Russian journalist flees from Moscow to Paris amid crackdown on dissent
In this episode of our weekly media show Scoop, we meet Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash. She fled Moscow to Paris in a daring, dangerous escape spanning 2,800 kilometers. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) helped coordinate her exfiltration. We speak to Barabash and RSF's Louise Alluin Bichet about her ordeal and the Kremlin's crackdown on independent media.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
EU unveils 18th round of sanctions against Russia
05:45 From the show The European Union has proposed a new round of sanctions against Russia, which includes a ban on the use of the Nord Stream underwater pipelines between Russia and Germany and the addition of 77 more vessels to the blacklist of the so-called "shadow fleet" of tankers carrying Russian oil. Plus, Eurostar announced a €2 billion expansion plan that includes new direct trains from London to Frankfurt and to Geneva.
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
US intel chief denounces 'warmongers' after Hiroshima visit
Gabbard did not specify her concerns, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly brandished the specter of nuclear war as he cautions Europe and the United States against support for Ukraine. Gabbard, a former congresswoman who has faced criticism in the past for her views on Russia, posted a video of grisly footage from the world's first nuclear attack and of her staring reflectively at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. On August 6, 1945, the United States obliterated Hiroshima, killing 140,000 in the explosion and by the end of the year from the uranium bomb's effects. Three days later, a US plane dropped a plutonium bomb on Nagasaki, leaving around 74,000 people dead by the end of the year. Japan surrendered on August 15. "This one bomb that caused so much destruction in Hiroshima was tiny compared to today's nuclear bombs," Gabbard said. "A single nuclear weapon today could kill millions in just minutes." "As we stand here today closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before, political elites and warmongers are carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers," she said. "Perhaps it's because they are confident that they will have access to nuclear shelters for themselves and for their families that regular people won't have access to." Taking a tone more customary for a politician or activist than the director of national intelligence, Gabbard said: "So it's up to us, the people, to speak up and demand an end to this madness." Gabbard's remarks come as aides to President Donald Trump voice growing frustration with Putin, who has refused US-led, Ukraine-backed calls for a temporary ceasefire. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom Gabbard criticized before the two entered President Donald Trump's cabinet, has warned that the United States could walk away from diplomacy over the Ukraine conflict if there are no positive signs. Gabbard, a former Democrat, faced a heated confirmation hearing but ultimately prevailed after Democrats and some Republicans questioned her past statements, including some supportive of Russian positions. She has said that the European Union and Washington should have listened to Russian security concerns about Ukraine joining NATO. Gabbard's visit to Hiroshima comes ahead of the 80th anniversary of the world's only atomic bombings. The United States has never apologized for the attacks.
Euronews
5 hours ago
- Euronews
Ukraine and Russia complete second prisoner exchange in Istanbul deal
A second group of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war were returned home on Tuesday as part of a deal made during direct talks in Istanbul on 2 June. The exchange began on Monday for soldiers aged between 18-25, focusing on seriously wounded and sick Ukrainian service personnel, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram, without specifying the exact number. Among them were soldiers captured over three years ago in the battle for Mariupol, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Telegram. All of those freed had severe injuries and illnesses, including amputated limbs and vision problems, it said. Amina Ivanchenko was reunited Monday with her husband, a POW for 18 months, in the initial release. She said was grateful to Ukrainian officials for supporting her. "My struggle was much easier thanks to them. Our country will definitely return everyone. Glory to Ukraine! Thank you!" Anastasia Nahorna waited in the Chernyhiv region to see if her husband, who has been missing for eight months, was among those being released in the latest swap. "This pain is more unbearable every day," she said. "I really want to hear some news, because since the moment of his disappearance, unfortunately, there has been no information. Is he alive? or maybe in captivity? Has someone seen him?" Russia's Defence Ministry said it had also received a second group of released soldiers as part of the deal. The Russian servicemen arrived on the territory of Belarus, where they are receiving psychological and medical assistance, the ministry said in a statement, without specifying the number of exchanged soldiers. All servicemen will be transported to Russia for further treatment and rehabilitation, the statement added. A similar exchange was announced for the bodies of fallen soldiers held by both sides, although no schedule has been released. Two recent rounds of direct peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul have yielded no significant breakthroughs beyond pledges to swap prisoners as well as thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday condemned what he described as Russian "terror against the civilian population" of Ukraine and urged the European Union to swiftly impose new sanctions on Moscow. Speaking alongside the Netherlands' caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof in Berlin, Merz accused Russia of deliberately targeting non-military sites in its latest waves of strikes. The two met to discuss topics related to bilateral and European cooperation as well as international politics. Merz described recent attacks on Ukrainian residential areas as "the most serious war crimes" which were "anything but a proportionate response to the very precise Ukrainian attacks on military airfields and infrastructure in the last week." Moscow is escalating the situation and attempting "to create a bloodbath" instead of negotiating with Ukraine, Merz said, who added that a larger tragedy had been averted due to Ukraine's air defence. Schoof echoed Merz's concerns and said Ukraine was defending not only its own sovereignty "but also the security of a war of aggression that was started by Russia." The comments from the Dutch and German leaders come just days ahead of a G7 summit in Canada and a NATO meeting later this month. There, Ukraine's Western allies are expected to urge US President Donald Trump to take a firmer stance against the Kremlin. Merz and Schoof also extended their condolences to the victims of a shooting at a school in Graz, Austria. Merz said he was "deeply shocked by this news that young people have been so suddenly torn from life."
