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 Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:40:06 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL In November, Systema revealed that the Kremlin was obscuring Putin's location by using three nearly identical offices in different parts of Russia. Until March 18, however, the Kremlin had posted no footage from any of the three offices for more than five months, stretching back to early October. https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-identical-offices-trickery-location-russia/33710019.html https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-identical-offices-trickery-location-russia/33710019.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:37:34 +0100 Systema: Investigating RussiaFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories A cache of messages, photos, and videos from Russian officer Roman Demurchiev, obtained by RFE/RL investigative units Schemes and Systema, reveal how corruption works in Russia’s military and how he profited while commanding troops in Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/a-russian-general-s-secret-bribes-inside-a-wartime-corruption-network/33709992.html https://www.rferl.org/a/a-russian-general-s-secret-bribes-inside-a-wartime-corruption-network/33709992.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:49:47 +0100 UkraineRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories The principals behind two Moscow-based animated film studios -- one an Iranian man, the other the son of a former Afghan diplomat -- appear to be involved shadowy business interests, and possibly espionage, directly benefiting Iran.   https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-houthis-moscow-cartoons-systema/33708887.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-houthis-moscow-cartoons-systema/33708887.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:52:48 +0100 IranFeaturesRussiaSystema: Investigating RussiaThe Rundown Stories On March 2-3, the Kremlin published videos showing him meeting with officials and indicated the footage was fresh. In fact, both meetings were recorded earlier, Systema, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit, has determined – the latest example of what has become a common practice for Putin’s office. https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-canned-footage-kremlin-machinations/33695144.html https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-canned-footage-kremlin-machinations/33695144.html Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:57:48 +0100 RussiaFeaturesIranRussia Invades UkraineSystema: Investigating RussiaThe Rundown Stories A trove of messages, photos, and videos sent and received by a Russian officer and examined by Schemes and Systema, RFE/RL's Ukrainian and Russian investigative units, provides granular evidence pointing to the pervasive role of bribery in the military amid Moscow’s war against Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-military-corruption-ukraine-war-bribery/33692902.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-military-corruption-ukraine-war-bribery/33692902.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:37:59 +0100 RussiaFeaturesUkraineRussia Invades UkraineSchemes: Investigating UkraineSystema: Investigating RussiaThe Rundown Stories RFE/RL’s Ukrainian and Russian investigative units obtained three years of correspondence sent and received by a top Russian general fighting in Ukraine. Jokes about torture, mutilation, and executions of POWs abound. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-general-gory-messages-war-exclusive/33683458.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-general-gory-messages-war-exclusive/33683458.html Fri, 20 Feb 2026 20:26:17 +0100 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Headline Changes to Russia’s disability regulations during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine have made it harder for people with serious medical conditions to obtain or retain disability status, Systema found. The authorities "chose to make the statistics look better -- and save money,” an expert said. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-cuts-its-disability-count-as-war-against-ukraine-wounds-hundreds-of-thousands-/33660500.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-cuts-its-disability-count-as-war-against-ukraine-wounds-hundreds-of-thousands-/33660500.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 20:05:31 +0100 RussiaFeaturesUkraineRussia Invades UkraineSystema: Investigating RussiaThe Rundown Stories European Union officials have called for sanctioning some of Russia’s most prominent TV personalities, including Pavel Zarubin, a state TV reporter known for fawning reporting on – and nearly unfettered access to – President Vladimir Putin. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-russia-sanctions-zarubin-polunin-ukraine/33649632.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-russia-sanctions-zarubin-polunin-ukraine/33649632.html Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:15:23 +0100 NewsRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree that requires many foreign men who seek permanent residency or citizenship to join the Russian military, RFE/RL has found. The unusual measure is pushing migrants who have built lives in Russia to choose between conscription and leaving the country. https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-decree-russian-citizensip-residence-permit/33621628.html https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-decree-russian-citizensip-residence-permit/33621628.html Fri, 12 Dec 2025 16:54:13 +0100 RussiaFeaturesUkraineRussia Invades UkraineSystema: Investigating RussiaThe Rundown Headline An RFE/RL investigation has discovered that Russian President Vladimir Putin uses three nearly identical offices in different parts of Russia and that the Kremlin has repeatedly misled the public about the leader's whereabouts. https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-secret-locations-revealed-by-tiny-detail/33591079.html