Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Russia Launches Massive Attack on Ukraine, Targeting Kyiv
- Title
- Russia Launches Massive Attack on Ukraine, Targeting Kyiv
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Russia carried out a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine, with the heaviest strikes hitting Kyiv.
Residential buildings in the city center were damaged. Officials confirm there have been casualties, including dozens injured.
#russiaukrainewar #ukrainewar #ukraine #ukrainenews #kyiv
- Title
- ‘Weekend Snipers’: Were Foreigners Paying To Kill Civilians In Sarajevo?
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The question of who targeted the residents of besieged Sarajevo through sniper scopes during the Bosnian War has gone unanswered for three decades. Whether some of these individuals paid to kill women, children, and the elderly while on "safari-like" trips is now the subject of an investigation.
- Title
- War Goes Festive: Tanks As Christmas Ornaments
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Some Russians are keeping military matters in mind this holiday season, decorating their Christmas trees with ornamental tanks, bomber planes, and soldiers. But not every consumer in Moscow cares to honor Russian soldiers this way -- in fact, some find the idea "very crude."
- Title
- Banned in Russia, United in Exile: Anti-War Musicians Take the Stage
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Several Russian artists who have been labeled foreign agents or jailed for their performances appeared together at a concert in Vilnius, Lithuania. Singer Naoko and guitarist Alexander Orlov of the band Stoptime had been arrested in October for playing banned anti-war songs by exiled artists Noize MC and Monetochka, who they joined on stage for the first time on December 20. The Stoptime musicians' detention after a street show in St. Petersburg set off a wave of similar public concerts by supporters across Russia.
- Title
- Meet Ukraine’s “Bucha Witches”: Women Defending Kyiv From Air Attacks
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- In Ukraine’s Kyiv region, civilian defense volunteers use heavy machine guns to protect against aerial attacks. One such unit, made up almost entirely of women, has earned the nickname the “Bucha Witches.” Among them is Yulia, a commander in the Bucha-1 Volunteer Territorial Defense Unit, who plays a key role in spotting and adjusting fire on enemy drones. She says she was driven to join by a personal motivation: her 10-year-old daughter.
- Title
- Inside Serbia’s No-Bid Deals With China
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Chinese state-owned companies are building some of Serbia’s largest infrastructure projects -- and they're doing it without open tenders.
- Title
- Choosing Russia: Confessions Of A Woman Who Gave Away Ukrainian Positions
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- A Ukrainian woman convicted for collaborating with Russian forces is serving an 11-year prison sentence after passing on information about Ukrainian military positions during the 2022 occupation of Kherson. In a women’s prison in eastern Ukraine, inmates convicted of treason and collaboration insist they were only trying to survive under occupation. As Russia seeks to include such prisoners in exchange deals, some apply to be sent to Russia -- while others refuse to make their identities public.
RFE/RL offers a rare glimpse inside a prison -- and into the minds ofthose who supported Russia during the war.
- Title
- Fresh Protests Erupt In Bulgaria After Controversial Budget Reintroduced
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The latest Bulgaria protests erupted on the streets of Sofia after lawmakers reintroduced a budget plan that had sparked mass protests earlier this month. Amid the show of anger on December 18, the budget was quickly withdrawn. The protest movement -- Bulgaria's largest in years -- had already forced the government to resign, although the lawmakers remain in a caretaker role until elections planned for next spring.
#bulgarianews #bulgariaprotest
- Title
- Why Did Putin Call European Leaders 'Young Pigs' On Live TV?
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The specific wording of Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to a military meeting on December 17 is telling.
His use of the street slang term "podsvinki" seemingly deliberately plays to his domestic audience by suggesting European leaders are submissive to US machinations.
The insult's timing is also revealing, coming just as Western leaders voice support for Ukraine resisting Russia's demands as ceasefire terms.
#putin #russia #russianews
- Title
- Ukraine’s Race Against Russia’s New Weapons | Ukraine Front Line Update
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- In the face of constant Russian advances in airborne weapons and overwhelming swarms of drones and missiles,
Ukraine is racing to stay ahead of the curve. American-made Patriot missile systems have shown promise at stopping ballistic missiles like the Kinzhal, while F-16 fighter planes have proven effective at stopping multiple air threats.
Mobile antiaircraft gun units have also been effective, say Ukrainian system operators.
