Ukraine War Rocks Moldova’s Fragile Economy

Chisinau has not imposed sanctions on Russia, but is looking into economic alternatives to Moscow.

Nikoloz who turned 18 a few months ago has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which impacts his communication skills and is often expressed in limited and repetitive patterns of behaviour. © IWPR

Georgia: Autistic Adults Left Behind

While children have access to free therapy, treatment centres are not equipped to support adults.

Women, children and elderly people make up the vast majority of those heading abroad, as men between 18 and 60 years of age are barred from leaving Ukraine. © Oleksandr Solonenko

Photo Essay

Lviv, a City at the Crossroads of Ukraine’s Refugee Crisis

Hundreds of thousands arrive every day as they flee Russia’s invasion.

Oleh Baturin was kidnapped on March 12 and subjected to eight days of physical and psychological pressure before being released. © Photo courtesy of O. Baturin

Interview

Ukraine: Kidnapped Journalist Speaks Out

“I heard screams, heard others being interrogated. They were simply tortured.”

Central Asian Migrants Leave Russia

Millions from all over the region have historically travelled there to work, with their remittances playing a significant part in many countries’ economies.

A Ukrainian serviceman stands guard near a burning warehouse hit by a Russian shell in the suburbs of Kyiv on March 24, 2022. © FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine War Diary by A. Borden

Analysis: Ukraine’s War of Attrition

Both sides try to wear the other down, with neither able to strike the knock-out blow.

After thousands of computers used to mine cryptocurrency overwhelmed the power grid in Georgia’s mountainous region of Svaneti at the height of winter, 200 residents gathered in the medieval church of St. George in Mestia, Svaneti's main centre, to take an oath on the ancient icon of the saint that they would never mine cryptocurrencies. © IWPR

Crypto Mining Overtakes Georgian Power Grid

Svaneti residents turned to ancient rituals to fight electricity shortages caused by virtual currencies.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Gagauzia

How a girl’s dream to become a police officer raised the bar of gender equality in a conservative region.

An elementary school in Armenia's Syunik province. Parents shoulder a significant burden to ensure that their children receive proper schooling, with some experts assessing that a third of the average Armenian household expenditure was on education-related costs. © Mania Israyelyan

Armenia’s Education Gap

Parents are forced to shoulder a significant burden to ensure that their children receive proper schooling.

Global Voices: Europe/Eurasia

CABAR logo

THIS WEEK ON CABAR.ASIA

Highlights from IWPR’s Central Asia network of analysis and investigations.

The construction of the Qosh Tepa canal in Afghanistan is causing water shortages in southern Uzbekistan, while in Kyrgyzstan the government is considering the construction of a nuclear power plant. In Kazakstan, conservation activists are working to save the Central Asian tortoise from extinction.

Elsewhere, CABAR delves into the efforts by Central Asian authorities to detect, reduce and prevent statelessness across the region.