Ukrainecast

What would a Ron DeSantis presidency mean for Ukraine? The Republican governor of Florida has been giving mixed messages on Ukraine, and he could one day be president. Justin Webb, host of Americast, tells us why this matters, and Alex Roarty of the Miami Herald tells us who is he and what he stands for. Also, as Ukraine takes on England in the latest round of Euro qualifiers, Andrew Todos, a Ukrainian British football journalist, tells us about how the beaufiful game is faring during a time of war. Plus we answer your questions about depleted uranium, tanks, and weapon supplies. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Frank Gardner. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson, Natasha Fernandes and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Russia claims a Chinese plan for peace could be the basis for an end to hostilities. China expert, Isabel Hilton, and Arkady Ostrovsky, The Economist’s Russia editor, discuss China’s emerging role in the war, and what this might mean for Ukraine and the West. As President Putin visits occupied Mariupol, we talk to Odesa MP Oleksiy Goncharenko about how he felt seeing the Russian leader on Ukrainian soil. And Arkady talks through his podcast, Next Year in Moscow. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson, Natasha Fernandes and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480 Music credit: Darren Ng for the original music for Next Year in Moscow podcast.

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine We also get an update from Bakhmut, the devastated city on the front line, and we speak to a woman whose husband was killed defending it last year. Through her organisation, Maemo Zhiti, Oksana now helps support other bereaved women across Ukraine. Frank Gardner, the BBC’s security correspondent, brings Victoria and Vitaly up to date on the US drone brought down over the Black Sea and whether it could lead to direct confrontation between US and Russian forces. And, as a Polish spy network is broken up, Greg Miller of the Washington Post talks through his work uncovering the spy war between Russia and the West. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Luke Radcliff with Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Teacher, Anna Ohoiko, joins us to give listeners - and Victoria - a lesson in the Ukrainian language. The BBC’s diplomatic correspondent James Landale is in Kyiv and tells us that Ukrainians are beginning to question whether to stay and fight in Bakhmut, or retreat and regroup. And he tells us about a new bar that’s opened in Kyiv as people show their determination to keep living. And who is the Russian Volunteer Corps? BBC Russia’s Liza Fokht tries to shed some light on the Russian group fighting Putin. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

A year after Mariupol’s maternity hospital was bombed, Russia is spending huge amounts of money rebuilding the city. Vitaly speaks to residents living under Russian occupation. Paul Adams, the BBC’s world affairs correspondent, assesses the latest barrage of missile attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. And John Mearsheimer, professor of political science at the University of Chicago, explains why he blames Nato and the West for the war in Ukraine. Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Clare Williamson with Arsenii Sokolov and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Ukrainian musicians describe their journey to sanctuary at the London Performing Academy of Music. The organisation brought more than 50 students to the UK including Nikita Vikhorev and Yuliia Humeniuk. Nikita describes his violin as his weapon. Also, the BBC’s Tim Whewell and author Ian Garner discuss “Z” culture and fascism in today’s Russia and what the state narrative means for the next generation. Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Natasha Fernandes and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Grief, trauma and poverty have become the norm for millions of Ukrainian children after a year of war. James Elder of Unicef has just returned from Lviv and says that the situation is going from bad to worse. And BBC Newsround’s Ricky Boleto tells us about the courage of Ukrainian children who are determined to continue their studies despite the war. We also get an update from Frank Gardner, the BBC security correspondent, on the situation in Bakhmut and how the war in Ukraine overshadowed talks at the G20 summit of world leaders. This episode was made by Clare Williamson with Luke Radcliff and Natasha Fernandes. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Lives upended by war. As the conflict enters its second year, we hear stories of some of the lives transformed by war. Maria Drovnenkova, from the BBC's Panorama, tells Victoria and Vitaliy about the Ukrainians whose video diaries captured the first year of the war. We receive an update from 20-year-old student Maksym Lutsyk, who is now serving in Ukraine’s armed forces on the frontline in the east. And Francis Scarr, from BBC Monitoring, joins us in the studio to tell us how the anniversary of the conflict was viewed in Russia last week. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480 Today’s episode is hosted by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. This episode was made by Luke Radcliff with Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Ukrainians gather for a special broadcast at the BBC Radio Theatre, hosted by Ukrainecast and Newsnight. They share their fears for families at home, feelings of guilt about escaping to safety and the need for justice. Host Victoria Derbyshire, BBC Monitoring’s Russia editor Vitaly Shevchenko and Newsnight’s diplomatic editor Mark Urban reflect on the past year and discuss what the next 12 months could bring. This episode was made by Ben Carter, Luke Radcliff, Clare Williamson, Natasha Fernandes, Arsenii Sokolov and Fiona Leach. The assistant editors were Louis Degenhardt and Alison Gee. Technical production by the Newsnight team and Mike Regaard. The Senior News editor is Sam Bonham.

In this special edition of Ukrainecast, we’re giving over the entire episode to trying to answer the questions you’ve been sending us about this war - how it might develop, what could bring it to a halt, how Ukraine is weathering the invasion, how Russia is changing in light of its invasion, and - of course - what might lay in wait for President Putin. Steve Rosenberg, Ukrainecast’s man in Moscow, Irena Taranyuk of the BBC’s Ukrainian Service, and Paul Adams, who covers the world for the BBC, join up with Vitaliy Shevchenko as part of a series of episodes marking the one-year anniversary since the start of the war in Ukraine. This episode was produced by Josh Jenkins and Clare Williamson. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Ukrainecast comes together with Putin, the BBC Sounds and Radio 4 podcast which examines the life, times, motives and modus operandi of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Returning to the show are three lifelong Kremlin-watchers to cast ahead and speculate on just how this war might develop. Professor Nina Kruscheva is an historian at The New School in New York and the great grand-daughter of Nikita Kruschev, Sir Laurie Bristow was the UK’s Amabassador to Moscow from 2016-2020, and Vitaly Shevchenko is the head of the Russia section for BBC Monitoring. Today’s episode was presented by Jonny Dymond as part of a series of episodes marking the one-year anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine. The producers were Fiona Leach and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

One year in to the war, President Putin addresses Russian parliament with his state of the union address. In it he points the finger at the West for the Ukraine War and says Russia will suspend its involvement in a nuclear treaty with the US. And we get two very up-close and personal accounts of the war - the first from the British Ambassador to Ukraine, Dame Melinda Simmons, and the second from the UK news anchor, Clive Myrie. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko as part of a series of episodes marking the one-year anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

From a Russian prison to Pizza Express. Victoria speaks with 17-year-old Vlad, who was taken prisoner by the Russians and held for three months at the start of the war. We hear about how he and his family coped, their new life in England, and their hopes for the future. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire as part of a series of episodes marking the one-year anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliffe The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Ukraine and Russia swap POWs in a rare act of compassion, and the BBC’s James Waterhouse gets to visit a Ukrainian facility where Russian soldiers are being held. We also hear from Emma Vardy about her documentary on British men who have volunteered to sign up to fight with Ukrainian soldiers. She tells us about what drives them and what the families they leave behind. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Kalush Orchestra on winning Eurovision, touring the world and meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger’s donkey. The BBC’s Orla Guerin gives us a close up account of life on the frontline in Bakhmut as Russia throws everything to claim this symbolic city and how are relations between Presidents Xi and Putin after a year of war in Ukraine? China expert, Dr Yu Jie from Chatham House gives her views. Today’s episode is presented by Adam Fleming and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Josh Jenkins. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480 Join us for a recording of a special episode of Ukrainecast on 24th February to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Venue: BBC Radio Theatre, London. Tickets: www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours

A Russian man determined to avoid mobilisation tells us he’s living in the forest so the authorities can’t find him and force him to fight. His wife delivers food and he has set up solar panels so he can carry on working as a software engineer from his tent. The BBC’s world affairs editor Paul Adams has been out with Ukrainian engineers who are trying to keep homes and businesses connected to electricity as Russia continues to attack power stations. And psychologist Olena Kovalchuk explains how she’s been helping Ukrainian teachers suffering from grief, anxiety and anger. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson, Luke Radcliff and Josh Jenkins. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480 Join us for a recording of a special episode of Ukrainecast on 24 February to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We’re linking up with Newsnight for the event. Venue: BBC Radio Theatre, London. Tickets: www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours

Listen to his Westminster speech in full. Victoria and Vitaly come together to talk through Zelensky's first visit to the UK since Russia invaded his country. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to 0330 1239480.

Unpicking history and propaganda to understand ordinary Russians and their attitude to the war with Russia expert Dr Jade McGlynn. James Waterhouse in Kyiv brings us up to date on what’s happening in the East of Ukraine around Bakhmut and President Zelensky’s corruption clampdown and Frank Gardner appraises the progress of Russia’s so-called Spring offensive. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Josh Jenkins. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Hundreds of Ukrainians are waiting for prosthetic limbs after being injured in the war, according to a medic working in the US, Dr Yakov Gradinar. He works with a charity that is giving prostheses to Ukrainians who need them. He tells the incredible story of a soldier who walked almost immediately after being fitted with a new leg. The BBC’s Russia Editor, Steve Rosenberg, gives his take on the speech President Putin made at an event to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad. And Gideon Rose, author of the book How Wars End, explains why he thinks it’s possible that Russia could retreat. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson, Khadra Salad and Josh Jenkins. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editors were Louisa Lewis and Alison Gee. The editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

As the seasons change, attention turns to what could happen next on the battlefield. Samantha De Bendern, an associate fellow at Chatham House, is on hand to explain what a spring offensive might actually mean for both sides. The BBC's Andrew Harding has spent the last two and a half weeks reporting on the war. He’s joined by his producer Ed Habershon to give their reflections on being on the frontline before they head back to South Africa. And Tim Stirzaker, the director of the new BBC documentary Putin VS The West, is in the studio. Today's episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Josh Jenkins and Clare Williamson. The technical producer Mike Regaard. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

The war in Ukraine has encouraged Western intelligence agencies to share their secrets with the world. The BBC’s security correspondent Gordon Corera explains what a difference a year makes and tells Victoria and Vitaly about a German man who’s been arrested, suspected of spying for Russia. Francis Scarr from BBC Monitoring brings us Russian media reaction to the news that the West is sending tanks to Ukraine. And our tennis correspondent Russell Fuller is in Melbourne where Novak Djokovic’s dad has been criticised after he was pictured with a pro-Putin fan. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Russia’s new weapon in the Ukraine war: LGBT and the ‘decadent’ West. How a crackdown on political opposition is now accompanied by a crackdown on the Russian LGBT community. We hear from BBC Moscow’s Will Vernon. And Nataliya Zotova, of the BBC Russian service, talks Vic and Vitaliy through opposition politics in Russia, two years after Alexei Navalny was jailed. Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor at The Economist, answers your questions about Germany and tanks. And we get up to speed on the corruption scandals gripping Ukraine. Clips from ‘The White Lotus’ made by HBO Entertainment, Pallogram, The District, and Rip Cord Productions. And from ‘Sex and The City’, made by HBO, New Line Cinema, HBO Films, The Montecito Picture Company and Darren Star. Soviet Sports Parade footage courtesy of British Pathe. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

A mother’s quest to bring her dead son home. Anastasiya Gribanova from the BBC’s Ukrainian Service has been talking to two mothers about the lengths they had to go to find the bodies of their dead sons. Allies fail to reach an agreement over sending German-made tanks to Ukraine. We get the latest from the meeting of Western defence officials in Ramstein and hear from historian and cold war expert Sergey Radchenko on whether Russia can be defeated. Alexei, formerly known as Jimmy or James, tells us that life in Kherson continues to be dangerous despite being liberated in November. And Leeds-born Ukrainian, Olga, tells listener Brent to bring his mum’s knitted hats to her community centre. Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

At least sixteen people have been killed, including Ukraine’s interior affairs minister, after a helicopter crashed beside a nursery in a suburb of Kyiv. In this emergency episode of Ukrainecast, Vitaly Shevchenko speaks to the BBC’s Ukraine Correspondent, James Waterhouse, from the site of the deadly crash. They discuss what we know, and what we don’t know, about what caused the death of Ukraine’s highest profile casualty since the war began. Today’s episode is presented by Vitaliy Shevchenko and James Waterhouse. The producer was Luke Radcliff. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

The dreams of 20-year-old student Vitalii have been put on hold. He wanted to travel abroad and become a diplomat, but now he can’t leave the country or continue his studies. Victoria and Vitaliy catch up with friend of Ukrainecast Vitalii Pashchenko. Andrew Harding spends time with a Ukrainian tank unit working with outdated equipment, he tells us why Ukraine desperately needs more help from Western allies. And we hear from the founder of Breaking the Chains, an animal rescue charity about their work rescuing abandoned and injured animals in Ukraine. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Connecting families, separated by war, with a night time message. Millions of children have been separated from their dads by the war in Ukraine but with the help of an interactive story app, the bedtime ritual can continue. We speak to Leila Popovich of Better Time Stories, and mum Alla tells us how the app helps her daughter Olivia connect with her dad in Mykoliav. Founder of Tip of the Spear landmine removal Ryan Hendrickson tells us about the dangers of cluster bombs and what drives him to risk his life de-mining in Ukraine. And as Russia claims to have captured Soledar in Ukraine’s Donbas region, Nataliya Vasilyeva of the Daily Telegraph talks us through the rise of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group, the main force behind the push for this salt mining town. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham . Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Soledar, only 10 kilometers from Bakhmut, looks set to be the first major Russian gain since the summer. The BBC’s James Waterhouse has been in Bakhmut, the city that both countries regard as totemic in the conflict. Called the ‘meat grinder’ by the head of the Wagner Group, James found a city almost uninhabitable. But with new weapons on the way from the West, could Ukraine’s forces be about to move from defensive to offensive mode? Frank Gardner tells us they could be a game-changer. And Alina Revcko, an English teacher who works with the British Council in a village near Kyiv, tells us about the struggle to keep teaching amidst the chaos and disruption of the war. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Russia announces a unilateral 36-hour ceasefire for Orthodox Christmas, but Ukraine calls it cynical propaganda. The BBC reporter in Moscow, Will Vernon, tells us about the influence of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, who proposed the Christmas truce and the reaction it has had in Moscow. Valeriia Hesse from the Open Nuclear Network joins us to answer a Ukrainecast listener’s question about Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. And finally we clear up how to make the traditional Christmas dish of Kutia with restaurant owner Olga Tsybytovska. Today’s episode is presented by Lyse Doucet and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Ivana Davidovic, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Moscow has blamed Russian soldiers’ for a deadly attack that killed at least 89 of them in eastern Ukraine. It said their mobile phone use enabled Ukrainian forces to work out their location. Olga Ivshina from the BBC’s Russian service brings us up to date on the deadliest attack from a single Ukrainian strike since the war began. Documentary maker Olly Lambert spent two months embedded with Ukrainian volunteer special forces as they pushed to retake Kherson. They shared what motivated them and what it was like to swap a normal life for the front line. And author and historian Olesya Khromeychuk talks about her brother’s death and the role of culture in the war. Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

