■x■x >> hello and welcome to "focus on europe," where we begin by taking a closer look at the refugee crisis sparked by the russian invasion of ukraine. according to united nations figures, some five million people -- mainly women and children -- have fled their war-torn homeland. many have sought refuge in poland and other neighboring countries, such as russia. germany, for its part, has taken in more than 800,000 people. and there is no end in sight.

bulgaria has also provided generous support to tens of thousands of desperate ukrainians. many have so far been housed on the country's black sea coast, in places like burgas. but as the tourist seasons gets under way, for people like karina, marina, and tiny alina, it's a return to uncertainty. fanny: a bus journey into the unknown. for a few months, these ukrainian refugees found a place to stay in burgas, bulgaria. now, the state is moving them to other shelters. for how long, no one here knows. >> it's very hard with two children. there is nowhere i can just lee them. they are on the move with me. fanny: up until june, about 60,000 refugees were staying in these hotels along bulgaria's coastline. but shortly before the summer season began, bulgaria reduced compensation to hotel operators from 20 euros per day per refugee -- to eight.

the director of this hotel complex says that's not nearly enough to cover the costs. hristo: it's clear this is our business -- tourism -- so there was no way they could stay on during the summer season. fanny: at the same time, however, there is a lack of seasonal workers in the tourism business. karina and marina potapenko are among the few who are allowed to stay. both come from kharkiv, where they had a flower shop. now, they are learning how to set a lunch table in the hotel. karina: it's difficult to plan at all. we don't know what happens tomorrow. but we plan to stay here for the summer season and work. fanny: however, the hotel operators themselves do not know how many tourists will come to fill the rooms vacated by the refugees. russian tourists, usually a big part of the tourist trade, will

not come because of sanctions. meanwhile, some here are happy that the refugees are now being accommodated elsewhere. >> i think we helped enough. it is not necessary to help them anymore. fanny: and those who live from tourism say ukrainians are not good business. >> they don't have money. they don't buy anything. fanny: dealing with refugees has become a major issue in bulgaria. there is still a lot of solidarity. in the capital, sofia, soviet monuments were painted in the colors of the ukrainian flag. and this demonstration is a call for help. >> i don't think that europe is like a safe space for anyone. so by showing the best of us to refugees is a good way to work for there to be a safe space for them, and there is a safe space for us. fanny: at the same time, polls show

about one third of bulgarians still maintain a very positive attitude towards russia's president putin. and sociologist dimitar ganev says that the longer russia's war against ukraine continues, the harder it wi be to maintain solidarity with ukraine. dimitar: support for refugees will further decrease, because tensions will continue to rise over bulgaria's way of paying for them, and er the allegation that they do not integrate fast enough in the labor market. fanny: marina and karina know little about the ongoing debate. they are focused on providing moments of joy to their children -- but while they are in a vacation spot, violence is across the black sea. karina: houses are still being bombed. kharkiv is being destroyed,

especially at night. the situation is tense everywhere, and there is nowhere to return yet. fanny: marina's daughter alina bursts into tears when she hears the name of her hometown. marina: everything will be fine. alina, calm down. everything will be alright, my kitten. we will go home. fanny: alina would like to go to school. so far, that's not been possible due to various administrative hurdles, the government says. integration is difficult. marina: the work here is seasonal, and when it's over, there will be nothing to do here. we'll have no means to feed our kids, and no accommodation. therefore, we must find a place where we can make money and have means for our kids. fanny: and that's why this fall, marina and karina will probably follow those who are already leaving the coastal towns, to another city or country.

