Living Next Door to Putin

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.

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Living Next Door to Putin on BBC Select

Episode 1: Poland and the East
Katya Adler explores how life is changing for people living on Russia’s border.

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.

Episode 2: Finland and the North
In Estonia, Finland and Norway, Katya meets a beluga whale that may be a Russian spy.

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.

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