The Ukrainecast team looks back at 2022 and assesses what 2023 might bring. The BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, security correspondent Frank Gardner, Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse and Olga Ivshina from the BBC Russian Service reflect on the invasion, nuclear threats, war crimes investigations and the situation in Russia. We also look ahead to 2023 to discuss how long the war could continue, what it would take for Russia and Ukraine to negotiate and the role other countries are playing. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Ivana Davidovic. Alison Gee is the assistant editor. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Ukrainecast has been following the story of Viktoria Kovalenko, whose husband and 12-year-old daughter Veronika were killed in front of her when they tried to escape from the besieged town of Chernihiv in the early days of the war. After weeks of hiding in bunkers, Viktoria and her surviving baby daughter Varvara eventually managed to find their way to Poland. Viktoria’s dream was to get to the UK to start a new chapter for Varvara. After 191 days of waiting for a visa, they, together with Viktoria’s brother, finally arrived in England and came into the Ukrainecast studio. In an emotional meeting with Victoria Derbyshire, Viktoria talks about loss, hope and why she could never leave Ukraine permanently. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Ivana Davidovic. Alison Gee is the assistant editor. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

As Ukraine prepares for its first Christmas since the Russian invasion, a friend in Kyiv tells us it’s one of struggle and defiance. It’s also Vitaly’s first Christmas with his family safely in the UK. How will they spend it? Natalia Zarytska gives us an update on her husband Bogdan’s long road to recovery since his release from Russian detention. And we speak to Oleksandr Pikalov, a friend of Volodymyr Zelensky since childhood, about the time he introduced the future president to his future wife. Today’s episode is presented by Lyse Doucet and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

President Zelensky is making his first overseas visit since the war began. He’s in Washington for talks with President Biden and is also due to address Congress. The BBC’s North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher gauges the level of support for Ukraine in the US and from Moscow, Steve Rosenberg explains how the Kremlin is reacting to the visit. Also BBC disability reporter Ruth Clegg has been meeting the families of disabled Ukrainian refugees in Poland. They tell her the care they have received in Poland has changed their lives - in Ukraine many disabled people had been neglected in institutions. And we catch up with Volodymyr Demchenko a young soldier who made films before the war. He tells Victoria about life on the front line in Bakhmut. Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings, Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

When Ukrainian troops liberated Izyum in the east of the country, they discovered hundreds of shallow graves in a wood outside the town. Months later, forensic experts are still struggling to identify the remains. The BBC’s Eastern Europe correspondent, Sarah Rainsford, has been talking to the pathologists and the families waiting for news of their lost loved ones. We also get the latest on today’s drone attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure as President Putin visits its ally Belarus. And Prof Michael Kimmage, a former White House adviser on Russia and Ukraine, explains the historic and strategic importance of Crimea in this war. Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

When the Ukrainian army liberated Kherson, not all its residents celebrated. BBC investigative reporter, Tim Whewell, and Ukrainecast producer, Arsenii Sokolov, spoke to the pro-Russians who stayed. We get a glimpse inside the mind of the Kremlin through the lens of Russian state media, as watched by BBC Monitoring’s Francis Scarr. And entertainment reporter, Daniel Rosney, talks us through how Ukraine will be choosing its Eurovision act for 2023. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Rumoured to run to 120 miles, Russia is digging a vast trench stretching the full length of Ukraine’s eastern flank. An enormous feat of engineering, but does it mean they’re digging in or desperate? The BBC’s security correspondent, Frank Gardner, tells us that this line of defence, like the Maginot Line before it, is no guarantee against a Ukrainian advance. We also hear about the alleged use of cluster bombs. Human Rights Watch says it’s seen the tell-tale fragmentary patterns left by the explosions and spoken to people who have lost limbs. And Owen Matthews, author of 'Overreach', explains why President Putin invaded Ukraine, and the reasons it isn't going well for him. Plus listeners share Ukrainian songs and artwork they’ve discovered since the war began. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

A Russian soldier tells us the danger is "from our side" not from Ukraine. BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg and his team have been talking to families whose loved ones refused to keep fighting. We hear why Georgian soldiers have travelled to Ukraine - their commander explains the historic ties between the two countries and a shared fear of President Putin’s ambitions. And Ukraine says many thousands of its children have been taken to Russia. A legal expert at the Regional Centre for Human Rights in Kyiv, Kateryna Rashevska, has been looking into what’s happening. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +443301239480.

In spite of the power cuts and air raid warnings, the festive spirit is alive and well in Kyiv. Ice skating, Santa’s grotto, and mulled wine are all on offer at the city’s Winter Land, a Christmassy theme park. We hear from the team bringing a smile to the faces of families in spite of the war. When the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford last visited Kharkiv, the city was under attack. Nine months on, Sarah returns, and it’s back under Ukrainian control. The Metro that was then a bomb shelter is now the home to a Christmas tree. And what should we read into the recent prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow? We decode the diplomatic manoeuvres with former US state department official Jeremy Shapiro. Today’s episode is presented by Adam Fleming and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Kyiv may be a city of blackouts and bomb shelters, but its comedians have found a fresh lease of life. Comedy clubs have taken off since the invasion with citizens seking solace in dark humour and the company of their compatriots. Also, the BBC’s Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg, gives his reflections on how the country is being changed by the war into something no longer recognisable to the one he knew a decade ago. And, the criticisms of Vitaly’s Kutia recipe just keep in coming in. Will it never stop? Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

As troops grapple with freezing temperatures and missiles cause mass power cuts across Ukraine, the BBC’s Security Correspondent Frank Gardner assesses both sides’ military strategies. Victoria and Vitaly speak to Yaryna Chornohuz, a mother who is now a soldier on the front line. She has a young daughter, but says she feels compelled to fight. And Father Vitaliy Novak describes how he and a team of volunteers are delivering food to people across the country, some of whom are living in church basements. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and the Russia Editor for BBC Monitoring, Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

The BBC’s chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, gives us her take on whether President Biden’s offer to talk may offer a moment for diplomacy, despite an apparent rebuff from Vladimir Putin. A former US marine who heads up the Mozart Group, an unarmed private military company, gives us a graphic depiction of saving civilians behind Russian lines in the Donbass and occupied areas. Jonny Dymond joins us to share his fresh insights into the Russian President as more episodes of Putin drop on BBC Sounds and Radio 4. And we return to the subject of celebrating a Ukrainian Christmas after a listener emailed the podcast to tell us we’d got it all wrong. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical coordinator was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

A mother in Siberia tells us how her son died at a training camp in Russia - he had volunteered to fight but never made it to the front line. The BBC’s Tim Whewell spoke to her and other families in Bratsk whose young men have gone to war. Ukraine has opened a “surrender hotline” for Russian soldiers to call. Our correspondent in Dnipro, James Waterhouse, has been talking to the people who run it. Also, we hear from volunteer Olena Budahovska about the people she’s been delivering food to in recently liberated areas of Ukraine. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical coordinator was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

We hear from Borys Todurov, a cardiac surgeon from Kyiv, whose team used head torches to operate on a 14-year-old boy after a Russian strike knocked out the hospital’s power supply. Olena, a mother of eight from Izium, tells us how an attack near her home killed her mother and left her teenage son unable to walk. He was taken to Moscow for treatment and thought Olena was dead. And Dr Patricia Lewis, Director of the International Security Programme at Chatham House, answers listeners’ questions about the war in winter, whether Russia is committing genocide by targeting energy infrastructure and Russia’s role at the United Nations. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical coordinator was Ben Andrews. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Olena Zelenska says Ukrainians will endure the winter despite the cold and power cuts caused by Russian shelling. Ukraine’s first lady told the BBC’s Lyse Doucet that Ukraine is facing many challenges, but that a blackout is not the worst thing that can happen to them. Also, one of the country’s richest businessmen, Vsevolod Kozhemyako, talks about his decision to fund a group of soldiers that has become known as the billionaire’s battalion. He’s also fighting alongside them on the battlefield. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical coordinator was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

A baby boy has died after a missile hit a hospital maternity ward just two days after he was born. Before the attack, Victoria interviewed the Russian ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin and asked him about the killing of civilians and war crimes committed in Ukraine. Also, BBC correspondent James Waterhouse has been meeting the people rebuilding the country’s bombed-out infrastructure. And friend of the pod, Olga Ivshina from the BBC Russian service, tells us how Russian men have been resisting mobilisation. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Fiona Leach, Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical coordinator was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Gabriel Gatehouse takes us back to the anti-corruption protests of 2013 in Kyiv’s Maidan Square that told Moscow it was losing influence in Ukraine. Viktoria Andrusha tells us why she risked her life and her freedom by informing on Russian troops as they moved into her town. And we hear how Russia is currently reporting on the war and how the propaganda machine is presenting the recent withdrawal from Kherson. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire, Gabriel Gatehouse and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Fiona Leach, Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical coordinator was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Alice, the little girl whose video of life in the bunker went viral, was separated from her mum when they were evacuated by Russian troops. We heard she was safe with her grandmother in Poland and on today’s podcast, we hear the story of her Ukrainian mum, Victoria and what happened to her. We hear the Ukrainian response to the news that a Dutch court has found three men guilty of murder for shooting down a passenger jet over eastern Ukraine in 2014, killing 298 people . And we hear from Liza Fokht from the BBC’s Russian Service about distressing new allegations about the Wagner Group - a shadowy Russian mercenary organisation which has been active across the world. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire, Vitaliy Shevchenko and James Waterhouse. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical coordinator was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

After a fraught few hours, Nato said the missile that hit Poland - one of its members - was most likely fired by Ukraine in defence. The organisation says it was not intentional. We hear reaction from Ukraine, the US and Russia, with analysis from the BBC’s Security Correspondent Frank Gardner and Sam de Bendern , a political analyst with Chatham House and a former adviser to Nato. We also hear a moving account of life on the front line from a team of Ukrainian medics in the Donbas. Today’s episode is presented by the BBC’s chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, and Vitaliy Shevchenko, the head of the BBC’s Russia monitoring team. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson, Luke Radcliff and Fiona Leach. The technical coordinator was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Nato is deciding how to respond after a missile hit Poland, which is one of its members, killing two people. In this emergency episode of Ukrainecast, the BBC’s chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, is joined by Vitaliy Shevhenko and Sam de Bendern , a political analyst with Chatham House and a former adviser with Nato. They discuss what we know and what Nato might do next. We’ll be back with a full edition of Ukrainecast as usual at the end of the day. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Fiona Leach. The technical coordinator is Dave O’Neill. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

President Zelensky has visited the liberated city of Kherson and spoke of a “long and difficult path” ahead. The change in control of the city is seen as a major setback in Moscow, but the Kremlin still insists that Kherson is part of Russian territory. The BBC’s security correspondent Frank Gardner looks at what could happen next. Also, Mark Galeotti, author of Putin’s Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine, assesses the impact on President Putin and his leadership. Today’s episode was presented by Vitaly Shevchenko and Victoria Derbyshire. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The technical coordinator is Michael Regaard. The series producer is Estelle Doyle, the assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

There’s jubilation on Kherson’s streets as people welcome Ukrainian soldiers to the city after Russia withdrew its troops. It’s a hugely significant moment as Ukraine takes back control of the strategically important city. BBC international editor Jeremy Bowen assesses the situation on the ground and we hear from military expert Prof Gwythian Prins, a former advisor to the UN, Nato and the Ministry of Defence, on the significance of Russia’s retreat and what happens next. Also reporter Hilary Anderson tells us about piecing together the story of Irina, the woman whose image was seen around the world as she was carried, pregnant, on a stretcher from the destroyed maternity hospital in Mariupol. Her husband, Ivan, talks of his devastation over the death of his wife and their baby. Today’s episode was presented by Vitaliy Shevchenko and Victoria Derbyshire. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The technical director was Ben Andrews. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Russia has ordered its military to pull out of Kherson, the only regional capital it captured after invading Ukraine in February. The BBC’s Jeremy Bowen gives us his appraisal of whether we can believe what Russia says about troop movements. The news came shortly after the announcement that the Russian-appointed official in the region, Kirill Stremousov, had been killed in a car crash. BBC investigative reporter Tim Whewell tells Vitaly about the significance of Stremousov’s death. We hear from Anthony Zurcher, BBC’s North America reporter, about the US mid-term elections and what the ramifications might mean for the country’s support for Ukraine. And we hear from Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland’s former foreign minister, who tells Victoria and Vitaliy how the war has brought Ukraine and Poland closer together. Today’s episode was presented by Vitaliy Shevchenko and Victoria Derbyshire. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The technical coordinator is Emma Crowe. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

