In March 2022, a young man is leaving his family and his life in Germany behind. He goes to war – from Bavaria to Ukraine to fight against Russia. His name is Cem and he is 32 years old. Cem will be at war for months, often directly at the front. He will experience suffering, see death and be confronted with his own past. WELT chief reporter Ibrahim Naber accompanied him. From the beginning.

In four episodes we take you on the Cems journey in this podcast. We experience at first hand how Cem as a soldier experiences this war on the spot. What he sees, what he goes through, how he thinks about it all. And of course there is also the big question: Why? Why is a man from Germany going to this war?

Episode 1 – From Bavaria to War: 32-year-old Cem leaves his homeland and reaches his first secret accommodation.

You can listen to the first episode of the podcast here:

Episode 2 – Bucha. The first mission: In this episode, Cem sets out with his troupe for the first mission. In a place whose name soon went around the world: Bucha. What Cem sees and experiences there will not only haunt him for a long time.

Follow this link to episode 2:

Episode 3 – Cem’s secret: Cem and his team are transferred to the front line in the south. In this episode he experiences his first personal crisis. We also learn something from his past that he initially kept secret.

Follow this link to episode 3:

Episode 4 – Hell in the Donbass: In this episode, this war changes brutally – also for Cem. His team embarks on a fateful mission to the East, to the front. And Cem is suddenly faced with a big decision.

Follow this link to episode 4:

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The reportage podcast from WELT is close by. In the podcast, not only WELT reporters, but also the listeners are very close. The journalists tell their most exciting stories, bring unusual people in front of the microphone themselves and let you listen to very special moments. The listeners are there when they research in unusual places, when closed doors open and unexpected stories unfold.

Do you have any questions or feedback? Then feel free to comment under this article or write to us at: audio@welt.de.