Russian-annexed Crimea has three official state languages languages other than Russian are being squeezed out through a policy of persuasion The Ozbek Han Mosque built during the reign of Uzbeg Khan in 1314 is the oldest mosque in Crimea Photo: Piotr Matyga (cc) wikimedia.org has an important history for the Crimean Tatars The oldest mosque in Crimea is located here in what was the medieval capital of the Golden Horde a teacher of Russian newly arrived from central Asia opened the very first Crimean Tatar language class in Crimea since before World War 2 Inside the hall of the national school in Stary Krym everything except the Russian safety and anti-terrorism notices was written in Crimean Tatar Children spoke with their teachers in their native language But outside in the playground under the balloons celebrating the start of a new school year children and parents chatted together exclusively The consequences of Russia’s invasion are visible not only in Ukraine The Kremlin has set off or exploited a series of crises that face most European countries New thinking is needed in policies towards Russia in whatever form it will take after the war Ukraine’s suffering goes well beyond the front line With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine we now see our western values under siege whether we consciously recognise it or not The invasion by Russian forces of Ukraine from the north south and east – with the initial aim to take the capital Kyiv – has changed our region The situation with Russian threats towards Ukraine once again illustrates the high level of instability in our region Only a year ago we witnessed the second Nagorno-Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan It took at least 5,000 lives and significantly shifted the geopolitics in the South Caucuses This special issue aims to honour the plight of Belarusians whose democratic choice made in August 2020 was shamelessly snubbed by Alyaksandr Lukashenka a lot of work still remains for this country And this is why Ukraine’s story is incomplete 30 years after the fall of the Soviet Union Our societies are more polarised than ever before which makes them more susceptible to disinformation The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed limitations and weaknesses in nearly all countries around the world volatility and the relationship between Russia and the West The Black Sea region is quickly becoming a geopolitical battleground which is gaining the interest of major powers regional players and smaller countries – and the stakes are only getting higher This issue is dedicated to the 10 year anniversary of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership as well as the 30 years since the 1989 revolutions in Central Europe The consequences of the emerging multipolar world This issue takes a special look at the role and responsibility of the public intellectual in Central and Eastern Europe today In the eastern parts of the European continent 1918 is remembered not only as the end of the First World War but also saw the emergence of newly-independent states and the rise of geopolitical struggles which are felt until this day that Belarus remains isolated from the West and very static in its transformation The Summer 2018 issue of New Eastern Europe tackles the complexity of para-states in the post-Soviet space Russian investigative journalists reported a third mass grave site located near Mariupol after several other such locations had previously been spotted using satellite imagery Satellite images were shared to Twitter by the Russian news site Radio Svoboda, which is described by the U.S. news organization Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as a “multiplatform alternative to Russian state-controlled media” operating out of a Moscow bureau They showed large trenches that have reportedly grown and been filled in over the last month since their initial sighting a month ago The above images were said to have been captured on April 24 by Planet Labs PBC. an American Earth imaging company based in San Francisco Snopes contacted the company to confirm the details of the Radio Svoboda report and was told that the images were authentic A spokesperson told Snopes that the coordinates of the cemetery in the article are 47.13836° N According to the Radio Svoboda investigation, the trenches measured over 200 feet long and are located near a cemetery in the Russian-occupied village of Stary Krym The publication reported that Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko said that authorities “were aware” of the trenches and that the Russian military was burying dead Ukrainian civilians in the cemetery because these fascists -- and I have no other words -- involve the local population for burial They told us that you need to work 'hours' to give you food water… Now in Mariupol there is not enough humanities that they import so people are forced to do so,” Boychenko reportedly said It appeared that the images were initially captured on March 24 Another possible mass grave site was reported on April 22, using satellite images by Maxar Technologies, as well as imagery that has showed alleged mass grave sites in Bucha and Manhush “Satellite Images Reveal Another Mass Grave Site near Mariupol.” Axios https://www.axios.com/ukraine-mariupol-mass-graves-df52140f-515b-4859-a42b-39139dbe137d.html “https://Twitter.Com/Cxemu/Status/1518605493685661697.” Twitter https://twitter.com/cxemu/status/1518605493685661697 “https://Twitter.Com/Hromadske/Status/1518620392335847424.” Twitter https://twitter.com/hromadske/status/1518620392335847424 “IN PHOTOS: Satellite Images Show 3-Mile-Long Russian Convoy Entering Ukraine.” Snopes.Com https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/03/01/russia-military-convoy-ukraine/ “Possible Mass Graves Near Mariupol As Russia Attacks in East.” Snopes.Com https://www.snopes.com/ap/2022/04/22/possible-mass-graves-near-mariupol-as-russia-attacks-in-east-2/ “RFE/RL’s Russian Service: Radio Svoboda.” RFE/RL https://pressroom.rferl.org/russian-service-radio-svoboda “Супутник зафіксував вже третє місце масового поховання біля Маріуполя – «Схеми» (фото).” Радіо Свобода https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-skhemy-bratska-mohyla-staryy-krym/31820268.html 2022]: Original headline said "Ukrainian Journalists"; now corrected to "Russian Journalists." 2022]: Article was updated to include additional images and comments from Planet Labs PBC Madison Dapcevich is a freelance contributor for Snopes This material may not be reproduced without permission Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com