VIDEO REPORTS
Sea Breeze Military Drills Bring U.S., NATO To Ukrainian Shores
Some 2,500 U.S., Ukrainian, and NATO troops are taking part in Sea Breeze 2015, a two-week military exercise in the Black Sea and Ukraine's coastal regions. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has said the training is meant to boost trust and security in the region, which has been shaken by instability since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
Russians Find Parmesan Ban Hard To Swallow
Parmesan cheese is an essential ingredient in many classic Italian dishes. But foreign imports of Parmesan have been prohibited by Russia as part of its retaliation against western sanctions over Ukraine, leaving a bad taste in the mouth of many Russians.
(Current Time TV)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Why Belarus Is About To Get Interesting
One of the unexpected consequences of Russia's annexation of Crimea and proxy war in eastern Ukraine has been a chill in relations between Minsk and Moscow and a thaw in those between Belarus and the West. But that may be about to change.
The Ukrainian Parliament Proposes Reforms
The Ukrainian parliament has announced plans to reform its internal operations, in consultation with the European Parliament. Former EU Parliament President Pat Cox will conduct a needs assessment with a likely focus on the role of factions and the rights of the opposition. (In Ukrainian)
Ukrainian Bank Demands Over $1 Billion For Lost Assets In Crimea
Ukraine’s state savings bank “Oschadbank” is claiming losses exceeding $1 Billion since the annexation of Crimea. The FSB has launched a criminal investigation into alleged asset theft, with the main suspect being former Deputy Prime Minister of Crimea Rustam Temirgaliev. (Current Time TV)
Crimean Tatars Plan Protest At Peninsula's Boundary
The head of the Crimean Tatars' self-governing body, Refat Chubarov, told reporters in Kyiv on September 8 that Tatar activists will block roads and checkpoints to Crimea later in September in order to prevent Ukrainian goods from entering the peninsula.
Russian Captured in Ukraine Exchanges Emotional Greetings With Parents
Aleksandr Aleksandrov hasn't seen his parents in months -- he was captured in May in eastern Ukraine, where he says he was on active duty with the Russian military on a mission to help separatist rebels fighting against Kyiv's forces.
Moscow Accuses Ukrainian PM Of 'Torturing' Russians In Chechen War
A top Russian law enforcement official has accused Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk of fighting alongside Chechen rebels and torturing and killing Russian soldiers during Moscow's bloody war with separatists in the 1990s.
Internet users responded with these memes, compiled by RFE/RL’s Belarus Service.
Three-Meter Statue of Stalin Unveiled In Russian Republic Of Mari El
The monument was erected on a farm, whose director explained, “the interest in Stalin has increased in recent years, when Russia is going through hard times associated with the decline in industrial production and the sanctions imposed by the Western countries. (In Russian)