Vladimir Putin has been sworn in as Russia's president for a new six-year term, just days before Russia’s annual Victory Day military parade on 9 May. But why does this annual event, marking victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, matter so much to Russia now? We speak to Alexander Goncharov a former Russian military officer, who’s now head of the World War Two veterans organisation in Moscow. And we discuss Victory Day’s symbolism with Russia editor Steve Rosenberg and Patricia Lewis from Chatham Ho...
May 07, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s 800 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We answer your questions on whether Russia has used chemical weapons, could Western troops ever be deployed, what the prospects are for peace, and at what cost? To help do this Victoria and Vitaly are joined by two friends of the podcast: Samantha de Bendern, and Newsnight’s Mark Urban. And we hear from inside the town at the epicentre of the fighting in eastern Ukraine, Chasiv Yar. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria D...
May 03, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ukraine's longest-serving official on death, exile and Vladimir Putin... Victoria and Vitaly speak to Oleksiy Reva, the mayor of Bakhmut, who has been in his position since 1990. The town he runs was the focus of one of the bloodiest battles of the war so far, and is now mostly in ruin. He discusses losing friends and colleagues, what he’d like to say to Vladimir Putin and his hopes to one day return to Bakhmut. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The produ...
Apr 30, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast We answer your questions on the US aid package for Ukraine: when will it be felt on the frontline and will it have an impact on the war? To help do this Victoria and Vitaly are joined by the former head of the US Army in Europe, General Ben Hodges, who also gives his assessment on whether Ukraine can win. And, we hear from Steve Rosenberg in Moscow who shares some news about his friend Valentina, who used to work in a newspaper kiosk. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vital...
Apr 26, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast A soldier and civilian discuss the $61 billion military package to Ukraine… Victoria and Vitaly hear from “Ostap”, who is fighting in the Donetsk Oblast and from friend of the podcast, Olga in the front-line city of Kherson. They share their hopes on what the US aid package could mean for their country’s fight against Russia. But will Ukraine simply run out of weapons again? Or can this be a turning point? Ann Marie Dailey, a policy researcher at RAND think tank dissects what this all could mean...
Apr 23, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast BBC Russian reporter Olga Ivshina talks to Victoria and Vitaly about her investigation into Russian military deaths since the start of the war. And Professor Michael Clarke, defence and security analyst, answers your questions about the latest from the frontline, foreign aid for Ukraine, the use of AI in combat and much more. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Keiligh Baker, Arsenii Sokolov, Cordelia Hemming, Ivana Davidovic and Elliot R...
Apr 18, 2024•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Frontline fighters on the Russian threat and the prospects for peace… Victoria and James are joined by Yaryna, who’s been serving in Ukraine’s armed forces since 2020, and a recent recruit who goes by the call-sign ‘Logan’. They discuss the current situation on the battle field, whether a new mobilisation law is enough and the prospect of Ukraine failing to win this war. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and James Waterhouse. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Hanna Chornous, ...
Apr 16, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today’s Ukrainecast we’re answering your questions on our recent David Cameron interview, Kyiv’s attempts to boost its troop numbers and the continued hold-up of the US military aid package in Congress. To help do this, we’re joined by Patricia Lewis from Chatham House and BBC Security Correspondent, Frank Gardner. Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Cordelia Hemming, Miranda Slade, Elliot Ryder and Ivana Davidovic. The technical producer wa...
Apr 12, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Why is Russia targeting Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv? It’s suffered extensive damage from months of Russian bombardment since the full-scale invasion and Ukrainian officials have said the city might be the target of a future Russian offensive. We hear from a resident and speak to the city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov. The BBC’s Sarah Rainsford tells us what life is like in Kharkiv, and Dara Massicot from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discusses the likelihood of any future Russian ...
Apr 09, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The British Foreign Secretary, Lord David Cameron, speaks exclusively to Ukrainecast. He says he has ruled out western boots on the ground in Ukraine, but acknowledged that the "war will be lost if the allies don't step up". Today’s episode is hosted by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Cordelia Hemming, Elliot Ryder, Arsenii Sokolov, and Rosie Strawbridge. The production crew was Lee Durant and Xavier Vanpevenaege. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news edito...
