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Russian exiles and the war in Ukraine

12:30

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March 19, 2022

Day by day, tens of thousands of Ukrainians flee the war. Critics of the Kremlin are leaving Russia, as well. They oppose President Vladimir Putin's war of aggression and are suffering the consequences of a clampdown on freedom of expression. Berlin has become a gathering point for Russians who oppose invasion of Ukraine.

Civil rights activist Olga Romanova was born in Russia. In 2017, she fled to Berlin because she no longer felt safe in her own country. Now, she’s doing whatever she can to help the thousands of Ukrainians and Russians arriving daily in Germany’s capital. One of them is Lev Vladov, from Chelyabinsk, east of the Ural Mountains. He criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine on his blog and now fears for his life.  

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Reporter — On Location

DW’s on-the-ground reporters are always close to the action, be it covering international events or zooming in on some of the quirks of daily life. Camera always in hand, they report on the changes they see taking place in Germany, Europe and around the world.

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