RTDocumentary

#video Aleksey Maresyev was a Soviet pilot during World War II. He was shot down in April 1942. His plane crashed in a forest, but Maresyev miraculously survived. Bleeding from wounds, it took him 18 days to reach safety in the nearest village of Plavni. By the time he was taken to hospital, his injuries were so bad - both his legs had to be amputated. Nevertheless, Maresyev learned to use his prosthetic legs and returned to combat. The legendary pilot completed 86 combat flights and downed 11 Nazi planes. Hear his incredible story in our documentary, Skybound. Watch it on RTD.RT.com or Odysee https://odysee.com/@RTDocumentary:4 All our films are available there! Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video Max from Mexico has been growing drugs since early childhood. Like many other drug dealers, he lives in Sinaloa state. Locals who don’t grow drugs live in extreme poverty, as there is almost nothing else to do to earn a living. At the same time, those who produce live high. The state of things doesn’t change for decades. Drugs are the most profitable business here and the riskiest as well. But Max has a dream and keeps growing weed. If you can’t see us on YouTube subscribe on our channel https://odysee.com/@RTDocumentary:4 All our films are available there! Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video Racism and the Great Depression in the 1930s drove hundreds of African Americans away from the United States. The Soviet Union looked like an attractive option, given its socialist ideology of social equality and absence of racial prejudice. They had nothing to lose at home: a lack of prospects and restrictions separated them from society. Many African Americans have amazing stories about relocating to the USSR and making good there. Their children and grandchildren grew up in Russia, considering it their home. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video ‘He died like a hero, just before the victory. But his feat hastened it,’ head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin wrote about the death of Vladimir Zhoga, nicknamed Vokha. The commander of the Sparta battalion and successor of Arsen Pavlov (Motorola) was killed on Saturday. He died in a battle in the town of Volnovakha, DPR. ‘He was fatally injured while ensuring the exit of civilians from the town. Sparta men were providing a cover for the evacuation of civilians, mostly women and children. Nationalists opened fire at them,’ Pushilin wrote. Vladimir Zhoga will be posthumously awarded the title of the hero of the Donetsk Republic. He is featured in our documentary, Donbass War: Airport. Part 1 and Part 2 are available on our YouTube channel and Odysee https://odysee.com/@RTDocumentary:4 Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video#ukrain When the Ukrainian government forces were tasked to subdue the rebellious region of Donbass in the summer of 2014, Debaltsevo became a central strategic point. The highway through Debaltsevo was the quickest route to drive from Lugansk to Donetsk. That meant taking over this city would cut the rebellious regions off from each other and create a gap, where there would always be a threat of having Ukrainian troops ready for a breakthrough. This is why gaining control over Debaltsevo was strategically important to both sides. The militia defended the area, desperately trying to maintain a link between the two rebel capitals. To follow the course of the events, tune in for Donbass: Battle of Debaltsevo. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video#USA In the run-up to the 2020 presidential election in the USA, protests featuring armed activists rocked the USA. This led to an unprecedented level of civil unrest, with heavily armed groups roaming the cities and threatening to use force to defend their political positions. Some of these belonged to the Bugaloo Boys, a group of activists committed to some kind of American ‘Revolution’. Mike Dunn was one of them. Why do you think the police helped Mike with his protest? Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video#USA Windie Lazenko is a survivor of sex trafficking. As a teenage runaway, she was sold for sex. Now in her 50s, she advocates for victims across the US. When North Dakota’s oil boom led to the sudden influx of men and a huge demand for prostitutes, Windie travelled to the city of Williston. At some point, men outnumbered women by as many as 20 to one. Women couldn’t walk into a supermarket without being propositioned. Windie founded her organisation to help trafficking victims. This is a fragment of her interview from our documentary, Sex and the Oil City. She recalls her thorny path before she started helping other women. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#photo#Ukraine This bridge with explosives leads to the town of Schastia across the Seversky Donets River. Ukrainian forces blew it up. Explosives remain on some of the towers. So, people are now forced to cross the river using boats and temporary structures. Damaged Ukrainian tanks, American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles and abandoned positions were seen on the roads near Schastia. The LNR took control of the town as the Ukrainian troops retreated. To learn more about the root of the conflict, watch our film: Donbass. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. It takes a look back at events that unfolded before the start of the crisis in 2014. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video#USA Balalaika is the most Russian of musical instruments. Initially a peasant’s instrument, it resembles a guitar, but its sound is hard to confuse with anything else. The balalaika is popular far beyond Russia. Washington DC is home to the largest Russian folk orchestra outside the former Soviet Union. Musician Janet Bohm bought a balalaika during a trip to St. Petersburg in the 1960s. Decades later, she founded the Washington Balalaika Society, which plays traditional Russian music in the US. Political relations can be strained, but when it comes to ordinary people - they always find common ground, Janet says. So what do ordinary Americans think of Russian people? Find out in our documentary. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video#Ukraine Maidan movement gained momentum in Kiev in 2013. Protests were prompted by the government’s decision to suspend the signing of the association agreement with the European Union. At first, the protests looked like a rock festival, but soon signs of hostility started to creep in from politicians and nationalists. Leaders of nationalist organisations admit they have been preparing for violent street riots long before the protests engulfed Kiev. Maidan: Road to War was shot from 2014 to 2022, as the DNR and LNR territory was subjected to daily shelling from Ukraine. The film wants to draw the attention of the Ukrainian authorities to the shelling and the deaths of civilians in the Donbass, but the government didn’t respond. If you can’t see us on YouTube subscribe on our channel https://odysee.com/@RTDocumentary:4 Here available all our films! Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video#Donbass Here’s the unique drone footage of the bombed town of Schastia, Luhansk region. The town’s name means ‘happiness’ in Russian and Ukrainian, but look at how it looks after bitter fighting damaged and destroyed houses, with burnt-out apartments, some abandoned forever. The footage was filmed by RT correspondent Maria Finoshina, who is there making a documentary. How the locals of Donbass have lived for the last 8 years watch in our film Donbass: the grey zone. If you can’t see us on YouTube subscribe on our channel https://odysee.com/@RTDocumentary:4 Here available all our films! Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary

#video The Russian Ministry of Defence has provided footage of the Donbass highway near Lebedinsky – showing damaged tanks, American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles and abandoned positions. The Russian Ministry of Defense halted its offensive at 10 am local time so residents could leave the encircled Azov Sea port city of Mariupol. In addition, another humanitarian corridor was created for the nearby town of Volnovakha, controlled by Ukrainians. In the latest round of negotiations, a safe passage was agreed with Ukraine to provide humanitarian corridors during a temporary ceasefire. Follow: https://t.me/rtdocumentary