Here are some of the highlights produced by RFE/RL's 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.
Who Are The Neo-Nazis Fighting For Russia In Ukraine?
The Kremlin has claimed its war on Ukraine is aimed at "de-Nazifying" the country. What about the neo-Nazi groups actively fighting on the Russian side? By Dmitry Kozhurin
'Russification' Begins With Big Screens, Passports In Occupied Areas Of Ukraine
Efforts to pursue "Russification" are gathering pace in areas of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces. They include mobile TV units showing Russian news channels on big screens, summer schools to prepare children for the Russian school curriculum, plus a move to Russian rubles and Russian passports. By Current Time
War In Ukraine Causes Global Food Shortage
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is creating a food shortage that has worldwide repercussions. Russia and Ukraine are key agricultural suppliers, and the conflict has only served to highlight the fragility of the global food-supply chain when two major players are essentially taken off the market. By Giovana Faria
Can Western Artillery Stop Russia's Progress In The Donbas?
Russian troops are "incrementally" gaining territory in the Donbas as they seek to overwhelm Ukrainian defense forces with artillery bombardments. Will new Western weapons supplies make a difference? By Todd Prince
Vladimir Putin, Red Mercury, And The Last Great Swindle
How a municipal committee led by the future Russian president backed a plan to hawk a fake chemical compound with supposed nuclear applications. By Sergei Dobrynin and Robert Coalson
'They Can F**k Off': Russian Rock Icon Sounds Off On Backers Of Putin's Ukraine War
Once a supporter of Vladimir Putin, Russian rocker Andrei Makarevich left the country after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has denounced the Russian leader's war of aggression. By Carl Schreck and Andrei Tsyganov
Blaming Western Sanctions, Russia Pushes 'Dangerous' Cleanup Plan For Lake Baikal
The Russian government has begun easing limits on pollutants that can be released into the aquifer of Siberia's unique Lake Baikal, which holds 20 percent of the world's fresh water, saying that Western sanctions imposed over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine have scuttled the previous clean-up plan. By RFE/RL’s Siberia Realities
'Unprecedented Differences': Rifts Within The Taliban Come Out In The Open
Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August, there have been mounting reports of infighting within the militant group. Last week, a senior Taliban official became the first to openly criticize the Taliban leadership for its repressive policies in Afghanistan. Experts say the rare public criticism exposes the widening rifts in the group. By Abubakar Siddique
Award-Winning Iranian Actress Opens Up On 'Very Difficult' Exile, 'Problems' In Homeland
Exiled Iranian actress Zar Amir-Ebrahimi won the best actress award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for her role as a journalist trying to solve the serial murders of prostitutes in the holy city of Mashhad. In an interview with RFE/RL, she opened up about her struggles in exile and the importance of exposing “problems” in her homeland. By RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Wives Of Azovstal Soldiers Tell Of 'Horrors, Pain' Of Mariupol Siege
The wives of Ukrainian soldiers who were the last defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged city of Mariupol reveal the "horrors" that their husbands endured before being taken prison by Russia. Kateryna Prokopenko and Yulia Fedosyuk told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that their husbands were "brave" members of the Azov Regiment but they're concerned about their fate after Russian officials said they could be tried as "terrorists." By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
