Ukrainecast (BBC News)

... and Ukraine vows to fight back.

Victoria Derbyshire and Gabriel Gatehouse reflect on this historic day... How did we get here? How did it all happen? And where could it be going?

We also speak to Vitaliy Shevchenko, the Russia editor at BBC Monitoring, and Askold Krushelnycky, a journalist in Ukraine.

Today's Ukrainecast was produced by Danny Wittenberg and Natalie Ktena. Emma Crowe was the technical producer. Sam Bonham was the assistant editor and Jonathan Aspinwall was the editor.

Ukraine government gives out guns as Russian forces approach... Victoria, Gabriel and Vitaliy talk through how the conflict has unfolded.

Olga Malchevska, from the BBC Ukrainian Service in London, tells of how her family home was targeted, and Newsnight’s diplomatic editor Mark Urban joins us to explain what's going on with Putin's military strategy.   Today's Ukrainecast was produced by Estelle Doyle, Natalie Ktena, Tim Walklate, Phil Marzouk, Sally Abrahams and Molly Lynch. Emma Crowe was the technical producer. Sam Bonham was the assistant editor and Jonathan Aspinwall was the editor.

Ukrainians, from Kyiv to the UK, answer calls to defend their country. The capital has come under attack, but the residents and their president remain defiant, and Russian forces have so far failed to break through their resistance.

Maxim Karaush was at home with family when their apartment building in Kyiv was hit by a missile. He tells Victoria and Gabriel why, after his wife and son were injured and his home destroyed, he asked to speak to us.

We aim to explain a fast-moving conflict and answer your questions about the war. Vitaly is with us again too, and he's been following a group of Ukrainian men in England as they prepare to return to fight for their homeland.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Daniel Wittenberg and Phil Marzouk. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Putin moves Russia's nuclear forces to "special alert”, in response to what he described as “aggression” from Nato countries. Meanwhile as fighting continues in the streets across Ukraine’s biggest cities, President Zelensky says his delegation will meet with Russia at the Belarus border for talks.

Is President Putin using his nuclear arsenal as a conflict deterrent or as a threat to the West? Victoria and Gabriel are joined by the director of the International Security Programme at Chatham House, Dr Patricia Lewis.

And as hundreds of thousands flee Ukraine, we hear from Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall from the border in Poland, where he’s been speaking to families trying to make their way to safety.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Phil Marzouk and Caitlin Hanrahan. The studio manager was Stephen Bailey. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

As fighting continues in Ukraine, Victoria Derbyshire and Gabriel Gatehouse look at how the crisis is being reflected in Russia. They’re joined by Angus Roxburgh, who spent three years as a consultant to the Kremlin, to discuss whether the people closest to Putin will stay loyal to him though this conflict. And the BBC’s Liza Fokht in Moscow has been asking Russians what they think about the invasion. Back in Ukraine, we catch up with Max, whose son and wife were injured when a missile hit their home in Kyiv last week.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Natalie Ktena, Phil Marzouk and Alix Pickles. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

As violence looks set to escalate in Kyiv, Victoria, Gabriel and Vitaliy talk through how the conflict is unfolding across Ukraine.

Dr Andrey Vysotskyi from Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv describes how two children were brought in with injuries today sustained in an air strike which killed their mum, while children with cancer are being cared for in the basement.

Newsnight’s diplomatic editor Mark Urban joins us to explain what the convoy approaching Kyiv tells us about Putin's latest military strategy.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn, Molly Grace Lynch and Natalie Ktena. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Ukraine’s key cities of Kherson, Kharkiv and Mariupol have come under intense attack. Victoria and Vitaly speak to a young woman in Kharkiv, Anna, who’s afraid her home could be bombed.

Journalist and author Gavin Esler says some anti-war critics in Russia have been arrested, and explains which other countries are worried about being targeted.

Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk and Natalie Ktena. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Alison Gee. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Russian forces have taken control of the key port city of Kherson. And at another port, Mariupol, people are now trapped by intense bombardments. Victoria speaks to a Kherson resident about what it’s like suddenly living under Russian rule.

Jonah Fisher, who until recently was the BBC’s Kyiv correspondent, charts the rise of Volodymyr Zelensky from Paddington Bear actor to wartime president, and we hear from his former spokeswoman, Julia Mendel.

And what’s the mood like in Moscow? Liza Fokht from the BBC Russian Service is back to explain the information gap between social media and state TV, and how the closure of IKEA and H&M is hitting home.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Natalie Ktena, Phil Marzouk and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Europe’s biggest nuclear powerplant is hit by shelling, but a nuclear disaster is avoided. We hear from BBC Monitoring’s Vitaly Shevchenko, whose mother’s balcony in Zaporizhzhia looks out on the facility.

Meanwhile in Kyiv, after a difficult night of air strikes, Max sends us a voice memo about his plans to leave the capital with his family.

Also, Victoria speaks to Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet, who is reminded of the destruction she saw in Allepo. And BBC international correspondent Andrew Harding describes how he saw similar tactics being used by Russian military while covering the Chechen wars.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn and Natalie Ktena. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Victoria catches up with Fergal Keane, who is in Lviv in the West of Ukraine, where thousands of refugees are at the station trying to get out of the country.

Despite a planned ceasefire in two southern cities, Fergal explains why evacuations had to be halted because of continued Russian shelling.

They are joined by Kevin Connolly, former BBC correspondent in Moscow and Patricia Lewis, Director of the International Security programme at Chatham House. Together they discuss comparisons with the Cold War, the ongoing nuclear threat and if a no-fly zone could ever work.

And we’ve had an update from Max, who has sent us pictures of the destruction of his home in Kyiv.

Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle and Alix Pickles. The studio director was Jonny Baker. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

In the north of Ukraine, a convoy of Russian vehicles appears to be stalling as it attempts to advance on the capital Kyiv. Russian military expert at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies Dr Katarzyna Zysk tells Victoria and Gabriel why that may be and how it is impacting Russia’s strategy.

Last Thursday, we spoke to Hussein, a Pakistani man who lives in Kherson in the south with his wife and three-year-old daughter. He tells us how the occupation of the city is affecting local people as food supplies run low and many, including himself, consider attempting to leave.

Russia editor at BBC monitoring Vitaly Shevchenko joins us to explain his thoughts on the use of the letter Z by Russians to show their support for the invasion and we hear an update on Anna: the 25-year-old girl from Kharkiv who spoke to us last Wednesday from the bathroom in which she was sheltering.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Emma Forde, Alix Pickles and Phil Marzouk. The studio director is Ash Taylor. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

We link up with the BBC World Service...