We hear from BBC Panorama reporter Hilary Anderson about her documentary on the devastating siege of Mariupol. She travelled over 3,000 miles through Ukraine and Europe hearing survivors’ stories and retrieving the wiped phone footage from witnesses to the city’s tragedy. Also - for months Natalia was unaware of her husband's fate: a Ukrainian soldier, he was captured and made prisoner by Russian forces after the siege of Azovstal in Mariupol. But then she received a phone call. She tells Victoria and Vitaliy what happened next and how hope for a future family together gave them both the strength not to give up. And as power cuts become more severe across the country, we get the latest from the BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse on the possible full evacuation of Kyiv if there is a total loss of power. Today’s episode was presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers: Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical director: Gareth Jones. And the editor: Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

The Ukrainian school boy was beaten, detained and threatened. Victoria and Vitaly hear from the mother of a Ukrainian school boy, beaten up and detained by Russian soldiers; and how she’s now trying to get him out the occupied area. The BBC’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen brings us the latest on the Kherson offensive; and James, who has stayed in Kherson throughout the occupation, tells us about life in the besieged city and why he feels brave enough to speak out. Today’s episode was produced by Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical director was Michael Regaard. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The assistant editor is Sam Bonham. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

The BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen has been travelling around south-eastern Ukraine, to areas liberated from Russian control. He spoke to Liudmyla, a 75- year-old great-grandmother who was brutally attacked by a soldier in her own home. As winter approaches, we also hear how hard it is to survive in some places with no running water and energy blackouts. And Alexander Kamyshin, the head of Ukraine’s national rail company, Ukrzaliznytsia, describes how he and his team have been removing mines from tracks. Ukrainecast is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers are Clare Williamson, Luke Radcliff and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer is Michael Regaard. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

The Ukrainian government has asked refugees not to come home before the spring – they’re worried about pressure on the energy system. But what does this mean for host countries? We discuss the implications with Sarah Nathan from the UK charity Refugees at Home and Stephanie Hegarty, the BBC’s global population correspondent. Also, the BBC’s Tim Whewell has an update on Viktoria Kovalenko’s situation. After losing her husband and daughter to the war, she was held captive in a basement in appalling conditions. She eventually made her way out of Ukraine and has been waiting for a UK visa since April. And BBC Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse joins us from Zaporizhzhia, one of the many cities hit by another wave of missile attacks. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Luke Radcliff and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical director, Michael Regaard. The assistant editor, Alison Gee. The senior news editor, Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480. Please rate or review us if your podcast provider allows it. It will help others find us!

The story of a Ukrainian father who survived the siege of Mariupol, only to be arrested at a Russian filtration camp and separated from his three young children, who were exiled to Russia. Ukrainecast producer Arsenii Sokolov and Nina Nazarova from the BBC’s Russian service join Vitaly to tell us more about this shocking case. The BBC’s security correspondent Frank Gardner takes listener questions about the latest on the situation in Ukraine: Russia’s claims on dirty bombs, how this conflict compares to others, among others. Today’s Ukrainecast was hosted by Vitaliy Shevchenko and Frank Gardner. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Luke Radcliff and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical director, Michael Regaard. The senior news editor , Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Norway detains a suspected Russian spy - the latest in a long string of expulsions and arrests. Victoria and Vitaly discuss Russian espionage with BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera. He explains how the war in Ukraine has made the job of a Russian spy in Europe harder. Also, we hear the poignant testimony of a Ukrainian soldier who is suffering from post-traumatic stress because of the fighting he witnessed. And as Russia doubles down on its claims that Ukraine is planning to use dirty bombs, we ask Chatham House’s Patricia Lewis how these bombs work and whether Russia’s allegations could lead the war to escalate. Today’s Ukrainecast was presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Luke Radcliff and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. And the editor Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

How one man secretly filmed life in Kherson under Russian forces. Dmytro Bahnenko tells us why he and his family stayed there for months secretly filming everyday life under occupation. His footage and story have also been made into a BBC documentary called Occupied. The BBC’s Ukraine correspondent, James Waterhouse, has been talking to people in recently liberated areas. He also discusses why Russia is accusing Ukraine of planning to use a radioactive “dirty bomb,” something that the West has called “transparently false”. And former speech writer for Vladimir Putin, Abbas Gallyamov, calls the Russian president the “victim of his own propaganda” and lifts the lid on what he was really like when he worked for him. Today’s Ukrainecast is hosted by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. It was made by Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical director was Mike Regaard. The assistant editors are Alison Gee and Sam Bonham. The senior news editor was Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to 0330 1239480.

Why is Iran helping Russia? Chief international anchor at CNN, Christiane Amanpour, and BBC chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, talk through Iran’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. And, as Zelensky reports that 30% of the country’s power stations have been destroyed by Russian missile strikes, we speak to Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, boss of Ukraine’s national energy company, about the struggles the country faces. Today’s Ukrainecast was hosted by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. It was made by Luke Radcliff. The technical director was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. The senior news editor was Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to 0330 1239480.

Tens of thousands of civilians and Russian appointed officials are being moved out of the occupied city of Kherson, raising fears of what might happen next. Belkis Wilke from Human Rights Watch spoke to dozens of civilians from the recently liberated town of Izyum. She tells Lucy and Vitaly how they described beatings, electric shocks, and waterboarding in the hands of Russian occupiers. And, amidst reports that Iran is ramping up its military support to Russia by allegedly supplying it with drones, missiles and training, we discuss what may motivate it to do so with Alex Vatanka, director of Iran programme at the Middle East Institute at Washington DC. Today’s Ukrainecast was presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko. It was made by Ivana Davidovic, Luke Radcliffe and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical director was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Estelle Doyle and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Russia has attacked the Ukrainian capital with drones that loiter above a target before attacking, then detonate on impact. The BBC’s defence correspondent Jonathan Beale explains to Victoria and Vitaly why Russian forces are now using these weapons. Ukrainian author Andrei Kurkov reflects on the life and death of the Ukrainian conductor Yuriy Kerpatenko. The musician was killed by Russians occupying Kherson for refusing to take part in a concert they had organised. Also, for several days now, the Russian city of Belgorod bordering Ukraine has been under attack. A former resident, Ksenia Mikhailik, tells us she left fearing for her daughter’s safety. And the BBC Russian’s Maria Kiseleva explains what may have motivated the mass shooting of Russian soldiers at a training ground, also in the Belgorod region. This episode was presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Ivana Davidovic, Arsenii Sokolov and Luke Radcliffe. The technical director was Russell Newlove. The series producer is Estelle Doyle, the assistant editor Alison Gee. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

As the Russian-installed leader of the region calls on its citizens to evacuate and “save themselves”, Vitaliy and Victoria hear about life under occupation in Kherson. They talk to Tamila Imanova, a lawyer working for Memorial, the Russian human rights organisation just awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She explains why she agrees with the Ukrainians who insist the Russian people must bear collective responsibility for the war, but warns against the risk of Russophobia. Former NATO adviser and political risk consultant, Samantha De Bendern answers listener questions about the military position of Ukraine and its allies after a week of heavy Russian bombardment. And we hear from Iuliia Mendel, the former press secretary to President Zelensky, about his first and only meeting with President Putin in 2019. This episode was presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Ivana Davidovic, Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The planning producers are Louise Hidalgo and Luke Radcliff and the technical director was Russell Newlove. The series producer is Estelle Doyle and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

The Ukrainian authorities says they believe thousands of the country’s orphans have been taken to Russia for adoption. The BBC Russian service’s Nina Nazarova investigates their claims and speaks to a Russian woman who shares her mixed feelings about adopting a child from Ukraine. Vitaly and Victoria speak to Gleb Irisov, a former Russia soldier who served under Russia’s new army commander, Sergey Surovikin. He explains why Surovikin was given the nickname Armageddon. This episode was presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic, Arsenii Sokolov and Luke Radcliff. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer, Michael Regaard. The assistant editor, Alison Gee. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Putin says missiles targeting Ukraine are revenge for the attack on the bridge linking Russia to Crimea at the weekend and threatens more strikes. The capital Kyiv and cities from Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia in the east to Lviv in the west have all been hit. Sabina, who lives in Kyiv, tells us one explosion went off just metres away from her car. Also, photographer Serhii Korovayny describes the scene he found when he reached the site of a missile strike in the capital. Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko explains the emotional impact of the attacks and says Ukraine has the resolve to fight on. And the BBC’s Will Vernon brings us reaction from Russia where state television has welcomed the attacks, but many civilians are worried about the war escalating further. Today’s episode of Ukrainecast is presented by Vitaly Shevchenko from BBC Monitoring, Lucy Hockings from BBC World News and Frank Gardner, the BBC security correspondent. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic, Arsenii Sokolov and Luke Radcliff. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer, Emma Crowe. The assistant editor, Alison Gee. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Historian Orlando Figes explains why the mythologising of Russia’s past is crucial to understanding Putin’s world view and aspirations for his country. We have an update on Alice – the little girl who was separated from her mother when the Azovstal steelworks were evacuated. One her fifth birthday she got a phone call from her mum, who is being held prisoner by Russians. Russian lawyer Mikhail Benyash says young men and their families are turning to him to try to avoid being forced to fight in Ukraine. And President Zelensky explains what he meant when he talked about pre-emptive strikes on Russia. Today’s episode is presented by Gabriel Gatehouse and Vitaly Shevchenko. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer, Michael Regaard. The assistant editor, Alison Gee. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

As Russia hits the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, Vitaly reflects on the impact the war is having on his home town – and the challenges he faces as a journalist to remain impartial, while his friends suffer and die. This episode was presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The technical producer Dave O’Neill. The editor, Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner answers Ukrainecast listeners’ questions about the likelihood of Moscow using nuclear weapons, as the Russian army continues to suffer losses on the battlefield. And we hear from Vyacheslav Zadorenko who, together with Ukrainian forces, liberated his native village - and his mum - after seven months of Russian occupation. And BBC Russian’s Olga Ivshina joins Victoria and Frank to discuss the future of Crimea and lasting divisions in Ukraine’s occupied areas. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Frank Gardner. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic, Arsenii Sokolov and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer, Emma Crowe. The assistant editor, Alison Gee. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

While the Russian parliament proudly voted through its disputed annexations, the Ukrainian counter-offensive has been continuing, including the symbolic recapturing of the key eastern town of Lyman. The BBC’s defence correspondent Jonathan Beale, who’s just returned to the frontline in the Donbas, gives us his verdict on another dramatic turn of events in the country.   Russian political scientist and anti-war campaigner Grigory Yudin talks to us from Moscow and explains what impact the military developments are having on public opinion there.   And the BBC’s Ruth Clegg updates us on her investigation into the lives of disabled people in Ukraine after she was invited to give evidence at the United Nations in Geneva.   This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Ivana Davidovic, Louise Hidalgo and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Alison Gee. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.   Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

In a defiant speech, Vladimir Putin declared four areas of Ukraine as Russian. Ukraine has responded by asking Nato to speed up giving it membership of the US-led defence alliance. Will Vernon, from the BBC Moscow bureau, sends us a dispatch from the Red Square, where a concert is being held to ‘celebrate’ the annexations. And Vitaly Sevchenko and Victoria Derbyshire are joined by Moscow based political scientist, Andrey Kortunov to unpick the events of the day and discuss what might happen next. Also, local officials say at least 30 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a Russian rocket strike on a civilian convoy in south Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia. BBC Ukraine correspondent, James Waterhouse is at the scene of attack. And BBC Ukrainian Irena Taranyuk hears from a teacher in Melitopol who chose to stay after Russian occupation and now annexation. He tells her how he plans to hide to avoid mobilisation. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer, Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer, Emma Crowe. The editor, Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

The EU believes leaks in the two Nord Stream two gas pipelines from Russia were caused deliberately. Patricia Lewis, who specialises in International Security, gives Lucy and Irena her take on the situation and explains how Europe might respond. Moscow says four occupied areas of Ukraine have voted overwhelmingly in favour of becoming part of Russia. Ukraine and its allies have denounced the referendums as a total sham, but could people living there now be told to fight in the Russian army against Ukrainians? Also, we hear from a warehouse worker in St Petersburg who says he can’t afford to leave Russia and would rather go to prison than be sent to fight in Ukraine. And Olga Sekliy, a paramedic in Kharkiv, describes the shocking injuries she’s seen while rescuing people injured in the shelling. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer, Louise Hidalgo. The technical producers, Emma Crowe and Neil Churchill. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

There have been protests in Russia over President Putin’s partial mobilisation plans, and an officer at a recruitment centre has been shot. The BBC’s Will Vernon in Moscow tells Lucy and Irena what people in Russia are saying to him, and Rayhan Demytrie in Tbilisi talks to some of the people crossing the border into Georgia. At the weekend, former US marine Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh returned home - he had been fighting in Ukraine when he was captured by Russian forces. He was released as part of last week’s prisoner swap. His fiancée Joy shares her relief that he’s now back home. And veteran journalist and author Misha Glenny tells us that Ukraine has rare earth metals worth trillions of dollars – resources that could be very valuable to Russia. This edition of Ukrainecast was made by Arsenii Sokolov, Ivana Davidovic and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Men flee conscription into the army as referendums start in Russian occupied Ukraine. Victoria and Vitaliy take stock of an eventful week in the Ukraine war with Samantha De Bendern, a former NATO adviser and political risk consultant and former BBC Moscow correspondent, Daniel Sandford. And Vitaliy talks to Yulia Rubanova a violinist with the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra about her early life in Mariupol, her fears for her parents who were stranded there during Russian bombardment and how incredible it felt to play with her fellow countrymen on a world tour. Today’s episode was produced by Clare Williamson, Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

