https://www.rferl.org/z/23311 The main stories of the day from the RFE/RL Central Newsroom. https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org/z/23311 en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Sat, 18 Jul 2026 15:32:03 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL As Russia's war against Ukraine reshapes Europe's security landscape, Estonia is closely watching the Kremlin's next moves. In an interview with RFE/RL, Estonia's Undersecretary for Internal Security Joosep Kaasik discusses why Tallinn believes prevention is Europe's best defense. https://www.rferl.org/a/estonia-russian-fighters-schengen-joosep-kaasik/33806356.html https://www.rferl.org/a/estonia-russian-fighters-schengen-joosep-kaasik/33806356.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 10:37:06 +0200 RussiaFeaturesThe Rundown Stories Ukrainian military photographer Iryna Rybakova captured the moment a Russian first person view drone blasted into a vehicle in Kramatorsk on July 15 amid a reported increase in FPV drone attacks on the city. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-fpv-drone-attack-kramatorsk-photo/33806329.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-fpv-drone-attack-kramatorsk-photo/33806329.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 09:09:33 +0200 UkrainePhoto GalleriesThe Rundown Stories As the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL's Central Newsroom and Iranian service, Radio Farda, deliver ongoing updates and analysis. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-live-blog-trump-middle-east/33803414.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-live-blog-trump-middle-east/33803414.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 05:30:00 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories US strikes on Iran widened early on July 18 from the Strait of Hormuz hotspot to multiple sites throughout central and southern Iran, including through the use of fighter jets, while Iran continued to pound US Gulf allies, as a fragile cease-fire further tattered. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-attacks-hormuz-infrastructure-centcom-jets/33806044.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-attacks-hormuz-infrastructure-centcom-jets/33806044.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 01:07:48 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories With the US and Iran launching fresh strikes in the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz is back under the spotlight. Naval strategist Joshua Tallis says restoring commercial confidence -- not military force alone -- will determine when shipping returns to normal. https://www.rferl.org/a/hormuz-strait-confidence-naval-tallis-us-iran/33805855.html https://www.rferl.org/a/hormuz-strait-confidence-naval-tallis-us-iran/33805855.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:28:06 +0200 IranNewsFeaturesThe Rundown Stories Kyiv says it has hit 159 vessels linked to Russia's so-called shadow fleet during a 12-day drone campaign in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. Ukrainian officials have said the operation is aimed at disrupting the transportation of oil and other shipments used to evade international sanctions. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-claims-new-strikes-on-russian-shadow-fleet-tankers-/33805813.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-claims-new-strikes-on-russian-shadow-fleet-tankers-/33805813.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:10:54 +0200 VideosUkraineVideo ArchiveThe Rundown Stories As US forces targeted military sites and infrastructure, primarily in southern Iran, for the sixth night on July 16-17, Tehran responded by announcing it was launching strikes on five Persian Gulf states, including attacks on US military forces in Syria and Bahrain. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-drone-strikes-hormuz-strait-kuwait-bahrain-qatar-jordan-syria-israel-military/33805789.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-drone-strikes-hormuz-strait-kuwait-bahrain-qatar-jordan-syria-israel-military/33805789.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 15:05:57 +0200 IranVideo ArchiveVideosThe Rundown Stories Tens of thousands of Iranians have flocked to sign an online petition with a rare but pointed message to the country's hard-liners: Go fight the war against the United States yourselves. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-anti-war-message-hardliners-rare-petition/33805712.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-anti-war-message-hardliners-rare-petition/33805712.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 13:29:54 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories What’s unusual about the arrest of Denis Obrezko is how relatively rare it is for Russian hackers to be detained abroad these days. What’s also unusual: Obrezko used to work for Russia’s FSB. And it also appears he was careless. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-hacker-fsb-thailand-dutch-us-cyber-fraud/33805051.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-hacker-fsb-thailand-dutch-us-cyber-fraud/33805051.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 08:37:54 +0200 RussiaFeaturesThe Rundown Stories Senate Republican leadership has thrown its weight behind a renewed bipartisan push to impose sweeping new sanctions on Russia that supporters say marks the strongest congressional effort yet to increase economic pressure on Moscow over its war against Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/senate-russia-sanctions-legislation-graham-war/33805545.html https://www.rferl.org/a/senate-russia-sanctions-legislation-graham-war/33805545.