VISUAL REPORTS
VOX POP: What Do Ukrainians Think About Martial Law?
RFE/RL asked people in the Ukrainian cities of Odesa and Kramatorsk.
VOX POP: Are You Afraid Of War With Ukraine?
Respondents to an informal street poll in Moscow expressed a variety of views. Several discounted the possibility of war, saying it is only in the “heads of government officials.” One said “Russia is stronger” and has nothing to fear, while some expressed hope that things would be resolved diplomatically. One respondent said Ukraine is fulfilling the West’s wishes and that Russia should expect more sanctions. Several suggested that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is using the conflict to remain in power. (Russian Service)
Arms For All? Khodorkovsky Says Russians Need Guns
In a wide-ranging interview with Current Time TV, former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky offered an optimistic vision of a future democratic Russia anchored by a decentralized government, improved criminal investigations, and weapons “for the people.”
The Cost Of Confronting A War Criminal
Human rights activists in Serbia have launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay a $4,400 fine they were given after protesting against a convicted war criminal.
OTHER NEWS
Ukraine Imposes Martial Law As Russia Sends More Missiles To Crimea
Martial law came into force across a large swath of Ukraine on November 28 following a clash with Russia at sea that Kyiv called an "act of aggression,” while Moscow said it will boost Crimean defenses by deploying more antiaircraft missiles in the region it seized in 2014.
In Show Of Defiance, Russian Court Jails Ukrainian Sailors For Two Months
A Russian court has ordered 12 of the 24 Ukrainian sailors who were captured by Russian coast-guard forces in a confrontation off Crimea’s coast to be held in custody for two months. The UN chief called for restraint from both Moscow and Kyiv, and Estonia's president accused Russia of waging "war in Europe."
Ukraine Formally Sets Date For Presidential Election
Ukraine has formally scheduled a presidential election for March 31, 2019, a move that follows a vow made by President Petro Poroshenko that the imposition of martial law in 10 regions for a 30-day period would not mean a postponement of the vote.
Tens Of Russians Barred From Entry Into Ukraine
Ukrainian border guards on duty in Kyiv’s airports have denied entry to 75 Russians since November 27, citing insufficient documentation and lack of purpose for their visit, among other reasons. (Ukrainian Service)
Russia Rejects $1.3 Billion International Arbitration Ruling In Ukraine Bank Case
Russia has rejected an international arbitration ruling obliging Moscow to pay Ukraine $1.3 billion in compensation for loss of business and assets in Crimea following Moscow's annexation of the peninsula in 2014, declaring the arbitration panel has no jurisdiction over the case.
Russian Nationalist Kremlin Critic Reportedly Granted Political Asylum In France
Vyacheslav Maltsev, an outspoken Kremlin critic and leader of an outlawed Russian nationalist opposition movement, says he received political asylum in France. Russian authorities charged Maltsev in absentia with publicly calling for extremist activities after he fled Russia in July 2017.
Putin Confers State Awards To Outstanding Citizens On U.S. Sanctions List
In a Kremlin ceremony on November 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented state awards to a list of outstanding Russian citizens that includes Alisher Usmanov, an oligarch under U.S. sanctions; his wife Irina Viner-Usmanova, head coach of the Russian national gymnastics team; and Roman Rotenberg, first vice-president of Russia’s hockey federation and the son of Boris Rotenberg, an oligarch who is also on the U.S. sanctions list. (in Russian, Current Time TV)
U.S. Charges Six Russians, Two Kazakhs For Multi-Million Dollar Ad Fraud
Eight people, most of them Russian, have been named in a 13-count indictment unsealed in a U.S. district court in New York on November 27 on charges that include wire fraud, computer intrusion, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.
Most New European HIV Cases Reported In Russia, Ukraine
Almost 160,000 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in Europe last year, with three-quarters of the new cases arising in Ukraine and Russia, two European health agencies said on November 28.
Belarus Executes Convicted Murderer
The Minsk-based human rights group Vyasna reports that Belarus has executed convicted murderer Syamyon Berazhnya. Belarus is the only country in Europe and the former Soviet Union that executes prisoners, drawing persistent criticism from rights activists and EU nations.
Hungary Denies U.S. Extradition Request
The U.S. State Department has said it is “disappointed” after Hungary denied a U.S. request to extradite suspected Russian arms dealers Vladimir Lyubishin Sr. and Vladimir Lyubishin Jr, and instead sent the two men to Russia.
Noncandidate Looms Large In Georgia's Presidential Runoff
Georgia's billionaire former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream party has backed Salome Zurabishvili, a former foreign minister who is running as an independent in today’s presidential runoff. But with her support foundering and opposition candidate Grigol Vashadze making a strong showing in opinion polls, Ivanishvili's face has replaced Zurabishvili's in ads ahead of the vote.
Terror Trial In Kazakhstan Adjourned After Defendants Cut Themselves
The high-profile trial of three Kazakh men charged with propagating terrorism was abruptly adjourned after two of the defendants cut themselves using sharp metal objects after the judge rejected their motion to summon additional witnesses and experts to the stand.
Uzbek Officials Accused Of Taking Bribes To Fill Jobs In South Korea
Nearly 20 officials with Uzbekistan’s labor migrant agency have been detained on suspicion of receiving more than $20 million in bribes from Uzbek citizens seeking employment in South Korea. Every year more than 100,000 Uzbeks apply to the agency to fill a quota of 5,000 positions in the country. (in Russian, Uzbek Service/Current Time TV)
INFOGRAPHIC: Ukraine’s Martial Law
INFOGRAPHIC: Russians Abroad