Global Voices Online

Grigory Pasko, over at Robert Amsterdam's blog, writes about the newest ordeal of Oborona leader Oleg Kozlovsky. Kozlovsky (LJ user welgar) reprints the text on his new English-language blog. Also, Kozlovsky has announced (RUS) the launch of his English-language column at Robert Amsterdam's blog.

Recent Links also in Eastern & Central Europe

Belgraded reports that, beginning Dec. 19, “there will be no more visa requirement for Serbian, Montenegrin and Macedonian citizens if they want to travel to the Schengen territory” - debunks “some visa-free travel myths.” Jana Orsolic thinks “it's too good to be truth” and shares some of her feelings: “…there's no room for silly excuses for something being done badly because of poor us being isolated.”

A few last month's updates at IZO: artist and writer Vagrich Bakhchanyan dies in NYC; Ukrainian artist Aleksandr Gnilitsky dies in Kyiv; a Ukrainian Euro-2012 icon.

Profy cites a report by the Russian division of Microsoft, which claims that the company has lost $1 billion to Russian pirates, but has earned the same amount from legal sales.