Russia's ban on Jehovah's Witnesses has led to raids, arrests and imprisonment. NPR's Scott Simon says that the religion the Russian government calls "extreme" would be better described as "devout."
With Russian troops on the offensive, Ukraine's second-largest city is taking the drastic step of moving classrooms for primary and secondary education underground.
Russia is still reeling from Friday's attack. Authorities have confirmed at least 137 dead. Suspects, some showing signs of torture, have been charged. Here are other key developments.
Several gunmen wearing camouflage burst into a concert venue and opened fire. A fire broke out and some were trapped inside. Eleven people have been detained, Russian officials said.
The Ukrainian energy minister said the nighttime drone and rocket attacks were "the largest attack on the Ukrainian energy sector in recent times." At least three people were killed, officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will extend nearly a quarter century of rule for six more years after wrapping up an election that gave voters no real alternatives.
Putin forever? Russia's president goes into this week's election with no serious contenders, cementing his already quarter-century hold on the Kremlin through at least 2030.
Sweden has formally joined NATO as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality as concerns about Russian aggression in Europe have spiked.
Despite fears of a police crackdown, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's funeral in southeast Moscow went on peacefully, two weeks after his mysterious death in an Arctic penal colony.
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued explicit nuclear threats to the West, even as he assured Russians their country could both win the war in Ukraine and thrive economically.
An associate of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny says in a video statement talks were underway shortly before his death to exchange him for a Russian imprisoned in Germany.
The Russian leader had a busy week, one that saw him exude confidence about Russia's military and economic resilience as Ukraine has increasingly struggled on the battlefield.
In the 80% of Ukraine that remains in Kyiv's hands, two years of full-scale war with Russia have brought grief, destruction and, despite all, optimism.