Aiden Aslin, the British prisoner released by Russia, discusses his time behind bars, receiving the death sentence and his plans to return to Ukraine. Also, Africa correspondent Andrew Harding and Beverly Ochieng from BBC Monitoring in Nairobi discuss the Russia-Africa summit and the continent’s relationship with the Kremlin. And what does Yevgeny Prigozhin’s reappearance in St Petersburg tell us about President Putin’s position of strength? Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vita...
Jul 28, 2023•30 min
Why is Russia targeting the historic port city after it withdrew from the grain deal? We hear from James Waterhouse, who has spent the weekend in Odesa and visited the landmark Transfiguration Cathedral, which was hit by strikes. And opera singer Katerina Tsymbaliuk tells us what it was like to perform in the cathedral and why her city’s residents are so resilient. Also, Nick Sturdee has been speaking to contacts in Donbas about life in this Russian-annexed part of Eastern Ukraine. Today’s episo...
Jul 25, 2023•31 min
Will the collapse of the UN grain deal and attack on port cities in Ukraine affect food security? James Waterhouse joins us from a grain processing plant in Poltava and we also hear from Oksana Karabin, who works for Ukraine's biggest grain exporter Kernel. Their terminal was shelled this week destroying 60 tonnes of grain. And we return to the issue of the forced deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia. We hear from Vice correspondent Isobel Yeung and the BBC’s Kateryna Khinkulova - two jou...
Jul 21, 2023•29 min
We find out more about the bombing of the Kerch bridge between occupied Crimea and Russia. How much damage has been done and by whom? Olga Robinson from BBC Verify talks through the evidence. And is Vladimir Putin’s homophobia driving LGBT acceptance amongst Ukrainians? Mikhail Zygar, the Russian journalist, writer and film maker tells us why he hopes his own marriage will strike a blow for gay equality in Russia, while Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun talks about passing a law to allow same-sex partner...
Jul 18, 2023•27 min
Should Ukraine be more grateful to the West for its military and financial support? After the UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said "people want to see gratitude" from Kyiv, BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera and Politico’s Lara Seligman look at the big talking point from this week’s Nato summit — and assess whether Ukraine should be pleased or disappointed by the commitments made. And we hear from Dalia Stasevska, the Ukrainian-Finnish conductor at the first night of the BBC Proms, about ...
Jul 14, 2023•31 min
What to expect from this week’s Nato summit. BBC Europe editor Katya Adler and former US general John Allen discuss what Ukraine can realistically hope for (when it comes to joining the alliance) at the two day gathering in Vilnius. Also, Russia editor Steve Rosenberg is back with the latest on the whereabouts of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and what life is like in Moscow weeks after his failed mutiny. Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Cla...
Jul 11, 2023•31 min
It’s nearly 500 days since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began and it seems nowhere is safe. The western city of Lviv, a haven for refugees far away from the front line, has been hit by Russian missiles killing ten civilians. We hear from Olga Pona, a local journalist, about her night of terror sheltering in a basement car park. We catch up with student and friend of the podcast Vitalii Pashchenko on his graduation day. He tells us about his plans for the future. And as US journalist Evan G...
Jul 07, 2023•29 min
Assessing the damage caused by the Kherson floods. The BBC’s Andrew Harding updates us on the environmental, social and emotional impact caused by the Kakhovka dam breach, and we catch up again with Kherson resident Olga. Also, we find out more about the attack on independent Russian journalist Elena Milashina in Chechnya, who appeared on last week’s Ukrainecast, with the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford and Tanya Lokshina from Human Rights Watch. Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaliy S...
Jul 04, 2023•30 min
And is Wagner setting up a camp in Belarus? The BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen has hotfooted back from a whistle-stop trip to Kyiv to update us on what President Zelensky’s military advisers are thinking. Artyom Shraibman, from the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, explains how Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko stands to benefit from harbouring some of Putin’s nuclear warheads. And we hear from independent Russian journalist Elena Milashina on the role Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov ...
Jun 30, 2023•31 min
After a dramatic weekend, we are joined by BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner to answer your questions on the failed rebellion. We discuss what comes next for Prigozhin and his mercenaries with Lou Osborn, from the monitoring group All Eyes on Wagner. Also, we explore Vladimir Putin’s future with Jade McGlynn, a research fellow at King’s College London and author of ‘Russia’s War’ and ‘Memory Makers: The Politics of the Past in Putin’s Russia’. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derb...
