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 Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:17:07 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL 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 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 The United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13. Is it working? https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-blockade-hormuz/33740976.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-blockade-hormuz/33740976.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:55:43 +0200 News AnalysisFeaturesIranThe Rundown Stories The expiration of a US sanctions waiver on Iranian oil last weekend has brought renewed attention to Washington’s economic strategy, as policymakers seek to limit Tehran’s access to revenue while navigating global energy market pressures. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-sanctions-waiver-us-financial-pressure/33738030.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-sanctions-waiver-us-financial-pressure/33738030.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:29:37 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesNews Analysis Hundreds of Afghan refugees remain in limbo at the As-Sayliyah camp in Qatar awaiting information about the countries they may be transferred to after a US State Department deadline to move them passed last month. https://www.rferl.org/a/afghan-refugees-qatar-relocation-deadline-passes/33737179.html https://www.rferl.org/a/afghan-refugees-qatar-relocation-deadline-passes/33737179.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:34:13 +0200 AfghanistanFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East First-person-view (FPV) drones controlled via fiber-optic cables have proved nearly impossible to counter since emerging in 2024 in the war in Ukraine. But recent battlefield images suggest both Russia and Ukraine have developed systems that may offer an answer to the threat. https://www.rferl.org/a/anti-drone-technology-russia-invasion-ukraine-elka-fpv-threat/33737266.html https://www.rferl.org/a/anti-drone-technology-russia-invasion-ukraine-elka-fpv-threat/33737266.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:24:30 +0200 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia 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 As Russia returns to the Venice Biennale for the first time since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the event is embroiled in a defunding feud with the EU. Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova says her team will not protest Russia's participation, but focus on its own message. https://www.rferl.org/a/venice-biennale-russia-return-eu-funding-feud-ukraine-protest/33734585.html https://www.rferl.org/a/venice-biennale-russia-return-eu-funding-feud-ukraine-protest/33734585.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:14:00 +0200 RussiaFeaturesUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories With a cease-fire in the US-Israeli war on Iran due to expire on April 22, US actions at sea are drawing renewed attention to a central issue: How deeply Iran’s military establishment is embedded in the country’s economy. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-irgc-ships-economy-entreched-shadow/33736577.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-irgc-ships-economy-entreched-shadow/33736577.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:01:14 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East While diplomatic efforts struggle to stabilize access to the Strait of Hormuz amid tensions between the United States and Iran, Eurasian trade is increasingly being redirected toward overland alternatives, with the Middle Corridor emerging as a key diversification route in Eurasian logistics. https://www.rferl.org/a/central-asia-caucasus-hormuz-middle-corridor/33736371.html https://www.rferl.org/a/central-asia-caucasus-hormuz-middle-corridor/33736371.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:43:42 +0200 IranFeaturesKazakhstanKyrgyzstanTajikistanTurkmenistan UzbekistanThe Rundown Stories