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, 24 Jun 2026 20:36:53 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL Ukrainian film artists are determined to build back the loss of 100,000 costumes, used in dozens of historic films, that burned in a Russian air attack on the Dovzhenko National Film Studios on June 15. Current Time's Yulia Zhukova spoke with studio staff about their commitment to cinema heritage. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kyiv-film-studios-dovzhenko-russia-strike-costume-fire-archive/33787995.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kyiv-film-studios-dovzhenko-russia-strike-costume-fire-archive/33787995.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:41:03 +0200 Ukraine More than half of Russia’s 83 regions are struggling with gasoline shortages, due overwhelmingly to Ukrainian drone strikes. Local authorities are imposing daily limits or other restrictions. Officials are trying to ward off panic buying. It’s turning into a serious headache for the Kremlin. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-oil-refinery-fuel-shortages-kremlin/33787903.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-oil-refinery-fuel-shortages-kremlin/33787903.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:00:18 +0200 Russia Iran has pushed back against US claims that any frozen Iranian assets released under a framework deal would be used to buy American agricultural products but stopped short of ruling it out, as the proposal sparked a sharp backlash from the country’s hard-liners. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-assets-us-agriculture-farmers-food-backlash/33787940.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-assets-us-agriculture-farmers-food-backlash/33787940.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:47:57 +0200 Iran A Ukrainian photojournalist captured life near the front lines as the Russian invasion into eastern Ukraine persists despite Kyiv's successful drone strikes deep inside Russia. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-invasion-ukraine-evacuations-photographer-witness/33787789.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-invasion-ukraine-evacuations-photographer-witness/33787789.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 16:31:46 +0200 Russia Invades Ukraine The Taliban’s morality police have intensified the enforcement of the hijab, or Islamic head scarf, in western Afghanistan. In the city of Herat, women told RFE/RL that the Taliban routinely stops and inspects women in the streets. https://www.rferl.org/a/hijab-herat-afghanistan-taliban-morality-police/33787173.html https://www.rferl.org/a/hijab-herat-afghanistan-taliban-morality-police/33787173.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:16:32 +0200 Afghanistan 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 hockey arena in Putin’s hometown to the Russian gas giant Gazprom, RFE/RL has found. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ice-hockey-arena-putin-petersburg/33787105.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ice-hockey-arena-putin-petersburg/33787105.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:44:39 +0200 Russia Russia is reportedly developing new military infrastructure near its border with NATO member Finland that will be able to house thousands of Russian soldiers. The new base in Novaya Vilga, which lies some 170 kilometers from Russia's frontier with NATO, is being watched closely inside Finland and the wider Baltic Sea region as Moscow beefs up its military presence in the area. https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-s-north-watches-russia-s-new-garrisons-with-growing-concern/33787218.html https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-s-north-watches-russia-s-new-garrisons-with-growing-concern/33787218.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:44:20 +0200 Videos 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-war-us-hormuz-oil-blockade-gulf-israel/33640284.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-us-hormuz-oil-blockade-gulf-israel/33640284.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:05:00 +0200 Iran At the start of a Gulf tour, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to assure regional allies that a framework cease-fire agreement with Iran will take their security concerns into account. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-gulf-tour-iran-ceasefire/33787271.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-gulf-tour-iran-ceasefire/33787271.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 20:11:31 +0200 Iran In this week's briefing, RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak drills down on one issue: EU enlargement as Ireland takes over the EU presidency. https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-ireland-eu-presidency-enlargement/33787181.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe-ireland-eu-presidency-enlargement/33787181.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:56:07 +0200 Wider Europe You are listening to the audio version of the Wider Europe newsletter, published on June 23, 2026, read by an AI-generated voice of RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak. https://www.rferl.org/a/33787242.html https://www.rferl.org/a/33787242.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:55:10 +0200 Wider Europe Officials from Afghanistan's Taliban rulers held talks in Brussels for the first time on the repatriation of Afghans despite sharp criticism from rights groups that the European Union was legitimizing the hard-liners amid continued signs they are cracking down further on women. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-taliban-meeting-outcry-activists-deportations/33787206.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-taliban-meeting-outcry-activists-deportations/33787206.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:08:09 +0200 News Ukraine's military says it struck oil facilities near the Crimea Bridge and at other sites on the Russian-occupied peninsula on June 23. While Russia claimed it successfully downed Ukrainian drones in the region, footage appeared on social media of blasts amid a severe gasoline shortage in Crimea due to escalating attacks. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-crimea-strike-oil-kerch-russia-occupied-gasoline-shortage-drone/33787152.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-crimea-strike-oil-kerch-russia-occupied-gasoline-shortage-drone/33787152.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:05:24 +0200 Ukraine Since the onset of the all-out invasion in 2022, Ukraine has repeatedly poked at Russian forces -- and Russian tourists -- in occupied Crimea. In recent months, Kyiv’s efforts have become much more deliberate. They appear to be working. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-drone-summery-economy/33786439.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-drone-summery-economy/33786439.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:13:56 +0200 Ukraine Iran sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi to 74 lashes for singing a song while not wearing a hijab, but the punishment may only make women’s voices harder to silence, according to a fellow performer. Hana Kamkar, an Iranian singer now in exile, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that women and girls continue to sing in Iran despite bans on solo singing, a dress code, and years of pressure. She says Ahmadi’s virtual concert without a head scarf was an act of defiance that amplified Iranians'... https://www.rferl.org/a/iranian-singer-lashes-reaction/33787034.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iranian-singer-lashes-reaction/33787034.html Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:05:33 +0200 Videos Iran and the United States cited progress in talks toward reaching a final peace deal, though comments from both sides highlighted the fragile state of negotiations. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-progress-peace-deal-trump-rubio/33786485.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-progress-peace-deal-trump-rubio/33786485.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 23:48:49 +0200 News After recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Moscow’s main oil refinery, Russian media are downplaying the impact of the dramatic attacks. As Current Time's Andrey Cherkasov explains, authorities and pro-Kremlin pundits are calling for a crackdown on people who post videos of burning ruins online. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-moscow-kremlin-media-internet-videos-downplay/33786444.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-moscow-kremlin-media-internet-videos-downplay/33786444.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 20:48:50 +0200 Ukraine Recent photos from a key Russian logistics route highlight the growing impact of Ukraine's efforts to stifle Russian operations. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-logistics-drone-highway-crimea/33786426.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-logistics-drone-highway-crimea/33786426.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:41:30 +0200 Ukraine US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain this week on his first official visit to the Gulf since the outbreak of the Iran war and just days after Washington and Tehran signed a framework agreement aimed at bring peace to the region. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-gulf-us-iran-framework-hormuz/33786331.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-gulf-us-iran-framework-hormuz/33786331.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:02:04 +0200 Iran Vice President JD Vance said "good progress" was made in negotiations on a framework toward reaching a final peace deal within 60 days, including the guarantee of safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, an end to fighting in Lebanon, and Tehran's acceptance of visits by IAEA inspectors. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-united-states-burgenstock-roadmap-war/33786170.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-united-states-burgenstock-roadmap-war/33786170.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:16:39 +0200 Iran