Russia tasks Hollywood actor Seagal with improving U.S. ties

The number of Russian deserters is rising. Thousands of men continue escaping the country, desperate to avoid military service. DW spoke to two of them.

While the EU is on course to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels, it's struggling to kick its nuclear habit. That's because Russia's nuclear industry still wields huge clout.

In France, pan-African influencers are gaining more and more followers on social media. Advocating a radical anti-Western ideology, some of them claim responsibility for the recent coups in Mali and Burkina Faso. Their narrative is similar to that of the Kremlin, which is trying to place its pawns on the African continent. FRANCE 24 profiles two French influencers who seem to have taken sides with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny is already serving sentences totaling more than 11 years on charges that he says were politically motivated. Now, prosecutors want to add 20 years on charges of "extremism."

Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov, was a separatist commander during the Russian annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014. However, he has since become a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed mercenaries of the Wagner Group were planning a westward "excursion." How serious are the risks to NATO member Poland?

At least seven people were killed and 67 injured in a Russian nighttime missile strike on a city in Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk, local authorities said early on Tuesday.

Nigerien tailor Yahaya Oumarou carefully ran cuts of white, blue and red fabric under his sewing machine, assembling them into the three horizontal bands of Russia's flag.

A Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia damaged a hotel frequented by the UN and NGO workers. Meanwhile, a group of Western nations condemned Russia's support for separatists in Georgia. Follow DW for more.

The Ukrainian army has repeatedly managed to capture Russian weapons during military offensives. What happens with them, and what discoveries has the military made under close examination?

According to its defense ministry, a Russian warship fired warning shots at a vessel headed to Ukraine in the Black Sea. It is the first such incident since Moscow exited the UN-brokered grain deal.

After five days of consecutive losses, the Russian ruble has crashed below a psychologically important mark of 100 rubles for $1 US. What's causing the slide?