https://www.rferl.org/z/666 RFE/RL's latest news, features, commentary, and multimedia content on Russia https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org/z/666 en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Wed, 04 Nov 2026 10:09:18 +0100 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL Ukrainian authorities are monitoring eight tankers carrying more than 300,000 tons of Russian diesel fuel that could be bound for the United States, Ukrainian government sources told RFE/RL on November 3. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-tankers-russian-diesel-united-states/33890246.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-tankers-russian-diesel-united-states/33890246.html Wed, 04 Nov 2026 08:47:46 +0100 News Democratic Party victories in the US midterm elections are set to shift the balance of power in Congress, giving the party greater oversight and influence over legislation, with implications for US policy toward Russia, Ukraine, and Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/democrats-midterms-trump-russia-ukraine-iran/33890205.html https://www.rferl.org/a/democrats-midterms-trump-russia-ukraine-iran/33890205.html Wed, 04 Nov 2026 06:43:09 +0100 News Analysis US first lady Melania Trump will host Russian and Ukrainian representatives at the White House on November 5 for a meeting following a localized cease-fire in part of Ukraine's southern Kherson region, as a new round of US-mediated peace talks is set to take place next week. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-oleshky-melania-trump-talks/33889941.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-oleshky-melania-trump-talks/33889941.html Tue, 03 Nov 2026 22:18:10 +0100 News Two tigers are now prowling the Kazakh wilderness, nearly 80 years after the last spotting of the apex predators in the country. https://www.rferl.org/a/tigers-kazakhstan-extinction-return-reserve/33889763.html https://www.rferl.org/a/tigers-kazakhstan-extinction-return-reserve/33889763.html Tue, 03 Nov 2026 16:56:02 +0100 Kazakhstan Russia plans to reduce funding for key federal health-care programs in its 2027 budget. With medical services already difficult to access in many regions, the proposed cuts are raising fears that patients will face greater obstacles in obtaining treatment and essential medicines. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-budget-healthcare-regions-military-spending/33889735.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-budget-healthcare-regions-military-spending/33889735.html Tue, 03 Nov 2026 16:00:51 +0100 Russia The United States says it will host new Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11, but analysts caution that deep divisions over a cease-fire and security guarantees make a major breakthrough unlikely. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-ukraine-peace-talks-abu-dhabi-ceasefire/33889451.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-ukraine-peace-talks-abu-dhabi-ceasefire/33889451.html Tue, 03 Nov 2026 08:46:55 +0100 News Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country would cease strikes on Russian oil refineries – as demanded by US President Donald Trump -- if the US would provide Kyiv with Patriot air-defense missiles. https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-patriot-missile-russia-refinery-trump/33888449.html https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-patriot-missile-russia-refinery-trump/33888449.html Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:00:50 +0100 News Shaking with joy, relatives of Ukrainians who have endured years under Russian occupation with almost no food, water, or electricity rushed to greet their loved ones in tears in Chernihiv on October 31. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-oleshky-evacuation/33888411.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-oleshky-evacuation/33888411.html Sun, 01 Nov 2026 17:59:27 +0100 Photo Galleries Moscow and Kyiv traded strikes on November 1, with dozens of drones reportedly destroyed over Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region and energy infrastructure hit in four Ukrainian regions, leaving hundreds of thousands without power. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-drone-nizhny-novgorod-power/33888277.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-drone-nizhny-novgorod-power/33888277.html Sun, 01 Nov 2026 12:20:00 +0100 News The 31st meeting of the Chinese and Russian heads of government held in St. Petersburg on October 21 was notable for its focus on cooperation in the Arctic, where Beijing and Moscow are increasingly challenging the United States and its allies. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-china-competition-in-arctic-intensifies/33888021.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-china-competition-in-arctic-intensifies/33888021.html Sun, 01 Nov 2026 09:27:14 +0100 Features US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was unsure whether a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine was possible, while European officials told RFE/RL the top US diplomat privately expressed doubts that Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend December’s Miami G20 summit. