In his first interview with a Western reporter since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Russian president Vladimir Putin sat down with former Fox News host-turned-online commentator Tucker Carlson. Over the course of a two-hour long, sometimes rambling, interview, Putin gave a 30-minute history lesson and said that ending the war is “simple” - the West just needs to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine. BBC’s Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg and Professor Angela Stent, an expert specialising in...
Feb 09, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ten years ago this month Crimea was occupied and then annexed by Russia. We find out what it’s like to live there now. We also speak to journalist, film-maker and Russia specialist, Nick Sturdee. He’s interviewed families who have relatives currently being held prisoner in Crimea. Victoria and Vitaly also chat to Maria Tomak, head of the Crimea Platform, which is based in Ukraine and tries to raise awareness of the situation in Crimea. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vita...
Feb 06, 2024•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Ukraine’s much discussed mobilisation bill returns to parliament, we catch up with friend of the podcast and student Vitalii Pashchenko, to find out how he and his friends feel about the conscription age being lowered from 27 to 25. He tells us about life in Kyiv, and why his family have decided to return to Ukraine after fleeing to Poland at the start of the war. Vitaly also speaks to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, Andriy Kostin, and his UK counterpart, Victoria Prentis. They reveal how Ukrai...
Feb 02, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast The latest series of the award-winning BBC documentary Putin vs The West delves into the first year of the war through the eyes of some of its key figures - including President Zelensky, then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Director Tim Stirzaker explains the challenges of documenting a war when it’s very much on-going, and how the team managed to get the Russian ambassador to the UN to speak candidly on camera. A...
Jan 30, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast After the downing of the Russian plane on Wednesday, Vitaly speaks to Petro Yatsenko, the Ukrainian spokesman for the coordination for the treatment of prisoners of war. Victoria and Vitaly also discuss the successes of his team’s ‘I want to live’ hotline that helps Russian soldiers defect. And they’re joined by author and Time correspondent, Simon Shuster, to talk about his new book ‘The Showman’. It follows President Zelensky and his team in the lead up to the full scale invasion of Ukraine in...
Jan 26, 2024•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Russian plane has been shot down near the Russian-Ukraine border. Russia claims it was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war, who were on their way to a prisoner swap. Ukraine claims it wasn’t told to secure airspace around Belgorod for the transportation of PoWs, as has happened in previous prisoner swaps. Earlier, Ukraine had claimed the plane had been carrying Russian weapons. So, who is to blame and what was on the plane? Victoria and Vitaly are joined by Olga Robinson of BBC Verify to discu...
Jan 24, 2024•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Several cities in Ukraine were hit this morning in the latest wave of Russian missile attacks, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens more. The assaults come after a series of blasts at the weekend in Russian-held Donetsk and St Petersburg. The BBC’s Ukraine correspondent, James Waterhouse, and BBC Monitoring’s Russia reporter, Francis Scarr, explain the significance of attacks on Russian soil, plus the importance of Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s address to the United Nati...
Jan 23, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast With little progress being made on either side of the front line, Ukraine is also facing a challenge when it comes to the recruitment of new soldiers. A bill to increase the number of people who would be eligible to be conscripted recently stalled in the Ukrainian parliament. Victoria and Vitaly speak to Lily, who hasn’t seen her husband for nearly two years, after he volunteered to fight at the start of the war. She’s calling on the government to put a much shorter time limit on how long soldie...
Jan 19, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Lyudmila Huseynova was living and working in the Ukrainian border town of Novoazovs’k when she was arrested in 2019. As a Ukrainian patriot who refused to accept Russian citizenship, her actions angered Russian-backed separatists in the area, and she was taken to the notorious Izolyatsia prison. She tells Victoria and Vitaly about life in one of the world's most infamous prisons, and how she found out about the full-scale invasion of Ukraine while in captivity. And Samantha de Bendern from Chath...
Jan 16, 2024•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast The UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced the military aid package on a surprise visit to Ukraine where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. James Landale is travelling with the PM and sent us an update from on the ground. The Economist’s Defence editor, Shashank Joshi, is back with us to help explain what the visit and the money means. And we get reaction to how this has been received in Ukraine from former defence official, Alexander Khara. Also on today’s programme, we hear f...
