Tatar activist Galishan Nuriakhmet was detained by police in Kazan, capital of Russia's Tatarstan region, for about an hour on October 12, the Tatar youth group Azatlyk reported, after several other activists had been detained in order to prevent them from attending a prayer in the Kol-Sharif mosque. The prayer to commemorate Tatars fallen during the 16th-century siege of Kazan by Russian troops was organized after the Kazan mayor's office banned a public rally. Azatlyk said it had lost contact with some of the detained activists. The then-capital of the Kazan Khanate fell to Moscow on October 15, 1552, when Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible conquered it after two weeks of resistance. The event has been marked in the city since the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, Kazan authorities in recent years have been reluctant to allow activists to hold such events. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities click here.

The European Commission has dismissed as "false" media reports that it is considering opening deportation camps for illegal migrants in EU candidate countries such as Moldova.

Recent reports in international media claimed that a number of European Union countries would encourage the hosting of migrants who are intercepted in international waters in candidate states outside the borders of the 27-member bloc in so-called "deportation hubs," citing the model of such a center opened by EU member Italy in Albania this week.

The reports claimed that EU home affairs ministers discussed the issue at a meeting in Luxembourg on October 10 ahead of a summit of the bloc's leaders later this month.

However, the center in Albania has come under scathing criticism from human rights watchdogs, prompting Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who inked the deal with his Italian counterpart, Georgia Meloni, to make it clear that there will be no new such centers in his country.

After the Luxembourg meeting, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told a news conference that there was currently no proposal to establish deportation hubs.

"Claims that the EU intends to create deportation camps for migrants in the Republic of Moldova and other countries that want to join the EU are false," Anita Hipper, a spokeswoman on internal affairs for the commission, said in response to a request for comment from RFE/RL.

"There is no such proposal in relation to the Republic of Moldova or any other country," Hipper added.

The Moldovan government has also strongly denied the reports, which have been picked up by the Russian press, saying it was a "fake" invented by the Kremlin.

The government has been grappling with a Russian-backed disinformation campaign before a make-or-break double election on October 20, when pro-Western President Maia Sandu is running for a second term in parallel with a referendum on EU membership.

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"A new fabrication has appeared claiming that Moldova would host a hub for rejected asylum seekers subject to deportation procedures," government spokesman Daniel Voda told The Times of London. "Let it be clear: the government is not discussing such a proposal and will not accept such ideas."

Sandu steered Moldova firmly toward the West after defeating a Moscow-backed incumbent in 2020 and moved to curb Russia's influence in one of Europe's poorest countries more than three decades after it declared independence from the Soviet Union.

Under Sandu's government, Moldova secured EU candidate status in June 2022 and opened membership negotiations with the bloc earlier this year.

The moves prompted Russia to step up a disinformation campaign to undermine the credibility of Moldova's government and portray Moscow as a better alternative for Chisinau's future.

The U.S. Embassy in Bucharest has issued a security alert for its citizens for the weekend regarding religious institutions on the territory of Romania. In a statement on its website, the embassy says that it "has been made aware of threats potentially targeting a synagogue, temple, or mosque in Romania for the October 11-13 weekend. The embassy urges U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution near religious institutions in Romania for this period." It recommends increased caution, keeping a low profile, and avoiding religious sites while paying increased attention to one's surroundings. Romania's Intelligence Service (SRI) said in response that it had no information justifying raising the terror-alert level. However, the SRI said it would act with increased attention to defend Romania's security. Israel, whose military is engaged in conflicts with U.S-designated Islamist terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas, observes the Yom Kippur religious holiday on October 12. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Romanian Service, click here.

Russian shelling has killed five Ukrainian civilians over the past 24 hours in the eastern Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, officials said on October 12.

In Donetsk, three people were killed -- two in Bohoyavlenka and one in Ivanopil, regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said on Telegram, adding that another eight people were wounded across the region.

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In the northeastern region of Kharkiv, a 38-year-old man was killed by Russian shelling in Kozachia Lopan and a 67-year-old man was killed in Kupyansk, regional authorities reported.

Russian troops also shelled populated areas of the Kherson region, including Kherson city, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported, adding that a medical facility, an administrative building, a cellular tower and residential buildings were damaged in the city.

Ukrainian forces liberated Kherson in November 2022, forcing Russian troops to retreat east of the Dnieper River, but Moscow's forces continue to strike the city and its surrounding region from across the river, causing casualties and damage to civilian and energy infrastructure.

In the southeastern Zaporizhzhya region, two women and an 11-year-old girl were wounded by Russian shelling early on October 12, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

Separately, Ukraine's air force said that air defenses shot down 24 out of the 28 drones launched by Russia at the Sumy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolayiv, and Kherson regions.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian regions of Belgorod and Krasnodar, wounding three people early on October 12, Russian officials said.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that a woman and two men wounded in a strike on Ustinka were hospitalized in moderate condition.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

In Krasnodar, three houses and one vehicle were destroyed by Ukrainian drones, regional chief Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram, adding that no injuries were reported.

In the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, a fuel depot was on fire in Rovenky, local Telegram channels reported, posting a video of the purported fire.

There was no official confirmation of the Rovenky strike, which was the second one after an attack on the fuel depot in May which killed several people.

Separately, Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 17 drones over Krasnodar, 12 over Kursk, 2 over Belgorod, while another 16 were downed off the Sea of Azov coast.

Ukraine, whose infrastructure has been battered by incessant Russian drone and missile strikes that also caused numerous victims among civilians, has in turn resorted lately to striking Russian military targets -- mainly fuel depots -- with its own drones.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who concluded a whirlwind tour of Ukraine's main European allies on October 11, has been pressing for approval to use modern long-range weapons systems donated by the West to strike deeper inside Russia -- a request that so far has been declined by most Western leaders.

Zelenskiy said during his visit to Berlin on October 11 that it was important that Ukraine's allies do not decrease their assistance next year.

Kyiv faces difficult months ahead in its fight to stop a slow but continuous Russian advance in the east.

Hezbollah on October 12 said it had fired a number of missiles at an Israeli military base south of Haifa as Israelis celebrated Yom Kippur, the most important holiday on the Jewish religious calendar.

The Iran-allied militant group said in a statement that its forces targeted "the explosives factory there with a salvo of...missiles."

