Ukrainecast

With Russia launching nearly daily attacks against Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, the UK’s former defence secretary, Sir Ben Wallace, is in the Ukrainecast studio to give his take on what the strikes signify. He also reflects on his visit to Moscow which took place just 10 days before the full-scale invasion.

And we hear from residents in Lviv and Kyiv who were hit by the attacks this week.

Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire, James Waterhouse and Vitaly Shevchenko.

You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

A Russian missile strike has killed dozens of people in the Ukrainian city of Poltava. Hundreds more are reported to have been wounded in what Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has called a "barbaric attack". We have the latest updates and analysis as the story unfolds.

Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko.

Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

Has Kyiv’s gamble to take Kursk paid off?

Lyse and Vitaly examine whether Russian advances on the key Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk raise questions about the success of the cross-border incursion, as well as answer some of your questions.

And we hear from Ukraine's Paralympic swimmer, Yaroslav Denysenko, who shares how the Russian full-scale invasion has impacted his life and training.

Today’s episode is presented by Lyse Doucet and Vitaly Shevchenko.

You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

Russia has launched another wave of strikes on Ukraine, with at least four people killed, a day after one of its biggest air attacks of the war. We assess whether the strikes are a retaliation for Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region which began three weeks ago.

Nicholas Connolly, correspondent for Deutsche Welle, gives us the view from Kyiv, just one of the areas targeted. He also recently visited Sudzha, the Russian border-town in the Kursk region which is held by Ukraine, and explains how Russians are responding to the incursion.

And we speak to Karolina Hird, Russia Deputy Team Lead at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, about what Ukraine’s next move might be.

Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko.

You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

Broadcaster and writer Stephen Fry has travelled to Ukraine to see how war is impacting the country’s mental health.

He joins Lyse and Vitaly in the studio to discuss his new documentary ‘Stephen Fry into Ukraine’, in which he speaks to those affected and asks whether there is sufficient government support. He also reflects on his own struggles with mental health and why Ukraine matters to him.

‘Stephen Fry into Ukraine’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FO6ZJL26eM

If you have been affected by any of the issues discussed in this episode you can visit BBC Action Line on www.bbc.co.uk/actionline

Today’s episode is presented by Lyse Doucet and Vitaly Shevchenko.

You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

Ukrainian forces entered Russia two weeks ago, but just how vulnerable has their advance left them?

What’s life like in Kursk, following Ukraine’s cross-border offensive?

We hear from Zhenya, a Kursk resident, who gives us a rare glimpse into life in the region since the Ukrainian incursion began.

And the defence expert Matthew Savill from the Royal United Services Institute is in the studio to answer your listener questions. What’s Kursk like? How long can Ukraine feasibly hold it? And is a Russian nuclear response on the cards?

Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko.

The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Cordelia Hemming, Elliot Ryder and Hatty Nash. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Richard Fenton-Smith.

Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

How has the shock cross-border offensive gone down in Russia?

We hear from Nikita, whose family and friends live in Kursk, about what they’ve been witnessing and how worried they are.

BBC Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg, tells us how this is going down in the Kremlin and what President Putin might down next

And Olga Robinson from BBC Verify is in the studio to help us understand the picture more clearly.

You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

Does Ukraine’s cross-border offensive mark a new chapter in the conflict?

Reports suggest that Ukrainian troops are operating more than 10km inside Russian territory - the deepest cross-border advance by Kyiv since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The BBC’s Ukraine Correspondent James Waterhouse discusses what might be the reasons behind this new direction for Ukraine? And how do Ukraine’s Western allies see it?

Plus, Lucy and Vitaly talk to Michael ‘Mickey’ Bergman who helped negotiate the release of many high profile American prisoners and hostages.

Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko.

You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

We’re joined by war correspondent, Luke Harding, who has reported extensively from Ukraine and Russia for the Guardian. He was in Ukraine the moment Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, and has since been following developments on the ground. He gives his take on the past, present and future of the war.

We also discuss the long anticipated arrival of the American-made F-16 fighter jets, and assess what difference they will make.

Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko.

You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord