Desperately low on troops for its protracted war with Ukraine, the Russian military is relying on men from countries like India to fill its ranks. Journalist Shalu Yadav tells the story of a man who was tricked into joining the army and managed to escape.
This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engi ... Show More
Yesterday
How to survive a flop
In the streaming era, success is public, failure is viral, and everyone's one release away from a flop era. How do you come back? This episode was produced by Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Jenny Lawton and Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by David Tatasciore ... Show More
30m 21s
Feb 2024
Were Indian men tricked into fighting on the frontline for Russia?
Shaikh Mohammad Sarfaraz, a young Indian man from Kolkata, thought he’d landed a great job in another country; the pay was good and he believed he’d get a passport after just a few months’ work. He was told he was going to be a helper for the Russian military, working as a securi ... Show More
13m 22s
Dec 2022
Scenes from a Russian Draft Office
<p>This fall, as Russia’s losses mounted in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin announced a draft. Almost immediately, hundreds of thousands of men fled the country, though many more stayed.</p><p>Valerie Hopkins, an international correspondent for The Times, spoke to Russians at a ... Show More
35m 8s
Jan 2023
Inside Russia’s Military Catastrophe
<p><i>This episode contains strong language and descriptions of violence.</i><br />When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, many believed the country’s army would quickly crush the Ukrainian forces. Instead, Russian military failures have defined the war.</p><p>Today, ... Show More
25m 30s