Molotov-Ribbentrop What? Do Russians Know Of Key World War II Pact?
It's an anniversary few in the Kremlin, or elsewhere in Russia, are keen to talk about. Eighty years ago, on August 23, 1939, Nazi Germany and Josef Stalin's Soviet Union inked a nonaggression treaty that ushered in World War II.
VISUAL REPORTS
Shooting A Snow Leopard In Siberia -- Legally
Conservationists blamed poachers for killing some of the remaining snow leopards in Russia's Altai Republic. Now, they are being paid to capture images of the rare species to help save them.
Videos Highlight Misery In Romania’s Psychiatric Facilities
A series of videos posted on social media by an opposition lawmaker has brought to light inadequate conditions in Romania's mental-health facilities just days after a man killed four patients in a psychiatric hospital.
Plea For LGBT Rights In Uzbekistan Provokes Police Raid, Online Backlash
In a video statement, Uzbek activist Shokhruh Salimov called on the country's president to address the persecution of LGBT minorities. Two days later, police raided Salimov's family's house to try to arrest him.
PHOTOGALLERY: How A Photographer Captured The 'Baltic Chain' From Above
Timed to mark the 50th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Baltic Way, or Baltic Chain, united more than 1 million protesters in a continuous human chain stretching 675 kilometers across Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
OTHER NEWS
EXCLUSIVE: Belarus's Lukashenka, Weary Of Russia Union, Seeks To Buy U.S. Crude
Belarus is seeking to buy U.S. oil for its refineries for the first time as it strives to diversify supplies away from its more powerful, energy-rich neighbor Russia, RFE/RL has learned.
Putin Orders 'Comprehensive Measures' In Response To U.S. Missile Test
According to a transcript of a meeting President Vladimir Putin held on August 23 with the Russian Security Council, he said the U.S. test, just 16 days after the demise of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, made it "obvious that it was not improvisation, but became the next link in a chain” of planned events.
Ukraine, Russia Reportedly Preparing To Exchange Dozens Of Prisoners
Kyiv and Moscow are reportedly preparing a prisoner exchange that would see each side swapping 33 detainees, possibly including Ukrainian sailors captured by Russian forces late last year.
Lost In Translation: Kremlin Corrects Macron Statement On Elections
The Kremlin's website has corrected translations of some statements made by French President Emmanuel Macron at a joint news conference on August 20 with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The transcript had several inconsistencies involving Macron's comments on fair and free elections, often omitting references to votes entirely.
ECHR To Rule On Magnitsky Case
The European Court of Human Rights announced on August 22 that it will decide the case Magnitsky and Others v. Russia on August 27. A press release says the case concerns Sergei Magnitsky’s detention, his death in detention, and his posthumous convictions of organized tax evasion. Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in a Russian prison cell in 2009, helped uncover a massive tax fraud scheme that involved the theft of $230 million from the Russian treasury. (Russian Service)
Russian Court Extends Detention Of U.S. Citizen Whelan
A Moscow court has extended the detention of Paul Whalen, a U.S. citizen and former U.S. Marine, until October 29 as he awaits trial on espionage charges that he denies. Whelan told reporters from a cage at his court hearing on August 23 that he had been abused by prison guards during his incarceration.
Navalny Released From Moscow Jail
The Russian opposition leader, released on August 23 from a Moscow jail after serving 30 days for violating Russia's restrictive protest laws, told reporters, "I have no doubt ...that this wave [of protests] will increase, and this regime will seriously regret what it has done."
Moscow Authorities Deny Requests For Protest Rally
A prominent opposition figure who has been disqualified from Moscow’s upcoming municipal elections says local authorities have refused to issue a permit for a protest against “political repression” in the Russian capital on August 31.
Soviet Symbols Aren't 'Funny,' Lithuania Tells Amazon
In an open letter to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, former Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis has urged the American online retailer to stop selling clothing featuring the hammer and sickle and other Soviet symbols, which he says are offensive to victims of Soviet-era persecution. Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius has endorsed the letter.
Head Of Ukrainian President's Office Sues RFE/RL For Libel
Head of Ukraine's presidential office Andriy Bohdan is suing three members of Schemes (Skhemy), an investigative journalism program of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, for libel.
Kosovo Lawmakers Vote To Disband Parliament To Allow Snap Autumn Elections
Lawmakers in Kosovo have voted to disband parliament, clearing the way for President Hashim Thaci to call early general elections following the resignation of Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj.
Lesbian PM Or Not, Serbia Blocks Gays' Path To Parenthood
Ana Brnabic is among the world's first openly gay heads of government, and became the first prime minister to have a child with a same-sex partner while in office. But hopes that the rights of other same-sex couples would expand during her tenure have quickly dissipated.
Zelenskiy Urges EU To Rebuff G7 Reinstatement Of Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called European Council President Donald Tusk to urge that the bloc reject Russia’s return to the G7, citing Russia’s continued occupation of Crimea and aggression in Ukraine’s Donbas region. Tusk reportedly provided assurances that he would uphold this position during the forthcoming G7 summit in France. (Ukrainian Service)
ICYMI: Ukrainian Oligarch Kolomoyskiy Plans On Being A ‘Nuisance’