Four Corners Season 63, Episode 26: Putin's Secret Army

1

Purity

An Education in Opus Dei - the disturbing teachings of the conservative Catholic organisation and its influence in the NSW Liberal Party. Former students reflect on the practices they say have scarred them for life.

48 min

2

Do No Harm

The doctors who break their sacred oath but are still allowed to practise. We investigate the medical complaints handling process as patients tell harrowing stories of betrayal, and the system that struggled to respond.

44 min

3

Carbon Colonialism

Can carbon credits really save the planet? We journey deep into the Papua New Guinean jungle to uncover the confronting truth about the carbon trade, finding a vast chasm between what is marketed and what is really happening.

47 min

4

The People's Fight: The Battle for Kherson

The People's Fight, the inside story of the battle of the strategic city of Kherson. This Ukrainian victory halted Russian advances in the South and showed how an army of volunteers could defeat the might of the Russian army.

46 min

5

Fading Away

Australia's secret battle with eating disorders. We follow families as they struggle to get the right treatment, exploring the complexities and revealing a health system appallingly underprepared to deal with this crisis.

46 min

6

Tainted Gold

Inside Perth Mint's billion dollar scandal. Criminals have targeted Australia's largest government-owned gold refiner, trying to exploit weaknesses in its reporting systems to launder money.

45 min

7

High Stakes

Exposing the political games of one of Australia's most powerful lobby groups. A senior Liberal Party minister speaks for the first time about the orchestrated campaign to remove him by the powerful Australian gambling lobby.

45 min

8

The Secret World of Incels

Filmmaker Ben Zand takes us into the dark world of Incels - a radical online subculture of young men who rage against women for supposedly denying them sex and then turn that rage into fantasies about horrific violence.

45 min

9

Agents of Influence

Real Estate insiders expose the industry's secret tactics. Agents and property professionals reveal the ways in which their profession manipulates and misleads buyers as well as sellers in the pursuit of making a deal.

45 min

10

Gaming the Games

The scandal threatening the Paralympics. Insiders reveal a culture where classification rules are regularly bent and broken, as a system meant to ensure a level playing field for Paralympians is flawed and easily manipulated.

45 min

11

Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop

Japan's secret sex scandal. A music executive with a long history of allegations of sexual abuse made by boys in his talent agency. We examine the suffocating reality of being a J-pop idol and the media cover up over decades.

46 min

12

Hackers Inc

Australia is under cyber-attack and the problem is only getting worse. John Lyons tracks the criminal syndicate behind one of our largest-ever data breaches, finding highly-organised criminal gangs, often based in Russia.

46 min

13

Fox and the Big Lie

Four Corners revisits its investigation into the inner workings of the powerful Murdoch-owned conservative news outlet Fox News, in the wake of the company's billion-dollar settlement with an election technology company.

47 min

14

Going Nuclear

Australia's high risk submarine gamble. As we embark on the $368-billion AUKUS plan to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered subs, reporter Angus Grigg exposes major delays and safety issues in our current Collins Class vessels.

45 min

15

AI Rising

The new reality of artificial life. As tech companies race to dominate the artificial intelligence market, experts warn we're not prepared for what happens next. Grace Tobin investigates the misuse and abuse of generative AI.

43 min

16

Inside Russia

We go deep inside Russia to document the opposition to the Ukrainian war. Brave Russians who are willing to speak out against their government, despite the incredible risk.

46 min

17

Cocaine Nation

We lift the lid on the shadowy underworld of Australia's cocaine supply chain, with unprecedented access to traffickers, importers, street dealers and high-ranking cartel operatives.

45 min

18

Hiding Behind Tombstones

The new legal tactics blocking justice for survivors. Louise Milligan goes inside the legal fight as lawyers representing victims face institutions pushing to have cases thrown out of court altogether.

47 min

19

Frontline Taiwan

The small island state of Taiwan is in dire straits - stuck in the middle of a struggle between nuclear superpowers China and the United States. There are real fears it may become the centre of our next major global conflict.

46 min

20

Game, Bet, Match

The secretive deals between Australia's big sporting codes and bookmakers. Pat McGrath reveals how sports governing bodies get a cut of every bet made in Australia on their games. Could it change the way the games are played?