#ukraine #ukrainewar #russiaukrainewar #ukrainenews #ukrainemilitary #airdefense #f16
- Title
- Is Russia Recruiting Fighters In Iran, Or Is It a Scam?
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- A flyer in Tehran offers Iranians $20,000 to fight for Russia in Ukraine. Moscow says it’s fake. But when we contacted the number listed in the ad, the person who answered claimed the campaign was official and coordinated with Iranian authorities. So is this real, or a scam exploiting Russia’s war effort?
- Title
- Battle For Pokrovsk Update: Russian Drones Relentlessly Hunt Ukrainian Supply Routes
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Battle for Pokrovsk latest update: front line fighting intensifies as Russian drones Ukrainian supply routes and logistics hubs. A @CurrentTimeTV crew witnessed a Russian drone being shot down and gained rare access to a Ukrainian UAV control center operating under constant threat.
Ukrainian troops describe ongoing front line pressure, drone attacks, and repeated infiltration attempts by Russian forces. Despite claims from Moscow, Ukrainian commanders say Russian units have so far failed to gain ground inside the city.
Pokrovsk remains a key logistics hub in the Donetsk region, and control of its roads and railways could shape the next phase of the Ukraine war. Ukrainian forces say they are still holding defensive positions amid relentless fighting and close-range combat.
#russiaukrainewar #ukrainewar #pokrovsk #ukrainerussiawar #ukrainenews
- Title
- Ukraine Says It Hit Russian Submarine
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Ukraine's Security Services released footage on December 15 claiming an unprecedented underwater drone attack on a Russian submarine in Novorossiysk. Russia denied any successful attack and released images of an undamaged submarine, though satellite photos showed damage to a pier. This military action highlights ongoing naval warfare in the Black Sea, with Ukraine continuing to use drone technology.
- Title
- Rows of New Graves In Lviv: Drone Video Shows the Cost of Russia’s Invasion
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The "Field of Honor" in Lviv is full, and the city has had to open a new burial site to accommodate the daily funerals of fallen soldiers. The expanding cemetery shows the devastating loss Ukraine is facing as the fight against the Russian invasion is in its fourth year.
- Title
- Belarus Releases 123 Political Prisoners In Deal With United States
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Dozens of Belarusians imprisoned for their political activity were freed on December 13 as US officials announced plans to ease economic sanctions on Minsk.
They were welcomed by officials and rights advocates in Lithuania and Ukraine.
The freed prisoners included Ales Byalyatski, a human rights defender and Nobel laureate, and Maryya Kalesnikava, a prominent opposition leader.
#belarus #usa #politicalprisoners #minsk
- Title
- Zelenskyy Tours Kupyansk Area Russia Claims To Control | Ukraine Front Line Update
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk, in the eastern Kharkiv region, found themselves thanked in person on December 12 by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who also taunted the Kremlin in a social media post following Russian claims that the city is under their control.
"The reality speaks for itself," Zelenskyy announced on his Telegram channel before meeting with soldiers and honoring them with medals.
#ukraine #ukrainenews #zelenskyy #ukrainewar #kupyansk #russiaukrainewar
- Title
- The Full Story Behind The Viral Testimony Of 11-Year-Old Ukrainian Boy
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Eleven-year-old Roman Oleksiv survived the 2022 Russian air strike on the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsya that killed 28 people, including his mother.
His story moved an interpreter to tears during a recent European Parliament event.
After previously reporting Roman’sstory, RFE/RL looks back at the attack, Roman’s long recovery, and how he and his father now speak publicly about the human cost of the war.
#ukrainenews #ukraine #ukrainewar
- Title
- Bulgaria's Government Resigns Following Mass Protests
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The Bulgarian government has resigned following a string of mass protests on the streets of Sofia.
Crowds demanded the ouster over several issues, including its spending plan, corruption, a proposed hike in social-security contributions and taxes on dividends to finance higher state spending.
#bulgaria #bulgariaprotest #sofia
- Title
- Translator Moved To Tears By 11-Year-Old Ukrainian Boy's Testimony
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- In the discussion after a screening of documentaries about Ukrainian children, the assistant to a vice president of the European Parliament burst into tears while interpreting the speech of 11-year-old Roman Oleksiv from Lviv. The boy survived a Russian missile strike in Vinnytsya, a city in central Ukraine. The July 2022 strike killed Oleksiv's mother.