President Putin warns the West he’s not bluffing and that he is prepared to use "all the means at our disposal" if Russian territory is threatened. The nuclear threat came as he announced a “partial” mobilisation of reserve troops to Ukraine. Vitaly, Victoria and the BBC’s Security Correspondent Frank Gardner unpick how real the possibility of a nuclear war actually is. Ukrainecast’s Ivana Davidovic talks to a recent graduate from St Petersburg, who says he wants to leave Russia to avoid being drafted into the military. And he’s not alone - Olga Ivshina from the BBC’s Russian Service says flights out of the country to visa-free destinations sold out in a day. Also, Vladimir Osechkin, the founder of the prisoners’ rights organisation Gulagu.Net, tells us that someone recently tried to assassinate him while he was at home with his family. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Dafydd Evans. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

On the day when most of the world’s leaders and officials are gathering in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, President Putin is notable by his absence. He is one of only six heads of state who was not invited. Also, at a summit in Uzbekistan, Putin faced concerns by the Chinese President Xi Jinping and further admonishment by India’s Narendra Modi. Vitaly and the BBC’s former Russia correspondent Bridget Kendall unpick what this all means for the Russian President. And they discuss what is happening within Russia where more people are also speaking out against the war, including one of the country’s biggest pop stars from the Soviet era, Alla Pugacheva. Finally, one of Ukraine’s most famous ballet dancers was killed on the battlefield. The BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse was at his funeral. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Nigel Povoas is a British lawyer who travelled to the newly recaptured territory in Eastern Ukraine as part of an international team helping with war crimes. He tells Victoria and Vitaly why based on his experience of the war so far, he believes more evidence of atrocities will emerge. They also talk to Volodymyr Zelensky, who is from the city of Izyum, where a mass burial site has been discovered. He describes life under Russian occupation and the risks associated with sharing the same name as the Ukrainian president. Also, they’re joined by the BBC Russia’s Olga Ivshina. Together they discuss the significance of leaked footage showing the head of the Russian mercenary company, the Wagner group, telling prisoners they would be freed if they served six months in Ukraine. And we hear from Pavel Filatiev, a Russian soldier who fought in Ukraine, but has now become an outspoken critic of the war. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Many Ukrainians are celebrating the liberation of towns in the south and east of the country from Russian occupation. But these are bittersweet days - the liberation came too late for some. Anastasia from Balakliya shares the devastating story of what happened to her mother and her friends. Also, Vitaly, Victoria and the BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse talk to Jakub Jakóbowski, an expert on China, about the upcoming meeting between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and China’s President Xi Jinping. Are they allies of convenience? And which country is calling the shots? The producers are Clare Williamson, Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Gabriel Gatehouse joins Victoria and Vitaly to discuss the reactions in Russia to the recent setbacks in Ukraine. While some are calling for the Kremlin to take more drastic action, others appear to question the war itself. On the ground in Kharkiv, Sarah Ashton-Cirillo explains us how the city went through a complete power outage after Russian forces shelled the second biggest Ukrainian thermal power plant. We catch up with Maksym Lutskyi, a 19 year old Ukrainian fighter, who describes the celebratory mood among fighters. And, Illia Ponomarenko from the Kyiv Independent shares his assessment of where the war will go next. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Russian forces withdraw from key eastern towns. Ukrainian officials say troops have entered Kupiansk, a vital eastern supply hub for Russian forces. In an extra episode of Ukrainecast, Vitaly and Victoria discuss the significance of the Ukrainian gains and analyse the Russian reaction. The Ukrainian advances - if held - would be the most significant since Russia withdrew from areas around Kyiv in April. Ukrainecast was made by Sam Bonham. The Senior News Editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

President Zelensky sends a message of condolence to Britain's Royal Family. Ukraine has been celebrating "good news" about the recapture of several settlements from Russia in the eastern Kharkiv region and gains of more than 1,000 square km of territory in the last week, that’s according to the President. Victoria and the BBC's Katya Khinkulova speak to Justin Bronk, Senior Research Fellow and editor at the defence and security think tank RUSI about Ukraine’s counter-offensive. And as EU leaders meet in Brussels to discuss the energy crisis, we hear from Svitlana Zalischuk, from Ukraine’s biggest gas company Naftogaz, about how the country is preparing to face a cold winter with reduced gas supplies. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Clare Williamson, Arsenii Sokolov and Alix Pickles. The technical producer is Hannah Montgomery. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Journalist Konstantin Ryzhenko lived through months of fear and terror in Russian-occupied Kherson. He escaped two weeks ago and tells Vitaliy about what life is like in the city, and the role he played in providing intelligence to the Ukrainian military and resistance fighters. Also, Victoria talks to Russian oligarch and Putin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky – he explains why he believes force is the only thing that the Russian president understands. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Clare Williamson and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Vitaliy and Lucy Hockings talk to Gogol Bordello’s frontman Eugene Hütz about the band’s recent secret gig for Ukrainian soldiers. Frank Gardner brings us up to date on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant inspection and the offensive in Kherson. And Irpin resident Oleksandr describes what it is like to have your home bombed then occupied by Russian forces, and how he’s going about rebuilding. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Clare Williamson and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer is Emma Crowe and the editor Jonathan Aspinwall. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Donald Trump, some top secret documents and the FBI. Welcome to episode one of the new-look Americast (we thought, as listeners of Ukrainecast, you might enjoy Americast). Classified documents stored at former President's Florida home were likely concealed as part of an effort to obstruct an FBI investigation, says the US Department of Justice officials. Justin, Sarah and the Zurch chat to former FBI special agent Asha Rangappa, about how attempts to retrieve the documents went down and what could happen next. And Marianna introduces our undercover voters… If you like Americast, please subscribe to the podcast on BBC Sounds. Americast will be publishing every Wednesday. Americast is made by Phil Marzouk and Alix Pickles. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Sam Bonham. The senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

The boss of Lukoil, a Russian oil company, died on Thursday, the latest in a string of deaths of key Russian business people. Vitaly and Victoria unpick the rumours with Russian expert and author Mark Galeotti. We get the latest on the inspection of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant with James Waterhouse. And Maria Korenyuk has been investigating the re-writing of history books for schools in Russian occupied areas of Ukraine. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Clare Williamson and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer is Emma Crowe and the editor Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

He contributed to Ukraine's independence. So why do they not remember him more fondly? Victoria and Vitaliy reflect on the Gorbachev years, the demise of the Soviet Union and what he thought about Ukrainian independence with former BBC Moscow correspondent, Bridget Kendall. Justin Bronk a defence analyst from RUSI brings us up to speed with the Ukrainian offensive in Kherson. And we discuss the return to school for Ukrainian children with James Elder who is a spokesperson for UNICEF currently based in Kyiv. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Clare Williamson and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer is Emma Crowe and the editor Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Russian investigative journalist Ekaterina Fomina speaks to the team about her headline-making interviews with Russian soldiers, one of which admitted committing a war crime. Vitaly, James, and Victoria also talk about how disaster was avoided despite the electricity needed to cool reactors at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant being cut. And, as the football season in Ukraine starts again, we speak to a player who would be playing for FC Mariupol, if not for the war. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Arsenii Sokolov, Louise Hidalgo, and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

We mark the anniversary of Russia's war in Ukraine and follow the stories of Max, Anna, Hussain, Maksym and Viktoria, none of whom will ever be the same again. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Chris Fynn, Philip Marzouk, Arsenii Sokolov and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer and sound designer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

Russia has opened a murder investigation after a journalist, Darya Dugina, died in a suspected car bombing not far from Moscow. Was she the target? Or was it her father, the ultra-nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin? Victoria, Vitaly and Gabriel Gatehouse, who interviewed Alexander after the annexation of Crimea, profile the man said to be one of Putin’s inspirations. They also talk about who might be behind the murder and what consequences there might be in Ukraine, where Independence Day celebrations planned for Wednesday have already been curtailed.   And we hear from Brian Ennis, the father of Adam Ennis. Adam is a mechanic from Scotland. But, without first telling his parents, he’s now fighting on the frontline in Ukraine.   This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Ivana Davidovic, Arsenii Sokolov and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. With thanks to Sky Sports.   Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Ukrainian wife desperate for news. Natalia wants to know where her husband, a civilian mechanic, is being held prisoner in Russia. He was captured in March and the Red Cross confirm that he's in a Russian jail but hasn't heard anything since; she tells Victoria and Vitaly about how she is coping. We get an update about the nuclear standoff in Zaporizhzhia and we hear from BBC video journalist, Abdujalil Abdurasulov, about the use of drones in military strikes on Ukraine’s southern front line. Today's episode was produced by Clare Williamson, Alix Pickles, Ivana Davidovic and Louise Hidalgo. Emma Crowe is the technical producer and the Assistant Editor, Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

What is it like living under Russian rule? We hear from Hannah (not her real name) in Crimea. She tells us how she’s coping living through the recent explosions. And acclaimed Ukrainian author, Andriy Kurkov, explains how art has helped him process the conflict in Ukraine. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer was Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

From performing with Ed Sheeran to becoming an army paramedic. We hear from Taras Topolia, lead singer in the Ukrainian band Antytila, about his transformation from frontman to physician.   BBC Russian’s Liza Fokht discusses what her sources in the Kremlin are saying about what Vladimir Putin is up to at the moment. Is there any hope of the war ending at the negotiating table?   And the BBC’s Kyiv correspondent, James Waterhouse, takes us onto the streets of the capital to describe the mood.   This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer was Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480. UK listeners can watch 'Frontline Frontmen' on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0cs677h/frontline-frontmen.

As the nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia is attacked again, we hear from workers inside about what it’s like to work in such fear as soldiers hold them at gunpoint. Victoria and Vitaliy are joined by medical students who worked to save people in the bunkers of Kharkiv who are now in the UK studying at Cambridge University. The BBC’s defence correspondent Jonathan Beale details his interview with leading UK military commander Jim Hockenhull and the state of play in the war. The lawyer of detained US basketball star Brittney Griner, speaks to us about the verdict that saw her client sentenced to nine years in Russian prison for drug possession. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer was Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on +44 330 1239480 with your questions and comments.

Life inside a detention centre. We hear from Anna Vorosheva, about what it was like when she was held in a Russian detention centre in Eastern Ukraine. Victoria, Vitaly and the BBC’s Ukraine correspondent, James Waterhouse, discuss the details of the explosion at a military airfield in Crimea. And the BBC’s Chloe Hadjimatheou talks through her investigation into Graham Philips, a British freelance journalist and YouTuber who has been sanctioned by the British government for promoting misinformation that supports Russian aggression against Ukraine. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer was Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on +44 330 1239480 with your questions and comments.

Part of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has been damaged by Russian rockets. Vitaly brings us up to date on his home city of Zaporizhzhia, where part of its nuclear plant has been damaged by Russian rockets, in an attack the United Nations called “suicidal”. We hear from Yeva (not her real name), who worries for the safety of her family members working on the site.   And the BBC’s security correspondent, Frank Gardner, talks us through new evidence that Russia is using technology from Western companies in its military equipment. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer was Louise Hidalgo and the technical producer was Gareth Jones. The series editor is Estelle Doyle. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

BBC correspondent Andrew Harding describes how sleep has been near impossible in the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, which has been under almost constant Russian bombardment since the start of the war. Together with Vitaly and Irena, he also discusses a report by Amnesty International, which accuses Ukraine of endangering the lives of its own citizens by setting up military bases in residential areas, such as in schools and hospitals. We also hear from Jixian Wang, a Chinese vlogger based in Odessa, who explains how Chinese state media echoes Russian propaganda. And former China correspondent for the BBC, John Sudworth describes how the war in Ukraine is playing out in Taiwan, and the ways in which the crises in the two places are linked. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producer is Arsenii Sokolov. Planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Vitaly, Frank and Irena are looking into the Wagner Group, Russia’s private army that is allegedly involved in the Ukraine war. The group has been active over the past eight years in Ukraine, Syria and several African countries, and has repeatedly been accused of war crimes. We hear from ex Wagner fighter Marat Gabidullin about his experience and why Russia is relying on a private army. And Vitaly talks to Vladimir Osechkin, a former prisoner and now a human rights activist whose organisation, Gulagu.net, alleges that the Wagner Group and Russian security services are actively recruiting in Russian prisons for the Ukraine war. The BBC’s Tim Whewell discusses his up-coming documentary on people living in the Ukrainian port city of Kherson under Russian occupation. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Clare Williamson, Arsenii Sokolov and Ivana Davidovic. Planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

16-year-old Vladislav Buryak was held captive for 90 days by Russian proxy forces. He says he was kept in solitary confinement and witnessed other prisoners being tortured during that time. Also, after months of Russian blockade, a Ukraine grain shipment is allowed to set sail. Vitaly and Irena are joined by the BBC’s Ukraine correspondent, James Waterhouse, who is at the port of Odesa where the mood is both celebratory and apprehensive. And Vitaly chats to BBC Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg about what Russians really think of the war, whether they’re feeling the pinch of the sanctions – and how playing the piano helps him relax. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Arsenii Sokolov and Ivana Davidovic. Planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

YouTube, which is owned by Google, is one of the rare Western social media platforms that is not banned by Russia. Neal Mohan, YouTube’s Chief Product Officer, discusses the fine line between disinformation and censorship – and explains why banning fake news channels isn’t always the best way forward. Lucy and Vitaly are joined by the BBC's disinformation reporter Marianna Spring. Together, they speak to Sergei Buntman, from the independent Russian radio station, Ekho Moskvy. The station was taken off air on 1st March. It now operates on YouTube. And they hear from journalist Konstantin Ryzhenko, who decided to stay in Kherson under Russian occupation, but is now a wanted man by the Russians and has to remain in hiding. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Arsenii Sokolov and Ivana Davidovic. Planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

