Word: russians
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...Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, was greeted by a mixture of protests and celebrations during his 10-day visit to Kiev, known to Russians as the "mother of all Russian cities." The trip, which began on July 27, was Kirill's first to Ukraine since he took over the role of Patriarch after the death of Alexy II in December 2008. Kirill toured holy sites across the country, met with political leaders and gave an interview on national television, all with the insistence that his visit had no political agenda. But some observers are skeptical, saying...
...researcher for the highly respected Russian human-rights organization Memorial, Estemirova, 50, had recently contributed to a Human Rights Watch report that accused the Chechen government of burning more than two dozen homes in punitive attacks against the families of suspected rebels. She also exposed the public execution of a young suspected separatist by a Chechen security officer. "She was fearless, and boldly defended the truth," Shamkhan Akbulatov, head of Memorial in Chechnya, told a Russian news agency. On the day of her murder, Russian human-rights groups released a report, which she had helped research, that exhaustively documented atrocities...
...only as a logistical hub for its war effort in Afghanistan - has driven Moscow to reassert itself in its backyard. After the U.S. secured its lease of an air base in Kyrgyzstan this month, Russia now intends to persuade the Kyrgyz government to allow the building of a second Russian base on its soil. Moscow sees its pervasive influence, both economic and political, in the region as a stabilizing force...
...Some analysts suggest social unrest may mix with the turmoil of Taliban insurgencies further south. In Tajikistan, the fragile status quo that has existed since a civil war between Russian-backed forces and an Islamist opposition ended in 1997 looks to be unraveling. Observers point to a possible influx in recent months of Tajik and Uzbek militants, returning to their homeland after fighting alongside Pakistani and Afghan Taliban. Since May, the Tajik government has locked down the country's Rasht Valley, ostensibly as part of an anti-drugs operation, but also, say experts, in a bid to crack down...
...July 31, Medvedev attended the opening of a massive Russian-backed hydroelectric plant that will eventually power 12% of Tajikistan. Moscow has promised further aid to Dushanbe and its neighbors, a move that has been privately encouraged by Washington. But good governance is needed to ensure those contributions make a difference. When seeking progress in one of the world's most war-ravaged regions, the symbolism of joint statements can only...