Free Republic

A 2019 Rand Corporation study commissioned by the US Army laid out exactly what the plan to undermine and weaken Russia through military support would be. The study suggested arming Ukraine, imposing sanctions on Russia, ramping up economic warfare, and taking a more aggressive and militaristic posture toward the United States international rival - all while warning this could lead to a military invasion of Ukraine. ...

While a hardline ally 'holds the Kremlin reins', opposition source claims Public appearances by Vladimir Putin were reportedly staged to mask absence Old footage was used in video appearances for several meetings, it was alleged Nikolai Patrushev - a former FSB chief - is now in virtual control of the Kremlin Public appearances by Vladimir Putin were 'staged' last week to mask an absence from duties, raising new speculation about his health, an opposition source claimed. Old footage was used in video appearances for several meetings, it was alleged. Trusted aide Nikolai Patrushev - a former FSB chief - is...

Ukrainian officials have run more than 8,600 facial recognition searches on dead or captured Russian soldiers in the 50 days since Moscow’s invasion began, using the scans to identify bodies and contact hundreds of their families in what may be one of the most gruesome applications of the technology to date. The country’s IT Army, a volunteer force of hackers and activists that takes its direction from the Ukrainian government, says it has used those identifications to inform the families of the deaths of 582 Russians, including by sending them photos of the abandoned corpses. The Ukrainians champion the use...

Libyan women and girls who become pregnant through rape risk being murdered by their own families in so-called "honour killings", according to aid workers. Rape is a sensitive topic worldwide, but in this country it is even more of a taboo. "In Libya when rape occurs, it seems to be a whole village or town which is seen to be dishonoured," says Arafat Jamal of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. Libyan charities say they are getting reports that in the west of the country, which is particularly conservative, Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces have tended to rape women and girls in...