From the centre for investigative reporting and p r acts, this is reveal I'm Ike's risks. Roger outlets and is wrapping these sabbatical and he'll, be back next month over the past couple weeks, Seeing things happened that a lot of people thought would never happen again in Europe Massive military power invades a sovereign country to expand its territory and influence millions of civilians flee their homes. Nuclear threats are in the air and suddenly everyone's worried about world war. Three. It's like we're living in some bizarre twentieth century time. Loop, but what's happening, isn't a sudden crisis

It's been on a slow burn for years goes back way before russian tanks and troops crossed into Ukraine last month. In that's what we're focusing on today, the law more in Ukraine and the people who are living through it like arena doth on for many Ukrainians, she's, a symbol of Russia's brutality, she's been pushed to her limit.

such ass. You do most Alyosha hugged over now. I think I am ready to do that. If I invite to shoot just for you and to fight for my home without arena is sixty years old, we met her through coda story. Are partners on today? Show Rina lives outside keep, but that's not really. Home home is a small town on the outskirts of done yet in the dawn bus region of Eastern Ukraine, where she had lived her whole life, her husband is a contractor and they built a big house there, the perfect house, to grow old and

says it has a barn, styled, roof a balcony and a big garden full of flowers. He or she will be less. Research is reaching the end of my garden and my flowers. We were a middle class family and we travel and everywhere we went. I would bring home plants shares to favour and they grew and I loved you watching your view, ethical, and will you call me that, came to an end back in twenty fourteen yesterday, we should give up. I ask myself how many times you knows not initiate must endure. what I endured and twenty four things That's when russian troops invaded in annex the southern Ukrainian Peninsula of Crimea, then Russia gave support to separatist fighters in Don boss. They eventually to.

Control of a lot of territory, including arenas, hometown arenas, husband there, teenage daughter grown son and his child all flat, but Irina didn't go. She says she couldn't abandoned her home, Patsy or her garden. That was in summer bloom. He show me your block why you can't, even if I could take the fish and hang There's no way we could have moved a fishing companies. I told my husband: yes, I'm a stage they asked hours. She wasn't ready to take up arms herself, but she did begin helping ukrainian soldiers. She in a friend made food for them, borscht and pancakes or believe me, and she also brought them warm. Clothes is naturally an units at first, I thought you were afraid because, usually we came from the occupied areas along new controls. They told me later they were either

afraid to eat our burnished first, when you buy it. Does you used to be and then we them how much we love Ukraine. Merchant we're ukrainian citizens give We feel our responsibility it. No, I don't mean I'd start and then I got arrested. This is where things turn really bad for Rina. The pro russian separatist accused her of spying for ukrainian forces and detained her for three days. She says they hid her fired guns around her, even threatened rape and then, of course, Coachman, and then they got bored. They said she is already garbage. Let's take her entire up into checking. Wait not help with the ukrainian Army

fires and that those bastards kill you point or group. We hear them and then they started arguing about Germany's forty. I was lying on the floor and hearing them argue about who was going to tie me there. Don't you did me a bumpy ass. They were looking for some sort of entertainment to overcome their boredom leaching you, the separatist, took her traffic circle. They tied her to a lamp post, they wrapped a balloon, yellow ukrainian flag around her shoulders and they put two more small flags on her head and they made arena hold a sign. That said, she killed our children any me about using the bullshit. They took me to the traffic selling and unfortunately stood near you gave alleging there weren't. Very many people,

but miss a few and local walked by nature and they shouted at them. Look enough! We caught a killer and everyone who has by believed the enemy. I hated more young, special, the hidden me and spit by sheer chance, a brazilian war photographer covering the conflict caught all of this he took a photo. Woman kicking arena. While she was tied to the lamp post flags decorating her body and head child killer sign in her hands eyes, squeezed shut, Chin length, copper, hair blowing across her face, the photo was published in the New York Times, sparking international out,