On the 13th day of the Russian invasion into Ukraine we collaborate with the Global News Podcast to answer your questions. Jackie Leonard (from the GNP), alongside Gabriel Gatehouse and Vitaliy Shevchenko (from UC), guide us through questions about the historical context of the war, the nuclear threat, and the information war.

BBC Chief International correspondent, Lyse Doucet, joins us from Kyiv, to explain what could happen if Ukraine doesn't manage to hold the capital. And BBC Diplomatic Correspondent, James Landale, comes on to explain what impact the Western sanctions are having on Russia. This episode of Ukrainecast x Global News Podcast was made by Phil Marzouk. The studio director was Gareth Jones. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

A maternity ward and children’s ward at a hospital in Mariupol have been destroyed in a Russian air strike, according to officials there. At the moment we don’t know how many people have died.

Russia editor at BBC Monitoring Vitaly Shevchenko and Abdujalil Abdurasulov, who’s a video journalist with the BBC in Kyiv, join Victoria and Gabriel to discuss which cities are being targeted.

Also, BBC World News’ Kasia Madera tell us some of the personal stories she’s been hearing from people fleeing Ukraine. More than two million have now left the country, and Prof Peter Gatrell from the University of Manchester explains how this compares to other conflicts. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk, Emma Forde and Alison Gee. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Fact vs. propaganda...

Vic, Gabriel and Vitaliy discuss the peace talks in Turkey, the aftermath of the bombing in Mariupol, and why every bit of info coming out of the conflict needs to be treated with scepticism. The White House have expressed concerns that Russia might use chemical weapons to speed up the invasion of Ukraine. But where does their intelligence come from? Chemical weapons expert, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, weighs up the evidence... And we catch up with Anna, who made it out of Kharkiv with her family. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Alix Pickles, Ben Cooper and Michele Theil. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Sam Bonham.

"There's no safe place in Ukraine anymore." Ukraine’s western cities of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk have been hit. There are scenes of destruction too in Dnipro, a strategic centre, as Russian forces widen their attacks across the country.

Military expert Justin Bronk talks Victoria, Gabriel and Vitaly through Russia’s progress. We also hear from a 19-year-old student in Lutsk who thought he was safe after fleeing the capital but overnight was woken up for the first time by the sound of war.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Phil Marzouk, Michele Theil and Daniel Wittenberg. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

The BBC’s Fergal Keane presents today’s episode of Ukrainecast from Lviv in western Ukraine – thousands of refugees are flowing through the city as they try to leave the country.

He’s joined by the BBC's Abdujalil Abdurasulov, who’s in Kyiv as Russian forces continue to slowly advance, and Kevin Connolly, former Moscow BBC correspondent. They discuss Russia’s strategy to take Kyiv and who Putin’s allies are.

The Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who’s living in exile, also explains why she feels her country’s future is so closely connected to the fate of Ukraine.

Today’s Newscast was made by Alison Gee with Alix Pickles. The studio directors were Sharmini Ashton-Griffiths and Wayne Moses. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

A new attack at the border of Poland sparks fears of further escalation by Russian forces, as Vitaly updates us on what’s happened over the weekend. Meanwhile, footage from Mariupol shows the effects of being under siege for the past ten days, with Ukrainian authorities claiming over 2,500 deaths in the city. As many flee, the remaining residents are unable to be contacted due to regular power outages. Victoria speaks to a Ukrainian MP who grew up in Mariupol, and whose parents are still in the city, about what it’s like in that part of Ukraine, while Gabriel speaks to a woman from Scotland who has been unable to get in touch with her parents in Mariupol in the last ten days. And we hear from Sergey Radchenko an expert in international relations and Russian security policy about the ongoing peace talks, and what we’re seeing from both sides of the conflict.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle, with Emma Forde, Phil Marzouk, Chris Flynn, and Michele Theil. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

More Russian strikes have hit residential buildings in Kyiv. As tower blocks burn, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has announced a 35-hour curfew, warning of “a difficult and dangerous moment”. Victoria, Gabriel and Vitaly get the latest on the ground and hear from surgeon Dr Andrey Vysotskyi, who has hardly stopped working since we last spoke to him.

Meanwhile, with a Russian journalist facing a fine for interrupting a live TV news bulletin to protest against the war, the BBC Russian Service’s Liza Fokht tells us about her decision to leave Moscow for Latvia.

And we hear from the BBC’s Eastern Europe Correspondent, Sarah Rainsford, on what she’s learned from sheltering with residents in eastern Ukraine while covering the conflict.

Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Phil Marzouk, Alix Pickles and Emma Forde. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Shortly after Ukraine’s president’s historic address to the US Congress, Gabriel And Victoria talk to Nina Khruscheva, Professor of International Affairs at the New School in New York – and the granddaughter of former Soviet ruler Nikita Khrushchev - for her insight into Russia’s exit strategy.

20,000 people have been evacuated from the city of Mariupol, which has been under siege for the last two weeks. Residents are without water, food, and electricity, and the authorities claim there have been over 2,500 deaths in the city since the conflict began. We hear from Roman Skliarov, who is from Mariupol and has seen many leaving the city in an effort to secure their safety, while Vitaly gives us an update on his family and the situation in Kyiv.

And Anthony Zurcher, from Americast, joins us to describe the US reaction to President Zelensky’s address to Congress and whether he will get the sanctions and weapons he has asked for.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle, with Emma Forde, Alix Pickles, Chris Flynn, and Michele Theil. The studio director is Hannah Montgomery. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Ukraine has accused Russian forces of bombing a theatre filled with sheltering civilians in the city of Mariupol. Gabriel and Vitaly speak to Dmytro Gurin, a Ukrainian MP from Mariupol, to find out what happened.

They’re also joined by Bridget Kendall, former BBC Moscow correspondent and diplomatic correspondent, to understand how we got to the point where Joe Biden is calling Vladimir Putin a war criminal.

And we get an update on Vitaliy’s mum, who we last heard was attempting to leave his home town of Zaporizhzhia, and new information from Hussain and his family in Kherson.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle, with Chris Flynn, Phil Marzouk, and Michele Theil. The studio director is Emma Crowe. The assistant editor is Sam Bonham.

Eight years after Crimea was annexed, Vladimir Putin has given a speech to a packed stadium in Moscow, praising Russia’s soldiers in Ukraine.

