
Ukrainecast
The BBC’s only English language programme entirely dedicated to the war in Ukraine and its fallout, Ukrainecast is your go-to podcast which investigates the biggest issues around the conflict: Could Putin push the nuclear button? How could Donald Trump end the war in 24 hours? What is the price for peace? The podcast is hosted by Newsnight presenter Victoria Derbyshire and BBC Monitoring’s Vitaly Shevchenko. Ukrainecast covers the most important topics around the conflict and speaks to the real people who’ve lived through several years of war. It also brings you agenda-setting interviews with special guests each week such as UK foreign secretary David Cameron, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and pre-eminent Russia expert Fiona Hill.
GET IN TOUCH: You can join our Ukrainecastonline community here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord Send us a message or voicenote via WhatsApp to +443301239480 Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk
You can listen to the latest episode of Ukrainecast anytime on your smart speaker by saying “Alexa, Ask BBC Sounds for Ukrainecast."
If you enjoy Ukrainecast (and if you’re reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below. The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd The Today Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r Americast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p07h19zz Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p05299nl
Latest episodes

Mar 31, 2023 • 29min
Russia arrests US journalist
The Wall Street Journal has vehemently denied allegations one of its reporters is a spy, after he was detained in Russia. The BBC’s Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford, who was herself expelled from Russia as a national security threat, tells us this is a worrying development.Francis Dearnley of the Telegraph’s podcast Ukraine: The Latest, joins Vitaly and Frank to discuss the geopolitics of the Ukraine war and we answer your questions on the ingredients of borscht.Today’s episode is presented by Frank Gardner and Vitaly Shevchenko.
The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the 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

Mar 28, 2023 • 32min
Gathering evidence of atrocities
After witnessing and reporting on war crimes around the world, Janine di Giovani realised that journalists like her were often among the first people to arrive at the scene of atrocities. So she linked up with fellow journalist, Natalya Gamenyuk, to set up the Reckoning Project. Their aim - to teach reporters how to gather evidence and testimonies that can be used later in court. Irena Taranyuk from the BBC Ukrainian Service answers a listener’s questions about how Ukrainian farmers are coping.And award-winning author Mikhail Shishkin explains why he finds it painful to be Russian at the moment.Today’s episode is presented by Frank Gardner and Vitaly Shevchenko.
The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Natasha Fernandes, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the 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

Mar 24, 2023 • 30min
Ukraine: Will American support hold in 2024?
What would a Ron DeSantis presidency mean for Ukraine? The Republican governor of Florida has been giving mixed messages on Ukraine, and he could one day be president. Justin Webb, host of Americast, tells us why this matters, and Alex Roarty of the Miami Herald tells us who is he and what he stands for.Also, as Ukraine takes on England in the latest round of Euro qualifiers, Andrew Todos, a Ukrainian British football journalist, tells us about how the beaufiful game is faring during a time of war.Plus we answer your questions about depleted uranium, tanks, and weapon supplies.Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Frank Gardner.
The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson, Natasha Fernandes and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the 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

Mar 21, 2023 • 31min
Putin and Xi talk partnership and peace proposals
Russia claims a Chinese plan for peace could be the basis for an end to hostilities. China expert, Isabel Hilton, and Arkady Ostrovsky, The Economist’s Russia editor, discuss China’s emerging role in the war, and what this might mean for Ukraine and the West. As President Putin visits occupied Mariupol, we talk to Odesa MP Oleksiy Goncharenko about how he felt seeing the Russian leader on Ukrainian soil.And Arkady talks through his podcast, Next Year in Moscow.Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko.
The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson, Natasha Fernandes and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the 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 1239480Music credit: Darren Ng for the original music for Next Year in Moscow podcast.

Mar 17, 2023 • 34min
Arrest warrant issued for Putin
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine
We also get an update from Bakhmut, the devastated city on the front line, and we speak to a woman whose husband was killed defending it last year. Through her organisation, Maemo Zhiti, Oksana now helps support other bereaved women across Ukraine.
Frank Gardner, the BBC’s security correspondent, brings Victoria and Vitaly up to date on the US drone brought down over the Black Sea and whether it could lead to direct confrontation between US and Russian forces.
And, as a Polish spy network is broken up, Greg Miller of the Washington Post talks through his work uncovering the spy war between Russia and the West.
Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko.
The producers were Luke Radcliff with Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the 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.

Mar 14, 2023 • 28min
Learning the language
Teacher, Anna Ohoiko, joins us to give listeners - and Victoria - a lesson in the Ukrainian language. The BBC’s diplomatic correspondent James Landale is in Kyiv and tells us that Ukrainians are beginning to question whether to stay and fight in Bakhmut, or retreat and regroup. And he tells us about a new bar that’s opened in Kyiv as people show their determination to keep living. And who is the Russian Volunteer Corps? BBC Russia’s Liza Fokht tries to shed some light on the Russian group fighting Putin.Today’s episode is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko.
The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the 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

Mar 10, 2023 • 33min
Mariupol one year on
A year after Mariupol’s maternity hospital was bombed, Russia is spending huge amounts of money rebuilding the city. Vitaly speaks to residents living under Russian occupation.Paul Adams, the BBC’s world affairs correspondent, assesses the latest barrage of missile attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. And John Mearsheimer, professor of political science at the University of Chicago, explains why he blames Nato and the West for the war in Ukraine.Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko.The producers were Clare Williamson with Arsenii Sokolov and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the 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

Mar 7, 2023 • 32min
The power of music
Ukrainian musicians describe their journey to sanctuary at the London Performing Academy of Music. The organisation brought more than 50 students to the UK including Nikita Vikhorev and Yuliia Humeniuk. Nikita describes his violin as his weapon. Also, the BBC’s Tim Whewell and author Ian Garner discuss “Z” culture and fascism in today’s Russia and what the state narrative means for the next generation.Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaliy Shevchenko.
The producers were Natasha Fernandes and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the 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

Mar 3, 2023 • 31min
The trauma of Ukraine's children
Grief, trauma and poverty have become the norm for millions of Ukrainian children after a year of war. James Elder of Unicef has just returned from Lviv and says that the situation is going from bad to worse. And BBC Newsround’s Ricky Boleto tells us about the courage of Ukrainian children who are determined to continue their studies despite the war.We also get an update from Frank Gardner, the BBC security correspondent, on the situation in Bakhmut and how the war in Ukraine overshadowed talks at the G20 summit of world leaders.This episode was made by Clare Williamson with Luke Radcliff and Natasha Fernandes. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and 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.

Feb 28, 2023 • 38min
Ukraine’s War Diaries
Lives upended by war.
As the conflict enters its second year, we hear stories of some of the lives transformed by war. Maria Drovnenkova, from the BBC's Panorama, tells Victoria and Vitaliy about the Ukrainians whose video diaries captured the first year of the war.
We receive an update from 20-year-old student Maksym Lutsyk, who is now serving in Ukraine’s armed forces on the frontline in the east.
And Francis Scarr, from BBC Monitoring, joins us in the studio to tell us how the anniversary of the conflict was viewed in Russia last week.
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 1239480Today’s episode is hosted by Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaliy Shevchenko.
This episode was made by Luke Radcliff with Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.