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The relatives of Ukrainian POWs being held at the Olenivka prison complex in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine -- which was struck by a mysterious explosion on July 29 that killed dozens -- are campaigning to make sure the world does not forget their loved ones.

Activists say a massive social media campaign aims to frighten Russians into abandoning the use of VPNs, which allow users to view websites that are blocked in Russia. Influencers and regional officials have made near-identical posts as the number of blocked websites in Russia has skyrocketed. 

As prominent cultural figures in Iran urge the authorities to stop using force against protesting civilians, Tehran is resorting to arrests and the activation of aged jail sentences in an attempt to silence them.  

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine may spell the end of his regime, predicts Norway’s Iver Neumann, a leading Russia scholar, in an interview with RFE/RL’s Georgian Service. 

A man featured in an infamous video showing 150 Kazakhs joining Islamic State in Syria in 2013 with their families is now in prison in his native Kazakhstan. The former militant says that, despite the imprisonment, he is happy to be alive and have the chance to start a new life when he is freed.

Iran’s hijab law has exposed divisions; Iranian state media have backed Russia’s war in Ukraine; and Iranian women have been banned from appearing in ads.

The Czech libertarian behind the claim of a sovereign tax-free zone -- the Free Republic of Liberland -- keeps its seemingly modest lobbying effort alive in the United States, seeking recognition for the tiny territory tucked between Serbia and Croatia.

A recent survey from the Central and Eastern European Center for Asian Studies shows a growing divide in Hungary over Budapest’s foreign policy outlook and a warming attitude towards China.

The European Union's new sanctions package on Russia is probably the bloc's weakest to date. To understand why, look no further than the frenzied shuttle diplomacy and other recent EU activities to prepare for what could be a long, cold winter.

More than five months since Russia invaded Ukraine, a war of attrition has emerged where losses of materiel and men on both sides, not advances on the ground, have become the key barometer of the conflict, a leading U.S.-based expert on Russia’s military has told RFE/RL’s Georgian Service.