Breaking News

Ray Furlong

Ray Furlong has reported for RFE/RL from the Balkans, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and elsewhere since joining the company in 2014. He previously worked for 17 years for the BBC as a foreign correspondent in Prague and Berlin, and as a roving international reporter across Europe and the former Soviet Union.

FurlongR@rferl.org

Also by Ray Furlong

February 28, 2024
Crimean Restaurant Rebukes Russian Embassy In Poland

In fear for his life, Ernest Suleymanov fled Crimea shortly after Russian forces seized the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Now he runs a restaurant in Warsaw, directly opposite the Russian Embassy. "It's like a slap in the face," he says, "Crimea is not theirs."
February 28, 2024
'Engineered Elections': Iran To Vote On Assembly That May Name Next Supreme Leader

Iran is holding two sets of elections on March 1, for a new parliament and also for the Assembly of Experts -- the body that selects the country's supreme leader. The current holder of that office, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is 84 years old, so it's likely that the new assembly will name his successor
February 26, 2024
'Aware Of The Risks': A Crimean Tatar Woman Defies Russia's Occupation Authorities

From her home in Russia-occupied Crimea, Mumine Salieva fights for human rights while also raising four children single-handedly after her husband was imprisoned. The 38-year-old PhD student helps families of people detained since Russian forces seized control of the peninsula 10 years ago.
February 23, 2024
The Most Dangerous Train Ride In Ukraine

The train runs from Kyiv to Kramatorsk, the last stop before the front line in eastern Ukraine. Its carriages are filled with soldiers returning from leave who exchange final kisses with family on station platforms. The emotional farewells come as Russia's full-scale invasion enters a second year.
February 22, 2024
Former Navalny Doctor Says Poison Could Be Removed From Body

A Russian doctor who was involved in efforts to diagnose Aleksei Navalny after he was poisoned in 2020 says traces of poison can be removed from a dead body. Speaking to Current Time, Aleksandr Polupan also said there was no reason for the Russian authorities not to hand over the body..
February 21, 2024
Ukraine's Frontline Street Cleaners Tidy Rubble Instead Of Trash

Cleaning the streets of Kurakhove, in eastern Ukraine, was once mostly about removing trash dropped by residents. Two years into Russia's full-scale invasion street cleaners are busier than ever – removing the rubble left behind by Russian rocket strikes. "You don't get used to it," says Oksana.
February 19, 2024
Navalny's Widow Vows To Continue His Work

Aleksei Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, has vowed to continue his work in a video posted on social media. In it, Navalnaya also claimed that Russian authorities were delaying handing over his body until traces of Novichok poison disappeared from it.
February 18, 2024
Exclusive: Inmates Repeatedly Denied Medical Care At Navalny Prison, Documents Reveal

Court documents examined by RFE/RL reveal that medical care was repeatedly denied to inmates at the prison where Aleksei Navalny was held. In one case, this resulted in the death of an inmate. The revelation comes amid questions over how Navalny died.
February 16, 2024
Muscovites React To Reports Of Navalny's Death

As reports spread in Moscow that opposition leader Aleksei Navalny had died, RFE/RL's Russian Service asked residents for their reactions. While some voiced intense grief, others were indifferent.
February 10, 2024
Missing: A Tajik Mom Clings To Hope, 6 Years After Daughter's Call From Syria

A crackly 6-year-old WhatsApp message records the last known words of Sitora, a Tajik woman whose husband had joined Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria. Her mother later heard that Sitora was dead, but does not believe it and is also desperate to find the granddaughter who was born in Syria.
February 09, 2024
When Tucker Met Vlad: Lies, Omissions, And Baseless Claims

Tucker Carlson's marathon interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin produced little new. Instead, it was a rehash of Kremlin lies and baseless claims, in which Carlson neglected to mention many inconvenient truths.
February 05, 2024
A Doctor Hid Bones Of Srebrenica Victims In His Garden. He's Still Practicing.

A Bosnian Serb doctor hid bones of Srebrenica victims in his garden, after using them "to plan surgery." People in Brcko, where doctor Nebojsa Mraovic works, have voiced shock. But when RFE/RL called his office, he was still working there.
January 31, 2024
Singer Arrives In Israel As Bandmates Fight Deportation To Russia

A Russian singer arrived in Israel while his bandmates remained in detention in Thailand on January 31, amid efforts by Moscow to have the musicians deported to Russia. The band, Bi-2, is known for opposing Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
January 25, 2024
Ruling Imminent At International Court In Israel Genocide Case

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to deliver a provisional relief ruling next week calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and the facilitation of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. RFE/RL's Rikard Jozwiak explains what this means.
January 17, 2024
Clashes At Protest In Russia's Bashkortostan Region As Activist Jailed

Local media reported security forces used tear gas and stun grenades on demonstrators, after a court in Russia's Bashkortostan region handed down a four-year prison sentence to an activist.
January 16, 2024
Thousands Rally To Support Charged Activist In Russia’s Bashkortostan

Thousands of people rallied to support an activist in Bashkortostan, an autonomous Russian republic 1,100 kilometers east of Moscow. The activist, Fail Alsynov, is accused of inciting ethnic hatred over plans to bring migrants for a new gold-mining project in the region.
January 11, 2024
22,000 Russians Left Shivering as Heating Plant Fails

Managers were arrested and the heating plant taken into state ownership after a breakdown left 22,000 people freezing in their homes near Moscow.
January 04, 2024
Kosovo's Amputee Soccer Stars Overcome Legacy Of Conflict

Most of the players in Kosovo's amputee soccer team lost limbs to land mines during or after their country's 1990s conflict. They've had to overcome prejudice but are now competing in international competitions.
December 21, 2023
'Slaves': Russian Soldiers Voice Disillusion With Ukraine War

Two Russian soldiers have spoken to Current Time about their experiences fighting in Ukraine -- describing their disillusion with how they are treated. Both complained that they had indefinite terms of service, bad leadership, and poor conditions.
December 20, 2023
The Last Soldier: Nobody Told Him The War In Nagorno-Karabakh Was Over

An ethnic Armenian soldier spent 33 days in the woods of Nagorno-Karabakh, foraging for food before finally surrendering. Rafael Hakobian was unaware that the breakaway region's ethnic Armenian leadership had capitulated within 24 hours of a massive Azerbaijani attack.

XS

SM

MD

LG