Ukraine War Diaries podcast

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Sky News’ Yalda Hakim and NBC’s Richard Engel have covered world events for years. Now, they team up for a new podcast to share their experiences from the frontline. They debrief from global flashpoints and discuss their encounters with the biggest decision makers. They’ll also be joined by some of those key players to help make sense of world events. From conflict in the Middle East, to the US election, and the war in Ukraine there is no better place for analysis and expertise. New episodes from Richard and Yalda every Wednesday, starting October 9th.…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP68 - One year, three lives & our stories of war (Feb 25) 22:56

2 years fa22:56

22:56

In an extended episode to mark one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ilyas, Oksana and Seva come together for the first time as a group, to share just some of what impacted them most in the last 12 months and to consider what the future holds? OUR DIARISTS Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of February 2023, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Seva, 41, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producer: Rob Mulhern Editing: Paul Stanworth…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP67 - Zelenskyy the great, loving power & ‘the smell of Spring’ (Feb 13-17) 12:07

2 years fa12:07

12:07

Ilyas praises Ukraine’s leader after Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s UK visit and is grateful his wife and children, in Poland, don’t have to experience life in the middle of a warzone. Oksana is happy to have electricity this week and is looking forward to Spring and a trip to Europe, where she’ll be reunited with her best friend after many months apart And her husband Seva, a military volunteer, has returned from eastern Ukraine and reflects on how he has gotten used to the Russian missile bombardment, nearly a year on since the invasion. OUR DIARISTS Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of February 2023, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Seva, 41, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. EP67 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producers: Rob Mulhern and Annie Joyce Editing: Paul Stanworth Archive: Simon Windsor Digital: David Chipakupaku…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP66 - Barbarity in Bakhmut, bedding parcels & Kharkiv buyer’s guide (Feb 6-10) 13:38

2 years fa13:38

13:38

Military volunteer Seva learns about comrades who suffered horrific deaths when he returns to Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. In Kyiv, answering a displaced mother’s call for help leads to an inspiring phone conversation for Oksana. And Ilyas undertakes an anxious journey hundreds of kilometres across Ukraine to buy a car for his family. WARNING: Seva’s diary contains graphic references detailing death and torture. OUR DIARISTS Seva, 41, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of February 2023, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. EP66 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producer: Rob Mulhern Editing: Paul Stanworth Archive: Simon Windsor Digital: David Chipakupaku…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP65 - Strollers, sacrifice & the Spring offensive (Jan 30-3 Feb) 12:13

2 years fa12:13

12:13

Now more than half-way through the winter, and more than 11 months since his family fled the country, Ilyas makes peace with the realisation that his eldest son is successfully assimilating into life in Poland, a re-location forced upon his family by the Russian invasion. In Kyiv, conversations with his comrades on the front line forces Seva to yet again match the odds of mounting Russian pressure against the Ukrainian need for ever greater Western firepower. Meanwhile, amid growing fears over a Russian Spring offensive - and the prospect of a major military push against Kyiv - Oksana redoubles her efforts to cherish special moments with her loved ones. OUR DIARISTS Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of February 2023, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Seva, 41, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. EP65 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producer: Rob Mulhern Editing: Paul Stanworth Archive: Simon Windsor Digital: David Chipakupaku…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP64 - Tanks, transfers & the threat of doing nothing (Jan 23-27) 11:51

2 years fa11:51

11:51

Returning from assignment, Seva speaks with comrades in the eastern city of Bakhmut who are in desperate need of more advanced weaponry but happy to be alive. In Kyiv, Ilyas turns his birthday into a military fundraising exercise. And as Ukraine pleads to the West for more heavy weapons, the story of displacement continues as Oksana supports the arrival of more refugees into Kyiv. OUR DIARISTS Seva, 41, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of January 2023, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. EP64 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producer: Rob Mulhern Editing: Paul Stanworth Archive: Simon Windsor Digital: David Chipakupaku…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP63 - Dnipro, despair & waiting for deliverance (Jan 16-20) 13:47

2 years fa13:47

13:47

Seva has a difficult conversation with his sister after a Russian ballistic missile targets her Dnipro neighbourhood, killing 45 people and injuring dozens more. In Kyiv, Oksana shares some of the stories that have penetrated the soul of the nation and reflects on how the attack is impacting the Ukrainian psyche. Meanwhile, a conversation between Ilyas and his grandmother - who grew up in the aftermath of World War II - shifts his focus to those ageing citizens who are struggling to cope with war. OUR DIARISTS Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Seva, 41, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of January 2023, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. EP63 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producer: Rob Mulhern Editing: Paul Stanworth Digital Promotion: David Chipakupaku Archive: Simon Windsor…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP62 - Comedy nights, corroding childhoods, & checking out at the gym (Jan 9-13) 8:57