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 05:02:57 +0200 NewsRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories US forces stepped up attacks on Iranian sites, reportedly striking key bridges and an airport, prompting retaliatory action by Tehran, even while the White House said talks between the warring sides were still under way and that diplomacy was still a viable option. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-washington-tehran-hormuz-trump-centcom/33805272.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-washington-tehran-hormuz-trump-centcom/33805272.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:24 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories Worsening fuel shortages are causing more frustration across Russia, with social media videos regularly showing fist fights at gas stations and drivers demanding answers from authorities. The Kremlin claims the country's energy system remains resilient. https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-fuel-shortages-spark-public-anger/33805101.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-fuel-shortages-spark-public-anger/33805101.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:54:53 +0200 RussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Crowds gathered in Ukraine's major cities on July 16 after news broke that Mykhaylo Fedorov, the country's widely respected defense minister, had been dismissed. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-defense-minister-fired-protests-controversy-war/33805012.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-defense-minister-fired-protests-controversy-war/33805012.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:52:38 +0200 Russia Invades UkraineNewsRussiaPhoto GalleriesThe Rundown Stories As tensions between the US and Iran intensifies, with renewed military strikes and growing arguments around the Strait of Hormuz, global attention has focused on regional security, commercial shipping, and the risk of wider escalation. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-conflict-elizabeth-trudeau-interview/33804935.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-conflict-elizabeth-trudeau-interview/33804935.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:38:54 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories What do we know about one of the most fortified sites in Iran, which the US president has threatened to attack? https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran-nuclear-site-uranium/33805041.html https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran-nuclear-site-uranium/33805041.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 14:26:11 +0200 VideosIranThe Rundown Stories Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan five years ago as international military forces withdrew, the country's economy has sputtered, inflation has spiked, and international investment has all but dried up, leaving ordinary Afghans reliant on remittances from abroad to survive https://www.rferl.org/a/remittances-lifeline-afghanistan/33804312.html https://www.rferl.org/a/remittances-lifeline-afghanistan/33804312.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:39:04 +0200 AfghanistanFeaturesThe Rundown Stories Ukraine is expanding its use of medium-range drones to strike Russian military targets deep behind the front lines. Operators of FP-2 drones told RFE/RL the attacks hit air defenses, troop positions, and logistics hubs, forcing Russia to divert resources to protect sites deep inside its territory. https://www.rferl.org/a/how-ukrainian-drones-are-striking-so-deep-into-russia/33804244.html https://www.rferl.org/a/how-ukrainian-drones-are-striking-so-deep-into-russia/33804244.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:27:13 +0200 UkraineVideo ArchiveRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sacked Mykhaylo Fedorov as defense minister, a dramatic shakeup of his Cabinet that sent shockwaves through Ukrainian political and military circles and stoked new questions about oversight of Ukraine's stubborn defense against Russia's all-out invasion. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-defense-minister-fedorov-sacked-zelenskyy-cabinet-shuffle/33804467.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-defense-minister-fedorov-sacked-zelenskyy-cabinet-shuffle/33804467.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:25:19 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories The announcement on July 14 that French Rafale fighter jets will soon be received by Kyiv represents another step away from its legacy Soviet aircraft fleet, experts say. https://www.rferl.org/a/rafale-fighter-jets-ukraine-russia-war-france-air-force/33804326.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rafale-fighter-jets-ukraine-russia-war-france-air-force/33804326.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:48:10 +0200 UkraineFeaturesRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown StoriesEurope Iran has executed some 40 political prisoners since mass protests rocked the country in January. Twelve more may be about to join them, and they were all put on death row by one man: Mohammad Reza Tavakoli, honored by the judiciary as an “exemplary judge.” https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-judge-mohammad-reza-tavakoli-death-sentences/33804350.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-judge-mohammad-reza-tavakoli-death-sentences/33804350.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 19:21:13 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories