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 3, 2022 • 45min
Americast: Mar-a-Legal Trouble
Donald Trump, some top secret documents and the FBI.Welcome to episode one of the new-look Americast (we thought, as listeners of Ukrainecast, you might enjoy Americast). Classified documents stored at former President's Florida home were likely concealed as part of an effort to obstruct an FBI investigation, says the US Department of Justice officials. Justin, Sarah and the Zurch chat to former FBI special agent Asha Rangappa, about how attempts to retrieve the documents went down and what could happen next.And Marianna introduces our undercover voters…If you like Americast, please subscribe to the podcast on BBC Sounds. Americast will be publishing every Wednesday. Americast is made by Phil Marzouk and Alix Pickles. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Sam Bonham. The senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.
Sep 2, 2022 • 36min
The mysterious death of the Russian oil boss
The boss of Lukoil, a Russian oil company, died on Thursday, the latest in a string of deaths of key Russian business people. Vitaly and Victoria unpick the rumours with Russian expert and author Mark Galeotti.We get the latest on the inspection of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant with James Waterhouse. And Maria Korenyuk has been investigating the re-writing of history books for schools in Russian occupied areas of Ukraine.
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. 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.
Aug 31, 2022 • 37min
Gorbachev and Ukraine
He contributed to Ukraine's independence. So why do they not remember him more fondly?Victoria and Vitaliy reflect on the Gorbachev years, the demise of the Soviet Union and what he thought about Ukrainian independence with former BBC Moscow correspondent, Bridget Kendall.Justin Bronk a defence analyst from RUSI brings us up to speed with the Ukrainian offensive in Kherson.And we discuss the return to school for Ukrainian children with James Elder who is a spokesperson for UNICEF currently based in Kyiv.
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. 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.
Aug 26, 2022 • 28min
Confessions of a Russian soldier
Russian investigative journalist Ekaterina Fomina speaks to the team about her headline-making interviews with Russian soldiers, one of which admitted committing a war crime.Vitaly, James, and Victoria also talk about how disaster was avoided despite the electricity needed to cool reactors at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant being cut.And, as the football season in Ukraine starts again, we speak to a player who would be playing for FC Mariupol, if not for the war.The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Arsenii Sokolov, Louise Hidalgo, and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was 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.
Aug 24, 2022 • 51min
Six Months On
We mark the anniversary of Russia's war in Ukraine and follow the stories of Max, Anna, Hussain, Maksym and Viktoria, none of whom will ever be the same again. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Chris Fynn, Philip Marzouk, Arsenii Sokolov and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer and sound designer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.
Aug 22, 2022 • 29min
‘Putin’s Rasputin’
Russia has opened a murder investigation after a journalist, Darya Dugina, died in a suspected car bombing not far from Moscow. Was she the target? Or was it her father, the ultra-nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin?Victoria, Vitaly and Gabriel Gatehouse, who interviewed Alexander after the annexation of Crimea, profile the man said to be one of Putin’s inspirations.They also talk about who might be behind the murder and what consequences there might be in Ukraine, where Independence Day celebrations planned for Wednesday have already been curtailed.
And we hear from Brian Ennis, the father of Adam Ennis. Adam is a mechanic from Scotland. But, without first telling his parents, he’s now fighting on the frontline in Ukraine.
This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Ivana Davidovic, Arsenii Sokolov and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. With thanks to Sky Sports.
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.
Aug 19, 2022 • 27min
Where is my husband?
Ukrainian wife desperate for news. Natalia wants to know where her husband, a civilian mechanic, is being held prisoner in Russia. He was captured in March and the Red Cross confirm that he's in a Russian jail but hasn't heard anything since; she tells Victoria and Vitaly about how she is coping.
We get an update about the nuclear standoff in Zaporizhzhia and we hear from BBC video journalist, Abdujalil Abdurasulov, about the use of drones in military strikes on Ukraine’s southern front line.
Today's episode was produced by Clare Williamson, Alix Pickles, Ivana Davidovic and Louise Hidalgo. Emma Crowe is the technical producer and the Assistant Editor, 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.
Aug 17, 2022 • 23min
A Voice from Crimea
What is it like living under Russian rule? We hear from Hannah (not her real name) in Crimea. She tells us how she’s coping living through the recent explosions. And acclaimed Ukrainian author, Andriy Kurkov, explains how art has helped him process the conflict in Ukraine. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer was Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was 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.
Aug 15, 2022 • 30min
Frontman on the frontline
From performing with Ed Sheeran to becoming an army paramedic. We hear from Taras Topolia, lead singer in the Ukrainian band Antytila, about his transformation from frontman to physician.
BBC Russian’s Liza Fokht discusses what her sources in the Kremlin are saying about what Vladimir Putin is up to at the moment. Is there any hope of the war ending at the negotiating table?
And the BBC’s Kyiv correspondent, James Waterhouse, takes us onto the streets of the capital to describe the mood.
This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer was Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was 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.UK listeners can watch 'Frontline Frontmen' on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0cs677h/frontline-frontmen.
Aug 12, 2022 • 31min
Kept at gunpoint in a nuclear plant
As the nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia is attacked again, we hear from workers inside about what it’s like to work in such fear as soldiers hold them at gunpoint. Victoria and Vitaliy are joined by medical students who worked to save people in the bunkers of Kharkiv who are now in the UK studying at Cambridge University.The BBC’s defence correspondent Jonathan Beale details his interview with leading UK military commander Jim Hockenhull and the state of play in the war.The lawyer of detained US basketball star Brittney Griner, speaks to us about the verdict that saw her client sentenced to nine years in Russian prison for drug possession. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer was Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on +44 330 1239480 with your questions and comments.
