Ukrainecast

Russia has ordered its military to pull out of Kherson, the only regional capital it captured after invading Ukraine in February. The BBC’s Jeremy Bowen gives us his appraisal of whether we can believe what Russia says about troop movements.

We hear from Anthony Zurcher, BBC’s North America reporter, about the US mid-term elections and what the ramifications might mean for the country’s support for Ukraine. And we hear from Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland’s former foreign minister, who tells Victoria and Vitaliy how the war has brought Ukraine and Poland closer together.

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

The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The technical coordinator is Emma Crowe. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. And the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

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.

We hear from BBC Panorama reporter Hilary Anderson about her documentary on the devastating siege of Mariupol. She travelled over 3,000 miles through Ukraine and Europe hearing survivors’ stories and retrieving the wiped phone footage from witnesses to the city’s tragedy.

Also - for months Natalia was unaware of her husband's fate: a Ukrainian soldier, he was captured and made prisoner by Russian forces after the siege of Azovstal in Mariupol. But then she received a phone call. She tells Victoria and Vitaliy what happened next and how hope for a future family together gave them both the strength not to give up.

And as power cuts become more severe across the country, we get the latest from the BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse on the possible full evacuation of Kyiv if there is a total loss of power.

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

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers: Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical director: Gareth Jones. And the editor: Jonathan Aspinwall.

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.

The Ukrainian school boy was beaten, detained and threatened.

Victoria and Vitaly hear from the mother of a Ukrainian school boy, beaten up and detained by Russian soldiers; and how she’s now trying to get him out the occupied area.

The BBC’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen brings us the latest on the Kherson offensive; and James, who has stayed in Kherson throughout the occupation, tells us about life in the besieged city and why he feels brave enough to speak out.

Today’s episode was produced by Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical director was Michael Regaard. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The assistant editor is Sam Bonham. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

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.

The BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen has been travelling around south-eastern Ukraine, to areas liberated from Russian control. He spoke to Liudmyla, a 75- year-old great-grandmother who was brutally attacked by a soldier in her own home.

As winter approaches, we also hear how hard it is to survive in some places with no running water and energy blackouts. And Alexander Kamyshin, the head of Ukraine’s national rail company, Ukrzaliznytsia, describes how he and his team have been removing mines from tracks.

Ukrainecast is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko.

The producers are Clare Williamson, Luke Radcliff and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer is Michael Regaard. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. 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.

The Ukrainian government has asked refugees not to come home before the spring – they’re worried about pressure on the energy system. But what does this mean for host countries? We discuss the implications with Sarah Nathan from the UK charity Refugees at Home and Stephanie Hegarty, the BBC’s global population correspondent.

Also, the BBC’s Tim Whewell has an update on Viktoria Kovalenko’s situation. After losing her husband and daughter to the war, she was held captive in a basement in appalling conditions. She eventually made her way out of Ukraine and has been waiting for a UK visa since April.

And BBC Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse joins us from Zaporizhzhia, one of the many cities hit by another wave of missile attacks.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Luke Radcliff and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical director, Michael Regaard. The assistant editor, Alison Gee. The senior news editor, Jonathan Aspinwall.

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.

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The story of a Ukrainian father who survived the siege of Mariupol, only to be arrested at a Russian filtration camp and separated from his three young children, who were exiled to Russia. Ukrainecast producer Arsenii Sokolov and Nina Nazarova from the BBC’s Russian service join Vitaly to tell us more about this shocking case.

Norway detains a suspected Russian spy - the latest in a long string of expulsions and arrests.

Victoria and Vitaly discuss Russian espionage with BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera. He explains how the war in Ukraine has made the job of a Russian spy in Europe harder.

Also, we hear the poignant testimony of a Ukrainian soldier who is suffering from post-traumatic stress because of the fighting he witnessed.

And as Russia doubles down on its claims that Ukraine is planning to use dirty bombs, we ask Chatham House’s Patricia Lewis how these bombs work and whether Russia’s allegations could lead the war to escalate.

Today’s Ukrainecast was presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Luke Radcliff and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. And the editor Jonathan Aspinwall.

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.

How one man secretly filmed life in Kherson under Russian forces. Dmytro Bahnenko tells us why he and his family stayed there for months secretly filming everyday life under occupation. His footage and story have also been made into a BBC documentary called Occupied.

The BBC’s Ukraine correspondent, James Waterhouse, has been talking to people in recently liberated areas. He also discusses why Russia is accusing Ukraine of planning to use a radioactive “dirty bomb,” something that the West has called “transparently false”.

And former speech writer for Vladimir Putin, Abbas Gallyamov, calls the Russian president the “victim of his own propaganda” and lifts the lid on what he was really like when he worked for him.

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

It was made by Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical director was Mike Regaard. The assistant editors are Alison Gee and Sam Bonham. The senior news editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to 0330 1239480.

Why is Iran helping Russia?

Chief international anchor at CNN, Christiane Amanpour, and BBC chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, talk through Iran’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.

Today’s Ukrainecast was hosted by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko.

It was made by Luke Radcliff. The technical director was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. The senior news editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Email [email protected] with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to 0330 1239480.

Tens of thousands of civilians and Russian appointed officials are being moved out of the occupied city of Kherson, raising fears of what might happen next.

Belkis Wilke from Human Rights Watch spoke to dozens of civilians from the recently liberated town of Izyum. She tells Lucy and Vitaly how they described beatings, electric shocks, and waterboarding in the hands of Russian occupiers.

And, amidst reports that Iran is ramping up its military support to Russia by allegedly supplying it with drones, missiles and training, we discuss what may motivate it to do so with Alex Vatanka, director of Iran programme at the Middle East Institute at Washington DC.

Today’s Ukrainecast was presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko.

It was made by Ivana Davidovic, Luke Radcliffe and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical director was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Estelle Doyle and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

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.