https://www.rferl.org/z/651 RFE/RL journalists report the news in 23 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. We broadcast in 27 languages to 22 countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Russia. https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org/z/651 en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:45:26 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL The findings by Systema, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit, confirm past unconfirmed reports that Kyle Nagy had moved to Russia shortly before his November 2023 indictment in the United States. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-crypto-fraud-kyle-nagy-moscow-safemoon/33746197.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-crypto-fraud-kyle-nagy-moscow-safemoon/33746197.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:17:00 +0200 FeaturesRussiaThe Rundown Stories Arrests and confiscated terminals are being reported in Turkmenistan as locals set up secret Starlink connections to access the internet in the authoritarian country. https://www.rferl.org/a/starlink-internet-turkmenistan-raids-police-restriction/33746166.html https://www.rferl.org/a/starlink-internet-turkmenistan-raids-police-restriction/33746166.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:04:45 +0200 Turkmenistan FeaturesThe Rundown Stories Matthew Tavares, a former Pentagon analyst, tells RFE/RL the West is no longer facing a partnership of convenience between Moscow and Tehran, but a strategic alignment that spans the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of warfare.  https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-military-axis-iran-pentagon-analyst-matthew-tavares/33746049.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-military-axis-iran-pentagon-analyst-matthew-tavares/33746049.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:53:51 +0200 IranFeaturesRussiaUkraineRussia Invades Ukraine Weeks of US and Israeli air strikes, sanctions, and restrictions have hit Iran hard, but it could be geology that eventually pushes it into making concessions in its ongoing standoff with the United States. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-oil-sector-blockade-tehran/33745206.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-oil-sector-blockade-tehran/33745206.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:23:43 +0200 News AnalysisFeaturesIranThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East The unity that Iran’s rival political camps maintained through 40 days of US and Israeli strikes is fracturing over negotiations to end the war. The real divide, experts say, is not necessarily about whether to talk but rather when. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-politics-divide-us-israeli-war-/33745286.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-politics-divide-us-israeli-war-/33745286.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:20:12 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown HeadlineMiddle East In an interview with RFE/RL, US Representative Wesley Bell, whose legislation to address threats to the Baltics has advanced with bipartisan support, discusses checking Russia’s ambitions, how the war in Ukraine shapes long-term security, the implications of Russia-Iran cooperation, and more. https://www.rferl.org/a/baltics-us-security-nato-russia-threats-wesley-bell/33745055.html https://www.rferl.org/a/baltics-us-security-nato-russia-threats-wesley-bell/33745055.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:20:39 +0200 RussiaFeaturesBelarusIranRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Africa Corps, the Russian Defense Ministry mercenary unit, was supposed to build on the successes of the now-defunct Wagner Group, forging commercial ties and giving a hard-power backstop to shaky African countries. Judging by this weekend’s events in Mali, it’s not going well. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-africa-corps-mali-withdrawal-wagner-mercenaries/33744461.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-africa-corps-mali-withdrawal-wagner-mercenaries/33744461.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:31:41 +0200 RussiaFeaturesThe Rundown Stories The United States has deployed a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East, significantly boosting its capabilities, despite a cease-fire with Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-strait-of-hormuz-blockade/33744467.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-strait-of-hormuz-blockade/33744467.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:19:03 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Headline Why a sprawling war memorial that was opened on April 26 commemorates only a fraction of the estimated thousands of troops Pyongyang lost in Russia. https://www.rferl.org/a/north-korea-ukraine-russia-war-memorial-opening-casualties/33744304.html https://www.rferl.org/a/north-korea-ukraine-russia-war-memorial-opening-casualties/33744304.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:36:32 +0200 Russia Invades UkraineFeaturesRussiaUkrainePhoto GalleriesPhoto GalleriesThe Rundown Stories Satellite imagery sourced by RFE/RL shows two major Christian monuments have been demolished in recent weeks inside Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region. https://www.rferl.org/a/cathedral-church-demolished-nagorno-karabakh-azerbaijan-armenia-conflict/33743489.html https://www.rferl.org/a/cathedral-church-demolished-nagorno-karabakh-azerbaijan-armenia-conflict/33743489.