Part One: The Ballad of Ivan and Anna

The invasion of Ukraine begins — and goes far worse than Russia anticipated. The Kremlin cracks down on dissent, rebellion spreads in the ranks, soldiers walk off the battlefield and entire units refuse to fight. An enlistment drive starts, and Putin’s mobilization sets off a panic, triggering a stampede for the borders.Ivan refuses to be sent to the front. When Ivan’s commander announces that his platoon will be sent to fight, Ivan resists. Ivan learns that his name is on a combat order, and Anna begins contacting people who might help. In “The Deserter,” the journalist Sarah A. Topol reports the story of Ivan, a deserter who served as a captain in the Russian Army, fought in Ukraine and then ultimately fled the war and his country with his wife, Anna. (Ivan and Anna are pseudonyms used for their protection.)Topol spoke to 18 deserters while reporting in eight countries across four continents over the last year and a half; their experiences helped inform a vivid picture of the Russian war operation and its corruption, chaos and brutality.This audio version is in five parts and is narrated by Liev Schreiber.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

We meet Ivan and Anna, who fall for each other at a club and later marry. Ivan dreams of adventure but confronts the reality of life in the military, and Anna worries that Ivan’s talents are wasted in the army.Ivan gets a corrupt new commander, “Pig,” who brings conflict and a demotion. After a visit with friends in St. Petersburg, Ivan and Anna plan for a new life. In “The Deserter,” the journalist Sarah A. Topol reports the story of Ivan, a deserter who served as a captain in the Russian Army, fought in Ukraine and then ultimately fled the war and his country with his wife, Anna. (Ivan and Anna are pseudonyms used for their protection.)Topol spoke to 18 deserters while reporting in eight countries across four continents over the last year and a half; their experiences helped inform a vivid picture of the Russian war operation and its corruption, chaos and brutality.This audio version is in five parts and is narrated by Liev Schreiber.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.