Putin's blood gold

The war rages on in Ukraine, and exclusive new reporting reveals some of the ways Russia’s war is being funded. A new Yale study concludes that Russia’s economy has been “catastrophically crippled” by western sanctions – so how is President Putin fueling his war machine? Partly thanks to his meddling in Africa. In an exclusive report, Nima Elbagir reveals how Moscow stopped democratic change over 6,000 miles away in Sudan, just as its people had successfully toppled one of the longest standing African dictators through peaceful street protests. One key reason: Sudan is one of the world’s biggest exporters of gold, and Russia has been illegally exploiting and smuggling this resource from Sudan for years. Nima and her team traveled to the north of the country to show how Russia manipulates the Sudanese military government and how it uses front companies to get around U.S. sanctions to hold onto the gold.

Also on today's show: The Kite Runner actors Amir Arison, Azita Ghanizada and Faran Tahir; Yale social and natural science professor Nicholas Christakis. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices