VISUAL REPORTS
Hypersonic: An Arms Race At Five Times The Speed Of Sound
An August 8 explosion in northern Russia, which some have linked to the Kremlin's development of an advanced generation of super weapons, has focused attention on hypersonic missile systems. Analysts say this new arms race has the potential to scuttle global security agreements.
Abandoned Russian Chemical Plant Threatens Ecological 'Chernobyl'
The derelict Usolyekhimprom chemical plant, spread across hundreds of hectares in Russia's Irkutsk region, contains tanks of chlorine, mercury, and other deadly substances. The head of Russia's environmental safety agency has warned that the site poses a potential environmental disaster on the scale of Chernobyl.
U.K. Firm Says It Verified Russian Presence In Ukraine
A British research firm used machine learning to compile what it says is visual evidence of Russian military involvement in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Uzbek Bakers Made Destitute By 'Prosperous Village' Project
Owners of a thriving Uzbek bakery says they’ve been put out of business by President Mirziyoev’'s "Prosperous Village" program, described as promoting beautification and infrastructure. One of the owners sent RFE/RL a video showing their ovens rusting in a field, after their home and the bakery’s premises were demolished. RFE/RL has previously reported that workers have been forced to work for the program without pay.
OTHER NEWS
Trump ‘Very Favorably’ Inclined Toward Russia Rejoining G8
Days ahead of this year’s G7 summit in the southern French resort town of Biarritz, U.S. President Donald Trump said he is in favor of letting Russia back in to the exclusive Group of Seven advanced economies when the United States hosts the event next year.
Russian Opposition Politician Ilya Yashin Jailed Again
At his August 20 hearing, Yashin, who has been struggling to register for the Moscow city council elections next month, likened the judicial procedure to "a performance" out of Franz Kafka's novel, The Trial. He started reading the novel aloud in the courtroom, telling the audience that "the original is always better than cheap remakes."
Moscow Says Serbia To Sign Free-Trade Pact With Eurasian Economic Union
Russia’s ambassador to Serbia, Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko, announced that Belgrade is expected to sign a free-trade pact with the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union on October 25. He called Serbia’s entry into the trade zone a “completely new stage of [its] presence in Eurasia.”
Russian Military Vulnerable Due To Outdated GLONASS Satellites
Russian media reports that 13 out of 23 satellites comprising the Russian navigation system GLONASS are beyond the manufacturer's warranty, and pose risks to the Russian military if they begin to fail. The system, which is Russia’s alternative to the GPS, is also reportedly suffering problems due to Western sanctions. (Russian Service)
Kyiv Court Rules To Launch Corruption Probe Against Poroshenko, Klimkin
A court in Kyiv has ordered Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau to launch a probe against former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and former Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin on charges of abuse of power. A court notice says the ruling cannot be appealed, and provides no information on specific charges.
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Ventures To Reform State Spy Agency
Fresh off huge election victories that brought him and his fledgling Servant of the People party to power, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy -- a former comedian who has vowed to end endemic corruption and implement sweeping reforms – may have a chance to do what none of his predecessors did: revamp the Security Service of Ukraine and restore its credibility.
Lithuania Buys $1 Million Worth Of Iodine Pills As Belarus Readies Nuclear Power Plant
More than 4 million iodine tablets will be handed out to citizens in case of a radiation leak at Belarus’s Astravets nuclear power plant, which is being built with Russian assistance just 50 kilometers from the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.
Romanian President, Seeking Reelection, Gets Boost From Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump told Romanian President Klaus Iohannis during an August 20 White House visit, “You’re going to do very well [in the November election] because you’re very talented, you love the people.”
Bid To Form New Bosnian Government Fails Over Differences On NATO
The members of Bosnia-Herzegovina's tripartite presidency again failed to form a new government at an August 20 meeting in Sarajevo more than 10 months after a general election. Bosian Serb Milorad Dodik rejected a package that would include adopting a plan that would move Bosnia closer to becoming a member of NATO.
Tashkent Moves To Floating Exchange Rate For Uzbek Currency
Uzbekistan announced on August 20 it will no longer restrict citizens from purchasing foreign currencies and will end a cap on the som's daily fluctuations, removing the last roadblocks to a fully floating currency.
The Turkmen President Is Alive, But What About His Prisoners?
Following the weeks-long disappearance from public view of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and calls for Ashgabat to prove he was still alive, rights groups are calling for him to prove that scores of prisoners -- the country’s other “disappeared” people -- are still alive, too.
ICYMI: John Oliver, Trevor Noah Make Hay With Turkmen Leader’s Disappearance
IRAN: The 14 Women Who Want To Change The Islamic Republic Of Iran
INFOGRAPHIC: The Hypersonic Age