Ukrainecast

As Ukraine prepares for its first Christmas since the Russian invasion, a friend in Kyiv tells us it’s one of struggle and defiance.

It’s also Vitaly’s first Christmas with his family safely in the UK. How will they spend it?

Natalia Zarytska gives us an update on her husband Bogdan’s long road to recovery since his release from Russian detention.

And we speak to Oleksandr Pikalov, a friend of Volodymyr Zelensky since childhood, about the time he introduced the future president to his future wife.

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

President Zelensky is making his first overseas visit since the war began. He’s in Washington for talks with President Biden and is also due to address Congress. The BBC’s North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher gauges the level of support for Ukraine in the US and from Moscow, Steve Rosenberg explains how the Kremlin is reacting to the visit.

Also BBC disability reporter Ruth Clegg has been meeting the families of disabled Ukrainian refugees in Poland. They tell her the care they have received in Poland has changed their lives - in Ukraine many disabled people had been neglected in institutions.

And we catch up with Volodymyr Demchenko a young soldier who made films before the war. He tells Victoria about life on the front line in Bakhmut.

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

When Ukrainian troops liberated Izyum in the east of the country, they discovered hundreds of shallow graves in a wood outside the town. Months later, forensic experts are still struggling to identify the remains. The BBC’s Eastern Europe correspondent, Sarah Rainsford, has been talking to the pathologists and the families waiting for news of their lost loved ones.

We also get the latest on today’s drone attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure as President Putin visits its ally Belarus.

And Prof Michael Kimmage, a former White House adviser on Russia and Ukraine, explains the historic and strategic importance of Crimea in this war.

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

When the Ukrainian army liberated Kherson, not all its residents celebrated. BBC investigative reporter, Tim Whewell, and Ukrainecast producer, Arsenii Sokolov, spoke to the pro-Russians who stayed.

We get a glimpse inside the mind of the Kremlin through the lens of Russian state media, as watched by BBC Monitoring’s Francis Scarr.

And entertainment reporter, Daniel Rosney, talks us through how Ukraine will be choosing its Eurovision act for 2023.

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

Rumoured to run to 120 miles, Russia is digging a vast trench stretching the full length of Ukraine’s eastern flank. An enormous feat of engineering, but does it mean they’re digging in or desperate? The BBC’s security correspondent, Frank Gardner, tells us that this line of defence, like the Maginot Line before it, is no guarantee against a Ukrainian advance.

We also hear about the alleged use of cluster bombs. Human Rights Watch says it’s seen the tell-tale fragmentary patterns left by the explosions and spoken to people who have lost limbs.

And Owen Matthews, author of 'Overreach', explains why President Putin invaded Ukraine, and the reasons it isn't going well for him.

Plus listeners share Ukrainian songs and artwork they’ve discovered since the war began.

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

A Russian soldier tells us the danger is "from our side" not from Ukraine. BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg and his team have been talking to families whose loved ones refused to keep fighting.

We hear why Georgian soldiers have travelled to Ukraine - their commander explains the historic ties between the two countries and a shared fear of President Putin’s ambitions.

And Ukraine says many thousands of its children have been taken to Russia. A legal expert at the Regional Centre for Human Rights in Kyiv, Kateryna Rashevska, has been looking into what’s happening.

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

In spite of the power cuts and air raid warnings, the festive spirit is alive and well in Kyiv. Ice skating, Santa’s grotto, and mulled wine are all on offer at the city’s Winter Land, a Christmassy theme park. We hear from the team bringing a smile to the faces of families in spite of the war.

Kyiv may be a city of blackouts and bomb shelters, but its comedians have found a fresh lease of life. Comedy clubs have taken off since the invasion with citizens seking solace in dark humour and the company of their compatriots.

Also, the BBC’s Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg, gives his reflections on how the country is being changed by the war into something no longer recognisable to the one he knew a decade ago.

And, the criticisms of Vitaly’s Kutia recipe just keep in coming in. Will it never stop?

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

As troops grapple with freezing temperatures and missiles cause mass power cuts across Ukraine, the BBC’s Security Correspondent Frank Gardner assesses both sides’ military strategies.

Victoria and Vitaly speak to Yaryna Chornohuz, a mother who is now a soldier on the front line. She has a young daughter, but says she feels compelled to fight.

And Father Vitaliy Novak describes how he and a team of volunteers are delivering food to people across the country, some of whom are living in church basements.

Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and the Russia Editor for BBC Monitoring, Vitaly Shevchenko.

The BBC’s chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, gives us her take on whether President Biden’s offer to talk may offer a moment for diplomacy, despite an apparent rebuff from Vladimir Putin.