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, 10 Jun 2026 03:50:36 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL The United States said it launched "self-defense" strikes against Iran on June 9 just hours after President Donald Trump said Washington was compelled to respond to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter by Iranian forces a day earlier. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-strikes-iran-downing-helicopter-trump/33776992.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-strikes-iran-downing-helicopter-trump/33776992.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 23:46:01 +0200 IranNews The European Union is calling for financial sanctions on the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Russian head of the world chess federation, a historian who is a close adviser to President Vladimir Putin, and other top officials. https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-russia-sanctions-kirill-patriarch/33776981.html https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-russia-sanctions-kirill-patriarch/33776981.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 22:22:05 +0200 NewsRussia Afghanistan’s Taliban government used live fire to disperse a protest in the western city of Herat over new restrictions on women, eyewitnesses told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi. https://www.rferl.org/a/taliban-women-afghanistan-new-restrictions/33776929.html https://www.rferl.org/a/taliban-women-afghanistan-new-restrictions/33776929.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:47:56 +0200 AfghanistanNewsThe Rundown Stories Afghan Talliban forces used gunfire to disperse a women’s rights protest in the western city of Herat on June 9 after residents demonstrated against the recent arrest of women accused of violating the mandatory dress code. One eyewitness said at least one person was killed. https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-women-protest-dress-code-shooting/33776891.html https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-women-protest-dress-code-shooting/33776891.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:17:27 +0200 AfghanistanVideo ArchiveVideosHuman Rights Residents of Russian-occupied Crimea are reporting empty shelves in grocery stores and purchase limits on a number of basic goods. This comes amid a regional transportation collapse and fuel shortages caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries and vital infrastructure. https://www.rferl.org/a/panic-buying-in-russian-occupied-crimea-amid-transportation-crisis-fuel-shortages/33776828.html https://www.rferl.org/a/panic-buying-in-russian-occupied-crimea-amid-transportation-crisis-fuel-shortages/33776828.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:49:34 +0200 VideosRussiaUkraineVideo Archive The US House of Representatives has passed legislation requiring the administration to produce a detailed assessment of Russian and Chinese intelligence activities in Georgia https://www.rferl.org/a/us-house-passes-georgia-bill-targeting-russian-chinese-influence-amid-deepening-rift-with-tbilisi/33776729.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-house-passes-georgia-bill-targeting-russian-chinese-influence-amid-deepening-rift-with-tbilisi/33776729.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:25:16 +0200 GeorgiaNewsRussiaThe Rundown HeadlineChina In this week's briefing, RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak is drilling down on two issues: a damning rule-of-law assessment for Serbia and the latest Franco-German EU enlargement proposal. https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-rule-of-law-eu-enlargement-french-german-plan/33776111.html https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-rule-of-law-eu-enlargement-french-german-plan/33776111.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:14:28 +0200 Wider EuropeFeaturesMoldovaRussiaUkraineMontenegroSerbiaKosovoNorth MacedoniaThe Rundown Stories Kyiv Residents have mixed reactions over the removal of a statue of writer Mikhail Bulgakov, author of The Master And Margarita. Born in Kyiv, the novelist penned sharp satires of Soviet society. But Ukrainian officials said Bulgakov also symbolized Russian imperial thinking. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kyiv-bulgakov-master-margarita-statue-removal-russia-empire/33776091.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kyiv-bulgakov-master-margarita-statue-removal-russia-empire/33776091.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:24:03 +0200 UkraineRussiaVideo ArchiveVideosRussia Invades Ukraine The Gulf conflict has underscored the growing importance of mass-produced, low-cost weapons systems, particularly drones and munitions, and exposed the limitations of relying on expensive defensive technologies to counter them, according an executive at the defense tech firm Mach Industries. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-defense-manufacturing-diller-drone-warfare/33776633.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-defense-manufacturing-diller-drone-warfare/33776633.