Living Next Door to Putin

Season 1

Beyond the front line in Ukraine, how is Putin's war changing ordinary lives across Europe? From Poland to Norway, BBC reporter Katya Adler takes to the road to meet Russia's neighbors. Along the way, she meets those heading into battle, those fighting the war from home and even a beluga whale who might be a spy. For many, old wounds have been reopened as memories of Soviet Russia are revived.

20232 episodesTV-PG

Documentary

Free trial of BBC Select

S1 E1 - Poland and the East
September 11, 2023
59min
TV-PG
The war in Ukraine has had a huge impact on the eastern European countries that share a border with Russia. On a road trip from Poland, through the Baltic States, Katya Adler explores the consequences of Putin's war. She discovers a region still reeling from the legacy of the Soviet Union, where the war has reopened old wounds. But she also meets the people fighting back against the new threat.
Free trial of BBC Select
S1 E2 - Finland and the North
September 18, 2023
59min
TV-PG
Continuing her journey north along Russia's border, Katya Adler explores the effects of Putin’s Ukraine war on its nearest neighbors. In Finland, a country scarred by past war with Russia, she discovers a state of hyper-preparedness as she travels deep into the bunkers beneath Helsinki. And she hears the curious story of a beluga whale accused of being a Russian spy.
Free trial of BBC Select