A special episode to hear Ukraine’s first lady talking to Ukrainecast’s Lucy Hockings. President Zelensky’s wife, Olena Zelenska, spoke about trauma, dealing with the spotlight and that Vogue cover. Vitaly and the Ukrainian Service’s Irena join Lucy to share their thoughts and impressions of the interview with Ukraine’s first lady. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The technical producer Emma Crowe. And the editor Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Long before Russia invaded Ukraine, the country was dealing with a problem: the abandoning of disabled people to institutions that weren’t fit for purpose. The BBC’s Dan Johnson and producer Ruth Clegg tell us about these institutions. In the news, Russia continues to weaponise its gas supplies as a way of wielding leverage over Western nations. Dr Aura Sabadus, energy specialist at International Commodity Intelligence Service, takes us through how this is playing out. But back in Ukraine, a 10-year-old checkers champion has been capturing hearts by raising funds for the army. We speak to her and her mother. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Phil Marzouk and Ivana Davidovic, and planning producer Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Russian missile strikes have hit the port of Odessa, just one day after Ukraine and Russia agreed a landmark deal to resume Ukraine's grain exports. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is on a tour of Africa to counter accusations that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has started a global food crisis. Murithi Mutiga, Programme Director for Africa at the International Crisis Group, explains where African loyalties lie and why. Also, the BBC’s security correspondent Frank Gardner tells us that former NATO generals, have started an advisory council to help the Ukrainian army with strategy. And we hear from Afghan Ukrainian fighter Jalal about why he decided to risk his life for Ukraine and how difficult it is to fight against fellow Muslims. . This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Clare Williamson with Ivana Davidovic, Arsenii Sokolov and planning producer Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

The deal between Ukraine and Russia should help alleviate the global food crisis. BBC Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse joins Vic and Vitaliy to discuss the deal and whether it’s a promising sign for negotiations in the wider war. We hear from Ukrainian lorry drivers who are stuck beyond the border in Russia with no means of coming back without abandoning their vehicles and, therefore, their livelihoods. And Nina Nazarova from the BBC Russian Service tells us all about six Ukrainian children reunited with their parents after five months apart. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Clare Williamson with Arsenii Sokolov, Phil Marzouk, Ivana Davidovic and planning producer Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

As the Russian president meets leaders of Iran and Turkey, the BBC’s former Moscow and diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall takes us through what this tells about Putin's remaining diplomatic friends. Vitaliy and Victoria catch up with a young soldier we first met in May who is now taking brief respite from fighting on the front lines in the east to visit injured friends in Kyiv. And we meet some humanitarian aid workers and hear about why they continue to work day-after-day to get Ukrainians to safety. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk, with Ivana Davidovic, Arsenii Sokolov and planning producer Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Once the richest man in Russia under 35, mobile phone tycoon Evgeny Chichvarkin explains why he needed to sell his company and escape Putin’s Russia in 2008. Settled in London, he’s now personally delivering aid to Ukraine. Organised crime expert Misha Glenny and the BBC Russian Service’s Anastasia Stognei explore the deep connections between Russia’s president, its wealthiest oligarchs, and the Western countries which readily accepted their money. Plus, treason in the Ukraine camp? Why has President Zelensky suspended Ukraine’s security chief and his top prosecutor? This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg, with Arsenii Sokolov, Ivana Davidovic and planning producer Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The assistant editor was Alison Gee. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Running a hotline for victims of abuse. We hear from Alyona Kryvulyak... Russian missiles have hit the city of Vinnytsia, in central Ukraine, killing at least 23 people. From the scene of the attack, the BBC’s Zhanna Bezpiatchuk gives us the latest on the situation. And we talk to Wayne Jordash, who has been investigating war crimes in Ukraine. He explains how his team collects evidence. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Arsenii Sokolov, Ivana Davidovic and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

The BBC Russian’s Olga Ivshina explains how her and her team have been able to estimate the number of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine and buried in Russia by sending volunteers to visit cemeteries. Also, we hear from Mikhail Benyash, a Russian human rights lawyer who has been advising Russian soldiers who don’t want to fight in Ukraine. The BBC’s Security correspondent, Frank Gardner explains why he believes Russia is currently militarily winning the war. And the team discusses the toll the war has also taken on the Russian people. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers Alix Pickles, Arsenii Sokolov and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 0330 1239480.

Under laws that Russia brought in following the beginning of the invasion in Ukraine, a Moscow-based councillor has become the first person to be jailed for speaking out. The BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse joins Victoria for presenting duties, and they take stock of the current situation in Ukraine. A young soldier from Mariupol tells us how he survived horrific injuries, being taken captive by Russian soldiers, and how he was freed in a prisoner exchange. Also, investigative reporter for the BBC Russian Service Andrey Zakharov tells us what it’s like to be designated a foreign agent by the Kremlin and be tailed by Russian agents. And, we get an update on Viktoriia: the woman who is trying to get a visa to come to the UK after fleeing Chernihiv. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Osman Iqbal, Arsenii Sokolov and Phil Marzouk. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Fearless paramedic, Yuliia “Taira” Paievska, who filmed the horrors of Mariupol and was then held captive for 3 months by Russian proxy forces. She describes how she was physically and psychologically tortured. Lyse and Irena discuss why a Ukrainian croissant is named after Boris Johnson – and the wider reactions to the UK’s Prime Minister resignation with Yuriy Sak, adviser to Ukraine's Minister of Defence. And we find out why drones are playing such an important role in the war in Ukraine, with Anatoliy Tiagur, a drone operator for the army and BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Osman Iqbal and Phil Marzouk. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480

A Ukrainian medic, Olexander, based on Snake Island was captured on the first day of the war. Almost five months later, his mother and fiancée break their silence to make a plea for information on his wellbeing. The sole survivor of a Russian shooting, who lived by playing dead, has been speaking to Fergal Keane about what happened. And the BBC’s Olga Ivshina explains how Russia has been sending so-called volunteers to fight in Ukraine - and why for so many of them, this will be a one-way ticket. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Phil Marzouk, Arsenii Sokolov and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. And the assistant editor is Alison Gee. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Russia has claimed control of the key eastern city Lysychansk and the region around it. The Kremlin said this was one of its main aims. So, what happens next? Lyse, Vitaly and Irena check in with Maksym, a Ukrainian soldier fighting on the front line. Also, Pavlo Shulga, who works with Ukraine Trust Chain, tells us about his latest trip to the area around Lysychansk where he was attacked as he delivered food and helped evacuate people. As world leaders meet in Switzerland for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, Timothy Ash talks us through the astronomical cost of rebuilding Ukraine, and who will pay for it. Today’s podcast was produced by Alison Gee with Osman Iqbal, Ivana Davidovic, Phil Marzouk and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 (0) 330 1239480.

Russian forces have detained the mayor of Kherson, Ihor Kolykhayev, after he refused to work with them. The BBC’s Tim Whewell spoke to him a few days before his abduction. Meanwhile, the BBC Russian service’s Liza Fokt explains to Victoria and Vitaly, how in another occupied city, Severodonestsk, some people do welcome the Russian forces. And Roman, who helped evacuate dozens of people from Mariupol, tells us why he’s now going back, despite the risk of being arrested once he gets there. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Osman Iqbal. The planning producer, Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer, Michael Reegard. And the editor, Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

A quarter of a million people now participate in regular cyber attacks against Russia. We hear from one of the volunteers, Oleksandr Naumenko. And also from US-Russian cybersecurity expert Dmitri Alperovitch. BBC Ukrainian service reporter Olga Malchevska recalls a recent visit to her home town of Kyiv and the trauma of seeing in person her bombed childhood apartment. As Western leaders gather in Madrid for a NATO summit, Sam de Bendern, former NATO Ukraine officer, tells us why they will eventually have to stop sitting on the fence when it comes to the war in Ukraine. And we get an update from Pavel Shulga, who travelled to the region of Lysychansk to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate women and children from battle zones. We hear why he’s already back on the road. Today’s podcast was produced by Estelle Doyle with Ivana Davidovic, Osman Iqbal and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Cassie Galpin. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Russian missile strike hits a shopping centre in central-eastern Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky says that more than 1,000 people were inside. Vadym Yudenko lives in the city and tells us what he saw. Diplomatic Editor, James Landale updates us on the G7 meeting in Germany where leaders have pledged their continuing support for Ukraine. And we hear from the BBC’s Joel Gunter who has just returned from Saltivka, in Kharkiv, where he met residents still living in their bombed-out apartments. Host Vitaly is joined by Kateryna Khinkulova from BBC World Service. Today’s podcast was produced by Clare Williamson, Ivana Davidovic, Osman Iqbal and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Frank Mcweeny. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

A former Soviet soldier describes how he’s now helping resistance groups in the Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine by advising them how to mount an insurgency. UNICEF’s Pete Manfield describes how the war in Ukraine is taking its toll in Somalia, and BBC Africa correspondent Catherine Byaruhanga explains why some Africans are taking a pro-Russian stance. Also, a listener in Russia explains how he’s using bank notes to protest against the war. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Natalie Ktena and Osman Iqbal. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The editor is Alison Gee. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Imane Saaudun, the sister of captured Moroccan fighter Brahim Saaudun tells us why she feels her own country has betrayed her brother. A Russian exclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania called Kaliningrad has become the latest focus in the Ukraine war. Victoria and Vitaly find out why from the BBC’s European editor, Katya Adler. Sarah Ashton-Cirillo is an American war reporter based in Kharkiv. She talks to us about her fight for credibility as a trans woman and life on the front line. And former DJ turned BBC fixer, Vlad Fisun gives us the lowdown on Ukrainian music. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal, Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Vitaly and the BBC’s Katya Khinkulova speak to Pavel Shulga, who’s about to travel to Severodonetsk to evacuate women and children from battle zones. Frank Gardner tells us what’s happening on the ground and tells us about the diplomatic developments. And we catch up with Olga Drover, who lives in Troon in Scotland, who we heard from last in March, when she had lost contact with her parents in Mariupol when it came under attack. They’re now reunited. Today’s episode was made by Clare Williamson and Chris Flynn. The planning editor is Louise Hidalgo and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the face of President Putin’s Russia, insists that his country didn’t invade Ukraine in a rare interview with the BBC. Victoria and Vitaly unpick the interview with Patricia Lewis, Director of the International Security Programme at Chatham House. She also tells us about the significance of Ukraine getting a step closer to European Union membership. Is this purely symbolic? And we hear from Joy, the fiancée of a US former marine, reported missing in Ukraine. Today’s episode was produced by Alix Pickles, Osman Iqbal and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Emma Crowe and the editor was Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Victoria and Vitaly speak to 19-year-old Maksym Lutskyi, a Ukrainian soldier who is preparing to return to the front line after being wounded and losing his commander who died saving his life. Andrey Stavnitser, one of the richest businessmen in Ukraine, and co-owner of the major shipping terminals near Odessa, describes the impact the blockade is having on the country’s economy. He also explains why he asked the army to shell his own home after it became occupied by Russians. And we hear from Kees Haiziinga, a farmer from central Ukraine, who says he is worried he’ll only be able to get a fraction of his harvest out. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Viktoria Kovalenko tells us about the day her husband Petro and 12-year-old daughter Veronika were killed when the road they were travelling on to find safety was bombed. She explains to Victoria and Vitaly how taking care of her one-year-old baby is the only thing that keeps her sane. And how she's now been waiting for nearly 50 days for a visa to the UK. They also speak to Derek Edwards from https://homesforukraine.org, an organisation he set up to help Ukrainians, including Viktoria, seek refuge in the UK. With him, is 17 year old Anna Merchuk, who talks about resettling in England and her hopes for the future. And we talk through the latest in the conflict as new research from Amnesty International shows Russia has killed hundreds of civilians using indiscriminate shelling and widely-banned cluster munitions. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Ivana Davidovic, Chris Flynn and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

The Kremlin defends the death sentences for three captured soldiers. Fergal and Vitaliy are joined by BBC Russian Service’s Olga Ivshina to understand more about what is happening in Ukraine. They speak to former US Army medic, Brennan Phillips, and the Mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, who was kidnapped and imprisoned by Russian soldiers. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Alix Pickles and Natalie Ktena. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

Three men are convicted by a Russian proxy court in eastern Ukraine. We speak to Tim Whewell, a BBC reporter who has been investigating the fate of more than a million Ukrainian refugees who have ended up in Russia. Have they been rescued? Or illegally deported? And we check-in with Natalia, whose husband fought during the siege of the Azovstal steelworks. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The assistant editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Victoria and Vitaly are joined by Zhanna Bezpiatchuk from the BBC Ukrainian service, who travelled to Irpin to investigate allegations of war crimes. There she heard accounts of violence against civilians, of shootings and summary executions - including the killing of a young woman in a red coat. Her body remained in the street for four weeks - lying where she had been trampled not once, but over and over again, under the wheels of Russian armoured vehicles. A food shopping list was found in her coat pocket. UNICEF’s James Elder explains how over one hundred days of war have ‘wrought devastating consequences for children at a scale not seen since World War II’. The agency says 70% of Ukrainian children are displaced by fighting. And, Mykola Bielieskov, from the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Kyiv, explains why he believes the long-range rocket artillery promised by the US and the UK won’t be enough to stabilise the front line, even less to push the Russian troops back. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Why some Ukrainians choose to flee whilst others stay. Thousands of Ukrainians, from the heavily bombed East, don’t want to leave - it turns out that some don’t believe that Russia is bombing them. We hear from a listener who has not had contact with her father in Severodonetsk, described by President Zelensky as a 'Dead City', since May 22nd. And the Kyiv residents raising money to repair their bombed apartment block. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Clare Williamson with Osman Iqbal and Philip Marzouk. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Russia targets Ukraine’s capital with missiles for the first time in weeks. Vitaly and Frank talk to Nataliia, who recently returned to Kyiv with her young son – they were woken up by the blasts. Also, the UK says it will send its first long-range missiles to Ukraine. And Col Bob Seddon, who was once in charge of bomb disposal for the British army, tells us how he’s helping Ukrainians deal with mines. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Clare Williamson with Osman Iqbal and Philip Marzouk. The assistant editor was Alison Gee. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 123 9480 – and start your message with the word Ukrainecast.