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the Hezbollah claim, as the Yom Kippur celebrations got under way amid a barrage of diplomatic criticism aimed at Israel over a second Israeli strike at a United Nations peacekeeping position in Lebanon.

Two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were hurt in the incident, the UNIFIL mission said on October 11.

The Israeli military said it had fired at "an immediate threat" around 50 meters from the UNIFIL post.

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On October 10, two Indonesian soldiers were hurt when Israeli tank fire hit a watchtower.

The UN peacekeeping force said in a statement that the incident occurred at its headquarters in the town of Naqoura, adding that Israeli forces also fired on a nearby bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system.

The incidents sparked condemnation from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Israel's Western allies, prompting the Israeli military to pledge to carry out a "thorough review."

As Israeli forces were engaged in operations in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, tensions continued to be high in the region amid fears of an expanded regional conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on October 11 that Washington was still working to prevent a larger war in the Middle East and urged Israel to protect civilians after 22 people were killed in strikes on two buildings in central Beirut.

"We continue to engage intensely to prevent broader conflict in the region," Blinken told reporters after an East Asia summit in Laos, adding that it was "vitally important" for Israel to ensure that civilians are protected during the conflict.

Lebanese sources said at least one senior Hezbollah figure was targeted in the attacks, which were the third on Beirut since Israel started a military campaign in southern Lebanon last month against the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia, sparking fears of an all-out regional war.

Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV reported after the strikes that an attempt to kill Wafiq Safa, a top security official with the group, had failed. It said that Safa had not been inside either of the targeted buildings.

Safa heads Hezbollah's liaison and coordination unit responsible for working with Lebanese security agencies, security sources said.

With reporting by AFP

The United States on October 11 issued additional sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry in response to its October 1 attack on Israel, the Treasury Department said.

The new sanctions are designed to increase financial pressure on Iran and limit the ability of its regime to earn money from oil sales that can be used to undermine stability in the region and attack U.S. partners and allies, the Treasury Department said in a news release.

"In response to Iran's attack on Israel, the United States is taking decisive action to further disrupt the Iranian regime's ability to fund and carry out its destabilizing activity," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

The sanctions target Iranian efforts to channel revenues from its energy industry into deadly and disruptive activity, including development of its nuclear program, the proliferation of ballistic missiles and drones, and support to "regional terrorist proxies with dangerous consequences for the region and the world," Yellen said.

"We will not hesitate to take further action to hold Iran accountable," she added.

The department said its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating 10 entities in multiple jurisdictions and identifying 17 vessels as blocked property for their involvement in shipments of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products in support of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Triliance Petrochemical Company.

In addition, the U.S. State Department is designating six entities and identifying six vessels as blocked property for transporting or trading petroleum products from Iran.

"Collectively, these actions target a significant portion of the shadow fleet of tankers and illicit operators that move the Iranian regime's petroleum exports," the Treasury said.

NIOC was designated in October 2020 for its financial support to the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Triliance was designated in January 2020 for facilitating the sale of Iranian petroleum products from NIOC.

The sanctions freeze any assets the targeted entities and ships hold within U.S. jurisdiction and bar U.S. persons from any dealings with them.

A U.S. diplomat said on October 11 that a decision on lithium mining is up to Serbia's people but pointed out that a proposed project to exploit the mineral in the west of the country is expected to bring economic benefits.

Jose Fernandez, undersecretary for economic growth, energy, and environment, told a news conference in Belgrade that the question of whether to go ahead with the Jadar project was a sovereign decision and he supports the debate over the project.

The British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto plans to create Europe's biggest lithium mine in Serbia’s Jadar Valley. Rio Tinto says the project could provide nearly 60,000 tons of lithium annually and thus meet about one-fifth of the needs for Europe's electric-vehicle production.

The company has said that experts have confirmed that the Jadar project can be implemented safely and in accordance with the highest environmental standards. But numerous experts and activist oppose the project, claiming that it would have negative effects on environment.

"No country wants to trade the environment for economic growth," Fernandez said at the news conference. "That's a false choice that no country wants to make."

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Fernandez said he believes that the mine project will create jobs and bring Serbia closer to the European Union.

He noted that by 2050 the world will need 42 times more lithium than is used today, and that this critical raw material was currently controlled by "one or two countries."

Speaking on October 10, the same day that the Serbian parliament rejected a bill to ban the exploitation of lithium in western Serbia, Fernandez said that the Jadar project is a great opportunity for Serbia that "doesn't come around that often."

During his visit, Fernandez also announced projects that Serbia will implement in cooperation with U.S. companies in the field of green energy.

He said a solar energy agreement will be signed next week and noted that the Energy Ministry is studying the feasibility of a hydroelectric power plant on the Danube River.

Fernandez said that the United States sees that Serbia wants to diversify its sources of energy in order to reduce its dependence on Russia.

"Serbia has long relied on coal, as well as gas from Russia. It is in the interest of every country to achieve energy independence," he said. "Some countries have learned the hard way that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is arming himself with dependence on Russian gas."

The leaders of Turkey and Serbia said their countries might begin jointly producing military drones.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on October 11 during a visit to Belgrade that he and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic discussed the capabilities that the Turkish industry has in air assets, adding that could be a basis for cooperation in the defense industries of the two countries.

Asked whether the joint military industry cooperation would include the production of Bayraktar drones, Erdogan said: "Serbia has certain capacities…and as friendly countries we can develop our capacities together."

Speaking at a joint news conference with Vucic, he said that cooperation in a dedicated industry is necessary to protect peace.

Serbia had planned to purchase Bayraktar military drones from Turkey, but it announced in 2023 that it had abandoned the plan in response to the delivery of drones from Turkey to Kosovo, a former Serbian province whose independence Serbia does not recognize.

Vucic said last year that the delivery of the drones to Kosovo was "neither easy nor good news for us and it will affect our relations" with Turkey. But while hosting Erdogan in Belgrade on October 11, he said the Turkish military industry "is significantly stronger than ours" and he saw "room for great cooperation" with it.

Vucic said he had "great confidence" in Erdogan and his "attitude toward peace and stability," and noted that Serbia recently renewed export licenses for Turkey and subsequently exported a significant portion of shells to the Turkish market.

