economy rose...

Ukraine's most wanted war criminal: Hunt for Russian soldier from 'SSSR' unit that is notorious for its violence and brutality after he was filmed castrating Ukrainian POW Russian soldier accused of castrating a Ukrainian PoW has been identified Believed to be fighter, 39, with pro-Vladimir Putin Luhansk group Bryanka-SSSR Online sleuths recognised him in Russian news report from Azot chemical plant Atrocity horrified Ukraine but is one of thousands of crimes by Russian forces The Russian soldier accused of castrating a Ukrainian prisoner of war in one of the most horrific war crimes of the entire Russian invasion has been...

A mummified monk found preserved in Mongolia last week has been baffling and astounding those who uncovered him. Senior Buddhists say the monk, found sitting in the lotus position, is in a deep meditative trance and not dead. Forensic examinations are under way on the remains, found wrapped in cattle skins in north-central Mongolia. ... The monk was discovered after being stolen by a man hoping to sell him on the black market.

More than a dozen women in Russia's Republic of Buryatia have recorded a video statement urging the head of the Siberian region to recall their husbands from Ukraine where they are serving with the Russian armed forces. One of the women, Vera Partilkhayeva, told RFE/RL on June 28 that the women's husbands were deployed in what were officially called military drills in January. But since February, they have been taking part in what Russian officials call the "special military operation" in Ukraine. "Since February 24, they have been taking part in the special operation. They have been exhausted both morally...

Two little-noticed news stories capture the true picture of the state of the global culture war today. The first is from the American deep red state of Idaho, where The Satanic Temple is holding a "Pride" event that features a "Drag Dance Party" and "Unbaptisms" – a ritual in which people who were once baptized as Christians publicly renounce Jesus Christ.The other is from Russia, where the national Duma (legislature) has just introduced legislation to expand its 2013 ban on LGBT propaganda to children to include ALL LGBT propaganda throughout the society.To my knowledge, I am the only culture war...

A Russian mercenary who gained notoriety for butchering prisoners of war and civilians in the Donbas has been killed fighting in Ukraine. Vladimir Andonov, 44, a sabotage and reconnaissance specialist in the ranks of the shadowy Wagner Group, was shot by a sniper near Kharkiv during a night-time mission on June 5, Russian media says. Andonov was known to Russians as 'Vakha' or 'the volunteer from Buryatia' after the region he was from, but to Ukrainians he was 'the executioner' due to massacres he helped carry out during Russia's first invasion of the country in 2014.

A 'hero' Russian world champion in an international tank warfare competition was killed when he was sent by Vladimir Putin into a real battle in Ukraine. Bato Basanov, 25, from Buryatia, was in a record-breaking tank biathlon team that performed last year in war games in front of defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the army general staff Valery Gerasimov. But his conflict ended in death when his tank was hit in Ukraine.