Ukrainecast

The latest series of the award-winning BBC documentary Putin vs The West delves into the first year of the war through the eyes of some of its key figures - including President Zelensky, then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

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

After the downing of the Russian plane on Wednesday, Vitaly speaks to Petro Yatsenko, the Ukrainian spokesman for the coordination for the treatment of prisoners of war. Victoria and Vitaly also discuss the successes of his team’s ‘I want to live’ hotline that helps Russian soldiers defect.

And they’re joined by author and Time correspondent, Simon Shuster, to talk about his new book ‘The Showman’. It follows President Zelensky and his team in the lead up to the full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. They discuss how the President has changed over the course of the war, and if being a comedy actor has helped him in his presidential role.

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

A Russian plane has been shot down near the Russian-Ukraine border. Russia claims it was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war, who were on their way to a prisoner swap.

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

Several cities in Ukraine were hit this morning in the latest wave of Russian missile attacks, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens more. The assaults come after a series of blasts at the weekend in Russian-held Donetsk and St Petersburg.

The BBC’s Ukraine correspondent, James Waterhouse, and BBC Monitoring’s Russia reporter, Francis Scarr, explain the significance of attacks on Russian soil, plus the importance of Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s address to the United Nations.

Victoria and Vitaly also speak to the coach of a Ukrainian football team for amputee veterans injured during the war.

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

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

With little progress being made on either side of the front line, Ukraine is also facing a challenge when it comes to the recruitment of new soldiers.

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

Lyudmila Huseynova was living and working in the Ukrainian border town of Novoazovs’k when she was arrested in 2019. As a Ukrainian patriot who refused to accept Russian citizenship, her actions angered Russian-backed separatists in the area, and she was taken to the notorious Izolyatsia prison.

She tells Victoria and Vitaly about life in one of the world's most infamous prisons, and how she found out about the full-scale invasion of Ukraine while in captivity.

And Samantha de Bendern from Chatham House explains what’s been happening at the World Economic Forum in Davos, as President Zelensky addresses world leaders there.

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

The UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced the military aid package on a surprise visit to Ukraine where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. James Landale is travelling with the PM and sent us an update from on the ground.

The Economist’s Defence editor, Shashank Joshi, is back with us to help explain what the visit and the money means. And we get reaction to how this has been received in Ukraine from former defence official, Alexander Khara.

Also on today’s programme, we hear from Anastasia Taylor-Lind, a poet and photojournalist who has spent a decade documenting the war in Donbas.

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’s it like living in the Russian city under attack?

We hear from a man in Belgorod, the Russian border city that Ukraine is targeting with missiles.

Twenty-five people were killed and more than 100 others hurt there on 30 December, in what was one of the deadliest attacks on Russia since the full scale invasion. Missiles continue to be fired.

Russia editor Steve Rosenberg is on to tell us how Russians are reacting, and what it means for the future of the war.

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.

Anna Olsen was working as an army paramedic in Ukraine’s 36th Brigade when she was captured by Russian forces during the siege of Mariupol.

The mother-of-one experienced psychological and physical torture before she was released in a prisoner exchange, after more than six months in Russian captivity. She tells us her story.

And the BBC’s Security Correspondent, Frank Gardner, explains the importance of the latest prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine - and why Middle Eastern countries have been mediating the process.

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

An update on the major aerial assaults by both sides.

Today’s episode is presented by Vitaly Shevchenko, Olga Robinson and James Waterhouse.

The producer was Cordelia Hemming. The technical producers were Matt Hewitt and Ricardo McCarthy. The series producer is Lucy Boast. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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.