Arkady Ostrovsky travels across Europe and the Middle East speaking to free-thinking Russians who left when the shelling of Ukraine began in 2022 in this eight-part series. For them the war meant the future of Russia itself was now in doubt. Now they have to rebuild their lives and their hopes for Russia from exile. Can they get their country back?

Their stories help solve the mystery of why this senseless war began – and how it might end.

Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ at www.economist.com/podcastsplus

If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.

Next Year in Moscow