rage under intense pressure. The rebels released during a two days later, a few weeks after that she told her story to the United Nations Human Rights Council through an interpreter, and I give the floor to United Nations watch, you have the floor and you have two minutes. But he both budget procedure. Thank you, Mr President. My name is eating. I d gone. I am an inhabitant of done bath in the eastern Ukraine as much by then Irina had fled her home and on boss and in a bizarre twenty first century she watched another family move. It is Nigeria seed you who do all these years. I followed their posts and social media as he can talk. I've seen their third child arrive in my bedroom. I've seen how they dress her in my granddaughters clothing ready she grew out of, but I say very nice

what you should use them? I've seen them and make sure my dear baptized their diet. He was wearing my clothing me as usual, the very bunker pathetically realistically and the child rights. My granddaughters bicycle its Someone else is now living her life arena has her dog and cats. She has a new garden, but she still haunted by what have You know those needs a storm stall. Sometimes, may I have this dream where my plan saying up Europe do Irina, but why did you throw us away more obvious need, but you- and I cannot explain to them. I I threw them away when you says deal because,

They were alive to me, like my children, should wake up my Jitchu voice. I mean you got any war is never nice one. It is never intelligent, any providing coolly. He is always cursed and you ve been cruel promptly at Asia, Turkey how that curse has come to a homeland, again lose nature. You know what suggestions already meant eight years. You can do a lot to do for you. I would love to see you. I've already put this past me. I would love to say,

that I am no longer in pain, but do my always thing we have. My experience is not an easy. Jean each love store roughnecks through tat in different countries. All around the current people have suffered Peter she while they are suffering and it would be right and they likely was Further, we ve been staying in touch with the red She says she has no plans to leave, keep and she tells us her husband has joined a group of civilians who are defending. The city will meet some of those civilians when we come back and will wine back the clock a few weeks to see how people in Ukraine experienced the run up to war,

the decisions they had to make when it finally broke out, but we have been living in this for the last eight years and no binding leave us. No, it's like a moment of truth when everyone can see. What would do does to us here listening to reveal from the centre for investigative reporting and p acts. This is reveal an extreme conduct Vladimir Putin has been laying the groundwork for a full scale war with Ukraine for years. Eight years ago

when Russia invaded Crimea in the south and supported rebels in the eastern part of Ukraine. Putin said he was protecting ethnic Russians who lived there about a fifth of Ukrainians are native russian speakers, but identity is never so simple. Glenn Cates, a reporter with Coda story, has been living and working in Ukraine since twenty twenty and reporting from the region for the past decade, he takes us back to early February, when a second Putin invasion of Ukraine, was still just a threat. Its February sex in eighteen, is that a mere Putin's Russia will, I a full scale, invasion of Ukraine? I dont know that yet neither does Elisa my fiance amnesia. Have you read the usual diameter contrasted the joy of the police? The journalists like me she's ukrainian and retention.

Speak to each other in a measure of russian Ukrainian in English winner apartment. In Kiev the news I just got from my sister in New York. I woke up to message from my sister saying: Glenn: have you left give yet with the big exhalation quaint looking ahead to notification from the Washington Post. That said that Russia could invade Ukraine within days, leaving Fifty thousand civilians dead, fifteen thousand fifteen fifty Russia continues Gmos that not the kind of news she wants to hear first thing in the morning to be honest so far headlines about a common were, haven't changed your lives at all, and this is thirty weeks pregnant more worried by the rapidly expanding bump growing number of russian troops along Ukraine's Borders Pudding It's a lot of threats, but we know the babies coming and I keep thinking about all the stuff we

To buy to get ready for it, we don't have time for that today we're going to check out Ukraine's territorial defence force. The regular citizens who are preparing for war right now if we will not fight leader was Elvis and we should know his forty nine in from both sides region, Eastern Ukraine, that's been partially occupied by per russian separatist. Since twenty fourteen, like many people in the story, he only feel safe sharing his first name. I have lost my house. I have lost my plan. My father was in russian touch a facility for three miles, so it's not like. Ok, you will have some governments that you don't like it no, you will lose everything we're innovated area on the outskirts of key is a kind of secondly movie set for film about Chernobyl. With

abandoned schoolhouse, decaying soviet era, mosaics in about twenty people, learning to shoot revenge the bill for untold their fake I tell a man who goes by over that news. Reports say that Russia could occupy keep within days. Try gave- is a vast city. Millions of people Even in there Those people have something to lose. You know, I think they Try very much, possibly regret the decision to storm key of with. tanks, armor and personnel for years. Putin has been making this some claim that Ukrainian we are carrying out a genocide against ethnic Russians and russian speakers. Its total and found it, but They use it as a justification to invade the country on February tenth two weeks. For russian bids. I go into the city.

