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Putin’s Brain: The Church, Crimea, War, Glory, Enemies, Oil, Shared Values (RFE/RL Ukrainian Service)

VIDEO REPORTS

THE POWER VERTICAL: Getting Away With Murder

The lethal poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko ten years ago was pivotal, marking the point when Russia went rogue.

Kyiv Marks Euromaidan Anniversary

Thousands of Ukrainians marked the third anniversary of mass protests in Kyiv’s Maidan Square that led to the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych.

Small Village In Serbia Takes Putin’s Name

Residents of Hadzhintse, a small village in the south of Serbia, call themselves “Russophiles” and have renamed their village “Putinovo” in honor of the Russian president. (in Russian, Current Time TV)

VOX POP: Is Russia On The Right Track?

Many respondents to an informal street poll in Moscow said Russia is on the right track, “developing,” and that things are getting better. A few said Russia should align itself with “civilised countries,” one expressed nostalgia for the Soviet Union, and one lamented the role of Russian mass media, saying it incites hatred.

OTHER NEWS

Kremlin Defends Military Buildup In Kaliningrad

The Kremlin has defended Russia’s military buildup in the Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad, citing NATO’s “expansion” toward the country’s borders.

U.S. Ambassador Warlick To Join Russian Law Firm

U.S Ambassador James Warlick says he will step down on December 31 as co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Ukraine, Russia Trade Claims Over Soldiers' Detentions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Ukraine's detention of two Russian servicemen was " an illegitimate provocation."

Moscow Police Detain Activist At Nemtsov Memorial

Nadir Fatov was detained on November 21 after he tried to prevent the removal of flowers and candles from the site of an improvised memorial to Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.

Russian Patriarch Rejects Independent Church In Ukraine

Declaring Kyiv “the spiritual cradle of Holy Russia, as Mtskheta is for Georgia or Kosovo is for Serbia,” Russian Patriarch Kirill told attendees at a reception marking his birthday on November 21 that the RussianOrthodox church will never “abandon our brothers” in Ukraine, and will “never agree to change the sacred canonical borders of the Church.” (in Ukrainian)

Kadyrov Releases Trailer For Hollywood-Inspired Biopic

Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov has announced the release of “Legend of Chaborze,” a movie in which he stars and “which millions of people on all continents have been eagerly waiting for,” he wrote on a social media post. (in Russian)

Russian Household Wealth Down In 2016

A Global Wealth Report issued by the Credit Suisse bank shows that Russian household wealth has decreased by 14.4 percent over the past year. The number of dollar millionaires fell by 16 percent, from 94,000 to 79,000, reflecting the weakened ruble and lower commodity prices. (in Russian, Current Time TV)

Russian Man Finds Relative’s Executioners and Reconciliation

On November 20, Denis Karagodin received a letter from the granddaughter of one of the agents of Josef Stalin’s secret police who executed Karagodin's great-grandfather in the Siberian city of Tomsk on January 21, 1938.

Holocaust Memorial Stone Vandalized In Belarus

Vandals have desecrated a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust in the eastern Belarusian city of Mahileu.

SCHEMES: A Fortress For Ukraine Interior Minister Avakov

RFE/RL’s investigative program “Schemes” has found that Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, who has claimed to reside in a modest hotel room, now lives in the "Fortress," a facility owned by the ministry that has seen lavish renovations this year. (in Ukrainian)

PHOTOGALLERY: Russia's 'Gangster Graveyards'

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