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:49:44 +0200 IranNewsFeatures 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 Tue, 09 Jun 2026 07:00:00 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories The summer tourist season is starting in Russian-occupied Crimea, but with Ukrainian drone attacks and fuel shortages, how many people will visit? Current Time correspondent Andrey Cherkasov explains, tour operators are trying to put a positive spin on the crisis, but it's being met with skepticism. https://www.rferl.org/a/oil-on-the-beach-but-no-fuel-for-cars-tourist-season-opens-in-crimea/33776035.html https://www.rferl.org/a/oil-on-the-beach-but-no-fuel-for-cars-tourist-season-opens-in-crimea/33776035.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:17:29 +0200 VideosRussiaUkraineVideo ArchiveThe Rundown Stories Iran launched ballistic missiles at northern Israel on June 7, describing the attack as retaliation for Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Israel responded with a "large-scale strike" on Iran's strategic defense systems. US President Donald Trump urged both sides to avoid further escalation. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-israel-exchange-fresh-strikes/33775841.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-israel-exchange-fresh-strikes/33775841.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:55:51 +0200 IranMiddle East Russian authorities suspended train service for Crimea after a Ukrainian drone knocked out a locomotive, further squeezing commerce to the occupied Black Sea peninsula struggling with fuel shortages. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-crimea-drone-train-fuel-shortages/33775808.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-crimea-drone-train-fuel-shortages/33775808.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:19:07 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories More than three months into Iran's conflict with the United States and Israel, Iranians say they are desperate about meeting basic needs. Some are down to one meal a day, meat is rare, and household appliances are sold off to pay bills. Some Iranians sent messages to RFE/RL's Radio Farda. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-economy-crisis-inflation-us-israel-war-unemployment-internet-irgc/33772766.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-economy-crisis-inflation-us-israel-war-unemployment-internet-irgc/33772766.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:06:01 +0200 IranVideo ArchiveVideosThe Rundown Stories The Israeli military said its forces targeted Iranian regime sites early on June 8 in retaliation for Tehran's latest attacks on Israel and shortly after US President Donald Trump said he would tell Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to conduct such strikes. https://www.rferl.org/a/israel-attack-trump-netanyahu-ceasefire-retaliation/33775004.html https://www.rferl.org/a/israel-attack-trump-netanyahu-ceasefire-retaliation/33775004.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 03:52:50 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian early on June 8 declared victory for his Civil Contract party over several pro-Russia groupings, with his party hovering around 50 percent as votes are counted, higher than pre-vote surveys suggested. https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-pashinian--parliament-assembly-election/33774709.html https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-pashinian--parliament-assembly-election/33774709.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 01:28:39 +0200 NewsArmeniaAzerbaijanRussiaThe Rundown Stories US President Donald Trump said a deal with Tehran to turn a cease-fire into a peace settlement is still "very close," even after Iran launched its first wave of air strikes against Israel since the fragile April truce took effect. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-israel-trump-ceasefire-irgc-attack/33774693.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-israel-trump-ceasefire-irgc-attack/33774693.html Sun, 07 Jun 2026 23:35:45 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories Russian forces hit a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel near Ukraine's Chernobyl power plant, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said June 7. He called the strike an "extremely vile" attack as international atomic energy monitors announced it did not lead to a spike in radiation. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-chernobyl-strike-nuclear-radiation-russia-iaea/33774622.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-chernobyl-strike-nuclear-radiation-russia-iaea/33774622.html Sun, 07 Jun 2026 17:40:05 +0200 UkraineRussiaVideo ArchiveVideosRussia Invades Ukraine When Kazakhstan launched Central Asia’s first large-scale cloud-seeding program on May 17, it called it a high-tech response to drought, water scarcity, and accelerating desertification. https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-cloud-seeding-central-asia-weather/33772843.html https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-cloud-seeding-central-asia-weather/33772843.html Sun, 07 Jun 2026 10:24:36 +0200 FeaturesAfghanistanIranKazakhstanKyrgyzstanUzbekistanThe Rundown Stories The ruling Civil Contract party of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has taken a big lead in a crucial parliamentary election, gaining 51.4 percent of the vote as initial ballots are counted. https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-election-parliament-pashinian-russia-eu/33774157.html https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-election-parliament-pashinian-russia-eu/33774157.html Sun, 07 Jun 2026 06:00:51 +0200 NewsArmeniaAzerbaijanRussiaThe Rundown Headline