During Erdogan's visit, Serbia and Turkey signed agreements in various areas, including trade, energy, and emergency situations.

The two leaders also discussed regional and geopolitical issues, underscoring the importance of peace and stability in the Balkans and a common-sense approach when it comes to the tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.

Turkey again confirmed its determination to protect stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Erdogan said, while Vucic reiterated that Serbia supported the not only the territorial integrity of Bosnia, but also the integrity of Republika Srpska within it.

Asked what concrete steps Serbia and Turkey intend to take to ensure the stability of the Balkans, Vucic said that Erdogan had many ideas.

"Accordingly, we will try to spread and show somewhat different signs and signals toward Bosnia and Herzegovina, and vice versa to guarantee those who come after us security, peace, and commitment to solving problems, especially economic development," Vucic said.

With reporting by AP

A U.S. businessman whose extravagant claims about supposed projects in Ukraine were exposed in an RFE/RL investigation has been charged with stock manipulation by financial regulators in the United States.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said that Benjamin Ballout, the CEO of Enerkon Solar International, "authored, approved, and issued" at least three false press releases designed to drive up the price of the company's stock so that he and his associates could sell shares for a profit.

The charges stem from what the SEC said were false claims about purported U.K. and U.S. deals in press releases published between March and May 2021, at least two months after the initial Ukraine project claims.

This kind of scheme, known as "pump and dump," is not uncommon in the world of public companies that are valued at well under $1 billion and trade on the over-the-counter market as opposed to regulated exchanges.

Two of Ballout's associates, Mohamed Zayed and William Fielding, were also charged, the SEC said in a September 23 statement.

The government watchdog said it was seeking to force the return of the trio's allegedly illegal gains, impose civil penalties, and bar them from trading what are known as "penny stocks."

It said Fielding had agreed to settle with the SEC, giving up $311,000 in profits and $53,230 in interest and paying a $195,000 fine.

RFE/RL exposed Ballout's activities in a March 2021 article after he published a press release claiming that Enerkon had been "awarded" the right to create a massive solar-power project in Ukraine and build out a next-generation wireless-technology network around the country.

Enerkon's stock price jumped in the days and weeks following the press release, making Ballout overnight a multimillionaire on paper.

Ballout also claimed, in a filing with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), that he would be setting up meetings for a Ukrainian deputy prime minister with leading U.S. companies during the official’s upcoming visit to the United States.

An RFE/RL investigation showed that no such rights had been awarded to Enerkon. The Ukrainian government also denied that Ballout had been tapped to set up business meetings.

The investigation also showed that Ballout had no record of developing major projects and had struggled financially, filing for personal bankruptcy twice.

In phone calls and written messages, Ballout harassed and threatened RFE/RL reporters in an attempt to stop the article's publication.

"You and your crew under big scrutiny now. U can’t ever spy on me to a foreign gov and get away with it," he wrote in a March 22, 2021, text message.

Ballout did not answer his phone when RFE/RL tried to reach him for comment following the SEC charges.

The European Union will move ahead early next week with new sanctions against individuals and entities linked to Iran, sources told RFE/RL on October 11.

According to three European sources who spoke with RFE/RL on condition of anonymity, the sanctions are expected to be agreed on October 14 and likely will include Iran Air.

One source noted that EU ambassadors had already given the package a preliminary green light on October 9.

"Yes, sanctions on Monday in response to the shipment and more sectoral sanctions likely after that," another source told RFE/RL, referring to the transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia.

"I have zero indication that there is any reluctance," the source said.

After the United States, Britain, France, and Germany accused Iran of sending missiles to Russia more than a month ago, the three European countries announced their plans to place sanctions on Iran Air, the state-owned airline.

At the time, the German Foreign Ministry told RFE/RL that work had begun to consult with European allies on the matter.

Iran Air has direct flights to several cities in Europe, including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Paris, and Milan.

The possibility of new EU sanctions comes just a few days after Peter Stano, the EU's chief foreign policy spokesman, told RFE/RL that he was "optimistic" about the EU's relationship with Iran.

Stano stressed that EU relations with Iran "have been at an all-time low for a long time" and noted that the most recent reason is Iran's support for Russia in its illegal invasion of Ukraine by supplying drones and more recently missiles.

Domestic repression in Iran, arbitrary detention of EU citizens, and uranium enrichment are other factors that have caused the Islamic republic's relations with the EU to become "complicated" and "sensitive," according to Stano.

Independent Tatar journalist Iskander Siradzhi has been released from pretrial detention in the Russian city of Kazan after launching a hunger strike to protest the charges against him.

His lawyer, Talia Chernova, was quoted by online news outlet Realnoe Vremya as saying that Siradzhi was released and that no investigative actions were taken against him on October 11, but he remains a suspect in a case involving the release of private information about two witnesses in a murder case.

Chernova said earlier on October 11 that Siradzhi "considers his prosecution to be illegal."

Siradzhi, a well-known local journalist and the owner of the online newspaper Sirazhi Suze, was detained on October 9 in Kazan, the capital of Russia's Tatarstan region, after authorities searched his home and office, confiscating all his equipment.

Authorities subsequently opened a criminal case against him for the alleged dissemination of private information without consent, his wife Elmira Siradzhi reported on Telegram.

Siradzhi was briefly investigated in November 2023 in connection with RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who was arrested in Kazan in October 2023.

Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, was first charged with failing to register as a "foreign agent" under a punitive Russian law that targets journalists among others and was subsequently charged with spreading falsehoods about the Russian military -- charges she and RFE/RL denied.

She was sentenced to 6 1/2 years before being released in a prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States in August.

While Kurmasheva was still in detention, Siradzhi's home was searched at 5:30 a.m. by authorities, who took away his professional equipment and his children's computers.

"Allegedly, RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva collected information that constituted a state secret," Siradzhi said at the time.

"Supposedly, Kurmasheva asked some professors how many people were taken from their institute during the military mobilization. And this is supposedly a big crime. Supposedly, I am somehow connected with this crime," he added.

Siradzhi has never collaborated with RFE/RL.

Now the Investigative Committee is accusing Siradzhi of publishing personal information about two Kazan residents, named by authorities only as Safiullin and Sabirov.

