VIDEO REPORTS
What Is The U.S.- Russia Plutonium Management And Disposition Agreement?
The 2000 agreement, suspended by Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 3, was intended to make arms reductions by Russia and the U.S. irreversible.
Vaclav Havel: Life And Legacy
Vaclav Havel, the late Czech dissident and president, would have been 80 on October 5. He died five years ago, but his legacy endures.
Ukrainian Military Suspends Withdrawal Amid Shelling
Ukrainian forces reported shelling in the Donbas village of Bohdanivka as they were preparing to withdraw from the frontline region, consistent with Minsk agreements. (In Ukrainian)
Refugees Begin Protest March To Hungarian Border
Hundreds of refugees and migrants began a 200 kilometer protest march from Belgrade, the Serbian capital, to the Hungarian border on October 4, demanding they be allowed to enter the EU.
Moscow's Migrant Fight Clubs
The days of illegal fight clubs are gone, but some migrants from Central Asia try to make a living in mixed martial arts fighting in Moscow.
OTHER NEWS
St. Petersburg Officials Required To Report Foreign Contacts
According to a document adopted by the city administration on October 5, officials in Russia's second largest city are now required to report about their contacts with foreign entities every three months.
Kremlin Decrees New National Guard
The decree, published on October 4, stipulates that, among its powers, the Guard shall scan fingerprints, issue documents for weapons and private security activities, conduct information warfare activities, and develop safety measures for civil aviation. (In Russian, Current Time TV)
Russia Names New Presidential Administration Deputy Head
Sergey Kiriyenko, formerly head of Russia’s nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, will succeed Vyacheslav Volodin as the the first deputy head of the presidential administration. (In Russian, Current Time TV)
Memorial Branch Added To Foreign Agents List
The international branch of the human rights group Memorial says Russia's Justice Ministry has designated it a "foreign agent."
Kremlin Rejects Claims Of Drugged Diplomats
Russia's Foreign Ministry rejected reports that two U.S. officials traveling with diplomatic passports were drugged in St. Petersburg last year, suggesting instead that they might have had too much to drink.
Russian Internet Guru Fined For Extremism
A Moscow court has found prominent Russian-Israeli web pioneer Anton Nosik guilty of extremism and fined him half a million rubles ($8,000) over a blog post titled Wipe Syria Off The Face Of The Earth.
Moscow Says Next UN Chief Should Be Eastern European Woman
Russia's United Nations Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Moscow would like to see a woman and an Eastern European take the top UN job after Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon leaves next year.
Georgian President Urges Russia To Stop Meddling In Ex-Soviet Republics' Affairs
In an interview with RFE/RL, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili said that, in his view, Russia considers international laws to be “not fully valid, or valid in a distorted way on territory defined by Russia's foreign policy as the 'near abroad.'"
Kazakhstan Jails Journalist Union Head, Son
A Kazakh court has sentenced the head of the Kazakh Journalists Union and his son to lengthy prison terms on corruption charges.
SCHEMES: The Failure Of The Odesa Port Plant Privatization
RFE/RL’s investigative program “Schemes” reports that efforts over the past 20 years to privatize Ukraine’s state-owned Odesa Port Plant - a mineral fertilizer giant - have failed in the final stages every time, possibly because of interference by senior government officials. (In Ukrainian)
ANALYSIS: The USSR’s Syrian Fate
RFE/RL’s Russian Service reports that the USSR failed in supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Asad 34 years ago in the Bekaa Valley because of an irreparable gap in military technology between the USSR and the West. (In Russian)
PODCAST: Why Is Kyrgyzstan Changing Its Constitution Now?
An expert panel discusses the timing and purposes of the constitutional referendum, planned for December, one year before the country is due to hold presidential elections.
PHOTOGALLERY: Vaclav Havel’s Legacy Through The Lenses Of Friends