When Lidiia’s home town in the Donbas region became a battlefield, the 98-year-old walked through the fighting to safety 10km away. Ukrainian police eventually picked her up when they saw her and asked, “Hey granny, where are you off to?”

We also hear from Denys Kazanskyi a Ukrainian journalist and author who comes from the area about attitudes to Russia since the occupation began in 2014.

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

On Wednesday, Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia last year goes on trial.

Russian officials have accused the Wall Street Journal reporter of collecting "secret information" from a Russian tank factory for the CIA. An allegation he denies.

The BBC’s Steve Rosenberg is in the city of Yekaterinburg where the trial is taking place.

And we also hear from Evan’s friend Polina Ivanova, and his boss at the Wall Street Journal, Deborah Ball.

Today’s episode is presented by Vitaly Shevchenko.

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

On the week that Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defence pact, General Sir Richard Shirreff, NATO's former Deputy Commander for Europe, answers your questions about what this could mean for Ukraine and its allies, where we are with F16 jets and Patriot air defences, and how to deal with Russian propaganda.

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

What will Putin’s meeting with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un mean for Ukraine? Reports suggest that North Korea is supplying weapons to Russia to use in its war in Ukraine. With the two leaders meeting for the second time in under a year, this growing alliance is making some Western leaders uneasy.

Today’s episode is presented by Vitaly Shevchenko and James Waterhouse with BBC Moscow producer Ben Tavener and Seoul correspondent Jean Mackenzie.

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

Ukraine rejects Putin’s ceasefire proposal ahead of Swiss peace talks.

It’s been a busy week for President Zelensky. At the G7 meeting in Italy, world leaders agreed on a $50bn loan to help fund Ukraine’s war effort and a ten year bi-lateral security agreement was signed between the US and Ukraine. All this before President Zelensky heads to Switzerland for a Ukrainian Peace Summit. Meanwhile, President Putin has proposed his own ceasefire plan which Ukraine has rejected.

The BBC’s diplomatic correspondent James Landale and security correspondent Frank Gardner reflect on what has been agreed so far and what progress could be made this weekend.

Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings 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

Missile attacks, anxiety, power cuts and mobilisation: the challenges of childbirth and parenthood for a young couple in Kyiv.

Iryna and Volodymyr chose to have a baby following the full-scale invasion. The stress has meant that Iryna can no longer breast feed, they have lost friends and Volodymyr is about to join the army - but they are facing these challenges with bravery and resilience.

Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire .

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

What are the prospects for any progress at next week’s peace summit in Switzerland, especially if Russia is not there? Our Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg and international editor, Jeremy Bowen give us their thoughts and also answer questions on Russia’s economy, whether Russians are worried about Western missiles and how Ukrainian journalists are covering the war.

Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire.

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

One young soldier’s coming of age tale from the battlefield.

One of our most asked after regular guests, the young soldier Maksym Lutsyk, returns to the podcast. He’s now 21 years old and we find out about his time on the frontline, how he listens in to secret recordings of Russian soldiers and whether he still dreams of having a beer on a beach in Tenerife…

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

Dr Fiona Hill joins Victoria and Vitaly to answer questions sent in by Ukrainecast listeners. She’s a former US national intelligence officer and a historian who’s written a book about Putin. They tackle topics about how momentum in the war has shifted, who might succeed Putin and what difference it will make letting Ukraine fire Western made weapons into some Russian territories.

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

Schools in one of Ukraine’s most dangerous cities have taken evasive action to escape frequent Russian missile strikes.

In Kharkiv they’ve opened up temporary classrooms in metro stations to keep children safe from attacks.

In this episode we hear from a teacher and a fifteen-year-old student about what school life is like underground.

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