The committee claimed that video footage published by Siradzhi several years ago disclosed details about the places of residence, the families, and the income of the two individuals, accusations that Chernova said are untrue.

The case against Siradzhi stems from his reporting on the case of Kazan resident Ibrahim Zakiyev, who was accused of murders committed some two decades ago.

Tatarstan's Supreme Court has recently acquitted Zakiyev, despite testimonies against him provided by Safiullin and Sabirov.

"And the very next day, based on [Safiullin and Sabirov's] statement, the Investigative Committee opens a case [against Siradzhi]," Chernova said, adding that his case is being handled by the same [investigative] department that sent Zakiyev’s murder case to court.

"I believe there’s a direct connection here," Chernova said. She added that investigators promised Siradzhi he would be released if he gave a confession.

The Japanese group Nihon Hidankyo, an organization of Atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki who advocate for the abolition of nuclear weapons, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

In making the announcement in Oslo on October 11, Norwegian Nobel Committee chief Joergen Watne Frydnes said it was "alarming" that "new countries appear to be preparing to acquire nuclear weapons, and threats are being made to use nuclear weapons as part of ongoing warfare."

“It is very clear that threats of using nuclear weapons are putting pressure on the important international norm: the taboo of using nuclear weapons,” Frydnes said when asked at a news conference if rhetoric from Moscow surrounding nuclear weapons and its invasion of Ukraine had played a part in the committee's decision.

Frydnes did not mention any specific countries, but his comments come at a time when countries such as Iran have raised fears of nuclear proliferation. Tehran says it is developing its nuclear capabilities for civilian purposes, but its foes say it is looking to produce atomic weapons.

In addition, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has further heightened concerns about the risk of nuclear war given Moscow's announcement that it plans to review its doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons and its deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus -- the first relocation of such warheads outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.

"The committee is drawing attention to a very dangerous situation in the world, with relations between China and the U.S., and between Russia and the U.S., the most toxic since the end of the Cold War," said Dan Smith of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which noted that at the start of 2024, the nine nuclear-armed states possessed an estimated 12,121 atomic weapons.

"If there is a military conflict, there is a risk of it escalating to nuclear weapons," Smith added.

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The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize isn't the first time an anti-nuclear group has been recognized.

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. Before it, Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, which works to reduce the role nuclear arms play in international politics, won in 1995.

The prize also comes as conflict ravages the Middle East, with fears focused on Iran. More than three dozen Iranian hard-line lawmakers on October 10 demanded the government revise its nuclear doctrine to pursue atomic weapons.

In a letter to the Supreme National Security Council, they said Western powers could not control Israel, thus making nuclear weapons "Iran's option to create deterrence."

Nihon Hidankyo was chosen from among 286 nominees -- 89 of which were organizations.

Last year, the prize, which comes with an 11 million Swedish krona (just over $1 million) award, went to imprisoned Iranian women's rights activist Narges Mohammadi.

U.S. tech giant Meta said on October 11 that it had removed a network of group accounts targeting Russian-speakers in Moldova ahead of the country's October 20 election after a U.S. senator called on the company to address Russian disinformation.

The parent company of Facebook said it removed seven Facebook accounts, 23 pages, one group and 20 accounts on Instagram for violating its policy against "coordinated inauthentic behavior."

This network originated primarily in the Transdniester region of Moldova and targeted Russian-speaking audiences in Moldova, Meta said, adding that the accounts were removed before they were able to build authentic audiences on Meta's apps.

The individuals behind the activity used fake accounts to manage pages posing as independent news entities, post content, and drive people to the operation's off-platform channels, primarily on Telegram.

They posted original content, including cartoons, about news and geopolitical events concerning Moldova and supportive commentary about pro-Russian parties in Moldova. A small fraction of the posts referred to exiled oligarch Ihan Shor and his party.

Following Meta's actions authorities in Moldova said they had blocked dozens of Telegram channels and chat bots linked to a drive to pay voters to cast "no" ballots in a referendum on EU membership held alongside the presidential election.

Moldovans are heading to the polls on October 20 to decide whether they will grant a second term to pro-Western President Maia Sandu and have their say in a referendum on the former Soviet republic's integration into the European Union.

In letters to Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai, the CEOs of the parent companies of Facebook and Google, Senator Ben Cardin (Democrat-Maryland), chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, pointed to the importance of the two polls, which he called "a unique moment in Moldova’s history that will determine the future for generations of Moldovans," stressing that "the decision must be Moldovans’ alone.”

A former World Bank official, the U.S.-educated Sandu steered Moldova firmly toward the West after defeating Moscow-backed incumbent Igor Dodon in 2020 and moved to curb Russia's influence in one of Europe's poorest countries more than three decades after it declared independence from the Soviet Union.

Chisinau firmly condemned Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and joined the EU sanctions regime against the Kremlin while sheltering tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees.

Moldova secured EU candidate status in June 2022 and opened membership negotiations with the bloc earlier this year, steps that prompted Russia to step up a disinformation campaign to undermine the credibility of Moldova's government and portray Moscow as a better alternative for Chisinau's future.

Ahead of the elections, the National Democratic Institute (NDI), a U.S. pro-democracy NGO, warned that foreign malign influence from Russia on social media platforms "is the greatest threat to electoral integrity" and recommended that social media companies move to prevent advertising from "sanctioned individuals or their proxies."

In his letters to Zuckerberg and Pichai, Cardin urged the two companies to "act without delay to allocate additional resources to support a fair electoral environment in the run-up to October 20" and pointed to a joint statement by the United States, Canada, and Britain warning in particular of Russian actors who intend to "incite protests in Moldova should a pro-Russia candidate not win."

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Cardin went on to warn the two tech giants that fugitive Moscow-backed oligarch Ilan Shor, who is wanted in Moldova for his role in the theft in 2014 of around $1 billion in banking assets and is under U.S. and EU sanctions, "has paid for sponsored ads on your platforms."

Cardin's letters came the same day that Moldovan police searched the homes of leaders of a group linked to Shor as part of a criminal investigation into election meddling. Three suspects were detained.

The whereabouts of Shor, who also holds Russian and Israeli passports, are not known, but he is believed to live in Moscow. His Facebook account was blocked this summer. Meta has so far also blocked the accounts of lawmaker and Shor-associate Marina Tauber and of Evghenia Gutul, the Russian-backed leader of Moldova's autonomous region of Gagauzia.

Cardin reminded the two IT giants that they have a responsibility in preventing "malign" outside involvement in the make-or-break elections.

“The gravity of this decision before the Moldovan people puts the onus on Moldova’s partners, as well as those who help moderate key parts of Moldova’s information space, to prevent malign foreign influence from interfering in one of the most important choices Moldovans will ever make,” Cardin concluded.

With reporting by Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin used a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Masud Pezeshkian, to cement their growing bilateral ties that have raised concern in the West as war rages in Ukraine and the Middle East.

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The two leaders met in Ashgabat on the sidelines of a conference in the capital of the tightly controlled Central Asian country of Turkmenistan on October 11. It was the first of two meetings between the men, with another scheduled at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24.

It was the first of two meetings between the two, with another scheduled at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters ahead of the meeting that while the talks will focus on bilateral relations, "the situation in the Middle East definitely will not be ignored and will also be on the agenda."

The meeting was the first between the two since Pezeshkian assumed office on July 30 after winning an election to succeed his hard-line predecessor, Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.

Relations between Moscow and Tehran have strengthened since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"Pezeshkian is trying to gauge to what extent Iran can rely on Russia for help," Touraj Atabaki, professor emeritus of Middle East and Central Asia social history at Leiden University in the Netherlands, told Radio Farda.

"Russia wants to stand with Iran due to Iran's support in its war on Ukraine but Moscow doesn't want to darken its relationship with Israel further and cut all ties," he added.

Since the early months of the Ukraine war, Russia has been accused of using Iranian-made Shahed and Mohajer-6 drones, many of which have been found after being shot down over Ukrainian cities and battlefields.

Iran initially denied arming Russia before relenting and admitting that it had supplied a "limited number of drones" to Moscow before the war.

Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Tehran continues to deny that its drones are being used by Russia against Ukraine. That has not stopped the United States and the European Union from imposing sanctions on Iran for helping Moscow.

Last month, the EU said it had "credible" information provided by allies suggesting that Iran has supplied short-range ballistic missiles to Russia to help Moscow wage war in Ukraine.

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Meanwhile, tensions in the Middle East have been heightened since Tehran launched some 200 missiles at Israel on October 1, saying the attack was in response to the killing of Tehran-backed militant leaders and a general from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Israel has vowed to launch a "deadly, precise, and surprising" attack on Iran in retaliation, while it continues to pound targets in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip that it says are aimed at Iran-backed proxies.

At least 30 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded on October 11 by Israeli strikes in Jabalia in northern Gaza, according to the territory's civil-defense agency.

The recent spiral of violence was sparked by the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas that killed around 1,200 people and saw some 250 taken hostage. Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

The fighting in Gaza prompted another Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, to fire missiles into Israel in support of Hamas. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU blacklists its armed wing but not its political party.

The Israeli military has launched massive air strikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon in response, as well as a ground incursion into southern Lebanon intended to destroy the Iran-allied militant group, whose political party has seats in the Lebanese parliament.

Israel faced condemnation on October 11 after its forces fired at what it said was a threat near a UN peacekeeping position in Lebanon. Israeli soldiers had responded to "an immediate threat" around 50 meters from the UNIFIL post, the military said.

"An initial examination indicates that during the incident, a hit was identified on a UNIFIL post...resulting in the injury of two UNIFIL personnel," the statement added. The army pledged to carry out a "thorough review."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the firing as "intolerable" and "a violation of international humanitarian law," while the British government said it was "appalled" by reports of the injuries.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he was "absolutely" asking Israel to stop firing at UN peacekeepers, while the French, Spanish, and Italian leaders issued a joint statement expressing "outrage."

French President Emmanuel Macron renewed his call for an end to exports of weapons used by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, while saying the UN peacekeepers had been "deliberately targeted."

In Iran, more than three dozen hard-line lawmakers on October 10 demanded the government revise its nuclear doctrine to pursue atomic weapons.

In a letter to the Supreme National Security Council, they said Western powers could not control Israel, thus making nuclear weapons "Iran's option to create deterrence."

Iran has been hit with waves of crippling economic sanctions for its nuclear program, which has seen a sharp increase in its uranium enrichment capacity after the United States under former President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 landmark deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that restricted Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions.

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purposes, but government officials caused alarm recently by saying it could change its "nuclear doctrine" if it is attacked or its existence is threatened by Israel.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that Washington was still working to prevent a larger war in the Middle East and urged Israel to protect civilians after 22 people were killed in strikes on central Beirut.

SEE ALSO:

Living Under The Threat Of Hezbollah Rockets In Northern Israel

Blinken spoke a day after Israeli air strikes targeted two buildings in Beirut, one of which completely collapsed.

"We continue to engage intensely to prevent broader conflict in the region," Blinken told reporters after an East Asia Summit in Laos, adding that it was "vitally important" for Israel to ensure that civilians are protected during the conflict.

Lebanese sources said at least one senior Hezbollah figure was targeted in the attacks, which were the third on Beirut since Israel started a military campaign in southern Lebanon last month against the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia, sparking fears of an all-out regional war.

Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV reported after the strikes that an attempt to kill Wafiq Safa, a top security official with the group, had failed. It said that Safa had not been inside either of the targeted buildings.

Safa heads Hezbollah's liaison and coordination unit responsible for working with Lebanese security agencies, security sources said.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah kept up its rocket fire into Israel on October 10, with the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) saying that several drones heading toward Israel had been intercepted.

Earlier on October 10, an Israeli strike on a school in the Gaza Strip killed at least 27 people, Palestinian medical officials said. The Israeli military said it had carried out a "precise strike on terrorists" who had a command-and-control center embedded in the school.

"This is a further example of the Hamas terrorist organization's systematic abuse of civilian infrastructure in violation of international law," an Israeli military statement said.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU, has denied such accusations. People who had been sheltering at the school said the strike hit a meeting of aid workers and injured 54 other people.

SEE ALSO:

Palestinians Count The Toll Of Israel's Devastating War In Gaza

Israel has continued to strike at what it says are militant targets across Gaza as it battles Hamas militants, even as the war broadened to include Hezbollah in Lebanon amid rising tensions with Iran.