Jan 12, 2024•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast What’s it like living in the Russian city under attack? We hear from a man in Belgorod, the Russian border city that Ukraine is targeting with missiles. Twenty-five people were killed and more than 100 others hurt there on 30 December, in what was one of the deadliest attacks on Russia since the full scale invasion. Missiles continue to be fired. Russia editor Steve Rosenberg is on to tell us how Russians are reacting, and what it means for the future of the war. Today’s episode is presented by ...
Jan 09, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Anna Olsen was working as an army paramedic in Ukraine’s 36th Brigade when she was captured by Russian forces during the siege of Mariupol. The mother-of-one experienced psychological and physical torture before she was released in a prisoner exchange, after more than six months in Russian captivity. She tells us her story. And the BBC’s Security Correspondent, Frank Gardner, explains the importance of the latest prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine - and why Middle Eastern countries ha...
Jan 05, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast An update on the major aerial assaults by both sides. Today’s episode is presented by Vitaly Shevchenko, Olga Robinson and James Waterhouse. The producer was Cordelia Hemming. The technical producers were Matt Hewitt and Ricardo McCarthy. The series producer is Lucy Boast. 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.
Jan 02, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast As the war in Ukraine approaches its second anniversary, what does 2024 hold for the conflict? BBC correspondents from across the world join us for a one-off special, looking at how elections in the UK, US and Russia will affect funding and the frontline. Europe editor Katya Adler, Russia editor Steve Rosenberg, Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse and US State Department correspondent Barbara Plett Usher join us to answer your questions. Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings. The prod...
Jan 02, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast What's it like to fight for your country over the festive season, when the rest of the world is celebrating with their family and friends? We hear from an officer who heads an artillery reconnaissance team about what last Christmas was like - and his hopes for this holiday. And Chef Zhenya has set up a military kitchen in Zaporizhya that makes 68,000 meals a week for a military unit. He tells us how he does it - and what he’s putting on the menu to celebrate the end of 2023. And the BBC’s Irena ...
Dec 29, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast We revisit the bedtime story programme for children separated from loved ones because of the war in Ukraine. We speak to Maryna, who is living in The Netherlands with her daughter, while her parents are still in Kyiv. They explain how important it is to hear family voices reading traditional Ukrainian stories. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Ivana Davidovic. The technical producer was Mike Regaard...
Dec 25, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s our final episode before Christmas and Ukrainecast has invited some of the Songs for Ukraine chorus, from London's Royal Opera House, to join us in the Radio 3 Classical Music studio. As well as singing two traditional Ukrainian Christmas carols, we hear the stories of four members of the choir and conductor Danny Parashchak explains the importance of the songs. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. Today’s episode was made my Clare Williamson. The techn...
Dec 22, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast A new investigation by BBC Eye, using just open source material and social media posts, follows the journey of a young Russian solider - from his conscription and training to his disappearance on the bloody Ukrainian front-line. Journalist Ned Davies reveals how they produced the shocking documentary. And despite still being at war, Ukraine has started to re-build damaged cities like Bucha - often with large sums of money. BBC Radio 4 reporter Tim Whewell visited the city to meet the people behi...
Dec 19, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Putin has held his first televised news conference since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Russia editor Steve Rosenberg gives his verdict on the annual show. And after a long night of intense talks, Ukraine is one step closer to joining the European Union - although long-term Putin ally Viktor Orban, of Hungary, vetoed a €50bn aid package to Kyiv. Europe correspondent Sofia Bettiza, who was at the summit in Brussels, explains what happened. Today’s episode is ...
Dec 15, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Zelensky is facing a challenging time. At home, his rule is becoming increasingly autocratic says the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitaly Klitckhko, and his Commander in Chief, General Zaluzhny, has also been openly critical. As he heads to the US to secure a much needed funding package worth $61billion, Victoria and Vitaly talk to Lara Seligman, Pentagon Correspondent for Politico, and Samantha de Bendern from the think tank Chatham House, who is in Kyiv, to shed some light on the challenges facing...