One hundred days on from February 24th, a date that will be remembered for decades, we take you through the story of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In this special episode, we listen back to some of the key moments from hours of testimony and analysis on the war. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk. The technical producer was Emma Crowe and the exec producer, Estelle Doyle. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall. For 100 days Ukrainecast has been made by Daniel Wittenberg, Osman Iqbal, Chris Flynn, Alix Pickles, Sam Bonham, Natalie Ktena, Alison Gee, Clare Forde, Michele Thiel, Miranda Slade and Clare Williamson. You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 1234 220.

Ukraine gets long-sought US long-range missile systems. BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner explains why Kyiv hopes this will be a gamechanger. Maria Chashka, a Deputy Commander of a battalion in Kharkiv, confirms she believes this will help her country win the war. The acting war time mayor of Severodonetsk, Oleksandr Stryuk, tells Victoria and Vitaly about the recent strike on a chemical plant in his city, which has already seen over 90% of its population leave for a safer place. And, as Ukraine and Scotland face each other in a World Cup play-off, we hear from Tetiana Lukianenko a refugee from Kyiv, now based in Aberfeldy, Scotland. She says she will cheer whoever wins. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

What does Europe’s partial oil ban mean for Russia’s economy? After the EU agreed a compromise plan to stop its members importing Russian oil by sea, economist Timothy Ash tells Victoria who might be most hurt by the sanctions. And BBC reporter Chloe Hajimatheou uncovers increasingly sophisticated disinformation tactics being deployed and spread globally. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Daniel Wittenberg. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

Russia’s UK ambassador calls footage a “fabrication”. In a tense BBC News interview, Andrei Kelin claims allegations of war crimes in the town of Bucha are false despite physical evidence, satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s chief prosecutor tells us she’s investigating thousands of cases. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Chris Flynn and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

Stories from the front line. The BBC's Fergal Keane and Olga Ivshina hear from Russian soldiers who have risked their lives on the front line of the war. Why have some of them refused to return? The BBC's Jeremy Bowen speaks to us from a Donbas town which is within artillery range of Russian troops. And Rustik, Fergal’s fixer in Bucha, discusses his first experience of conflict and how his country is changing. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Osman Iqbal and Natalie Ktena. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. Both Sergey and Marina are voiced by actors. You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 1234 220.

Vitaly and Victoria hear from 19 year old Maksym Lutskyi, a soldier fighting in the Donbas where the Ukrainian army is under increasing pressure. He’s aware Russian forces might encircle him any time soon, but says he will fight on regardless. Also, a listener based in Moscow explains how he’s been trying to bring Russians with opposite views of the conflict together and engage in a meaningful dialogue. And another listener sends us a picture of a literal Ukraine-cast… Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Alix Pickles, Osman Iqbal and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Sam Bonham. You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 1234 220.

Vitaly's home town is struck Two areas of the southern city of Zaporizhzhia have been struck by Russian missiles, leaving one person dead and three others wounded. Whilst Russian forces are centering their offensive on Eastern Ukraine, Russian forces are now in control of much of the big Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine’s South. We hear from Kostyantyn, a factory worker from Zaporizhya who describes waking up to the sound of explosions during the night. Also, we speak to the mayor of Meritopol Ivan Federov who was abducted and held by Russian forces for five days before being freed in a prisoner swap. And we answer listener questions on conscription and President Putin’s ambitions as well as getting the latest from Davos. Vitaly and Lewis are joined by Kateryna Khinkulova from BBC World Service who is from Kyiv. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal, Louise Hidalgo and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Sam Bonham. You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 1234 220.

Security correspondent Frank Gardner joins Victoria and Vitaliy to give us the latest updates from the eastern front and how European nations are responding to the continuing war. We hear the story of Alice: the four-year-old girl who escaped Azovstal but lost her mother in the process. Those looking after her say her mother has been taken to Russia. Also, we catch up with the Russian TV news editor, Marina Ovsyannikova, who protested the war live on air back in March becoming a symbol Russian anti-war sentiment and an exile in the process. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Phil Marzouk, Osman Iqbal and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall. You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 1234 220.

Russian soldier jailed for life. The tank commander has been convicted for killing a civilian at the first war crimes trial since the invasion. The BBC World Service’s Svyatoslav Khomenko has been in court in Kyiv every day of the trial and brings us up to date on the sentencing. Vitaly discusses the heavy shelling in the Luhansk region with the Governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Gaidai. And Victoria and Vitaly talk about nuclear safety with Petro Kotin, who is in charge of all five of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants including one in Zaporizhzhia, occupied by Russian troops. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Phil Marzouk, Chris Flynn and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 1234 220.

Fergal Keane joins Vitaliy to talk to a member of Bucha’s city council who tells us more accounts of atrocities in his city and how it can rebuild. Friend of the podcast Olga Malchevska reports from Kharkiv: the eastern border city in which Ukrainian forces pushed out Russian troops. Vitaliy and Fergal answer your questions before Vitaliy tells us about his upcoming documentary on a women’s football team in Mariupol. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Phil Marzouk and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

UN says the war could lead to long-term famines. Victoria and Vitaliy hear about what's going on by speaking to Sergey, a farmer from southern Ukraine, and the UN’s Pierre Vauthier. And, after weeks of worry, we check-in with Nataliya, who tells us that her husband, who was fighting at the Mariupol steelworks, is alive and is now being held in Russian-controlled territory. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Phil Marzouk and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

The BBC World Service's Svyatoslav Khomenko tells us what's he observed at the court of the first war crimes trial of the Ukraine conflict. Also, Victoria and Vitaly speak with Olga Ivshina from the BBC Russian Service, who has been investigating forced mobilisation in the Eastern Ukraine region of Donbas. People living there told her men had been grabbed in the streets, whilst out shopping or on public transport. Many haven’t been seen since. And leading international lawyer Philippe Sands weighs in on whether Biden and Zelensky are right to describe what is happening in Ukraine as a genocide. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

After two months of fighting, hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers have been evacuated by Russian forces from Mariupol's Azovstal steelworks. Victoria, Vitaly and Lyse Doucet speak to Yuriy Sak, an advisor to the Ukrainian defence minister, about what this means for Russia’s war strategy. They also speak to the BBC’s specialist disinformation reporter, Marianna Spring, about the pregnant woman who was photographed fleeing from Mariupol’s maternity hospital during a Russian airstrike and her fight to prove that she wasn’t an actress taking part in staged images. We also hear from Vladimir about the field hospital he’s set up with his friends at the war’s Eastern front. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk, with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Victoria and Vitaly speak to Sarah Rainsford who tells us about a facility in Bucha that was once a children’s summer camp but has now become a crime scene after the torture and execution of five men there. We hear from NGO worker Oksana who, until recently, was living under Russian occupation in Kherson. She tells us about her colleagues who’ve been abducted. And NATO Ukraine officer and associate fellow at Chatham House Sam de Bendern talks through the pushback in Kharkiv and the implications of Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk, with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

As a Russian soldier is put on trial in Ukraine for war crimes, Victoria and Vitaliy discuss whether he can receive a fair hearing in a Kyiv courtroom. They speak to Natalia, whose husband is fighting at the steel plant in Mariupol. She says she hasn’t heard from him in nearly a week and fears for his life. Finally we speak to the Ukrainian winner of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest Jamala. Her winning song was inspired by her great-grandmother’s experiences in World War Two and now she feels the history she sang about is repeating itself. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Osman Iqbal and Natalie Ktena. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk or send us a message or voice note on WhatsApp, our number is +44 0330 1234 220.

Russian soldiers have been seen shooting dead unarmed civilians. Victoria and Vitaly are joined by Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall. They hear from a soldier, Volodomyr Demchenko who explains why he is fighting, his worries for his country, and his causes for optimism. We also hear why Finland is intending to join Nato, with Oksana Antonenko, a correspondent from the BBC Russian Service. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Alix Pickles and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. Get in touch! Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk or send us a message or voice note on WhatsApp, our number is +44 0330 1234 220.

Why are so many of them avoiding “disturbing information” about Ukraine? Victoria and Vitaly are joined by Lyse Doucet, who is in Dnipro, where rows of graves are being dug in anticipation of more people being killed in the war. Grigory Yudin, from the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences, tells us more about public opinion in Russia and about what it’s like to publicly speak out against the war while living there. And Ukraine are through to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. We speak to the country's commentator, Timur Miroshnychenko, who was broadcasting for the semi-final from a temporary studio in a bomb shelter. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

Victoria, Vitaly and Frank Gardner speak to Olga Malchevska, and hear her interviews with victims of suspected war crimes. 15-year-old Yuriy describes how his father was killed in front of him and a bullet missed his own head by inches. Also, Serhiy Dibrov, deputy editor of the Odesa newspaper, Dumskaya, is on the podcast after bombing in the city. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

Putin tells his troops they are fighting for their motherland. Former Russian MP Sergei Markov and advisor to Vladimir Putin gives the Kremlin’s point of view on the day his country celebrates victory at the end of the Second World War, against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine. They analyse his claims, as well as President Putin’s speech, with the help of Liza Fokht from the BBC Russia service. Katarzyna Zysk, professor of international relations and contemporary history at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies explains why Russia’s military force wasn’t on full show. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn and Phil Marzouk. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

Why is May 9 so important to Putin? Victoria, Fergal and Vitaliy are joined by Dr. Ammon Cheskin who explains what Victory Day in Russia is really like and whether Putin will use it to declare mass mobilisation. Also, Andrew Harding joins us from the frontline in Donbas where he is meeting people quietly expressing their Russian identity. And Ukrainecast listener Emma wrestles with different views on the war in her own home, as she houses a Ukrainian man fleeing the war. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Natalie Ktena and Phil Marzouk. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Victoria and Vitaliy speak to executive director of Disability Rights International Eric Rosenthal about their investigation into how Ukraine’s disabled children have been abandoned by their carers in institutions that don’t know how to look after them. A 21-year-old man from Donetsk tells us how he left his home, his friends, his life in order to avoid forced conscription into the Russian forces by Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region. Ukrainecast listener, commercial airline pilot and social media star Captain Denys tells us how his livelihood was swiftly lost as Russian’s entered Ukrainian airspace and of his new life in a remote Ukrainian village. And we get the latest updates from the eastern front as a crucial bridge in Dnipro is destroyed as the Russian military attempts to disrupt Ukrainian army supply routes. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal, Miranda Sawyer and Phil Marzouk. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voicenote via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

The EU plans a total ban on Russian oil imports by the end of the year, among other new proposed sanctions designed to make Russia pay a high price for aggression. Victoria and Vitaly speak to the economist Timothy Ash about how reliant Europe’s energy supply is on Russia and how much longer President Putin can afford his war bill. We also hear from the BBC Ukrainian Service’s Anastasia Gribanova, who’s in Lviv, where Russian missiles have hit targets in an attempt to disrupt the railway network in western Ukraine. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voicenote via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

As the first evacuees arrive in Zaporizhzhia after weeks sheltering from bombs in the Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant, Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall and Vitaliy Shevchenko speak to James Elder from Unicef as he tells us about greeting these people and their stories. We also speak to the BBC’s Abduljalil Abdurasulov, who's spent time in the trenches with Ukrainian armed forces in the southern city of Mykolaiv while civilians there endure daily Russian attacks. And we run through the latest developments, including Boris Johnson addressing the Ukrainian parliament making him ever more popular with their people and ever more unpopular with the Russian state. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk, with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

We hear about the captured Ukrainians with the BBC's Yogita Limaye and Ukraine analyst, Mattia Nelles. And, the day after the UN secretary general met with the Ukrainian president, the BBC’s special correspondent Fergal Keane, and Vitaly chat to former Nato Ukraine officer, Sam de Bendern, about the prospect of peace in the region. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Alix Pickles and Natalie Ktena. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

We speak to Bill Browder... Lyse Doucet, the BBC's chief international correspondent, and Vitaliy Shevchenko, find out how he became an enemy of the Russian state. We learn about how a monument to Russian-Ukrainian friendship was torn down by officials in Kyiv, about UN general-secretary Antonio Guterres’ trip to Ukraine and about how Ukrainian forces are attempting to retake Kherson. Finally, we catch up with Maksim Kilderov, the artist from Nova Kakhovka who we spoke to in late March, and Johnny Doyle, the man who raised funds to get Maxim to safety in western Ukraine. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Lauren Stanley, Osman Iqbal, Ben Cooper and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

As fighting continues in the bombarded city of Mariupol we hear from Olha, Katarina and Maria: three women who tell us their stories after escaping. We hear from a young refugee with autism, and his sister who runs an organisation helping autistic Ukrainian children. Trauma, stress and an unknown future have thrown carers and children into unknown territory. We also hear an update from Transnistria, the Russian-backed disputed territory in Moldova that was the site of multiple explosions. The United Nations’ Lars Johan Lönnback explains what this could mean. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle and Phil Marzouk, with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