Roman underwent 36 surgeries and lengthy rehabilitation due to severe burns and injuries. Despite this, he returned to his studies, dancing, and music, and also received an award from the Ukrainian president. On December 10, Oleksiv came to Brussels for a film screening and to tell his story to members of the European Parliament.
#ukrainenews #ukraine #ukrainewar
- Title
- Bulgarians Return To Streets, Demanding New Government
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Tens of thousands in Sofia took to the streets for the second mass protest within a month, demanding the resignation of the government over its spending plan. Protesters also accuse leaders of placing their own salaries above the living costs of working people. A no-confidence vote is scheduled in the Bulgarian parliament on December 11.
#bulgaria #bulgariaprotest #sofiaprotest
- Title
- Helmet Cam Footage Of American Soldier Capturing Russians In Ukraine Goes Viral
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Helmet cam footage of an American soldier capturing Russian soldiers has gone viral on Telegram. It was filmed by former US marine Bruce, who is fighting in the Ukraine war since spring 2025.
Bruce told RFE/RL why he volunteered to fight in Ukraine and offers a glimpse into the grim realities of the "horrifying" fighting on the front line.
#ukraine #ukrainewar #ukrainenews #russiaukrainewar
- Title
- Russia’s Main Launchpad Is Offline. Should The ISS Be Worried?
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Damage to the Russian-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome rocket launchpad in Kazakhstan has taken the site out of commission, raising concerns over how the International Space Station could be affected. The Baikonur complex is Earth's main blastoff site for crew and cargo flights bound for the ISS and one expert says estimates for needed repair time range from an "optimistic six months" to a "pessimistic two years."
#soyuz #roscosmos #rocketlaunch
- Title
- Why Russia Waited This Long To Let Chinese Tourists In
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Moscow recently relaxed rules allowing visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, a move that could spark a tourism boom. With searches and bookings from China to Russia surging by more than 300%, this policy shift could reshape regional tourism and strengthen political ties as both countries turn away from the West. But why have the ‘no limits’ partners waited until now to strengthen people-to-people ties?
#Russia #China #VisaFree #Putin #XiJinping #Geopolitics #RussiaChina
- Title
- Once A Safe Haven, This Ukrainian Town Is Reduced To Rubble
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Earlier this year, displaced people from eastern Ukraine arrived in Mezhova, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, to take refuge from the encroaching violence.
Now Russian air strikes are battering this small town, as a few holdouts remain without electricity and a stalwart journalist tries to keep publishing the local newspaper.
#ukrainewar #mezhova #ukrainenews #russiaukrainewar #ukraine
- Title
- Battle For Pokrovsk Update: Did Russia Really Capture The City?
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Pokrovsk is on the brink of encirclement with Russian forces targeting Ukraine's supply corridor into the embattled city.
One analysts says a vital logistical land bridge is being turned into a killing zone.
Ukrainian troops have confirmed that rotations are nearly impossible due to constant ambushes and drone attacks.
#pokrovsk #ukrainewar #ukrainenews #russiaukrainewar #ukrainerussiawar #ukrainefrontline
- Title
- Russia's Chechnya Region Hit In Suspected Ukraine Drone Strike
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- In the latest suspected Ukraine strike on Russia, a high-rise building was hit in Grozny, the capital of Russia's Chechnya region. Video posted on Russian social media on December 5 showed smoke and a gaping hole in the glass tower.
#ukrainewar #ukrainenews #russiaukrainewar #ukrainerussiawar
- Title
- Iran’s Water Crisis: Importing From River-Rich Afghanistan
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- With Iran facing severe water shortages after years of drought, the country's energy minister says he wants to import water from neighboring nations. Climatologist Nasser Karami told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that a deal with Afghanistan might work best because it's "a country with a lot of rivers flowing out of it."
- Title
- Who Was Behind The Violence After Bulgaria’s Mass Protests?
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- The chief of police in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, says violence was organized in advance of the largest protests the city has seen in decades.
Opposition leaders have alleged that provocateurs hijacked a peaceful protest.
#bulgaria #bulgariaprotest #sofiaprotest
- Title
- How Is Moscow Creating A Parallel Banking System?
- Date posted
- 4 months ago
- Description
- Russia is trying to build a parallel financial system to evade Western sanctions and to continue purchasing dual-use technologies, experts say. That’s why, with help from Kyrgyzstan, it has launched its own cryptocurrency, which is already handling significant transaction volumes.
In this report, we examine whether the cryptocurrency can impact the war in Ukraine and how it helps Russia navigate financial sanctions. With new information emerging about transfers totalling $79 billion, we analyse the implications for the financial system and global markets.
