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20260920 210000 UTC
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[00:00:32] Hello everyone, you're watching the program Europe in Focus,
[00:00:35] today with Victoria Terentyeva.
[00:00:38] What would these
[00:00:41] dogs say if they could talk about what they
[00:00:45] endured on the streets of Romania? Here there are about
[00:00:48] half a million homeless animals. Activists,
[00:00:51] Claudia and Tudor, are among those trying to
[00:00:54] protect them. They claim some shelters
[00:00:57] receive government money,
[00:01:00] but instead of rescuing animals, they turn their suffering
[00:01:03] into a business. What happens behind the closed
[00:01:06] gates of Romanian dog shelters?
[00:01:10] Our correspondent, along with local activists,
[00:01:13] tried to find evidence of animal
[00:01:16] cruelty.
[00:01:21] They are tortured, maimed, and killed. This is what, according
[00:01:25] to animal rights advocates, happens to
[00:01:27] dogs here, in this shelter.
[00:02:33] Today they plan to check these tips,
[00:02:36] because a shelter employee has already seen both of them. Their
[00:02:40] friend Claudia pretends to be interested in
[00:02:43] adopting a dog and will take the opportunity to inspect
[00:02:47] the territory.
[00:02:49] Claudia is already driving there in another
[00:02:52] car.
[00:02:54] For many years Tudor has been observing how dogs are treated in this shelter.
[00:02:58] There are half a million of them here,
[00:03:30] mostly in rural areas. Many
[00:03:33] dog owners exacerbate the problem by allowing their
[00:03:36] unneutered pets to roam freely
[00:03:39] on the street. However, this
[00:03:42] problem could have been solved long ago through sterilization and
[00:03:46] castration, as is common in other
[00:03:48] countries.
[00:03:51] Claudia calls. She's inside, but sees no signs
[00:03:54] of dead dogs. Time is running out, she can't stay
[00:03:58] at the shelter for long.
[00:04:26] How much have you earned, how much do you get paid for taking care of each dog?
[00:05:00] was injured, she has a large hole in her ear, and we suspect
[00:05:03] that the bodies of killed
[00:05:05] dogs are here. Police search
[00:05:09] the area, minutes turn into hours.
[00:05:12] we have to wait
[00:05:13] outside,
[00:05:17] suddenly another car
[00:05:19] pulls up,
[00:05:22] it's the veterinary service, the regulatory body for
[00:05:25] dog shelters. The police called them, apparently
[00:05:28] they found what they were looking for. Several
[00:05:32] more hours pass. How serious is this
[00:05:34] problem?
[00:05:42] cost the state budget approximately 873 million
[00:05:45] dollars, that's almost a billion
[00:05:48] dollars. How is it possible that they
[00:05:51] make such money by killing many homeless
[00:05:55] dogs? By law, local authorities are required to catch
[00:05:58] stray dogs, so they often sign contracts with
[00:06:02] private animal shelters. Depending on
[00:06:05] the terms of the contract, operators receive between 200 and 400
[00:06:09] euros for each dog taken in for care. Or...
[00:06:12] for sterilization or castration. Many shelters
[00:06:16] work simultaneously for several municipalities.
[00:06:19] However, some operators provide little care for dogs
[00:06:23] and do not seek new owners for them. Instead, they are even illegally
[00:06:26] killed. This is much cheaper and quickly frees
[00:06:29] up space for new profitable contracts. But let's return to
[00:06:33] the animal shelter. There are dead dogs there, we
[00:06:37] will conduct an inspection. We have been informed that the dog carcasses
[00:06:40] will be examined to determine if they were killed or died
[00:06:44] of natural causes. The most horrific case was
[00:06:47] uncovered by animal activists and private detectives in February 2026
[00:06:51] at an animal shelter in Suceava.
[00:06:55] The scheme was the same: government contracts, large
[00:06:58] sums of money, estimated 15,000 dead
[00:07:02] dogs. These horrifying images were captured
[00:07:06] with a hidden
[00:07:06] camera.
[00:07:12] They were seen across the country, thousands of people took to the streets, demanding
[00:07:16] justice for animals. Animal rights advocate, Ema
[00:07:19] Stratulat, was also present at the
[00:07:22] event.
[00:07:27] For years I've been saying that one day I'll show you what's
[00:07:31] happening behind these walls and
[00:07:33] fences.
[00:07:38] Activists document how many stray dogs were
[00:07:41] caught, how many contracts were signed with local
[00:07:44] authorities, how many dogs were killed. The data
[00:07:47] is exclusively from government agencies.
[00:07:51] The animal shelter that Tudor and Ema visited apparently received
[00:07:55] 2.6 million euros in state funds, starting
[00:07:59] in 2018. Its mortality rate
[00:08:01] is 84%.
[00:08:03] Catalina Mocanu from the Romanian
[00:08:07] police confirmed that an investigation is underway regarding the shelter's
[00:08:11] management.
[00:08:42] They officially died, allegedly, quote, of natural
[00:08:46] causes. Even the dog Claudia took was, according to documents,
[00:08:50] clinically healthy.