>> as the war in ukraine rages on, there's one european country that has struggled to decide whether to lean more to the west or to the east. can you perhaps guess which country it is, where residents have even renamed the village where they live in his honor, calling it putinovo? well, the answer of course is serbia -- which did condemn moscow's invasion of ukraine, but did not join the e.u.'s tough package of sanctions imposed on the russian economy. it tends to be the older generation of serbs who warm to vladimir putin. in the capital, belgrade, meanwhile, younger serbs like designer nevena ivanovic are likely to be more cautious when it comes to expressing their enthusiasm. >> a place for putin fans. this bumpy dirt road leads to putinovo, a hamlet in the southern mountains of serbia and the home of milutin petruic. a few years ago, he and his friends changed their village's name from adzince to putinovo

-- putinville. the russian ambassador at the time even helped them build the road. milutin: the reasons for our affinity run very deep. we serbs and the russians are brothers. >> putinovo lies at an altitude of nearly one thousand meters. all several-dozen residents are retired. they scrape by on their pensions and whatever vegetables they grow. they're particularly proud of their inn, named after the crimea. milutin: there you are, my heroes. >> the inn is where milutin gets together with his friends for a drop or two of their home-made slivovitz, called putinovka. vladimir putin is their idol and their patron saint. malia: out of gratitude to putin, we decided to name our village putinovo. we came up with the idea seven or eight years ago. as you know, we were often oppressed by the west, and so

our brothers, the russians, came to save us from the plague of the west. >> it's going to be a long evening at the crimea inn. and the war on ukraine will once again be a leading topic of conversation. milutin: long live russia. >> downtown belgrade, the neo fashion studio. this young serbian label is taking shape in a rear courtyard. its head is the 30-year-old nevena ivanovic. to her, the world is her home, and she can't relate to the affinity so many of her fellow serbians feel towards russia. nevena: i'm constantly trying to find where i belong. that inspires my work. i've learned i can be at home anywhere -- not just in europe or the west. the whole world is our shared garden.

>> nevena's designs are modern, experimental, and urban. and they enjoy international success. the designer sees her label not just as a brand-name, but also as a symbol of cosmopolitanism. nevena: sadly, not many of my countrymen see it that way. they feel discriminated against by the european union, because serbia's not a part of it. i wish they'd thought differently, because this community comes with so many advantages. >> at the moment, she's preparing for a business trip to paris. in a few days, she'll be meeting young people from all over europe. the event's motto is "europeans making a difference." serbia is currently the largest and most influential country in the western balkans. its economy is humming along. its biggest trading partners are e.u. members -- germany, in particular. but for energy, serbia's almost

entirely dependent on russia. its natural gas suppliers and filling station networks are majority-owned by the russian energy giant gazprom. ognjen: serbia's not to blame for russian and chinese encroachment into the balkans. the blame lies with the e.u. 10 years ago would've been the right time for the e.u. to take in serbia -- applying the same criteria as with romania and bulgaria. >> back at the crimea in putinovo, the gusle, a traditional balkan instrument, comes out. among other things, the men talk about the e.u. even these putin-acolytes could picture serbia joining the e.u. if need be. malisa: joining the e.u. is conceivable, but on a level playing field, without pressure or patronizing. right now, they're strangling us. we can't breathe. >> as far as the war on ukraine goes, the villagers say it's

already lasted far too long. milutin: the ukrainians are also our brothers, and i grieve that they've been attacked. now, it's up to putin to get himself out of this situation. >> back in belgrade, fashion designer nevena packs for he big journey to paris. the war on ukraine has only increased her antipathy towards russia. she never felt especially attracted to the country anyway. it was always foreign to her, and feels even more so nowadays. nevena sees her future in the west now. >> to turkey now, a country where ancient and modern often stand side by side. in summer months, for instance, nomads seek out high-mountain pastures to graze their livestock. in wintertime, they're then drawn to the mild coastal plains along the mediterranean

sea. it's the kind of cycle that used to be common in many regions of europe. now, though, it's increasingly rare, even in more remote parts of turkey. but proud drovers like pervin savrin say they will fight for a life lived at nature's pace >> in a few days, pervin savran and her goats will set out for their grand journey. she's a nomad -- and one of the last in turkey. in the winter, she lives on a small farm near the central anatolian city of konya. and in the spring, she travels with her animals to the highlands, just like her forefathers. pervin: not being able to move around would be the end for us. we don't like being cooped up. nor do the animals.

