PHOTOGALLERY
Abandoned Mining Towns Of The Russian Arctic
VIDEO REPORTS
With vacation hotspots Turkey and Egypt virtually closed to Russians vacationers, RFE/RL's Crimea Realities website explored the tourist potential of Crimea. Consensus is that the peninsula has potential, but currently is beset by problems with transportation, electricity, and the supply of fresh water. (Ukrainian Service)
Twelve artists from across Russia who were using their works to lead a protest against state propaganda and war were arrested on Sunday in Moscow. (Russian Service)
Hundreds Stranded In Macedonian Mud
The decision to close borders to migrants across the Balkans has left hundreds of Afghans stranded in northern Macedonia.
Aleksei Retivykh is on the rescue crew at the Kazakh ski resort Chimbulak, near Almaty, despite having lost a leg when he was 11 years old.
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Russia Closing UN Human Rights Office In Moscow
Russia’s diplomatic mission in Geneva reportedly has confirmed that the United Nations’ human rights office in Moscow is being shut down.
EU To Discuss Bloc’s Relations With Russia
European Union foreign ministers are expected to discuss possible sanctions against Iran and the bloc's relations with Russia when they meet in Brussels on March 14.
Effective March 10, Russia will lower the official minimum wage to 9,673 rubles per month, approximately $137. According to official statistics 19 million Russians, or about 13 percent, lived below the minimum wage in 2015. (Current Time TV)
Yashin Risks Criminal Prosecution
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s spokesperson has appealed to Russia’s General Prosecutor's office to bring a criminal case against opposition leader Ilya Yashin on grounds he is inciting national and religious hatred by portraying Chechnya as a security threat against Russia. (Current Time TV)
Saakashvili Sets Sights On Elections In Ukraine
Sasha Borovik, an adviser to Odesa Mayor and former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, has said on social media that his boss will lead a new, center-right, socially liberal, and fiscally conservative political party to run in upcoming parliamentary elections in Ukraine. (Current Time TV)
Belarus Detains Former Lukashenka Adviser
Authorities have detained Yury Chizh, Belarus’s wealthiest businessman and a close adviser to President Alyaksandr Lukashenka since the 1990s, on suspicion of large scale tax evasion.
Endangered Przewalski's Horses Back On Russian Steppe
Conservationists in Russia say a small herd of endangered Przewalski's horses recently reintroduced in the Urals are doing well in their first winter in their new habitat despite harsh conditions.
Author Says Moldova Must Tidy Up At Home Before Looking West
In a new book, American journalist and author Robert Kaplan argues that Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent moves against Ukraine have pushed Romania and Moldova to the front line of the West's confrontation with Moscow.
Most Read/Russia: ‘Putin’s Rating Is Overblown Across Russia’
RFE/RL spoke with local Kursk lawmaker Olga Li, who inveighed against Russian President Vladimir Putin over the internet, demanding he step down, accusing him of responsibility for Russia’s financial collapse, and criticizing him for stealing people’s last hope for change by interfering with their right to vote. (over 130k on Russian Service website)