The country's military government has its work cut out for it, as it copes with the threat of Islamic extremism and ECOWAS sanctions.

For the first installment of our series marking thirty years since the fall of the Soviet Union, we ask the question: is Stalin making a comeback? Since 2014 and Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea, statues and busts of the Soviet dictator have been appearing all over Russia. Meanwhile, many of the details concerning the crimes committed by his regime remain unknown, with archives in large part still closed. Putin, a former KGB agent and FSB chief, does not hide his nostalgia for the Soviet era. His regime has cultivated an ambiguous relationship with Stalin, and he stands accused of using the same methods against his opponents today.

As tensions simmer and troops amass along on both sides of the border, DW's Nick Connolly visited eastern Ukraine. Close to the Russian border, in the town of Milove, he spoke with locals about what it's like to live there.

West African bloc ECOWAS said they hoped to have an election plan from Mali by the end of this year, after a meeting with the interim leaders. Mali's authorities had previously said elections could be delayed.

The roots of conflict between Russia and Ukraine run deep. It all boils down to Moscow's unwillingness to accept Ukrane's independence. An overview.

For the final episode of our series on the fall of the Soviet Union 30 years ago, we take you where a significant part of the public relations war between the US and USSR took place: outer space. James André, Sylvain Rousseau and Achraf Abid have delved into the video archives, and interviewed astronauts and experts to find out how the Russian space agency has evolved over the past three decades.

The government of Mali has denied using Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group. Western countries involved in fighting jihadis in the Sahel beg to differ.

Former US State Department specialist Michael Kimmage talks to DW’s Brent Goff on "The Day" about Russia's intentions with its military buildup on the border with Ukraine. Kimmage said that despite the unity between the US and Europe and the threat of tough sanctions, Moscow actually has more leverage now than during the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Russian historian Yuri Dmitriyev, who also serves as a local head of Memorial rights group, was found guilty of abusing his adopted daughter. His supporters say charges against him are politically motivated.

For the final episode of our series on the fall of the Soviet Union 30 years ago, we take you where a significant part of the public relations war between the US and USSR took place: outer space. James André, Sylvain Rousseau and Achraf Abid have delved into the video archives, and interviewed astronauts and experts to find out how the Russian space agency has evolved over the past three decades.

Russia's Supreme Court has ordered the closure of the human rights group Memorial International that documents Soviet-era repression. DW correspondent Juri Rescheto spoke to a woman whose family experienced persecution by the Stalin regime.

Fifty-one people have been killed in Russia's worst mining disaster in a decade, prompting three days of mourning in Siberia's Kemerovo region. Among the dead were five rescue workers, although a sixth was found alive and taken to hospital in a serious condition. The blast happened at the Listvyazhnaya mine when coal dust caught fire in a ventilation shaft on Thursday. Rescuers suffocated as they tried to reach dozens of missing miners.