Ukrainecast

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Apr 14, 2022 • 30min

Zelensky on the BBC

The Ukrainian president accuses Europe of paying for Russian oil with blood money. The Ukrainians claim to have hit Russia's flagship warship. And Finland eyes up a place in Nato. On today's Ukrainecast Vitaly and Fergal also hear how Ukrainian Railways are playing a critical role in the war effort, after having to reinvent themselves to evacuate refugees and move supplies around the country. And we have an eyewitness account from a young woman who fled from the Donbas region last week.Today's episode was made by Phil Marzouk and Osman Iqbal. The technical director was Emma Crowe. The assistant editors were Alison Gee and Sam Bonham.
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Apr 13, 2022 • 32min

The fugitive

Ukraine says it has arrested one of President Putin’s allies and is interested in a prisoner swap. Viktor Medvedchuk had been under house arrest in Kyiv but escaped when the Russian invasion began. James Landale joins Victoria to discuss whether a swap is likely. There's also an update from Hussain who fled from Kherson. He’s been helping other people escape from the same city - we speak to one of them. And a Belgian doctor explains how he helped transport 80 orphans across Ukraine to a safer place. Today's episode was made by Phil Marzouk and Chris Flynn. The technical director was Emma Crowe. The assistant editors were Alison Gee and Sam Bonham.
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Apr 12, 2022 • 37min

The Mayor of Bucha

Reflections on the horrors inflicted on the people of his city...After weeks of reports of Russian atrocities in the region surrounding Kyiv, the mayor of Bucha speaks to us and asks: “Why did they do this to us?” You may remember Sasha Makoviy, the mother who wrote pertinent information and contact details on the back of her two-year-old daughter in case the worst happened. We hear the latest. And we also speak to director of the Maidan museum in Kyiv who is striving to ensure the country’s artefacts are kept safe.Today's episode was made by Chris Flynn and Phil Marzouk. The technical director was Emma Crowe. The assistant editors were Sam Bonham and Alison Gee.
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Apr 11, 2022 • 34min

Russia's New Commander

The man involved in Syria and Chechnya is now reported to be in charge of operations in Ukraine. Victoria, Vitaly and Frank are joined by Reuters' former Moscow correspondent, Oliver Bullough, to discuss General Aleksander Dvornikov’s past and what this means for the war. They also speak to Oleksandra Matviichuk, a human rights worker in Kyiv who’s just found out that her dad is alive after more than a month of no contact.And, two very different diplomatic visits are on the agenda - Boris Johnson’s trip to Kyiv and the Austrian Chancellor’s visit to Moscow, making him the first Western leader to go there since the war started.Today's episode was made by Alison Gee with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical director was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.
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Apr 8, 2022 • 35min

The Station

We reflect on the horrific missile strike on a crowded train station in Kramatorsk. The station in eastern Ukraine is a major evacuation point and the attack has killed at least 50 people. Also, why does Putin need a victory by the 9th of May? Since 1945 ‘Victory Day’ has been a national celebration in Russia, marking Nazi surrender in the Second World War. Sam de Bendern, a political risks consultant and former NATO Ukraine officer, explains how Putin is feeling the pressure to celebrate a significant ‘victory’ in Ukraine on that day. But with the invasion not going to plan, what does Russia now consider ‘success’ to be? And what happens when Putin gets desperate?And we catch up with Olga Malchevska from the BBC Ukrainian Service, whose family has now fled Ukraine. But with her nephew still hiding whenever he hears a plane, the psychological impact of war is something that is not easily shaken.Today's episode was made by Estelle Doyle with Natalie Ktena, Osman Iqbal and Phil Marzouk. The studio director was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.
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Apr 7, 2022 • 34min

Cold-calling Russia

As footage emerges that appears to show war crimes being committed by Ukrainian soldiers we speak to one of the BBC’s team of journalists working to establish if the material is authentic.We hear from a man who’s made the decision to go home to Kyiv after having fled when war broke.A Lithuanian man explains how he’s trying to tell Russian people what’s really happening in Ukraine, by cold-calling and talking to them.Victoria Derbyshire, Vitaly Shevchenko, and Frank Gardner present this episode, and answer questions that have been sent in.This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn and Phil Marzouk. The studio director was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.
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Apr 6, 2022 • 26min

Road block 15

A woman from Mariupol describes the humiliation her mother and father faced as they travelled through checkpoints out of the city.Also, Irena Taranyuk from the BBC’s Ukrainian service tells Vitaly and Lewis how she’s been accused of not being pro-Ukrainian enough.And on the day that Putin’s daughters are sanctioned, we dig into the secrecy around his family with journalist Farida Rustamova who dared to ask the Russian president about it.This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn and Osman Iqbal. The studio director was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.
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Apr 5, 2022 • 39min

Verifying Violence

As scenes of civilian corpses strewn on the streets are repeated across Ukraine, Victoria, Vitaly and Lewis take stock of a watershed in how we are seeing the war.Kay Devlin from BBC Monitoring’s anti-disinformation unit talks us through the clues and sources they look for when verifying whether what we’re viewing is valid.We hear the first-hand account of Halyna Tovkach, who was shot, and her husband and neighbours killed, while they tried to flee the town of Bucha by car.And the BBC Russian Service’s legendary presenter, Seva Novgorodsev, who played a key role promoting democracy in Russia, tells us how much of his work he feels has been undone by Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric.This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Osman Iqbal, Phil Marzouk and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.
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Apr 4, 2022 • 32min

Horror in Bucha

Unarmed civilians massacred near Kyiv. As images of bodies in the streets of towns near the capital lead to an outpouring of condemnation around the world, Human Rights Watch tells us about their investigation into the alleged atrocities.We hear from Tatyana, who was travelling in a convoy of vehicles escaping the city when two fleeing residents stepped out of their car and were shot dead, while their six-year-old remained in the car.Meanwhile, Vitaly’s dad, Alexander Shevchenko, has made it to the UK. He joins us in the studio to share his story and swap perspectives on the war with his 22-year-old student, Elizaveta, who has chosen to stay in Ukraine.This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Ben Cooper, Phil Marzouk and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.
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Apr 1, 2022 • 35min

Bodies on the Highway

Grim signs of potential war crimes on the road to Kyiv. The BBC’s Jeremy Bowen joins us from near Ukraine’s capital, where he has seen the burnt remains of civilians, shot dead as they tried to flee Russian soldiers.We also discuss reports of a Ukrainian attack on an oil depot in Russia and the latest plan to evacuate residents of occupied Mariupol.Fergal Keane discusses the trauma many in Ukraine will be left with, long after the fighting stops, and introduces us to Valeriy, who was first evacuated from the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in 1986, and now for a second time as a result of the war.And we talk about Vladimir Putin’s ploy to demand oil and gas payments in roubles with political risk and geopolitics expert Dr Otilia Dhand.This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Chris Flynn, Phil Marzouk and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

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