[00:08:53] Activists took the dog to an independent clinic, where it was
[00:08:56] diagnosed with canine coronavirus,
[00:08:59] a parasitic infection, and giardiasis. The dog
[00:09:03] needed to be quarantined immediately. We contacted
[00:09:06] the Romanian Veterinary Chamber, the body
[00:09:09] that oversees veterinary clinics.
[00:10:14] But there is another way to solve this problem. Here, at the public
[00:10:18] animal adaptation center in Ilfov county, near
[00:10:22] Bucharest, Hilde Tudor cares for the homeless.
[00:10:55] parliament, which refuses to pass laws to improve the lives of these
[00:10:59] creatures, and even prosecutors and judges who turn a blind
[00:11:02] eye to it. Sometimes years pass before
[00:11:06] the culprits are held accountable, if it ever
[00:11:09] happens. Until the authorities intervene, Romanian
[00:11:12] taxpayers will continue to unwittingly finance
[00:11:16] a system that promotes animal cruelty.
[00:11:19] Since the full-scale war in
[00:11:22] Ukraine, European countries have seriously
[00:11:25] taken up civil defense, but the difference
[00:11:29] between them is huge. For example, in Germany
[00:11:32] public shelters today are only enough for half a percent of
[00:11:36] the population, while in Finland there are places
[00:11:39] for practically everyone. What do
[00:11:42] Finns do differently? My colleague, Yuri Risito,
[00:11:45] went to Finland to find out. He visited
[00:11:49] modern shelters, even spent a night in
[00:11:52] one of them. And perhaps, the Finnish experience
[00:11:55] is a lesson that all of Europe should learn today.
[00:11:59] What happens if an entire village, say, 2,000 people, decides
[00:12:03] to disappear underground because it is in danger? This
[00:12:06] is the purpose of the civil defense exercise here in central Finland, where I am now.
[00:12:10] This rock, called Luola, or in Finnish,
[00:12:13] "cave." Let's go. Residents of the nearby city
[00:12:17] of Kuopio, along with rescue services, volunteers,
[00:12:20] and local authorities, are participating in
[00:12:24] "Shelter 2026,"
[00:12:27] a large-scale civil defense exercise.
[00:12:30] The goal is to find out if an entire community can not just
[00:12:34] survive, but also function normally underground during a major
[00:12:38] crisis. It's quite warm in here, so if
[00:12:42] people have to stay here for several days, I don't think it will be too
[00:12:45] pleasant, and it's also very noisy here, which is an additional
[00:12:48] stress.
[00:12:52] Exactly at noon, the exercise begins.
[00:13:25] "I want to help people stay safe, that's why I'm
[00:13:28] here. This is a really huge space, it can
[00:13:32] accommodate 7,000 people. Usually, people can stay here for up to
[00:13:35] 72 hours.
[00:13:38] The country, which shares a 1,300 km border with Russia,
[00:13:42] joined NATO in 2023,
[00:13:45] a year after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of
[00:13:48] Ukraine. For many Finns, Russia's war against Ukraine
[00:13:52] awakened memories of the Winter War
[00:13:55] of 1939-40, when Finland fought
[00:13:58] the Soviet Union to preserve its
[00:14:01] independence. This conflict left a deep mark on the country's
[00:14:04] history and helps explain why crisis preparedness
[00:14:07] remains a national priority even
[00:14:11] today. My grandfather fought so that
[00:14:14] Finland would remain independent, so for me it's
[00:14:18] very important. For the sake of Finland's past and for future
[00:14:21] generations. Now it's our turn to bear this responsibility.
[00:14:28] Russia is our neighbor, so after World War II we learned a lesson, we
[00:14:32] need shelters, and of course, seeing the current situation in Europe, we
[00:14:36] realize how good it is that we have these
[00:14:38] shelters. According to Finnish
[00:14:41] law, all public and large residential buildings must
[00:14:45] have a shelter. Large cities, such as Kuopio, also maintain
[00:14:49] large underground facilities, similar to this
[00:14:52] bunker.
[00:14:55] thousands of shelters capable of accommodating most of
[00:14:58] the country's population, but civil defense is
[00:15:01] more than just preparation for war; it includes readiness for
[00:15:05] cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and other hybrid
[00:15:08] threats.
[00:15:11] Am I afraid? No, I'm not afraid. We are ready for anything, we understand
[00:15:14] what is happening, we take care of each other, we will not
[00:15:18] abandon anyone to their fate.
[00:15:21] By morning, the exercise will be completed, volunteers, rescuers, and civil defense
[00:15:25] experts will return to normal life, but
[00:15:28] the main conclusion is obvious: Finland
[00:15:31] seriously prepares in advance for any
[00:15:33] crisis.
[00:15:36] Aging is one of Europe's main problems.
[00:15:40] Elderly people are increasingly facing loneliness,
[00:15:43] social isolation, and financial difficulties,
[00:15:46] while in some sectors, there is a severe shortage of
[00:15:50] workers. Eighty- one-year-old Marianne Hoffmann
[00:15:53] wants to remain active, be useful, and earn a little
[00:15:57] money. In Vienna, an unusual project has been devised for such
[00:16:01] people: how the city helps the elderly remain
[00:16:04] in demand, stay connected with society, and
[00:16:07] feel more financially secure. This is the subject of our next
[00:16:11] report.
