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Conditions For Lifting Sanctions: No. 1. Release Nadia Savchenko …..(RFE/RL Ukrainian Service)

VIDEO REPORTS

Singing And Fighting: Russian Soccer Fans In France

Russian soccer fans have been spotted in new clashes in the French city of Lille, as the UEFA 2016 European Championship continues. (Russian Service)

Lithuania Steps Up Defenses

As thousands of NATO troops arrive in Lithuania for military exercises in response to heightened Russian aggression in the region, Lithuania is taking steps to increase its own defensive capabilities.

Exam Time Exposes Pervasive Smartphone Cheats

During exam season, 7,500 students in Kazakhstan were caught trying to sneak phones and other devices into classrooms. YouTube videos offer plenty of how-to advice.

Izetbegovic Honors Bosnian War’s Serb Victims

Bakir Izetbegovic, the Bosniak member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, made a ground-breaking gesture honoring Serb victims of wartime atrocities committed by Muslims.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

NATO Chief Demands Russia Withdraw From Ukraine

NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance will continue to stand by the Ukrainian government and will never recognize Russia's 2014 "illegal and illegitimate annexation” of Crimea.

Moscow, Kyiv Exchange More Prisoners

Hennadiy Afanasyev and Yuriy Soloshenko arrived in Kyiv on June 14 in the second high-profile prisoner exchange in three weeks, part of what many see as an attempt by the Kremlin to erode Western support for renewing sanctions against Russia. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko pardoned two Ukrainians, Vitaliy Didenko and Helen Hlischynsku, both serving sentences on charges of separatism.

St. Petersburg Dedicates Kadyrov Bridge

Authorities in Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, have named a bridge after the late Chechen President Akhmat Kadyrov.

Flood Of Weapons Fuels Black-Market Boom In Ukraine

Awash with arms and facing a breakdown in law and order, war-torn eastern Ukraine has all the elements required to become a major illicit international weapons market.

Russian Media Duped By Fake British Soccer Journalists

Several leading Russian media outlets have picked up parody reports by a pair of purported British soccer journalists about English football fans, mistaking English-language online satire for legitimate news.

Explaining Soccer Hooliganism In Russia

Following violence involving Russian fans at the 2016 European Championship in France, here's a look at what Russian authorities are (or aren't) doing to rein in violence ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Ukrainian Lawmakers Appeal For Church’s Autonomy

In a June 16 motion, 245 deputies voted for, 20 against, and 65 abstained from a call for the autonomy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Russian patriarchy, a move repudiated by the latter as a gross violation of relations between church and state. (In Russian/Current Time TV)

Crimean Tatar Activists Keep Disappearing

According to Nariman Dzhelyalov, the leader of the Crimean Tatars’ representative body, or Mejlis, 15 Crimean Tatar activists have gone missing since 2014, quite possibly at the hands of Russian law enforcement or security services, says human rights activist Olga Skrypnik. (In Russian)

Russia Flexes Muscles In Turkmenistan

A recent visit by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to Turkmenistan reflects Moscow’s concern over increasing violence in the four northwestern Afghan provinces along Turkmenistan's border.

Kremlin Propaganda Part Of Long Game To Sow Distrust In EU

A new study says that sowing distrust and disbelief in Europe and its institutions is the main aim of Russian propaganda in the Czech Republic.

MOST READ/RUSSIA: Savchenko Urges Direct Talks, Lustration

In an extensive interview with RFE/RL, Ukrainian military pilot and lawmaker Nadia Savchenko said, “We have to talk with the people in Donbass where Russian propaganda does a lot of brainwashing.” If president, her first official act would be to lustrate Ukraine’s entire governing system. (over 75k views on Russian Service website):

COMMENTARY: Memoirs Of A Serbian Lady Macbeth

INFOGRAPHIC: Russian Attitudes Toward Sanctions

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