Ukrainecast

How did Russia respond to the world’s worst nuclear accident? As the anniversary looms, and the International Atomic Energy Agency warns of worrying military activity in Ukraine’s current nuclear reactor, Vitaly recalls the Soviet response to the world’s worst nuclear accident.The BBC’s James Waterhouse updates us on the latest military moves in Ukraine. And we hear from musician Brad Paisley about what it was like performing for President Volodymyr Zelensky. 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 senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.

Explosions, mines and sonar could be harming endangered marine life in the Black Sea, according to scientists at a university in Poland. We speak to Ewa Węgrzyn, a professor of zoology who’s conducted the research. The BBC’s Frank Gardner talks to us about ghost spy ships and whether Russia could be using them to monitor key infrastructure sites in the North Sea for possible sabotage.And we hear from chef Yevhen Klopotenko, the unofficial ‘ambassador’ of Ukrainian cuisine, who delivers the final verdict on the right way to make kutia. 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 Sam Bonham. Email [email protected] 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 has been calculating the number of Russians who have died in the war and civilian recruits make up a third of their frontline losses. Olga Ivshina of BBC Russian and Mark Urban, diplomatic editor at Newsnight, explain what this means for Russian families and the course of the conflict. And we hear from the director of the Kherson regional art museum, Alina Dotsenko, about the moment its treasures were taken away in unmarked vehicles. Today’s episode is presented by Lyse Doucet 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 [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

More than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians have been trained as soldiers by the British army here in the UK. Documentary maker Stacey Dooley shares the stories of one cohort who she followed through their intense five-week course. And 21-year-old Jack Teixeira has been charged over the leak of confidential US intelligence documents. He faces up to 15 years in prison. Russia expert, Prof Mark Galeotti talks us through the latest developments, what it could mean for the war and the shadowy figures vying for power in Russia. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov 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 [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Could the leak of secret Pentagon documents affect the course of the war in Ukraine? Defence expert Sam de Bendern gives her analysis of the US national security breach and we hear about another Russian dissident facing 25 years in prison for criticising the war.The BBC Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse has been in Kharkiv to see the de-mining efforts as so-called butterfly bombs continue to injure civilians. And we have an aural treat in the shape of YouTube project: How Does Ukraine Sound? Its producer Yevhen Synelnykov has been collecting unique sounds from cities across Ukraine, such as the sea, factories and churches, and making music from them.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 Philip Bull. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

Elya describes how she took her eight-year-old niece out of Ukraine after a missile hit her home in Kharkiv last year. Elya was just 17 at the time. Now she’s returned to visit her parents and says: “It’s the most times I’ve seen my father cry.”The BBC’s Francis Scarr reports on the assassination of a pro-war blogger in St Petersburg, a defection and suggestions that Ukraine may be willing to negotiate over Crimea. And Ivan Chuvilyaev explains how the group Idite Lesom (Go By the Forest) is helping Russians afraid of mobilisation. And finally Vitaly tells Victoria about the Ukrainian origins of the humble Easter egg. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Jonny Hall. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480Audio credit: The Dossier Center

LONG: BBC Moscow’s Will Vernon gives Lyse and Vitaly the latest on the murder of a pro-war blogger in St Petersburg and a growing spate of people denouncing family, colleagues and strangers.Vitaly speaks to Tetyana Sokolova, a midwife in a Mariupol maternity hospital that kept the wards open while the city lost water, gas and electricity. And as Finland ends 70 years of official strategic neutrality by joining the Nato military alliance, former Finnish PM, Alexander Stubb says Putin only has himself to blame and dismisses Russian talk of counter-measures.Today’s episode is presented by Lyse Doucet and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Jonny Hall. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email [email protected] 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 Wall Street Journal has vehemently denied allegations one of its reporters is a spy, after he was detained in Russia. The BBC’s Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford, who was herself expelled from Russia as a national security threat, tells us this is a worrying development.Francis Dearnley of the Telegraph’s podcast Ukraine: The Latest, joins Vitaly and Frank to discuss the geopolitics of the Ukraine war and we answer your questions on the ingredients of borscht.Today’s episode is presented by Frank Gardner 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 [email protected] 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 witnessing and reporting on war crimes around the world, Janine di Giovani realised that journalists like her were often among the first people to arrive at the scene of atrocities. So she linked up with fellow journalist, Natalya Gamenyuk, to set up the Reckoning Project. Their aim - to teach reporters how to gather evidence and testimonies that can be used later in court. Irena Taranyuk from the BBC Ukrainian Service answers a listener’s questions about how Ukrainian farmers are coping.And award-winning author Mikhail Shishkin explains why he finds it painful to be Russian at the moment.Today’s episode is presented by Frank Gardner and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Natasha Fernandes, 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 [email protected] 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 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480Music 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480Today’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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480Join 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480