Episode description

In a defiant speech, Vladimir Putin declared four areas of Ukraine as Russian. Ukraine has responded by asking Nato to speed up giving it membership of the US-led defence alliance. Will Vernon, from the BBC Moscow bureau, sends us a dispatch from the Red Square, where a concert is being held to ‘celebrate’ the annexations. And Vitaly Sevchenko and Victoria Derbyshire are joined by Moscow based political scientist, Andrey Kortunov to unpick the events of the day and discuss what might happen next.

Also, local officials say at least 30 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a Russian rocket strike on a civilian convoy in south Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia. BBC Ukraine correspondent, James Waterhouse is at the scene of attack.

And BBC Ukrainian Irena Taranyuk hears from a teacher in Melitopol who chose to stay after Russian occupation and now annexation. He tells her how he plans to hide to avoid mobilisation.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer, Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer, Emma Crowe. The editor, 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.