Let G be a group, let RG be the group ring of the group G over the unital commutative ring R and let U(RG) be its group of units. Conditions which imply that U(RG) contains no free noncyclic group are studied, when R is a field of characteristic p ≠ 0, not algebraic over its prime field, and G is a solvable-by-finite group without p-elements. We also consider the case R = ℤp, the ring of p-adic integers and G torsionby- nilpotent torsion free group. Finally, the residual nilpotence of U(ℤpG) is investigated.