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-atlanta-ukraine-russia-putin-lavrov-20/33888075.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-atlanta-ukraine-russia-putin-lavrov-20/33888075.html Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:02:01 +0100 News The scene outside Tura's main food store looked like something from the Soviet era: With the mercury at -15 C, residents lined up for hours to pay high prices for staples short supply. The shortages stemmed from geography and negligence, but Russia’s war on Ukraine has taken its toll on the town. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-food-shortages-war-remote-siberia/33887359.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-food-shortages-war-remote-siberia/33887359.html Sat, 31 Oct 2026 13:45:45 +0100 Ukraine Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's return to a major diplomatic gathering in the United States has exposed widening divisions between Washington and its European allies over how to deal with Moscow as Russia continues its war against Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/as-lavrov-returns-to-g20-ukraine-middle-east-highlight-western-divisions/33887896.html https://www.rferl.org/a/as-lavrov-returns-to-g20-ukraine-middle-east-highlight-western-divisions/33887896.html Sat, 31 Oct 2026 09:40:26 +0100 News Analysis Moscow and Tehran are expanding banking links and alternative shipping routes to withstand Western sanctions. But shallow waterways, limited port capacity, and the risks of maritime enforcement constrain their ability to keep trade flowing. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-iran-deepen-trade-ties-caspian-sea-western-sanctions/33886709.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-iran-deepen-trade-ties-caspian-sea-western-sanctions/33886709.html Fri, 30 Oct 2026 13:22:25 +0100 News Analysis Foreign ministers from the Group of 20 leading economies are gathering in Atlanta on October 30-31 for talks expected to expose continuing divisions among Western governments over Russia's war in Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/g20-meeting-atlanta-us-ukraine-russia/33887200.html https://www.rferl.org/a/g20-meeting-atlanta-us-ukraine-russia/33887200.html Fri, 30 Oct 2026 11:16:00 +0100 News Novaya Gazeta, the venerable investigative Russian newspaper whose reporting staff included the slain Anna Politkovskaya and at least five others who were killed or died under suspicious circumstances, announced it was shutting down. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-newspaper-media-novaya-gazeta-press/33887221.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-newspaper-media-novaya-gazeta-press/33887221.html Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:46:43 +0100 News Moscow and Kyiv say the evacuation of residents from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky was completed "without incident," as buses filled with civilians left the area for the first time in more than four years under a US-brokered truce that is set to remain in effect until November 1. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-oleshky-evacuation-melania-trump/33887157.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-oleshky-evacuation-melania-trump/33887157.html Fri, 30 Oct 2026 07:30:17 +0100 News Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tells RFE/RL that Vladimir Putin has shown no willingness to end the war in Ukraine and warns of growing cooperation between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. He also discusses prospects for peace and the risks of negotiating with Moscow. https://www.rferl.org/a/mike-pompeo-interview-putin-ukraine-russia-china-iran/33886869.html https://www.rferl.org/a/mike-pompeo-interview-putin-ukraine-russia-china-iran/33886869.html Thu, 29 Oct 2026 21:54:12 +0100 Russia Amid the swirl of efforts to end to the Ukraine war and normalize US-Russian ties, one idea under consideration: lifting sanctions on a massive Russian investment fund, whose chief is the Kremlin’s main go-between with White House negotiators. What is the Russian Direct Investment Fund anyway? https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-rdif-investment-dmitriev-ukraine-negotiations/33886754.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-rdif-investment-dmitriev-ukraine-negotiations/33886754.html Thu, 29 Oct 2026 18:45:31 +0100 Russia Serbian voters dealt a blow to Moscow, while a spike in tensions with Kyiv raised questions ahead of the expected resumption of trilateral talks on an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Prospects for progress are deeply clouded by doubts about the Kremlin’s intentions and differences on major issues including territory in the Donbas. https://www.rferl.org/a/week-in-russia-gutterman-serbia-election-ukraine-talks-donbas/33885865.html https://www.rferl.org/a/week-in-russia-gutterman-serbia-election-ukraine-talks-donbas/33885865.html Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:55:34 +0100 Steve Gutterman's Week In Russia A Russian attack on