>> and she's more than a herdswoman. she's also the president of an association representing the last nomads of central anatolia. in the past years, she has advocated for her people's rights, and taken a stand against environmental destruction. before she and her herd get moving, she wants to see how her fellow herdsmen on the road are doing. there could be trouble. the bacak nomad family is already waiting for pervin savran at their campsite. they hdozen dromedaries.d goats iibrahim bacak has been a nomadic herdsman since he was a child. when they're out, the nomads live off the milk and meat their animals provide. but this life is becoming

increasingly difficult. ibrahim: up here, it's not noisy or dirty. we have our peace. but we're not left in peace. they've blocked our pathway up there. but somehow, we'll find a way. >> in modern turkey, there are only a handful of families keeping the nomadic tradition alive. but the past few years, they haven't managed to find enough water for their animals. and that's partly due to quarries like this one here. pervin: their explosions cause a great deal of damage to the underground water reservoirs. that changes the course of the springs, making them inaccessible to us. >> night is falling. time to tend to the animals, and gather around the fire. up here, the nights can get

pretty cold, even in the summer months. the next morning, while the little ones are still asleep, ibrahim bacak and the others start breaking down camp. in the past, they used to load all their possessions onto camels -- food, water, and even sick goats. now, they use trailers. ibrahim: we've packed up and are moving on. we'll have to see if we can find a spot to stay again in the evening. >> but after just a few kilometers, the nomads run into trouble. residents of a nearby village won't let them pass. they have blocked the route the nomads usually take with their herds. the villagers fear the goats and camels will cause damage.

but pervin savran won't back down. pervin: i promise you i'll personally cover any damage by our animals. and feel free to call over the agricultural office representatives as a witness. i respect your rights! >> every year, at least 30 of your people come through here with their herds. but the agricultural office has set out another route with rest stops. that's what we were told. >> in the end, tensions calm, and the herders are allowed to move on. this time, at least. it takes them six hours to reach their next stop. they're going to be on the move for three weeks this year -- and cover hundreds of kilometers. they'll then stay at their main camp in the mountains until

next fall. pervin: we've raised our kids and our goats to overcome any obstacles. no one can hold us back. >> and so the nomads trek on without knowing how long the turkish government and society will keep allowing them to pass. but pervin savran is determined in their fight for a futur >> droughts, triggered by global warming, are posing a growing threat to the people of northern italy. among the worst-affected regions is the delta of the river po -- normally europe's largest producer of rice. but now, salty sea water is increasingly being sucked into freshwater areas, prompting talk of possible water disputes, or even water wars. no wonder, therefore, that

giorgio uccellatori goes out each and every morning to measure the gravity of the problem. >> rice farmer giorgio uccellatori is worried. he's come to measure the saline content of the water he uses for his crop. all the farmers in the region have the equipment needed to check that saltwater isn't spoiling their fields. giorgio: foam means the salt levels are too high. we keep an eye on that so we can immediately shut off the inlet if need be. >> in this region, more and more seawater is seeping into the river po. if a rice farmer cannot flood a field with freshwater, their entire harvest could be in danger. giorgio: everyone is worried about this because of the rice shortage. as supplies run out, it is becoming a problem for the whole supply chain. >> the po delta should be one of the most fertile regions in europe. usually, it has plenty of

freshwater. but since november, it hasn't rained enough, and the po river is running dry. as water pressure decreases, seawater seeps inland. it has already crept about 15 kilometers upstream, forcing farmers to abandon once-abundant fields. now, there is a plan to raise barriers. since that will not help immediately, residents in the lower reaches of the po river are demanding that more water be drained from power-plant reservoirs in south tyrol. francesco: italy has a very clear law. when it comes to water use, it says that people come first, then agriculture, then the rest. but the economic value of water is often so great that this is easier said than done. >> but in south tyrol, the situation is equally worrying.

