https://www.rferl.org Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is an international news organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:24:46 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL Despite a fragile US-Iranian cease-fire, only a few ships carrying oil and gas are making it through the Strait of Hormuz as hundreds of vessels remain stuck in the Persian Gulf. Former sailors who navigated tankers during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s say the current crisis echoes that conflict. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-strait-of-hormuz-oil-tanker-captain/33730121.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-strait-of-hormuz-oil-tanker-captain/33730121.html Sat, 11 Apr 2026 22:22:41 +0200 IranVideo ArchiveVideos Amid the fragile two-week cease-fire deal agreed between the United States and Iran, a Tehran resident sent a message to RFE/RL's Radio Farda describing a city suddenly free from the sound of bombs. He said even during the devastation of war, Iranians try to hold on to hope. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-tehran-hope-farda-economy-war-us-israel-civilian/33728444.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-tehran-hope-farda-economy-war-us-israel-civilian/33728444.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:18:16 +0200 IranVideo ArchiveVideos Just ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, crowds rallied in Washington, DC, to show their solidarity and call for US support in ending the war. EU representatives and other participants asked Western governments not to turn their attention away from Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/washington-demonstration-ukraine-anniversary/33684528.html https://www.rferl.org/a/washington-demonstration-ukraine-anniversary/33684528.html Sun, 22 Feb 2026 02:16:05 +0100 UkraineVideo ArchiveVideos Yevhen Tkachov, an aid worker with the NGO Proliska, has spent years helping Ukrainians evacuate from war-torn towns and villages. He's had more narrow escapes from enemy fire than he can count and has caught some harrowing scenes on camera as drones and missiles hit nearby. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-aid-worker-dodging-drone-strikes/33677884.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-aid-worker-dodging-drone-strikes/33677884.html Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:09:31 +0100 UkraineVideo ArchiveVideosThe Rundown Stories At a Russian Orthodox Church in Washington DC, church leaders say they've seen a significant rise in attendance from newcomers hoping to join the congregation. Many of the new converts have no initial family ties to Orthodox Christianity and discovered the faith through social media channels. https://www.rferl.org/a/united-states-christianity-russian-orthodox-church/33671557.html https://www.rferl.org/a/united-states-christianity-russian-orthodox-church/33671557.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 07:29:12 +0100 VideosVideo ArchiveThe Rundown Stories With US warships heading toward Iran, diplomats from the two countries are scheduled to resume high-stake talks at a meeting on February 6. The officials will reopen discussions over Iran's nuclear program, which was disrupted by US strikes on key nuclear facilities last June. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-nuclear-talks-united-states/33669692.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-nuclear-talks-united-states/33669692.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 20:23:17 +0100 IranVideo ArchiveVideosThe Rundown Stories Protesters took to the streets of Tehran on January 9 for the 13th consecutive night of anti-government demonstrations that have spread across the country. News of the latest protests was limited by an Internet blackout, a move Amnesty International said was meant to conceal human rights abuses. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-tehran-protests-internet-blackout/33644291.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-tehran-protests-internet-blackout/33644291.html Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:16:00 +0100 IranVideo ArchiveVideosThe Rundown Stories Videos shared with RFE/RL's Radio Farda on January 8 show mass protests taking place across the Iranian capital. Meanwhile, observers were reporting Internet outages across the country, blocking citizens from sharing information about the ongoing unrest. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-internet-blackout/33643374.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-internet-blackout/33643374.html Thu, 08 Jan 2026 23:43:52 +0100 IranVideo ArchiveVideos Iranians staged a third day of protests over a dire economic situation driven by high inflation and the national currency trading at record lows. University students joined the protests, which have spread outside the capital. Some protesters clashed with riot police armed with tear gas. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-economic-crisis-protests-university-students/33636664.