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Putin ‘Frenemy’ Kadyrov Sends 300 Chechen Special Purpose Forces to Fight in Ukraine

Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who has both mocked and praised the Russian war effort against Ukraine, says he has sent fighters to bolster the front line forces there. About 300 fighters of the Special Purpose Mobile Unit (OMON) from Chechnya have been deployed to “the zone of the special military …

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Somalia’s Al-Shabaab Fattens Its Coffers, Spends $1 Million Per Month on Militant Wages

by Ahmed Mohamed, VOA MOGADISHU — The Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabaab has widened its revenue stream beyond its traditional activities, like charging tolls at checkpoints, to illegally taxing properties and construction. In a new report, made public this month, U.N. experts say the terrorist group is seeking more funds to …

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Tiny Black Hornet Spy Drones Buzz the Battlefields in Ukraine

The “Black Hornet” miniature drones that were used by British troops in Afghanistan and now are buzzing the battlefields in Ukraine. The tiny devices are part of a military aid package from the United Kingdom and Norway. This is what the dragonfly-sized reconnaissance devices can do. The Black Hornet system …

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Putin’s Christmas Truce: A 36-Hour Nod to Faith, Or a Cynical Trap for Ukraine?

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered a 36-hour cease-fire in his war against Ukraine over the Orthodox Christmas holiday. He ordered Russian troops to stop attacks for a day and a half on its neighboring country starting at noon on Friday, the Kremlin said. Many Orthodox Christians, including those …

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The BMP Infantry Vehicle is 50 Years Old – and Still Fighting

Forty thousand BMP-1s were built worldwide, with Ukraine and Russia having big stocks dating back to 1966, when the USSR meant they were part of the same army. Now it seems it is easier to adapt and update these vehicles than start from scratch. Now, the infantry vehicle still being …

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Of Saboteurs and Secrecy: An Underground Resistance Takes Shape Inside Russia

Mystery fires that have broken out across Russia in recent months have been blamed on Ukrainian saboteurs and even Western intelligence operatives. But a new documentary by British filmmaker Jake Hanrahan suggests a “large-scale, active resistance inside Russia” is now being waged by Russia’s own citizens. “There’s this thing like, ‘Well, it must be …

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Azov Battalion in Ukraine: Who They Are, and What They Do

The Azov Battalion became widely known for resisting Russian forces in Mariupol in Ukraine. Formed by volunteers to protect the Donbas from Russian invaders, it has evolved into an elite unit, with specialists drawn from Ukraine’s special forces. Here’s a look into who its members are and what they do. …

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Wagner Mercs Cuss Out Putin’s Military Brass, Demand More Ammo

by Reid Standish and Aleksei Aleksandrov / Current Time As the frontline Donbas city of Bakhmut has turned into the site of some of the fiercest fighting under way in Ukraine, tensions between the notorious Russian mercenary company, the Vagner Group, and the Russian military have spilled out into the open. …

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Fallen Police Officer’s Wife Finds Letter He Left For Her: ‘My Dead Husband Saved My Life’

Editor’s note: The widow of this fallen police officer wrote about the heartache she felt when her husband was killed in the line of duty… and the letter he left for her to read if that happened. Just over six years ago, my husband was killed in the line of duty. …

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Russian Soldiers Are Thrown Into Battle Like Meat, Ukrainian Paratroopers Say

by Mike Eckel and Borys Sachalko / RFE-RL KREMINNA, Ukraine — For the paratroopers of a Ukrainian airborne brigade, there’s only one way to describe the waves of Russian infantry who are relentlessly pressing the Ukrainian lines in and around this Donbas city: Meat. “First, they throw in the mobilized …

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