RFR Podcast's Podcast
Refugee from Russia explores what it means to leave everything behind - family, home, and the version of yourself you thought was permanent. The RFR Podcast interviews immigrants, refugees, and ordinary people caught between two worlds. Each episode blends storytelling, truth, and raw emotion to reveal the realities behind migration, identity, trauma, and hope.
Episodes
17 episodes
Pensioners With Drones and Russia's Fog of Information Control
Russia is now training elderly pensioners to operate drones as part of its expanding civilian drone programs tied to the war in Ukraine. A headline from inside Russia called it exactly what it is: complete absurdity. This episode unpacks what that...
Victory Day in Russia: Parade for One and Drones Over Grozny
May 9th in Russia — Victory Day — is the holiest date on the national calendar. But this year's holiday told two stories at once, and together they reveal exactly what the ritual has become. The first story is about the parade itself. An analysis...
Refugee from Russia: Sapa editor detained, Kremlin spins Hungary loss, and a surprising Massive Attack-Tom Waits release
In this episode, we cover the detention of Alina Dzhikaeva, editor-in-chief of Sapa, a North Caucasus-focused outlet, and what it means for independent reporting in one of Russia's most sensitive regions. We also look at Kremlin propagandists rea...
Refugee from Russia Podcast: They Are Preparing New Meat — Children in Southern Russia Are Being Taught War
In this episode, we examine a disturbing headline about children in southern Russia being taught war. What does the phrase “new meat” reveal about how militarized patriotism is shaping young people, and why does it matter beyond Russia’s borders?W...
Refuge from Russia: Oil Prices Fell Sharply After Trump’s Pause on Iran Strikes
In this episode of Refuge from Russia, Tami breaks down how fast-moving war headlines can ripple through oil markets, gas prices, and global energy security. From Trump’s decision to pause strikes on Iranian power infrastructure to Iran’s threats ...
Refuge from Russia: Protest Crackdowns in Rostov-on-Don and a LaGuardia Runway Incident
In this episode of Refuge from Russia, Tami covers two stories about public safety and accountability.In Rostov-on-Don, activist Evgeny Makovoz reportedly filed a request for a rally against internet blocks and later was visited by security office...
Refuge from Russia: Russian poets convicted in the so-called “Mayakovsky case”
In this episode of Refuge from Russia, Tami and Praveen examine the case of Russian poets Artyom Kamardin, Egor Shtovba, and Nikolai Dayneko, whom Amnesty International has recognized as prisoners of conscience. Their alleged offense was reading a...
Refuge from Russia: In the Village of Kozikha, They Have Begun
In this episode of Refuge from Russia, Tami reports from the Siberian village of Kozikha, where residents say authorities suddenly blocked roads, set up checkpoints, and announced that local cattle would be killed because of a livestock disease.Fa...
Refuge from Russia: A Russian deserter was accused of spreading fake news
In this episode, Tami connects four seemingly separate stories: a Russian deserter accused of spreading fake news after speaking about torture and battlefield losses, searches at relatives’ homes in Mallorca linked to a major Russian defense figur...
Refuge from Russia: Social Media, Protests, and the Power to Shut Down the Internet
In this episode of Refuge from Russia, Tami and Praveen unpack a headline that mixes protest fears, internet control, and market anxiety. They discuss how Russia’s FSB fits into the country’s system of information suppression, why internet shutdow...
Refuge from Russia: The number of people killed in the shelling
Welcome to Refuge from Russia, I'm Tami, and today we’re looking at another grim update from Russia’s Belgorod region, right on the border with Ukraine.Officials there say the death toll from shelling in the village of Smorodino has now risen to f...
Refuge from Russia: When Poetry Becomes a Crime
Amnesty International has declared Russian poets Artem Kamardin, Yegor Shtovba, and Nikolai Dayneko prisoners of conscience in the so-called Mayakovsky case. In September 2022, they took part in an anti-war poetry reading at a monument to Vladimir...
Refuge from Russia
In this episode, Tami looks at three stories that reveal what daily life in Russia can feel like when war, censorship, and political pressure collide. We break down how the war in Ukraine is pushing the economy toward recession, why protests and i...
Refuge from Russia: Justice, Grief, and Parliament Pushback
In this episode of Refuge from Russia, Tami looks at two very different stories that reveal a common theme: what happens when institutions stop working for ordinary people.First, a headline about Baymurodova, murdered and not buried, raises painfu...
Refuge from Russia: Exploring Conflict and Professional Integrity
Welcome to Refuge from Russia, I'm Tami, and I'm glad you're joining me today as we delve into some thought-provoking stories from across the globe. Today, we're going to explore issues surrounding conflict, crime, and professional integrity, as w...
Inside the Kremlin talks shaping peace efforts
Discover a detailed account of the high-level January 2026 meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the U.S. delegation led by Special Envoy Stephen Witkoff and Jared Kushner. This episode explores the substantive discussions held at t...
Power shifts in Chechnya and Mariupol’s new role
Dive into the evolving political landscape of Chechnya as power transitions spark concern within the Kremlin. This episode explores the potential successors to Ramzan Kadyrov and the broader implications for regional stability across the North Cau...