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 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 01:35:05 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL Nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers are estimated to have been killed in Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine since it began in 2022, a top British intelligence official has said, as the conflicts grinds to a near stalemate. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-casualties-british-intelligence/33766873.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-casualties-british-intelligence/33766873.html Wed, 27 May 2026 18:26:52 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Russia sharply escalated threats against Kyiv, warning of "systematic and consistent strikes" as Russia's top diplomat urged American citizens to evacuate the Ukrainian capital. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-lavrov-rubio-kyiv-attacks-threats/33765072.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-lavrov-rubio-kyiv-attacks-threats/33765072.html Tue, 26 May 2026 09:41:39 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Four-plus years into Russia’s all-out invasion, Ukraine has battled Moscow’s forces to a standstill. In fact, by some accounts, Ukraine has even recaptured territory, offering Kyiv a glimmer of optimism after a grueling winter. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-battlefield-gains/33761066.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-battlefield-gains/33761066.html Wed, 20 May 2026 16:37:47 +0200 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Mali is a mess. Russia’s Africa Corps is pulling out of a major city it helped capture a couple years ago, what some experts say was a humiliation. Here’s what you need to know about what’s going on in the West Africa nation, and what it could mean for Russia. https://www.rferl.org/a/mali-russia-africa-corps-wagner/33747582.html https://www.rferl.org/a/mali-russia-africa-corps-wagner/33747582.html Sat, 02 May 2026 11:39:06 +0200 RussiaVideosThe Rundown Stories An Russian oligarch and top business executives are using A7, an influential payments company implicated a vast sanctions evasions scheme relying on a ruble-backed cryptocurrency, for their own transactions. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-cryptocurrency-a7a5-ilan-shor-investigation-sanction-evasion/33746026.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-cryptocurrency-a7a5-ilan-shor-investigation-sanction-evasion/33746026.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:34:06 +0200 NewsMoldovaRussiaThe 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 Four-plus years into its all-out defense against Russia’s all-out invasion, Ukraine is still struggling to figure out how to fix its military manpower problems. The corruption, bribery, extortion, and violence plaguing the recruiting and enlistment process aren’t helping. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-mobilization-recruiting-draft-dodger-soldiers/33740963.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-mobilization-recruiting-draft-dodger-soldiers/33740963.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:31:29 +0200 UkraineFeaturesRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Russia’s economy is screeching to a halt. The woman who’s been instrumental in keeping it on track throughout the war on Ukraine is Elvira Nabiullina, the Central Bank chief for over almost 13 years. Watch closely to see if her tenure may be coming to an end. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-economics-central-bank-nabiullina/33737247.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-economics-central-bank-nabiullina/33737247.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:22:15 +0200 RussiaFeaturesRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories In its war on Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry is on the offensive in the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. Internally, it’s plagued by corruption, political infighting, firings, and bitter rivalries with outside security agencies. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-defense-ministry-corruption-investigations-shoigu-putin/33732103.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-defense-ministry-corruption-investigations-shoigu-putin/33732103.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:19:35 +0200 RussiaFeaturesRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories A former top Russian Defense Ministry official was sentenced to 19 years in prison for his role in a snowballing, politically charged corruption investigation that has rattled the top levels of Russia’s military amid the war on Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-defense-corruption-popov-shoigu/33729466.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-defense-corruption-popov-shoigu/33729466.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:39:05 +0200 NewsRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Hackers connected to Russia’s military intelligence agency snuck into thousands Internet routers used in homes and offices worldwide and secretly monitored e-mail traffic and website logons and passwords for months, authorities said. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-hacker-routers-gru-military-intelligence-forest-blizzard/33728527.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-hacker-routers-gru-military-intelligence-forest-blizzard/33728527.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:56:02 +0200 NewsRussiaThe Rundown Headline The drop does not signal a political crisis for Putin. But Kremlin officials are sensitive to shifts in public opinion, and the current trend is being scrutinizing internally by the officials charged with managing Russia’s political system. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-approval-ratings-popularity-falling-war-politics/33727746.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-approval-ratings-popularity-falling-war-politics/33727746.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:05:00 +0200 FeaturesRussiaUkraineRussia Invades Ukraine In a non-descript warehouse on the perimeters of a Munich-area airport, a joint venture is marrying Ukrainian expertise with German capital, building drones for Ukraine’s military – and eventually global markets. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-germany-drone-production/33723276.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-germany-drone-production/33723276.html Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:56:53 +0200 FeaturesRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Headline In Bavaria, the first joint German-Ukrainian facility to start manufacturing Ukrainian drones abroad. RFE/RL visited the workshop where Linza drones are assembled. It's the first of several new joint ventures that Ukraine is launching for military production in Europe. https://www.rferl.org/a/rfe-rl-goes-inside-the-first-german-ukrainian-production-plant/33723213.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rfe-rl-goes-inside-the-first-german-ukrainian-production-plant/33723213.html Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:56:32 +0200 UkraineRussia Invades Ukraine A major Russian oil export terminal was hit again by drones, local officials said, the latest in a series of Ukrainian attacks that have severely restricted Russia’s ability to take advantage of soaring global energy prices. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-oil-drone-attack-fire-export/33719116.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-oil-drone-attack-fire-export/33719116.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:39:28 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories After a bitter winter, there’s been uptick in battlefield operations by both Ukraine and Russia in recent weeks. Ukraine says it defeated a major mechanized Russian assault last week – but it’s unclear if that attack signaled the start of a spring offensive. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-battlefield-spring-offensive/33717112.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-battlefield-spring-offensive/33717112.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:43:06 +0100 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Authorities have spent years testing tools, building apps, trying to restrict how Russian use the Internet. Widespread Internet outages, and widespread confusion over messaging apps, is testing Russians’ patience. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-mobile-internet-outages-messenger-apps-telegram-whatsapp-max/33713633.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-mobile-internet-outages-messenger-apps-telegram-whatsapp-max/33713633.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:45:47 +0100 RussiaFeaturesThe Rundown Stories His legal broadsides against anti-corruption crusader Aleksei Navalny brought Ilya Remeslo's wide notoriety. This week, Remeslo's broadside against Putin brought wide disbelief. A day later, he ended up in a psychiatric hospital. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-blogger-putin-criticism-remeslo-hospital/33710904.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-blogger-putin-criticism-remeslo-hospital/33710904.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:24:40 +0100 RussiaFeaturesThe Rundown Stories The US-Israeli war on Iran has yielded some clear benefits for Russia: more oil revenues; fewer US weapons for Kyiv; a distraction from the Ukraine peace talks. But it isn’t all good for Moscow. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-iran-war-intelligence-ukraine-benefits/33709955.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-iran-war-intelligence-ukraine-benefits/33709955.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 18:34:07 +0100 RussiaFeaturesIranRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories The mysterious Persian-language transmission began about 12 hours after the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. It was jammed five days later. Is it a coded message for US agents in Iran? Iranian sleeper cells? Israeli operatives? That’s what experts are trying to decipher. https://www.rferl.org/a/mystery-numbers-station-persian-signal-iran-war/33700659.html https://www.rferl.org/a/mystery-numbers-station-persian-signal-iran-war/33700659.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 18:54:09 +0100 IranFeaturesRussiaThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East