VISUAL REPORTS
With Axes And Hammers, Far-Right Vigilantes Destroy Romany Camp In Kyiv
Swinging axes and sledgehammers as a camera rolled, members of the far-right Azov National Druzhyna militia destroyed a Romany camp in Kyiv's Holosiyivskiy Park on June 7. The attack marks the second such incident by far-right vigilantes in Kyiv and the fourth in Ukraine in the past six weeks.
Russian World Cup City: Boon Or Boondoggle?
Russia has spent over $11 billion to host soccer's World Cup, starting on June 14. A big chunk of that went to Nizhny Novgorod, east of Moscow. Not everyone is happy about it.
VOX POP: Should Russia Keep Trade Relations With Europe?
Respondents to an informal street poll in Moscow were divided in their views. A small majority said that trade benefits Russia, and that any ban is a sign of regress. Others said Russia is self sufficient and should protect its markets, trading only with former Soviet republics. One person said Putin should focus more on domestic politics. (Russian Service)
Homemade Hydropower In North Ossetia
Akhshar Varziyev used old mining machinery to turn the power of a mountain river into electricity for his village.
OTHER NEWS
Top U.S., Russian Generals To Meet In Helsinki
Joseph Dunford, the U.S. military’s top officer, is expected to meet with his Russian counterpart, Valery Gerasimov, in Helsinki on June 8 for talks designed to prevent the escalation of regional conflicts.
NATO Agrees To 'Four Thirties' Plan To Counter Threats
NATO defense ministers have agreed to measures to protect the alliance and its allies against increased threats from Russia, and to bolster combat readiness by easing the transport of troops across Europe in the event of a crisis.
‘What Are We, A Banana Republic?’: The Biting Questions Putin Didn’t Answer
During this year’s annual call-in show, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not field any questions from the public or the moderators that were sharply critical of his 18-year tenure in power.
Bulgaria Moves To Revive Russian Nuclear Project Suspended In 2012
The Bulgarian parliament has approved a plan to revive the Belene nuclear power plant, five years after the Russian project was suspended due to financing problems and concerns about relying too heavily on Russian energy.
Siberians Gather To Demand Mandatory Yakut Language Lessons
Some 150 people gathered in the Siberian city of Yakutskon June 7 to protest a plan by Russian federal authorities to abolish mandatory Yakut language lessons at schools.
Russia Reportedly Destroying Gulag Archives Under Secret Decree
The director of Russia’s Museum of the Gulag has told Russian media that the only archive with Gulag prisoner files is being destroyed under a secret 2014 interagency decree. Romanov has reportedly expressed his concern to presidential advisor Mikhail Fedotov. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Police Sting Nabs Seamstress For Fashioning Fake World Cup Mascots
Irina Zingarova has spent years crafting costume characters, but business is unraveling following a police sting that commissioned her to make three outfits closely resembling Zabivaka, the official Russian World Cup mascot.
Russia Limits World Cup Travel From Eastern Ukraine
Although the Kremlin is citing border regulations and technicalities, sources in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region suspect it is limiting entry by the area’s residents into Russia during the FIFA World Cup in an effort to prevent militants and weapons from “ruining the holiday.” (Ukrainian Service)
Ukrainian Activist Kolchenko Stops Hunger Strike In Russian Prison
Ukrainian activist Oleksandr Kolchenko, who is serving 10-year prison term in Russia on extremism charges that he and his supporters say are politically motivated, has stopped his hunger strike, citing health issues.
European Court Rules Azerbaijan In Violation Of Rights Convention
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Azerbaijan’s arrest of four civil society activists was in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, stating that “no evidence [was] presented to back up the investigators and prosecutors’ accusations.”
Sweden Sentences Uzbek National To Life In Prison For Terrorist Crimes
Rakhmat Akilov, the Uzbek national who carried out the April 2017 Stockholm terror attack that killed 5 people, has been sentenced by Stockholm’s district court to life in prison for "terrorist crimes." Akilov will be deported from Sweden once his sentence is served, and banned from returning to the country. (in Russian, Uzbek Service)
