Ukrainian President, PEN International, RFE/RL Renew Calls To #FreeAseyev
VISUAL REPORTS
Crossing The Front Line In Eastern Ukraine
Some 10,000 people a day cross a collapsed bridged across the front line in war-torn eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy Talks Film With 'Good-Looking' Tom Cruise
U.S. actor Tom Cruise was met by Zelenskiy during a visit to study possible Ukrainian locations for an upcoming film. Zelenskiy hopes to make Ukraine more attractive to major filmmakers by adopting a law that would support foreign film production, his press service said.
Denial: How Moscow Portrays Its Occupation Of Poland And The Baltic States
Eighty years ago, the Soviet Union used threats to impose a series of treaties on the Baltic states that allowed it to station troops on their territories and lay the groundwork for the Soviet occupation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in 1940.
PHOTOGALLERY: ‘Welcome To Hell, Part II': The Second Chechen War
Twenty years ago, Vladimir Putin, then Russia’s prime minister, launched a military operation in Chechnya that would come to define his rule and haunt it.
OTHER NEWS
St. Petersburg Council Replaces Putin Portrait With Sakharov
Putin's off the wall, and Sakharov is on it. That's the situation at a St. Petersburg district council whose deputies, at their first meeting following controversial September 8 elections, voted to ban the hanging of portraits of "active politicians" in their meeting room.
New Scrutiny For 'Putin's Chef' And Russian Mercenaries In Africa
A report from the Central African Republic aired on September 29 on Russia’s flagship weekly news program Vesti Nedeli, unintentionally or not, has provided further evidence about the activities of a notorious private Russian military company with Kremlin links that is alleged to be profiting from illegal diamond exports, and has faced accusations of involvement in the deaths of three Russian reporters two years ago.
Khodorkovsky: Putin 'Doesn’t Believe In Institutions'
In a far-ranging interview with RFE/RL, Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky analyzed the Russian president, and spoke about the opposition’s prospects and Russia’s problems. Khodorkovsky didn’t hide his respect for the Kremlin leader’s ability to stay in power for 20 years.
Russian Media Outlets Show Solidarity With Journalist Prokopyeva
Nearly a dozen independent Russian media outlets have published an open letter from Svetlana Prokopyeva, a journalist from Pskov, who faces up to seven years in prison on charges of "justifying terrorism." "The criminal case against me is the murder of freedom of speech," Prokopyeva wrote in the letter, published on October 1.
Kremlin Summons Independent ‘Dozhd’ Owner For Questioning
Russian TV channel Dozhd owner Natalia Sindeeva has been summoned for questioning by the Russian Investigative Committee in connection with a mass protest in support of fair elections that took place in Moscow on July 27. Sindeeva was earlier questioned on September 10 about the channel's financing and coverage of the protests. (Russian Service)
Crimean Blogger Sentenced For Promoting ‘Terrorism'
A Russian military court in Rostov-on-Don has sentenced Nariman Memedeminov, a journalist and blogger from Russia- annexed Crimea, to 2.6 years in prison on charges of “publicly calling for terrorism.” Ukraine’s Union of Journalists has criticized the charges. (Ukrainian Service, Crimea.Realii)
Staff At Moscow Cancer Center Quit En Masse
Russia’s main cancer treatment center has been rocked by a wave of resignations amid complaints about low wages and deteriorating conditions at its wards. The center’s specialists presented their grievances in a stern video, adding to claims by other medical professionals that a systemic crisis is endangering critical care in the country.
Decreased Alcohol Consumption Linked To ‘Peak” Life Expectancy For Russians
Alcohol consumption in Russia declined by 43 percent from 2003 to 2016, leading to a dramatic increase of life expectancy, the World Health Organization found in a study published on October 1.
Ukraine Agrees To Elections In Occupied East
Ukraine has provisionally agreed to hold local elections in the occupied territories of its two easternmost regions once all armed formations leave the area and control is regained over about 400 kilometers of borderland with Russia. At a briefing in Kyiv on October 1, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced the agreement, which was brokered in Minsk with Russia and the OSCE.
Ukraine Probes Ex-Chief Prosecutor Lutsenko On Gambling Charges
Ukrainian investigators say they have launched a criminal probe into former Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko over alleged ties to illegal gambling operations. Lutsenko, who left his post in August, has denied any wrongdoing.
Poroshenko Fails To Show Up For Lie Detector Test
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has failed to show up for a polygraph test at the Kyiv Forensics Research Institute in a tax evasion case.
Lithuania Holds ‘Emergency Drills’ As Belarus Nuke Plant Nears Completion
Lithuania is holding a four-day national emergency nuclear drill amid mounting concerns as a Russian-made nuclear power plant in neighboring Belarus nears completion.
Kyrgyz Lawyer Wins UN Prize For Battling Statelessness
Kyrgyz lawyer Azizbek Ashurov, who has helped thousands of stateless people gain citizenship, has won this year's UN-sponsored Nansen Refugee Award. In July, Kyrgyzstan became the world's first country to end statelessness.
RFE/RL Online Platforms Temporarily Blocked In Tajikistan
RFE/RL's Tajik-language website, Facebook, and YouTube were blocked for the duration of an interview with banned Islamic Renaissance Party leader Muhiddin Kabiri that that was broadcast live on the Internet. The Europe-based National Alliance of Tajikistan, which unites several exiled Tajik opposition groups, conducted the interview, during which Kabiri was expected to respond in real time to comments and questions submitted by viewers.
Turkmen Interior Minister Dismissed
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has fired Interior Minister Isgender Mulikov amid allegations of abuse of power and corruption.
IRAN: How Does It Feel? Zarif Gets No Sympathy For Travel Restrictions In New York
IN MEMORIAM: Czech Crooner Karel Gott Dies At 80