Here are some of the highlights produced by RFE/RL's vast team of correspondents, multimedia editors, and visual journalists over the past seven days, including content from Gandhara, the RFE/RL website focusing exclusively on developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Amid Putin's Saber-Rattling, What Exactly Is A Tactical Nuclear Weapon?
Amid its war on Ukraine, Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling is causing concern. Moscow seems unlikely to launch a barrage if ICBMs on Western capitals, but the use of a nonstrategic weapon, perhaps targeting Ukrainian troops, is no longer out of the question. Here’s a look at tactical nuclear weapons. By Mike Eckel
Ukrainians Steel Themselves For A Cold, Wartime Winter
In Irpin, near Kyiv, 75 percent of the residents have returned following intense Russian attacks there earlier this year. But many houses are heavily damaged and people are working hard to get them ready as winter approaches. Throughout the Kyiv region, and across the country, Ukrainians are gearing up for a bleak, wartime winter. By Yulia Zhukova
Psychologists Battle To Help Ukraine's Shell-Shocked Population
According to Ukraine's Health Ministry, more than 90 percent of Ukrainians have one or more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the ongoing war. It's estimated that only three in every 100 Ukrainians with PTSD are receiving support. By Current Time and Neil Bowdler
Russia's Unhappy Club: The CSTO
The war in Ukraine has complicated relations within the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-led Eurasian military alliance. But it is Moscow's passivity towards other conflicts that is worrying some members. By Chris Rickleton
As EU Refloats Visa-Free Entry, Ethnic Serbs Say They Could Embrace Kosovo Passports
A breakthrough on Schengen visas could not only ease the lives for Kosovar travelers but also encourage minority Serbs in Kosovo to join a system whose sovereignty they've been reluctant to endorse. By Sandra Cvetkovic and Maja Ficovic
Marzia And Hajar: The Best Friends Who Were Killed Together In Kabul Bombing
Nearly 60 people, mostly girls and women, were killed when a suicide bombing ripped through an education center in Kabul on September 30. Among the victims were 18-year-olds Marzia and Hajar, childhood friends who were taking practice exams in preparation for university. By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi
Closing Doors: How Europe Is Restricting Russians From Traveling
On September 9, the Council of the European Union fully suspended the visa-facilitation agreement between the European Union and Russia as part of sanctions imposed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Travel to the EU thus became more difficult and costly for Russian tourists. By Kristyna Foltynova
'General Armageddon': Who Is The Brutal Russian Commander Charged With Winning The Ukraine War?
Two days after taking command of Russia’s faltering war on Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin launched the biggest air strikes since the invasion was launched seven months ago. If history is any guide, Surovikin is about to lead the war to its deadliest phase yet. By Mike Eckel
Iran's Kurdish Region Becomes Epicenter Of Protests, Deadly Government Crackdown
Iranian authorities appear to have intensified their crackdown on anti-government protests in predominately Kurdish areas. There have been reports of security forces using firearms and firing teargas indiscriminately, including into people's homes. Rights activists told RFE/RL that the real extent of the crackdown is not clear yet due to a near total Internet shutdown in the region. By Golnaz Esfandiari, Elahe Ravanshad, Rasool Mohammadi, Roozbeh Bolhari
The Reluctant Soloist: Ukrainian Refugee Rocker Katya Gapochka Forges A New Future In Prague
A Ukrainian rock singer who was forced flee Kyiv at the start of Russia's invasion of her country has been embraced by audiences and musicians in the Czech Republic. Katya Gapochka was invited to open for the veteran Czech band Lucie on their European tour. As a refugee rocker, Gapochka has recorded a new solo album and is using her new-found fame to raise awareness of Ukraine's urgent need for humanitarian aid. By Will Tizard
