Investigation Reveals Identity Of Russian Prison Doctor Accused Of Abusing Ukrainian Captives

Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, has identified a Russian prison doctor whom dozens of Ukrainian former captives have accused of subjecting inmates to frequent physical a...

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Rift Over World War II-Era Killings Rocks Crucial Ukraine-Poland Ties

Poland, steeped in bad memories of the 1939 Nazi-Soviet invasion and decades of dominance from Moscow after World War II, is a firm backer of Ukraine’s defense against Russia. But a flare-up over thei...

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Ukraine Gets A Green Light To Build Its Own Patriot Missiles. It’s Not a Game Changer, Experts Caution

If Trump follows through on his pledge to give Ukraine a license to manufacture the Patriot interceptor missiles, it will be a major boost for Zelensky and Ukraine’s air defense systems. Experts are s...

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Far From Ukraine War, Russia Fuel Crisis Consumes Local Worries

There’s no gasoline for ambulances in one region. In another, they’ve suspended garbage pickup because there’s no fuel for trucks. There’s a robust black market where you can pay someone to hold your ...

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In Viral Post, Russian Veteran Warns Putin Of Mutiny, Then Walks Back Threat

A veteran of Russia’s war against Ukraine sparked a stir with a viral video post, demanding a meeting with President Vladimir Putin and warning of a rebellion – before retracting the threat. The episo...

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Raver, Monk, Millionaire: The Shape-Shifting Russian At The Heart Of A Hockey Arena Deal

A star of the rave scene in post-Soviet St. Petersburg, Gavriil Frolov dropped out of sight, adopted a new name, and became a monk. Now, he’s at the center of a deal that handed a billion-dollar ice h...

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'It's Come To This': Gas Shortages Hit Russia As Ukraine Hits Refineries

Pulling up at a gas station with no fuel for sale, a Russian woman is aghast: “What’s going on in this country?” What’s going on is that in the fifth year of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine is fighti...

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Putin's 'War Trap' And The Potential Price Of Peace

When he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many warned Vladimir Putin that the offensive he claimed was meant to bolster Russia’s security would instead put it in jeopardy. Now, in a...

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Exclusive: Wiretaps Show Suspects In Ukraine Corruption Case Discussed Enlisting Lawmaker

Two suspects in a corruption scandal that has shaken Ukraine and cut close to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of a prominent lawmaker as someone who could advance their interests and protect cash ...

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Russia Wants To Build a State-Run VPN. What Could Go Wrong?

What’s the latest brick in Russia’s effort to build its Great Internet Firewall? A proposal to create a government-run Virtual Private Network, co-opting a tool that has been widely embraced by Russia...

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‘No Way Out': Russia Sends Badly Wounded Men Back Into Battle In Ukraine

As Russia struggles to replace soldiers being killed in high numbers in the fifth year of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, these is mounting evidence of the military returning men to the war despit...

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The KGB's Man At State, Or A Double Agent? A Spy Mystery In A Smuggled Cold War Archive.

Frederick Flott, who died in 2006, was a longtime State Department diplomat around the world, as well as a CIA agent who worked under diplomatic cover. For years, the KGB tried to recruit him. Did it ...

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Working For A Secret Family: The Foreigners Raising Putin's Purported Sons

Over the past eight years, at least 20 foreigners have helped raise and educate two boys believed to be the sons of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his purported partner Alina Kabayeva, most of t...

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Working For A Secret Family: The Foreigners Raising Putin's Purported Sons

Over the past eight years, at least 20 foreigners have helped raise and educate two boys believed to be the sons of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his purported partner Alina Kabayeva, most of t...

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How The Russian Orthodox Church Targets Anti-War Priests

The patriarch of Russian Orthodox Church is a vocal backer of Moscow’s war against Ukraine. Systema, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit, examined how the country’s dominant religious organization goe...

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Exclusive: US Asks Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine To Allow Belarusian Fertilizer Exports

US officials have proposed that Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine lift sanctions on Belarusian potash to allow the transit of the agricultural product – a major source of hard currency revenue for Minsk ...

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Attacked By The State And Fractured Within, Belarus Opposition Struggles In Exile

Poor turnout for an online election underscores the daunting challenges faced by the largely exiled Belarusian democratic opposition six years after a groundswell of popular protests raised hopes for ...

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Buried 'Like Dogs': In Chechnya, Oppression Doesn't End With Death

In Chechnya, defying authority or tradition can carry consequences beyond life. Activists say domestic violence victims, LGBT people, and political dissenters are increasingly denied Islamic burial ri...

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'Fused Together': Zelenskyy Faces Risks As Graft Probe Closes In On His Ex-Chief Of Staff

A corruption scandal closes in on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former chief of staff Andriy Yermak. How badly could it hurt Ukraine’s wartime president?

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Vladimir Putin And Victory Day: A Scaled-Down Parade, A Diminished President?

For years, President Vladimir Putin has used Russia’s Victory Day parade to show off its weapons, accentuate his dominance, and deliver narratives on World War II and the present. This year is differe...

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Drone Strikes, Deep Strikes: How Ukraine's Long-Range Air Attacks Are Hurting Russia

Oil production cuts, plumes of smoke, altered plans for President Vladimir Putin: Ukraine’s strikes on oil facilities, military installations, and air defense systems are taking a toll on Moscow’s cap...

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Czechs Demand Explanation After Russia's Medvedev Threatens Europe's Drone Factories

The Czech Republic demanded an explanation after Russia’s Defense Ministry published a list of companies it claimed are helping produce attack drones for Ukraine and bellicose former Russian President...

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Knives Out 2.0. What's Going On At Russia’s Defense Ministry?

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 bi...

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Everyone Wants Ukraine’s Drones. This German Joint Venture Is Trying To Get Ahead Of The Curve

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 glo...

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On Ukraine's Battlefield, Spring Weather, New Fighting Season, A Big Russian Assault

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 unclea...

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The Mess With Max, Telegram, And More: Russians' Patience Tested By Online Troubles

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 Russia...

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Out Of Office: A New Twist In Kremlin Efforts To Conceal Putin's Location

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 f...

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