by Aleksander Palikot and Sam Skove, RFE/RL KHARKIV, Ukraine — Tamara Halishnikova doesn’t remember how long the attack targeting her and other residents trying to escape the Russian-occupied village of Kurylivka lasted. All she remembers are the sounds that rang out as the column of vehicles made its way along …

Activists in Iran hacked into a live state television broadcast, airing an image of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the crosshairs, along with messages in support of continuing protests against the government’s strict hijab law requiring women to wear head scarves. Islamic Republic TV footage of Supreme Leader Ayatollah …

Russia intentionally timed a wave of strikes on Ukraine early on Oct. 10 to inflict the greatest possible civilian losses and had also targeted the country’s energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strikes were retaliation for what he called Kyiv’s “terrorist” actions, including an …

Two Russians who fled to Alaska in order to avoid Putin’s military draft can expect a phone call from Moscow’s agents in Washington, D.C. “The Russian Embassy in Washington is aware of the detention of two Russians by the authorities of the U.S. state of Alaska, the diplomats are going …

by Henry Ridgwell, VOA The war in Ukraine is likely entering a critical phase as Kyiv’s forces advance in the south and east of the country, forcing invading Russian troops to retreat. In recent days, Ukrainian troops have broken through Russian lines in the southern region of Kherson, liberating several …

The United States’ newest and most advanced aircraft carrier has embarked on its first deployment to train with allies and patrol the high seas of the Atlantic amid increased tensions across the globe. The USS Gerald R. Ford began its deployment in the North Atlantic on Tuesday as the lead …

by Friedrich Seiltgen The U.S. Supreme Court has vacated a Massachusetts ruling on a case involving the lifetime ban on gun ownership for non-violent misdemeanor arrests. In the case of Morin vs Lyver, the Supreme Court vacated a lower court ruling, sent the decision back to the 1st Circuit Court …

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday blamed the United States and Israel for widespread protests following the death in police custody of a young woman last month. Khamenei said the protests are not the actions of “ordinary Iranians.” The protests, now in their third week, have been met …

The latest coup in Burkina Faso is not aimed at creating a showdown with the previous coup, the group’s new military leader said. “The fight we are engaged in is not about power,” said Captain Ibrahim Traore, the new leader. Traore made his comments this weekend while speaking to Voice …

Even after three months of captivity that included execution threats, physical torture, solitary confinement and food deprivation, it was the ride to freedom that nearly broke Alex Drueke, a U.S. military veteran released last week with nine other prisoners who went to help Ukraine fight off Russian invaders. His hands …