Russia - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Latest Russia News

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (right) and Serbia's President-elect Tomislav Nikolic in Moscow on May 26.

Putin Promises Millions To Serbia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to release $800 million in loans to Belgrade as he received Serbia's president-elect Tomislav Nikolic in Moscow. More

A video grab allegedly shows people running for cover as a roadside bomb explodes in front of a UN observers convoy in Syria earlier this month.

UN: Syria Violence At 'Unacceptable Levels'

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has released a report on Syria to the UN Security Council that painted a grim picture at a time when news coming from the Middle Eastern country supported his sobering portrayal. More

Russian Prime Minister and new leader of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev

United Russia Makes Medvedev Party Boss

Russia's ruling United Russia party has confirmed Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev as its new chief. More

Gazprom To Direct Shtokman Gas To Asia

Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller told journalists in Moscow on May 25 that all of the export production of the Far North Shtokman natural-gas field will be liquefied. More

Russian Case Targets 'Shari'a Lawyer'

Russian prosecutors have launched a criminal case against a lawyer who said in a television interview last month that Muslims in Russia want Islamic Shari’a courts to be established because they don't trust the secular courts. More

More Russia News

The Power Vertical -- Blogging Russia

Mark Galeotti, professor of Global Affairs at New York University, speaking to RFE/RL in January 2012.

Podcast: Russia's 'Deep State'

Can the inner core of Russia's elite, its 'Deep State' hang onto power in today's hyper-charged political environment? More

Protesters vote to stay in place during an "Occupy-style" protest in Moscow on May 15.

Putin Wants To Party Like It's 2007

This week's appointments suggest Vladimir Putin wants to turn the clock back to 2007. A newly energized -- and creative -- civil society has other ideas. More

Blog Archive

Features & Commentary

The upsurge in the number of people using the services of the Yandex search engine reflects the rise of the Internet in Russia, say analysts.

Popular Russian Search Engine Outstrips State-TV Audience

Russian search engine Yandex has for the first time outperformed the country's leading state-controlled television channel in viewer numbers. According to a recent study, Yandex attracted one million people more per day last month than the popular Channel One television station.

Dolphin Deaths Alarm Black Sea Ecologists

Dolphins have been dying in large numbers along the Black Sea coast in Russia and Ukraine. Local officials have blamed the cold winter, poachers, and a possible infectious disease for the mysterious die-off. But local environmentalists say pollution, particularly around the Olympic construction sites in Sochi, is the real culprit.

The Key Players In Russia's New Government

Russian President Vladimir Putin presented Russia's new cabinet on May 21 after weeks of intense speculation. Putin appears to have kept loyalists in key posts, which may block any reformist agenda. Some longtime stalwarts, like Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, hold onto their posts.

Demonstrators are reflected in a souvenir shop window in Chicago, Illinois, as peace activists march through the street demanding an end to NATO violence ahead of the summit.

NATO Gathers To Discuss Afghanistan, Missile Defense, And Its Own Future

NATO leaders meet in Chicago this weekend for a summit that will focus largely on the alliance's combat-force withdrawal from Afghanistan and its postmilitary role. But contentious plans for a European missile-defense system and the alliance's future vision will also be up for discussion.

A missile is launched from the Aegis-combat-system-equipped destroyer "USS Decatur" during a Missile Defense Agency ballistic-missile flight test in 2007.

European Missile Defense: What's On The Table At NATO Summit?

Despite increasingly vociferous objections from Russia, this weekend's NATO summit will announce the next steps in European missile defense, including an "interim capability" that is being hailed as the first step toward fully protecting NATO populations from limited missile attacks.

Russian Art Crimes

The Voina art group, notorious for its provocative stunts in Russia, is now touring Europe with its latest protest. The group displayed a massive photo of one of their members in Prague to protest the charges against him in Russia.

Russian Security Forces Undermine Stability in Ingushetia

People in Russia's North Caucasus region of Ingushetia say security forces are undermining stability by violating basic human rights. RFE/RL correspondent Gregory Feifer traveled to Ingushetia with cameraman Yuri Timofeev and reports that even the region's popular leader has been unable to tackle the root causes of violence there.

FBI Releases Videos Of Russian Sleeper Agents

FBI surveillance tapes released on October 31 show members of a ring of Russian sleeper spies, including spy-turned-celebrity Anna Chapman, apparently exchanging information and money. The footage was shot during a decade-long counterintelligence probe that ended in the biggest spy swap since the Cold War. AP video

About RFE/RL's Russian Service

RFE/RL's Radio Svoboda is the leading international broadcaster in Russia. As Russia witnesses increasing control of the media by state authorities, Radio Svoboda has become a key forum for those who lack access to other means of free expression.