The United Nations boss travels to Moscow to discuss peace with Putin. Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko are joined by Lyse Doucet, BBC Chief International Correspondent, who presents Ukrainecast for the first time. They discuss the prospect of a diplomatic solution to the conflict as the United Nations' Secretary General Antonio Guterres visits Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and President Putin. We hear from a woman in close contact with fighters in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, who says water and food is running low. Also on the podcast, BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale talks about reporting from the Donbas. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Vitaly and Victoria speak to Oleksandr Sosnovskyi, from the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia, as the city prepares in case of a Russian offensive. We also catch up with Vitalii Pashchenko, a 19-year-old student, who says some lecturers have remained to teach as bombs go off around them. There’s also a roundup of the latest developments after the highest-level trip to Ukraine by US officials since the invasion began. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

The UN Human Rights Office has today described the war in Ukraine as a ‘horror story of violations against civilians’, in which respect for international law has been ‘tossed aside’. Matilda Bogner, who runs the UN's Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, tells us about the war crimes they've documented. We're also joined by the Marianna Spring, the BBC's disinformation reporter, who tells us the real story of the Ukrainian soldier who became famous when a clip of him defying orders from a Russian warship to surrender, and swearing at them, went viral. And a daughter tells us how she undertook an extraordinary journey into the besieged city of Mariupol to rescue her parents. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Cassie Galpin. The Editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

The Russian President orders troops to seal off the port city. Victoria speaks to defence expert, Justin Crump, about the situation in the city of Mariupol. She also talks to a woman who had an emergency C-section in the basement of a hospital as the fighting was intensifying outside. Anastasia Platonova from the BBC Russian Service – currently based in the Latvian capital, Riga – has been speaking to the mothers of Russian sailors who’ve gone missing. And the BBC's Lewis Goodall returns to Poland to see how Ukrainian refugees are faring since his last visit. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Ben Cooper. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

A Ukrainian marine commander in Mariupol has made what he described as his troops' "last address to the world" as they try to resist Russian forces in the city. Victoria Derbyshire, James Landale, and Olga Malchevska speak to Olena Nikulina, whose cousin Maks is among the soldiers still there. Also on the podcast, The Economist correspondent Oliver Carroll, who’s been speaking to a commander in the city. And the BBC’s religion editor Aleem Maqbool discusses the Russian Orthodox Church's role in the conflict. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

We speak to a Russian politician... Yevgeny Popov, Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, speaks to Frank Gardner and Victoria Derbyshire, and says that Russia felt “bullied” into invading Ukraine. He’s challenged on his belief that Nato is the aggressor, and his claims are analysed with the help of Sam de Bendern, a former Nato Ukraine political officer. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Alix Pickles and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

Travelling 2000 miles from Poland to the UK... When Ukrainecast listener, Richard O’Doherty, emailed us offering to drive Vitaly's mum and aunt from Poland to the UK, we did not know what to expect. But on the Easter weekend, Alla and Irena arrived into Reading, greeted by Vitaly and members of his family. And, having followed their story since the invasion began, Victoria joined them at Vitaly's house the morning after, to talk through this momentous journey and what it means for everyone involved. This special episode of Ukrainecast was made by Emma Crowe. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

The Ukrainian president accuses Europe of paying for Russian oil with blood money. The Ukrainians claim to have hit Russia's flagship warship. And Finland eyes up a place in Nato. On today's Ukrainecast Vitaly and Fergal also hear how Ukrainian Railways are playing a critical role in the war effort, after having to reinvent themselves to evacuate refugees and move supplies around the country. And we have an eyewitness account from a young woman who fled from the Donbas region last week. Today's episode was made by Phil Marzouk and Osman Iqbal. The technical director was Emma Crowe. The assistant editors were Alison Gee and Sam Bonham.

Ukraine says it has arrested one of President Putin’s allies and is interested in a prisoner swap. Viktor Medvedchuk had been under house arrest in Kyiv but escaped when the Russian invasion began. James Landale joins Victoria to discuss whether a swap is likely. There's also an update from Hussain who fled from Kherson. He’s been helping other people escape from the same city - we speak to one of them. And a Belgian doctor explains how he helped transport 80 orphans across Ukraine to a safer place. Today's episode was made by Phil Marzouk and Chris Flynn. The technical director was Emma Crowe. The assistant editors were Alison Gee and Sam Bonham.

Reflections on the horrors inflicted on the people of his city... After weeks of reports of Russian atrocities in the region surrounding Kyiv, the mayor of Bucha speaks to us and asks: “Why did they do this to us?” You may remember Sasha Makoviy, the mother who wrote pertinent information and contact details on the back of her two-year-old daughter in case the worst happened. We hear the latest. And we also speak to director of the Maidan museum in Kyiv who is striving to ensure the country’s artefacts are kept safe. Today's episode was made by Chris Flynn and Phil Marzouk. The technical director was Emma Crowe. The assistant editors were Sam Bonham and Alison Gee.

The man involved in Syria and Chechnya is now reported to be in charge of operations in Ukraine. Victoria, Vitaly and Frank are joined by Reuters' former Moscow correspondent, Oliver Bullough, to discuss General Aleksander Dvornikov’s past and what this means for the war. They also speak to Oleksandra Matviichuk, a human rights worker in Kyiv who’s just found out that her dad is alive after more than a month of no contact. And, two very different diplomatic visits are on the agenda - Boris Johnson’s trip to Kyiv and the Austrian Chancellor’s visit to Moscow, making him the first Western leader to go there since the war started. Today's episode was made by Alison Gee with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical director was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

We reflect on the horrific missile strike on a crowded train station in Kramatorsk. The station in eastern Ukraine is a major evacuation point and the attack has killed at least 50 people. Also, why does Putin need a victory by the 9th of May? Since 1945 ‘Victory Day’ has been a national celebration in Russia, marking Nazi surrender in the Second World War. Sam de Bendern, a political risks consultant and former NATO Ukraine officer, explains how Putin is feeling the pressure to celebrate a significant ‘victory’ in Ukraine on that day. But with the invasion not going to plan, what does Russia now consider ‘success’ to be? And what happens when Putin gets desperate? And we catch up with Olga Malchevska from the BBC Ukrainian Service, whose family has now fled Ukraine. But with her nephew still hiding whenever he hears a plane, the psychological impact of war is something that is not easily shaken. Today's episode was made by Estelle Doyle with Natalie Ktena, Osman Iqbal and Phil Marzouk. The studio director was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

As footage emerges that appears to show war crimes being committed by Ukrainian soldiers we speak to one of the BBC’s team of journalists working to establish if the material is authentic. We hear from a man who’s made the decision to go home to Kyiv after having fled when war broke. A Lithuanian man explains how he’s trying to tell Russian people what’s really happening in Ukraine, by cold-calling and talking to them. Victoria Derbyshire, Vitaly Shevchenko, and Frank Gardner present this episode, and answer questions that have been sent in. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn and Phil Marzouk. The studio director was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

A woman from Mariupol describes the humiliation her mother and father faced as they travelled through checkpoints out of the city. Also, Irena Taranyuk from the BBC’s Ukrainian service tells Vitaly and Lewis how she’s been accused of not being pro-Ukrainian enough. And on the day that Putin’s daughters are sanctioned, we dig into the secrecy around his family with journalist Farida Rustamova who dared to ask the Russian president about it. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn and Osman Iqbal. The studio director was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

As scenes of civilian corpses strewn on the streets are repeated across Ukraine, Victoria, Vitaly and Lewis take stock of a watershed in how we are seeing the war. Kay Devlin from BBC Monitoring’s anti-disinformation unit talks us through the clues and sources they look for when verifying whether what we’re viewing is valid. We hear the first-hand account of Halyna Tovkach, who was shot, and her husband and neighbours killed, while they tried to flee the town of Bucha by car. And the BBC Russian Service’s legendary presenter, Seva Novgorodsev, who played a key role promoting democracy in Russia, tells us how much of his work he feels has been undone by Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Osman Iqbal, Phil Marzouk and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Unarmed civilians massacred near Kyiv. As images of bodies in the streets of towns near the capital lead to an outpouring of condemnation around the world, Human Rights Watch tells us about their investigation into the alleged atrocities. We hear from Tatyana, who was travelling in a convoy of vehicles escaping the city when two fleeing residents stepped out of their car and were shot dead, while their six-year-old remained in the car. Meanwhile, Vitaly’s dad, Alexander Shevchenko, has made it to the UK. He joins us in the studio to share his story and swap perspectives on the war with his 22-year-old student, Elizaveta, who has chosen to stay in Ukraine. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Ben Cooper, Phil Marzouk and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Grim signs of potential war crimes on the road to Kyiv. The BBC’s Jeremy Bowen joins us from near Ukraine’s capital, where he has seen the burnt remains of civilians, shot dead as they tried to flee Russian soldiers. We also discuss reports of a Ukrainian attack on an oil depot in Russia and the latest plan to evacuate residents of occupied Mariupol. Fergal Keane discusses the trauma many in Ukraine will be left with, long after the fighting stops, and introduces us to Valeriy, who was first evacuated from the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in 1986, and now for a second time as a result of the war. And we talk about Vladimir Putin’s ploy to demand oil and gas payments in roubles with political risk and geopolitics expert Dr Otilia Dhand. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Chris Flynn, Phil Marzouk and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Putin says the West must pay for their energy with Russian currency... Newscast’s Adam Fleming and the BBC’s Security Correspondent, Frank Gardner, sit in for Victoria and Gabriel, alongside Vitaly. They talk energy supplies, security intel and the latest from Mariupol. They also catch up with Anastasiya Gribanova from the BBC's Ukrainian Service, who's in Lviv. She explains why she'd like to take her pro-Russian relatives to see the destruction caused by the war with their own eyes. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk, Alix Pickles and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

Russia plays down hopes of a breakthrough... Victoria, Vitaly and the BBC’s Diplomatic Correspondent, James Landale, talk through the latest in Ukraine. Julia Friedlander, Senior Fellow and Director of Economic Statecraft at the Atlantic Council, talks about the dangers of imposing tougher economic sanctions on Russia.   And we catch up with 19-year-old student, Vitalii, about life in Lutsk, the city where thousands of Ukrainian refugees are waiting to see what will happen next. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Emma Forde, Alix Pickles and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham and the editor was Jonathan Aspinwall

Russia has promised to reduce attacks around Ukraine’s capital at face-to-face talks in Turkey. Victoria, Vitaly and Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall ask if that’s a hopeful sign or just empty words. After reports about the poisoning of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and two Ukrainian peace negotiators, we speak to Max Colchester, one of the journalists who uncovered the news, and former Soviet intelligence officer, Dr Boris Volodarsky, a spy expert who himself was poisoned in 2005. And we get an update on the situation in Russian-occupied Mariupol, where the mayor has pleaded for all remaining residents to be evacuated, with Ukrainian MP Dmytro Gurin, who is from the besieged port city. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Phil Marzouk, Emma Forde and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Hussain, who we’ve been following since the start of the war in Ukraine, tells us how he finally managed to get his family out of a Russian-controlled area to freedom. The Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich and two Ukrainian peace negotiators have had symptoms of suspected poisoning, according to people close to them. Also, Victoria, Vitaly and Frank Gardner talk to a Ukrainian pilot who flies MiG-29 fighter jets and goes by the name Moonfish. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Alison Gee, Phil Marzouk, Emma Forde and Miranda Slade. The technical director is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

As Ukraine recaptures some of its towns, Victoria, Vitaly and Gabriel give an on-the-ground update and explain why Vladimir Putin has been talking about JK Rowling. Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun speaks to us from Kyiv to discuss the first official investigation into rape allegations of a Ukrainian woman by a Russian soldier. And Unicef spokesperson James Elder joins us from Lviv where air raid sirens continue to signal the horrors facing Ukrainian children. But first... we have some good news from Hussain as he sends us a voice note from the road to Odessa: he has finally fled Kherson. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Phil Marzouk, Nat Ktena and Michele Theil. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

One month since war broke out... Victoria, Gabriel and Vitaly reflect on the first weeks of a devastating conflict they never expected to happen. We explore where the war might go and how long for. We also look back over the past month with the voices of some of the people affected who have given us their testimony, including updates about Vitaly’s own family. And the BBC’s specialist disinformation reporter, Marianna Spring, tells us how online propaganda was used to try and justify Russia’s bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Daniel Wittenberg and Alix Pickles. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

We answer more of your questions about Ukraine... Nearly a month since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are collaborating with the Global News Podcast again.   Jackie Leonard (from the GNP), alongside Gabriel Gatehouse and Vitaliy Shevchenko (from UC), guide us through questions about civilian life in the country, military tactics, and the international response to the invasion.   BBC Chief International correspondent, Lyse Doucet, joins us from Kyiv to talk through what’s happening on the ground there, and BBC Security Correspondent, Frank Gardner, tells us the latest on the physical and information war.   This episode was made by Chris Flynn. The studio director was Ash Taylor. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

Even as Russia’s advance into Ukraine leaves cities in ruins, many Ukrainians feel they have no choice but to fight on. We speak to Maxim, a street artist from Nova Kakhovka in the Russian-controlled region of Kherson, who’s been graffitiing enemy tanks. After President Biden warned that Russia has the capability to launch cyber attacks in response to sanctions, the Oxford Internet Institute’s Mariarosaria Taddeo joins Gabriel, Vitaly and Victoria to explain why the digital risk goes beyond Ukraine. We also catch up with Anna to hear how she and her family are feeling after fleeing Kharkiv and whether they might make it to Canada. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Phil Marzouk, Chris Flynn and Michele Theil. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

As hundreds of thousands of civilians flee Mariupol as it lies in ruins, the world looks on in shock as the Russian advance into Ukraine continues. We hear from Roman Kruglyakov, a resident of Mariupol who fled to a nearby village at the beginning of the war. He tells us how he’s been travelling to and from the city in his car to get family members and whoever he can out of the city, detailing the horrific conditions that those left behind have to live with. As president Zelensky makes a speech to Israel’s Knesset, he draws comparisons between Russia now and the actions of the Nazis in the Holocaust, BBC security correspondent Frank Garner tells us about the escalation in Russian aggression and the warning their destruction of Mariupol sends to other Ukrainian cities. But as the devastation continues we hear more stories of those who got out, including the little girl who was filmed singing Let It Go from Frozen in a Kyiv bunker. She and her family have found safety in Poland where she took to a much larger stage in support of Ukraine… This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn, Michele Theil and Phil Marzouk. The studio director was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Eight years after Crimea was annexed, Vladimir Putin has given a speech to a packed stadium in Moscow, praising Russia’s soldiers in Ukraine. Victoria, Gabriel and Vitaly speak to the BBC Ukrainian Service’s Anastasia Gribanova. War has caused the breakdown of her relationship with her pro-Russian parents in eastern Ukraine and with her cousin who’s fighting for the other side. She's in Lviv, which was targeted for the first time today and is also where Vitaly’s mum and aunt have just arrived. And the BBC’s World Affairs Editor, John Simpson, gives us a special insight into the one of the latest rounds of diplomatic calls – this time between President Putin and Turkey's leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan – and what it suggests about Putin’s state of mind. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Natalie Ktena, Alix Pickles, and Phil Marzouk. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Ukraine has accused Russian forces of bombing a theatre filled with sheltering civilians in the city of Mariupol. Gabriel and Vitaly speak to Dmytro Gurin, a Ukrainian MP from Mariupol, to find out what happened. They’re also joined by Bridget Kendall, former BBC Moscow correspondent and diplomatic correspondent, to understand how we got to the point where Joe Biden is calling Vladimir Putin a war criminal. And we get an update on Vitaliy’s mum, who we last heard was attempting to leave his home town of Zaporizhzhia, and new information from Hussain and his family in Kherson. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle, with Chris Flynn, Phil Marzouk, and Michele Theil. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Sam Bonham.