To meet a woman who, like many people here, has russian parents is there to see you to voting, us up: coveys wearing a grey cap in a puff he caught a much different. Look from the first summit met her. She was at a territorial defence, training site dressed and do it yourself military garb need pads. Hiking boots a vessel fights are pockets. What a restaurant called Veteran O pizza Valentine's day, He chose it for its symbolism. The restaurant was founded by a veteran of the ongoing war and Eastern Ukraine inside it's like a military themed pilot Hollywood. I guess these are the butler patches from different units, not on the Ukrainian. You see there is little we can find the Canadian, but you won't find Russia and the tables have spent showcasing,

valentine and tells me both. Her parents came here from Russia in the nineteen seventies, but she was born here and she's put her life on the line for Ukraine. Did you have a son of ukrainian patriotism when you're a kid absolutely like it twice. First, the house I had time When I was tied in school and down, I was beat the probable, I should certainly needs to meet of course, I made my ukrainian language teacher cry. I found shops that I'm russian and I don't need to study ukrainian language voting says that are a sense of identity began to change in the run up to pollutants. Twenty fourteen invasion of Ukraine fatigue, the covert was pressed, Ukraine, at the time he was about to sign it. that would allow the country more with the EU, but at the last minute he backed out in favour of closer ties with Russia. In November twenty thirteen

thousands of people gathered at essential key square, known as my done to protest, both his decision and rape and government correction The demonstrations grew into a massive protests. Cap Valentina joined in the. I was to help in the kitchen. I was hoping to poke foods make tee and there were set for foreign tee and given sandwiches, when you recently decided you were gonna go there, it was. To you about necessary, like Ukraine. It was about Europe feel that you just one or two for what is right in the beginning. It was just stand for what is right Over several days, in late February, twenty fourteen Ukraine, Please shouted the maiden protesters more than a hundred people died. Added. I, like a thin, saw lagging bequests. I saw a like that biogas.

Naked in all lay on the ground, and I saw her legs dismay geeks carrying like could bear the wounded people. I think all my done participates. I still dogmatize psychologically from those who live in the moment vote. Genesis something snapped in her. I felt like those on this people We have family, you know we're like one, and I was actually but he made that I felt this year pity, and I understood that you know it's who will go through it. We will win. I stood really get like this. You grew up. You didn't really sealed Ukrainian. You. You spoke russian. they at home, did you really just like happen overnight? Feel, like you know it's true, I tell him what you do, something for punches in more. You love, you can't, president. No, he fled to Russia.

but celebrations in Ukraine was short lived days later. Russian troops trying to disguise themselves is locals, invaded the crimean penance in southern Ukraine. Valentino fell She needed help she went to the area and ended up thummim documentary about the occupation. Now, eight years later facing the grown, Threat of a larger russian invasion. Valentine is going to stay and fight? You know I was here, and I don't care where too right and I dont want to run. Actually I will fight for Yes, she moves her grandmother, her namesake, actually who survive That's Germany's brutal, eight hundred seventy two DC to letting during World WAR two. So what wearing and battleships- and I found this document-

She's have my, though, for the defence of linen, and I was head. My first thought that the wine- you forgetting my though for the friends of a bit by bit Do you think you're grandma will support you if she were alive today. I think not because she was carrying strong saw yet mentality phase. She is not the lifing as Valentino prepares to listen. I think about what an invasion would mean, especially with the baby, coming we're getting an old your son, very good. so they just said that the biggest is dig service be screen. We see the image of an almost fully developed baby boy.

an excited after all, these new symbolic full invasion. Now I feel like very happy person, but even here we can't escape talk of war. The altar Santa tells us She left her city needs when it was taken over by russian back separatists eight years ago. She says she's horrified by the possibility of living through that again its now ten days before Putin. Valentine's day, laziness, making breakfast You said that you woke up. You felt like every form of your face his I heard this. good feeling. Did everything

okay and who have a nice weekend happy we with our new car. Maybe we can go outside of Kiev to see some. if there was any given news immediately so that just like it just like condition that night when a hit chinese restaurant full of people celebrating Valentine's day. Elisa, isn't it mistake ass. She was earlier in the day it strange. How could we believe my move change today from very positive sign you Dave saying in mourning.

