Act of War

August 2015 marks 70 years since the US dropped nuclear bombs on Japan. But was this drastic decision dictated by military necessity? RTD’s Peter Scott visits Hiroshima and Nagasaki to investigate the real reasons behind the bombings.

Join RTDoc as we team up with a Russian delegation on the road from Moscow, period vehicles in tow to meet other enthusiasts who share the same history and use it to turn former enemies into new allies.

RTD with Miguel Francis Santiago, the author of “Crimea for Dummies”, go to Donetsk where a bloody conflict is in full swing. With contradictory information coming from the region, witnessing the situation first-hand is the only way to find out what’s really happening there.

The distinguishing features of Russia's elite Spetsnaz soldiers include their maroon berets, unparalleled physical fitness and ability to make the right decisions at lightning speed. Evgeny Epov was one such soldier; he made the ultimate sacrifice and saved the lives of several of his comrades. 

Ukrainian civilians are fleeing from the horrors of war, crossing the border into Russia. They share first-hand accounts of indiscriminate violence and atrocities of a military conflict that forced them to leave all they had behind and seek shelter in a foreign country.

World War II took millions of human lives, leaving many homes devastated with grief. Six million Soviet soldiers went missing in the war, seemingly lost to their loved ones forever. But now, groups of enthusiasts eager to find their unmarked graves search former battlefields for their remains. 

...Russia's warplanes remain among the most advanced in the world, both capable of striking targets on the ground and engaging in aerial combat. 

The film exposes the plight of Syrian refugee families who cross the border into Lebanon to flee civil war in their country. Now their children have to abandon the dream of a good education and say goodbye to their carefree childhood as circumstances force them to become the breadwinners.

Two journalists - one American, one Serbian - travel across the former Yugoslavia to explore the human cost of NATO's 1999 military campaign against Belgrade and the media onslaught against the Milosevic regime.

Five years ago South Ossetia was devastated by a Georgian offensive designed to take control of the breakaway territory within its borders. Today South Ossetia is an independent republic, as recognized by Russia. We travel to the region to hear residents recall what happened five years ago and how life is moving on in their homeland.

Since 1974 Cyprus has been divided into two parts – Greek and Turkish. The bloody conflict that preceded it is still fresh in the memory of Cypriots. And it’s only now that the remains of those who went missing are being searched for and identified in an attempt to bring the relatives some closure

ISIS oil trade documents, testimonies of local civilians and captured ISIS militants: RT Documentary crew visits Syrian oil town of Shaddadi just ten days after it was liberated from ISIS. Exclusive results of RT Doc investigation. 

After the slaughter of the nineties, Kosovo's Serbs and Albanians are separated by far more than physical barriers. The scars of war run deeper than the river Ibar between the two communities. We meet the people trying to build a bridge over these troubled waters.

A bloody civil war broke out in the Central African Republic, leading to the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians. Orphaned children were recruited by both sides of the conflict. They were taught to fight, drugged and thrown into battle. Child soldiers have seen unimaginable horrors and been forced to kill. After a ceasefire was declared in May 2015, the rehabilitation process began for many of these kids, but after all they’ve been through, they and their mentors face challenging times. 

Five years into the devastating Syrian war, the country’s capital, Damascus is a shelter for the civilians who refuse to flee their motherland. Yet, even here no one is really safe as shells hit the streets and buildings regularly. Sameer is a local cameraman who continues his work despite its dangers. Through his lens, he shows us the everyday life of ordinary Syrians. 

Wars can start for many reasons but whatever the cause, innocent people will always suffer. Ukrainian veterans of WWII have now been caught up in conflict for a second time, 70 years ago they were children, now they watch their childhood nightmares coming back to life as younger generations ignore the bitter lessons learned so long ago.

The Kalashnikov rifle needs no introduction. In this documentary we show you its origins, how it’s made and tested, who uses it, and many more fascinating facts.

In Syria, there are more than a hundred militant groups fighting against the State Army. Unusually, President Bashar al-Assad has offered an amnesty to militants who surrender. Any who haven’t completed mandatory military service are returned to the Army. RT Doc gained access to a unit comprised of amnestied soldiers. Some joined militants groups voluntarily while others say they were held captive, whatever their circumstances, they all serve together.