https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-secret-locations-revealed-by-tiny-detail/33591079.html Thu, 13 Nov 2025 17:35:52 +0100 RussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Russian President Vladimir Putin has three nearly identical offices in different parts of the country and the Kremlin has been dishonest about his location many times in recent years, Systema, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit, has discovered. https://www.rferl.org/a/kremlin-trickery-putin-offices-secrecy-investigation/33586451.html https://www.rferl.org/a/kremlin-trickery-putin-offices-secrecy-investigation/33586451.html Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:16:41 +0100 Systema: Investigating RussiaFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades Ukraine Thousands of Cubans have been recruited to travel to Russia—and many have ended up fighting in Ukraine, possibly under false pretenses. A 41-year-old, multi-lingual travel agent from Russian provincial city is among those involved in a shady recruitment network, Systema found. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-cubans-recruiting-mercenaries/33558283.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-cubans-recruiting-mercenaries/33558283.html Mon, 13 Oct 2025 09:43:56 +0200 RussiaFeaturesUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories What do Russia’s GRU, a neo-Nazi veteran of the Ukraine war, and former far-right soccer fans have in common? They’re linked to an ongoing campaign to recruit saboteurs in the US and Europe. RFE/RL’s investigative unit Systema documents those links for the first time. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-gru-nazi-sabotage-recruitment-telegram/33539661.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-gru-nazi-sabotage-recruitment-telegram/33539661.html Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:05:20 +0200 RussiaFeaturesSystema: Investigating RussiaThe Rundown Headline Anastasia Ignatova, stepdaughter of the head of Russian conglomerate Rostec, was the only non-actor featured in the tire company Pirelli’s annual calendar in 2017. The EU says the improbable appearance is evidence that sanctions imposed on her over the war in Ukraine should say in place. https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-chemezov-stepdaughter-sanctions-ukraine-russia-pirelli-kidman/33532027.html https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-chemezov-stepdaughter-sanctions-ukraine-russia-pirelli-kidman/33532027.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 16:51:17 +0200 RussiaFeaturesUkraineRussia Invades UkraineSystema: Investigating RussiaThe Rundown Stories At least five times this year, the Kremlin has published previously recorded footage of President Vladimir Putin and passed it off as fresh, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit has found. The giveaway: A rearrangement of the Russian constitution and other tomes in a bookcase behind Putin’s desk. https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-kremlin-trickery-old-footage-absence/33513376.html https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-kremlin-trickery-old-footage-absence/33513376.html Tue, 26 Aug 2025 14:26:46 +0200 RussiaFeaturesThe Rundown Stories The renowned Moscow theater has always been under the watchful eye of government authorities -- including the intelligence services. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-moscow-bolshoi-theater-ballet-spying-software/33509470.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-moscow-bolshoi-theater-ballet-spying-software/33509470.html Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:01:00 +0200 RussiaFeaturesSystema: Investigating RussiaThe Rundown Stories Ilya Medvedev, the son of former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, has a job at an affiliate of Rostec, the giant state industrial conglomerate that makes many of the weapons Moscow uses in its war against Ukraine, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit, Systema, has found. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-medvedev-ilya-son-military-war/33498017.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-medvedev-ilya-son-military-war/33498017.html Sat, 09 Aug 2025 00:02:31 +0200 RussiaFeaturesRussia Invades UkraineSystema: Investigating RussiaThe Rundown Stories Russian conglomerate Rostec makes many of the weapons of the war against Ukraine. Sergei Chemezov, its CEO and a Putin ally since their KGB days in East Germany, vacations with heads of Rostec subsidiaries who are his neighbors at a luxury villa complex in Dubai, an RFE/RL investigation found. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-weapons-war-luxury-dubai-putin-crony/33491022.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-weapons-war-luxury-dubai-putin-crony/33491022.html Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:02:27 +0200 Russia Invades UkraineFeaturesRussiaThe Rundown Stories Russia is conducting “neuroprofiling” tests on 10,000 children and teenagers to identify leaders and “anti-leaders,” part of an effort to promote patriotism amid the war against Ukraine. An independent educator calls it an “attempt by the authorities to control people and influence their decisions.” https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-kids-profiling-brains-patriotism/33486699.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-kids-profiling-brains-patriotism/33486699.html Wed, 30 Jul 2025 00:24:45 +0200 RussiaFeaturesThe Rundown Stories With almost a million casualties and no end to the war on Ukraine in sight, Russia is using an array of approaches to keep the flow of soldiers to the front from slowing. An RFE/RL investigation reveals details about a new recruitment system that a lawmaker said provides “expendable manpower.” https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-recruitment-war-ukraine-mercenaries/33476077.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-recruitment-war-ukraine-mercenaries/33476077.html Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:01:00 +0200 Russia Invades UkraineFeaturesRussiaUkraineThe Rundown Headline