I was so that this green has been coming in at the end of the day, my eyes full of tears, so scared. No, you say say, though I try to comfort her, but honestly, I don't know it's say either we start wondering if we should leave, keep it vision happens. We have no idea what russian soldiers would do with they bombed the capital. Would they cut off supplies on February eighteen, there are signs that work could break out any day and coordinated. In that sense, the russian back separatists niece tell residents

They should leave the territory for Russia. It feels like there on a mission to provoke a war, all this in our minds: the next day a lesson head into the city center now sitting in a taxi. We decided to get married so when the taxi, unless you are telling me that this is and how you expected to be married, when you think about it, you know I am leg into reality: I asked her what she means by that we can't escape first, from this life right now, anyway, to believe in the station for one hundred years, will you have a smiling issues? Let me your kind of happy. I had been. We ve been planning a big fat ukrainian winnings

June, but with a possible invasion and our baby on the way we realize you have no official documents shown they were together. So we decide we need to have a marriage certificate, meet my magic, meet a handful of friends outside a government hall in Central Kyiv. Instead, the wedding we take photos in front of an artist, thick flowers, Purple NEA in the words from today decorating well guess, sit on plastic chairs the ceremony in so quick that I'm not even sure, went to kiss the bright we're happy at least for a little while

ass. I passed us just in time to do so, there were back in her apartment, curled up in bed with her dog there watching Putin make a speech that stands out listen. What is your reaction to this? to name did this. Ass? He basically close Ukraine sixties in says it's really just a part of Russia, We realise that his designs are just some eastern Ukraine, but on the entire country to the next day we ve pack, once you case it's about a week.

Worth of close. We have no idea. What's gonna happen, it's really emotional Zuzu, we locked the door poorest cases and a dog in the cart and had westwards leases hometown for us at a key. We feel safe enough to stop in sleep the next day we work from a hotel officially LISA has started maternity leave already, but she can't post office. From her job at a tv channel, its a bit the story in the world and she's living it that night. Neither of us can sleep as I had cause all day? This also do we decide. To stay here and Marina. It seems, pretty clear that in the next few hours she's, going to begin its massive

vision. We were sitting merge Tucker earlier just about weird crucial. It is that Russia's about two lines. military attack on this country. That hasn't done anything to it. planning on doing anything to it and it doesn't matter we're both waiting for the word to start, but somehow around three thirty in the morning. I does off I wake up to this. I do not believe, is on the phone with her dad frantically telling him he must leave Keith immediately he's been there for construction job she's working them up and he wants

go back to sleep, she begged him not to normal nausea I'll give you a greedy, no advantage risky business. That Greece Nobody ever she tells him than an hour ago. Putin essentially declared war in Ukraine and there are already explosions. In key neither pages, I can tell you that I thought we leave immediately and drive two hours to lose his home town of turnover, even here in relative safety. Ukraine is already different, the lines a gas station to getting longer at eighty and two we manage to get some food. We plan and staying here but that night air raid sirens scream in the city center. We do not want to have it. being a bomb shelter, we decide to leave you grin so it's now. I guess the third day the war or actually mean

forty eight hours after the second and we decided to leave the country. It's it's hard for me, but I think it's even harder for LISA, because this is the country that the instruments we have to think. Other baby we're in Vilnius, Lithuania. No yesterday,