Victoria, Gabriel and Vitaly speak to the BBC Ukrainian Service’s Anastasia Gribanova. War has caused the breakdown of her relationship with her pro-Russian parents in eastern Ukraine and with her cousin who’s fighting for the other side. She's in Lviv, which was targeted for the first time today and is also where Vitaly’s mum and aunt have just arrived.

And the BBC’s World Affairs Editor, John Simpson, gives us a special insight into the one of the latest rounds of diplomatic calls – this time between President Putin and Turkey's leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan – and what it suggests about Putin’s state of mind.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Natalie Ktena, Alix Pickles, and Phil Marzouk. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

As hundreds of thousands of civilians flee Mariupol as it lies in ruins, the world looks on in shock as the Russian advance into Ukraine continues.

We hear from Roman Kruglyakov, a resident of Mariupol who fled to a nearby village at the beginning of the war. He tells us how he’s been travelling to and from the city in his car to get family members and whoever he can out of the city, detailing the horrific conditions that those left behind have to live with.

As president Zelensky makes a speech to Israel’s Knesset, he draws comparisons between Russia now and the actions of the Nazis in the Holocaust, BBC security correspondent Frank Garner tells us about the escalation in Russian aggression and the warning their destruction of Mariupol sends to other Ukrainian cities.

But as the devastation continues we hear more stories of those who got out, including the little girl who was filmed singing Let It Go from Frozen in a Kyiv bunker. She and her family have found safety in Poland where she took to a much larger stage in support of Ukraine…

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn, Michele Theil and Phil Marzouk. The studio director was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Even as Russia’s advance into Ukraine leaves cities in ruins, many Ukrainians feel they have no choice but to fight on. We speak to Maxim, a street artist from Nova Kakhovka in the Russian-controlled region of Kherson, who’s been graffitiing enemy tanks.

After President Biden warned that Russia has the capability to launch cyber attacks in response to sanctions, the Oxford Internet Institute’s Mariarosaria Taddeo joins Gabriel, Vitaly and Victoria to explain why the digital risk goes beyond Ukraine.

We also catch up with Anna to hear how she and her family are feeling after fleeing Kharkiv and whether they might make it to Canada.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Phil Marzouk, Chris Flynn and Michele Theil. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

We answer more of your questions about Ukraine...

Nearly a month since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we are collaborating with the Global News Podcast again.   Jackie Leonard (from the GNP), alongside Gabriel Gatehouse and Vitaliy Shevchenko (from UC), guide us through questions about civilian life in the country, military tactics, and the international response to the invasion.   BBC Chief International correspondent, Lyse Doucet, joins us from Kyiv to talk through what’s happening on the ground there, and BBC Security Correspondent, Frank Gardner, tells us the latest on the physical and information war.   This episode was made by Chris Flynn. The studio director was Ash Taylor. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

One month since war broke out... Victoria, Gabriel and Vitaly reflect on the first weeks of a devastating conflict they never expected to happen. We explore where the war might go and how long for.

We also look back over the past month with the voices of some of the people affected who have given us their testimony, including updates about Vitaly’s own family.

And the BBC’s specialist disinformation reporter, Marianna Spring, tells us how online propaganda was used to try and justify Russia’s bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Daniel Wittenberg and Alix Pickles. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

As Ukraine recaptures some of its towns, Victoria, Vitaly and Gabriel give an on-the-ground update and explain why Vladimir Putin has been talking about JK Rowling.

Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun speaks to us from Kyiv to discuss the first official investigation into rape allegations of a Ukrainian woman by a Russian soldier.

And Unicef spokesperson James Elder joins us from Lviv where air raid sirens continue to signal the horrors facing Ukrainian children.

But first... we have some good news from Hussain as he sends us a voice note from the road to Odessa: he has finally fled Kherson.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Phil Marzouk, Nat Ktena and Michele Theil. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Hussain, who we’ve been following since the start of the war in Ukraine, tells us how he finally managed to get his family out of a Russian-controlled area to freedom.

The Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich and two Ukrainian peace negotiators have had symptoms of suspected poisoning, according to people close to them.

Also, Victoria, Vitaly and Frank Gardner talk to a Ukrainian pilot who flies MiG-29 fighter jets and goes by the name Moonfish.

Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Alison Gee, Phil Marzouk, Emma Forde and Miranda Slade. The technical director is Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Russia has promised to reduce attacks around Ukraine’s capital at face-to-face talks in Turkey. Victoria, Vitaly and Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall ask if that’s a hopeful sign or just empty words.

After reports about the poisoning of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and two Ukrainian peace negotiators, we speak to Max Colchester, one of the journalists who uncovered the news, and former Soviet intelligence officer, Dr Boris Volodarsky, a spy expert who himself was poisoned in 2005.

And we get an update on the situation in Russian-occupied Mariupol, where the mayor has pleaded for all remaining residents to be evacuated, with Ukrainian MP Dmytro Gurin, who is from the besieged port city.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Phil Marzouk, Emma Forde and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Russia plays down hopes of a breakthrough...

Victoria, Vitaly and the BBC’s Diplomatic Correspondent, James Landale, talk through the latest in Ukraine.

Julia Friedlander, Senior Fellow and Director of Economic Statecraft at the Atlantic Council, talks about the dangers of imposing tougher economic sanctions on Russia.  

And we catch up with 19-year-old student, Vitalii, about life in Lutsk, the city where thousands of Ukrainian refugees are waiting to see what will happen next.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Emma Forde, Alix Pickles and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham and the editor was Jonathan Aspinwall

Putin says the West must pay for their energy with Russian currency...

Newscast’s Adam Fleming and the BBC’s Security Correspondent, Frank Gardner, sit in for Victoria and Gabriel, alongside Vitaly. They talk energy supplies, security intel and the latest from Mariupol. They also catch up with Anastasiya Gribanova from the BBC's Ukrainian Service, who's in Lviv. She explains why she'd like to take her pro-Russian relatives to see the destruction caused by the war with their own eyes.

Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk, Alix Pickles and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Travelling 2000 miles from Poland to the UK...

When Ukrainecast listener, Richard O’Doherty, emailed us offering to drive Vitaly's mum and aunt from Poland to the UK, we did not know what to expect. But on the Easter weekend, Alla and Irena arrived into Reading, greeted by Vitaly and members of his family. And, having followed their story since the invasion began, Victoria joined them at Vitaly's house the morning after, to talk through this momentous journey and what it means for everyone involved.

This special episode of Ukrainecast was made by Emma Crowe. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

We speak to a Russian politician...

