Part One: The Ballad of Ivan and Anna

The invasion of Ukraine begins — and goes far worse than Russia anticipated. The Kremlin cracks down on dissent, rebellion spreads in the ranks, soldiers walk off the battlefield and entire units refuse to fight. An enlistment drive starts, and Putin’s mobilization sets off a pan ...  Show more

Ivan is transported to Ukraine and tasked with training the newly mobilized troops, many of whom have no combat experience. Ivan and his platoon prepare for their assault on “the Boot,” a farmland heavily fortified by Ukrainian troops.At the same time, pro-military propaganda hea ...  Show more

In “The Deserter,” Sarah A. Topol reports the story of Ivan, a captain in the Russian Army who fought in Ukraine and then ultimately fled the war and his country with his wife, Anna. Topol spoke to 18 deserters while reporting in eight countries across four continents over the ...

In “The Deserter,” Sarah A. Topol reports the story of Ivan, a captain in the Russian Army who fought in Ukraine and then ultimately fled the war and his country with his wife, Anna. Topol spoke to 18 deserters while reporting in eight countries across four continents over the ...

Thousands of Russians lined the streets to honor opposition leader Alexey Navalny two weeks after his death. Mikhail Fishman is a Russian journalist who knew Navalny well. He anchored a popular news program on opposition station “TV Rain,” until he had to flee Russia two years ag ...  Show more

Today on the program, Fareed reports from Kyiv, where he is joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss Ukraine’s path to peace. Fareed asks if he would sit down with President Putin.Then, Fareed speaks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb about his unique role ...  Show more