Ukraine's eastern city of Dnipro killed at least 14 people and injured more than 10 others, according to Ukrainian officials, as a fragile cease-fire around Russian-occupied Oleshky entered its third day on October 29. https://www.rferl.org/a/oleshky-ukraine-russia-melania-trump-ceasefire/33886379.html https://www.rferl.org/a/oleshky-ukraine-russia-melania-trump-ceasefire/33886379.html Thu, 29 Oct 2026 02:17:39 +0100 News Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that technical-level talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States aimed at ending the war will take place in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and 10. https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-zelenskyy-putin-meeting-ukraine-peace-talks/33885793.html https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-zelenskyy-putin-meeting-ukraine-peace-talks/33885793.html Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:23:06 +0100 News A military airfield in Crimea has been transformed into a hub for drone launches, new satellite images sourced by RFE/RL show. We spoke to one Crimean military insider about why Ukraine has been unable to take the site out of action. https://www.rferl.org/a/crimea-drone-strike-russia-ukraine-war-shahed/33885309.html https://www.rferl.org/a/crimea-drone-strike-russia-ukraine-war-shahed/33885309.html Tue, 27 Oct 2026 21:36:41 +0100 Russia Invades Ukraine A bipartisan group of US lawmakers have warned American banks, port authorities and fuel-industry groups against facilitating imports of Russian diesel, raising the prospect of congressional investigations and legal action over President Donald Trump’s decision to ease restrictions on Russian fuel. https://www.rferl.org/a/amid-legal-uncertainty-us-lawmakers-warn-banks-ports-over-russian-diesel-imports/33885120.html https://www.rferl.org/a/amid-legal-uncertainty-us-lawmakers-warn-banks-ports-over-russian-diesel-imports/33885120.html Tue, 27 Oct 2026 12:06:48 +0100 Russia In this week's briefing, Rikard Jozwiak drills down on two issues: Can the EU add Russia's GRU to its terror list? Plus, more rolling EU sanctions on Moscow. https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing-can-the-eu-put-russia-s-gru-on-its-terror-list/33885122.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-briefing-can-the-eu-put-russia-s-gru-on-its-terror-list/33885122.html Tue, 27 Oct 2026 11:55:02 +0100 Wider Europe The US-negotiated cease-fire aimed at allowing humanitarian aid into the southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky took effect in the early hours of October 27, shortly after Russian air attacks struck Kyiv, hitting a university dormitory and other civilian sites and killing at least one person. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-strike-kyiv-dormitory-us-zelenskyy/33884968.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-strike-kyiv-dormitory-us-zelenskyy/33884968.html Tue, 27 Oct 2026 01:54:00 +0100 News Russia and Iran are expanding their nuclear cooperation as both countries face Western sanctions and international isolation. Their partnership includes the construction of nuclear power plants, fuel supplies, and broader technological cooperation. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-and-iran-expand-nuclear-cooperation-as-international-oversight-weakens/33883109.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-and-iran-expand-nuclear-cooperation-as-international-oversight-weakens/33883109.html Mon, 26 Oct 2026 17:24:35 +0100 Iran Russia wants a million drone operators by 2030 and schools are adapting fast to fill the quota. By the time students are 16, many will be taught how to fly multiple drones and how to use them in combat. The authorities are using games and competitions to draw millions of young people into the field. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-drone-education-warfare/33883534.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-drone-education-warfare/33883534.html Sun, 25 Oct 2026 09:24:56 +0100 Videos A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is stepping up efforts to defend Ukraine, challenging President Donald Trump’s decision to ease restrictions on Russian energy imports and demanding guarantees that Kyiv will retain access to critical American military and intelligence support. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-lawmakers-trump-russia-policy-ukraine-bipartisan-pushback/33883500.