hello, welcome to the programme. we have got another action packed programme for you tonight. coming up, the white house says they have still had no consular access to anerican journalist evan gershkovich, who is being held by the russians on spying charges. we will speak tonight from the former soviet dissident natan sharansky, who was held in the same moscow prison in the 1970s. we will also hearfrom mark urban on his continiung investigation into russia s 331 parachute regiment, and the losses that unit has sustained in ukraine. but we start tonight with the clean up within britain s biggest police force. the met commissioner, sir mark rowley, who was appointed in september, believes there are hundreds of corrupt officers serving in the force who should not be in the job. and so concerned is he at the scale of the problem, that around 90 of his officers from serious and organised crime have been tasked with investigating their own. this morning, sir mark set out the plans
kostroma, some 200 miles north east of moscow, is not a bad place to go looking for the effects of the ukraine war on russia and the authorities efforts to prepare the people for vladimir putin s special military operation. it is a small city, with a population of around a quarter of a million people, and it is home to a celebrated regiment that bears its name. a unit that has been in the forefront of all the main battles. the 331st guards parachute regiment, often called the kostroma airborne regiment, has been the subject of several bbc investigations since the full scall invasion began in february 2022. newnsight s mark urban is back with the third instalment of his long running investigation. here s a taste. of those on the receiving end, and the bombardment of ukrainian civilians, there is little coverage. a russian reporting does give people at home some glimpses of what is happening at the front.
the 33ist guards parachute regiment, often called the kostroma airborne regiment, has been the subject of investigations by newsnight since shortly after the full scale invasion began in february 2022. here is mark with the third instalment in this long running investigation. in the grip of a donbas winter, russian troops have been trying to hold the line. it s an artillery battle, especially so in the luhansk area, where this was shot. so speed is of the essence. translation: it s really close - from here to the enemy s position. that s why it s very important to quickly leave this place before the return fire. translation: a couple of bmds are getting ready to move -