VISUAL REPORTS
Deadly DIY Drones In The Donbas
Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region have weaponized consumer drones to drop grenades on Ukrainian government trenches.
Moscow Resident Watches As House Demolished For 'Public Good'
A Moscow woman was thrown out of her house without her possessions and watched as it was razed to the ground. Her home belongs to a small community that is slated to be redeveloped into luxury apartments, causing residents to be evicted with little warning and no recourse. (Russian Service)
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Scolds Mob After Attacks On Buses Holding China Evacuees
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has criticized a mob that attacked buses carrying dozens of Ukrainians evacuated from China amid concerns about the COVID-19 virus.
Kazakh Police Detain Dozens Of Activists Ahead Of Opposition Rally
Police in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, detained dozens of activists ahead of planned protests over the weekend by two opposition groups.
Dreams Denied: Kyrgyz Green Card Winners Respond To U.S. Travel Ban
When Kyrgyz citizen Beknazar Ibraimov won a U.S. Green Card this year, he sold his family's apartment and started making plans. But the White House's January 31 decision to ban Kyrgyz citizens from entering the U.S. caught him and hundreds of other Kyrgyz Green Card winners up short.
OTHER NEWS
U.S. Links Coronavirus Disinformation Campaign To Russian Proxy Accounts
Officials in the United States have said that thousands of Russia-linked social media accounts are being used on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram in a coordinated effort to spread alarm and misinformation about the COVID-19 crisis.
Trump Urges Russia, Ukraine To Reconcile
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would like to see rivals Russia and Ukraine mend ties in their ongoing geopolitical conflict. “Well, I'd like to see them come together. I think if they came together in the sense that they got along with each other, that would be a great thing,” he told reporters on February 23.
Prague To Name Square By Russian Embassy After Boris Nemtsov
The Prague city council has approved the renaming of a square where the Russian Embassy is located after Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who was slain steps from the Kremlin in Moscow on February 27, 2015.
Kremlin Rejects OSCE Call For ‘New And Full Investigation’ Into Nemtsov Murder
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has rejected a new OSCE report calling for an international probe into the 2015 murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, saying it “is not possible,” since Russian law authorizes only domestic bodies to conduct such investigations. Russia has previously refused to provide the OSCE with materials relating to the murder, declaring them “state secrets.” (Russian Service)
Prosecutions In Russia For Fraud And Financial Crimes Spike In 2019
New data from Russia’s Investigative Committee, Interior Ministry, and Federal Security Service show that the number of criminal investigations relating to fraud, embezzlement, and property damage has increased to 627,000 cases in 2019, from 317,000 the previous year. The dramatic rise in prosecutions is the result of an expanded definition of fraud in the criminal code and, according to the Interior Ministry, a new section on “fraud using electronic means of payment,” which targets bank card thieves. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
SCHEMES: Transdniester Tycoon Viktor Gusan
Viktor Gusan, a former KGB officer and owner of the largest business in Moldova’s breakaway region of Transdniester, has Ukrainian citizenship and owns substantial property in the Kyiv and Odesa regions of Ukraine.
Bulgarian Court Approves Extradition Of Ukrainian Acid Attack Suspect
A Bulgarian court has approved the extradition of Oleksiy Moskalenko (Levin), a Ukrainian national suspected of co-organizing an acid attack in 2018 on Ukrainian activist Kateryna Handzyuk, who later died from her burns.
Bulgarian Prosecutors Identify Three Russian Suspects In 2015 Poisoning Case
Prosecutors in Bulgaria have filed criminal charges against three Russian citizens in connection with the attempted poisoning in 2015 of arms dealer Emilian Gebrev.
Serbia Receives Delivery Of Russian Antiaircraft Systems
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on television on February 23 that Serbia has received a delivery of Russian-made Pantsir S1 air-defense systems, despite warnings of possible U.S. sanctions against the Balkan state.
Republika Srpska Renews Lobbying Contract With Texas-Based Firm
Documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice show that Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Bosnian Serb entity has renewed a contract with the Texas-based firm McGinnis Lochridge to "provide general advice and representation regarding international legal and policy matters."
Georgian Ex Premier and Top Cop Merabishvili Leaves Prison
Vano Merabishvili, the former Georgian prime minister and interior minister who was credited for reforming the nation's police force, was released from prison on February 20 after serving nearly seven years for embezzlement and abuse of power. Merabishvili announced that he will return to politics.
Killers Of Kazakh Wildlife Ranger Given Life Sentences In High-Profile Case
A court in Kazakhstan's central city of Qaraghandy has sentenced three men to life in prison in the high-profile case of a ranger who was allegedly beaten to death during a confrontation with suspected poachers.
Tashkent Forcing Internet Firms To Locate Uzbek User Data Within Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has announced a plan that will force Facebook, Google, and the Russian search engine Yandex to store the personal data of Uzbek users within the territory of Uzbekistan. The plan resembles a similar law adopted in Russia in 2014.
Desert Turkmenistan To Buy Sand From U.K.
Turkmenistan, a Central Asian country where sandy deserts account for 80 percent of its territory, plans to pay 1 million pounds ($1,289,000) to British company Andrew Bowen Ltd. for 10,000 tons of sand that it wants to use for a new horse-racing track.
MAJLIS PODCAST: Tajikistan’s Parliamentary Elections
IRAN: Lowest Election Turnout Since Revolution Delivers Blow To Clerical Establishment
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