Robert Coalson worked as a correspondent for RFE/RL from 2002 to 2024.
St. Petersburg State University has stepped up expulsions of students and faculty who have spoken out against the war in Ukraine or otherwise expressed discontent with the growing authoritarianism of President Vladimir Putin.
Amid widespread horror over Hamas's surprise attack on Israel and the violence targeting civilians, many pro-Kremlin commentators have welcomed the carnage as a distraction from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and a comeuppance for anti-war Russians who fled to Israel.
The Russian government is introducing a new history textbook for high-school students that critics say is intended to "incite anger toward Ukrainians" and explain to future conscripts "why they are putting on uniforms and boots."
Among the passengers listed aboard the Wagner jet that crashed in Russia on August 23 was longtime mercenary commander and former military intelligence officer Dmitry Utkin. Here’s a look at Utkin and how his death, if confirmed, could affect the notorious company.
Jailed Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has met with persecution, harassment, and attacks in his relentless campaign against the Kremlin. Now facing the prospect of decades in prison, he continues to carve out a prominent position in the country's political landscape.
Several Russian anti-war activists who fled their homeland after the invasion of Ukraine now say Kremlin security forces might be secretly pressuring their host countries to force them to go back to Russia.
Pro-Kremlin social media have been sharing a video some claim was made by a German far-right party to protest the massive aid Berlin has provided Ukraine since Moscow's unprovoked invasion in February 2022. However, RFE/RL has identified the actors in the clip as Russians, indicating it is a fake.
Although Russian officials have hastened to downplay the damage caused by the July 17 explosion on the only bridge linking Russia to occupied Crimea, experts say even a few hours of logistical delay at this time could be important.
In the wake of the Wagner mutiny, the mercenary group’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has reportedly departed for Belarus, and his fighters may soon follow. But few in Russia believe the consequences of the uprising will end there.
The brash and profane Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has taken on a high public profile in recent months, with his forces embroiled in heavy fighting in Ukraine. Is he harboring political ambitions or does he remain Russian President Vladimir Putin’s personal enforcer?
The Kremlin has nixed the Immortal Regiment march, for years a key part of Vladimir Putin's glorification of the Soviet Union, citing security concerns. But others say Moscow is afraid people will show up with portraits of soldiers killed in Ukraine, revealing the hidden cost of Russia's invasion.
Kremlin opponent Vladimir Kara-Murza has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, the lion's share on a charge of "state treason." But his case is far from the only "example" being set by the government: Across Russia, the state is finding "traitors" at a rate unprecedented since Stalin's time.
For the first time in post-Soviet Russian history, Moscow has arrested a U.S. journalist on espionage charges -- which his newspaper vehemently denies. What messages is the Kremlin sending with this revival of a relic of the Cold War? And what comes next?
RFE/RL spoke with military and political analysts to get their takes on Russian President Vladimir Putin's March 25 announcement that Russia could base tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of ally Belarus.
More than a year after Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and in the midst of a historic crackdown on dissent, a handful of Russians continue to risk their lives and liberty in a quixotic bid to convince their country to change course.
A conflict has erupted between the team of imprisoned Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny and the former chief editor of Ekho Moskvy, Aleksei Venediktov. Many say the mudslinging is a distraction at a time when the opposition should be united in its efforts to stop the war in Ukraine.
A year after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most Russians support the war, actively or passively. But for thousands who refused to remain silent, the invasion ended their old lives and marked the start of a fierce conflict with their government, the police, their neighbors, and their families.
In a nearly two-hour address to the nation, President Vladimir Putin tried to project a sense of control as he braced Russians for the idea that the war against Ukraine -- and the confrontation with the West that he deepened with the invasion a year ago -- are not going to end soon.
The Kremlin released the results of the COVID-delayed 2021 census late last year, and the numbers have alarmed many among the country's non-Russian ethnic minorities, who allege they have been undercounted.
For months, Ukraine has been calling on the West to supply heavy, advanced tanks to reinforce its fight against Russian troops. This week, France, Germany, and the US announced new weapons for Kyiv. But they're still not sending tanks.
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