Shortly after Ukraine’s president’s historic address to the US Congress, Gabriel And Victoria talk to Nina Khruscheva, Professor of International Affairs at the New School in New York – and the granddaughter of former Soviet ruler Nikita Khrushchev - for her insight into Russia’s exit strategy. 20,000 people have been evacuated from the city of Mariupol, which has been under siege for the last two weeks. Residents are without water, food, and electricity, and the authorities claim there have been over 2,500 deaths in the city since the conflict began. We hear from Roman Skliarov, who is from Mariupol and has seen many leaving the city in an effort to secure their safety, while Vitaly gives us an update on his family and the situation in Kyiv. And Anthony Zurcher, from Americast, joins us to describe the US reaction to President Zelensky’s address to Congress and whether he will get the sanctions and weapons he has asked for. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle, with Emma Forde, Alix Pickles, Chris Flynn, and Michele Theil. The studio director is Hannah Montgomery. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

More Russian strikes have hit residential buildings in Kyiv. As tower blocks burn, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has announced a 35-hour curfew, warning of “a difficult and dangerous moment”. Victoria, Gabriel and Vitaly get the latest on the ground and hear from surgeon Dr Andrey Vysotskyi, who has hardly stopped working since we last spoke to him. Meanwhile, with a Russian journalist facing a fine for interrupting a live TV news bulletin to protest against the war, the BBC Russian Service’s Liza Fokht tells us about her decision to leave Moscow for Latvia. And we hear from the BBC’s Eastern Europe Correspondent, Sarah Rainsford, on what she’s learned from sheltering with residents in eastern Ukraine while covering the conflict. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Phil Marzouk, Alix Pickles and Emma Forde. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

A new attack at the border of Poland sparks fears of further escalation by Russian forces, as Vitaly updates us on what’s happened over the weekend. Meanwhile, footage from Mariupol shows the effects of being under siege for the past ten days, with Ukrainian authorities claiming over 2,500 deaths in the city. As many flee, the remaining residents are unable to be contacted due to regular power outages. Victoria speaks to a Ukrainian MP who grew up in Mariupol, and whose parents are still in the city, about what it’s like in that part of Ukraine, while Gabriel speaks to a woman from Scotland who has been unable to get in touch with her parents in Mariupol in the last ten days. And we hear from Sergey Radchenko an expert in international relations and Russian security policy about the ongoing peace talks, and what we’re seeing from both sides of the conflict. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle, with Emma Forde, Phil Marzouk, Chris Flynn, and Michele Theil. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

The BBC’s Fergal Keane presents today’s episode of Ukrainecast from Lviv in western Ukraine – thousands of refugees are flowing through the city as they try to leave the country. He’s joined by the BBC's Abdujalil Abdurasulov, who’s in Kyiv as Russian forces continue to slowly advance, and Kevin Connolly, former Moscow BBC correspondent. They discuss Russia’s strategy to take Kyiv and who Putin’s allies are. The Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who’s living in exile, also explains why she feels her country’s future is so closely connected to the fate of Ukraine. Today’s Newscast was made by Alison Gee with Alix Pickles. The studio directors were Sharmini Ashton-Griffiths and Wayne Moses. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

"There's no safe place in Ukraine anymore." Ukraine’s western cities of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk have been hit. There are scenes of destruction too in Dnipro, a strategic centre, as Russian forces widen their attacks across the country. Military expert Justin Bronk talks Victoria, Gabriel and Vitaly through Russia’s progress. We also hear from a 19-year-old student in Lutsk who thought he was safe after fleeing the capital but overnight was woken up for the first time by the sound of war. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Phil Marzouk, Michele Theil and Daniel Wittenberg. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Fact vs. propaganda... Vic, Gabriel and Vitaliy discuss the peace talks in Turkey, the aftermath of the bombing in Mariupol, and why every bit of info coming out of the conflict needs to be treated with scepticism. The White House have expressed concerns that Russia might use chemical weapons to speed up the invasion of Ukraine. But where does their intelligence come from? Chemical weapons expert, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, weighs up the evidence... And we catch up with Anna, who made it out of Kharkiv with her family. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Alix Pickles, Ben Cooper and Michele Theil. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Sam Bonham.

A maternity ward and children’s ward at a hospital in Mariupol have been destroyed in a Russian air strike, according to officials there. At the moment we don’t know how many people have died. Russia editor at BBC Monitoring Vitaly Shevchenko and Abdujalil Abdurasulov, who’s a video journalist with the BBC in Kyiv, join Victoria and Gabriel to discuss which cities are being targeted. Also, BBC World News’ Kasia Madera tell us some of the personal stories she’s been hearing from people fleeing Ukraine. More than two million have now left the country, and Prof Peter Gatrell from the University of Manchester explains how this compares to other conflicts. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk, Emma Forde and Alison Gee. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

We link up with the BBC World Service... On the 13th day of the Russian invasion into Ukraine we collaborate with the Global News Podcast to answer your questions. Jackie Leonard (from the GNP), alongside Gabriel Gatehouse and Vitaliy Shevchenko (from UC), guide us through questions about the historical context of the war, the nuclear threat, and the information war. BBC Chief International correspondent, Lyse Doucet, joins us from Kyiv, to explain what could happen if Ukraine doesn't manage to hold the capital. And BBC Diplomatic Correspondent, James Landale, comes on to explain what impact the Western sanctions are having on Russia. This episode of Ukrainecast x Global News Podcast was made by Phil Marzouk. The studio director was Gareth Jones. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

In the north of Ukraine, a convoy of Russian vehicles appears to be stalling as it attempts to advance on the capital Kyiv. Russian military expert at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies Dr Katarzyna Zysk tells Victoria and Gabriel why that may be and how it is impacting Russia’s strategy. Last Thursday, we spoke to Hussein, a Pakistani man who lives in Kherson in the south with his wife and three-year-old daughter. He tells us how the occupation of the city is affecting local people as food supplies run low and many, including himself, consider attempting to leave. Russia editor at BBC monitoring Vitaly Shevchenko joins us to explain his thoughts on the use of the letter Z by Russians to show their support for the invasion and we hear an update on Anna: the 25-year-old girl from Kharkiv who spoke to us last Wednesday from the bathroom in which she was sheltering. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Emma Forde, Alix Pickles and Phil Marzouk. The studio director is Ash Taylor. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Victoria catches up with Fergal Keane, who is in Lviv in the West of Ukraine, where thousands of refugees are at the station trying to get out of the country. Despite a planned ceasefire in two southern cities, Fergal explains why evacuations had to be halted because of continued Russian shelling. They are joined by Kevin Connolly, former BBC correspondent in Moscow and Patricia Lewis, Director of the International Security programme at Chatham House. Together they discuss comparisons with the Cold War, the ongoing nuclear threat and if a no-fly zone could ever work. And we’ve had an update from Max, who has sent us pictures of the destruction of his home in Kyiv. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle and Alix Pickles. The studio director was Jonny Baker. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Europe’s biggest nuclear powerplant is hit by shelling, but a nuclear disaster is avoided. We hear from BBC Monitoring’s Vitaly Shevchenko, whose mother’s balcony in Zaporizhzhia looks out on the facility. Meanwhile in Kyiv, after a difficult night of air strikes, Max sends us a voice memo about his plans to leave the capital with his family. Also, Victoria speaks to Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet, who is reminded of the destruction she saw in Allepo. And BBC international correspondent Andrew Harding describes how he saw similar tactics being used by Russian military while covering the Chechen wars. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn and Natalie Ktena. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Russian forces have taken control of the key port city of Kherson. And at another port, Mariupol, people are now trapped by intense bombardments. Victoria speaks to a Kherson resident about what it’s like suddenly living under Russian rule. Jonah Fisher, who until recently was the BBC’s Kyiv correspondent, charts the rise of Volodymyr Zelensky from Paddington Bear actor to wartime president, and we hear from his former spokeswoman, Julia Mendel. And what’s the mood like in Moscow? Liza Fokht from the BBC Russian Service is back to explain the information gap between social media and state TV, and how the closure of IKEA and H&M is hitting home. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Natalie Ktena, Phil Marzouk and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Ukraine’s key cities of Kherson, Kharkiv and Mariupol have come under intense attack. Victoria and Vitaly speak to a young woman in Kharkiv, Anna, who’s afraid her home could be bombed. Journalist and author Gavin Esler says some anti-war critics in Russia have been arrested, and explains which other countries are worried about being targeted. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk and Natalie Ktena. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

As violence looks set to escalate in Kyiv, Victoria, Gabriel and Vitaliy talk through how the conflict is unfolding across Ukraine. Dr Andrey Vysotskyi from Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv describes how two children were brought in with injuries today sustained in an air strike which killed their mum, while children with cancer are being cared for in the basement. Newsnight’s diplomatic editor Mark Urban joins us to explain what the convoy approaching Kyiv tells us about Putin's latest military strategy. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn, Molly Grace Lynch and Natalie Ktena. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

As fighting continues in Ukraine, Victoria Derbyshire and Gabriel Gatehouse look at how the crisis is being reflected in Russia. They’re joined by Angus Roxburgh, who spent three years as a consultant to the Kremlin, to discuss whether the people closest to Putin will stay loyal to him though this conflict. And the BBC’s Liza Fokht in Moscow has been asking Russians what they think about the invasion. Back in Ukraine, we catch up with Max, whose son and wife were injured when a missile hit their home in Kyiv last week. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Natalie Ktena, Phil Marzouk and Alix Pickles. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Putin moves Russia's nuclear forces to "special alert”, in response to what he described as “aggression” from Nato countries. Meanwhile as fighting continues in the streets across Ukraine’s biggest cities, President Zelensky says his delegation will meet with Russia at the Belarus border for talks. Is President Putin using his nuclear arsenal as a conflict deterrent or as a threat to the West? Victoria and Gabriel are joined by the director of the International Security Programme at Chatham House, Dr Patricia Lewis. And as hundreds of thousands flee Ukraine, we hear from Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall from the border in Poland, where he’s been speaking to families trying to make their way to safety. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Phil Marzouk and Caitlin Hanrahan. The studio manager was Stephen Bailey. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Ukrainians, from Kyiv to the UK, answer calls to defend their country. The capital has come under attack, but the residents and their president remain defiant, and Russian forces have so far failed to break through their resistance. Maxim Karaush was at home with family when their apartment building in Kyiv was hit by a missile. He tells Victoria and Gabriel why, after his wife and son were injured and his home destroyed, he asked to speak to us. We aim to explain a fast-moving conflict and answer your questions about the war. Vitaly is with us again too, and he's been following a group of Ukrainian men in England as they prepare to return to fight for their homeland. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Daniel Wittenberg and Phil Marzouk. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Ukraine government gives out guns as Russian forces approach... Victoria, Gabriel and Vitaliy talk through how the conflict has unfolded. Olga Malchevska, from the BBC Ukrainian Service in London, tells of how her family home was targeted, and Newsnight’s diplomatic editor Mark Urban joins us to explain what's going on with Putin's military strategy.   Today's Ukrainecast was produced by Estelle Doyle, Natalie Ktena, Tim Walklate, Phil Marzouk, Sally Abrahams and Molly Lynch. Emma Crowe was the technical producer. Sam Bonham was the assistant editor and Jonathan Aspinwall was the editor.

... and Ukraine vows to fight back. Victoria Derbyshire and Gabriel Gatehouse reflect on this historic day... How did we get here? How did it all happen? And where could it be going? We also speak to Vitaliy Shevchenko, the Russia editor at BBC Monitoring, and Askold Krushelnycky, a journalist in Ukraine. Today's Ukrainecast was produced by Danny Wittenberg and Natalie Ktena. Emma Crowe was the technical producer. Sam Bonham was the assistant editor and Jonathan Aspinwall was the editor.