Russians at War - Inside a Russian Battalion on the Front Lines in Ukraine (Full Documentary)

Russians at War is a rare, unauthorized look inside a Russian battalion during the invasion of Ukraine. Filmed by director Anastasia Trofimova, the documentary follows soldiers, medics, and newly drafted men as they move from the rear to some of the war’s deadliest front lines, including Krasny Liman and Bakhmut.

Through candid conversations, frontline footage, and scenes of daily survival, the film reveals a complex portrait of the people fighting on Russia’s side: their motivations, fears, disillusionment, and the heavy toll of the conflict. From young conscripts to seasoned volunteers, from drone operators to medics retrieving the dead, Russians at War shows the human reality behind official narratives—exposing a world of confusion, loss, shifting beliefs, and the personal cost of a war many struggle to understand.

Unauthorized and filmed at significant personal risk, the documentary offers a perspective rarely seen: Russian soldiers speaking freely about a war that has reshaped their lives, their families, and their country.

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Chapters
▷ 00:00 - Introduction
▷ 03:44 - Ilya, a Ukranian fighting on Russia's side, says goodbye to his family
▷ 05:43 - Anastasia joins the soldiers in occupied Eastern Ukraine
▷ 08:58 - The soldiers talk about their experience so far and what they're fighting for
▷ 21:08 - The battalion leaves for the front
▷ 27:01 - Spending the night in a soviet nuclear bunker
▷ 31:32 - At the Krasny Liman Front, the medics go looking for bodies
▷ 37:45 - 21-year old Medic talks about her feelings about the war
▷ 40:40 - Heading to the trenches
▷ 48:41 - A soldier has shrapnel in his heart
▷ 51:24 - Talking with the soldiers about war crime accusations and following orders
▷ 57:04 - Taking food to villagers, 2km from the front line
▷ 1:03:58 - Soldiers talk about the difference between what's shown on tv and reality
▷ 1:09:45 - Hiding in the cellar from bombs
▷ 1:16:10 - Three soldiers die
▷ 1:25:10 - Soldiers talk about not getting paid and having to stay after their contract ends
▷ 1:30:00 - Ilya abandons the front and risks criminal prosecution
▷ 1:32:24 - At the Bakhmut, before the offensive
▷ 1:43:21 - The offensive
▷ 1:58:13 - Families mourn their dead
▷ 2:05:55 - Credits

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Anastasia Trofimova is a Moscow-born documentary filmmaker and cinematographer whose work has taken her to conflict and post-conflict zones around the world, including Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Guinea, the former Yugoslavia, as well as Canada, the US, Russia and beyond. She has directed and filmed six broadcast hours and six short television documentaries, along with one feature documentary. Beginning her career by taking on every role available—editor, translator, sound recordist, cinematographer, producer, and eventually director—she developed a deep understanding of every stage of production and post-production, and feels equally at home behind the camera and in the edit suite. Trofimova holds a B.A. (Honours) in Communications and Political Science from the University of Toronto/Sheridan College and an M.Sc. in International Relations from the University of Amsterdam. Her research work has been recognized with a Canada Screen Award for Best Research on HBO’s Tales from the Organ Trade and a nomination for Best Visual Research on Adobe Productions International/White Pine’s Ice-Breaker: The ’72 Summit Series. She is also a five-time returning judge for the News and Documentary Emmy Awards. Trofimova speaks fluent English and Russian, as well as intermediate French and Arabic.

Original Title: Russians at War
Directed by Anastasia Trofimova

© 2024, Licensed by Sideways Films

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