VISUAL REPORTS
THE POWER VERTICAL: Caymans In The Caucasus
South Ossetia has become the main money-laundering hub for the so-called Russia-backed Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics.
Slain Journalist Sheremet Honored At Newseum
Washington's Newseum added the names of 14 journalists to its memorial wall at a ceremony on June 5. They included Belarus-born Pavel Sheremet, a reporter killed last year when his car exploded in Kyiv.
Montenegro's Flag Raised At NATO Headquarters
NATO raised Montenegro's flag at its headquarters in Brussels, as the Balkan country took its place as the Western military alliance's 29th member.
Russian Model Poses To Protest Potholes
A model has launched a campaign to draw attention to the plague of potholes in the Russian city of Saratov.
OTHER NEWS
Explosion Hits U.S. Embassy In Kyiv, No Damage Reported
Ukrainian authorities say a device exploded around midnight on June 7 in the U.S. Embassy compound in the Shevchenkovsky district in central Kyiv. No casualties were reported.
U.S. Charges 31 Members Of Russian Gang With 'Dizzying Array' Of Crimes
U.S. prosecutors on June 7 said those arrested are members of a "Russian organized crime syndicate" working out of New York City and involved in a "dizzying array of criminal schemes."
Putin Says 'Nobody Would Survive' U.S.-Russia 'Hot War'
Russian President Vladimir Putin says in a documentary set to air on U.S. television that "nobody would survive" a war between the nuclear-armed countries.
Moscow Anticorruption March To Go Ahead Despite Government's Restrictions
An anticorruption march and rally organized by opposition politician Aleksei Navalny will go ahead on June 12 at a site offered by Moscow city authorities.
Hundreds Protest Moscow City Hall's Plans To Demolish Soviet-Era Buildings
Several hundred people rallied outside the Russian parliament on June 6 to protest a plan to demolish Soviet-era low-rise apartment blocks.
Russian Nationalist Lawmakers Call For Return To Tsarist Institutions
Deputies from Russia's nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia have submitted bills that would restore the country's tsarist-era national anthem and the calendar the country used before the 1917 communist revolution.
Moscow's English-Language Weekly To Change Hands, Cut Staff
A Dutch-registered foundation is reportedly poised to acquire the English-language Moscow Times in a shake-up that is expected to include major staff cuts and a discontinuation of the print version after a quarter-century in the Russian capital.
Chechen Man Who Claimed Torture Detained In Belarus
Belarusian authorities have detained a Chechen man who has been seeking to avoid being returned to Chechnya, and are preparing to hand him over to Russia.
'Dingo' Explained: The Strange Journey Of Alleged Kadyrov Henchman Nabbed In Kyiv Shooting
Chechen underworld figure Artur Kurmakayev resurfaced in Kyiv this month as a key suspect in the shooting of a Chechen exile suspected of plotting an assassination attempt against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Chechen Football Club Yields To Personality Cult
The Chechen football club “Terek,” which plays in Russia’s premier division, has been renamed “Akhmat” after Chechnya’s first president, Akhmat Kadyrov, the father of the region’s current leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. (Russian Service)
Ukrainian Parliament Makes NATO Integration A Priority
The Ukrainian parliament has defined the goal of joining NATO as a top priority for the country in the face of Russian "aggression."
New Ukrainian Law Said To Bring Greater Transparency To Electricity Markets
President Petro Poroshenko signed a law on June 7 adding a new participant to the country’s electricity market -- a trader, who will purchase electricity solely for the purpose of resale, except for sale to the final consumer. Poroshenko called the new law a "transition to a European model...with demonopolization and real competition." (Ukrainian Service)
Crimean Tatar Leader Goes On Trial On Separatism Charge
The trial on separatist charges of Ilmi Umerov, Deputy Chairman of the Crimean Tatars' banned self-governing body, the Mejlis, who has criticized Russia's seizure of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine, began on June 7.
The Praise Problem: Uzbekistan Bans Soppy Paeans To Presidents
Authorities announced on June 2 a ban on the paeans normally penned for presidents,and warned that singing the praises of a sitting head of state could cost singers and songwriters their licenses to perform.
Turkmenistan To Abolish Free Utilities For All But The Neediest
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has ordered the government to outline ways to abolish utilities benefits that have provided households with free electricity, gas, and water for a quarter-century.
COMMENTARY: Kasparov Says Putin Waging 'War,’ But Is Tasting Failure For First Time
Former world chess champion and Russian opposition political activist Garry Kasparov, who emigrated from Russia to the United States in 2013, spoke recently with RFE/RL about the West's relations with Russia since the 2016 election of U.S. President Donald Trump.
COMMENTARY: Leonid Gozman’s Act Of Solidarity
Russian opposition leader Leonid Gozman has launched a fundraising campaign to provide legal aid to political prisoners. He has reportedly contributed funds from his own wallet, and told RFE/RL that the prisoners are mainly “people exercising their constitutional right, the peaceful expression of their point of view.” (Russian Service)
MOST READ/UKRAINE: Ukraine Deposit Guarantee Fund Official Detained While Accepting Bribe
On June 7 a representative of Ukraine’s Deposit Guarantee Fund was detained by Ukraine’s prosecutor’s office while accepting a $5 million bribe. Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko said the woman had developed a"scheme of extortion and receiving bribes from banks.” (Ukrainian Service)
INFOGRAPHIC: Economies On The Rise In Central Asia