Ukrainecast

As the war in Ukraine approaches its second anniversary, what does 2024 hold for the conflict?

BBC correspondents from across the world join us for a one-off special, looking at how elections in the UK, US and Russia will affect funding and the frontline.

Europe editor Katya Adler, Russia editor Steve Rosenberg, Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse and US State Department correspondent Barbara Plett Usher join us to answer your questions.

Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings.

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

What's it like to fight for your country over the festive season, when the rest of the world is celebrating with their family and friends?

We hear from an officer who heads an artillery reconnaissance team about what last Christmas was like - and his hopes for this holiday.

And Chef Zhenya has set up a military kitchen in Zaporizhya that makes 68,000 meals a week for a military unit. He tells us how he does it - and what he’s putting on the menu to celebrate the end of 2023.

And the BBC’s Irena Taranyuk has been busy cooking kutia, the traditional Ukrainian Christmas dish, which Victoria gets to try for the first time.

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

We revisit the bedtime story programme for children separated from loved ones because of the war in Ukraine.

We speak to Maryna, who is living in The Netherlands with her daughter, while her parents are still in Kyiv. They explain how important it is to hear family voices reading traditional Ukrainian stories.

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

It’s our final episode before Christmas and Ukrainecast has invited some of the Songs for Ukraine chorus, from London's Royal Opera House, to join us in the Radio 3 Classical Music studio.

As well as singing two traditional Ukrainian Christmas carols, we hear the stories of four members of the choir and conductor Danny Parashchak explains the importance of the songs.

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 new investigation by BBC Eye, using just open source material and social media posts, follows the journey of a young Russian solider - from his conscription and training to his disappearance on the bloody Ukrainian front-line. Journalist Ned Davies reveals how they produced the shocking documentary.

And despite still being at war, Ukraine has started to re-build damaged cities like Bucha - often with large sums of money. BBC Radio 4 reporter Tim Whewell visited the city to meet the people behind the projects and spoke to some of those who are making allegations of corruption.

Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Olga Robinson.

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

President Putin has held his first televised news conference since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Russia editor Steve Rosenberg gives his verdict on the annual show.

And after a long night of intense talks, Ukraine is one step closer to joining the European Union - although long-term Putin ally Viktor Orban, of Hungary, vetoed a €50bn aid package to Kyiv. Europe correspondent Sofia Bettiza, who was at the summit in Brussels, explains what happened.

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

President Zelensky is facing a challenging time.

As he heads to the US to secure a much needed funding package worth $61billion, Victoria and Vitaly talk to Lara Seligman, Pentagon Correspondent for Politico, and Samantha de Bendern from the think tank Chatham House, who is in Kyiv, to shed some light on the challenges facing President Zelensky.

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 life like for the women left behind following the capture of the Mariupol defenders?

During the siege of Mariupol, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers held out for several months inside the Azov steel works, until they were eventually instructed to surrender in May 2022.

Now prisoners of war, many have not been heard of for months.

We’re joined by two women who haven’t seen their husband and brother in over a year and a half, but still hold out hope.

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

Ukraine has again accused Russia of committing war crimes, as a viral video appears to show two unarmed Ukrainian soldiers being shot dead as they attempt to surrender.

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

Geolocation, misinformation, verification… we answer your questions on how the BBC monitors and reports on the most important events of the war in Ukraine.

Olga Robinson, an editor at BBC Monitoring and Verify specialising in Russian disinformation, and Francis Scarr, a journalist at BBC Monitoring, join Vitaly in the Ukrainecast studio and reveal all.

Today’s episode is presented by Vitaly Shevchenko.