In a separate incident on October 10, the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon said an Israeli tank fired on its headquarters in the town of Naqoura, hitting an observation tower and wounding two peacekeepers. The nationality of the injured peacekeepers was not released.

The UN peacekeeping mission -- known as UNIFIL -- said in a statement that Israeli forces also fired on a nearby bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system.

The Italian Defense Ministry summoned Israel's ambassador in protest, and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told a press conference that "hostile acts committed and repeated by Israeli forces against the base...could constitute war crimes."

Crosetto added that Italy has asked for an official explanation "because it was not a mistake."

The French Foreign Ministry said that while no French soldiers were injured in the incident, it also demanded an explanation.

With reporting by Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said during a visit to Berlin on October 11 that it was important that Ukraine's allies do not decrease their assistance next year as he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Zelenskiy has been on a whirlwind tour of major European capitals meant to win backing for his "victory plan" aimed at ending the war with Russia.

His main goal in his visits to London, Paris, Rome, and Berlin, his final stop, was to press for additional military and financial aid as Kyiv faces difficult months ahead in its fight to stop a slow but continuous Russian advance in the east.

In Berlin, Zelenskiy thanked Germany for its backing and said that "it is very important for us that this assistance does not decrease next year."

He said he would present Scholz with his plan for winning the war, repeating his hope that the conflict would end no later than next year.

"Ukraine more than anyone else in the world wants a fair and speedy end to this war," Zelenskiy said.

After his stops in London, Paris, and Rome on October 10, Zelenskiy said on X that he had "outlined the details" of his proposed "victory plan" to defeat Russian forces during his meetings with the leaders of Britain, France, and Italy.

He added that he and the other leaders agreed to work on the plan together but gave no details on what it says.

Scholz said he and the Ukrainian leader agreed on the need for a peace conference that includes Russia, but that peace "can only be brought about on the basis of international law."

"We will not accept a peace dictated by Russia," Scholz said.

Scholz also announced a 1.4 billion-euro ($1.53 billion) military aid package for Ukraine from Germany with partner countries Belgium, Denmark, and Norway, saying it includes more air defense, tanks, combat drones, and artillery and sends a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that "playing for time will not work" and vowing "not let up in our support for Ukraine."

During a 35-minute meeting with Pope Francis on October 11, Zelenskiy sought the Vatican's help in securing the return of adults and children taken prisoner by Russia, he said on X, formerly Twitter.

"The issue of bringing our people home from captivity was the main focus of my meeting with Pope Francis," he said.

Zelenskiy gave Francis an oil painting called the Bucha Massacre, depicting the mass killings of civilians by Russian troops in the Ukrainian city in 2022.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

Zelenskiy's arrival in Berlin comes after an October 12 summit of the Ramstein group of Ukraine's main backers was canceled at short notice when U.S. officials, including President Joe Biden, abandoned their travel plans as the southern U.S. states braced for Hurricane Milton.

The White House said in a statement that Biden spoke to Scholz on October 10 and noted "his intention to continue our strong collaboration on geopolitical priorities, including supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression."

The United States has been Ukraine's main backer and by far the main contributor in terms of financial and military aid, but a victory by Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump in the election could cast doubt about Washington's continued support for Kyiv.

Zelenskiy's diplomatic efforts are taking place as Russia continues to keep up the pressure on Ukraine's cities.

As Zelenskiy arrived in Berlin, the number of civilians killed in a Russian missile strike on Odesa on October 11 rose to nine, including a teenage girl, and Russian troops struck the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine.

"A two-story building where civilians lived and worked was destroyed," Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram.

Odesa, Ukraine's main hub for grain exports, has been repeatedly struck by Russian forces since the start of the war.

Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said there were no injuries in one strike but an inspection following another missile strike on the Derhachiv community of Kharkiv was ongoing.

Outside Kharkiv, a 38-year-old man was killed by a Russian drone strike on the village of Kozacha Lopan, the region's military administration reported.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital was targeted by Russian drones early on October 11. The military administration of the Ukrainian capital later reported on Telegram that all the attacking drones had been shot down, without specifying a number.

On the battlefield, outmanned and outgunned Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian troops inside the strategic city of Toretsk in the eastern region of Donetsk after abandoning Vuhledar, another strategic hub in the region, last week.

Over the past 24 hours, Russian forces carried out fresh attacks near Vremivka, Kharkiv, Kupyansk, and Siversk, the General Staff of Ukraine's military reported on October 11.

Separately, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said at least 208 civilians were killed and 1,220 injured in Ukraine in September. That made it the month with the highest number of civilian casualties in 2024, the mission said.

The organization said that 46 percent of the dead were over the age of 60. In addition, nine children were killed and 76 were injured in September.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP

Unidentified gunmen shot and killed 20 coal miners in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province early on October 11, police said. The attack occurred at a coal mine in Balochistan's Duki district, local officials told RFE/RL. Police official Humayun Khan told journalists that the attackers also used rocket-propelled grenades. Doctors at a hospital in Duki said they had received 20 bodies and seven injured. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Mineral-rich Balochistan has been rocked by a series of militant attacks since the start of the year. Baluch separatist groups, such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), designated as a global terrorist organization by the United States, are engaged in fighting against the Pakistani government.

The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) plans to go ahead with its Loya Jirga grand assembly on October 11 to discuss peace and security in northwestern Pakistan despite recent violence, including the deaths of three of its members.

Thousands of people took part on October 10 in a funeral prayer service for the three peace activists killed when police started firing at them a day earlier after the activists refused to vacate the venue for the Loya Jirga.

Pakistani authorities earlier this week banned the PTM, a popular civil rights movement that campaigns for the country's ethnic Pashtun minority. The PTM has been engaged in "certain activities that are harmful to public order and security," the Interior Ministry said on October 6 in a statement announcing the ban. It provided no details about the alleged activities.

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The PTM on October 10 rejected the accusation of the interior minister that it is trying to "create a parallel or parallel justice" in the country and "create division and differences in the society."

