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🧵1/6 Battered by mismanagement, sanctions, and war, Iran’s economy is in deep trouble. The cost-of-living crisis is forcing people to change what they eat, how they socialize, and what they can afford to do. Here’s what it costs to cook five everyday Iranian dishes for a family of four, compared with a year ago. Note: Prices are shown in toman. On Iran’s open market, the US dollar averaged about 111,000 toman from late September to late October 2025, compared with about 259,000 toman over the same period in 2026. It now costs nearly twice as much to make chicken and barberry at home as it did a year ago. ⬇️ By @RadioFarda_

A fragile cease-fire around Russian-occupied Oleshky entered its third day, offering hope to thousands of civilians facing severe shortages. But fears that Russia could use the pause to forcibly transfer residents to Russia or occupied Crimea remain.

A Russian attack on Ukraine's eastern city of Dnipro killed at least 14 people and injured more than 10 others, according to Ukrainian officials. Russian forces struck a railway station platform in Dnipro with a jet-powered drone.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack "horrific," saying that Russian forces had "launched a drone attack on a platform where an ordinary commuter train and a scheduled passenger train were standing."

Putin is losing friends in Europe. First, Viktor Orban lost power in Hungary. Now, Aleksandar Vucic’s party has suffered a decisive electoral defeat in Serbia. So what do these developments mean for the Kremlin? By @sgutterman

In The Week In Russia, RFE/RL’s @sgutterman unpacks the biggest developments involving Moscow and what they could mean going forward. Sign up to get the newsletter every Thursday ⬇️

Russian bombs and artillery have devastated the city of Bilozerske in Ukraine's Donetsk region. With the city in ruins and colder temperatures approaching, remaining residents are bracing for a rough winter.

🛰️ 200 meters. That's the distance between a Russian military satellite and a Finnish one that feeds radar images to Ukraine -- by some estimates. Roughly the length of a football field. A thousand kilometers up and both moving faster than a rifle bullet. A NASA veteran called it "exceptionally close." Others went further: "very deliberate." "Provocative." "Reckless." And it wasn't a one-off. Three other satellites from the same Russian launch were tracked moving toward that same Finnish spacecraft. So, how close is too close? And what does a fly-by like this actually tell us about the weapons already up there? Here's what you need to know. @Mike_Eckel @ObradovicAjla

The US President Donald Trump told reporters on October 28 that a meeting between the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, will be set up "very soon."

Satellite images show the transformation of the site, and why it is so hard for Ukraine to disable. Serhiy Koval, @krymrealii, and Amos Chapple.

The winning movement in Serbia's parliamentary elections, the Student List, has yet to nominate the next prime minister. But Ilija Srdanovic, the grouping's top candidate, is one of the potential leaders for the role. In an interview with RFE/RL, Srdanovic, a professor and cardiologist, said the Student List will continue to work toward Serbia's integration with the EU and will use "open dialogue" with the public to approach major policy questions.

In an interview with @MilosTeodorovic from RFE/RL @RSE_Balkan, Ilija Srdanovic, the lead candidate for Serbia's Student List, which ousted longtime leader Aleksandar Vucic in the country's recent parliamentary elections, pledged to remain committed to EU integration. He also said Serbia's stance on sanctions against Russia could be reconsidered through public debate.

Residents fleeing Russian-occupied Oleshky describe hunger, soaring food prices, and threats from Russian soldiers. Cut off from supplies, civilians risk mines and drone attacks to escape. Now, a proposed cease-fire could open a humanitarian corridor for those still trapped in the Ukrainian city. @CurrentTimeTv

Is it time for the EU to put GRU on its terror list? @RikardJozwiak

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers have warned American banks, port authorities and fuel-industry groups against facilitating imports of Russian diesel, raising the prospect of congressional investigations and legal action over President Donald Trump’s decision to ease restrictions on Russian fuel. @ralexdc

The US-negotiated cease-fire aimed at allowing humanitarian aid into the eastern Ukrainian city of Oleshky took effect in the early hours of October 27, shortly after Russian air attacks struck Kyiv, hitting a university dormitory and other civilian sites and killing at least one person.

Officials from the so-called Mecca Defense Alliance have gathered for a snap meeting in Tehran as they look to settle conflicts in the Middle East that have left the region reeling and are impacting global flows of oil and other cargo. @DaudKhattak1

Here are some of the people in Serbia's victorious Students' List political grouping.

Car horns and sirens fill the streets of Belgrade as celebrations continue after Aleksandar Vucic's election defeat. RFE/RL's Nevena Bogdanovic explains what comes next for Serbia’s student-led movement and the country’s ties with the EU, Russia, and China. By @RSE_Balkan ⬇️

Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's former president and dominant political figure for more than a decade, conceded defeat to the student-led protest movement in the country's parliamentary elections. While the final election results were yet to be announced, independent observers reported that voter turnout could reach its highest level in decades, approaching 70 percent after a day of long lines at polling stations. By @RSE_Balkan ⬇️