Russia

The military goes online to round up Russians to fight in Ukraine. And Kremlin opponent Vladimir Kara-Murza could be sentenced to up to 25 years on treason charges that have been widely dismissed as politically motivated punishment for his opposition to the war. Precious Chatterje-Doody, a lecturer in politics and international studies at Open University in the United Kingdom, joins host Steve Gut...

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is arrested in Russia, the Kremlin increases pressure on anti-war performers, and a pro-war blogger is killed by a bomb in St. Petersburg. RFE/RL’s Irina Lagunina joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

What do visits from Xi Jinping and Bashar al-Assad say about Russia’s clout beyond the former Soviet Union, and how will an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin affect Moscow’s standing? Meanwhile, is Yevgeny Prigozhin losing influence in Russia as the Wagner Group’s losses mount in the bloody battle for Bakhmut? Author and analyst Mark Galeotti joins host Steve...

Days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its second year with no end in sight, President Vladimir Putin delivers a state-of-the-nation speech on February 21. Irina Lagunina, associate standards editor and former director of the Russian Service at RFE/RL, joins host Steve Gutterman.

How will German, British, and U.S. tanks affect the course of Russia's war against Ukraine? And is the Kremlin's attempt to rally Russians for a "New Patriotic War" against the West already failing? Mark Galeotti, a Russia analyst and author whose books including Putin's Wars: From Chechnya To Ukraine, joins Steve Gutterman to discuss.

Dozens of Ukrainian civilians are killed when a Russian rocket obliterates part of an apartment building in Dnipro. Fighting persists following Moscow's claims of control over the Donbas town of Soledar. RFE/RL's Irina Lagunina joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

Following Russian setbacks in its bloody bid to subjugate Ukraine, is the propaganda changing? And why is Putin avoiding holding one of his big image-making exercises, the annual press conference? Ian Garner, an author and expert on Russian war propaganda, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

Why was the Kremlin so eager to bring an arms dealer home, and what are the prospects for further releases following the Griner-Bout exchange? Also, what's behind opposition politician Ilya Yashin's long prison term? RFE/RL's Irina Lagunina joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

The Belarusian state has provided plenty of support for Russia's war on Ukraine but has resisted sending troops. What's behind that reluctance – and why has the death of the country's longtime foreign minister sparked so much speculation? Katia Glod, a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

Russian attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure are darkening cities as winter approaches, but Ukrainians' resolve may be burning even brighter, and Western support continues. Kadri Liik, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the latest phase of the war.

From a massive mobilization drive to money problems in the regions, Russia's war on Ukraine is straining the Kremlin's ability to govern -- and to keep up support from the people it needs to maintain its grip. Analyst Andras Toth-Czifra joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss what the unprovoked war has done to 'state capacity' and 'regime capacity' in Russia.

In a speech marking the attempted annexation of four Ukrainian regions amid setbacks for Moscow in its war on Kyiv, Russian President Vladimir Putin lashed out at the West in some of his most elaborately vitriolic language yet. What was the point – and will Russians buy it? Ian Garner, an author and expert on Russian war propaganda, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

Tens of thousands of Russians have fled, and some others are protesting. Is President Vladimir Putin’s “partial mobilization” a big mistake? And how might the mobilization and the so-called referendums that Moscow is imposing on four Ukrainian regions affect the course of the war in Ukraine? Author, analyst, and Russia expert Sam Greene joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow on Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and former British ambassador, joins host Mike Eckel to discuss the regional elections in Russia this weekend, the lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive and the war in Ukraine, and what the Kremlin might be thinking about these days.

As autumn approaches, the future of southern Ukraine and European support for Kyiv may be hanging in the balance. Kadri Liik, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the war -- and examine the Kremlin's handling of Mikhail Gorbachev’s death.

In a recent article, analyst and author Mark Galeotti wrote that Vladimir Putin appears to be entering "the final, most dangerous phase of his descent into rogue state tyrant." What does that mean for the war in Ukraine -- and what can the West do about it? Galeotti joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

Despite setbacks on the battlefield, Russia announced that it wants to control at least two Ukrainian regions beyond the Donbas. And it reached a deal to unblock Ukrainian grain exports, but then fired rockets at Odesa. Olga Oliker, program director for Europe and Central Asia at the Crisis Group, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss what these developments could bring.

Are Russians hearing about the horrors of their country’s war on Ukraine, or are the state’s narratives drowning out the bloody details? And is Western resolve strong enough to stand up to the Kremlin’s framing of its invasion? Ian Garner, an expert on Russian war propaganda, joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

The year 2021 has been marked by a major clampdown on Kremlin opponents, civil society, and independent media, and is ending amid high tension over Russia’s dramatic demands of Kyiv, NATO, Washington, and the West. Analyst and author Mark Galeotti joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss what may happen in 2022.

Imprisoned Kremlin foe Aleksei Navalny says he is being tortured with sleep deprivation and accuses his jailers of a deliberate effort to undermine his health. Also, the plight of an award-winning forest ranger whose penchant for catching suspected poachers may have made him some powerful enemies. RFER/RL Senior Correspondent Robert Coalson joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.

The Russian police, FSB, and other law enforcement agencies are inextricably entwined in the massive theft of oil from pipelines and at other stages of transport within the country, an RFE/RL investigation has found. Enterprise Editor Carl Schreck joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss the revealing report by Russian Service correspondent Sergei Khazov-Cassia.