Dec 12, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast What’s life like for the women left behind following the capture of the Mariupol defenders? During the siege of Mariupol, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers held out for several months inside the Azov steel works, until they were eventually instructed to surrender in May 2022. Now prisoners of war, many have not been heard of for months. We’re joined by two women who haven’t seen their husband and brother in over a year and a half, but still hold out hope. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria D...
Dec 08, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ukraine has again accused Russia of committing war crimes, as a viral video appears to show two unarmed Ukrainian soldiers being shot dead as they attempt to surrender. We look at whether a war crime has been committed, with Kateryna Stepanenko from the Institute for the Study of War, which has been closely monitoring the conflict since day one. And six months on from the Kakhovka Dam explosion, we explore what is happening in the region and see what archaeologists have found since the waters su...
Dec 05, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Geolocation, misinformation, verification… we answer your questions on how the BBC monitors and reports on the most important events of the war in Ukraine. Olga Robinson, an editor at BBC Monitoring and Verify specialising in Russian disinformation, and Francis Scarr, a journalist at BBC Monitoring, join Vitaly in the Ukrainecast studio and reveal all. Today’s episode is presented by Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Clare Williamson, Arsenii Sokolov, Ivana Davidovic and Keiligh Baker. The t...
Dec 01, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Ukraine and Russia are hit by “the storm of the century,” how does winter weather affect troops on the front line? The BBC’s Security correspondent, Frank Gardner, and Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse discuss who stands to benefit from bad weather - and Russia’s biggest drone attack on Kyiv yet. And Ukrainian journalist Maria Romanenko, who fled Kyiv in March 2022, joins us from Manchester, where she hosts walking tours for newly arrived Ukrainian refugees. Today’s episode is presented ...
Nov 28, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last week Sonya’s girlfriend, artist Sasha Skochilenko, was convicted of spreading "false information" about the Russian army for putting anti-war stickers on grocery products. The same day she was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony, Putin pardoned a convicted murderer. Dr Jade McGlynn, Research Fellow, The Department of War Studies at King's College, reflects on what this development means for Russian society, and whether Putin’s “peace” comments have any weight behind them. Today’s epi...
Nov 24, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast What’s life like inside the Russian-occupied city? We’re joined in the studio by Ukrainian journalist and writer, Mstyslav Chernov, who made the film '20 Days in Mariupol’. He describes what it was like to shoot the documentary from inside Mariupol, which chronicles the Russian invasion of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol in 2022. And Zhanna Bezpiatchuk from the BBC Ukrainian service gives us an insight into everyday life there under Russian occupation today. Today’s episode is presented by V...
Nov 21, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Thousands of men have fled Ukraine to avoid conscription, according to a BBC investigation. The BBC’s Kateryna Khinkulova joins us in the studio to explore why, as well as the moral dilemma facing those who attempt to escape the draft. Sam Cranny-Evans from the London-based security think-tank, the Royal United Services Institute, examines how the war might pan out in the coming years. And what does Lord Cameron’s visit to Kyiv tell us about British priorities? Today’s episode is presented by Vi...
Nov 17, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast A new investigation claims a Ukrainian military officer coordinated the attack on Russia's Nord Stream pipelines. But was he acting as a maverick? Or on behalf of Ukraine? We hear from James Waterhouse in Kyiv and Newsnight’s diplomatic editor Mark Urban, and get the latest update on the "stalemate" war. And we catch up with Olga, a teacher from Kherson, who has lived through Russian occupation, constant bombardment and floods. She tells us what life was like under Russian occupation and how tha...
Nov 14, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast In February, Ukrainecast collaborated with BBC Newsnight on a live show to mark the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. One of the guests was Elya, who was just 17 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. After two weeks hiding with her family in their building’s basement, a missile strike on another floor prompted her to flee. She reunites with Victoria and Vitaly to discuss what has happened to her since. And the BBC’s Sofia Bettiza discusses Ukraine’s...
Nov 10, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast After Ukraine’s commander-in-chief described the war as being at a stalemate, and President Zelensky’s subsequent denial that his country’s efforts are faltering, how is the counter-offensive progressing? We’re joined by military analyst Justin Crump, Catherine Sendak from the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington DC and hear from a soldier on the frontline. Today’s episode is presented by James Waterhouse and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Keiligh Baker, Arsenii Sokolov and I...
Nov 07, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
