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the full scale war in ukraine, is entering its second year with russia push to grab territories in the east of the country. it's a region, Russia's been fighting in four years and already partially claims when russia invaded ukraine last year, president Vladimir Putin called it merely a special military operation or came as a shock to the world and media outlets scrambled to respond forest ultimate journalists working for the associated press that men getting to the front line as quickly as possible. Photographer of guinea. Mala led cut field producer, vassili, stepan anko and a third colleague MR slough, chairman of headed to the strategic port city of more useful,

soon they be in the middle of a brutal and relentless russian attack, and together they capture some of the defining images of the war in ukraine. Year about be immersed in their story and a warning. The show includes graphic depiction. of war and violence that some list may find upsetting I know one Thus, LISA is from car keys, just it twenty miles from the border on the first day, the invasion rush. The tanks stormed into her neighbourhood. my mother and grandmother rhyme. This neighborhood under shown under really hard ellen in the butterfield was in my neighborhood, so they stayed in the bay it's for a while and then they left like refugees to germany. Months later, vasile lisa returned to see the disk action for herself. My house was hit by a rocket

and on the after her? before the year. I go to my apartment to see, what's inside and So how my the left, their cup of coffee calls cup of coffee half year ago, and and the moment I understood that for now I have no home and I will not come back unfortunately like before it was really happy life. Every one of us was so happy. And I never can imagines atoms evil destroy. at my school. My neighborhood may cause all my fust. If He is also from eastern ukraine and area, not far from married would just come from land, but would leave in the front line for already nine years. The war started not one year ago it was started seeing from

crimea and then in don bus and still continue and now we have this, she remember arriving and marty you pull and what you were all talking about right. At that moment, he is say remember that night steak when I saw the front fine rode straight to my report and them then there are is speech of fortunes is flacon like in a horrible movie, bring it that you share pretty guinea pigs only via in the upper hudson, I decided to conduct a special military operation that she gets. Girl is the protection of people who, during the eight years, have suffered from abuse and genocide from the key regime and then their first sounds of explosion.

The so the bombing starts in the morning early in the morning are you on the phone with your editors? Are you on the phone with friends and family? What are you doing with call to all of our families? First, on deck, wake up the war start, and they said you have halved explosions, My mother was cry. I said them. No panic! Just prepare yourself refuel your car. Something happened, they all relatives together. They go to the shelter I remember that first heard that they did.

When didn't call my family. I called some comments in heart. You to watch It gives a can go out and shoot it, because I understood that to really really important to do right now, because some seen bed is coming then my first Scold me- and I ask my friend because one of my friends was crying and then she showed me that she saw in from shore balcony beak explosion a big fire and I ask you if you could short It- does do it right now. It's really really orton to do right now. I remember that just go out and started working should ever seen. We were working. All day a whole night, miss sleeping, its russian bombs and artillery shells crashing down on Marty. You pull the associated press journalists heather.

Cameras rolling their colleague, MR love. Churn of cap The attack on video everything you're here in the EU the court recorded for near, we three weeks, they risk their lives, documenting blasted buildings burned cars ignore spawn creators. The ties civilians, vasile LISA. of guinea and mr slav made there to one of the city's hospitals The decided to sleep at the hospital because you felt maybe it was safer than other places in one hand like the first, we decided to slip into hospital because we wanted to stay here.

The doctors to call, what's it doing, because we understood their everyday, as more and more and more injured. That's why we ask doctors if we can stay in the hospital and they give us some placing them forest floor. The hospital were like a lot of injured to patients data I remember the lake in my memory. They, like all cried for whole nights when it was bombardment near the hospital, and it was really hard to sleep, so and one point here: three: we will we state in a hospital because we wanted to cover of what's goin on, though in the hospital. In the second hand, we also saw that it will be safer because resorted several not born in the hospital but russian forces did bomb hospitals on march knife twin.

Twenty two, a russian airstrike tore through mario hospital number. Three, officials claimed it was being used as a base for ukrainian forces and that no civilians were inside of guinea. I am pleased to say that is not true. The place was full of civilians, and two days later, a pregnant woman who survive that bombing gave birth during an Other attack so there's something extraordinary that see you have a baby being born.

