VIDEO REPORTS
The Daily Vertical: Putin's Money
President Vladimir Putin, the individual, may not show up in any accounts or assets, but Putin, the institution, has a tangible presence in the recent offshore leaks report.
Secret Off-Shore Accounts? Muscovites Haven’t Heard The News
The report on offshore wealth released by the International Committee of International Journalists on April 3 implicates Russian President Vladimir Putin in a money sheltering scheme, but Current Time TV correspondent Vadim Kondakov had a hard time finding people who have heard the news.
Ukrainians Lobby Dutch Ahead Of Referendum
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister campaigned for a “yes” vote in Amsterdam ahead of the Netherlands’ April 6 referendum on whether Ukraine's Association Agreement with the European Union should be ratified.
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Azerbaijan, Karabakh Separatists Reach Cease-Fire As Mediators Meet
Azerbaijan and Armenian-backed separatists in its breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh have reached a cease-fire in the mountainous South Caucasus enclave as world powers gather for talks to end the deadliest flare-up there in decades and Turkey weighs in.
Kremlin 'Not Primary Actor' In Karabakh Flare-Up
Caucasus expert Thomas de Waal says the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh is one of the most menacing conflicts remaining from the Soviet collapse, but he rejects the idea that Moscow is behind recent fighting.
Ukraine President Defends Offshore Disclosures
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko said that the offshore holdings attributed to him in an April 3 investigative report are entirely legal, even as some members of parliament have questioned his ethics and called for his impeachment. (In Ukrainian)
Doping, Cameron, And 'Putinophobia': Russian Media React To Panama Papers
Russian TV stations, which set the news agenda across the country's 11 time zones, initially failed to report about the disclosures published on April 3 by the International Committee of International Journalists, leading instead with revelations of a doping scandal in London.
Panama Papers Disclosures Just ‘The Tip Of The Iceberg’ For Russia
Drew Sullivan, founder of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, a partner to The Panama Papers investigations, told RFE/RL that the $2 billion in offshore funds linked by the report to Russian officials are only the tip of the iceberg, and that the total amount is probably closer to $200 billion. (In Russian)
Russia's Path To Space Paved With Missing Rubles
Russia’s space launch from the Vostochny facility in the Far East in April may mark a new era in the country's storied space program, but it is a tale of delays, corruption, and management restructuring that sounds a lot more like the past than a bright future.
Russians Overwhelmingly Support Syria Withdrawal
A Levada Center poll finds that 81 percent of Russian respondents support Russia’s withdrawal of forces from Syria, with 69 percent agreeing that Russia reached its objectives to “stabilize the legitimate authority and create conditions for a political compromise.” (In Russian)
Russia Ranks Fourth In Military Spending
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) annual military spending report knocks Russia down a peg to fourth place, with $66.4 in military expenditures recorded in 2015. Saudi Arabia now places third, having spent $87.2 billion. The U.S. remains in first place, having spent $596 billion, and China ranks second with outlays of $215 billion. (In Russian/Current Time TV)
IS Central Asian Recruitment Drive A Family Affair
Two videos released last week by the Islamic State group’s Russian-language propaganda wing make use of fatherly -- or grandfatherly -- militants to recruit new fighters.
MOST READ/Russia: Putin’s Money In Far-Away Places
The so-called Panama Papers, one of the biggest leaks in journalistic history, reveal the secretive offshore companies used to hide wealth, evade taxes, and commit fraud by the world's dictators, business tycoons, and criminals. (over 85K on Russian Service website)