VIDEO REPORTS
Voters Back Putin's United Russia Party, With Some Dissent
The victory of United Russia in Sunday’s Duma elections appeared broadly to reflect the will of voters interviewed by RFE/RL in an informal exit poll in Russia’s southern city of Krasnoyarsk, but there were dissenting views, too.
Despite Kremlin Drive For 'Honest' Elections, Violations Spotted At Polls
Opposition activists alleged a slew of violations, including ballot stuffing, during voting in Russia's parliamentary elections despite efforts by the authorities to give the appearance of a clean vote.
Crimea Residents Vote In Russian Elections
Residents of Sevastopol went to the polls on September 18 to vote in Russia's parliamentary elections. The peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Altercation Near The Russian Embassy In Kyiv
Right-wing protesters scuffled with voters and police in Kyiv as dozens rallied outside the Russian Embassy, where a polling station was set up for Russian citizens to vote in their country's Duma elections.
Azerbaijani Police Clash With Activists At Baku Rally
Police in Baku clashed with demonstrators protesting an upcoming constitutional referendum expected to consolidate President Ilham Aliyev’s power. Several journalists covering the protest, including at least two freelancers working for RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, were detained.
OTHER NEWS
Power Vertical Podcast: One-Party Rule And A New KGB
The ruling United Russia party is on track to win more than 300 of 450 legislative seats in Russia’s State Duma, Ramzan Kadyrov is leading with more than 97 percent in Chechnya’s election for a regional head, and the Kremlin has announced a new Ministry of State Security that looks suspiciously like the Soviet KGB.
Russian Election Chief Declares Some Results Invalid
Russian Election Commissioner Ella Pamfilova declared results invalid in one district in Nizhny Novgorod, where ballot staffing was caught on camera, and that results in three districts in the Rostov region are being questioned. (In Russian, Current Time TV)
Ukraine Urges Nations To Withhold Recognition Of Elections
Ukraine’s foreign ministry called Russia’s Duma elections in Crimea “invalid and illegitimate,” and proposed adding the names of those involved in preparing the elections to an international sanctions list. (In Ukrainian)
Russia, U.S. Tensions Spill Over At UN Emergency Meeting
U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power accused Russia of "cheap point scoring" and "grandstanding" by calling for an emergency session of the UN Security Council on September 17, following reports that U.S. air strikes hit Syrian government troops.
Russia Short Of Financial Reserves
Russia’s deputy finance minister announced that the country’s National Welfare Fund will soon be tapped to cover the country’s budget deficit after the the country’s reserve fund is exhausted in 2017, but economist Sergey Smirnov cautions that the National Welfare Fund will also soon be depleted if oil prices remain low. (In Russian)
The Truth About Crimean Prosecutor And Duma Hopeful Poklonskaya
RFE/RL has investigated the rapid career ascent of Moscow-backed Crimea prosecutor and top-listed United Russia Duma candidate Natalia Poklonskaya, finding, among other things, that she did not resign from her earlier post as prosecutor in Kyiv, but was fired. (In Russian)
MOST READ/RUSSIA: Russia Is Ruled By Assassins
Discussing their documentary, “It Is Not A Fact That A Person Should Be Killed,” about the shooting of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, Andrey Piontkovsky and Leonid Martynyuk assert that Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, National Guard head Viktor Zolotov, and Russian President Vladimir Putin were behind the assassination, and that the subsequent investigation is the subject of intense rivalry among the country’s ruling clans. (over 40k views on Russian Service website)
PODCAST: What Central Asian Succession Looks Like
In the wake of Uzbek President Islam Karimov’s sudden death, a panel of experts considers who will succeed Central Asia's other longstanding rulers.
PHOTOGALLERY: Elections In Russia -- Voters, Violations And Pastries