We finally bought some baby things to one's is, from its name, There really cute today, should bind the maternity wards in the ukrainian city of variable millions of people. Have been forced to flee their homes. I still can thinking about what a lease had told me on the floor? stay of the war. We have been living in this situation for the last eight years and no binding believed us No, it's it's like moment of truth. Everyone can see what would do does to us. Thanks to codify stories, Glenn Cates for bringing us that story, and thanks to his new wife, Malaysia as well Glenn recently caught up with Valentino, she was still in keep preparing to do

then the city. I think it is my destiny, the same destiny as her grandmother, but instead of funding Leningrad from the Nazis, she's protecting keys from Putin's Russia when we come back we'll take a deeper look at prayer, Putin from the time he first came to power in Russia. She, started his rule by destroying the press and Liberty of voices and the liberty of ideas here listening to reveal I know I know it's hard, you wait all week for this podcast and then it's over and you find

yourself wanting more, let me make recommendation the reveal newsletter. It goes behind the scenes. into how we make and report these stories sky. I have now at reveal news, dot, Org, Slash newsletter from the centre for investigative reporting and p r acts. This is I'm I'm scan risk on the for a Lexan everything everything. That's not propaganda is being eliminated. That's wouldn't Nobel Prize Winning journalist in Russia recently told the New York Times under a new law. Even calling the invasion of Ukraine and invasion could mean fifteen years in prison in Russia, the government s started putting up or post it's all over the country, one in Saint Petersburg as big portrait of Putin and align in Russian. That reads: numb yes

France of Mr Beach, in not you ve, ever pushing hashtag, we Eugenie Peter Palmer Answer- was born in Ukraine Group in England and is now a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University, studying how Putin use propaganda. Literally the quotas, we were given no chances to act in any other way: Vevey Putin, big portrait of Putin and then hashtag, where together Peter says the russian leader cleaned. He had no other option but to invade Ukraine there going for. We have no choice. Nuts everyone, because that allows people to get rid of responsibility and nobody wants to feel at the bad guy. Nobody wants to feel that their country doing the invading doing the murdering. What is

substance behind that message like how did they make that case that they were forced into this year, so it feeds into a conspiratorial framing? has been around in Russia forever but is particularly strong below. seven years, which is the whole world, is go to infer Russia The whole world wants to destroy us actually she's, not the whole world, its America, Europe, Ukraine, Paris, Berlin, a puppets in the hands of America Everyone is against us. I knew your strong man to lead you through the monk that helps consolidate a sense of us and them which is vague enough to just be all encompassing through in a move

two? How Putin's strong man message and identity is resonating beyond Russia? Is Putin blowing up his friendships with his my fans in Western Europe in the? U S without a doubt, this is gonna hits some of the more high profile fans look at the moment. People are outraged, but this is gonna be a long, long, long conflict, both the war in Ukraine, but also the political, economic and psychological war that person will address to What's your America, I mean even Marine Lepen, the leader of the French, far right party that is funded by the president that has taken down pictures of her and feet together. I think even Donald Trump would like tracking, saying well know what he's done is wrong, but I would be tougher. Hidden Biden at this stage is early stage of wood

predicting, will be a very long war and while we're still all paying attention to this end, the shock is so visceral where we missing right now. What is the star? the media is missing. Well, I think we should listen to what pigeon is saying ocean. Yes, it is propaganda and administrative, but but he didn't want somebody keep some repeating stuff. We ve gotta, listen! So as far as he is concerned, he's not just at war with Ukraine he's a war with with you with America. He said: does open he's, trying to undo nine thousand and ninety nine resources great moment at the victory of freedom of a dictatorship. He source of humiliation. He always tells the story, and he means it how devastated he was as a KGB officer working with the stars. At the end of the cold war in the KGB in the embassy, the KGB departments of the commission.

in Germany, where he was a kid. You be officer, burning, biting all the files, this horror that nobody was picking up the phone and Moscow while all around and where these crowds of pro democracy demonstrators who, which he found appalling and horrific and disgusting he talks about this all the time. So he's a with youth. Now we should be careful about the word war. I'm not saying he's in a bomb Kentucky, but his ideas. He wants you to feel as empty and its humiliated is he felt a nineteen eighty nine, and how will you do that, while incense he's been trying to do that since two thousand fourteen with his various attempts to interfere american politics? But we do think something quite see how you can do that? It's not just about Ukraine. How can he make the? U S, feel impotence and its allies