[00:16:13] Work for pensioners in this Viennese cafe.
[00:16:17] It's great you're here. Are you familiar with our concept?
[00:16:21] Poverty and loneliness in old age. Many
[00:16:24] elderly women in Europe face
[00:16:27] these problems. One in five women over 65 in
[00:16:30] Austria experiences poverty in old age.
[00:16:34] It's hard if something breaks down, I can't afford it.
[00:17:38] Yes, this is our base, if they are there, we let our imagination run wild. That's
[00:17:41] our advantage. Each granny does what she does best, so
[00:17:45] people always get the best. Today Liliana Winkelbauer bakes
[00:17:49] her cake from strudel
[00:17:52] dumplings. Until last autumn, she worked as a youth
[00:17:55] coach. Immediately after retiring, she started working at this
[00:17:59] cafe. She decides how often to work.
[00:18:02] Shifts for retired employees last
[00:18:05] 5 hours, before and after.
[00:20:08] but I get paid for it, it's not a stroll or me saying,
[00:20:11] "Oh, how wonderful this is," working 5 hours, you
[00:20:14] can really work hard, but then I get the money and
[00:20:18] I'm glad I did it, and I'm also a little proud
[00:20:21] of myself.
[00:20:26] A model like this cafe won't solve the problem
[00:20:29] of elderly poverty, but
[00:20:32] Marianne, in any case, wants to continue working
[00:20:35] as long as her strength
[00:20:38] allows.
[00:20:43] Summer is over, but the tourist season in Europe
[00:20:47] continues. And for many popular cities,
[00:20:51] millions of guests are becoming not only a source of
[00:20:54] income, but also a serious problem. One such
[00:20:58] city is the Croatian Dubrovnik. Mediterranean
[00:21:01] landscapes, ancient city and the purest sea
[00:21:04] attract millions of tourists, but along with
[00:21:07] them, the burden on the infrastructure and
[00:21:11] residents themselves grows. The mayor of Dubrovnik is trying to find
[00:21:14] a balance, to keep the city attractive for
[00:21:17] tourists, but at the same time not to turn it into
[00:21:26] a walk in Dubrovnik with Stija
[00:21:29] Batinić. A seventy-five-year-old
[00:21:32] woman, a native resident of the Croatian port
[00:21:36] city.
[00:21:38] This is the house where I was born, and I still live in
[00:21:41] it. For decades, the woman
[00:21:45] has watched how tourism is changing in her hometown.
[00:21:47] Faster, cheaper,
[00:21:50] less time, all of this should be more and preferably
[00:21:53] immediately, more, more, more.
[00:21:57] Crowds of tourists, like a tsunami,
[00:22:01] says Thea. Year after year, almost one and a half million
[00:22:04] visitors come to the Adriatic city, a UNESCO
[00:22:07] World Heritage site. It is surrounded by a powerful city
[00:22:10] wall. The popular series Game of
[00:22:13] Thrones was filmed here. Dubrovnik lives off tourism, but...
[00:22:16] on digital regulation of tourist numbers. If all
[00:24:20] tourists gather in one place at the same time, nothing good will come of it,
[00:24:24] so we try to distribute them throughout the city with a special
[00:24:28] tourist passport.
[00:24:31] Through the app, you can observe in real time where
[00:24:34] especially many people have gathered, so the authorities are trying to relieve the pressure from
[00:24:37] the same attractions. All
[00:24:41] these measures are part of a fundamental change in
[00:24:43] Dubrovnik's development course. No more
[00:24:47] tourists, needed. Dubrovnik tries to balance
[00:25:31] tourism and quality of life, an example
[00:25:35] that extends far beyond the city walls,
[00:25:38] how European tourist destinations can develop
[00:25:41] in the future.
[00:28:04] the Kremlin. If something happens to me,
[00:28:06] there will be a scandal not only in
[00:28:14] Moscow, but also throughout the whole
[00:28:17] world. They killed my father,
[00:28:20] I can't just stay silent.
[00:28:23] I had no ambition
[00:28:27] to become a public figure, an activist.
[00:28:31] all graduates, my
[00:30:03] the peak of winter, work at the coal mines of Karagyach is carried out
[00:30:07] around the clock. If we don't work here, it will be hard for
[00:30:10] people in the city.
[00:30:13] Roughly speaking, we have 22 floors underground.
[00:30:28] Mines for gold mining since tsarist times.
[00:30:32] There's practically a whole city underground here, one might say.
[00:30:35] The lower floors are all flooded, and the upper ones are open. You can enter
[00:30:38] one mountain, walk several kilometers underground through these
[00:30:41] mines, and exit another mountain. So there's
[00:30:45] an underground city here, and all this has been
[00:30:48] developed and mined
[00:30:51] since some year in the 1800s. mined.
[00:30:54] добывалось.