Episode description

The Ukrainian government has asked refugees not to come home before the spring – they’re worried about pressure on the energy system. But what does this mean for host countries? We discuss the implications with Sarah Nathan from the UK charity Refugees at Home and Stephanie Hegarty, the BBC’s global population correspondent.

Also, the BBC’s Tim Whewell has an update on Viktoria Kovalenko’s situation. After losing her husband and daughter to the war, she was held captive in a basement in appalling conditions. She eventually made her way out of Ukraine and has been waiting for a UK visa since April.

And BBC Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse joins us from Zaporizhzhia, one of the many cities hit by another wave of missile attacks.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Luke Radcliff and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical director, Michael Regaard. The assistant editor, Alison Gee. The senior news 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.

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