The Documentary Podcast
BBC World Service
A window into our world, through in-depth storytelling from the BBC. Investigating, reporting and uncovering true stories from everywhere. Award-winning journalism, unheard voices, amazing culture and global issues.
From China’s state-backed overseas spending, to on the road with Canada’s Sikh truckers, to the frontline of the climate emergency, we go beyond the headlines.
Every week, we take you into the minds of the world's most creative people and explore personal approaches to spirituality. And we bring together people from around the globe to discuss how news stories are affecting their lives.
A new episode most days, all year round. From our BBC World Service teams at: Assignment, Heart and Soul, In the Studio, OS Conversations and The Fifth Floor.
Categories: Society & Culture
Listen to the last episode:
*** This programme contains very strong language *** Over the past year, BBC Eye has followed the journeys of young men from Syria, Egypt, and Yemen who travelled to Russia in search of work, only to end up on the frontlines in Ukraine. Why are these men risking their lives in a war that is not theirs? Many, including students, say they were tricked into fighting for the Russian army by a recruiter. BBC Eye investigates their stories, meeting a family grieving the loss of their son and a young Yemeni man now trapped in a prisoner-of-war camp.
Watch the film Into the Void Putin's Foreign Fighters on YouTube: https://youtu.be/y7ruSvJfn_g
Previous episodes
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5080 - Putin's foreign fighters Tue, 13 Jan 2026
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5079 - The Netherlands: 10 new cities? Mon, 12 Jan 2026
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5078 - Bianca Raffaella: A world of blurred vision Mon, 12 Jan 2026
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5077 - Looking for No Man's Land Sun, 11 Jan 2026
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5076 - Taraneh: Iran's defiant actress Sat, 10 Jan 2026
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5075 - Life in Venezuela Sat, 10 Jan 2026
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5074 - Living side by side: Morocco’s Jews and Muslims Fri, 09 Jan 2026
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5073 - Returned to sender Thu, 08 Jan 2026
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5072 - World Questions - Greenland Wed, 07 Jan 2026
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5071 - Persian poetry and politics Wed, 07 Jan 2026
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5070 - South Africa and the fight against TB Tue, 06 Jan 2026
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5069 - Ismo Leikola Mon, 05 Jan 2026
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5068 - The power of nostalgia and a first kiss Sun, 04 Jan 2026
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5067 - Afghanistan's love poetry princess Sat, 03 Jan 2026
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5066 - Astronauts and the future of space exploration Sat, 03 Jan 2026
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5065 - Two families from Sarajevo Fri, 02 Jan 2026
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5064 - Kibera Ballerinas Thu, 01 Jan 2026
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5063 - Four Months in Gaza Wed, 31 Dec 2025
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5062 - When Christian nationalists come to town Tue, 30 Dec 2025
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5061 - Haroon Mirza: Creating a sculpture with light, sound and video Mon, 29 Dec 2025
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5060 - BBC correspondents' look ahead to 2026 Sun, 28 Dec 2025
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5059 - Not-so-golden weddings Sat, 27 Dec 2025
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5058 - Why I chose to adopt Sat, 27 Dec 2025
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5057 - The lord and dance: Michael Flatley Fri, 26 Dec 2025
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5056 - The gift of science Thu, 25 Dec 2025
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5055 - Bonus: 2025 in conversations from The Interview Wed, 24 Dec 2025
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5054 - Argentina's elusive big cats Tue, 23 Dec 2025
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5053 - Michael Symmons Roberts' Christmas card poem Mon, 22 Dec 2025
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5052 - United in space: How we built the ISS Sun, 21 Dec 2025
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5051 - Living in fear on South Africa's farms Sat, 20 Dec 2025
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5050 - Jewish Australians on the Bondi Beach attacks Sat, 20 Dec 2025
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5048 - Prayers through the checkpoints Fri, 19 Dec 2025
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5047 - Elephant conservation in Botswana Thu, 18 Dec 2025
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5046 - Introducing The Bomb: Kennedy and Khrushchev Wed, 17 Dec 2025
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5045 - Stolen brides of Kazakhstan: The fightback Tue, 16 Dec 2025
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5044 - Jim Henson's Creature Shop: Back to Fraggle Rock Mon, 15 Dec 2025
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5043 - A makeover for Syria's interim leader? Sat, 13 Dec 2025
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5042 - Somalis in America Sat, 13 Dec 2025
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5041 - The divine gift of sex Fri, 12 Dec 2025
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5040 - Surgery in a backpack Thu, 11 Dec 2025
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5039 - The struggle of Israel's peace movement Tue, 09 Dec 2025
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5038 - Anna-Karin Karlsson: Sunglasses made for icons Mon, 08 Dec 2025
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5037 - Steel from shipwrecks Sun, 07 Dec 2025
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5036 - Reporting the Nigerian school kidnappings Sat, 06 Dec 2025
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5035 - Australia’s under-16 social media ban Sat, 06 Dec 2025
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5034 - The mosque for Bangladesh’s transgender women Fri, 05 Dec 2025
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5033 - Made in Russia: The Kremlin’s economic rebrand Thu, 04 Dec 2025
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5032 - From rocks to riches Wed, 03 Dec 2025
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5031 - Joana Vasconcelos: Mask of mirrors Mon, 01 Dec 2025
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5030 - Young and stateless Sun, 30 Nov 2025