Jun 27, 2023•28 min
The rebellion by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, is over. BBC Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford and broadcaster Gabriel Gatehouse try to make sense of what happened on Saturday with a rebellion by the mercenary Wagner group and share their thoughts on what happens next for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Today’s extra episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The episode was produced by Clare Williamson. The technical director was Ricardo McCarthy. Th...
Jun 25, 2023•21 min
President Putin decries "betrayal" and "treason" after a dramatic challenge by the chief of the Wagner mercenary force, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Russia editor Steve Rosenberg, Security correspondent Frank Gardner and broadcaster Gabriel Gatehouse try to make sense of a moving and murky situation in Russia. Today’s extra episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email [email protected] with your que...
Jun 24, 2023•25 min
With Vladimir Putin scaling up his rhetoric over use of nuclear weapons we turn our attention to Russia in this episode. The BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg and the Washington Post’s Catherine Belton look at the chance of a nuclear attack, the state of the opposition in Russia and why the latest intervention from Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin could provide an important clue to a possible major policy shift by the Kremlin. We also hear from Evgenia Kara-Murza about the plight of her hu...
Jun 23, 2023•36 min
Both Ukrainian and Russian fighters have started describing the counter-offensive as hitting in ‘waves’. But what exactly does that that mean? The BBC’s security correspondent Frank Gardner and Owen Matthews, a historian and former Newsweek Moscow bureau chief, return to the pod to digest the military tactics and innovations from both sides on the frontline. Also, we take a closer look at the war’s impact on children in occupied territories - many of whom have been forcibly removed to Russia. My...
Jun 20, 2023•30 min
As a show trial begins of Azov Brigade fighters captured in last year’s siege of Mariupol, we hear from the fiancée of one about the torturous conditions they are being held in. Also, just how many Russian fighters have lost their lives in the war so far? BBC Russian’s Olga Ivshina has been crunching the numbers. And the BBC’s diplomatic correspondent James Landale joins us on a day when an African leaders’ peace mission visits Kyiv - and have to promptly take shelter from a missile attack. Toda...
Jun 16, 2023•29 min
We hear from the BBC’s James Waterhouse who is one of the first journalists to visit a newly freed village in the eastern Donetsk region. Also, the day after Russia celebrates its national day, missiles rain down on the home city of Ukraine’s president killing at least 11. Sunday Times correspondent Christina Lamb and BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner assess the dramatic developments in the last week including the floods in Kherson and the start of Ukraine’s counter-offensive. Today’s epi...
Jun 13, 2023•33 min
Tales of resilience and rescue on the banks of the Dnipro river. We speak to Ivan, a student from Kyiv who has driven to Kherson to help deliver aid to those affected, and Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse tells us about the people he’s met who’ve been cut off by the floods amidst the shelling. We speak to a woman from the Belgorod region, near the border with Ukraine, about what it’s like to live in a part of Russia that is very much caught up in the conflict. Professor Mark Galeotti on wh...
Jun 09, 2023•36 min
We hear from Olga who has lived in Kherson throughout the war, the occupation, the constant shelling and now the floods. We talk to the BBC’s James Waterhouse in Kherson who’s watching the flood waters rise and monitoring the rescue effort. Olga Robinson from BBC Verify answers Ukrainecast listeners questions about the cause of the dam break. Today's episode is hosted by Victoria Derbyshire and produced by Clare Williamson. The planning producer is Drew Hyndman and the technical producer is Phil...
Jun 07, 2023•25 min
Thousands flee floods as Ukraine and Russia blame each other for dam break. The BBC’s international editor, Jeremy Bowen, is in the studio to discuss what could have happened to the dam, why anyone would attack it, and what impact this could have on the wider conflict. Also, we get through to one man living and working in one of the flooded areas. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The technical prod...
Jun 06, 2023•21 min
Russia says it’s thwarted a major Ukrainian attack in the latest sign that that the counter-offensive may have started. Meanwhile, Kyiv says that "offensive actions" are under way in the east. But how significant could these developments be? Kyiv correspondent James Waterhouse and security correspondent Frank Gardner discuss whether we’re now in a new phase of the war. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Clare William...
