VISUAL REPORTS
Report Looks At Use Of U.S. Drones In Ukraine War
RFE/RL’s Donbas Realities unit reports on Ukraine’s use of American drones in its war with Russia-backed separatists in its eastern region, and how their use affects the debate over whether the U.S. should provide arms to support Ukraine’s forces. (In Ukrainian)
For Ukrainian Farmers, Checkpoints And Queues Slow Route To Market
In eastern Ukraine, daily tasks as simple as going to the market can mean lining up for hours at military checkpoints. Farmers routinely haul carts of vegetables into separatist-controlled territory, where their produce can fetch twice the usual price.
Mix-Up At Birth Entangles Russian Families' Fates
In 1987, two babies were accidentally swapped at a hospital in Chelyabinsk, Russia.
Kosovo Consecrates Mother Teresa Cathedral, 20 Years After Her Death
It was a special day for Catholics in Kosovo, as the cathedral dedicated to Mother Teresa of Kolkota was consecrated on the twentieth anniversary of her death.
OTHER NEWS
Putin Warns U.S. Against Supplying Ukraine With Lethal Weapons
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that any decision by the United States to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine would fuel the conflict in the country's east.
Germany Welcomes Putin Call For UN Peacekeepers In Eastern Ukraine
Germany has welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin's agreement to send UN peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine, saying it heralded "a change in [Russia's] politics that we should not gamble away."
Prisoner Exchange On Donbas Working Group’s Agenda
Belarus has confirmed the Donbas working group has convened in Minsk, with Ukrainian media reporting that the contact group will discuss the exchange of 87 persons detained by Kyiv for 309 persons held by Russia-backed separatists controlling Ukraine’s eastern regions. (Ukrainian Service)
Saakashvili’s Case: Between Extradition And Nonreturn
Georgia’s request that Ukraine extradite former Georgian President and once-Odesa governor Mikheil Saakashvili is being debated in Ukraine. Some pro-government lawmakers have privately expressed support for the request; likewise many opposition lawmakers, but they believe that granting it would be political suicide. Some experts warn that extraditing Saakashvili would exaggerate his importance as an opponent to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and subject the country to international opprobrium. (Ukrainian Service)
Moldovan President Blocks Sending Troops To NATO Exercises
Moldovan President Igor Dodon says he has canceled the participation of a small contingent of Moldovan soldiers in upcoming NATO exercises. Russia-friendly Dodon posted his decision on his Facebook page on September 5.
Yanukovych Faces New Accusation In Ukraine, Trial Delayed Again
A Kyiv court adjourned Viktor Yanukovych's in absentia treason trial until September 21 after the former Ukrainian president's new lawyer asked for more time to prepare.
Former Russian Governor Belykh Pleads Not Guilty As Trial Starts
Nikita Belykh, the liberal former governor of Russia's Kirov region, pleaded not guilty as his trial on a bribe-taking charge got under way in Moscow on September 5.
Georgian Archpriest Convicted Of Planning To Poison Patriarch's Aide
A Tbilisi court has convicted a senior priest of planning to kill Georgian Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II's personal secretary by poisoning her with cyanide, and sentenced him to nine years in prison.
Two Russians Named As Organizers In Alleged Montenegro Coup Plot
Two alleged Russian intelligence operatives have been named as the main organizers of what authorities say was a coup attempt against Montenegro's pro-Western government as the trial of 14 suspected coup plotters opened in Podgorica on September 6.
Kyrgyz President Calls His Uzbek Counterpart's Visit To Bishkek 'Historic Event'
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has called the visit of his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoev, to Bishkek a "historic event for both nations."
MOST READ/RUSSIA: Welcome To Stagnation
Russia has entered a period of stagnation under President Vladimir Putin, says economist Dmitry Travin, who plans to teach a course on the subject outside the walls of the now-shuttered European university in St. Petersburg this fall. (over 21.8k views on Russian Service website)