Ukrainecast
BBC News
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.You can fill out our audience questionnaire here: bit.ly/ukrainecastfeedbackGET 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
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
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 23, 2022 • 32min
Fleeing the Call Up
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 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
Sep 21, 2022 • 33min
Putin issues nuclear threats
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 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.
Sep 19, 2022 • 35min
Who is still friends with Putin?
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 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.
Sep 16, 2022 • 34min
The war crimes investigator
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 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.
Sep 14, 2022 • 30min
Anastasia’s Story
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 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.
Sep 12, 2022 • 35min
What will Putin do next?
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 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.
Sep 10, 2022 • 12min
Extra episode: Ukraine Advances
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.
Sep 9, 2022 • 26min
Ukraine pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
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.
And as EU leaders meet in Brussels to discuss the energy crisis, we hear from Svitlana Zalischuk, from Ukraine’s biggest gas company Naftogaz, about how the country is preparing to face a cold winter with reduced gas supplies.
The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Clare Williamson, Arsenii Sokolov and Alix Pickles. The technical producer is Hannah Montgomery. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. 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.
Sep 7, 2022 • 31min
'Worse than Bucha'
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.
The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Clare Williamson and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. 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.
Sep 5, 2022 • 33min
The Secret Concert
Vitaliy and Lucy Hockings talk to Gogol Bordello’s frontman Eugene Hütz about the band’s recent secret gig for Ukrainian soldiers.Frank Gardner brings us up to date on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant inspection and the offensive in Kherson.And Irpin resident Oleksandr describes what it is like to have your home bombed then occupied by Russian forces, and how he’s going about rebuilding.The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Clare Williamson and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer is Emma Crowe and the editor Jonathan Aspinwall. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. 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.