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:37:01 +0200 FeaturesArmeniaAzerbaijanThe Rundown Stories The photos of the emaciated soldiers circulated widely, along with complaints from angry relatives, prompting the removal of the unit’s commander. Four-plus years into war with Russia, it’s the latest controversy highlighting some of Ukraine’s continuing problems with logistics and manpower. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-brigade-food-water-hungry/33743556.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-brigade-food-water-hungry/33743556.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:57:02 +0200 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories RFE/RL's senior Washington correspondent, Alex Raufoglu, was at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner when a gunman breached security at the black-tie gala attended by President Donald Trump. Raufoglu recounted the chaotic scenes inside the hotel during and after the incident. https://www.rferl.org/a/white-house-corresponents-dinner-trump-gunman-security/33742837.html https://www.rferl.org/a/white-house-corresponents-dinner-trump-gunman-security/33742837.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 15:53:02 +0200 FeaturesThe Rundown Headline Armenia’s ambition to position itself as a transit hub between Asia and Europe is running up against a structural constraint: its rail network remains under the control of Russian Railways, a state company under Western sanctions. https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-wants-in-on-asia-europe-trade-russian-rail-control-stands-in-the-way/33738123.html https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-wants-in-on-asia-europe-trade-russian-rail-control-stands-in-the-way/33738123.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:56:27 +0200 ArmeniaFeaturesRussiaThe Rundown Stories By supplying Russia with drones and enabling its long-range strikes in Ukraine, Tehran has become an active participant in a major European war. https://www.rferl.org/a/behnam-ben-taleblu-russia-iran-partnership-ukraine-war/33742291.html https://www.rferl.org/a/behnam-ben-taleblu-russia-iran-partnership-ukraine-war/33742291.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 14:48:00 +0200 FeaturesIranUkraineThe Rundown Stories The EU has warned Bosnia that designating a US private company as the main investor in a planned gas pipeline could undermine the Western Balkan country's EU accession process and put access to financial assistance from Brussels at risk. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-bosnia-gas-pipeline-us-investor-aid/33741747.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-bosnia-gas-pipeline-us-investor-aid/33741747.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 13:55:49 +0200 Bosnia-HerzegovinaFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesEurope When Klavdia Omelchenko left her home in Pripyat, she thought it would be for a few days. But the 19-year-old had no idea that the biggest nuclear power plant disaster in history would change her life forever: destroying her health, killing her friends, and leaving her childless. https://www.rferl.org/a/chernobyl-40-anniverary-survivor-returns-home/33737962.html https://www.rferl.org/a/chernobyl-40-anniverary-survivor-returns-home/33737962.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:14:51 +0200 UkraineFeaturesThe Rundown Headline While officials in Tehran have long emphasized self-reliance, experts say battlefield evidence points to a far more interconnected war effort, reflecting deepening partnerships that have helped Iran replenish its military, improve targeting, and blunt Western operations during the conflict. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-russia-china-war-cooperation-support/33741900.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-russia-china-war-cooperation-support/33741900.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:52:17 +0200 IranFeaturesRussiaThe Rundown HeadlineMiddle EastChina Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has touted the creation of 175 “museums” inside schools in the Russian capital dedicated to the invasion of Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-invasion-moscow-school-war-museums/33741672.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-invasion-moscow-school-war-museums/33741672.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 20:32:52 +0200 RussiaNewsFeaturesUkrainePicksRussia Invades Ukraine Forty years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Nobel Prize-winning author Svetlana Alexievich says Belarus is still a "laboratory" in which the long-term effects of the massive radiation leak continue to play out. https://www.rferl.org/a/chernobyl-belarus-nobel-author-alexievich/33740662.html https://www.rferl.org/a/chernobyl-belarus-nobel-author-alexievich/33740662.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:00:36 +0200 UkraineFeaturesBelarusThe Rundown Stories Some analysts argue there’s a hidden struggle going on in the Kremlin between security structures and economic interests. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-politics-rift-putin-influencer-internet-economy/33740904.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-politics-rift-putin-influencer-internet-economy/33740904.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:21:49 +0200 RussiaFeaturesThe Rundown Headline