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-lawmakers-trump-russia-policy-ukraine-bipartisan-pushback/33883500.html Sat, 24 Oct 2026 16:51:22 +0200 News Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Starshield satellite communications system had returned to its previous operating speed following restrictions that had disrupted Ukrainian military operations. https://www.rferl.org/a/kraine-starshield-satellite-speeds-restored-drone-operations/33883512.html https://www.rferl.org/a/kraine-starshield-satellite-speeds-restored-drone-operations/33883512.html Sat, 24 Oct 2026 13:04:40 +0200 News US First Lady Melania Trump has brokered a localized cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine for the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky, with Kyiv confirming preparations for an operation to establish humanitarian corridors and evacuate civilians. https://www.rferl.org/a/white-house-says-melania-trump-brokers-localized-cease-fire-for-occupied-ukrainian-city/33883147.html https://www.rferl.org/a/white-house-says-melania-trump-brokers-localized-cease-fire-for-occupied-ukrainian-city/33883147.html Fri, 23 Oct 2026 18:32:19 +0200 Ukraine The Kremlin has heavily invested in the promise that retreating Arctic sea ice opens up a once impassable route that is further from the reach of Ukrainian drone attacks or European naval interdiction of shadow fleet vessels. But officials are learning that cutting a path through ice isn't easy. https://www.rferl.org/a/arctic-traffic-jam-russia-northern-sea-route-china/33882814.html https://www.rferl.org/a/arctic-traffic-jam-russia-northern-sea-route-china/33882814.html Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:34:21 +0200 Russia US officials publicly accused Russia of threatening a Finnish-operated commercial satellite that provides imagery and intelligence to Ukraine and other nations, calling the move “deliberately reckless.” https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-us-satellite-accusation-intelligence-threat/33881569.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-us-satellite-accusation-intelligence-threat/33881569.html Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:40:45 +0200 News Amid growing controversy over restrictions on Ukraine's use of Starlink satellite Internet services, which its military relies heavily on, US President Donald Trump claimed that the company's head, Elon Musk, had lifted limitations on Kyiv's access. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-starlink-starshield-congress/33881387.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-starlink-starshield-congress/33881387.html Thu, 22 Oct 2026 07:37:19 +0200 News Russia has released 74-year-old US citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been detained since 2022. Russian authorities sentenced him to nearly seven years in prison for allegedly acting as a mercenary in Ukraine, charges his family disputed. President Vladimir Putin announced Hubbard’s release during talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on October 21 after President Donald Trump said he had raised the case directly with Putin. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-american-citizen-released-prison/33881147.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-american-citizen-released-prison/33881147.html Wed, 21 Oct 2026 21:57:46 +0200 Russia A viral video of two Ukrainian border guards’ violent pursuit of a man trying to cross the Dniester River into Moldova has highlighted a route Ukrainians use to escape Russia’s war and the prospect of fighting in it. In this case, all three men ended up in Moldova – and the guards were detained. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-moldova-border-flee-violence-oar/33880923.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-moldova-border-flee-violence-oar/33880923.html Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:35:38 +0200 Moldova Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher from Michigan held by Russia since 2022 on accusations of joining Ukraine's armed forces, has been freed in what is being framed as a goodwill gesture by the Kremlin. https://www.rferl.org/a/stephen-hubbard-russia-us-prisoner-release-trump/33880760.html https://www.rferl.org/a/stephen-hubbard-russia-us-prisoner-release-trump/33880760.html Wed, 21 Oct 2026 11:53:03 +0200 News Russian President Vladimir Putin told US envoy Steve Witkoff that Moscow was willing to resume stalled, US-mediated peace talks with Ukraine, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said after the two met at Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-talks-witkoff-putin-ukraine/33880709.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-talks-witkoff-putin-ukraine/33880709.html Wed, 21 Oct 2026 09:43:43 +0200 News Vladimir Putin’s secluded residence near Russia’s Lake Valdai is surrounded by fences, security forces, and air defenses. Just kilometers away, locals face restricted access to the lake and surrounding forests, while families bear the cost of Russia’s war against Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/vladimir-putin-s-neighbors-two-parallel-worlds-on-valdai/33880243.html https://www.rferl.org/a/vladimir-putin-s-neighbors-two-parallel-worlds-on-valdai/33880243.html Wed, 21 Oct 2026 09:43:41 +0200 Russia Moldova has announced an investigation into concerns that Russian tech giant Yandex has been harvesting the personal data of its citizens by sending it directly to servers in Russia rather than storing it in the Netherlands as previously believed. https://www.rferl.org/a/moldova-russian-data-harvesting-yandex/33879343.html https://www.rferl.org/a/moldova-russian-data-harvesting-yandex/33879343.html Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:13:51 +0200 Moldova US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will take part in meetings in Oslo to discuss the situation in Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russia continues to pound the country amid growing tensions between Kyiv and Washington. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-attack-zelenskyy-oslo-meeting/33880037.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-attack-zelenskyy-oslo-meeting/33880037.html Tue, 20 Oct 2026 11:25:25 +0200 News Last week, a Russian military satellite came “exceptionally close” to another Finnish-operated satellite that provides intelligence to Ukraine. “It’s concerning and aggressive with potential hostile intent – but I also think cooler heads believe it is signaling on the part of the Russians.” https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-space-satellite-ukraine-finland/33879458.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-space-satellite-ukraine-finland/33879458.html Mon, 19 Oct 2026 17:02:14 +0200 Russia Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Tehran on October 19 for talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi and a meeting with President Masud Pezeshkian amid questions over what support, if any, Moscow is providing Iran to fight its war with the United States. https://www.rferl.org/a/lavrov-in-tehran-amid-questions-over-whether-moscow-is-helping-iran-in-war-with-us/33879493.html https://www.rferl.org/a/lavrov-in-tehran-amid-questions-over-whether-moscow-is-helping-iran-in-war-with-us/33879493.html Mon, 19 Oct 2026 15:46:35 +0200 Iran US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would continue efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine, warning that the conflict risks escalating beyond the two countries as he met with Central Asian officials in Uzbekistan. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-ukraine-peace-us-ties-central-asia/33879304.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-ukraine-peace-us-ties-central-asia/33879304.html Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:29:21 +0200 News President Donald Trump slammed his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy and defended his decision to waive sweeping sanctions planned against Russia as an effort to keep Moscow at the negotiating table amid criticism from Kyiv and US lawmakers that it sends the wrong message to the Kremlin. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-trump-putin-zelenskyy-war/33878954.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-trump-putin-zelenskyy-war/33878954.html Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:52:20 +0200 Ukraine Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said that US President Donald Trump's decision to waive sweeping sanctions against Russia was "indecisiveness," which "sends the wrong message to the aggressor." https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-waiver-trump-rubio/33878767.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-waiver-trump-rubio/33878767.html Sun, 18 Oct 2026 12:36:13 +0200 News Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian strikes targeted energy facilities in multiple regions, leaving thousands of households without electricity, as Ukrainian and Russian officials reported civilian deaths following drone attacks on October 18. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-drone-attacks-zelenskyy-airports/33878787.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-drone-attacks-zelenskyy-airports/33878787.html Sun, 18 Oct 2026 12:07:44 +0200 News Russia launched a major overnight barrage of ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 300 drones across Ukraine, killing civilians, damaging apartment buildings, and striking critical energy infrastructure. As RFE/RL correspondent Serhiy Horbatenko reports from Slovyansk, an aerial bomb hit a residential building, killing one person and wounding at least 10. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-massive-missle-attack-on-ukraine/33878499.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-massive-missle-attack-on-ukraine/33878499.html Sat, 17 Oct 2026 16:50:40 +0200 Videos Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov tells RFE/RL Putin is set on “liquidating Ukraine” and will not make concessions. Slamming a proposed US deal to buy Russian diesel, Kasparov said that if Ukraine wins the war Putin will fall -- giving a chance for democracy in Russia. https://www.rferl.org/a/kasparov-says-talks-with-putin-pointless-war-is-ideological-basis-of-his-rule/33877974.html https://www.rferl.org/a/kasparov-says-talks-with-putin-pointless-war-is-ideological-basis-of-his-rule/33877974.html Sat, 17 Oct 2026 16:02:23 +0200 Russia Russia continued to pound Ukraine with missiles and drones, killing civilians and damaging residential buildings and energy sites, as Kyiv described disruptions to the satellite communications of US company SpaceX, crucial to the country's defense, as a deliberate "operation." https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-civilians-killed-attack/33878396.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-civilians-killed-attack/33878396.html Sat, 17 Oct 2026 12:27:40 +0200 News