Jun 05, 2023•14 min
Yulia lives in Kyiv with her three-month-old baby and two young children who are five and eight. She describes how they shelter from Russian attacks in their bathroom and says she’s questioning whether to stay in the city where she has built her life, or leave to find somewhere safer in the west of the country. The BBC Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse updates us on the latest overnight attacks and explores the internal political tensions growing over a locked bomb shelter, a situation that...
Jun 02, 2023•29 min
Several buildings in Moscow have been hit in rare drone attacks. President Putin claimed the strikes were aimed at “civilian targets” and accused Kyiv of trying to frighten Russia. Kyiv was also targeted for the third night running - buildings there were set on fire and at least one person is reported to have been killed. BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner, Russia editor Steve Rosenberg and Anastasia Gribanova from the BBC Ukrainian Service discuss whether this signals a new phase in the w...
May 30, 2023•28 min
A missile strike on a medical centre in Dnipro has killed at least two people and injured dozens more. The BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse is there and describes the rescue operation. Shashank Joshi, defence editor at The Economist, explains why Russia has targeted healthcare facilities. And Daniele Palumbo from BBC Verify explains how his team checked the authenticity of video of the hospital. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. Produced by Cl...
May 26, 2023•27 min
Armed insurgents have crossed the border from Ukraine to launch attacks in Russia's Belgorod region. Two Russian paramilitary groups claim they were responsible for the largest cross-border incursion since Russia's full-scale invasion began. We explore the motives of the two groups with BBC Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg. Also, how does the BBC decide which material shared on social media is accurate and which is disinformation? We’re joined by Olga Robinson from BBC Verify, who explains the tool...
May 23, 2023•31 min
The CIA has released a video to try to persuade ordinary Russians to share secrets, saying their children will thank them for standing up and being heroes. Also, the tale of Russian sleeper agents who lived undercover for years in New York - their friends and colleagues had no idea. The BBC’s Gordon Corera and producer Emma Weatherill discuss their new podcast Mother, Neighbor, Russian Spy. Diplomatic correspondent James Landale gives us the latest on the G7 summit in Hiroshima. And we hear from...
May 19, 2023•35 min
Ukraine’s air defences intercepted six hypersonic missiles fired by Russia over Kyiv, one of the most sophisticated weapons in Moscow’s arsenal. The BBC’s Frank Gardner breaks down the significance of the attack and recent arms pledges from the West. We’re also joined by Anastasia Gribanova from the BBC’s Ukrainian Service to talk about The Superhumans Center, a specialised clinic for Ukrainians offering free prosthetics, reconstruction treatment and PTSD counselling. Today’s episode is presente...
May 16, 2023•27 min
Ukraine’s President meets UK’s PM Sunak for talks on more military support. Long range missiles, drones and training are offered. International editor Jeremy Bowen appraises Monday’s meeting. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Sam Dickinson. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Sam Bonham. Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You ca...
May 15, 2023•14 min
What do the Russian people really think about the war? Former Russian diplomat, Alexander Baukov, and Russia expert, Dr Jade McGlynn, talk through how the war could end. And we get the latest from the frontline in the Donbass with BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Gabriel Gatehouse. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Drew Hyndman. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The ...
May 11, 2023•33 min
President Putin has said the world is at a "turning point” during Russia’s Victory Day parade and blamed the West for the war in Ukraine. The annual celebrations in Moscow to commemorate victory over Nazi Germany were slimmed down amid security concerns. Shashank Joshi, defence editor at The Economist, shares his thoughts on this year’s event and his analysis of what course the fighting could take in Ukraine. Katya Buchatska tells us about her film that documents a train journey across Ukraine -...
May 09, 2023•29 min
Can Ukraine get another Eurovision winner with Tvorchi? We hear from sound producer Andrii Hutsuliak and Tvorchi vocalist Jeffrey Kenny on their Eurovision experience and hopes for this year’s contest. The BBC’s Frank Gardner and Barbara Plett-Usher bring us up to speed on this week’s Kremlin drone attacks. What happened, why is Russia blaming the US, and where could this lead? Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare W...
May 05, 2023•29 min
