Free Republic

The White House blamed food shortages across the country on Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, accusing him of “weaponizing food.” “President Putin is, no kidding, weaponizing food,” said White House National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby on Tuesday. “Let’s just call it what it is, he’s weaponizing food.”

Dramatic footage shows the moment a Russian colonel crashes in his helicopter after being hit with a Ukrainian missile. Lt-Col Sergey Gundorov, 51, was struck near Volnovakha in the Donbas. The military helicopter flew on after being hit with a portable surface-to-air missile. His stricken Mi-35 touched the ground before cartwheeling over a narrow strip of woodland and crashing in a fireball in a field. Flames and black smoke are seen from the explosion. A second Russian helicopter is seen firing decoy flares and apparently escapes unscathed. Gundorov is the 55th known Russian colonel to be killed in Vladimir Putin's...

Beacon of democracy’ cracks down on dissent.. Ukrainian authorities have banned the country’s main opposition party and seized all its assets, once again undermining the narrative that President Zelensky is presiding over a beacon of democracy. The country’s Ministry of Justice announced the move via Facebook, revealing that the Opposition Platform — For Life had been shut down and its assets, money and property transferred to the state. The party had previously had its operations suspended in March after it was accused of being complicit with Russia and being “anti-Ukrainian.” The ban means that Zelensky’s main political opposition has been...