Russian Service

Launched in 1953, RFE/RL’s Russian Service, known locally as Radio Svoboda, operates from Riga and Prague, serving its audiences with reliable, unbiased information.

The Service is a vital source of information for young Russians, with usage highest among those aged 15-24, 7.9% of whom use it weekly (2023).  

Popular podcasts like Time of Liberty and You Have the Right discuss contemporary issues and spark social media discussions.  

Radio Svoboda journalists produce acclaimed investigative reports that range from uncovering corruption at the Kremlin’s highest levels to providing detailed insights into elite Russian drone units using open-source research.  

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, the Russian Service has provided daily, unbiased reporting on the impact of the invasion, documenting changing Russian attitudes toward the war, and how the war has affected the daily lives of Russians.  

Journalists document the plight of political dissidents and report on the human cost of Moscow’s war on Ukraine, including the story of a desperate mother who died on her son’s grave after he was killed fighting in Ukraine.  

Regional projects, Sibera.Realities and North.Realities, provide unique on-the-ground reporting on the desperate social and economic situation in Russian regions, from rising domestic violence to increasing gasoline shortages.