Ukraine: The People's Fight

As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to rage, filmmaker Olly Lambert spends two months on Ukraine’s southern front. Gaining unique and privileged access to a group of volunteer special forces on the frontline, he meets and lives with a range of armed forces, often under fire. He witnesses highs and lows as these new recruits prove increasingly effective in pushing back Russian forces.
Watch Ukraine: The People's Fight and more acclaimed documentaries on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.
More documentaries you might like...

Mariupol: The People's Story
The people of Mariupol share powerful, shocking stories of bravery and loss in a war zone.

Putin vs The West
The inside story on how Western leaders have struggled to deal with Putin over the years.

Hong Kong's Fight for Freedom
Under attack from the authorities, four young Hongkongers resort to violence to defend their way of life.

The Hunt for Bin Laden
How was Osama Bin Laden able to evade capture despite the intense efforts to find him?

Is China Watching You?
Should we be worried about booming sales of Chinese-built surveillance equipment?

Gay Under The Taliban
The story of young, terrified LGBTQ people trapped in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

Border Country
What are borders, why are they created and how do they affect nations and individuals?

India's Partition: The Forgotten Story
In 1947, India was divided in two leading to violence and death. Why did it happen?

India: the Modi Question
Investigating tensions between the Indian Prime Minister and the country’s Muslim minority

The World's Biggest Bomb
Why did American then Soviet scientists race to explode the biggest bomb of all time?

The Amol Rajan Interviews: Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic discusses his incredible career and events during the pandemic

Tareena: Return From ISIS
The extraordinary story of Tareena Shakil, the first British woman to be jailed when returning from ISIS.

Afghanistan: The British Lion’s Last Roar?
Why did the British army’s attempts at defeating the Taliban go so disastrously wrong?

What If Putin Goes Nuclear?
As Putin put Russia's nuclear forces on high alert, could he really push the button?

Putin's War in Ukraine
Exploring the invasion of Ukraine, Putin's motives and the world's response.

Prince Andrew and The Epstein Scandal – The Newsnight Interview
In this candid interview, Andrew reveals his connection to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

The Man Putin Couldn't Kill
Did Putin really try to kill a political rival with a plot involving poisoned underpants?

The Prince and The Epstein Scandal
As Prince Andrew steps back from the public eye, the victims of Jeffrey Epstein speak out

North Korea: Voices from the Secret State
The real lives of people trapped in the world’s most secretive state

Fake News: A True History
Fake news isn’t new: an entertaining look at 200 years of lies and the media

The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty
A story of succession. Rupert Murdoch and the sibling rivalry to inherit his empire.
Military & War

The Battle of Britain
Britain's war against Germany seemed lost. The Battle of Britain was their last chance.

Waterloo's Warriors
The story of the Battle of Waterloo using unpublished accounts from Wellington's troops.

Julius Caesar's Greatest Battle
Exploring a crucial battle during Julius Caesar's bloody campaign to conquer Gaul.

The Men and the Machines that Beat Hitler
The story of the Fifth Royal Tank Regiment who fought during World War II

The Mysteries Of The Medieval Ship
A unique medieval ship is discovered in a Welsh river. But what secrets does it hold?

The Somme 1916: From Both Sides Of The Wire
Historian Peter Barton explores the bloody battle that defined the First World War.

Nelson: Britain's Great Naval Hero
The scandals, secrets, and strategies of one of Britain’s greatest naval heroes: Nelson.

The Nazis: A Warning From History
How was it possible that the cultured nation at the heart of Europe ever allowed Hitler to come to power?

I Was There: The Great War Interviews
Gripping, never-before-seen interviews with eyewitnesses of the First World War.

The Last Day Of World War One
Michael Palin tells the shocking true story of the last soldiers to die in World War I.

Russia: 1000 Years Of History
An exploration of Russia's beginnings to its position as the biggest country in the world.

Mariupol: The People's Story
The people of Mariupol share powerful, shocking stories of bravery and loss in a war zone.

Russia: 1000 Years Of History
An exploration of Russia's beginnings to its position as the biggest country in the world.

Mariupol: The People's Story
The people of Mariupol share powerful, shocking stories of bravery and loss in a war zone.

The World's Biggest Bomb
Why did American then Soviet scientists race to explode the biggest bomb of all time?

The World's Biggest Bomb
Why did American then Soviet scientists race to explode the biggest bomb of all time?

Black Power: America's Armed Resistance
What is the Black Liberation Movement trying to achieve and what tactics do they use?

Ukraine: Lessons From the Battlefield
Understanding how the conflict in Ukraine may reshape both history and future conflict.

The Hunt for Bin Laden
How was Osama Bin Laden able to evade capture despite the intense efforts to find him?

Fighter Pilot: The Real Top Gun
Which hopeful pilot will become the latest Top Gun and fly the RAF's new fighter jet?

Zelensky: The Making of a President
The transformation of Ukraine's President Zelensky from comic to respected world leader.
Politics documentaries
From accounts of the 20th century's pivotal political events to biographies of modern political figures, BBC Select brings you documentaries about the politics that shape our world.

Thatcher & Reagan
What was the attraction between these two world leaders and how did it change history?

Kissinger: Statesman or War Criminal?
Henry Kissinger: canny political operator or a despicable war criminal?

Philippa Gregory's The Real White Queen And Her Rivals
The women at the heart of the bloody War of the Roses that helped shape British history.

Inside Taiwan: Standing Up To China
Could China's plans regarding Taiwan put the rest of the world in extreme danger?

