Episode description

Why has President Zelensky lobbied Western powers for the F-16? What are the challenges in getting them deployed? And could they shift the balance in the war for Ukraine’s skies?

To discuss this we’re joined by Dan ‘Two-Dogs’ Hampton, a retired US Air Force pilot who has flown 151 combat missions in the F-16.

Also, the Guardian’s Emma Graham-Harrison and the BBC’s James Waterhouse discuss the dismissal of Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov.

Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Gabriel Gatehouse. The producers were Clare Williamson, Arsenii Sokolov and Sam McLaren. The technical producers were Antonio Fernandes and Emma Crowe. The series producer is Tim Walklate. 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.

You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord.

TOPICS:

00:05 - Why might Putin meet Kim Jong Un? 03:14 - Reaction to the dismissal of Ukraine's defence minister 14:32 - Are F-16 fighter jets a game-changer? 26:59 - Draft dodgers in Ukraine's army