There is a long time it seems as if we don't know what the baby's alive or dead and then the baby screams and people sheer right, and the doctors smiling and literally within seconds, there's boss, that is unbelievable, actually, what you see? It's actually countered material the powers when they get the baby out and when they start screaming stake along tat. You see here because it's in the news, you cannot give

a long shot, and we were so limited with space to send So, there's a longer pause when the baby cried out longer before it is, was much longer pulse, and its so happy moment when it starts screaming I remember yazzi says creaming off small child and these sounds of explosions. It's really hard and difficult, and when, like one of the mother like a new foreign, maybe she told all does it I'm feeling helpless. It's my child is born but also, I'm so worried, said I dont know what will happen with us people was care because the station was unpredictable and we understood that they have no food. Even

hospital even to feed the babies and mothers. One of them- guineas. Most harrowing images from the siege is that of another woman whose expecting a child she's wounded bleeding. Lying on a stretcher and being rushed by emergency workers through devastated city streets dies, namely the woman is hitting the culling, and she was sorry to hear that She was on the nine months mostly closely to give a burst of a kid. On the last days, and she got a big wound. ah during damn air strike to the hospital number three.

And at that time I took a picture of the policemen and rescue workers transfer to the ambulance fortunately she lost so many blood and she gets a big warned that the doctors was trying to to help. Her do said the child, but unfortunately, both of them died, perhaps and given the same day, he start searching for her. Larry sheesh, she didn't found her and the nearest hospitals. And then she went to the such social into morgues and looking for her in the morgues through a lot of bodies

he found his wife and child in the morgue and had them buried together and may I also want to say that I remember The trail war started for me, when I saw we are the first to injured girl. She died, no wise, then, when behold your screen, and they remember. your mother's, screamed the whole hospitals at your door. To date, everyday machine, this may seem like people crying like burns crime that their children died. I dont know why, after that, we'll have aggressions who are right or not, children dying, we talk,

not the scene, with the baby being born, which is kind of uplifting, do tries. It is hard to find images of people showing strength or zillions or bravery. Do do look for those swell as journalists. Usually we try to give the motions if it'll be good emotions or hard emotions will capture it. I think we should keep boast emotions of love, emotions of tragedy, emotions of power, emotions of victory, the motions of lost. I think all of this emotions are important to capture

in the day to day work of covering a city under siege vassili, sir and her AP colleagues spend time with a ukrainian medic named Julia play f Scott, the vote here, medic is best known by her nickname, tyro she wore a the camera that she and her colleagues treated the wounded and they treated everyone. Even captured russian soldiers who thought they were going to be killed in in writing as russian, for does advanced on more useful vassals. and the AP team made plans to evacuate tyrant staying behind. So she gave the footage from her body, came to us lisa on an sd memory card and astrid. Smuggle the tiny card across enemy lines ensure the footage with the outside world

I heard this card in my purse and they understood that it will be dangerous if in check points instruction will find this card, because it's carter's from military hospital was a soldiers. It was really important to footage die to these car to my temple in case if they will catch us have. I did hear you hid the s declared in the temple yes and recrossed sixteen russian checkpoint, so I was really scary. I was really worried after each checkpoint, when we got connection. Please send sms where we are going, I was right in the messages to our editors Equally, we are reach village. We pause by an which direction we are moving for, like each each field

each ten kilometres it took the AP team ten hours to make it out and the day after they left the room since bombed a theatre complex in marie you pull civilians we're sheltering inside an estimated six hundred p, who were killed in the strike. It was the deadliest attack, against civilians so far in the war, bustle He set of guinea and mr slav were the last international journalists to leave mario before the russian seas the city they brought with them. hard drives with hours and hours of their own footage. A lot of it ever been seen by the outside world and then there was tyres, sd card and after that differ they said, but that it took this garden to the laptop and started looking for this footage, and it was one of the hardest footage that so in my life, the load of injured people soldiers.

The surgery lakes hundreds of these wounds of big wounds and the big conversation between tire, this paramedic and horror colleagues with soldiers with civilians. Miss borrow my sir, that she helped and the most important your conversation with russian soldiers that she helped treated them and when they ask, for this footage, like oh will you help me why you help me. I so that you will kill me, should hold a medic, I'm helped everyone when can forces moved into Marie you pull they detain tyro. It would keep this to you for a long time, because we don't know how, station route will be with terror, not rushing to public.