Yevgeny Popov, Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, speaks to Frank Gardner and Victoria Derbyshire, and says that Russia felt “bullied” into invading Ukraine. He’s challenged on his belief that Nato is the aggressor, and his claims are analysed with the help of Sam de Bendern, a former Nato Ukraine political officer.

Today's Ukrainecast was made by Alix Pickles and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

A Ukrainian marine commander in Mariupol has made what he described as his troops' "last address to the world" as they try to resist Russian forces in the city.

Victoria Derbyshire, James Landale, and Olga Malchevska speak to Olena Nikulina, whose cousin Maks is among the soldiers still there.

Also on the podcast, The Economist correspondent Oliver Carroll, who’s been speaking to a commander in the city.

And the BBC’s religion editor Aleem Maqbool discusses the Russian Orthodox Church's role in the conflict.

Today's Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

The Russian President orders troops to seal off the port city.

Victoria speaks to defence expert, Justin Crump, about the situation in the city of Mariupol.

She also talks to a woman who had an emergency C-section in the basement of a hospital as the fighting was intensifying outside.

Anastasia Platonova from the BBC Russian Service – currently based in the Latvian capital, Riga – has been speaking to the mothers of Russian sailors who’ve gone missing.

And the BBC's Lewis Goodall returns to Poland to see how Ukrainian refugees are faring since his last visit.

Today's Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Ben Cooper. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

The UN Human Rights Office has today described the war in Ukraine as a ‘horror story of violations against civilians’, in which respect for international law has been ‘tossed aside’. Matilda Bogner, who runs the UN's Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, tells us about the war crimes they've documented.

We're also joined by the Marianna Spring, the BBC's disinformation reporter, who tells us the real story of the Ukrainian soldier who became famous when a clip of him defying orders from a Russian warship to surrender, and swearing at them, went viral.

And a daughter tells us how she undertook an extraordinary journey into the besieged city of Mariupol to rescue her parents.

Today's Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Cassie Galpin. The Editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Vitaly and Victoria speak to Oleksandr Sosnovskyi, from the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia, as the city prepares in case of a Russian offensive.

We also catch up with Vitalii Pashchenko, a 19-year-old student, who says some lecturers have remained to teach as bombs go off around them.

There’s also a roundup of the latest developments after the highest-level trip to Ukraine by US officials since the invasion began.

Today's Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

The United Nations boss travels to Moscow to discuss peace with Putin.

Victoria Derbyshire and Vitaly Shevchenko are joined by Lyse Doucet, BBC Chief International Correspondent, who presents Ukrainecast for the first time.

They discuss the prospect of a diplomatic solution to the conflict as the United Nations' Secretary General Antonio Guterres visits Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and President Putin.

We hear from a woman in close contact with fighters in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, who says water and food is running low.

Also on the podcast, BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale talks about reporting from the Donbas.

Today's Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

As fighting continues in the bombarded city of Mariupol we hear from Olha, Katarina and Maria: three women who tell us their stories after escaping.

We hear from a young refugee with autism, and his sister who runs an organisation helping autistic Ukrainian children. Trauma, stress and an unknown future have thrown carers and children into unknown territory.

We also hear an update from Transnistria, the Russian-backed disputed territory in Moldova that was the site of multiple explosions. The United Nations’ Lars Johan Lönnback explains what this could mean.

Today's Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle and Phil Marzouk, with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

We speak to Bill Browder... Lyse Doucet, the BBC's chief international correspondent, and Vitaliy Shevchenko, find out how he became an enemy of the Russian state. We learn about how a monument to Russian-Ukrainian friendship was torn down by officials in Kyiv, about UN general-secretary Antonio Guterres’ trip to Ukraine and about how Ukrainian forces are attempting to retake Kherson. Finally, we catch up with Maksim Kilderov, the artist from Nova Kakhovka who we spoke to in late March, and Johnny Doyle, the man who raised funds to get Maxim to safety in western Ukraine. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Lauren Stanley, Osman Iqbal, Ben Cooper and Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

We hear about the captured Ukrainians with the BBC's Yogita Limaye and Ukraine analyst, Mattia Nelles.

And, the day after the UN secretary general met with the Ukrainian president, the BBC’s special correspondent Fergal Keane, and Vitaly chat to former Nato Ukraine officer, Sam de Bendern, about the prospect of peace in the region. Today's Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Alix Pickles and Natalie Ktena. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

As the first evacuees arrive in Zaporizhzhia after weeks sheltering from bombs in the Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant, Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall and Vitaliy Shevchenko speak to James Elder from Unicef as he tells us about greeting these people and their stories. We also speak to the BBC’s Abduljalil Abdurasulov, who's spent time in the trenches with Ukrainian armed forces in the southern city of Mykolaiv while civilians there endure daily Russian attacks.

And we run through the latest developments, including Boris Johnson addressing the Ukrainian parliament making him ever more popular with their people and ever more unpopular with the Russian state.

Today's Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk, with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

The EU plans a total ban on Russian oil imports by the end of the year, among other new proposed sanctions designed to make Russia pay a high price for aggression. Victoria and Vitaly speak to the economist Timothy Ash about how reliant Europe’s energy supply is on Russia and how much longer President Putin can afford his war bill. We also hear from the BBC Ukrainian Service’s Anastasia Gribanova, who’s in Lviv, where Russian missiles have hit targets in an attempt to disrupt the railway network in western Ukraine. This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Osman Iqbal 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 voicenote via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

Victoria and Vitaliy speak to executive director of Disability Rights International Eric Rosenthal about their investigation into how Ukraine’s disabled children have been abandoned by their carers in institutions that don’t know how to look after them.

A 21-year-old man from Donetsk tells us how he left his home, his friends, his life in order to avoid forced conscription into the Russian forces by Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region.

Ukrainecast listener, commercial airline pilot and social media star Captain Denys tells us how his livelihood was swiftly lost as Russian’s entered Ukrainian airspace and of his new life in a remote Ukrainian village.

And we get the latest updates from the eastern front as a crucial bridge in Dnipro is destroyed as the Russian military attempts to disrupt Ukrainian army supply routes.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal, Miranda Sawyer and Phil Marzouk. 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 voicenote via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

Why is May 9 so important to Putin?

Victoria, Fergal and Vitaliy are joined by Dr. Ammon Cheskin who explains what Victory Day in Russia is really like and whether Putin will use it to declare mass mobilisation.

Also, Andrew Harding joins us from the frontline in Donbas where he is meeting people quietly expressing their Russian identity.

