VISUAL REPORTS
Finding The MH17 Missile-Launch Site
An obscure blogger claimed to have triangulated the general location from a photograph. On a hunch, a fellow journalist and I followed it -- and found the exact spot from which international investigators later concluded that Russia-backed forces fired the Buk missile that brought down MH17.
The Flea Market And Life In The So-Called Donetsk People’s Republic
Auto parts, old paintings, kitchen utensils, and coins, and gossip and news. In eastern Ukraine’s separatist-controlled Donetsk region, the flea market is center stage. (Ukrainian Service, Donbas realities)
PHOTOGALLERY: Scythian Gold, Crimean Treasures
A Dutch appeals court has postponed a verdict on the ownership of a collection of gold artifacts from Crimea that was on loan to a Dutch museum when Russia seized the peninsula in 2014.
OTHER NEWS
U.S. Says Russia Denying Visas To Teachers
U.S. officials say 30 teachers at a Moscow school operated by the U.S. and British embassies have been denied work visas for the new school year, and accused Russia of using schoolchildren as "pawns in a diplomatic dispute."
Russia, West Clash During UN Session On Ukraine Language Law
During a United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss the law, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya told members, "We are not speaking out against the Ukrainian [language]... We want to defend Russians.”
Trump Balks At Cancellation Of F-35 Jet Sales To Turkey
U.S. President Donald Trump has deplored the inability of the United States to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey because Ankara has chosen to purchase a Russian air-defense system. Speaking to journalists on July 16, Trump didn't mention that sanctions were triggered after Turkey started acquiring the Russian hardware.
Ukraine’s Constitutional Court Upholds Law Equating Nazism And Communism
In the July 16 ruling, which upholds legislation passed by Ukrainian lawmakers in May 2015, the court said the "communist and Nazi regimes" used similar methods of "implementing repressive state policies."
Ukraine Says Agreement Reached On Prisoner Swap
The four countries comprising the so-called Normandy format have reportedly reached an agreement on a prisoner swap between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists. The exchange must be held within a month, but the exact number of people to be included had not been established yet.
Russian Duma Head Proposes Empowered Parliament
Russian Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin has proposed changing the Russian Constitution to give more powers to parliament, a move that some observers say could help preserve the power of Russian President Vladimir Putin after his term in office expires in 2024. Volodin suggested in an article published in Russia’s parliamentary newspaper that the Duma should take part in the formation of the government. (Russian Service)
Ukrainian Presidency To Constitute Press Freedom Council
Ukraine has announced the creation of a council on freedom of speech under the president’s auspices that will comprise one representative from every “major” Ukrainian outlet, and help address threats to journalists and freedom of speech. (Ukrainian Service)
Bulgarian Authorities Say Suspect Detained In Massive Hacking Attack
Bulgarian authorities said they detained a man suspected in a massive hacking attack that leaked personal financial data of some 5 million Bulgarians and foreigners in the country. Officials have suggested the hack may be linked to a $1.3 billion deal to buy F-16 fighters from the United States.
Merkel Urges Moldova To Speed Up Reforms
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Moldova's new pro-European government to pursue reforms and step up the fight against widespread corruption, pledging "The European Commission … would help Moldova on this path, and Germany will do the same thing wholeheartedly."
Kazakh Union Leader Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison
In the latest in a series of measures by authorities against the country’s labor unions, a Kazakh court has sentenced union leader Erlan Baltabai to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of embezzlement, a case he called politically motivated.
PAKISTAN: Pakistani Brides In China Plead For Help Amid Trafficking Claims
INFOGRAPHIC: Charting Women's Soccer