The material as soon as possible, because could be this sensitive material can hurt her when they do published the body count footage the story goes global, there's a clamour for the medics release. Three months later, russian forces let tyre ago thirty years ago, a covered, the war in bosnia and the siege of Sarajevo. It was a vicious conflict. People killing their own neighbours thing was. I could leave. I had a home far away from the war zone, but for my bosnian colleagues, this was their home I asked fussy lisa and, if any, how covering the destruction our own country affected their work and affected them. The first days of the more I understood it now

the most important moment in my life, because war came to my home, Before I worked as a local journalists in car, given hiking was not frontline seating, but now we're going to come to my house and understood it it's really really important for me to work and from the first do till now work in everyday this virus resisting goods. It is most important moment in our life this is not an army, but weakened feel ourselves as a soldier's off, not the truth, but the soldiers of who might bring facts. of course. What is truth? It's difficult end of oars. We hold that

Our information will help society that materials we collect, filmed photographed right we'll be used soon as evidence before workshops exit as guinea milo led cut and fossil lisa stubborn. Then co are journalists covering the war in ukraine for the associated press. We have links to there work on our website reveal news dot org. Their colleagues must So I'm sure enough has directed and award a film about their experiences twenty days in Mari people, will be broadcast by pbs frontline later this year.

When russia attacked ukraine, some of its soldiers used stolen, cellphones to call friends and family back home. Maybe if those calls were intercepted at many have no green that the year We were given in order not to take any reason s listening in on russia's invasion. Next on reveal support for reveal comes from oh do what is so do well. Oh, do isn't all in one management, software with apps for every business need. Oh, do his apps for crm accounting sales h

our inventory manufacturing and everything in between and they're all in one easy to use software and the best part about. Oh, do all. Oh do apps are integrated helping you get things done faster and more efficiently. So when you think about business, think o due to learn more visit, oh do dot. Com, slash reveal that's o d, o o dotcom sash reveal since this death in two thousand and nine the world has struggled with how Michael Jackson should be remembered in their new podcast think twice: Michael Jackson, journalists Leon they fuck and j smooth explore what makes Michael jackson similarly on cancelling all through dozens of original interviews with the people who watched his story unfold first hand. Think twice: Michael Jackson reveals a new perspective on his artistry his controversies and how we should remember him. Listen to think twice. Michael Jackson

ever. You got your podcast for you convince the entire serious ad free and audible or the amazon music gap. I know I know it's hard. You wait all week for this pod gas and then it's over and you ve and yourself wanting more. Let me make a recommendation. The reveal newsletter. It goes behind the scenes into how we make and report these greece subscribe now and reveal news dot, org, slash newsletter. From the centre for investigative reporting and p r ex this is reveal I Michael Montgomery in Frau lesson when Vladimir Putin or the full scale invasion of ukraine. One year ago, russia was expecting to capture the capital Keith and swiftly dominate the rest,

the country. So when russian soldiers were given orders to attack, they were told to expect a victory prayed in caves, maidan square, but that's not he got, as this soldier says in a cell phone call. I wish this bullshit with ukraine were over the moon and we could come back home because this is all fucked up I can't put it in any other words. I just look around every corner there are so many civilians are against us. This audio from a batch of phone calls that russian soldiers made to friends and family during the first weeks of the invasion. The calls worse secretly intercepted around tooth If the intercepts were obtained by Erika peanuts, Erica's an investigative reporter but the associated press erika so useful. The past year, exposing evidence of possible war crimes in ukraine. Why

Are these cell phone calls so important these records reveal a lot about what went wrong for russia and they show what the war looked like through the eyes of russian soldiers themselves. Nothing turned out as expected for these guys, and we can hear here. How in war some of them went from their lives, as husband, sons, fathers to talking about killing civilians, but they talk about other things too. love their dreams when they live took a shower rise. in prices in russia. Money is an overriding concern, perfect the borders of europe. Other you got. These intercepted calls from a source in the ukrainian government. That's right. I dad and we verified them with the help of the dossier centre. That's an investigative group in london. did by a russian dissident named mihail quarter. We made

for the phone numbers were real and also corroborated details from the calls like military units in their positions, with other evidence that we gathered during our reporting, you decided to vote on two young men tell us. Her story where, where does it begin? Let's go back a year to the day Putin launches the invasion and must start with the first soldier his name. save on his part of an elite airborne unit. These guys are in bed. Where on the border, but they have no the other about to invade ukraine. Yvonne is call with his mom talking about that day delicious and, like all these calls these actors are speaking in english over the original russian audio using the soldiers first names to protect the identities of their families in russia. The motion she didn't grumbling a little good, but we had to make him That is the message on telegram Tomorrow, you are leaving for ukraine and there was a chance.