And Ukrainecast listener Emma wrestles with different views on the war in her own home, as she houses a Ukrainian man fleeing the war.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Natalie Ktena and Phil Marzouk. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Putin tells his troops they are fighting for their motherland.

Former Russian MP Sergei Markov and advisor to Vladimir Putin gives the Kremlin’s point of view on the day his country celebrates victory at the end of the Second World War, against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

They analyse his claims, as well as President Putin’s speech, with the help of Liza Fokht from the BBC Russia service.

Katarzyna Zysk, professor of international relations and contemporary history at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies explains why Russia’s military force wasn’t on full show.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn and Phil Marzouk. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. 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 to +44 0330 1234 220.

Victoria, Vitaly and Frank Gardner speak to Olga Malchevska, and hear her interviews with victims of suspected war crimes.

15-year-old Yuriy describes how his father was killed in front of him and a bullet missed his own head by inches.

Also, Serhiy Dibrov, deputy editor of the Odesa newspaper, Dumskaya, is on the podcast after bombing in the city.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Chris Flynn and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. 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 to +44 0330 1234 220.

Why are so many of them avoiding “disturbing information” about Ukraine?

Victoria and Vitaly are joined by Lyse Doucet, who is in Dnipro, where rows of graves are being dug in anticipation of more people being killed in the war.

Grigory Yudin, from the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences, tells us more about public opinion in Russia and about what it’s like to publicly speak out against the war while living there.

And Ukraine are through to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. We speak to the country's commentator, Timur Miroshnychenko, who was broadcasting for the semi-final from a temporary studio in a bomb shelter.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

Russian soldiers have been seen shooting dead unarmed civilians.

Victoria and Vitaly are joined by Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall. They hear from a soldier, Volodomyr Demchenko who explains why he is fighting, his worries for his country, and his causes for optimism.

We also hear why Finland is intending to join Nato, with Oksana Antonenko, a correspondent from the BBC Russian Service.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Alix Pickles and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

Get in touch! Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk or send us a message or voice note on WhatsApp, our number is +44 0330 1234 220.

As a Russian soldier is put on trial in Ukraine for war crimes, Victoria and Vitaliy discuss whether he can receive a fair hearing in a Kyiv courtroom.

They speak to Natalia, whose husband is fighting at the steel plant in Mariupol. She says she hasn’t heard from him in nearly a week and fears for his life.

Finally we speak to the Ukrainian winner of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest Jamala. Her winning song was inspired by her great-grandmother’s experiences in World War Two and now she feels the history she sang about is repeating itself.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Osman Iqbal and Natalie Ktena. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk or send us a message or voice note on WhatsApp, our number is +44 0330 1234 220.

Victoria and Vitaly speak to Sarah Rainsford who tells us about a facility in Bucha that was once a children’s summer camp but has now become a crime scene after the torture and execution of five men there.

We hear from NGO worker Oksana who, until recently, was living under Russian occupation in Kherson. She tells us about her colleagues who’ve been abducted.

And NATO Ukraine officer and associate fellow at Chatham House Sam de Bendern talks through the pushback in Kharkiv and the implications of Finland and Sweden joining NATO.

Today's Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk, with Osman Iqbal and Chris Flynn. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

After two months of fighting, hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers have been evacuated by Russian forces from Mariupol's Azovstal steelworks.

Victoria, Vitaly and Lyse Doucet speak to Yuriy Sak, an advisor to the Ukrainian defence minister, about what this means for Russia’s war strategy.

They also speak to the BBC’s specialist disinformation reporter, Marianna Spring, about the pregnant woman who was photographed fleeing from Mariupol’s maternity hospital during a Russian airstrike and her fight to prove that she wasn’t an actress taking part in staged images.

We also hear from Vladimir about the field hospital he’s set up with his friends at the war’s Eastern front.

Today's Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk, with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

The BBC World Service's Svyatoslav Khomenko tells us what's he observed at the court of the first war crimes trial of the Ukraine conflict.

Also, Victoria and Vitaly speak with Olga Ivshina from the BBC Russian Service, who has been investigating forced mobilisation in the Eastern Ukraine region of Donbas. People living there told her men had been grabbed in the streets, whilst out shopping or on public transport. Many haven’t been seen since.

And leading international lawyer Philippe Sands weighs in on whether Biden and Zelensky are right to describe what is happening in Ukraine as a genocide.

Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. 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 to +44 0330 1234 220.

UN says the war could lead to long-term famines. Victoria and Vitaliy hear about what's going on by speaking to Sergey, a farmer from southern Ukraine, and the UN’s Pierre Vauthier.

And, after weeks of worry, we check-in with Nataliya, who tells us that her husband, who was fighting at the Mariupol steelworks, is alive and is now being held in Russian-controlled territory.

Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Phil Marzouk and Alix Pickles. 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 to +44 0330 1234 220.

Fergal Keane joins Vitaliy to talk to a member of Bucha’s city council who tells us more accounts of atrocities in his city and how it can rebuild.

Friend of the podcast Olga Malchevska reports from Kharkiv: the eastern border city in which Ukrainian forces pushed out Russian troops.

Vitaliy and Fergal answer your questions before Vitaliy tells us about his upcoming documentary on a women’s football team in Mariupol.

Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Phil Marzouk and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1234 220.

Russian soldier jailed for life. The tank commander has been convicted for killing a civilian at the first war crimes trial since the invasion. The BBC World Service’s Svyatoslav Khomenko has been in court in Kyiv every day of the trial and brings us up to date on the sentencing. Vitaly discusses the heavy shelling in the Luhansk region with the Governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Gaidai.

And Victoria and Vitaly talk about nuclear safety with Petro Kotin, who is in charge of all five of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants including one in Zaporizhzhia, occupied by Russian troops. Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Phil Marzouk, Chris Flynn and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 1234 220.

Security correspondent Frank Gardner joins Victoria and Vitaliy to give us the latest updates from the eastern front and how European nations are responding to the continuing war.

We hear the story of Alice: the four-year-old girl who escaped Azovstal but lost her mother in the process. Those looking after her say her mother has been taken to Russia.

Also, we catch up with the Russian TV news editor, Marina Ovsyannikova, who protested the war live on air back in March becoming a symbol Russian anti-war sentiment and an exile in the process.

Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Phil Marzouk, Osman Iqbal and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 1234 220.

Vitaly's home town is struck

Two areas of the southern city of Zaporizhzhia have been struck by Russian missiles, leaving one person dead and three others wounded. Whilst Russian forces are centering their offensive on Eastern Ukraine, Russian forces are now in control of much of the big Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine’s South. We hear from Kostyantyn, a factory worker from Zaporizhya who describes waking up to the sound of explosions during the night.

