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.
Dozens Of Coffins Stacked In Novosibirsk Airport Hint At Soaring Russian Losses In Ukraine
A video has gone viral of what appears to be coffins stacked like wood at the main international airport in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk. Many are thought to have been local inmates who signed up to fight in Ukraine with the Wagner mercenary force. By RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities
Besieged Ukrainian Forces Fight To Hold Bakhmut
Russian forces have been trying to capture the city of Bakhmut since last summer. Ukrainian soldiers say Russian troops continue to launch daily attacks with small infantry units, despite suffering major losses. RFE/RL Ukrainian Service correspondent Maryan Kushnir reports from the frontline city. By Maryan Kushnir, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, and Austin Malloy
Interview: Mobilizing Hundreds Of Thousands Of Russians 'Doesn't By Itself Give You A Capability'
A former British paratrooper and senior military adviser to U.S. Central Command, Major General Chip Chapman, talks about the Russian "meat grinder" versus Ukrainian "cunning," along with other battlefield developments as the invasion enters its second year. By Vazha Tavberidze
See Also:
Ex-White House Official Says Putin's 'Fixation' On Empire Led To The War On Ukraine
'An Interesting Partner To Do Business With': How Germany Got Vladimir Putin So Wrong
Revealed: How Ukraine Blew Up A Dam To Save Kyiv
In early March 2022, as Russian troops approached Kyiv, the last stronghold on the way to the Ukrainian capital was the village of Moshchun. Russian marines built three pontoon bridges to gain a foothold across the Irpin River. After days of heavy combat, Ukrainian forces managed to destroy two pontoons but asked their high command to retreat due to heavy losses. They were denied, as that would have opened the road to Kyiv. Instead, by blowing up a dam of the Kyiv Reservoir, Ukrainian forces flooded Irpin -- allowing them to regroup and push back Russian troops who were suddenly stuck in a swamp. By Dmytro Dzhulay, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, and Ray Furlong
Women's Sports Going Downhill In Afghanistan As Taliban Denies The Right To Ski
The snowy slopes of Bamiyan in central Afghanistan had become a high-altitude safe space for amateur women skiers over the past two decades. But everything has gone downhill since the return of Taliban rule and the hard-line Islamist group's ban on women participating in sports. By Mansoor Khosrow
Even Dead Men Are Being Convicted In Ongoing Kazakh Crackdown
A court in the Kazakh city of Taraz convicted five dead men on February 7 for their alleged roles in nationwide anti-government protests in January 2022, during which at least 238 people died. Four living men were also found guilty. Relatives of the deceased spoke to RFE/RL. By RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, Manshuk Asautai, and Sanat Nurbek
Flight Of The Teachers: Why Are Educators Leaving Russia?
"All my life I taught children in Russia, and my place is there. Most likely, I will return, but I don't know what Russia will be like at that moment." An unknown number of teachers have fled Russia since the Kremlin's assault on Ukraine one year ago. Here are some of their stories. By RFE/RL's Idel.Realities
Tending The Flame At Kabul's Women-Only Restaurant
Samira Mohammadi's restaurant in the Afghan capital, Kabul, is run exclusively by and for women. It serves as a rare safe space in a society where the Taliban has been restricting basic freedoms for women since coming to power in 2021. By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi and Will Tizard
Mysterious Wave Of Sickness Hits Iranian Schoolgirls, Amid Speculation Over Poisoning
Hundreds of girls have fallen sick in schools in recent weeks in Iran, with some hospitalized. Some officials and parents suspect that the schoolgirls were poisoned. The authorities, which have launched an investigation, have found no evidence of poison. By Golnaz Esfandiari
Whitewashed: Church Mural Of Soviet Military Defeat Painted Over By Belarusian Authorities
A large-scale artwork depicting a 1920 Polish victory over invading Red Army forces in a church in northwestern Belarus has been painted over by the authorities after pro-government media criticized the historic mural. By RFE/RL's Belarus Service