Side of the russian population and we have to stop it events, mother also have no idea. Russia was going to war, lose their culture, but luckily little local level. If she said she stopped speaking, stop sleeping mozilla basic in a state of hysteria, four days when she discovered her son was fighting in ukraine I really wanted to know more about these young man, so we looked at public. The and social media to understand who they are and where they came from VON is from a rural area of russia, and he and his dad talk about the family farm, selling macao buying pigs. He loves horses, evil dreamed of being a soldier from the time he was a kid I've seen family photos of him that show me a twelve year old in the woods dressed in camouflage for paint ballgame he's holding a lot. Air soft rifle in one pictures. There's a mark on his chest.

slimy splotch of green, that mean certain death and painful Yvonne sees himself as a professional soldier and is the calls prick. It sounds like his mother gets over her initial shock of him. Going into combat joke she dies his mom is a real supporter of this war super patriotic, We learn that the family has relatives in key, but his mom, several times vows to go fight in ukraine. Herself beyond the island, I've shared them with olivia. She says: she'll, volunteer, she'll, be a nurse and she'll go beat people with a shovel if she has to help his pecker work. Here It seems like she's taken in a lot of the russian propaganda about ukraine, that its filled with nazis and her son is there to defeat them and liberate the population. At one point yvonne tells or he'll kill people if he has to reopen and she says that the dublin you mine, I understand

I love you so much and I'm so proud of you. I don't even have the words to describe and she does our god is with him. The blogger flow low There is a second soldier and it sets a his story is different from yvonne's, his miss landed, he joined the miller because he needed money. He was in debt wanna depend on his parents and over the course of his calls. We can hear about terrible things that he's seen what it takes time to survive, how there's no room for mercy unless this his mother. He talks about very first day of the invasion and how he was told they take keith without even firing a bullet and the whole thing be over in a week with a thriller, instead of take it in a firefight right as they cross into ukraine or brought the black and filipino,

what have we shot from the tanks and machine guns and rifles? We had no losses on yet we destroyed, therefore tank. So we want As he goes on, he seems to show some empathy for the young ukrainian soldiers. They have just killed, you're talking about They were lying out there, just eighteen, all nineteen years old, Jimmy yet encrypted me. Am I different from them? No I'm not! This is hard for land needs monti here She says what a nightmare leoni and she It's her son mega pretty the evil. to live at that moment, right, honey leone says what more than ever rocky propaganda landed in yvonne's unit, move from belarus down the western flank of the daphne programme over There are still a long way from cave. I later talked with

training civilians local soon follow. all this from a tiny village north of the capital bucolic place. That became a meeting forward operating base for the russians, the ukrainians one mom in particular, she peak over her fence and see these boyish soldiers some of em. Not me bigger than their guns, on top of their tanks. heading. South shouting now will take eve keys hours. This I am fit mood does not last long at all those tanks. Coming back racked if they come back at all and the soldiers returned wounded if they return at all and in the phone calls, you can also hear the mood darkening garnering this is lane and talking with his mom she's kind. By his nickname and he's just driving to her how he had to collect the bodies of dead russian soldiers. I want to but his description is pretty graphic the.

I have personally seen twelve blown up tanks in holding the line. It was terrible. Yellow there was a. Without legs, arms or ahead with nothing else to wrapped it in the blanket The russians are taking far more casualties than any one expected and they're doing their best to hide it from the public there also running short on basic supplies, so one way for soldiers to get what they needed or wanted was to steal? are. These guys didn't have a lot of money and suddenly they can just take stuff that would nor we have been out of reach. This is yvonne. Talking about with his mom. You hear me out five hundred percent discount here, with your win Nobody said anything at the cash register. You walk into a store and you can take anything I want. It look just no meat, oh brad, this is