Also, we speak to the mayor of Meritopol Ivan Federov who was abducted and held by Russian forces for five days before being freed in a prisoner swap.

And we answer listener questions on conscription and President Putin’s ambitions as well as getting the latest from Davos.

Vitaly and Lewis are joined by Kateryna Khinkulova from BBC World Service who is from Kyiv.

Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal, Louise Hidalgo and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Sam Bonham.

You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 1234 220.

Vitaly and Victoria hear from 19 year old Maksym Lutskyi, a soldier fighting in the Donbas where the Ukrainian army is under increasing pressure. He’s aware Russian forces might encircle him any time soon, but says he will fight on regardless.

Also, a listener based in Moscow explains how he’s been trying to bring Russians with opposite views of the conflict together and engage in a meaningful dialogue.

And another listener sends us a picture of a literal Ukraine-cast…

Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Alix Pickles, Osman Iqbal and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor was Sam Bonham. You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 1234 220.

Stories from the front line.

The BBC's Fergal Keane and Olga Ivshina hear from Russian soldiers who have risked their lives on the front line of the war. Why have some of them refused to return?

The BBC's Jeremy Bowen speaks to us from a Donbas town which is within artillery range of Russian troops.

And Rustik, Fergal’s fixer in Bucha, discusses his first experience of conflict and how his country is changing.

Today’s Ukrainecast was made by Osman Iqbal and Natalie Ktena. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

Both Sergey and Marina are voiced by actors.

You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 1234 220.

Russia’s UK ambassador calls footage a “fabrication”. In a tense BBC News interview, Andrei Kelin claims allegations of war crimes in the town of Bucha are false despite physical evidence, satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s chief prosecutor tells us she’s investigating thousands of cases.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg with Chris Flynn and Clare Williamson. 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 to +44 0330 1234 220.

What does Europe’s partial oil ban mean for Russia’s economy? After the EU agreed a compromise plan to stop its members importing Russian oil by sea, economist Timothy Ash tells Victoria who might be most hurt by the sanctions.

And BBC reporter Chloe Hajimatheou uncovers increasingly sophisticated disinformation tactics being deployed and spread globally.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Daniel Wittenberg. 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 to +44 0330 1234 220.

Ukraine gets long-sought US long-range missile systems. BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner explains why Kyiv hopes this will be a gamechanger. Maria Chashka, a Deputy Commander of a battalion in Kharkiv, confirms she believes this will help her country win the war.

The acting war time mayor of Severodonetsk, Oleksandr Stryuk, tells Victoria and Vitaly about the recent strike on a chemical plant in his city, which has already seen over 90% of its population leave for a safer place.

And, as Ukraine and Scotland face each other in a World Cup play-off, we hear from Tetiana Lukianenko a refugee from Kyiv, now based in Aberfeldy, Scotland. She says she will cheer whoever wins.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. 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 to +44 0330 1234 220.

One hundred days on from February 24th, a date that will be remembered for decades, we take you through the story of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In this special episode, we listen back to some of the key moments from hours of testimony and analysis on the war.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk. The technical producer was Emma Crowe and the exec producer, Estelle Doyle. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

For 100 days Ukrainecast has been made by Daniel Wittenberg, Osman Iqbal, Chris Flynn, Alix Pickles, Sam Bonham, Natalie Ktena, Alison Gee, Clare Forde, Michele Thiel, Miranda Slade and Clare Williamson.

You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments or send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 1234 220.

Russia targets Ukraine’s capital with missiles for the first time in weeks. Vitaly and Frank talk to Nataliia, who recently returned to Kyiv with her young son – they were woken up by the blasts.

Also, the UK says it will send its first long-range missiles to Ukraine. And Col Bob Seddon, who was once in charge of bomb disposal for the British army, tells us how he’s helping Ukrainians deal with mines.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Clare Williamson with Osman Iqbal and Philip Marzouk. The assistant editor was Alison Gee. The technical producer was Emma Crowe.

You can email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 123 9480 – and start your message with the word Ukrainecast.

Why some Ukrainians choose to flee whilst others stay.

Thousands of Ukrainians, from the heavily bombed East, don’t want to leave - it turns out that some don’t believe that Russia is bombing them.

We hear from a listener who has not had contact with her father in Severodonetsk, described by President Zelensky as a 'Dead City', since May 22nd.

And the Kyiv residents raising money to repair their bombed apartment block.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Clare Williamson with Osman Iqbal and Philip Marzouk. 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

Victoria and Vitaly are joined by Zhanna Bezpiatchuk from the BBC Ukrainian service, who travelled to Irpin to investigate allegations of war crimes. There she heard accounts of violence against civilians, of shootings and summary executions - including the killing of a young woman in a red coat. Her body remained in the street for four weeks - lying where she had been trampled not once, but over and over again, under the wheels of Russian armoured vehicles. A food shopping list was found in her coat pocket.

UNICEF’s James Elder explains how over one hundred days of war have ‘wrought devastating consequences for children at a scale not seen since World War II’. The agency says 70% of Ukrainian children are displaced by fighting.

And, Mykola Bielieskov, from the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Kyiv, explains why he believes the long-range rocket artillery promised by the US and the UK won’t be enough to stabilise the front line, even less to push the Russian troops back.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

Three men are convicted by a Russian proxy court in eastern Ukraine.

We speak to Tim Whewell, a BBC reporter who has been investigating the fate of more than a million Ukrainian refugees who have ended up in Russia. Have they been rescued? Or illegally deported?

And we check-in with Natalia, whose husband fought during the siege of the Azovstal steelworks.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The assistant 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

The Kremlin defends the death sentences for three captured soldiers. Fergal and Vitaliy are joined by BBC Russian Service’s Olga Ivshina to understand more about what is happening in Ukraine.

They speak to former US Army medic, Brennan Phillips, and the Mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, who was kidnapped and imprisoned by Russian soldiers.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Alix Pickles and Natalie Ktena. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

Viktoria Kovalenko tells us about the day her husband Petro and 12-year-old daughter Veronika were killed when the road they were travelling on to find safety was bombed.

She explains to Victoria and Vitaly how taking care of her one-year-old baby is the only thing that keeps her sane. And how she's now been waiting for nearly 50 days for a visa to the UK.

