Free Republic

Victoria Nuland: "With this money, Ukraine will be able to accelerate the asymmetric warfare that has been most effective on the battlefield. As I said in Kiev three weeks ago, this supplemental funding will ensure Putin faces some nasty surprises on the battlefield this year."

Russian authorities detained 11 people, state media reported Saturday, after gunmen stormed a concert hall in Moscow in a grisly attack that left at least 115 people dead. Russia's Investigative Committee said four of those detained were directly involved in the attack that left the sprawling shopping mall and music venue smoldering with a collapsed roof. Russian agencies appeared to suggest the attack was linked to Ukraine even though the Islamic State group claimed responsibility in a statement. A U.S. intelligence official told The Associated Press that U.S. agencies had confirmed that that group was responsible for the attack. The...

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Friday that a shooting and blast targeting a concert hall in the Moscow region will further escalate the conflict in Ukraine. Vucic noted that on March 7, the American Embassy urged citizens not to go shopping in malls in Moscow. “Some other embassies did the same thing later. This means that their services intercepted certain conversations, and they knew this was going to happen. In any case, this is a tragic event that will have incalculable consequences. Some will say they are Islamists, some will say Kyiv. Some will even say that Moscow did it....

I don't think Tucker Carlson got what he bargained for in this interview. The interview ran about two hours but most of that was made up of Putin's rambling answers that sometimes went on for 10-20 minutes. To his credit, Carlson started at the most obvious starting point for a discussion with Putin, which is the reasons behind the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Instead of a clear answer he got a 30 minute lecture about the history of the region going back to the 8th century. (snip) Carlson interrupted several times saying he wasn't sure why all of this...

"After successfully defusing the Cuban Missile Crisis, President John F. Kennedy warned against ever again forcing Russia to choose between national humiliation and nuclear war. We should heed his advice" Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Tweet May 4, 2023 "Russia announced today that the Kremlin has been attacked by armed drones, presumably from Ukraine. Imagine how we would respond if Russian-backed forces launched a drone strike on the Capitol. We must stop these deranged attempts to escalate the war" Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Tweet May 4, 2023 What is the game in Ukraine? With this drone attack aimed at the Kremlin...

The ISW report asserts that "several indicators" suggest the attack was staged, noting that Russia recently enhanced "domestic air defense capabilities" while arguing it was "extremely unlikely" that Ukrainian drones could have thwarted "multiple layers of air defense" and be destroyed "in a way that provided spectacular imagery caught nicely on camera."..."The rapid and coherent presentation of an official Russian narrative around the strike suggests that Russia staged this incident in close proximity to the May 9th Victory Day holiday in order to frame the war as existential to its domestic audience," the ISW report states.

Russian government officials are claiming Ukrainian forces attempted to kill President Vladimir Putin with a failed drone attack. Officials say two drones were used in the "assassination attempt" at the president's residence within the Kremlin compound, but were disabled by Russian defense systems. No injuries or damage to the residence was reported. Putin was seen in video and photos released Wednesday meeting with a regional governor outside Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated denial of his country's responsibility for an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin, which Moscow says targeted President Vladimir Putin. Russian officials said Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time of the attack. "We don't attack Putin, or Moscow, we fight on our territory," Zelenskyy told a news conference in Helsinki, where he is attending a meeting with Nordic leaders. The Ukrainian president suggested that Russia staged the attack because "Putin needs to motivate his people" after a shortage of Russian victories in the ongoing war. He said Kyiv will leave it to...

Russia has accused Ukraine of attempting to assassinate Vladimir Putin in a double drone strike on the Kremlin overnight, prompting demands from lawmakers in Moscow for the Kyiv regime 'to be destroyed'. Moscow said it had foiled the attempt and furiously decried the attack as 'a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the President of the Russian Federation.' But Ukraine quickly responded to the accusation - the most dramatic Russia has levelled against Kyiv since invading its neighbour more than 14 months ago - saying it had 'nothing to do' with the alleged attack, casting doubt...

The Russian presidential administration said Wednesday that the Kremlin was attacked by drones overnight in an attempt on President Vladimir Putin’s life. Moscow residents had reported hearing two explosions behind Kremlin walls shortly after 2 a.m. local time, after which the lights went out. Footage shared by residents in a local Telegram channel captured the incident, as smoke was seen filling the sky above the Kremlin. Videos also appeared to show part of the Kremlin on fire. Now, authorities say it was a brazen attack by Ukraine using two drones, both of which they say have been destroyed. No injuries...