VIDEO REPORTS
The Daily Vertical: Insults, Mockery, And Lies
Russia sets out terms for Nadia Savchenko’s prisoner exchange.
Georgia Hosts Military Exercises To Bolster NATO Cooperation
Joint military exercises with U.S., British, and Georgian troops, labeled “Noble Partner 2016,” have begun near Tbilisi with a formal opening ceremony on May 11 that included a mass air-drop of paratroopers.
Ukraine’s “Poltava” Police Unit
Members of Ukraine’s special police unit are being trained in combat, explosives, and the use of service dogs to help detain suspects and identify explosives, weapons, and drugs. (Ukrainian Service)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Russia Blocks Access to RFE/RL Crimea Website
Pro-Russian authorities in Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula have blocked access to RFE/RL's Crimea news website, Krym.Realii, citing Russia’s law on extremism.
Russia Fumes As US Missile Defense Goes Operational In Romania
As a U.S. plan to protect Europe from ballistic missiles goes online this week, Russia is already making clear that a stern, if not belligerent, response may be forthcoming.
Navalny Targeted In Fresh Probe
Russian prosecutors have asked Aeroflot and Rosneft, and possibly other state-owned companies investigated by anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny, for information about his possible involvement in illegal activities.
Greenpeace Accuses Russia Of Downplaying Fires
Official sources report that 85,000 hectares are affected by forest fires currently raging in Siberia and Russia’s Far East, but ecologists with Greenpeace Russia claim that over a million hectares of territory are on fire. (In Russian)
Leak Of Reporters' Data Sparks Outrage In Ukraine
Ukrainian hackers have leaked the names and contact details of 4,508 journalists and other media representatives who have worked over the past year and a half in areas under the control of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine Pins High Hopes To New Tariffs
Expecting new utility tariffs to stimulate domestic gas production, state-owned gas company chief Oleg Prokhorenko says Ukraine may be weaned from imports by 2020. (In Ukrainian)
More Parties Boycott Macedonia Elections
Two more political parties in Macedonia have said they will join a boycott of parliamentary elections on June 5, throwing into question the viability of the polls.
The Perils Of Smoking In Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan has the lowest rate of tobacco use in the world according to the WHO, but new restrictions aiming to make the country tobacco-free by 2025 are riling cigarette smokers.
MOST READ/RUSSIA: Volodya From Petersburg’s Luna Restaurant
Controversial self-exiled Russian businessman Maxim Freidzon, who “collaborated” with Russian President Vladimir [Volodya] Putin in St. Petersburg in the 1990s, describes him as a city official then who extracted bribes, awarded licenses and property to “good people,” and took a cut in numerous deals. (over 145K On Russian Service website)