They also speak to Derek Edwards from https://homesforukraine.org, an organisation he set up to help Ukrainians, including Viktoria, seek refuge in the UK. With him, is 17 year old Anna Merchuk, who talks about resettling in England and her hopes for the future.

And we talk through the latest in the conflict as new research from Amnesty International shows Russia has killed hundreds of civilians using indiscriminate shelling and widely-banned cluster munitions.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Ivana Davidovic, Chris Flynn and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

Victoria and Vitaly speak to 19-year-old Maksym Lutskyi, a Ukrainian soldier who is preparing to return to the front line after being wounded and losing his commander who died saving his life.

Andrey Stavnitser, one of the richest businessmen in Ukraine, and co-owner of the major shipping terminals near Odessa, describes the impact the blockade is having on the country’s economy. He also explains why he asked the army to shell his own home after it became occupied by Russians.

And we hear from Kees Haiziinga, a farmer from central Ukraine, who says he is worried he’ll only be able to get a fraction of his harvest out.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal and Arsenii Sokolov. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the face of President Putin’s Russia, insists that his country didn’t invade Ukraine in a rare interview with the BBC. Victoria and Vitaly unpick the interview with Patricia Lewis, Director of the International Security Programme at Chatham House. She also tells us about the significance of Ukraine getting a step closer to European Union membership. Is this purely symbolic? And we hear from Joy, the fiancée of a US former marine, reported missing in Ukraine. Today’s episode was produced by Alix Pickles, Osman Iqbal and Clare Williamson. The technical producer was Emma Crowe and the editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 0330 1239480.

Vitaly and the BBC’s Katya Khinkulova speak to Pavel Shulga, who’s about to travel to Severodonetsk to evacuate women and children from battle zones.

Frank Gardner tells us what’s happening on the ground and tells us about the diplomatic developments.

And we catch up with Olga Drover, who lives in Troon in Scotland, who we heard from last in March, when she had lost contact with her parents in Mariupol when it came under attack. They’re now reunited.

Today’s episode was made by Clare Williamson and Chris Flynn. The planning editor is Louise Hidalgo 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

Imane Saaudun, the sister of captured Moroccan fighter Brahim Saaudun tells us why she feels her own country has betrayed her brother.

A Russian exclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania called Kaliningrad has become the latest focus in the Ukraine war. Victoria and Vitaly find out why from the BBC’s European editor, Katya Adler.

Sarah Ashton-Cirillo is an American war reporter based in Kharkiv. She talks to us about her fight for credibility as a trans woman and life on the front line.

And former DJ turned BBC fixer, Vlad Fisun gives us the lowdown on Ukrainian music.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Osman Iqbal, Arsenii Sokolov and Clare Williamson. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

A former Soviet soldier describes how he’s now helping resistance groups in the Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine by advising them how to mount an insurgency.

UNICEF’s Pete Manfield describes how the war in Ukraine is taking its toll in Somalia, and BBC Africa correspondent Catherine Byaruhanga explains why some Africans are taking a pro-Russian stance.

Also, a listener in Russia explains how he’s using bank notes to protest against the war.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Estelle Doyle with Natalie Ktena and Osman Iqbal. The planning producer is Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

Russian missile strike hits a shopping centre in central-eastern Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky says that more than 1,000 people were inside. Vadym Yudenko lives in the city and tells us what he saw. Diplomatic Editor, James Landale updates us on the G7 meeting in Germany where leaders have pledged their continuing support for Ukraine. And we hear from the BBC’s Joel Gunter who has just returned from Saltivka, in Kharkiv, where he met residents still living in their bombed-out apartments. Host Vitaly is joined by Kateryna Khinkulova from BBC World Service. Today’s podcast was produced by Clare Williamson, Ivana Davidovic, Osman Iqbal and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Frank Mcweeny. 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

A quarter of a million people now participate in regular cyber attacks against Russia. We hear from one of the volunteers, Oleksandr Naumenko. And also from US-Russian cybersecurity expert Dmitri Alperovitch.

BBC Ukrainian service reporter Olga Malchevska recalls a recent visit to her home town of Kyiv and the trauma of seeing in person her bombed childhood apartment.

As Western leaders gather in Madrid for a NATO summit, Sam de Bendern, former NATO Ukraine officer, tells us why they will eventually have to stop sitting on the fence when it comes to the war in Ukraine.

And we get an update from Pavel Shulga, who travelled to the region of Lysychansk to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate women and children from battle zones. We hear why he’s already back on the road.

Today’s podcast was produced by Estelle Doyle with Ivana Davidovic, Osman Iqbal and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Cassie Galpin. 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

Russian forces have detained the mayor of Kherson, Ihor Kolykhayev, after he refused to work with them. The BBC’s Tim Whewell spoke to him a few days before his abduction.

Meanwhile, the BBC Russian service’s Liza Fokt explains to Victoria and Vitaly, how in another occupied city, Severodonestsk, some people do welcome the Russian forces.

And Roman, who helped evacuate dozens of people from Mariupol, tells us why he’s now going back, despite the risk of being arrested once he gets there.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Ivana Davidovic and Osman Iqbal. The planning producer, Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer, Michael Reegard. 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

Russia has claimed control of the key eastern city Lysychansk and the region around it. The Kremlin said this was one of its main aims. So, what happens next?

Lyse, Vitaly and Irena check in with Maksym, a Ukrainian soldier fighting on the front line. Also, Pavlo Shulga, who works with Ukraine Trust Chain, tells us about his latest trip to the area around Lysychansk where he was attacked as he delivered food and helped evacuate people.

As world leaders meet in Switzerland for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, Timothy Ash talks us through the astronomical cost of rebuilding Ukraine, and who will pay for it.

Today’s podcast was produced by Alison Gee with Osman Iqbal, Ivana Davidovic, Phil Marzouk and Louise Hidalgo. 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 to +44 (0) 330 1239480.

A Ukrainian medic, Olexander, based on Snake Island was captured on the first day of the war. Almost five months later, his mother and fiancée break their silence to make a plea for information on his wellbeing.

The sole survivor of a Russian shooting, who lived by playing dead, has been speaking to Fergal Keane about what happened.

And the BBC’s Olga Ivshina explains how Russia has been sending so-called volunteers to fight in Ukraine - and why for so many of them, this will be a one-way ticket.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Phil Marzouk, Arsenii Sokolov and Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. And 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

Fearless paramedic, Yuliia “Taira” Paievska, who filmed the horrors of Mariupol and was then held captive for 3 months by Russian proxy forces. She describes how she was physically and psychologically tortured.