2 years fa8:57

8:57

As fighting rages in the east of the country and against the backdrop of mounting casualties in the mining town of Soledar, Oksana finds some unexpected respite at a Kyiv comedy night. Meanwhile, in an basement gym, Ilyas finds a world removed from war, until the building is plunged into darkness. OUR DIARISTS Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Seva, 41, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of January 2023, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. EP62 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producer: Rob Mulhern Editing: Paul Stanworth Digital Promotion: David Chipakupaku…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP61 - Birthday at the pictures, pizza nights & polish pick-ups (Jan 2-6) 11:37

2 years fa11:37

11:37

In Kyiv, making use of one of the cities bomb-proofed theatres, Oksana books a comedy night for military volunteer husband Seva. In one of the capital’s restaurants, Seva begins the new year in the company of army comrades who extend an emotional gesture of brotherhood in the form of a knife. And after saying farewell to his family, Ilyas transports an old car from Poland ear-marked for frontline soldiers, before finding himself in the blast radius of a missile strike in Kyiv. OUR DIARISTS Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Seva, 41, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of January 2023, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. EP39 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producer: Rob Mulhern Editing: Paul Stanworth Digital Promotion: David Chipakupaku…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP60 - Fond memories, fallen soldiers & our first war-time Christmas (Dec 25-31) 11:23

2 years fa11:23

11:23

Against the backdrop of a Kyiv still under siege, Oksana reflects on magical Christmas memories from childhood until a drone attack brings her back to reality with a jolt. Meanwhile Seva shares the Christmas reality of comrades who continue to fight through the festive period. And Ilyas, looks to the New Year with hope. OUR DIARISTS Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of December 2022, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Seva, 40, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. EP60 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producer: Rob Mulhern Editor: Paul Stanworth Digital Promotion: David Chipakupaku…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP59 - From a city under siege, a very Ukrainian Christmas story (Dec 13-24) 8:56

2 years fa8:56

8:56

Alone in his apartment in Kyiv, memories of Christmas past come flooding back to Ilyas. Can he find a way to escape the blitz-like conditions and be reunited with his wife and two sons in Poland? OUR DIARISTS Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of December 2022, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Seva, 40, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. EP37 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producer: Rob Mulhern Editor: Paul Stanworth Digital Promotion: David Chipakupaku…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP58 - Snowy returns, surviving by smartphone & going south (Dec 5-9) 12:23

2 years fa12:23

12:23

Having left Kyiv on the day of a devastating Russian air attack in October, Oksana makes an emotional return. Ilyas, illustrates how he - and other Ukrainians - are using their smart phones to stay one step ahead of enemy bombing raids. And Seva marks a day of military celebration. OUR DIARISTS Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of December 2022, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Seva, 40, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. EP58 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producer: Rob Mulhern Editor: Paul Stanworth Digital Promotion: David Chipakupaku…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP57 - The bloody dark, bathroom pits & the blitz of Kyiv (Nov 28 – 2Dec) 12:37

2 years fa12:37

12:37

Under siege in Kyiv, Ilyas endures his longest blackout. Military volunteer, Seva, sources chainsaws for comrades in the east and in her mind, Oksana visits the rooftop of her apartment block to offer a god-like view of a Ukrainian capital under siege. OUR DIARISTS Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of December 2022, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Seva, 40, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. EP57 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producer: Rob Mulhern Editor: Paul Stanworth Digital Promotion: David Chipakupaku…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP56 - Ghosts of Chernobyl, going south & grave phone calls (Nov 21-24) 12:13

2 years fa12:13

12:13

In the dark of Kyiv, Ilyas fears for the under-fire Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, knowing how the 1986 Chernobyl disaster continues to impact lives in Ukraine to this day. With new orders, military volunteer Seva, prepares to go on assignment in southern Ukraine, but not before an unexpected meeting with two soldiers involved in the recent liberation of Kherson. And feeling helpless overseas, Oksana desperately tries to reach her family in the midst of yet another devastating missile attack. OUR DIARISTS Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of November 2022, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv. Seva, 40, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro. Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there. Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone. EP56 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note. From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast. Producer: Rob Mulhern Editor: Paul Stanworth Digital Promotion: David Chipakupaku…

Ukraine War Diaries

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EP55 - Russian fury, freezing down & the price of freedom (Nov 14-18) 9:11

2 years fa9:11