The Week's Best: Stories You May Have Missed

We know that rferl.org isn't the only website you read, and it's possible that you may have missed some of our most interesting journalism from the past week. To make sure you're up-to-date, here are some of the highlights produced by RFE/RL's team of correspondents, multimedia editors, and visual journalists over the past seven days. Share this story on social media using the buttons on this page if you liked what you read.

In New Video, New Clues To Mysterious Russia Explosion

Days after mysterious explosion at a Russian naval test site caused radiation detectors to briefly spike, worried villagers confronted a military officer demanding answers. A new video of the confrontation offers fresh clues to what may have happened on August 8. By Mike Eckel

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Tank Recon: U.K. Firm Says It Verified Russian Presence In Ukraine

Tank Recon: U.K. Firm Says It Verified Russian Presence In Ukraine

A British research firm used machine learning to compile what it says is visual evidence of Russian military involvement in eastern Ukraine in 2014. Moscow has denied involvement, but the researchers said they have identified Russian tanks deployed with separatists in defeating Ukraine's government forces in a key battle. By Current Time and John Mastrini

30 Years Ago: How A Photographer Captured The 'Baltic Chain' From Above

A mysterious phone call and a daring chance led a Latvian photojournalist to capture one of history's most spectacular protests by helicopter. By Amos Chapple

Russia Brings Criminal Charges Against Members Of An Expedition Honoring Stalin's Victims

For 20 years, Russian NGO Memorial has organized expeditions aimed at researching and commemorating Eastern Europeans deported to Perm Region under Stalin's rule. Now, two criminal cases against recent participants are prompting fears of a broader clampdown on Memorial's activities. By Matthew Luxmoore

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Plea For LGBT Rights In Uzbekistan Provokes Police Raid, Online Backlash

Plea For LGBT Rights In Uzbekistan Provokes Police Raid, Online Backlash

In a video statement, Uzbek activist Shokhruh Salimov called on the country's president to address the persecution of LGBT minorities. Two days later, police raided Salimov's family's house to try to arrest him. By RFE/RL's Uzbek Service and Margot Buff

Dock And Cover: Hiding A Supertanker -- Like Iran's Adrian Darya -- Is Easier Than You Think

A tanker like the one formerly known as Grace-1 could still have tricks up its sleeve as it steams eastward in the Mediterranean full of Iranian crude oil bound for...Greece? By Andy Heil

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Abandoned Russian Chemical Plant Threatens Ecological 'Chernobyl'

Abandoned Russian Chemical Plant Threatens Ecological 'Chernobyl'

The derelict Usolyekhimprom chemical plant contains tanks of chlorine, mercury, and other deadly substances spread across hundreds of hectares in Russia's Irkutsk region. During a visit this July, the head of Russia's environmental safety agency warned that the site poses a potential environmental disaster on the scale of Chernobyl. By Current Time

Molotov-Ribbentrop What? Do Russians Know Of Key World War II Pact?

The pact between Stalin and Hitler that paved the way to World War II is nearly taboo in Russia, where its 80th anniversary will likely go unnoticed. By Tony Wesolowsky and Matthew Luxmoore

Lesbian PM Or Not, Serbia Blocks Gays' Path To Parenthood

The partner of Serbia’s lesbian prime minister recently gave birth via artificial insemination. Now its Health Ministry won't let same-sex couples undergo medical procedures in Serbia that would allow them to have children. By Ron Synovitz and Gordana Cosic

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The Ups And Downs Of Prague's Paternosters

The Ups And Downs Of Prague's Paternosters

Paternosters -- continuously circulating elevators without doors which passengers hop on and off of -- were once common in Europe, but have now largely disappeared as a result of modernization or because of safety or accessibility concerns. The Czech capital, Prague, still has 28 working paternosters and an avid group of devotees. By Neil Bowdler and Carlos Coelho