Features

• June 12, 2026

  No Concerts, Air Shows, Or Tanks On Parade: Kyiv's Long-Range Strikes Spook Kremlin

  The Russia Day concert, an annual tub-thumping Red Square performance, is canceled for the first time in 23 years. The marquee annual air show is canceled. The Victory Day parade was notably lower key. Ukraine’s expanding drone campaign is taking its toll on big, splashy Kremlin-backed events.

• June 12, 2026

  Exclusive: Wiretaps Show Suspects In Ukraine Corruption Case Discussed Enlisting Lawmaker

  Two suspects in a corruption scandal that has shaken Ukraine and cut close to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of a prominent lawmaker as someone who could advance their interests and protect cash flows, audio recordings obtained by Schemes reveal. The lawmaker and suspects deny any wrongdoing.

• June 12, 2026

  How Xi Reshaped China's Central Asia Ties -- By The Numbers

  Data compiled by RFE/RL reveals how a surge in high-level diplomacy, economic engagement, and regional initiatives has elevated Beijing from a neighboring power to Central Asia’s leading economic partner.

• June 12, 2026

  A US-Iran Deal Could Hinge On Israel, Says US Security Expert Matt Reisener

  Matt Reisener, senior national-security adviser at the Center for Maritime Strategy, talks to RFE/RL about why diplomacy and military pressure are likely to continue, what Iran and the United States each believes it has to gain from talks, and why any agreement may actually hinge on Israel.

• June 11, 2026

  Tehran And Tirana Brawl Amid Flamingo Revolution

  Protests in Albania over a proposed luxury resort linked to US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have unexpectedly morphed into a very public brawl between Albania and Iran.

• June 11, 2026

  Serbia Fast-Tracks Citizenship For Russians, Despite EU Concerns

  Despite warnings from the EU, Serbia’s government has granted citizenship to four times as many Russian nationals as to all other foreign citizens combined this year -- including individuals under international sanctions, an RFE/RL investigation has found.

• June 11, 2026

  As Afghanistan's Border With Pakistan Remains Closed, The Economic And Humanitarian Toll Mounts

  The closure of Afghanistan and Pakistan borders since October has severely impacted millions of residents and thousands of businesses.

• June 10, 2026

  Russia Wants To Build a State-Run VPN. What Could Go Wrong?

  What’s the latest brick in Russia’s effort to build its Great Internet Firewall? A proposal to create a government-run Virtual Private Network, co-opting a tool that has been widely embraced by Russians trying to avoid government censorship. Industry insiders are reportedly unimpressed.

• June 10, 2026

  Can The Dream Of A Trans-Caspian Pipeline Be Revived?

  With the Iran war disrupting traditional energy supply routes and the West seeking to lessen reliance on Russian transit networks, Trans-Caspian corridors have again emerged as a focus of international diplomacy and investment.

• June 10, 2026

  Limited Strikes, Larger Signal: What The US Attack On Iran Reveals

  The US strikes on Iranian air defense and radar systems appear intended as a limited warning to Tehran rather than the opening salvo of a broader military campaign, according to senior US officials and regional security experts.

• June 09, 2026

  China Overtakes Russia As Central Asia's Top Foreign Investor

  China has overtaken Russia as the largest source of foreign direct investment in Central Asia, according to the Eurasian Development Bank. China’s accumulated investment in the region exceeded $35 billion in 2025, it said.

• June 09, 2026

  Wider Europe Briefing: Brussels Slams Serbia's Rule Of Law Shortfall

  In this week's briefing, RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak is drilling down on two issues: a damning rule-of-law assessment for Serbia and the latest Franco-German EU enlargement proposal.

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