Margot Buff is a multimedia editor for RFE/RL.
Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1 in retaliation for Israel's operations targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel said it would retaliate against Iran in due time. The missile attack and Israel's incursion into Lebanon marked a dramatic escalation in the conflict.
On September 24, 2023, dozens of ethnic Serb gunmen attacked a police unit in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo. The motives behind the attack remain unclear. This month, Kosovar authorities indicted 45 people over the assault, including a politician who is thought to be at large in Serbia.
Residents of Prijedor, in Bosnia, say they are forced to breathe coal dust and smoke from fires at a nearby coal mine. An environmental NGO says the mining company, started operations without the necessary permits. The company did not immediately respond to RFE/RL's request for comment.
RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva was expected to be reunited with her family near Washington, D.C., after she was freed from a Russian prison in a historic prisoner swap. While awaiting her return, Kurmasheva's husband, Pavel Butorin, spoke about the ordeal that their family endured.
As U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris moves into presidential campaign mode, her foreign policy record is in the spotlight. Observers say Harris appears committed to supporting Ukraine, and has shown strong support for NATO, but may stake out a different approach from Biden on the Middle East.
NATO leaders meeting in Washington renewed their support for Ukraine, and said that fighter jets newly promised to the Kyiv will be flying over the country “this summer.” The allies stated that Ukraine’s path toward joining the alliance is “irreversible,” but they have yet to set a time frame.
A NATO summit is taking place in Washington, D.C., as the alliance marks 75 years since its founding. RFE/RL's Zoriana Stepanenko reports that the war in Ukraine is at the top of the agenda, but many allies are also focused on the U.S. presidential election and its implications for NATO's future.
Dozens of states have agreed to attend a summit on June 15-16 in Switzerland aimed at finding a path toward peace in Ukraine -- but Russia will not join. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to discuss a peace formula that includes the restoration of the country's territorial integrity.
Adil Suljic was one of thousands of Muslim men and boys massacred in Srebrenica during the Bosnian war. His sister, Nura Begovic, later donated the remains of his clothing to the memorial center in Potocari, where his memory is honored alongside many other victims.
The vibration of a reed that grows around the Nagorno-Karabakh region has provided the sound of Armenia’s duduk, a wind instrument, for centuries. Azerbaijan’s military takeover of the territory means duduk makers are now looking to Europe for reeds, but some fear the sound might change forever.
As Afghans, Syrians, and other migrants continue to cross the Balkans on foot toward Western Europe, some never reach their destination. Bosnian rescue workers and volunteers are playing a vital role in working to identify victims, reach their families, and ensuring dignified burials.
The Russian government has designated Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty an "undesirable organization," according to a registry maintained by the country's Justice Ministry. The label effectively bans RFE/RL from working in Russia and exposes both reporters and sources to potential prosecution.
Two Russian prisoners, Vladislav and Mikhail, joined mercenary groups when they were given the chance to fight in Ukraine. After fighting in deadly conditions, both surrendered to Ukrainian forces -- then returned to battle as part of a paramilitary unit fighting for Ukraine.
Ukraine's president has named Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy as the country's top military commander. He replaces General Valeriy Zaluzhniy after months of speculation that he was at odds with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy over battlefield strategy.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is expected to win a fifth consecutive term in the country's elections on February 7. International watchdogs have described the vote as neither free nor fair amid reports of voting irregularities and an election boycott by major opposition parties.
When Anastasia Ivleyeva, a popular online influencer, invited Russian celebrities to a party with the theme "almost naked," she did not expect a nationwide backlash. One guest was charged with hooliganism and "gay propaganda," while other attendees said advertisers had canceled their contracts.
A gunman opened fire at a university in downtown Prague on December 21, killing at least 14 people and wounding many others. The shooter was also reported dead following the attack. A professor and students described being caught in the midst of the violence.
A group of disabled Armenian veterans has teamed up with a dance troupe to bring an unusual performance to Yerevan: choreographed wheelchair dance. Participants say the project has forged friendships, boosted their spirits, and challenged some of the limited expectations they face in society.
Russia has amassed an estimated 127,000 troops near the borders of Ukraine. In the event of an invasion, some Western experts believe Kyiv's forces could be quickly overwhelmed. But analysts point to some resources that make Ukraine a stronger power than it might appear.
A public defender, a rights activist, small business owners: these women have seen their lives and careers upended by the Taliban's return to power in August. After 100 days of Taliban rule, they take stock of the personal and economic harm caused by the regime's repressive policies.
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