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.
Near The Front, Ukraine's Drone Pilots Wage A Modern War On A Shoestring Budget
Before the Russian invasion, one was a bodybuilder, another a civil engineer, and the third worked in real estate. Their journey from green recruits to seasoned drone operators shows how much Ukraine has achieved – and just how far Ukraine has to go in matters ranging from weapons to intelligence. By Sam Skove
Death And Ruins: Ukrainians Recall Horrors Of Russian Occupation In Lyman And Yampil
Ukrainian troops liberated the towns of Lyman and Yampil in the Donetsk region in early October. Russian forces had controlled the area since May. Locals told RFE/RL journalists what life was like during Russian occupation and about the difficulties they face now that their towns are in ruins and they are forced to live without basic necessities, including heating and electricity. By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
'Afghanistan Is Hell': Supporters Of Late Afghan General Claim Taliban Killings, Persecution
Former Afghan government officials say the Taliban has engaged in extensive retribution killings, forced disappearances, and the displacement of followers of a late Afghan general in southern Afghanistan. Supporters of General Abdul Raziq allege the militant group continues to persecute them. By Abubakar Siddique
The Rise Of Prigozhin: 'Putin's Chef' Steps Further Into The Limelight
Yevgeny Prigozhin's notoriety has long been peppered with indictments, murky business transactions, mercenary brutality, and the weaponization of Internet trolling. Eight months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the man dubbed "Putin's Chef" is stepping further out of the shadows, picking political fights and commanding an even more visible role at a tense time. By Mike Eckel
'Til Death Do Us Part: Sharp Spike In Marriages As Russian Men Are Mobilized For Ukraine War
Across Russia, marriages have shot up since President Vladimir Putin ordered a mobilization amid steep losses in the war on Ukraine. Many couples who were living together are making things legal after the man received his call-up notice -- in part to lock in spousal death and disability benefits. By RFE/RL's North.Realities and Robert Coalson
On The Rails Across Wartime Ukraine
RFE/RL's Russian Service correspondent Oleksandra Vagner witnessed drone strikes and the quiet determination of ordinary Ukrainians while traveling by train from western Ukraine to the port city of Odesa. By Oleksandra Vagner
After The Russian Withdrawal, Memories Of Resistance And Collaboration Linger In A Ukrainian Village
Some residents of Shevchenkove told Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, how they withstood torture and threats to resist collaboration with the Russian forces occupying their village in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. Others described what compelled them to cooperate. By Valeria Yehoshyna and Kira Tolstyakova
Ukrainian Gunners In Bakhmut Battle Rely On Weapons Older Than They Are
Near Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region, Ukrainian forces often rely on artillery from the 1970s and '80s. The front line there is one of the most hotly contested areas. The soldiers say that although the Soviet-era weaponry is old, it is still very effective. By Maryan Kushnir and Will Tizard
Afghan General Says Russia's Vagner Group Recruiting His Former Troops For Ukraine War
A shadowy private Russian mercenary force with close ties to the Kremlin is attempting to boost its ranks fighting in Ukraine by recruiting Afghan commandos who were trained by and fought alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan. By Safiullah Stanikzai
'Only Putin Will Be Left In His Bunker': Muscovites Are Asked How The War In Ukraine Is Going
RFE/RL asked people in Moscow how they thought the war in Ukraine -- which Russian President Vladimir Putin maintains is a "special military operation" -- is going. By RFE/RL's Russian Service and Reuters
Life In The Ruins Of Mariupol
Months after the Russian takeover of Mariupol, images emerge of a city still in ruins. By RFE/RL and Reuters