VISUAL REPORTS
U.S. F-35A Fighter Jets Train Over Estonia
The U.S. Air Force's newest and most advanced fighter jets trained in Estonia, a show of force within a NATO country bordering Russia.
Jehovah's Witnesses Fight Russian Ban
Jehovah's Witnesses said they would fight a ruling that bans them from worshipping in Russia.
Serbs Protest On Anniversary Of Controversial Demolitions
Thousands marched through Belgrade to mark a year since masked men demolished buildings under cover of darkness, to make way for a $3.3 billion real estate project.
Exhibition Shows Children Of Ukraine Conflict
A powerful new exhibition of photographs of children who have suffered in the conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has opened at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
OTHER NEWS
Russia's Gazprom Says European Market Share Rising
The head of Russian natural-gas company Gazprom says a new pipeline across the Baltic Sea to Germany will boost its share of the European market and decrease the amount of gas it pumps westward via Ukraine.
Russian MiG-31 Interceptor Jet Crashed In Buryatia
A MiG-31 jet crashed in Russia’s Siberian region of Buryatia during a training flight on April 26. Russia’s defense ministry says that both pilots were able to eject and were promptly evacuated. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
U.S. Charges Russia Supplying Afghan Taliban 'Groundless,' Lavrov Says
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that a U.S. allegation that Moscow is supplying arms to the Taliban in Afghanistan is unsubstantiated.
‘Red Button’ Detention Alert Launched In Russia
The new Red Button app, developed by OVD Info and Open Russia, allows persons to press a button on their mobile phone when they are illegally detained to notify human rights defenders of their location. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
After French Vote, Kremlin Media Longs For Age Of De Gaulle, Mitterrand, Chirac
Russian state media and Kremlin-connected political pundits are hammering home a nearly identical talking point about France's presidential election.
EU Ambassadors Approve Visa Liberalization For Ukraine
EU ambassadors have approved visa liberalization for Ukraine, a key step toward closer ties and visa-free travel to the EU for Ukrainians, with a signing ceremony expected to take place in Strasbourg on May 17.
Ukraine Cuts Electricity Supply To Separatist-Held Part Of Luhansk Region
Citing debts, Ukraine's state power company says it has cut electricity supplies to the parts of the Luhansk region that are controlled by Russia-backed separatists.
Embattled Ukrainian MP Lyashko Says Poroshenko Behind Corruption Probe
Appearing for questioning in a criminal investigation before Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau, Radical Party leader Oleh Lyashko accused Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko of being behind allegations that he amassed millions of hryvnia in income illegally. (Ukrainian Service)
CEU President Calls On Brussels For Support Against Hungarian PM
The rector and president of the Central European University in Budapest has urged Brussels to support his institution and back EU legal action against Budapest.
U.S. General Holds Talks With Tajik President
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon held talks with the visiting commander of the United States Central Command, General Joseph Votel, on April 25.
Brother Of Stockholm Attack Suspect Reportedly Arrested In Uzbekistan
Relatives of the Uzbek man whom Swedish authorities accuse of ramming a truck into a crowd in Stockholm earlier this month say his brother has been arrested in Uzbekistan.
Russia To Write Off Kyrgyzstan's $240 Million Debt
Speaking to RFE/RL on April 24, an official in charge of state debt management in Kyrgyzstan’s finance ministry said that Russia has indicated that it is prepared to write off $240 million in debt, accumulated over decades, without conditions. (in Russian, Kyrgyz Service)
'Media Freedom Under Threat More Than Ever,' RWB Warns
The press rights group Reporters Without Borders warns that media freedom is increasingly threatened under authoritarian regimes as well as in countries regarded as models of democracy.
CPJ Reports ‘Most Dangerous And Deadly Time’ For Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists says new media technologies are increasingly utilized by repressive governments as the number of journalists imprisoned and killed continues a recent upsurge.
COMMENTARY: Moscow Bad-Mouths Montenegro, But Russians Still Flock To Its Beaches
COMMENTARY: Russia’s Success In Donbas
Political analyst Vladimir Fesenko told RFE/RL that Russia is successfully separating the Donbas region from Ukraine by recognizing the region’s so-called sovereign documents and nationalizing Ukrainian enterprises. Journalist Vladimir Dolin said that Russia’s cultivation of the Soviet identity myth “should help to kill the Ukrainian identity.” (Russian Service)