- FRANCE 24

02/03/2012 - REPORTERS

Dangerous 'krokodil' seducing Russian drug addicts

Russia is home to more than 2 million heroin users - more than anywhere else in the world. A cheaper and severely addictive morphine derivative called desomorphine, or krokodil, is widely available and becoming addicts' drug of choice. The name refers to the scaly appearance of krokodil users' skin, which often turns black or develops gangrenous sores. While Russian authorities remain silent, one group is determined to win this drug war. It uses a radical weapon: mandatory rehab for junkies.

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25/01/2012 - RUSSIA

Is the Orthodox Church really in control of Russia?

Could the Kremlin be abandoned by the Russian Orthodox Church? When ordinary Russians began protesting against the Kremlin last year, Patriarch Kirill spoke of revolutions triggering a "blood bath". The Church tried to dissuade protesters from taking to the streets and openly supported the Kremlin. But now the wind seems to be changing...

23/12/2011 - RUSSIA

Russia's youth rises up

There are set to be more protests in Russia against early December's parliamentary elections, which many Russians say were fraudulent. Vladimir Putin's United Russia Party may have come out on top but part of Russia's educated, internet-savvy youth are planning to rise up in protest. Our correspondents Ksenia Bolchakova and Xavier Luiset report from the heart of a movement which is gathering speed.

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29/11/2011 - RUSSIA

Ultra-nationalist movements gain momentum

Xenophobic Russian groups have been flourishing since the fall of the Soviet Union twenty years ago, and growing social dissatisfaction is making nationalist ideology increasingly popular. Far-right groups are not allowed to take part in elections, but they know that some of their ideas and slogans are now being recycled by mainstream political parties. France 24's Moscow reporters spent time with one of their leaders.

18/11/2011 - RUSSIA

Football and big investments to the rescue of Dagestan?

Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o caused a stir when he joined the Anzhi Makachkala football club, a small obscure outfit in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, the powder keg of the Russian North Caucasus. His salary is a whopping 20 million euros a year. But the club is not just a billionaire’s plaything - it is also a social project for developing a region which is using sport to fight terrorism.

12/07/2011 - RUSSIA

Medvedev vs Putin: will the protégé outshine the master?

With parliamentary and presidential elections just a few months away, the Russian political landscape has seen a number of interesting changes. Former President and current PM Vladimir Putin has created the All-Russian People's Front, a potential vehicle for a new presidential bid. Meanwhile, is successor, Dmitry Medvedev seems to be stepping out from under the shadow of his mentor. Is this a real rivalry, or a charade to convince voters they have a choice between the two?

14/01/2011 - RUSSIA

Stalin: war hero or mass murderer?

In February, President Dmitry Medvedev will meet members of the Human Rights Council. Ways of commemorating Stalin-era victims is top of the agenda; Medvedev has spoken out against Stalin's time in power and the mass murders committed. Yet for many in Russia, the wartime leader is still considered a hero. Despite the repression committed under his watch, he still has wide support.

20/12/2010 - RUSSIA

Khodorkovsky to wait even longer for a verdict as his trial is adjourned

The verdict in the Mikhail Khodorkovsky trial was due on Wednesday. But the court dramatically adjourned the hearing until December 27th, with no explanation to the relatives or supporters of the defendant. Russia's former richest man is facing 14 years in prison, accused of stealing oil extracted by his company Yukos over 6 years. His defence team says the accusations are absurd and insists that he is a victim of a political witchhunt, orchestrated at the highest level.

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08/10/2010 - REPORTERS

Kyrgyzstan, a country on the edge

As soon as night falls in Osh, special forces patrol, weapons at the ready. In June, ethnic clashes of a rare violence took place between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz. Today, the tension remains palpable. Uzbeks barricade themselves into their neighbourhoods for fear of being targeted again.

24/06/2010 - FOCUS

Russia's online protesters

Protesting on the web...in Russia the internet has increasingly become the only way for citizens to publicly disagree with the government. The online world is one of the last remaining media outlets still out of state control, but with an audience of millions it's also become an effective way to protest. So effective, in fact, that the government too has turned to the world of technology to fight back.