VISUAL REPORTS
Credentialed As Election Monitors, Ukrainian Ultranationalists Get Ready
They patrol the streets of the Ukrainian capital in urban camouflage and march in lockstep through Kyiv with torches. They attack minority groups, including Roma and LGBT people. And some of them have trained with visiting white supremacists from the U.S.. They are the ultranationalist National Militia,with roots in the battle-tested Azov Battalion that emerged to defend Ukraine against Russia-backed separatists but has also been accused of possible war crimes and neo-Nazi sympathies.
Flushed With Pride? Russia Outfitting New Tank With Toilet
War is hell -- but for Russian tank crews, it's about to get a bit more comfortable. The designer of a new battle tank that is under development says the latest plans for the armored vehicle include a built-in toilet for its three-person crew.
PHOTOGALLERY: Stalin’s Funeral: The Manhoff Archives
From a balcony with a view to the Kremlin, U.S. Army Major Martin Manhoff shot the only known independent footage of Stalin’s funeral.
OTHER NEWS
Russia's MTS To Pay $850 Million In Uzbek Bribery Case
Russia’s largest cell provider, MTS, will pay $850 million to settle a multinational bribery and corruption case tied to the daughter of Uzbekistan’s late president. Moscow-based MTS said the payment is part of settlements reached with the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The U.S. Justice Department named Gulnara Karimova, Islam Karimov’s elder daughter, in related charges it announced on March 7 of conspiracy to violate U.S. foreign-corruption laws.
Six Steps Russia Is Taking To Restrict Its Internet
The Russian State Duma on March 7 passed twin bills to stop the spread of "fake news" as well as information that "disrespects" Russia. Here are some other steps that Russia has taken -- or plans to -- in its effort to rein in the web and, critics say, restrict free speech on the internet.
Putin’s Trust Rating Reaches Historic Low
A poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research center has found that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trust rating has reached a historic low of 32%. The figure was recorded after Putin's address to the Federal Assembly on February 20, despite some reports that the Kremlin had planned to use the event to shore up ratings. (Russian Service)
Russia To Deport Two U.S. Mormons Held In Black Sea Port
Russia says Kole Brodowski and David Udo Hague, two U.S. citizens detained in the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, will be deported for alleged violations of immigration laws.
Russian Police Suspect Teens In Contract Killing Of Economic Crimes Investigator
Russian authorities say two teenagers have been detained in St. Petersburg on suspicion of being involved in the shooting death of Colonel Yevgenia Shishkina, a top investigator of economic crimes and corruption. They've also suggested that her death, in Arkhangelskoye near Moscow, was a contract killing "ordered" by a third party.
Diabetic Activist Claims Russian Authorities Denied Him Insulin As Punishment
For years, getting insulin to treat his diabetes was routine for Aleksandr Mulyukin. But after the 49-year-old Samara resident staged a one-person picket last November against pension reform and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the local polyclinic struggled to fill his prescription, and his wife lost her job.
Chechen Police Forced To Learn Akhmad Kadyrov’s Bio
Police officers across Chechnya have been instructed to learn the biography of Akhmad Kadyrov, the father of the region’s current leader Ramzan Kadyrov. This is the latest in a series of non-job-related duties imposed on them. Last year, police in several precincts were ordered to get a second wife. (Caucasus Realities website)
Balkars In Russia's North Caucasus Mark 75th Anniversary Of Deportation
The Turkic-speaking and predominantly Muslim Balkars in Russia's North Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria are marking the 75th anniversary of their mass deportation to Central Asia by Soviet leader Josef Stalin.
EU Parliament Leaders Back Romanian Candidate For EU Prosecutor
Leaders of the European Parliament have endorsed former Romanian anticorruption chief Laura Codruta Koevesi as their top choice to be the first-ever EU chief prosecutor, approving a prior decision by two parliamentary committees to put Koevesi at the top of their shortlist.
RSF Calls For Immediate Release Of Detained Women Journalists
Marking International Women’s Day, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has reported that 27 of 334 journalists in prison around the world are women. These female journalists are being held in nine countries. Iran and China are the two largest jailers, with seven held in each country.