Free Republic

Russia’s first mobilization since World War II may be complete, but the deployment of thousands of soldiers to the battlefields of Ukraine is generating dissent and protest on the front lines – and back home. With the Russian government touting that at least 50,000 of the recently drafted are now in Ukraine, a long list of complaints is emerging: Lack of leadership from mid-ranking officers, tactics that lead to heavy casualties, non-existent training, promised payments not received. There are also logistical difficulties, as reported by soldiers, their families and Russian military bloggers: Insufficient uniforms, poor food, a lack of medical...

Russia destroys Chernobyl lab, gaining 'highly active samples' BY JOSEPH CHOI - 03/23/22 12:37 PM EDT © AP Photo/Sergei Grits The Russian military has reportedly destroyed a laboratory near the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant that was working to improve the management of nuclear waste and contained "highly active samples." The State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management said in a statement on social media that Russian forces had destroyed the most recently established laboratory in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The laboratory, which was created with the cooperation of the European Union, sought to improve the infrastructure for handling...

U.N. Wants An End To Lenient Policies on Drugs Vienna -- The head of a U.N. conference on narcotics called on countries on Tuesday to abandon lenient and inconsistent policies towards cannabis and other drugs and instead start vigorously implementing international drug-control treaties. Patricia Olamendi, global affairs undersecretary at Mexico's Foreign Ministry and chairwoman of the U.N. conference, told reporters such inconsistency was undermining the fight against the trafficking and use of narcotics. The United Nations has already criticised Britain for downgrading cannabis to a low-risk, category C drug. While possession of small amounts of cannabis in Britain is now...