- Title
- Police Race To Evacuate Pokrovske Families As Russia Closes In | Ukraine Front Line Update
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Ukraine front line update: In the latest report by @CurrentTimeTV Ukrainian police rushes to evacuate civilians from Pokrovske, where a rapid Russian advance is pushing the village to the brink. This is the latest look at life on the Ukraine war front line — a community caught between intensifying battles, constant fighting, and the growing threat from the Donetsk region direction.
Correspondent Oleksiy Prodayvoda documents officers going door-to-door, urging families to flee as air strikes and shelling close in. Some residents are evacuating for the second time after losing their homes earlier in the war. With the front line now less than 10 kilometers away, Pokrovske is emptying fast — and what remains is destruction, silence, and fear.
#ukrainewar #ukrainenews #russiaukrainewar #ukrainerussiawar #ukrainefrontline
- Title
- Street Clashes Erupt During Mass Protests In Bulgaria Against Government
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Street clashes erupted amid mass protests in Sofia, Bulgaria against the government. Tens of thousands demanded Bulgaria withdraw its 2026 draft budget, accusing the government of boosting public-sector pay while burdening businesses. The unrest intensified overnight, with clashes, injuries, and detentions as demonstrations spread across the country.
#bulgaria #bulgariaprotest #sofiaprotest
- Title
- 59,000 Dead: The Toxic Air Choking Iran
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Air pollution in the Iranian capital has reached dangerous levels, leading authorities to close schools and ban truck travel. Official statistics state that unsafe air contributes to tens of thousands of deaths across Iran each year. RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi explains what's driving the crisis.
- Title
- What Went Wrong With This Chinese Megaproject?
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- When a Chinese construction worker died at a solar plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it triggered investigations that ultimately halted the project legally. The case exposed broader problems at the site, including the discovery of more than 70 illegal workers and concerns over labor rights and fair wages. It also underscored growing local resistance to large foreign-backed projects that overlook worker protections and community interests — a story that has since drawn significant regional and international attention.
- Title
- Unmasking 'Dr. Evil': The Russian Prison Medic Accused Of Torturing Ukrainian POWs
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Ukrainian ex-prisoners of war say they endured sadistic beatings and torture with electric shocks at the hands of a medic they called "Dr. Evil." In an award-winning investigation by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, the prison doctor was identified as Ilya Sorokin and now faces EU sanctions.
- Title
- His Survival Story: 1,304 Days In Russian Captivity
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- For 3 1/2 years, Bucha resident Serhiy Akhmetov was held in Russian captivity at various locations. He was detained in the Ukrainian city in March 2022 while trying to evacuate through a “green corridor.” This is his story of captivity, how he learned in a penal colony about Ukrainian advances into the Kursk region, and how Red Cross food parcels offered rare clues about what was happening back home.
- Title
- Russia’s Fuel Crisis? What Burning Refineries Reveal About The War’s Future
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- More than half of Russia's major oil refineries -- many deep inside the country -- are going up in flames, hit by Ukrainian drone attacks. So could this new wave of strikes actually change the course of the war? Oil and gasoline shortages are visible now in Russia, with export revenues down nearly a fifth from last year, and ordinary Russian citizens are feeling the pain. But Russia still takes in billions in oil and gas revenue annually and has shown resilience to external forces. So how much will the growing wave of Ukrainian long-range attacks actually affect the war?
- Title
- Tensions Explode: Afghan Refugees Rounded Up After Deadly Border Clashes
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Afghan migrants and refugees in Pakistan are being rounded up by authorities amid soaring tensions with the Taliban-led government in neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistan is trying to repatriate millions of Afghans after hosting them for decades.
- Title
- Battle For Pokrovsk Update: Ukrainian Troops Battle Russia’s Push Toward Pokrovsk
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- As Russia intensifies its effort to encircle Pokrovsk, Ukrainian units on the strategic city’s edge are under nonstop attack.
RFE/RL followed Ukrainian crews holding defensive lines as they assemble their own drones to target advancing Russian troops.
#pokrovsk #ukrainewar #ukrainenews #russiaukrainewar #ukrainerussiawar #ukrainefrontline
- Title
- Rutte: Can Putin Be Trusted?
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte explains why any peace deal with Russia must make it in Putin’s interest to never attack Ukraine again and how security guarantees and international support play a key role.