Apr 04, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last week the Russian Orthodox Church approved a document that branded the full-scale invasion of Ukraine a “holy war.” So what role does religion play in the Ukraine war? The BBC’s Harry Farley and Lucy Ash, the author of the upcoming book "The Baton and the Cross: Russia's church from Pagans to Putin", try to make sense of it all. We also hear from Father Andriy Zelinskyy, chief military chaplain for the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church about how he offers spiritual guidance and comfort on the ...
Apr 02, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Top Russian officials have directly accused Ukraine and the West of being involved in the deadly Moscow concert hall attack, after it was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. We speak to one woman, Valentina, who lives in Russia, about how safe she feels in the country and whether she’s taking the Kremlin’s line. And two Kremlinologists, Angela Stent from Georgetown and Hanne Notte from the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, discuss whether this could result in an escalation i...
Mar 26, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast A wave of Russian strikes have hammered Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving at least five dead. We speak to Kharkiv resident Nataliya, who joins us from a special bunker in the city, where officials say 700 000 were left with no electricity. Also, we hear from one eyewitness who lives next door to one of the targets - Ukraine's largest dam, the DniproHES, which was hit eight times according to Ukrainian officials And we get the latest from the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford in Kyiv where officials a...
Mar 22, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast There’s been a spike in drone attacks by both Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainians have recently targeted Russian oil refineries, while Russians have used drones to target the port of Odesa. So could drones change the course of the war? Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse and drone expert Samuel Bendett unpick the strategies and technologies behind drone warfare. And we hear from drone operator Ruda, a mother-of-two, who trains Ukrainians how to pilot drones. Today’s episode is presented by Lyse Do...
Mar 19, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Putin has claimed a landslide victory in an election that featured no genuine competition. The last day of voting was marked by silent protests at polling stations. But how does his expected victory matter? And what might securing a fifth term mean for the war in Ukraine? Lyse and Vitaly are joined by the BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg. Today’s episode is presented by Lyse Doucet and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producer was Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The...
Mar 18, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Russia’s elections have kicked off and bizarre scenes have already begun to unfold at polling stations across the country - including live pop performances, free pancakes, a bride and groom and a life-sized cardboard cut-out of Tucker Carlson. President Putin is considered very likely to win, despite having already served four terms - the ex-KGB spy, 71, is already Russia’s longest-serving leader since Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Valerie Hopkins, international correspondent for The New York Tim...
Mar 15, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast How seriously should we take Putin’s nuclear weapons threats? During his last address to the nation, the Russian president reiterated his threat of nuclear action against the West - so how worried should we be? Dr Patricia Lewis, a nuclear physicist and arms control expert joins Boris Bondarev, a former Russian diplomat who quit following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, to give their take. And why has the Pope caused uproar in Ukraine? Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and ...
Mar 12, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast With one week to go until Russia’s presidential elections, former Trump adviser and foreign affairs specialist Fiona Hill tells Ukrainecast why Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is also about the future security of Europe. She also gives her take on the implications of another potential Trump White House. And, how she ate dinner with Vladimir Putin, served by the late Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers wer...
Mar 08, 2024•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it has been subject to thousands of sanctions from the West - but despite this, Russia’s economy is thriving. So how is the world’s most sanctioned country getting around them? And what does this tell us about how effective sanctions are? Nataliia Shapoval, Vice President for Policy Research at Kyiv School of Economics and the BBC’s economics editor, Faisal Islam, unpack whether sanctions against Russia are having the desired impact. Also...
Mar 05, 2024•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast There were unprecedented scenes at Alexei Navalny’s funeral in Moscow on Friday, as thousands turned out to pay their respects to the dead opposition leader. But will there be consequences? And can people meaningfully protest in modern-day Russia? We hear from one woman who’s previously been arrested for protesting against the war and why she won’t stop. And Dan Storyev from the monitoring group OVD-info English discusses the challenges facing what’s left of democracy in Russia. Today’s episode ...