45 min

21

Traitor

Australia's great untold spy story. A senior officer at our national spy agency stole and sold highly classified intelligence to Russia's KGB for at least six years, jeopardising our security relationship with the US and UK.

52 min

22

Dirty Deeds

Inside Australia's Biggest Tax Scam. Paul Farrell investigates the Plutus Payroll scheme: a vast conspiracy to defraud more than $100 million from Australian taxpayers, revealing how it was set up and how it was brought down.

43 min

23

Putin and the Presidents

A week after the Wagner rebellion exposed cracks in Russian President Vladimir Putin's power, we investigate his decades long clashes with US Presidents. The miscalculations and missteps that paved the way for war in Ukraine.

45 min

24

Blocked

The battle over youth gender care. Patricia Karvelas breaks open the debate, navigating polarised arguments and scientific research on issues including medical interventions, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.

57 min

25

House of Cards

Inside the broken business of building. Australia has the highest rate of construction insolvencies in a decade. We examine the supply chain pressures, slim profit margins and failure in regulation as some flout the law.

45 min

26

Putin's Secret Army

From the Ukrainian frontlines to Syria and the mines of the Central African Republic, we lift the veil on Putin's private army - The Wagner Group. Former senior Wagner insiders speak about what they saw in the line of duty.

42 min

27

Inside the Shein Machine

Undercover cameras go inside Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein's factories for the first time.

45 min

28

Shadow State

How consultants infiltrated government. Firms push ethical boundaries and cost billions of dollars with little transparency and almost no accountability. We reveal accusations of wasted public money and conflicts of interest.

42 min

29

Breaking the Cycle

The children of Australia's meth crisis. Thousands of Australian babies are born exposed to their mothers' drug use every year. We investigate what's being done to tackle one of the hidden side effects of the drug epidemic.

45 min

30

The Silence: AFL's Last Taboo

The AFL is the only major sporting code in the world that hasn't had a single elite male player publicly identify as gay. Louise Milligan investigates the AFL's culture and asks what has created this silence?

46 min

31

The Antidepressant Story

Antidepressants have helped many treat anxiety and depression but the physical and mental side effects can be wide-ranging - from headaches, brain fog, loss of sexual function and suicidal thoughts - and are often downplayed.

46 min

32

No Country for Women

Despite the Taliban's public promises of change, we expose the reality of life for women in Afghanistan. We accompany an underground network of female activists on dangerous missions to rescue women hunted by the Taliban.

46 min

33

Muddy Waters

Renegotiating Australia's democracy. Dan Bourchier travels the countrytalking to people about what the referendum means to them. The Voice debate has been unsettling and confusing, so what does self-determination look like?

46 min

34

Flight Risk

The inside story of the decline of Qantas. Current and former staff talk about ruthless cost cutting and a divide and conquer culture. An airline in damage control, beset by customer complaints and a demoralised workforce.

46 min

35

Careless

How the NDIS fails to protect our most vulnerable. Anne Connolly and the Four Corners team expose criminals, opportunists and registered providers who have been busted exploiting loopholes to overcharge and defraud the NDIS.

51 min

36

Undercover

Undercover operatives and secret informants have been crucial in the fight against organised crime. But what happens to these people who risk their lives once the operations have finished and the criminals are behind bars?

45 min

37

Escalation

Climate, protest and the fight for the future. Reporter Hagar Cohen takes you deep inside the battle between climate activists, the government and energy companies.

46 min

38

Trapped

Inside the hidden system locking people up indefinitely. Four Corners reveals allegations of the torture and mistreatment of people living with disabilities and mental illness who are locked up indefinitely by the state.

46 min

39

Tunnel Vision

The nation-building project that went horribly wrong. Snowy Hydro 2.0 was sold as a low-carbon future by the end of 2024. Instead, the pumped hydro project is now five years behind schedule and forecast to hit $12 billion.

45 min

40

Guarded

Private security policing the public. In Darwin, private security firms hired by the NT Government patrol the streets doing work usually done by the police. We examine is there adequate training, accountability and oversight?

44 min

41

Andrew Tate: The Man Who Groomed the World?

The perplexing rise of Andrew Tate, a once-obscure figure who leveraged bombastic online courses to become a global sensation. Investigative journalist Matt Shea reveals the dark misogynist underbelly of Tate's network.

44 min