VISUAL REPORTS
Moldovan PM Says People 'Will Never Approve Federalization'
Speaking to RFE/RL in Chisinau on August 23 ahead of her upcoming U.S. visit, Moldovan Prime Minister Maia Sandu said that the country would never accept federalization to settle Moldova's problem with its Transdniester breakaway region, as proposed by Russia.
Moscow Residents Fear Radioactive Risk From New Road
Moscow activists say a new road project next to a Soviet-era nuclear waste site could pose a radioactive risk.
Ukraine Marks Independence -- Without A Military Parade
Ukraine marked 28 years of independence from the former Soviet Union on August 24, in an official ceremony in Kyiv that, for the first time, did not include a military parade.
Protesters In Belgrade Support Army Pensioners Facing Eviction
Several thousand anti-government protesters have rallied in Belgrade in support of Serbian Army pensioners who are threatened with eviction from a hotel where they have been living for 25 years. The protests continued seven months of demonstrations in Belgrade and elsewhere against President Aleksandar Vucic’s autocratic rule and a growing list of other problems.
Inside Pankisi: Life In Georgia’s Troubled Mountain Enclave
Photojournalist Ekaterina Anchevskaya spent 10 days in the Pankisi Gorge, where local efforts to develop tourism are hampered by a history of unrest.
OTHER NEWS
Russian Weather Agency Says Radioactive Isotopes Found After Accident
Russia’s state meteorological agency said on August 26 it found strontium, barium and lanthanum in samples it took following a recent accident at a northern military base during a weapons test, but insisted there was no danger to the public at large.
Russian Ambassador To Britain Ends Assignment
The embassy said on August 24 that Aleksandr Yakovenko had "relinquished his duties" and that Ivan Volodin, currently the minister-counselor, will act as charge d'affaires. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Yakovenko’s departure was a "regular rotation of diplomatic mission heads."
Moscow Prosecutor Seeks To Suspend Protesters’ Parental Rights
Moscow’s prosecutor's office has demanded that the parental rights of Peter and Elena Chomsky be suspended after they brought their child to protest rallies on July 27. Moscow Commissioner for the Rights of Children Yevgeny Bunimovich decried the case as an attempt at “political blackmail.” It follows a similar case in which Russia’s Investigative Committee has accused a couple of “living in danger” and “failing to fulfill the obligation to educate a minor.” (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Prosecutors Probe Allegations Of Punitive Psychiatric Treatment In Siberian Prison
"It is no secret that [prison officials] use psychotropic drugs to pacify malcontents," Irina Zaitseva, an expert with the nongovernmental organization For Prisoner Rights, told RFE/RL. "Any person in this country can be shut away, declared incompetent, and simply destroyed."
Hiding In Plain Sight: United Russia's Bid To Distance Itself From Moscow Polls Falls Flat
Officially, United Russia is not participating in the September 8 elections to choose a new Moscow City Duma. Its logo does not appear on any campaign advertising and will not figure on the ballot papers.
Seventy Wildfires Still Active In Russia’s Siberia
Wildfires engulfed more than 400,000 hectares in Siberia overnight on August 25-26, according to statements by the Russian Aerial Forest Protection Service and Environmental Ministry. Ninety-seven fires were extinguished over the past 24 hours encompassing an area of 2,898 hectares.
One Ukraine Soldier Killed, 3 Wounded In Donbas Conflict
Ukraine’s military says one soldier was killed and three were wounded in the country’s eastern Donbas region after Russia-backed separatists opened fire with “grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, sniper rifles, and small arms.”
Group Says Crimeans Who Show Ukrainian Identity Get ‘Hunted’
Persons expressing any form of Ukrainian identity in Russian-annexed Crimea can expect criminal prosecution or get on a “hit list,” say two members of the Crimean Human Rights Group.
Georgia's Separatist Abkhazia Heads To Runoff In 'Presidential Vote’
Incumbent separatist leader Raul Khadzhimba and Alkhaz Kvitsiniya, head of the Amtsakhara opposition party, will face off in a runoff election in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia. Georgia's president has called the poll "a sham."
Lithuania Detains Two Armed FSB Officers Near Border
Russian media reports that Lithuanian border guards have detained two FSB border agents armed with pistols half a kilometer into Lithuanian territory. The agents said they entered the territory inadvertently. Lithuania has transferred them to the Russian side. (Russian Service)