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The Big Steal

English, Documentary, 2 seasons, 15 episodes, 8 hours, 15 minutes
About
The story of the biggest theft in history: the resources of the biggest country in the world, Russia, by its own government. It’s the story of two men. One a rising star in business and the head of Yukos - a huge oil company: Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The other a former KGB officer who rose through the ranks to become President of Russia: Vladimir Putin. With very different ideals, the two were destined to clash, and there could only be one winner. Vladimir Putin put Khodorkovsky in jail for ten years, stealing his company and becoming the richest man in the world. In The Big Steal, Gavin Esler tells the story and examines Russia’s journey from democracy to kleptocracy, as the Putin regime attempts to erode democracy across the globe. Produced by Fresh Air Production
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Russia Invades Ukraine

In the early hours of 24 February 2022, Russia launched a brutal invasion of its neighbour, Ukraine. True to his yearslong strategy of lies and disinformation, Vladimir Putin said he had launched a “special miliary operation” to “denazify Ukraine”. “It is not our plan to occupy the Ukrainian territory,” said Putin. Ukraine is now under siege, bombarded from all sides. Cruise missiles and cluster bombs have targeted civilians – and a Holocaust Memorial. In this first episode of a new season and a new world, we hear from Ukrainians on the ground in Kyiv as they prepare to fight for their survival, their families and their nation. And we hear from people in Russia. It seems that few beyond Putin have any appetite for war, least of all nuclear conflict. Kira Rudik leads a Ukrainian political party: she tells us why she’s taken up arms. Back in Westminster, Chris Bryant MP explains how this invasion was always on the cards, and what on earth is happening inside Vladimir Putin’s head.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3/2/202238 minutes, 59 seconds