Inside Taiwan: Standing Up To China
Could China's plans regarding Taiwan put the rest of the world in extreme danger?

Turkey: The Rise of Erdogan's Empire
How did Recep Tayyip Erdogan become the most powerful leader in Turkey’s recent history?

Charles R: The Making of a Monarch
An intimate portrait of King Charles told in his own words with rare archive footage.

Charles R: The Making of a Monarch
An intimate portrait of King Charles told in his own words with rare archive footage.

Charles III: Will the King Change the Monarchy?
Will the new king of the UK change the monarchy to help it survive in the modern world?

Rebellion: The Stuarts In Exile
How much threat did the deposed Stuart dynasty pose to the developing British state?

Rebellion: The Stuarts In Exile
How much threat did the deposed Stuart dynasty pose to the developing British state?

Charles III: Will the King Change the Monarchy?
Will King Charles III adapt the British monarchy to suit modern times?

Edward VII: Prince of Pleasure
Unravelling the mystery of King Edward VII to understand how his legacy is still relevant today.

Edward VII: Prince of Pleasure
Unravelling the mystery of King Edward VII to understand how his legacy is still relevant today.

King George and Queen Mary: The Royals Who Rescued the Monarchy
The pioneering reign of Elizabeth II's grandparents, King George and Queen Mary.

King George and Queen Mary: The Royals Who Rescued the Monarchy
The pioneering reign of Elizabeth II's grandparents, King George and Queen Mary.

Born To Be The King
What does the future hold for the heir to the British throne, Prince George?

Boxing Day Tsunami
On Boxing Day, A tsunami hit Thailand leaving unimaginable wreckage for its victims.

Boxing Day Tsunami
On Boxing Day, A tsunami hit Thailand leaving unimaginable wreckage for its victims.

Philippa Gregory's The Real White Queen And Her Rivals
The women at the heart of the bloody War of the Roses that helped shape British history.

The Last Days Of Anne Boleyn
What led to the dramatic downfall and violent execution of Queen Anne Boleyn in 1536?

Philippa Gregory's The Real White Queen And Her Rivals
The women at the heart of the bloody War of the Roses that helped shape British history.

Putin vs The West
The inside story on how Western leaders have struggled to deal with Putin over the years.

Mariupol: The People's Story
The people of Mariupol share powerful, shocking stories of bravery and loss in a war zone.

A Murder In Washington
An investigation into Seth Rich, a young staffer working for the Democrats, who was shot.

India: the Modi Question
Investigating tensions between the Indian Prime Minister and the country’s Muslim minority

Henry VIII's Enforcer: The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell
Was Thomas Cromwell a corrupt, ambitious politician or has history unfairly maligned him?

The Amol Rajan Interviews: Billie Jean King
The tennis legend opens up about her incredible life and career

Woman standing facing the right with British flags in the background
The Stuarts
The Stuart monarchs are considered merciless tyrants, but they also forged modern Britain.

Hong Kong's Fight for Freedom
Under attack from the authorities, four young Hongkongers resort to violence to defend their way of life.

Churchill's First World War
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's extraordinary experiences during World War I.

When the Queen Spoke to the Nation
Exploring the Queen’s annual Christmas Day messages and other special addresses.

BBC at War
This enthralling series asks, how much did World War II shape the personality of the BBC?

Could Hitler Have Been Stopped?
Leading historians debate whether Adolf Hitler and the Nazis could have been stopped.

Churchill: Winning the War, Losing the Peace
Why was Winston Churchill ousted from power after World War II?

KKK: The Fight for White Supremacy?
What drives people to join America's infamous white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan?

The Whistleblowers: Inside the UN
Does the United Nations punish whistleblowers and protect abusers to cover up the truth?

The Rise and Fall of the Super League
The rise and rapid fall of soccer’s European Super League

Ukraine: Lessons From the Battlefield
Understanding how the conflict in Ukraine may reshape both history and future conflict.

Zelensky: The Making of a President
The transformation of Ukraine's President Zelensky from comic to respected world leader.

Mad Dog: Inside the Secret World of Muammar Gaddafi
Regime of terror: a horrifying portrait of Libya’s leader from the insiders who made him.

Louis Theroux: The Ultra Zionists
Louis Theroux gets close to the extreme end of the West Bank’s Jewish settler movement.

Louis Theroux: The Return Of America’s Most Hated Family
What happens when you’ve become the US’s most reviled family? Louis pays another visit.

Trump Takes on the World
Donald Trump's top advisers lift the lid on the critical moments of his foreign policy.

The Cult of Conspiracy: QAnon
Who are QAnon and what effect are they having on US democracy?

The Man Putin Couldn't Kill
Did Putin really try to kill a political rival with a plot involving poisoned underpants?

Nixon in the Den
Was President Nixon a visionary on China? Davin Reynolds investigates in Nixon in the Den

Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History
From slavery to settlement, award-winning historian David Olusoga explores the history of black Britain.

Are You Scared Yet, Human?
Should we worry about the effect that Artificial Intelligence could have on our lives?

The Trump Show
Protests, impeachment, and a pandemic: A front row seat to Trump’s unpredictable Presidency.

The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler: Leading Millions into the Abyss
From failure to Fuhrer. How did Adolf Hitler charm the German people?

American History's Biggest Fibs
American history is fake, fact? Historian Lucy Worlsey delves deeper into US mythology.
BBC Select Email Newsletter
Sign up to be the first to know about new shows on BBC Select, the latest collection of documentaries and other content from BBC Studios we think you’ll enjoy.