Ukrainecast

There have been protests in Russia over President Putin’s partial mobilisation plans, and an officer at a recruitment centre has been shot. The BBC’s Will Vernon in Moscow tells Lucy and Irena what people in Russia are saying to him, and Rayhan Demytrie in Tbilisi talks to some of the people crossing the border into Georgia.

At the weekend, former US marine Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh returned home - he had been fighting in Ukraine when he was captured by Russian forces. He was released as part of last week’s prisoner swap. His fiancée Joy shares her relief that he’s now back home.

And veteran journalist and author Misha Glenny tells us that Ukraine has rare earth metals worth trillions of dollars – resources that could be very valuable to Russia.

This edition of Ukrainecast was made by Arsenii Sokolov, Ivana Davidovic and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Men flee conscription into the army as referendums start in Russian occupied Ukraine.

Victoria and Vitaliy take stock of an eventful week in the Ukraine war with Samantha De Bendern, a former NATO adviser and political risk consultant and former BBC Moscow correspondent, Daniel Sandford.

And Vitaliy talks to Yulia Rubanova a violinist with the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra about her early life in Mariupol, her fears for her parents who were stranded there during Russian bombardment and how incredible it felt to play with her fellow countrymen on a world tour.

Today’s episode was produced by Clare Williamson, Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. 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

President Putin warns the West he’s not bluffing and that he is prepared to use "all the means at our disposal" if Russian territory is threatened. The nuclear threat came as he announced a “partial” mobilisation of reserve troops to Ukraine. Vitaly, Victoria and the BBC’s Security Correspondent Frank Gardner unpick how real the possibility of a nuclear war actually is.

Ukrainecast’s Ivana Davidovic talks to a recent graduate from St Petersburg, who says he wants to leave Russia to avoid being drafted into the military. And he’s not alone - Olga Ivshina from the BBC’s Russian Service says flights out of the country to visa-free destinations sold out in a day.

Also, Vladimir Osechkin, the founder of the prisoners’ rights organisation Gulagu.Net, tells us that someone recently tried to assassinate him while he was at home with his family.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Dafydd Evans. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. 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.

On the day when most of the world’s leaders and officials are gathering in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, President Putin is notable by his absence. He is one of only six heads of state who was not invited.

Also, at a summit in Uzbekistan, Putin faced concerns by the Chinese President Xi Jinping and further admonishment by India’s Narendra Modi. Vitaly and the BBC’s former Russia correspondent Bridget Kendall unpick what this all means for the Russian President.

And they discuss what is happening within Russia where more people are also speaking out against the war, including one of the country’s biggest pop stars from the Soviet era, Alla Pugacheva.

Finally, one of Ukraine’s most famous ballet dancers was killed on the battlefield. The BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse was at his funeral.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. 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.

Nigel Povoas is a British lawyer who travelled to the newly recaptured territory in Eastern Ukraine as part of an international team helping with war crimes. He tells Victoria and Vitaly why based on his experience of the war so far, he believes more evidence of atrocities will emerge.

They also talk to Volodymyr Zelensky, who is from the city of Izyum, where a mass burial site has been discovered. He describes life under Russian occupation and the risks associated with sharing the same name as the Ukrainian president.

Also, they’re joined by the BBC Russia’s Olga Ivshina. Together they discuss the significance of leaked footage showing the head of the Russian mercenary company, the Wagner group, telling prisoners they would be freed if they served six months in Ukraine.

And we hear from Pavel Filatiev, a Russian soldier who fought in Ukraine, but has now become an outspoken critic of the war.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. 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.

Many Ukrainians are celebrating the liberation of towns in the south and east of the country from Russian occupation. But these are bittersweet days - the liberation came too late for some. Anastasia from Balakliya shares the devastating story of what happened to her mother and her friends.

Also, Vitaly, Victoria and the BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse talk to Jakub Jakóbowski, an expert on China, about the upcoming meeting between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and China’s President Xi Jinping. Are they allies of convenience? And which country is calling the shots?

The producers are Clare Williamson, Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. 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.

Gabriel Gatehouse joins Victoria and Vitaly to discuss the reactions in Russia to the recent setbacks in Ukraine. While some are calling for the Kremlin to take more drastic action, others appear to question the war itself.

On the ground in Kharkiv, Sarah Ashton-Cirillo explains us how the city went through a complete power outage after Russian forces shelled the second biggest Ukrainian thermal power plant.

We catch up with Maksym Lutskyi, a 19 year old Ukrainian fighter, who describes the celebratory mood among fighters. And, Illia Ponomarenko from the Kyiv Independent shares his assessment of where the war will go next.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. 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.

Russian forces withdraw from key eastern towns.

Ukrainian officials say troops have entered Kupiansk, a vital eastern supply hub for Russian forces.

In an extra episode of Ukrainecast, Vitaly and Victoria discuss the significance of the Ukrainian gains and analyse the Russian reaction. The Ukrainian advances - if held - would be the most significant since Russia withdrew from areas around Kyiv in April.

Ukrainecast was made by Sam Bonham. The Senior News Editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

President Zelensky sends a message of condolence to Britain's Royal Family.

Ukraine has been celebrating "good news" about the recapture of several settlements from Russia in the eastern Kharkiv region and gains of more than 1,000 square km of territory in the last week, that’s according to the President. Victoria and the BBC's Katya Khinkulova speak to Justin Bronk, Senior Research Fellow and editor at the defence and security think tank RUSI about Ukraine’s counter-offensive.

Journalist Konstantin Ryzhenko lived through months of fear and terror in Russian-occupied Kherson. He escaped two weeks ago and tells Vitaliy about what life is like in the city, and the role he played in providing intelligence to the Ukrainian military and resistance fighters.

Also, Victoria talks to Russian oligarch and Putin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky – he explains why he believes force is the only thing that the Russian president understands.