No, it's a competent! That's what he's thinking about so he's going for you guys and again, I'm not gonna be alarmist already things had, instead of, like you know, a nuclear weapon in Alaska, but he is thinking about you, this act of aggression to invade Ukraine. How does a change Russia's influence on the rest of the world, where we shall see that Bates was to prove that they can. We make the world order that they can get away with things and that all the stuff about serenity

and small nations having rights is an absurdity, a freak accidents of history. The we deleted ourselves meant something for the last few decades, but at the end of the day, mites is rights. Russia will take Ukraine. China will take Taiwan. Russia can openly build labour camps and execute opposition people, which is that plan. You craven. According to the intelligence leaks, China can openly have concentration camps and all that nonsense that we set about never again and rights of nations and rights of people is a mirage. The real men can break through. Well, it's not a rosy picture Peter, they would say reality, but

we run. You know, that's what I mean he made miscalculated horribly. Maybe these very empty words we throw around about democracy and rights. Maybe they have some sort of death. May be rich old democracies where these words have become cliches for some people. Maybe they can start meaning something again That was Peter Palmer answer a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University. Contributing editor at Coda story. And author of this is not propaganda, adventures in the war. Against reality, this interview was produced by not your husband.

We just heard how Putin is messaging, the war at home, telling his people that Russia had no choice. It had to act. Many Russians believe it for twenty two years, Putin has silenced voices that criticise his regime. Just like soviet leaders did long before him. But there was a time beginning in the late nineteenth eighties, when Russia was headed in a very different direction. in nineteen. Eighty nine Russia held its first free election. Forming a new legislature called the Congress of people's deputies the New Congress holding real power assembled in the criminal world. Job said we are learning democracy. reveals. Elizabeth Show Grant was a reporter in Moscow at the time she takes us back to that moment and explains how Vladimir Putin steered Russia to where it is now.

I remember riding into the Kremlin on a bus full of journalists inside we had free rein to run up to the new legislators, many there were people who could have imagined being in power just a few months earlier, one lawmaker was Russia's most famous dissident Andrei Sakharov. He was the father of the soviet hydrogen and had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for criticising the Kremlin's human rights abuses. he'd recently been released from internal exile. Now he was telling President Gorbachev in every one else. How things need to change? We can do it with coming now from the top. There was one reporter who had that building wired, Sergei PAR Homing Co. I wondered if you could go back way back

nineteen. Eighty nine when I first met you. If, if, if memory serves me correctly, we literally met inside the Kremlin Admission it was the best time in my life at the time, Sergei. The young russian journalist, covering the congress- and I remember hence the smartest reporter in the I would say it was the time of the bee. Coop big changes. Because before they did communism its forever, but it was forever until it was no more Sergei, and other Russians, found themselves with freedoms. They thought they'd never have they vote. Multi Party elections they could travel abroad, criticise the government surveys journalism career sword. In me,

Nineteen nineties. He founded a weekly newsmagazine in partnership with Newsweek called E Toby. It was the best weekly magazine in russia- maybe they first classic weekly. Maybe in Russia, Sergei long career as a journalist provides a window into how Russia rolled back the clock on freedom of speech and restricted the is available to many Russians. The reversal started in two thousand, when former KGB operative Vladimir Putin took charge in the Kremlin, he started his rule by destroying the press and the liberty of of voices and the liberty of ideas, and one day in two thousand one, Sergei and staff, had a surprise when they got to work all day. They newsroom of atagi

seventy four. Seventy six people was fired. Everybody, everybody hundred percent. Putin shut down the leading independent tv network to and threw out the next decade he went further muffling descent and claim more power for himself, starting into thousand for he council elections and appointed his own regional governors. They were members of his party, United Russia. Increasingly Putin and his party dominated the media, especially television in two thousand eleven Putin, went further. He rigged elections, massive protests against food enough clogged up. But he's streets. There was the time of big protests in Moscow and St Petersburg in two thousand and five and two thousand twelve, and it was the last period of big protests

