Ukrainecast

The White House has played down reports that Donald Trump privately encouraged Volodymyr Zelensky to strike targets deep inside Russia, including Moscow and St Petersburg. That's despite the US president's promise to deliver more weapons to Ukraine via NATO allies, and a new threat of secondary tariffs on countries buying Russian oil and gas. So is his administration's approach to Russia changing?

Also, we hear about the more than 2...

Is Donald Trump changing his rhetoric on Ukraine? Has he directed allies in Congress to accelerate a new sanctions package targeting Russia? And could infighting among high-ranking Ukrainian officials prove to be a damaging distraction in their country’s war effort?

Lucy and Vitaly answer all that, and consider the delicate diplomatic balance Turkey is attempting to strike during this conflict, alongside the BBC’s Ukraine correspond...

On Friday, Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched a record 539 drones and 11 missiles in overnight airstrikes. Kyiv was at the epicentre of the attack, with every district in the capital targeted. We’ve been speaking with two residents of the city, about their experiences - Dasha, who spent the night sheltering at a local metro station, and Oleksiy, who watched his business go up in flames on CCTV.

Also, on Monday Russia's Inv...

After the US paused the delivery of some weapons to Ukraine pledged under the Biden administration, how soon will the impact be felt on the front line? As Russia claims full control of Luhansk, what is life like for Ukrainians living in occupied territories? And is Ukraine united behind the Russian opposition movement?

Lucy and Vitaly answer all that, and discuss French President Emmanuel Macron’s call with Vladimir Putin, alongside...

Last week, a clip of BBC Ukrainian reporter Myroslava Petsa went viral, after President Trump asked a series of questions about her personal story during a press conference at the Nato summit. Myroslava tells us what was going through her mind at that moment, and what it has been like to cover the conflict while her husband fights for Ukraine.

We also hear from Matthew Savill at RUSI about the intensification of nightly Russian dron...

The Nato summit in The Hague did get member states to agree on ramping up their defence spending - and seemed to placate Donald Trump. But has this week changed anything for Ukraine? What happened to the prior US “two-week deadline” to agree a ceasefire - and will those sought-after Patriot missiles ever arrive in Kyiv? Jamie Coomarasamy and Vitaly Shevchenko answer all that, and discuss the knotty details of prosecuting alleged w...

As Nato leaders gather in the Hague, all eyes are on one man - President Trump. Member states have largely complied with his demand that they spend more on collective defence. But as Russia’s full-scale invasion continues, will his focus at this summit extend to Ukraine, or is he preoccupied with events in the Middle East?

For an insider perspective, we’re joined by the former US Permanent Representative to Nato, Julianne Smith. And...

As oil prices rise, is escalation in the Middle East between Israel and Iran a positive development for Russia? How successful has Ukraine been in downing Russia’s fibre optic drone capacity? And is the Kremlin really intent on extending its invasion beyond Nato borders?

Lucy and Vitaly answer all that, and discuss the impact of the latest western sanctions with BBC Verify’s Olga Robinson and Matthew Savill of the Royal United Servi...

As the confrontation between Iran and Israel deepens, could Russia could reap the benefits of rising oil prices - or have the chance to act as a mediator?

And what consequences could this crisis have for Ukraine?

Also, what’s it like to join the Ukrainian armed forces? We catch up with friend of the pod Volodymyr, who recently volunteered for a drone unit and is going through basic training. Today’s episode is presented by Victo...

How are Russian POWs treated in Ukrainian captivity? Is Kyiv’s claim that Russia has suffered more than 1 million casualties during the war accurate? And during WW2 Britain used flat-pack bomb shelters - could they also now work in Ukraine?

These are just some of the questions you’ve been sending in to the Ukrainecast team. Jamie and Vitaly are joined by Olga Robinson from BBC Verify and Olga Ivshina from BBC Russian to answer them.

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Bringing soldiers back home is one of the few areas where Russia and Ukraine have made progress together in recent months, and another large scale prisoner swap started this week.

We talk to Anastasia - the wife of a Ukrainian soldier held captive since 2022, and released in May. But his new found freedom came against a backdrop of continuing Russian attacks on cities across Ukraine. We talk about whether we are seeing the retaliat...

What do the Spider Web drone attacks tell us about Ukraine’s tactics inside Russia going forward? Could the West limit Russian oil revenues by confiscating its 'shadow fleet'? And are we any closer to seeing high-precision laser weapons on the battlefield?

We answer all that and discuss what the implications could be for Ukraine after Poland elected a new conservative president, with the BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse ...

On Sunday, more than 100 Ukrainian drones struck air bases deep inside Russia. According to some estimates, the operation dubbed ‘Spider Web’ may have successfully damaged or destroyed up to a third of Russia’s fleet of strategic bombers. So what impact might this have on its aerial capability?

We‘re joined in the studio by Major General Jonathan Shaw, former Assistant Chief of the UK’s Defence Staff. And with Ukraine’s drone indust...

Is the Russian military weaker than at the start of the war? Will European allies expand their drone industries to aid Ukraine? And what has happened to Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia?

We answer all that and discuss whether Germany will arm Ukraine with Taurus missiles, with Olga Ivshina from BBC Russian, and Mikey Kay, a former senior officer in the British military who hosts The Security Brief on BBC News.

Today’s episode i...

Over the weekend Ukraine was targeted by almost a thousand Russian drones and dozens of missiles, including the biggest aerial attack since the beginning of the conflict.

In response, Donald Trump accused Vladimir Putin of going “absolutely crazy.” The Kremlin put that down to “emotional overload”.

With progress on peace talks stalling, and fresh US sanctions still yet to be announced, how do those in Ukraine view the situation?

We he...

Does Trump understand Putin’s motives? Can Western sanctions actually threaten Russia’s economy? Are Russian troops really amassing at Finland’s border - and how worried should we be about that?

Those are some of the questions you’ve sent us in over the last week and in this episode, Lucy and Vitaly are joined by James and BBC news presenter Sumi Somaskanda to try and answer them.

Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vit...

After a two-hour phone call on Monday, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin came to very different conclusions about what was agreed. The US said ceasefire negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv would start “immediately.” The Kremlin meanwhile, said there were no deadlines to move towards peace.

On this episode the BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg tells us about the reaction to the call in the Russian press. And - as Europe prepares to...

Ukraine and Russia have agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each after the first face-to-face talks in three years. Kyiv also requested direct talks with President Vladimir Putin, and Moscow says it "noted" this request.

So is this a diplomatic breakthrough?

Vitaly gauges the mood from a sunny Istanbul, explains why an interpreter was required, and talks about what the next steps might be.

Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hock...

President Zelensky has said he's sending his defence minister to peace negotiations with Russia in Istanbul - but adds that Russia is "not serious" about "real talks".

With discussions between the two countries seemingly likely to happen in some form, is this progress? Are we on the path to peace? Lucy is joined by Vitaly in Istanbul and Lyse Doucet in Abu Dhabi.

Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko. ...