The PTM in recent days reported a series of police raids and arrests targeting its leaders and members ahead of the Loya Jirga to be held in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

The PTM has campaigned since 2018 for the civil rights of the country’s estimated 35 million ethnic Pashtuns. Many of Pakistan’s ethnic Pashtuns live in areas close to the border with Afghanistan, where the Pakistani military has conducted campaigns that it says defeated the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistani Taliban or TPP.

The area has recently experienced a surge in militant violence. The TPP has claimed responsibility for much of it.

In the most recent incident, militants opened fire on October 10 on a police vehicle and killed two officers before fleeing the scene, police said. The attack happened in the city of Tank, local police official Sher Afzal said.

Within hours the military said it had killed four militants in North Waziristan, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

No group has claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on the TTP, which is outlawed in Pakistan. The group is separate from but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban.

In other recent violence in the country, two Chinese citizens were killed in a large blast near the airport of Karachi that the Chinese Embassy called a "terrorist attack." The blast was claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army.

The attack took place late on October 6 and it targeted a convoy of Chinese employees of the Port Qasim Electric Power Company Limited that was traveling from the airport, the embassy said. The Chinese citizens were working on the construction of two coal-fired power plants in Pakistan.

The latest violence comes ahead of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which will take place in Islamabad on October 15.

With reporting by AP

Journalists from RFE/RL came under Russian fire in eastern Ukraine on October 10 as they filmed battlefield action alongside Ukrainian troops.

The group from the Radio Donbas Realities project of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, consisting of correspondent Roman Pahulych and cameraman Pavlo Kholodov, was filming Ukrainian drone operators on October 10 when Russian military hit the positions of Ukrainian fighters with artillery.

The first incoming shell fell next to Pahulych and several Ukrainian soldiers he had spoken with while in the Donetsk region near Bakhmut.

The group was taken to a stabilization point, where Pahulych was treated for a bruise caused by the pressure of the exploding shell, while two soldiers were treated for minor injuries.

Cameraman Pavel Kholodov was uninjured.

Pahulych has been working for RFE/RL since 2018, reporting from the front lines in the war to repel Russia's invading forces, as well as producing analyses about the problems faced by Ukraine's military.

Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who had gone missing in Russian-occupied territories, has been confirmed dead while in Russian captivity, Ukrainian authorities reported on October 10.

The news was confirmed by Petro Yatsenko, a representative of Ukraine’s Coordination Staff for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, following an internal investigation into her disappearance.

“We have conducted an internal investigation, and unfortunately, the information about Viktoria’s death has been confirmed," Yatsenko said. However, the circumstances surrounding Roshchyna’s death remain unclear and are still under investigation, he added.

Roshchyna, a freelance journalist who had previously worked with RFE/RL and other prominent Ukrainian media outlets, had been missing since early August 2023.

She had traveled from Ukraine to Poland on July 27 last year before heading toward the Russian-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine, according to her father, Volodymyr Roshchyn. Her last known communication was on August 3, 2023.

RFE/RL is "devastated" by the news of Roshchyna's death, President and CEO Stephen Capus said.

"Her unlawful imprisonment and tragic death underscore the high price journalists pay for reporting the truth about Russia's war on Ukraine. We must honor her legacy by holding her captors accountable,” Capus said in a statement.

Oleksandra Matviychuk, a friend of Roshchyna and head of the human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, also reacted to Roshchyna's death.

Roshchyna "died under unknown circumstances in Russian captivity fighting for what she believed in: freedom, transparency, and democracy. Her bravery in the face of adversity is something every journalist, every human, should aspire to," Matviychuk said in a statement.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

Yatsenko revealed that prior to Roshchyna's death efforts were being made to secure her release from Russian captivity, where she was held along with at least 25 other Ukrainian journalists. These journalists are either detained or missing within Russian-controlled areas.

Andriy Yusov of Ukraine's Military Intelligence confirmed that Roshchyna had been slated for a prisoner exchange, and as of the most recent updates she was being transferred from Taganrog, a Russian city near the Ukrainian border, to Moscow's Lefortovo detention center in preparation for her release.

Ukrainian authorities are now trying to understand what transpired during this transfer.

Roshchyna's case highlights the dangers faced by journalists reporting in war zones. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), more than 100 Ukrainian and foreign journalists have been directly affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

Several Ukrainian journalists remain detained or missing in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territories, with Roshchyna's death underscoring the ongoing risks faced by members of the press in conflict zones.

A complex international smuggling operation involving the illegal supplying of Belarusian mineral fertilizer to Ukraine despite sanctions imposed on such activities by both Ukraine and the European Union has been uncovered by RFE/RL's Belarusian Service, known locally as Radio Svaboda.

According to documents obtained by Radio Svaboda from the Shevchenko district court in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, the Belarusian company Hrodna Azot used a network of intermediaries, including a Dubai-based company, to conceal the origin of its products by falsely claiming they were produced in Turkmenistan.

The case highlights the broader issue of Belarusian goods entering Ukraine despite sanctions, as intermediaries use routes through Black Sea countries such as Romania and Bulgaria to bypass restrictions.

The scheme was outlined in the documents as part of a court case against the Ukrainian company Oscar Optima, which was involved in the sale of the fertilizer in question.

According to the Ukrainian court, Hrodna Azot transported its products by rail to the Russian port of Rostov, where the fertilizer was shipped through Bulgaria before finally reaching the Ukrainian port of Izmayil.

A red flag was raised when the fertilizer was declared as originating from Turkmenistan, a country that does not produce the type being declared.

In April 2023, one such shipment, valued at $1.1 million, was traced to a Dubai-registered company, Agro Chain General Trading LLC, which acted as a front for the operation, court documents showed.

Ukrainian authorities also uncovered forged certificates of origin and communications between Oscar Optima and Turkish nationals managing the Dubai company further confirmed the illicit origins of the shipments.

A forensic investigation confirmed that the fertilizer matched products produced by Hrodna Azot, a Belarusian company sanctioned by the EU in 2021 for its role in repressing workers who protested against the authoritarian ruler of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and his regime.

Since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Belarusian products, including fertilizer, have been banned from being purchased with Ukrainian state funds, but some goods continue to enter the country via third-party countries.

Ukrainian investigators are pursuing charges under multiple sections of the Criminal Code, including forgery, tax evasion, and collaboration, which could result in up to 12 years in prison for those involved.

