VISUAL REPORTS
Death Toll In Russian Subway Bombing Rises, Suspect Said To Be Kyrgyz-Born Russian Citizen
The death toll in a bomb blast on a subway train in St. Petersburg has risen to 14, and authorities in Kyrgyzstan say the main suspect is a Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen.
Russian Truckers Protest Toll Hike
Truckers from across Russia are protesting a hike in highway tolls overseen by a company with ties to a friend of President Vladimir Putin.
Macedonia Protesters Demand EU 'Respect'
The EU's Donald Tusk warned Macedonians their political crisis was holding them back from Euro-Atlantic integration, as protesters demanded “respect” from Brussels amid a row over the status of the Albanian language.
OTHER NEWS
Russian Investigators Say Suspected Bomber’s Remains Identified
Russian investigators say they suspect the bomb that killed 14 people on a St. Petersburg subway train was set off by a man whose remains were found at the scene of the blast.
Free Rides, Flowers, Well-Wishes: Russians Seek Solidarity After Subway Blast
As chaos gripped St. Petersburg after a bomb blast ripped through a Metro train car and killed at least 10, residents went online offering free rides to those stranded by the attack.
Social Networks View Metro Attack As Part Of ‘Hybrid Presidential Campaign’
Russians on social networks are overwhelmingly critical of the security services’ inability to protect citizens during yesterday’s bomb blast in the St. Petersburg subway, saying “while catching students they missed the terrorists,” and drawing parallels with Moscow’s catastrophic response to the 1999 Dubrovka theatre attack. “The hybrid presidential campaign has started,” someone wrote on Facebook. (Russian Service)
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Protests Russian Plans For Crimea Draft
Ukraine’s foreign ministry has issued a strong statement protesting Russia’s recent announcement that it will implement a military draft in Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Russia’s Southern Military Command has said that conscripts from the peninsula will be deployed in all regions of Russia. (Ukrainian Service)
New Law Grants Tax Breaks For Russians Under Sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that exempts Russians who are under Western sanctions from paying taxes in Russia if they are registered as taxpayers abroad.
Lukashenka Looks To Russia Accord To ‘Preserve The Stability’
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka says he hopes the settlement of an energy dispute with Russia can ease tensions with Moscow and bring stability to his own country.
IMF Approves $1 Billion Loan To Ukraine
The International Monetary Fund has approved a $1 billion loan payment to Ukraine as part of a $17.5 billion bailout program in exchange for Kyiv implementing reforms and tackling corruption.
Moldova's Dodon Pledges Cooperation With Eurasian Economic Union
Moldovan President Igor Dodon has signed a memorandum on cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union, part of his push for closer ties with Moscow.
Uzbek President Mirziyaev To Visit Russia On April 4-5
The Kremlin says Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyaev will visit Russia on April 4-5.The visit will include talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 5, Putin's press service said.
Fugitive Kazakh Banker Ablyazov's Trial Starts In Almaty
Kazakhstan is trying fugitive tycoon and opposition figure Mukhtar Ablyazov in absentia.
Kyrgyz Opposition Leader Calls For Probe Into Ex-Lawmaker’s Prison Injuries
The leader of an opposition party in Kyrgyzstan has urged parliament to hold an emergency session after a jailed former lawmaker was found in his cell with cut veins on his neck and one hand.
Tajik President's Son Cements Mayoral Post With Local Election Win
Election officials in Tajikistan say President Emomali Rahmon's eldest son, Rustam Emomali, has won a seat in the Dushanbe city legislature.
COMMENTARY: St. Petersburg Blast: What Will Happen To Russia?
Commenting on yesterday’s subway bombing, politician Konstantin Borovoy told RFE/RL,“I have no doubt that the Russian special services organized it. Too much of a coincidence in timing and in style.” Political analyst Ruslan Martagov observed, “As soon as the attack occurs we start to think about who benefits from it. Then ..authorities change the Constitution and implement draconian laws. Hence, there is the possibility that the attack is being used to solve internal political problems, and it makes everyone distrust the official version.” (Russian Service)
MOST READ/RUSSIA: Russia’s Truckers Fear Civil War
Russia’s protesting truckers differ from their predecessors in 2015 by combining political demands, including the resignation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with their opposition to a new road tax. Sergey Vladimirov, chief of the St. Petersburg branch of Russia’s Carriers Organization claims 100 drivers join the protests every day, and told RFE/RL, “People don’t believe in anything anymore and are ready for radical measures. We are probably the last hope and the buffer before civil war.” (over 70k views on Russian Service website)
POLYGRAPH.Info: Russia Claims ‘21,000 Victims Of War Crimes’ In Ukraine