This week’s bonus episode is an extended interview with Bektour Iskender, a journalist and co-founder of Kloop, an NGO and leading news publication in Kyrgyzstan. Through his work with Kloop, Bektour trains young journalists to cover politics and investigate corruption, while also reporting on the most significant stories happening in his home country and near abroad.
We spoke to Bektour about his work in journalism and the history of Russian colonial aggression in Kyrgyzstan, creating a snapshot of a country whose past mirrors Ukraine’s, and whose present is also being determined by Russia’s war.
Witkoff — a real estate mogul with no previous diplomatic experience — reportedly went to the meeting with Putin without a U.S. State Department notetaker.
"This Ukrainian film deserves greater international recognition, as it speaks on behalf of those who defend freedom and the right to live every single day," the Ukrainian Oscar Committee said.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto described the strike as "an attack on Hungary’s sovereignty," saying it "endangered our energy security and nearly (forced) the use of our strategic reserves."
Russia launched 598 drones overnight, including Shahed attack drones and decoys, as well as 31 missiles, among them two Kh-47 Kinzhal ballistic missiles, nine Iskander-M or North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles, and 20 Kh-101 cruise missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force reported.
"Efforts to address the aftermath of the attack are ongoing. The majority of the crew are safe, and the search for several missing sailors continues," Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk told the Kyiv Independent.
