In Ukraine's Chernihiv region, along a section of the Dnieper River that divides Ukraine and Belarus, border guards are on the lookout for signs of another invasion from the north. In May, Kyiv warned that Russia was once again trying to draw Belarus into the war against Ukraine.

Two more men have been executed in Iran in connection with the January protests with human rights groups condemning growing repression in the country. An Iranian man was also sentenced to 10 years in prison for simply shooting video of protests that first erupted in December 2025.

A woman from Guinea who was deported from Belarus without her infant daughter has finally been reunited with the child after more than a year apart. Rights groups say the separation ended only after pressure from the UN, UNICEF, and Guinean diplomats.

A major fire broke out at the Saratov oil refinery after a Ukrainian drone strike on May 31, according to Ukrainian military officials. The refinery is located about 600 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and is operated by Rosneft.

Some 300 Ukrainian drone operators recently took a break from combat to compete in an event called Wild Drones. The competition in the Lviv region gives them a chance to earn bragging rights and give feedback to defense firms behind technology that is being used in the long-running war with Russia.

Internet access in Iran has been partially restored after the government shut down communications at the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign in late February. Iranians told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that they had been unable to check on their loved ones' safety during months of deadly air strikes.