The investigation is ongoing, with the involvement of Ukraine's Security Service and the Prosecutor-General’s Office.

Shipments from countries such as Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, which may involve similar tactics, are also being investigated.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 10 issued a decree simplifying visa procedures for Georgian citizens, allowing visa-free entry to those traveling for work or education. The decree, effective immediately, extends to Georgian citizens staying in Russia for over 90 days. This development comes as tensions between Georgia's government and the West continue to rise. Tbilisi has been criticized for its increasingly close ties to Moscow, with the European Union and the United States expressing concerns over Georgia's democratic backsliding. Earlier this year, the Georgian parliament passed a controversial "foreign influence" law despite mass protests. The law is similar to a Russian law used to muzzle free press and dissent. The decree looks like another move by Russia to strengthen ties with Georgia, even as the country's government faces mounting pressure from Western allies over its stance on Russia and internal governance issues. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Echo of the Caucasus, click here.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Moldovans to participate in two crucial upcoming elections and announced that the European Union has earmarked 1.8 billion euros ($1.97 billion) in financial support for the economy of one of Europe's poorest countries in the next three years.

Pro-Western President Maia Sandu is running for a second term on October 20, when voters will also have their say in a referendum on joining the 27-member European Union.

On the same day Von der Leyen traveled to Moldova, police searched the homes of leaders of a group linked to fugitive pro-Russian businessman Ilan Shor as part of a criminal investigation into election meddling. Three people were detained for at least 72 hours following 115 searches that began on October 8.

The police action came after the country's police and Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office last week said tens of thousands of voters had been paid off in a bid to derail Chisinau's election. The Moldovan authorities said the payments were made through accounts in a Russian bank and were managed by people in Russia.

Shor, a resident of Russia who is wanted in Moldova, has denied allegations, describing statements from Moldovan authorities as an "absurd spectacle."

Shor's account on Telegram was later blocked in Moldova, though people were able to gain access to an alternative account he opened.

At a joint news conference with Sandu, Von der Leyen encouraged Moldovans to go to the polls to express their "free and sovereign choice" but stopped short of telling them how to vote.

Under the U.S.-educated Sandu, who came to power after defeating Russian-backed incumbent Igor Dodon in 2020, Moldova took an about-turn toward the West, condemning Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and joining the EU sanctions regime against the Kremlin.

Moldova secured EU candidate status in June 2022 and opened membership negotiations with the bloc earlier this year, steps that prompted Russia to step up attempts to undermine the credibility of Moldova's government and portray Moscow as a better alternative for Chisinau's future.

Sandu said the 1.8 billion-euro package would be used to invest in "areas that will generate economic growth and public services" such as repairing schools, building two new hospitals in the cities of Balti and Cahul, and building roads and bridges to connect Moldova with its neighbors. But the money would also be used to develop the country's energy network.

The election is seen as a make-or-break moment for the future of Moldova, a country of 2.5 million wedged between Romania and Ukraine where Russia still wields massive influence and maintains more than 1,000 troops in the separatist Transdniester region, 33 years after Chisinau declared independence from the Soviet Union.

Von der Leyen praised Sandu for "how committed" she has been to "Moldova's European path" and for the advances made by Moldova toward EU membership and mentioned "the initiation of reforms of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, and the expulsion of oligarchs from the economic sector."

Sandu called the financial support package "a symbol of trust in Moldova's development potential."

"Thank you, dear Ursula, for your support for Moldova all these years," Sandu said.

In announcing the alleged payments-for-votes scheme on October 3, authiorities said that in September alone more than $15 million from Russian banks were directed to the accounts of more than 130,000 Moldovan citizens.

The plot was allegedly hatched by Shor, a Russian-backed fugitive oligarch implicated in a $1 billion bank fraud and other illicit schemes who has organized protests in Chisinau against Sandu.

With reporting by Reuters

A monument has been erected in the Siberian city of Nizhnevartovsk to honor victims of the brutal purges from the 1930s to the 1950s, despite efforts by the Russian government to glorify Soviet dictator Josef Stalin and downplay the extent of Soviet-era political repression.

The memorial, long delayed and initially resisted, was funded by local authorities and stands as a reminder of a dark chapter in Soviet history -- one increasingly subject to historical revisionism.

The rehabilitation of Stalin has been a feature of the rule by President Vladimir Putin since the former KGB officer came to power nearly a quarter-century ago.

In the early years, Stalin was promoted as an "effective manager" who led the Soviet Union to victory over Nazi Germany.

But over time, the tight connection between Stalin and the war has been loosened, and Stalin and Stalinist imagery now appear in a much wider array of contexts -- from advertising to the arts.

Sources familiar with the project to build the new monument, which flies in the face of Putin's narrative, told RFE/RL on October 10 that the idea dates back to 2008, when the Nizhnevartovsk city administration held a competition to design it.

Despite initial momentum, the project stalled for years, with officials citing various logistical reasons.

First, city officials claimed the site was unavailable due to construction. Later, they allocated a remote location in an old part of the city, further delaying its completion.

Frustrated by the city's inaction, residents took matters into their own hands in 2015, raising funds to erect a simple slab monument near a school. However, this unofficial tribute was destroyed in the fall of 2023 by unknown individuals.

The long-awaited monument was finally erected with the assistance of former Khanty-Mansi Governor and current Federation Council member Natalya Komarova and after years of persistent advocacy by activists from the Istoki Pamyati (Origins of Memory) group.

An official unveiling is planned for October 30, which is observed as the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repression in Russia, at a time when the condemnation of Stalin's crimes is being pushed aside by normalization of the era in the everyday lives of Russians.

Recently, the Prosecutor-General’s Office announced plans to review past decisions on the rehabilitation of repression victims, raising concerns that historical accountability for Soviet atrocities may be undermined.

Moreover, in June, changes were made to the official Concept On Victims Of Political Repressions, eliminating references to the mass nature of Soviet-era purges and removing the call to commemorate their victims.

The shift in the official stance was highlighted by the Moscow city government's decision to cancel the 2024 "Return of Names" event, where citizens traditionally gather to read aloud the names of those who were killed or jailed during the repressions.

The cancellation was ostensibly due to a "sharp increase in COVID cases," but activists see it as part of the broader effort to suppress discussion of Soviet crimes.