Introduction

As hundreds of thousands of civilians flee Mariupol as it lies in ruins, the world looks on in shock as the Russian advance into Ukraine continues.

We hear from Roman Kruglyakov, a resident of Mariupol who fled to a nearby village at the beginning of the war. He tells us how he’s been travelling to and from the city in his car to get family members and whoever he can out of the city, detailing the horrific conditions that those left behind have to live with.

As president Zelensky makes a speech to Israel’s Knesset, he draws comparisons between Russia now and the actions of the Nazis in the Holocaust, BBC security correspondent Frank Garner tells us about the escalation in Russian aggression and the warning their destruction of Mariupol sends to other Ukrainian cities.

But as the devastation continues we hear more stories of those who got out, including the little girl who was filmed singing Let It Go from Frozen in a Kyiv bunker. She and her family have found safety in Poland where she took to a much larger stage in support of Ukraine…

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn, Michele Theil and Phil Marzouk. The studio director was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.