a power plant at the zoccolo reservoir in the ulten valley has come to a complete halt. the reservoir is only filled to 4% capacity. there were two-thirds less rainfall than usual last winter. with not much snow left on the peaks, and glaciers that have long vanished, there is little snowmelt to be expected. andreas: if we were to continuously deliver the quantity that veneto has requested, all the storage facilities in south tyrol would be completely empty within 20 days. >> some people in northern italy are already talking about a war for water, and the summer hasn't even begun. in the po delta, basins for retaining more freshwater are currently under construction. if rainfalls cause the river level to rise for a few hours, the basin fills with water. once the level falls again, the gates close, to prevent saltwater from seeping in. water and salinity levels have

to be constantly monitored. flavio: it's becoming harder and harder. this year, it became extremely difficult. we always have to be prepared. not only to protect the farmers here. >> the italian water users' association has lculated that 10,000 morsuch basins are needed in northern italy to ensure that fiel can be irrigated in the future. but giorgio uccellatori needs a solution now. the salt content of the water is below critical levels today, but he fears that he will have to give up rice farming soon. giorgio: i was born and raised here. this is my home. we will try to stay here if possible. >> whether for agriculture, electricity, or drinking, water

is a precious resource -- and increasingly rare. >> we live in troubled times. for those who yearn for concrete protection, the place to go is the czech republic, where the country's army is slowly selling off thousands of second world war bunkers that were built in a bid to stave off the nazi-era invasion of what was then czechoslovakia. >> the location is beautiful. the structure is clean and simple. no bothersome neighbors. there's potential here. the outer walls are stable. the interior is -- a challenge. this might be a way for milan krulich to convince interested parties. today, the salesman is showing bunker 107, near the czech-german border, on behalf of the czech defense ministry. milan: this bunker was built to protect the republic before world war two, as

czechoslovakia feared a german attack. within two years, from around 1935, two defense lines emerged, with bunkers along the whole border. >> this bunker is going for a minimum of 8,000 euros, including the land. there are at least two interested parties, one of which is the local mayor. vaclav: we hope that we can at least get the small bunker nearby. hobby military historians will be interested in this big one, and there are a lot of them around here. but we would like to use the small one commercially. we'd like to set up a refreshment stand, so people on our bike path can stop there. >> the defense ministry says that there has been a huge interest in the bunkers, and not only since the ukraine war. there are 9,000 in total, and the ministry has been selling

them off one by one. there seems to be one to suit every taste. jiri: it's so romantic. looking after it is a hobby of mine. >> but for some, it's a hobby and a job. richard matou, for instance, decided to convert a bunker into a hotel. with that, he fulfilled a childhood dream. richard: all little boys like building bunkers. but i continued doing it after i grew up. when i found out six or seven years ago that i could buy real bunkers from the army, i knew i had to do it! >> in these uncertain times, his guests say that they are glad to have booked their vacation in a bunker. and these have almost everything a hotel has! richard: we have electricity, gas

heating, a cooler, lights. people can charge their phones and watch their favorite films on the internet in the evening. >> when it comes to location, milan krulich has an ace up his sleeve. the fortifications are not quite as immobile as they seem. you just need the right crane to lift the 50 ton fortresses! and if you don't quite know where to put it yet, says krulich, youan simply ke it me till u decide. >> believe it or not, i didn't want sleep in an igloo. but you would not see me sleep in one of those things. i hope we've given you plenty of food for thought.

if so, do come back next time round. until then, bye-bye and tschüss! [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

live from berlin. boris johnson agrees to step down, just not right now. johnson admitted mistake that prompted alaka by dozens of ministers but he is not going quickly, saying he is staying on until his party chooses a new leader. also, ukrainian forces voiced the national flag to reclaim snake island.