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.
Israel-Hamas War Creates Prospects, Problems For Russia As It Invades Ukraine And Seeks Clout In Mideast
The horrific new war in the Middle East may help the Kremlin by drawing attention away from the carnage it's causing in Ukraine, squeezing U.S. military resources, and bolstering Russia's anti-West narratives, but a widening of the Israel-Hamas conflict could jeopardize Moscow's regional interests. By Todd Prince
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'This Is My Home': Soldiers From Russia And Ukraine Serve In Israeli Army
'This Is My Home': Soldiers From Russia And Ukraine Serve In Israeli Army
While Russia and Ukraine fight a brutal war, citizens of both countries are serving in on the same side in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. By Timofei Rozhanskiy, Current Time, and Ray Furlong
River Crossings, ATACMS, Cauldrons, Stalled Breaches: Ukraine’s Battlefield Tips Into A New Phase
Russian attack helicopters hit by U.S.-supplied long-range missiles. A faltering effort to encircle Ukrainian troops. A reported Dnieper River crossing by Ukrainian forces. The news hasn’t been good for Russian forces in the past week. What it means for the battlefield with the imminent onset of winter is not entirely clear. By Mike Eckel
Culture Loss: Georgia's Heritage Sites Are Being Destroyed In Order To Be Preserved
There are roughly 8,000 cultural heritage monuments in Georgia, with 1,000 holding the status of national monuments. Among them is the 10th-century Korogho tower, which once graced a hill and was decreed a national monument by the president. Today, it lies in ruins, awaiting rehabilitation. By Nastasia Arabuli
'He Considers Himself A Hero': Russian Town Uneasy After Ex-Con’s Return From Ukraine War
A small town in Russia’s north is struggling to cope with the return of a pardoned convict who has come back from Ukraine and is now living a street over from the relatives of his victim -- a situation becoming increasingly common as mercenaries recruited from prison return from the war. By RFE/RL's North.Realities
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Rescuing Stas: How A Ukrainian Soldier Became A Boy's Godfather
Rescuing Stas: How A Ukrainian Soldier Became A Boy's Godfather
Ukrainian soldier Petro Voloshchenko first encountered 7-year-old Stas living with his family in a half-destroyed apartment building in Bakhmut. Under heavy shelling by Russian forces last year, the eastern Ukrainian city was no place for civilians -- so Voloshchenko's unit helped them to get out. Stas's family was given an apartment in Dnipro, where they have started a new life -- with Voloshchenko now proudly holding a new title: Stas's godfather. By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Roksolana Bychai, and Will Tizard
Kazakhstan Pays Tribute To Ancient Way Of Life With Competitive Eagle Hunting
Using raptors to hunt foxes, wolves, and other small mammals has long been a traditional form of hunting among Kazakhs, and it is still practiced today as eagle hunters, known as "Berkutchi," showcase their birds of prey in a competition held in the Almaty region. By Petr Trotsenko
Neither Serb Nor Albanian: Life In The 'Bosnian Quarter' Of Kosovo's Divided North
Amid what local police say is a surge in ethnic tensions, North Mitrovica's Bosnian Quarter has lost much of the population of the ethnic group that gave the neighborhood its name. By Doruntina Baftiu and Bujar Terstena
'I'm Afraid': Afghan Migrants Complain Of Rising Harassment, Violence In Iran
In September, Iranian officials announced that they would forcibly deport millions of undocumented Afghan migrants and refugees living in the Islamic republic. Since then, there has been a rise in cases of Afghans being harassed and assaulted by law enforcement and civilians in Iran. By Naqiba Barekzai
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Love And Laughter: Wounded Ukrainian Soldier Finds Healing Romance In Brussels
Love And Laughter: Wounded Ukrainian Soldier Finds Healing Romance In Brussels
After suffering serious injuries in battle against Russian forces, a Ukrainian soldier being treated in Brussels has found a new passion for life -- in the form of a Belgian-raised Ukrainian speaker named Lidia Zubrytska. After she began volunteering as a translator at the hospital, she and Serhiy Antonenko have become almost inseparable. The romance is helping to inspire Antonenko's year-plus rehabilitation from his injuries. By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Zoriana Stepanenko, and Will Tizard