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.
An Ailing Mining Village Fights For Its Place In 'New Kazakhstan'
Gold-rich, government-neglected Bestobe encapsulates the socioeconomic tensions that have underpinned unrest in Kazakhstan. By Chris Rickleton
Ethnic Cleansing? Fear? Damage Control? Why Russia Really Wants To Get Ukrainians Out Of Kherson
Russia is conducting what it calls the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from Kherson, citing what it claims are threats from Kyiv. Analysts say the true motives could range from ethnic cleansing and conscription to fear of partisans and outbreaks of jubilation if Ukrainian forces retake the city. By Todd Prince
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How Villagers Helped Ukrainian Forces During Russian Occupation
How Villagers Helped Ukrainian Forces During Russian Occupation
Local residents in Ukraine's Kherson region describe how they helped support Ukrainian forces while Russian troops occupied their village. The village of Arkhanhelske is one of many settlements liberated during Kyiv's ongoing counteroffensive. Many locals returned to the village after Russian forces fled in early October. By Borys Sachalko
Iranian Missiles Threaten To Boost Russia's Deadly Air Campaign In Ukraine
Russia is increasingly relying on primitive Iranian suicide drones it its attempts to bomb the Ukrainian population into submission. Now, the prospect of Russian forces replenishing their depleted aerial arsenal with powerful Iranian ballistic missiles has officials in Kyiv scrambling for more air cover. By Michael Scollon
The Romanian Escapees Who Risked Everything To Swim To Yugoslavia
Hundreds, if not thousands, of Romanian escapees were killed making bids for freedom across the Danube into Yugoslavia. Now, more than 30 years after the fall of communism, Romania is finally investigating, and shedding light on thousands of the deaths. By Alison Mutler
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Video Of Alleged Execution Of Armenian Soldiers Verified, According To Bellingcat
Video Of Alleged Execution Of Armenian Soldiers Verified, According To Bellingcat
Open-source investigative group Bellingcat says it has verified a video, widely shared online, in which Azerbaijani soldiers appear to execute captured Armenian soldiers in September. By Ray Furlong
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Hunger Amid Destruction: Ukrainians In Lyman And Kupyansk Describe Life Under Russian Occupation
Hunger Amid Destruction: Ukrainians In Lyman And Kupyansk Describe Life Under Russian Occupation
Amid the ruins of two Ukrainian towns recently recaptured from Russian forces, the local population is cold and traumatized. By Borys Sachalko, Current Time, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, and Oleksandr Yankovskiy
Popular Afghan Pastime Goes Up In Smoke As Taliban Bans Hookahs
Smoking shisha had become a popular pastime among men in Afghanistan in recent years. But the Taliban has issued a fatwa, or Islamic decree, banning hookah. The owners of shisha cafes say the move will bankrupt them. By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi
How Hard Is Russia Trying To Acquire Sensitive Western Military Technology? A U.S. Indictment Provides Clues
Russia’s military has for years, if not decades, relied on sensitive Western technology and hardware -- from night-vision goggles to powerful computer chips for fighter jets, radars, and missiles. A U.S. criminal indictment details the lengths Russia has gone to in search of restricted technology. By Mike Eckel
'Savings? Are You Joking?' Months After Moscow’s Invasion Of Ukraine, Russians’ Money Troubles Mount
About one in five Russians say their savings have shrunk since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February. With the war grinding on and with the dislocations caused by military mobilization, economists say it is becoming harder for average Russians to cope. By RFE/RL’s Siberia.Realities
The Woman Keeping Georgia's Ancient Horse Migration Alive
As the only woman who does the transhumance -- the yearly seasonal migration of livestock from the highlands of Tusheti to the winter pastures of Vashlovani in eastern Georgia -- Tinatin Ididze cuts an unconventional character in Tusheti's male-dominated mountain culture. One of her biggest challenges is keeping the ancient tradition alive. By Nadia Beard and Amos Chapple
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Ukrainians Risk Lives To Save Cats, Goats, And A Dog Named Crimea
Ukrainians Risk Lives To Save Cats, Goats, And A Dog Named Crimea
Dogs, cats, and even goats have been evacuated from combat zones in Ukraine, including a dog called Crimea that was the sole survivor of a Russian missile attack on a family home in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. By Current Time and Neil Bowdler