VISUAL REPORTS
INFOGRAPHIC: Missiles Banned By The INF Treaty
Signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty banned these missiles.
Lonely Witness: A Gay Russian’s Stalled Bid For Justice In Chechnya
Maksim Lapunov, who was held in a cellar for 12 days and subjected to vicious beatings and psychological terror, is the first and only person to claim on the record that he was a victim of what rights groups have called a purge of gay and bisexual men by authorities in Chechnya in the spring of 2017.
VOX POP: Do You Know Who Yevgeny Prigozhin Is?
A majority of respondents to an informal street poll in Moscow knew of Yevgeny Prigozhin as a defense contractor. One was aware of several journalistic investigations about him, and his association with the private Wagner military group. One person said he is Putin’s chef, but in the “inner kitchen.” Three respondents had no knowledge of him, and one person called the question provocative and refused to answer. (Russian Service)
OTHER NEWS
In Moscow, Bolton Cites China Nuclear Buildup To Explain Treaty Withdrawal
Wrapping up a two-day visit to Moscow, U.S. National-Security Adviser John Bolton said the United States was planning to pull out of the INF treaty because Russia was violating it, and because other countries, including China, Iran, and North Korea, were free to develop weapons that the pact prohibited Washington from pursuing. After his meetings, Bolton laid flowers at a makeshift memorial where opposition Russian politician Boris Nemtsov was slain in February 2015.
Withdrawal Syndrome: Experts On Possible U.S. Exit From INF Treaty
Experts and analysts are struggling to grasp the implications of the growing likelihood that the United States will withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. RFE/RL takes a look at some of the more interesting reactions.
Russian, Pakistani Forces Launch Joint Exercise In Northwestern Pakistan
Around 200 Russian soldiers, including a contingent of more than 70 mountain troops based in the North Caucasus republic of Karachai-Cherkessia, have joined Pakistani forces in annual joint exercises in the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwestern Pakistan.
Novaya Gazeta Reports Involvement Of 'Putin's Chef' In Targeted Attacks
Russia's independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper has quoted a purported security aide to Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin as saying that Prigozhin was involved in several attacks against his rivals, including at least one murder.
Russia Seeks Equipment To Spy On Military Cadets
Russia’s defense ministry has announced a tender to purchase $7.4 million worth of equipment to monitor the online activity of cadets enrolled in military academies. The tender includes licences for software to “detect confidential documents in the data stream, prevent their leakage” and protect business activity from “internal intruders.” (in Russian, Current Time TV)
Memorial Remembrance Of Stalinism Victims To Proceed
The Russian human rights group Memorial says it has reached an agreement with municipal authorities in Moscow to go ahead with an annual remembrance ceremony near the former KGB headquarters for the victims of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s purges.
Armenian PM Accuses Lawmakers of 'Sabotage' Over Electoral Code Vote
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has accused the country’s outgoing parliament of “sabotage” after it voted down major amendments to the Electoral Code drafted by his government for snap general elections expected in December.
Tajiks Divorce And Remarry Russians To Gain Citizenship
Current Time TV reports that many couples in Tajikistan are getting divorced so that the husband may marry in Russia and obtain Russian citizenship, a key to obtaining work and avoiding harassment. Once obtaining citizenship, the men often do not return home. According to Russia’s justice ministry, approximately 12,000 Tajik citizens marry annually in Russia. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
BLOGGING CENTRAL ASIA: The Sights And Sounds Of Discontent In Turkmenistan