they met. Leah need also talks about with his mother and she's. Like you, looting. Are you heal? She does it, but not anymore you're shortly, but it's become normal for hate them up another mama. What do you look? Mom I'm seeing tons of houses, I dont know them or does it and they are all everyone ran away. We take food bed linen pillows, blankets for exposed bands when he tells her about it. So casually she laughs, like you, gotta, be kidding me or you are good now we know the scale of this looting was much more extensive. In the inner city, we can hear other soldiers gleefully describe piles of old and electronics that they made off with some of these guys seem proud that they can come home and give their family. Something theirs

sure thing. The soldiers talk about stealing and its ukrainian cell phones This has real importance for ukraine's ability to defend itself, the government and military. We're doing very clever signals intelligence, so if they pick up a bunch of russian numbers clustered in one place they can figure out where the enemy troops are an attack them. So the since eventually wise up to this ditch their russian found, but they just can't give up that each to stay connected, so they take those stolen. You. Cranium phones pass them around and a bunch of guys cos from one number, of course, the ukraine, We're still listening and they intercepted those calls whenever they pinging ukrainian cell tower. These conversations I find it really important intelligence to the armed forces of ukraine and now there also potential evidence for war crimes prosecutors. So the ukrainians,

were able to listen in on russian soldiers. Phone calls like we're doing right now, but in real time as the russians were trying to capture, keep that's right. Ukraine had, teams of people, monitoring and logging. These calls and believe it. This is still going on russian. soldiers and eastern ukraine keep talking on cell phones and the ukrainians keep listening and and since haven't gotten better. They ve gotten worse by midnight, I urge the russian advance is bogged down on the outskirts of Keith lane yvonne's unit is stuck around the town of butcher, trying to reach the capital we This from evidence, russian soldiers left behind that we analyzed the locations of self on terrorism calling from and it's what yvonne tells his mom about one year,

mark two letters. She says she's, afraid to ask him whether he is because people might be listening every book of the kyoto, but events as he doesn't care a gear butcher butcher. Outta russian soldiers occupied the town for weeks. It's now synonymous with some of the worst atrocities of the war to him away. I held enthusiasm. I beg them I have a on my knees. That's next on reveal

I, the smiths at her own membership manager here at reveal, reveal as a non profit news organization. We depend on the support of our listeners donnay today. These had to repeal news, dot, org, slash, donate, thank you, From the centre for investigative reporting and p r ex this is reveal, I Michael Montgomery in Frau lesson seated press investigative reporter erika, keen its is following the trail of russian soldiers in the early weeks of the imf.

of ukraine last year, unable to come should the capital keep the occupied a town just to the northwest boucher Eric you made it a butcher for the a p in front line the russian army had the retreated. What did you see and hear if you had visited budget before the war, you would have found a nice, suburban town. It was enough, like that when I got there in April, this is going to be pretty graphic, the place, still stank, of death. Russian it had left the streets strewn with bodies. These were people shot dead as they tried to flee people killed with their hands bound and their eyes, blindfolded it's a big folk for war crimes, investigators, everyone who died in butcher had to be examined for an autopsy. This was excruciating psychology Just told us that mothers who

Buried their children in their yards had to watch them, get dug up again and taken away people fainted, it took months to grasp the scale of what had happened and four hundred and fifty men, women and children died here One person we interviewed in Bhutto was a woman named natalia, less anko heritage your grandson demon, worked in a local shop, First, you don t bother skilled workers. Venza rations arrived. He was on the second floor of the house, inhaled grandma grandma, thanks, the family, says soldiers found images of russian tanks on demons cell phone number. I moved them.

No solely within goes. He pointed out, I thought me and said: if you want to give him up the easy way, then we really do is ahead of debate to him away I held on to them. I beg them. I have our sunlight. is his body was found just down the road outside a building that there since had used as a command post he'd, been executed. Demo was one of dozens of ukrainians. The russians rounded up right as they were taking control of future. We document debts of eight other men taken today. same command post as deem that day We heard a lot of stories like natalia as we also security camera video, showing a line of men in civilian clothes hunched over no shoes in march the street to their deaths, the camera.

