We know you're busy and probably don't have the time to read all of our coverage each and every day. That's why we've put together The Week's Best. Here are some of the highlights produced in English by RFE/RL's vast team of correspondents, multimedia editors, and visual journalists over the past seven days.
My Maryinka: Photographer Recalls 'Former Town' Of Ukraine
Photographer Alena Grom remembers a town that thrived in the shadow of a war that would soon destroy it. By RFE/RL
Special Report: The Protests That Shook Iran's Clerical Regime
The anti-regime protests that began in Iran six months ago represent the biggest challenge to the clerical regime in decades. More than 500 people have reportedly been killed in the state’s brutal crackdown. Here, we profile six of those who were killed, name more than 300 demonstrators whose deaths we have independently verified, and explain why these protests are unique. By Golnaz Esfandiari, Fereshteh Ghazi, Frud Bezhan, and Wojtek Grojec
Viral Iran Dance Video Inspires Imitators To Defy Regime
Five Tehran girls were reported to have voiced contrition after posting a dance video that went viral among Iranian social media users. It's illegal for women to dance in public in Iran, but the video has inspired others across the country to post similar videos with the same song, in a potentially dangerous act of open defiance toward the regime. By Ray Furlong, Golnaz Esfandiari, and RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Exclusive: Expelled Russian Diplomats With Spy Links Resurface In Serbia
At least three Russian diplomats blacklisted by EU states following Russia's invasion of Ukraine have resurfaced as accredited Russian diplomats in Serbia, including two with links to Russian intelligence, a new investigation by RFE/RL has found. By Maja Zivanovic, Sonja Gocanin, Riin Aljas, Mark Krutov, and Sergei Dobrynin
The Georgian Woman With The EU Flag
Nana Malashkhia, 47, became an icon of the March demonstrations in Georgia after she was seen waving a European Union flag while being blasted by a water cannon. She told RFE/RL about how she came to be at the heart of the protests against a proposed "foreign agents" law that opponents feared could be used to undermine Georgia's progress toward EU membership. By RFE/RL's Georgian Service, Nino Tarkhnishvili, and Neil Bowdler
The Rise And Fall Of Ruben Vardanian
Politician, entrepreneur, philanthropist, billionaire, Ruben Vardanian has worn many hats in his life. His most recent, that of prime minister in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, will likely count as one of the most short-lived. However, for Vardanian, it might just be the beginning. By Nadia Beard
'No Body, No Payment': Wagner Mercenary Deaths Being Hidden From Families Back In Russia
As casualties rise in eastern Ukraine, more and more families are not being informed about the deaths of their relatives fighting for the Wagner mercenary group there. By Andrei Krasno
Ukrainian Chef Flees To U.S. After Being Targeted For Feeding City
After fleeing his native region of Kherson, Ukrainian chef Pavlo Servetnyk ended up in New York. Now he's bringing a taste of his homeland to the Big Apple in his new life as a chef at a Ukrainian restaurant in the United States. During Russian occupation, he helped feed the people of Kherson with free bread from his bakery. Servetnyk claims Russian forces did not appreciate his humanitarian efforts and came looking for him. By Current Time, VOA, and Austin Malloy
Ukrainians Use 1970s Mortars In Donbas Battle
Ukrainian troops use whatever comes to hand in their battles against invading Russian forces. RFE/RL correspondent Maryan Kushnir visited a unit near Soledar, in eastern Ukraine, armed with French mortars dating from 1973. It may be old kit, but one soldier said it was still better than the Soviet-made mortars they were using before. By Maryan Kushnir, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, and Ray Furlong
Xi Doubles Down On Putin In Symbolic Moscow Trip With Ukraine War In Focus
With the war in Ukraine entering a pivotal period and battlefield questions arising, Chinese leader Xi Jinping will visit Moscow on March 20 and is reportedly considering a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. By Reid Standish
