BBC investigation: Russian soldiers treated like ‘meat’
Ukrainecast
BBC
4.7 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 19 December 2023
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
A new investigation by BBC Eye, using just open source material and social media posts, follows the journey of a young Russian solider - from his conscription and training to his disappearance on the bloody Ukrainian front-line. Journalist Ned Davies reveals how they produced the shocking documentary.
And despite still being at war, Ukraine has started to re-build damaged cities like Bucha - often with large sums of money. BBC Radio 4 reporter Tim Whewell visited the city to meet the people behind the projects and spoke to some of those who are making allegations of corruption.
Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings and Olga Robinson. The producers were Keiligh Baker, Arsenii Sokolov and Ivana Davidovic. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Lucy Boast. The senior news 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, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480
You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:05.0 | It's 664 days since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. |
| 0:10.8 | And as we record this episode, President Zelensky is getting ready to speak. |
| 0:14.4 | It's his big end-of-year press conference. |
| 0:17.4 | He's been travelling, he's been in Washington and Brussels as well, really trying to drum |
| 0:20.8 | up support and get financial aid flowing again to Ukraine. |
| 0:25.0 | So as we record this episode, we'll keep across that press conference in Kiev. |
| 0:29.5 | We're also going to be looking today at two BBC investigations. |
| 0:33.7 | One looking at how a complete lack of military tactics means many young Russian soldiers |
| 0:39.8 | are being treated as cannon fodder. |
| 0:42.7 | And another, looking at how Ukraine is already rebuilding itself, despite still being at war. |
| 0:48.7 | This is Ukraine Cast. |
| 0:51.0 | Ukraine Cast from BBC News. |
| 0:53.9 | Ukraine is an epicenter of unbearable heartache and pain. |
| 0:58.5 | The winds of people are without heating, without water. |
| 1:01.6 | Putin is the aggressor, he will be ready to use nuclear weapons. |
| 1:07.3 | They killed him and fled. |
| 1:08.8 | I do not know how we managed to survive. |
| 1:11.8 | I want people to know the truth. |
| 1:15.8 | Hello, this is Lucy Hawkins and the Ukraine Cast studio. |
| 1:18.8 | And this is Olga Robinson, usually at BBC Verify, also in Ukraine Cast studio. |
| 1:23.8 | And we're covering for Victoria and Vitaly today. |
... |
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