PHOTOGALLERY
Pancakes, Masks, And Fire: A Russian Farewell To Winter
VISUAL REPORTS
THE POWER VERTICAL: Passports, Banknotes, And Blackmail
The so-called Luhansk People’s Republic has made the Russian ruble its official currency, another sign that Moscow intends to escalate pressure on Ukraine until it gets what it wants.
The Guardians Of Nemtsov's Memorial
Tributes to slain opposition figure Boris Nemtsov are constantly being vandalized and dismantled, but a group of volunteers is fighting to protect his memory.
RFE/RL Contributor Rejects Russian ‘Separatism’ Charges
Procedural hearings begin today in the trial of Crimean journalist Mykola Semena, an RFE/RL contributor accused of "separatism" by the peninsula’s Russian authorities because of an article he wrote criticizing Moscow's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine.
OTHER NEWS
On Central Asian Tour, Putin Praises Nazarbayev
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev on February 27, the first day of a tour of Central Asia meant to shore up ties with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Putin Says Russia Ready To Withdraw Military Base In Kyrgyzstan
During a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart, Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev said the two leaders discussed strengthening the Kyrgyz army and bolstering its military arsenal. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow is ready to withdraw its military base from the southern city of Kant at Kyrgyzstan’s request. (Kyrgyz Service)
Putin And Rahmon Agree To Bolster Tajik-Afghan Border Security
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in the midst of a three-nation tour of Central Asia that he has agreed with Tajikistan's president to jointly bolster security along the Tajik-Afghan border.
U.S. Senator's Bill Would Name Russian Embassy's Street After Nemtsov
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio has introduced legislation to name the street in front of the Russian Embassy in Washington Boris Nemtsov Place in honor of the slain opposition politician.
Russian Ombudsman Calls Recognition Of Separatist Passports A ‘Humanitarian Act’
Russian human rights ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova told Russian media that a Kremlin decree recognizing passports of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics is a “necessary humanitarian act” aimed at helping people certify their identity. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Russian Journalist's Home Searched
Russian police have searched the Moscow apartment of Zoya Svetova, a rights activist and journalist with ties to Mikhail Khodorkovsky's Open Russia organization.
Russian Opposition Activist Osipova Released From Prison
Taisia Osipova, a Russian opposition activist arrested in 2010 on drug charges she says were fabricated, has been released on parole after more than six years in prison.
Freed From Jail, Russian Activist Says He Was 'Broken' By Abuse
Hours after his release from prison, Russian political activist Ildar Dadin recounted how he was "broken" by physical abuse during his 15 months behind bars.
Ukraine’s Separatist Commanders Threaten To Stop Coal Supply
Pro-Russian separatist leaders Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnickiy declared on Feb. 27 their readiness to stop coal supplies to Ukraine indefinitely if Ukrainian activists fail to lift a rail blockade to the separatist territories by 1 March. (Russian Service)
Bodies Of Slain Azerbaijani Troops Retrieved After Nagorno-Karabakh Clashes
Baku has removed the bodies of five slain Azerbaijani soldiers from a strip of land between the front lines of Azerbaijan's military and separatist fighters from the Caucasus country's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia Reaches New Political Agreement With EU
The European Union and Armenia have agreed on a new pact tightening political ties, more than three years after Yerevan walked away from a deal with the EU to join the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union.
Macedonian Opposition Claims Coalition Deal With Ethnic Albanians
The leader of Macedonia's opposition Social Democratic Union has submitted signatures of support from three ethnic Albanian political parties to President Gjorge Ivanov, saying he has secured enough support in parliament to form a government.
Thousands Protest Deal To Make Albanian Macedonia's Second Language
Several thousand people have protested in Macedonia's capital against a political agreement that would ensure wider use of the Albanian language.
COMMENTARY: Vladimir Ryzhkov Vows To Continue Nemtsov's Work
On the anniversary of the death of his colleague, Boris Nemtsov, Russian opposition politician Vladimir Ryzhkov told RFE/RL that currently a majority in Russia supports “the great power ideology and the concentration of power in one hand,” but gradually society “will be convinced that this model is a dead end, and there will be a demand for ...democratic and liberal alternatives.” (Russian Service)
MOST READ/RUSSIA: Dadin’s Wife Speaks Of Ruling ‘Horde’
Anastasia Zotova, the wife of Ildar Dadin, spoke with RFE/RL after her husband’s release from prison about the political climate in Russia, saying, “I realized that [officials] can do anything. They can catch any person at a bus stop and say, ‘You are having an unauthorized rally at a bus stop.’ Any representative of the government, any man with a gun and badge, can do anything and you can’t do anything about it.” (over 55k views on Russian Service website)
POLYGRAPH.Info: Russia Says Ukraine Didn’t Get ‘Much Support’ At UN
INFOGRAPHIC: What NATO Members Spend On Defense