Episode description

It’s nearly 500 days since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began and it seems nowhere is safe. The western city of Lviv, a haven for refugees far away from the front line, has been hit by Russian missiles killing ten civilians. We hear from Olga Pona, a local journalist, about her night of terror sheltering in a basement car park.

We catch up with student and friend of the podcast Vitalii Pashchenko on his graduation day. He tells us about his plans for the future. And as US journalist Evan Gershkovich spends his 100th day in a Russian jail, we speak to his good friend Polina Ivanova about his wellbeing and the campaign to free him.

Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko with Frank Gardner. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson, Ivana Davidovic 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