Lyse and Irena discuss why a Ukrainian croissant is named after Boris Johnson – and the wider reactions to the UK’s Prime Minister resignation with Yuriy Sak, adviser to Ukraine's Minister of Defence.

And we find out why drones are playing such an important role in the war in Ukraine, with Anatoliy Tiagur, a drone operator for the army and BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Osman Iqbal and Phil Marzouk. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. 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 to +44 0330 1239480

Under laws that Russia brought in following the beginning of the invasion in Ukraine, a Moscow-based councillor has become the first person to be jailed for speaking out.

The BBC’s Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse joins Victoria for presenting duties, and they take stock of the current situation in Ukraine.

A young soldier from Mariupol tells us how he survived horrific injuries, being taken captive by Russian soldiers, and how he was freed in a prisoner exchange.

Also, investigative reporter for the BBC Russian Service Andrey Zakharov tells us what it’s like to be designated a foreign agent by the Kremlin and be tailed by Russian agents.

And, we get an update on Viktoriia: the woman who is trying to get a visa to come to the UK after fleeing Chernihiv.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Osman Iqbal, Arsenii Sokolov and Phil Marzouk. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. 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 to +44 0330 1239480.

The BBC Russian’s Olga Ivshina explains how her and her team have been able to estimate the number of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine and buried in Russia by sending volunteers to visit cemeteries.

Also, we hear from Mikhail Benyash, a Russian human rights lawyer who has been advising Russian soldiers who don’t want to fight in Ukraine.

The BBC’s Security correspondent, Frank Gardner explains why he believes Russia is currently militarily winning the war.

And the team discusses the toll the war has also taken on the Russian people. The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers Alix Pickles, Arsenii Sokolov and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer is Emma Crowe. 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 0330 1239480.

Running a hotline for victims of abuse. We hear from Alyona Kryvulyak...

Russian missiles have hit the city of Vinnytsia, in central Ukraine, killing at least 23 people. From the scene of the attack, the BBC’s Zhanna Bezpiatchuk gives us the latest on the situation. And we talk to Wayne Jordash, who has been investigating war crimes in Ukraine. He explains how his team collects evidence.

Today's Ukrainecast was made by Arsenii Sokolov, Ivana Davidovic and Osman Iqbal. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham.

Once the richest man in Russia under 35, mobile phone tycoon Evgeny Chichvarkin explains why he needed to sell his company and escape Putin’s Russia in 2008. Settled in London, he’s now personally delivering aid to Ukraine.

Organised crime expert Misha Glenny and the BBC Russian Service’s Anastasia Stognei explore the deep connections between Russia’s president, its wealthiest oligarchs, and the Western countries which readily accepted their money.

Plus, treason in the Ukraine camp? Why has President Zelensky suspended Ukraine’s security chief and his top prosecutor?

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Daniel Wittenberg, with Arsenii Sokolov, Ivana Davidovic and planning producer Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Gareth Jones. The assistant editor was 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.

As the Russian president meets leaders of Iran and Turkey, the BBC’s former Moscow and diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall takes us through what this tells about Putin's remaining diplomatic friends.

Vitaliy and Victoria catch up with a young soldier we first met in May who is now taking brief respite from fighting on the front lines in the east to visit injured friends in Kyiv.

And we meet some humanitarian aid workers and hear about why they continue to work day-after-day to get Ukrainians to safety.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk, with Ivana Davidovic, Arsenii Sokolov and planning producer Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The assistant editor was Sam Bonham. 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.

The deal between Ukraine and Russia should help alleviate the global food crisis. BBC Ukraine correspondent James Waterhouse joins Vic and Vitaliy to discuss the deal and whether it’s a promising sign for negotiations in the wider war.

We hear from Ukrainian lorry drivers who are stuck beyond the border in Russia with no means of coming back without abandoning their vehicles and, therefore, their livelihoods.

And Nina Nazarova from the BBC Russian Service tells us all about six Ukrainian children reunited with their parents after five months apart.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Clare Williamson with Arsenii Sokolov, Phil Marzouk, Ivana Davidovic and planning producer Louise Hidalgo. 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.

Russian missile strikes have hit the port of Odessa, just one day after Ukraine and Russia agreed a landmark deal to resume Ukraine's grain exports.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is on a tour of Africa to counter accusations that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has started a global food crisis. Murithi Mutiga, Programme Director for Africa at the International Crisis Group, explains where African loyalties lie and why. Also, the BBC’s security correspondent Frank Gardner tells us that former NATO generals, have started an advisory council to help the Ukrainian army with strategy. And we hear from Afghan Ukrainian fighter Jalal about why he decided to risk his life for Ukraine and how difficult it is to fight against fellow Muslims. .

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Clare Williamson with Ivana Davidovic, Arsenii Sokolov and planning producer Louise Hidalgo. 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.

Long before Russia invaded Ukraine, the country was dealing with a problem: the abandoning of disabled people to institutions that weren’t fit for purpose. The BBC’s Dan Johnson and producer Ruth Clegg tell us about these institutions.

In the news, Russia continues to weaponise its gas supplies as a way of wielding leverage over Western nations. Dr Aura Sabadus, energy specialist at International Commodity Intelligence Service, takes us through how this is playing out.

But back in Ukraine, a 10-year-old checkers champion has been capturing hearts by raising funds for the army. We speak to her and her mother.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Phil Marzouk and Ivana Davidovic, and planning producer 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.

A special episode to hear Ukraine’s first lady talking to Ukrainecast’s Lucy Hockings.

President Zelensky’s wife, Olena Zelenska, spoke about trauma, dealing with the spotlight and that Vogue cover.

Vitaly and the Ukrainian Service’s Irena join Lucy to share their thoughts and impressions of the interview with Ukraine’s first lady.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The technical producer 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

YouTube, which is owned by Google, is one of the rare Western social media platforms that is not banned by Russia. Neal Mohan, YouTube’s Chief Product Officer, discusses the fine line between disinformation and censorship – and explains why banning fake news channels isn’t always the best way forward.

Lucy and Vitaly are joined by the BBC's disinformation reporter Marianna Spring. Together, they speak to Sergei Buntman, from the independent Russian radio station, Ekho Moskvy. The station was taken off air on 1st March. It now operates on YouTube.

And they hear from journalist Konstantin Ryzhenko, who decided to stay in Kherson under Russian occupation, but is now a wanted man by the Russians and has to remain in hiding.

The series producer is Estelle Doyle. The producers are Arsenii Sokolov and Ivana Davidovic. 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.