The footage also captured one of the final battles: barbuda you can see Ukrainian soldiers leave and the russian start creeping down the street, and when we put all that together it became clear that a lot of the violence was strategic. It was part of it, system that the russians to terrorize and control the local population. What do we know about eve on and Leah needs rule? In some of these atrocities I mean we know from the phone cause that yvonne, at least in boucher, yvonne and landed themselves, describe killings civilians and prisoners, but yvonne is never clear about but his own involvement wise. He tells his mom that russia it will shoot anybody was a weapon man, woman or child, and that military units from Chechnya are just killing people on a whim. They talks about

ending operations. This is something the russians did sweeping Their hoods tribute out potential threats, they will concept. May searching people cell phones to see if anybody was posts. information about the war, the ukraine, government, actually made this really easy to do. They created apps and bought that effectively crowds. First gathering information about russian. True positions in his phone cause lay it describes. Have russian soldiers were ordered to take no prisoner drifting got roadmap for political will. We Tell us mom a really with horror. story about a teenager found with supposedly incriminating information on his cell phone

a warning again that this is a graphic description of violence. Earlier nobody who live there was a prisoner. It was an eighteen year old guy. First, he was shot in his leg. Then his ears were cut off after that. It needed everything and they killed him. No, we don't imprison them. I mean we kill them all. In its mom at first struggles to comprehend this she says layer need, they might just be peaceful people learn the moment big boy different. I lean and tries to explained his mom what it's like, why they do. This any tells her that doing patrols can be really nerve racking and they will take extreme lethal action against pretty much anyone. Woman developing

it was scary at some o money, especially when we were driving a walking through areas where there were no other russian soldiers, seattle them quarters moving. Slowly, looking in both directions, laptops It's checking all the windows. If one was open or it could move the quarter, we were told to open fire when you first then jumps out of their house. Everyone opens fire then says to his mom. Look. Civilians were told to flee or shall turn basements they're not supposed to be outside so anyone outside must not be a real civilian. Remember russian soldiers had been repeatedly told by Putin and others that they'd be welcomed by their brothers and sisters in ukraine as liberators and anyone who resisted was therefore a fascist and insurgent nodded. Civilian about

three weeks since the invasion its clear to just about everyone that kiev will not fall easily and that just about every miss soldiers expected was wrong and you hear this calls from the soldiers there saying: crane as a meat grinder that ukrainian army was ready for us, and the americans were helping them. It's hell. We have to drink, so we can cope Lane it says it so scary and bad that russian soldiers are shooting themselves in the leg, so they can go home if more people from a refund The details, as mommy's almost been killed five times you right Yvonne is also scared about getting killed, You can go crazy. It such shit. I really thought it would be easy here to tell the truth: competently. Go to his mind

fuss over him asking if his feet or dry is he eating. Does he have medicine for his cold? Is he carrying his cross and amulet to keep him if all of his dad is panicked. He pleads with yvonne to keep calling him good bread. What good would put, even if it's for thirty seconds, if you have time, I don't care if it's daytime or not call any time the calls from yvonne and loud need, and on march twenty first the story We're hearing of to russian soldiers came through cell phone calls. That were secretly recorded while they were in ukraine, and there are so many things dont know things. We couldn't asked them ourselves, erika you and your colleagues spent weeks. Following their trail. Yvonne's digital footprint lead you to allow. cool newspaper in Siberia. That's right.

Found a posting from last summer with two photographs of yvonne, and why he's wearing his regiments dress, uniform and in the other he's posing in combat gear. Holding an assault rifle This posting is yvonne's death notice. It says he I had a hero in russia's special military operation in ukraine. It says We will always remember you of russia shares this grief this. Twenty two years old, I listen to the calls quite a few times and it's a little unsettling to hear events voice now that we know he's dead sort of like we're, peering do something we're not supposed to see. I mean these were private conversations and I have them, show his deep love of his family and his friends, but the calls happening in the context of a brutal invasion that event didn't expect, but that he was a part of The call show these guys in another lie out of the context of the war.

Strange, looking at pictures of yvonne from childhood, listening to tell his girlfriend how much she loves her when you know he's gonna die, it's like you. Damn grow up and then just disappear. You worked with a russian reporter and reached out to events must, she'd been so devoted to her son and so devoted to the war. What did she say we reached her just three weeks ago at the same phone number even had dialed from butcher. She really didn't want to talk over the phone, especially to an american media organization that can be pretty risky in russia today so First, she denied yvonne. It ever called her from the front but agreed to listen to one the calls and she confirm that it was her and her son talking. She insisted that even had not been involved in any murders, are looting and shown up. What about the other soldier leonid you found out? He was,

