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 team of correspondents, multimedia editors, and visual journalists over the past seven days.
After A Deadly Plane Crash, Putin's Partial Apology Speaks Volumes
Evidence that a Russian missile may have shot down an Azerbaijani passenger jet has sparked anger in the Caucasus and beyond. Putin issued an apology of sorts, a move that was unprecedented but may not eliminate the effects of the disaster on Russia’s already damaged reputation in the region. By Steve Gutterman
1,000 Crimeans Killed Fighting For Russia, RFE/RL Investigation Reveals
At least 1,000 residents of Crimea have died fighting for Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to an investigation by RFE/RL. Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014, and media is restricted there while information about military casualties is suppressed. But a team at RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has compiled a database of Crimea's war dead by scouring statements from local officials and social media posts by relatives of the deceased. By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and RFE/RL's Crimea.Realities
Two Presidents, A Country In Turmoil. What Next For Georgia?
There had been some speculation that the incumbent Georgian president, Salome Zurabishvili, would refuse to leave the presidential palace even after her successor was inaugurated. In the end, she left, but not without a fight. By Luke Allnutt
Russia Advances, Ukraine Struggles, The War Turns Grimmer For Kyiv
Beset by mud, cold and relentless Russian assaults, Ukrainian troops are struggling. South of the crossroads city of Pokrovsk, Kyiv’s commanders are watching Russian units advance, with uncertain objectives, while stretched Ukrainian units near Kurakhove face the danger of encirclement. By Mike Eckel
What Awaits Ukraine War In 2025 Amid Shifting Political Climate?
Beset by mud, cold and relentless Russian assaults, Ukrainian troops are struggling. South of the crossroads city of Pokrovsk, Kyiv’s commanders are watching Russian units advance, with uncertain objectives, while stretched Ukrainian units near Kurakhove face the danger of encirclement. By Mike Eckel
Tajik Migrants Being 'Held As Slaves' On Remote Russian Farm
A group of Tajik migrant workers claim they are being forced to work on a remote farm in Russia's Far East, with little food or pay and no way to get home. By RFE/RL's Central Asian Migrants' Unit
Teachers Offer Secret Ukrainian Classes To Children In Russian-Occupied Regions
In occupied parts of Ukraine, Russian forces have imposed a new Moscow-backed school curriculum, eliminating lessons in Ukrainian language and culture. But teachers who are dedicated to preserving those subjects have taken their lessons underground, offering clandestine online or in-person classes to thousands of students. By Current Time, Borys Sachalko, Oleksandr Matyushenko and Serhiy Dykun
Ukraine's Carol Of The Bells Still Rings In War-Torn Birthplace
The song known in English as The Carol of the Bells is widely recognized as a Christmas melody. But in the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, residents know it as Shchedryk, a work by the local composer and teacher Mykola Leontovych. The tune is often heard there in the Christmas season, but this year, it's competing with the sound of shelling as Russian forces approach Pokrovsk. By Current Time and Borys Sachalko