Mar 01, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast How significant are Russia’s recent gains on the battlefront? Karolina Hird, from the Institute for the Study of War, explains the current situation on the “dynamic” front-line, what a good year would look like for Ukraine and why the fall of Avdiivka isn’t as strategically important for Russia as it may seem. And we hear from one Ukrainian soldier on why he decided to sign up to fight just six months ago. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers w...
Feb 27, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its third year. This is today's episode from The Global Story, and we thought you might want to listen to it. A surgeon in a wheelchair, an indomitable grandmother, and a man taking care of eight cats in a bombed-out flat: just some of people the BBC’s Andrew Harding has met on repeat trips to Ukraine’s front lines. He and the BBC’s Olga Robinson, who has family in Russia and Ukraine, talk to Katya Adler about the power of individual stories, two ye...
Feb 25, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today marks exactly two years since Russia launched it’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, Victoria and Vitaly are joined by Serhiy, a Ukrainian soldier who experienced catastrophic injuries when his vehicle was blown up by an anti-tank landmine in November 2022. Along with his wife Valeriia, he reflects on the reality of life after the front-line - and his big plans to make Ukraine a more disability-friendly country for injured veterans like himself once the war is over. Today’s ...
Feb 24, 2024•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Saturday marks exactly two years of this conflict. On today’s special episode, recorded in collaboration with the Global News Podcast, BBC experts from across the world answer YOUR questions on the war. Today’s episode is presented by Oliver Conway and Vitaly Shevchenko, with the BBC’s chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, in Kyiv, Russia editor Steve Rosenberg in Moscow and BBC Verify’s Olga Robinson. It was made in collaboration with the Global News Podcast team. The producers were K...
Feb 23, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast In today’s Ukrainecast, the latest in our week of daily episodes to mark two years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Vitaly speaks to Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the UN. They discuss what America can realistically do to help bring the war to an end, if - and when - the $60bn of promised aid will actually get to Ukraine and what a Donald Trump presidency could mean for Ukraine. Today’s episode is presented by Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, I...
Feb 22, 2024•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast For this special episode, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya, tells us what it was like sitting at the UN table as news of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine broke. He also talks to Victoria and Vitaly about how much power the UN has, whether it can stop the war and if accusations that it’s just a ‘talking shop’ hold any weight. They also look to the future and how peace might be achieved. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. Th...
Feb 21, 2024•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Russia's election commission has disqualified anti-war challenger Boris Nadezhdin from standing as a candidate in next month's presidential vote. He joins Victoria and Vitaly to discuss why he was barred, why he won’t stop campaigning for peace and his vow to follow in the footsteps of fierce Putin critic Alexei Navalny following his death. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. It was made by Keiligh Baker. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Ivana Davidov...
Feb 20, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Last November we were joined in the studio by Ukrainian journalist and writer, Mstyslav Chernov, who made the film '20 Days in Mariupol’. It’s just won the Oscar for Best Documentary feature, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to remind you of the episode. He described what it was like to shoot the documentary from inside Mariupol, and chronicles the Russian invasion of the Ukrainian port city in 2022. Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The techn...
Feb 19, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Putin’s main rival, opposition politician Alexei Navalny, is dead according to the Russian prison service. An outspoken critic of the Russian leader, Navalny, 47, was serving a 19-year sentence in a Siberian jail when his death was announced on Friday morning. BBC correspondent Sarah Rainsford, who was herself expelled from Russia, explains what we know so far - and if the Kremlin could face any consequences. And Georgian-Russian writer Boris Akunin, a long-standing critic of Putin and personal ...
Feb 16, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sashko and his mum were separated after being captured by Russian soldiers in Mariupol. Now 13, Sashko hasn’t seen or heard from his mother for almost two years. Along with his grandmother, he tells Victoria and Irena their story and how they’ve not given up on their search for her. And are Nato members pulling their weight when it comes to defence spending? Donald Trump claims he’d encourage hostile states to attack Nato countries who he says aren’t paying enough. Victoria and Irena discuss thi...
Feb 13, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
