Episode description

With Vladimir Putin scaling up his rhetoric over use of nuclear weapons we turn our attention to Russia in this episode.

The BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg and the Washington Post’s Catherine Belton look at the chance of a nuclear attack, the state of the opposition in Russia and why the latest intervention from Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin could provide an important clue to a possible major policy shift by the Kremlin.

We also hear from Evgenia Kara-Murza about the plight of her husband Vladimir, a British-Russian diplomat sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Moscow court for high treason.

And we assess the impact of a terrorist attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant following a warning from President Zelensky that Russia is considering such an action.

Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Ivana Davidovic, Drew Hyndman and Tom Smithard. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Tim Walklate and the 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