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Compared by some to the ancient master of military strategy, Sun Tzu, U.S. military strategist and author Sean McFate talks about Russia's failed attempt to disguise war as peace as well as the usefulness and pitfalls of a "sneaky war" to thwart Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

With its wealth of natural resources and vast agricultural lands, Kazakhstan is Central Asia's richest country. But revenue from the nation’s oil and gas hasn’t trickled down to ordinary Kazakhs, some 15 percent of whom live in poverty, according to the World Bank.

Islamic State-Khorasan attacks a Chinese-run hotel in Kabul, deadly gunfights erupt along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, and a Taliban minister courts controversy over his remarks about female education.

Taliban Higher Education Minister Nida Mohammad Nadim has sparked a flurry of controversies since his appointment in October. A former governor and military commander, the hard-line cleric has described female education as un-Islamic and against Afghan values.

Russia has opened an energy front' in its war against Ukraine, launching massive attacks that caused power outages while killing dozens of people. But as citizens, authorities, and energy companies learn to deal with the blackouts, there are growing indications that Moscow's efforts may fall flat.

Tajikistan says it has completed an autumn military call-up amid claims that authorities resorted to extreme measures, such as cutting off electricity and closing mosques in villages to force parents to enlist their sons in the army.

Iran executes two antiestablishment protesters, Tehran summons the Chinese ambassador over a row over three disputed islands in the Persian Gulf, and Iran's Foreign Ministry puts sanctions on RFE/RL's Radio Farda.

Afghans are preparing for another brutal winter under the rule of the Taliban. Aid groups fear that this winter could be even worse than the last as hunger and disease continue to rise.

IS-K hits Chinese interests in Kabul; Central Asia’s two fires; Serbia pushes again for Chinese-style surveillance; and Pakistan takes center stage.

This week's Gandhara Briefing provides insight into why fear of the Taliban is prompting some Afghan parents to marry off their daughters early; the questioning of Taliban corporal punishments; and the struggles of Afghan Army women.