and since then it was very powerful campaign of state. To destroy Russian. to society. At this time, Sergei was host a weekly radio show for ECHO of Moscow. The new Yorker had called the news outlets and endangered species, a dodo that still rooms the earth, because was one of the few independent media organisations the Kremlin had left standing. Then, after those widespread demonstration, The Kremlin passed a new law, making it even easier to silence opposing voices Law about foreign agents, instrument to destroy the life of professional John list. It's a kind of repression,

part of how Russia prepared for the war in Ukraine was, by conducting a domestic war, a war against information that stretched back two decades. Putin snuffed out descent, leaving the Kremlin's version of reality. only one, many Russians here, this twenty twelve law was an important part of that war. It needed so that any person or group that gets money from abroad could be forced to register. As a foreign agent in Russia too, designated by Ministry of Justice as a foreign agent, it's too to loss all the human rights lots of people and goods. have been labelled this way. Just last year. The law was used against members of the Punk Rock group pussy riot. Now the band has had

included disclaimer on every web page news, article and social media post saying that their foreign agents Two weeks ago the Kremlin use the law to shut down and organization that for decades had brought to light the atrocities of soviet leader Joseph STAR, The organisation memorial also fought for human rights and opposed Putin's aggressions in Ukraine twas logic to destroyed because it something truly opposite to the lithuanian idea of put his dictatorship and as russian tanks role ports. Keith Putin sign that new law that dulls out fifteen year sentences to anyone who calls his war a war but Putin's propaganda hasn't been perfect lots of raw. things are getting their news from the internet and some are finding ways around the Kremlin sensors

even now. Many of these people have been protesting. The war thousands have been arrested, but Sergei doesn't expect demonstrations to get big enough to give Putin eyes. Russia became not even at the Bali Darien, but absurdly dictatorship state without any suit rights, without any right to speak, to demonstrate opinion. many of Sergei friends, other journalists and academics are packing back and leaving Russia about a year ago, Sergei I'm on vacation in Greece and didn't Return home people convinced him. It was to die Dangerous for him in Russia is not my job. To be not in Russia, yeah, that's my life now

Sergei still has his weekly radio show the same one he's had for almost nineteen years, but just a few days before I spoke with him, the Kremlin took echo of Moscow off the air. since Sergei started streaming on. You too, he says there giving up Millions and millions people ask the team of Radio ECHO Moscow to continue saw. We can't refuse them Sergei, isn't it eight fifties. I ask if you can imagine returning to Russia some day. His answer surprises me. Can you imagine going back use, I didn't, I didn't this situation of war. Strangely, under doc silly give somehow Sergei thinks Putin's finally gone too far, and he thinks it could change the course of history that it could change

Finally, he become real dictator ed. I think it's the last days of. Put in a country- and it is a very important moment- very tragic and important moment today, sir gaze hopeful that somehow, after this horrible wore his country could transform into country like the one he dreamed of as a young reporter back when Russia I was learning democracy. That's real Elizabeth show we're going to continue following the war in Ukraine to stay up to date and what we're covering some for our newsletter at revealed news, dot, Org

only producer for this week is Emily Harris the show Also produced by knotty a hum and just Alber Rank Queen Akim, bread, Myers and Kevin Sullivan edited the show, thanks to our partners, Coda story to russian historians, Benjamin Nathan's from the University of Pennsylvania and Kathleen Smith from Georgetown University Naughty for now, provided our voice over Victoria Baronets key is our general council. Our production manager is Amy Mustapha. score and sound designed by Jim Breaks and Fernando Aruba are postproduction team. This week also includes Stephen Rask on Catherine Style, Martinez and Clear Mullen Our digital producer is Sarah Merk are CEO is case. Our camp Wala sue me, The wall is our editor in chief and our executive producer is consolidating. Our theme is

is by Colorado lightly. Support for reveal is provided by the River and David Logan Foundation. The John Dene Catherine Team, Macarthur, founded The Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Housing Simons Foundation, the Helm and Foundation Democracy Fund and the in as much foundation reveal is a co production of the centre for investigative reporting and p r ex I'm Ike's risk on the Roger and remember there is

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