- Title
- NATO Chief Mark Rutte: US Peace Plan Brings Kyiv & Washington Closer — But Can Ukraine Trust Putin?
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- In this exclusive interview, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte breaks down the U.S. 28-point peace plan for Ukraine. He explains how the proposal has brought Kyiv and Washington closer together, discusses the future of NATO membership for Ukraine, and shares why any peace deal must make it in Putin’s interest to never attack again. Watch to hear about Ukraine security guarantees, Russia’s invasion, and the implications for Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.
- Title
- Four Killed In Russian Drone Attack On Kharkiv
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- A massive late-night drone strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed at least four people and injured 17, local officials say.
Residential buildings burned, rescuers worked through the night, and authorities have described the November 23 attacks as deliberate strikes on civilians.
#russiaukrainewar #ukrainenews #ukraine #ukrainewar #kharkiv
- Title
- What Really Happens Inside Belarus Prisons: Former Women Inmates Speak
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- “Horror film,” “Gulag,” “Madhouse.” Former women political prisoners described to RFE/RL's Belarusian service their life in a Belarusian prisons under authoritarian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko's rule.
#belarus #belarusnews
- Title
- Stalin’s Famine, Putin’s Narrative: Ukraine’s History Under Attack
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Parallel to Russia’s war on the ground in Ukraine, there’s another battle: over history. Moscow claims that parts of southern and eastern Ukraine are “historically Russian,” but that ignores the centuries of conquest and tragedy Ukrainians endured, including one of the darkest chapters: a man-made famine known as the Holodomor.
Afterward, the region underwent accelerated Russification.
- Title
- RFE/RL Reporter Films Moment A Russian Drone Hits His Car
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- RFE/RL correspondent Serhiy Horbatenko was filming a civilian evacuation team's mission in Ukraine's Donetsk region when a Russian drone strike hit their vehicle. The driver, an American chaplain with the Plain Compassion Crisis Response NGO, suffered shrapnel wounds to the face.
#ukraine #ukrainenews
- Title
- Battle For Pokrovsk Update: Russia Trying To Trap Ukraine With 'Brute Force'
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- The latest updates from the battle for Pokrovsk: exclusive footage by @CurrentTimeTV from a logistics hub of Ukrainian forces shows soldiers fighting in the face of constant drone and artillery attacks. They say Russia is attacking with 'brute force', trying to trap Ukraine's troops inside Pokrovsk, which is a key front line city that is dangerously close to falling to Russia.
#pokrovsk #ukrainewar #ukrainenews #russiaukrainewar #ukrainerussiawar #ukrainefrontline
- Title
- Brawl Between Chinese & Kyrgyz Workers Sparks Anti-Migrant Fury
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- A fight broke out between Chinese and Kyrgyz construction workers in Kyrgyzstan on November 15, igniting a wave of anti-Chinese comments on Kyrgyz social networks. Officials are calling for calm, while some observers see a broader pattern of discontent with China's growing presence in Kyrgyzstan.
- Title
- Iran Weather Swings From Drought To Floods After Cloud-Seeding
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Iran is suffering from a severe drought that has depleted water sources, pushing authorities to begin cloud-seeding, or spraying chemicals into the air to facilitate rain. Those efforts, which began on November 15, resulted in heavy rain and severe flooding across the country's western provinces.
- Title
- Belarus Greenlights Military Force Against Protests
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Belarus has passed legislation allowing its military to intervene in internal conflicts, giving authorities the power to deploy soldiers against peaceful demonstrators. Human rights groups warn the move violates international norms.
- Title
- Ukraine Hits Russian Black Sea Oil Terminal
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Ukraine's military said it hit a Russian oil terminal in the Black Sea port city of Novorossiisk on November 14. Port infrastructure was also damaged and oil exports were temporarily suspended, according to industry sources.
#russiaukrainewar #russia #ukrainewar #novorossiisk #russianews
- Title
- Kyiv Reels After One Of Russia’s Biggest Attacks
- Date posted
- 5 months ago
- Description
- Russian forces launched one of the largest and most destructive attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of November 14, striking the capital with waves of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.
Almost every district came under fire, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, with casualties reported across the city as rescuers pulled people from damaged residential buildings.
At least six people were initially reported killed with dozens injured -- including children and a pregnant woman.
#kyiv #ukrainewar #ukrainenews #russiaukrainewar #ukraine #ukrainerussiawar