wounded and sent back to russia. Were you able to talk to or his family lobby couldn't reach landed, but we did talk with his mom again. At the same number he had used to call her from ukraine. She was also nervous about talking with the foreign media on the phone. We asked her several times if she could help us speak with Lanni directly, but she declined. She said: It didn't wanna be interviewed, but she answered some basic questions about landed service in ukraine and her feelings about the war, but just to be clear that a voice actor reading? What lean mother had to say. I was scared. I just wasn. Prepared. Emotionally, none of us had exp The asked anything like this that you, Chad will live in the time when he has to go and fight she says, lay in a doesn't like talking about ukraine with her my son said a single phrase mike ashes is clear: they opened fire. First, that's all

man, it's mom didn't want to listen to any of the intercepts. We walked thirst, when the material, something He sat on the calls with her and she got upset. She said. this is absurd. Just don't try to make it look like my child killed innocent people you're, a good keynotes, is an investigative reporter with the associated press, its in a year since yvonne and leah need entered ukraine as part of the massive russian attack, but reminded of something over and over again by people in ukraine. This war has really been going on since twenty fourteen, that's when russia forces stormed the crimea peninsula and vladimir Putin annexed it at around the same time and geo in key of also started doc,

many alleged war crimes. I spoke with more than hundreds of people who survived russian captivity and they told me horrible stories. Sandra matvey chuck is a human rights lawyer who heads the centre for civil liberties, and they told me that people who committed this crime, this horrible poachers they write put and they are that they will remain unpunished. Russia, launched its full scale invasion. Last year. She says the work of collecting testimony and other evidence has been overwhelming, binary benefit. Faced with enormous miss him, onto crimes, which means enormous amount of human pain. We work directly with people, and I ask myself for whom do we documents told this crimes for who will provide investigation and justice for people with whom we are speaking? What have been some war crimes allegations against ukrainian soldiers. The vast majority

many tens of thousands have been against russian soldiers. alexander says its essential, not to worry until the war's over to pursue justice, russian soldiers attacking ukraine today need to know they will go to prison if they break international law. So justice can provide a cool in effect to the brutality of violation, because some people start to think. Ok, maybe Putin will avoid, possibility, but maybe not mean alexandria and the centre for civil liberties received the twenty twenty two nobel peace prize. It was in part for their work, documenting human rights abuses, but also for promoting free speech and tackling long standing. Corruption in the EU

Iranian government alexander insists that the only way the ukrainian people will believe that war criminals will be prosecuted is if they know their own legal system can be trusted, and this will require help from the international community, because when people waiting for justice for years and it's it's not effective, justice is not thompson which people deserve. So we need to ingrained international element onto the level of national irrigation and national justice. I speak about me adele where national investigators to work together with international mr gaiters national judges work together with international judges, so for more than forty countries have agreed to help, investigate and prosecute war crimes in ukraine. She's.

International participation can be a temporary arrangement, a boost for ukraine, struggling courts like a vaccine which make National systems stronger and their national systems sooner or later, we will be able to tackle this cases by themselves, but now we need assistance. People are waiting for a simplified procedure, measures for monstrous because national system is talk with a nerve this amount of russians war crimes which still commuting every day alexander remotely chuck heads the centre for civil liberties, pasting keyed. Just in the past year, more than six These six thousand potential war crimes have been reported to you cranium authorities this way show was produced in collaboration with the associated press. We have links

The apc extraordinary coverage of the war in ukraine, including powerful documentaries they produced with frontline go to our website, reveal news dot org our producer, Stephen Psmith, cynthia rodriguez edit. The show special thanks to a p editors genome AL kojak and run Nixon porters porter salami o hara and anna pavlovna, we had help from Donna, curly and Evan. Sacks Nicky, frick and Kim frida were our fact trackers, Victoria, their sky is our general council. Are production manager is stephen ruskin scorn designed by Jim breaks and fernando Aruba are postproduction. Team We also includes catherine siren martinez. Our digital new sort of Sarah merk. R c, oh, is Robert rose and r. Our c is maria feldman. Our interim executive produce we are talking, tell anita and bread myers our theme music. By colorado, lightning support for review

though, is provided by the ford foundation. The raven Dave logan foundations, the john D and catherine t macarthur foundation, the Jonathan logan Emily foundation. The robert. Would johnson foundation the park foundation and the helm. Foundation reveal as a co production of the centre for investigative reporting and p r acts by Michael Montgomery, for our lesson and remember. as our legs to say, there is always more to the story. The.