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.

Despite A Mass COVID-19 Outbreak, Workers In Russia's Arctic Labor On

More than 2,000 workers at the Kola Yard construction site north of Murmansk have tested positive for the coronavirus. But work on the huge project continues even as the number of cases mounts. By Aleksandr Andreyevsky, Anton Nekayev, and Robert Coalson

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Workers Go Hungry As Central Asia's Largest Bazaar Stands Empty

Workers Go Hungry As Central Asia's Largest Bazaar Stands Empty

Central Asia's largest bazaar has been closed for a month now, causing hunger and poverty for some 50,000 people in Bishkek who worked there before COVID-19 struck. Some of these people live on-site in shipping containers, while others live at an informal shantytown on a garbage dump near the giant marketplace in the Kyrgyz capital. By Ray Furlong and Current Time

The Strange Story Of A Russian Ventilator Shipment To The U.S. Just Got Stranger

A shipment of Russian ventilators and other coronavirus-related supplies to the United States last month was already dogged by questions. Turns out the ventilators never got used at all – and some were the same model that is being blamed for two deadly hospital fires back in Russia. By Mike Eckel

The Wealthy Uzbek Senator Implicated In The Deadly Collapse Of A Dam

As Uzbekistan probes the collapse of a major dam, there are public calls for the government to bring to justice those who were in charge of the dam’s construction. By RFE/RL's Uzbek Service

Broken City: Budapest After World War II

Seventy-five years after the end of World War II in Europe, photographs capture the devastation wrought on the Hungarian capital, Budapest, during one of Europe’s most overlooked battles. By Amos Chapple

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Afghan Farmers Supply Opium Trade As Money Dries Up

Afghan Farmers Supply Opium Trade As Money Dries Up

Farmers in Afghanistan are growing poppies in government-controlled areas, insisting that there are no real economic alternatives to cultivating the flowers for the opium trade. It's estimated that Afghanistan's poppy fields are the source for much of the world's illegal heroin supply. By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan

After Deadly Prison Riot In Siberia, Officials Are Tight-Lipped As Families Seek Information On Survivors

A mutiny at a maximum-security prison in Siberia in early April prompted special forces to sweep in and left one inmate dead and dozens injured. A second prisoner reportedly died later of his injuries. But for the relatives of at least 50 inmates, there has been little information about how their loved ones are doing or even where they are. By Matthew Luxmoore

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'I'm Truly Devastated': Babies Left Motherless In Kabul Attack Breastfed By Volunteers

'I'm Truly Devastated': Babies Left Motherless In Kabul Attack Breastfed By Volunteers

Medical staff in the Afghan capital, Kabul, have been caring for newborn babies left motherless in a deadly attack on a maternity hospital by gunmen on May 12. Volunteers have come forward to breastfeed the children. It's still unclear who was behind the atrocity. By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan and Neil Bowdler

Mistaken Identity: Finnish Soldier Is Latest Odd Image To Grace A Russian Victory Day Poster

In a Russian city near the Finnish frontier, officials hung a Victory Day picture showing a sturdy soldier and his trusty reindeer. Problem: The soldier was a Finn who fought against the Red Army after dictator Josef Stalin invaded his country in the Winter War of 1939-40. The incident was one of a string of similar cases in recent years, several of which involved images of German soldiers gracing Russian Victory Day posters. By Anna Yarovaya and Robert Coalson

Food Aid For Iranian Poor At Khomeini's Luxurious Shrine Ignites Controversy

Online photos of food packages for the poor at the luxurious shrine of the founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who promised support for the poor, has led to criticism from people suggesting the images highlight economic mismanagement and inequality in Iran. By Golnaz Esfandiari