Ukrainecast

What is it like in the classroom during wartime?Two Ukrainian teachers, Lesia Yurchyshyn in Kyiv and Olga Hrihoryeva in Kherson, discuss their differing experiences of what teaching has been like since the war began, from remote learning to bomb shelter classrooms.New York Times correspondent Valerie Hopkins joins us from St Petersburg where she’s searching cemetery-by-cemetery to find the location of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s funeral.And the BBC’s Olga Ivshina joins Russia analyst Mark Galeotti to examine how the Wagner chief’s death is going down in Russia.Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Clare Williamson, Ivana Davidovic and Sam McLaren. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord.TOPICS:00:05 - Pro-Kremlin TV 01:48 - Prigozhin Russia reaction 05:53 - Prigozhin funeral 13:12 - Back to school in Ukraine

Does the Wagner chief’s reported death strengthen the Russian president?Lyse, Vitaly and journalist Gabriel Gatehouse unpick the latest developments surrounding Wednesday's plane crash, and the presumed death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group.And Kremlin critic Bill Browder suggests that Prigozhin’s presumed death is “the beginning of the purge” and gives an insight of what it’s like to be a marked man in Moscow.Today’s episode is presented by Lyse Doucet and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Sam McLaren, Josh Jenkins, Beth Rose and Ivana Davidovic. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

The podcast explores the controversial circumstances surrounding the presumed death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner-Mercenary group, and speculates on the alleged killing with unconfirmed reports and lack of official statements. It delves into the negotiation and reappearance of a person involved in influence operations, discusses implications of recent events involving Russia's Wagner group in Africa, and raises concerns about Russia's reliability as a partner for African countries.

One woman’s story of helping to deliver 136 babies in 42 days from a warzone.Midwife Vira Tselyk tells Lucy and Vitaly about the 42 days she spent working from a bunker, helping to deliver over a hundred and thirty babies.We also talk to Emma Mateo, who got caught in the deadly attack in Chernihiv - where a six-year-old girl is among seven people who died after a Russian missile strike on the historic city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine.And, the BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse discusses the thousands of men avoiding the draft.Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Josh Jenkins, Sam McLaren and Ivana Davidovic. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord.TOPICS:01:44 - The midwife in the bomb shelter 17:48 - Chernihiv attack 25:12 - The men avoiding the Ukrainian draft

BBC Security Correspondent, Dr. Marina Miron, and Politico journalist discuss the importance of drones in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, drone warfare, and challenges faced by foreign journalists in Russia.

Eight months in the country after losing her husband and daughter. Ukrainecast catches up with Viktoria Kovalenko, whose story we’ve followed since the early days of the war. In the most tragic of circumstances, her husband and 12-year-old daughter Veronika were killed in front of her when they tried to escape the town of Chernihiv last year.She then spent weeks hiding in bunkers while looking after her baby daughter Varvara, who also survived the attack, and eventually found her way to Poland. Late last year she and Varvara were able to move here to the UK.After eight months of living in the UK, how is she adjusting to life now?Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko.Translation was provided by Irena Taranyuk. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Ivana Davidovic. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480. You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord If you have been affected by any of the issues mentioned in this episode, you can find help and support here https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline.

How one Russian reporter is risking her life for journalism.We catch up with prominent investigative reporter Yelena Milashina who was severely attacked moments after flying in to the Russian republic of Chechnya.We’re also joined by the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford who’s in Poland, where there is growing concern over the Wagner Group’s presence in neighbouring Belarus. And the BBC’s Arsenii Sokolov has been investigating the Russian convicts released to fight with the mercenary group, who’ve been accused of new crimes, including murder.Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Sam McLaren, Paige Neal-Holder, and Ivana Davidovic. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.TOPICS:02:27 - Yelena Milashina 14:11 - Belarus-Poland tensions 19:35 - Wagner reoffenders

Why one man says he’s turned his back on Moscow to fight with Ukraine. We speak to "Apostle", a member of the Liberty of Russia Legion, one of the groups reportedly responsible for the cross-border raids in the Russian city of Belgorod earlier this year.The FT’s Ukraine correspondent Christopher Miller is in the studio to discuss his new book and reflect on his time in the Pokrovsk, in Ukraine, where at least seven people lost their lives in an overnight attack by Russia. And BBC Verify’s Olga Robinson talks about why Russians are hunting for cheap flats in the occupied city of Mariupol.Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Ivana Davidovic and Sam McLaren. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editors are Jonathan Aspinwall and Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.TOPICS:01:54 - Pokrovsk attack 06:00 - Mariupol residents 12:33 - Listener questions 16:30 - Russian fighter

Why going back home to Ukraine is so heart breaking.Fergal Keane returns to Ukraine with a refugee family to be reunited with their husband and father; they last saw each other 18 months ago. Vitaly and Victoria catch up with Olga who has returned to Kherson after six weeks in the safety and calm of her children's home in Norway. She now faces constant shelling and her life is in danger, so why has she gone back?And James Waterhouse talks us through today’s drone attack on the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The producers were Clare Williamson and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

One woman's story of life in the Russian capital.Moscow resident Masha describes life in the Russian capital, and security correspondent Frank Gardner examines whether, as President Zelensky suggests, war is coming back to the country.Also, we check in on how the UK’s Homes for Ukraine scheme is going. Ukrainian national Marina and her former sponsor Francis reflect on their year living together.Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko. The producers were Arsenii Sokolov and Ivana Davidovic. The technical producer was Phil Bull. The series producer is Tim Walklate. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480.