Episode description

Many Ukrainians are celebrating the liberation of towns in the south and east of the country from Russian occupation. But these are bittersweet days - the liberation came too late for some. Anastasia from Balakliya shares the devastating story of what happened to her mother and her friends.

Also, Vitaly, Victoria and the BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse talk to Jakub Jakóbowski, an expert on China, about the upcoming meeting between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and China’s President Xi Jinping. Are they allies of convenience? And which country is calling the shots?

The producers are Clare Williamson, Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. 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.