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-economic-crisis-protests-university-students/33636664.html Tue, 30 Dec 2025 19:47:41 +0100 IranVideo ArchiveVideos Iranians protested and many businesses closed up shop for a second day on December 29 as the country's currency reached a record low on foreign exchange markets. The country is dealing with severe inflation as well as an energy crisis, conditions that are taking a heavy toll on ordinary people. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-currency-inflation-businesses/33635776.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-currency-inflation-businesses/33635776.html Mon, 29 Dec 2025 19:24:11 +0100 IranVideo ArchiveVideos At a summit in Washington between the presidents of five Central Asian countries and US President Donald Trump, officials announced a slew of trade deals cementing US investment in the region. Trump also announced that Kazakhstan had agreed to join the Abraham Accords. https://www.rferl.org/a/central-asia-summit-trump-minerals-trade-kazakhstan/33583749.html https://www.rferl.org/a/central-asia-summit-trump-minerals-trade-kazakhstan/33583749.html Fri, 07 Nov 2025 06:23:22 +0100 KazakhstanKyrgyzstanTajikistanTurkmenistan UzbekistanVideo ArchiveVideos The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are set to meet US President Donald Trump on November 6 for talks that are likely to include rare-earth minerals and other resources in the Central Asian nations. RFE/RL's Margot Buff is in Washington D.C. https://www.rferl.org/a/rare-earths-trump-central-asia/33583082.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rare-earths-trump-central-asia/33583082.html Thu, 06 Nov 2025 14:14:00 +0100 VideosKazakhstanKyrgyzstanTajikistanTurkmenistan Uzbekistan Twenty-five years ago, pro-democracy protests in what was then Yugoslavia forced authoritarian leader Slobodan Milosevic to resign on October 5, 2000. Anja Mijovic, who was part of that movement, has now joined a new student-led wave of protests fighting government corruption and authoritarianism. https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-yugoslavia-protest-movement-milosevic/33549075.html https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-yugoslavia-protest-movement-milosevic/33549075.html Sun, 05 Oct 2025 08:59:11 +0200 Serbia The Black Sea city of Odesa is crowded with tourists this summer, despite the risk of Russian drone and missile strikes. One local compared the city's resorts to "Monaco in the daytime and Afghanistan at night." https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-odesa-beach-tourism-drone/33485182.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-odesa-beach-tourism-drone/33485182.html Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:26:32 +0200 UkraineRussiaRussia Invades Ukraine A day after a coordinated Ukrainian drone attack on long-range bombers deep inside Russian territory, military observers are calling it a major blow against Moscow. Ukrainian officials said the drones were smuggled into Russia on trucks and carried out strikes at close range, evading radar defenses. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-drone-attack-russian-air-bases/33432117.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-drone-attack-russian-air-bases/33432117.html Mon, 02 Jun 2025 23:08:47 +0200 UkraineVideo ArchiveVideosRussia Invades Ukraine Clifford May is president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and says that US President Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy has succeeded in forcing European NATO members to step up their defense budgets and contribute more meaningfully to their collective security. https://www.rferl.org/a/foreign-policy-clifford-may-trump-nato-russia/33414272.html https://www.rferl.org/a/foreign-policy-clifford-may-trump-nato-russia/33414272.html Fri, 16 May 2025 00:05:50 +0200 RussiaVideo ArchiveVideos Fiona Hill is an author, Russia analyst, and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who previously served in intelligence and security roles under three US administrations. In a wide-ranging interview, she spoke to RFE/R about what Donald Trump's second term means for US foreign policy. https://www.rferl.org/a/fiona-hill-foreign-policy-trump-ukraine/33400410.html https://www.rferl.org/a/fiona-hill-foreign-policy-trump-ukraine/33400410.html Fri, 09 May 2025 00:05:45 +0200 RussiaUkraineVideo ArchiveVideos Belarusian comedian “Evil Sasha” turns trauma into dark humor on stage in Vilnius. Scarred by a fire and injured in 2020 protests, she fled to Lithuania. Now her sharp jokes blend laughter with the discomfort of lived experience. https://www.rferl.org/a/belarusian-comedian-evil-sasha-trauma-humor-vilnius/33391691.html https://www.rferl.org/a/belarusian-comedian-evil-sasha-trauma-humor-vilnius/33391691.html Tue, 22 Apr 2025 03:04:52 +0200 BelarusFeaturesThe Rundown Stories Ukrainian troops fighting to hold their positions in the northeastern region of Kharkiv say they narrowly escaped being surrounded by advancing forces. Soldiers described a barrage of explosives scattered by drones as they fought back with heavy artillery. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-front-lines-kharkiv-kupyansk/33387553.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-front-lines-kharkiv-kupyansk/33387553.html Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:41:37 +0200 UkraineVideo ArchiveVideosRussia Invades Ukraine