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Ukrainecast

Kept at gunpoint in a nuclear plant

Ukrainecast

BBC

News Commentary, News

4.71K Ratings

🗓️ 12 August 2022

⏱️ 31 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

As the nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia is attacked again, we hear from workers inside about what it’s like to work in such fear as soldiers hold them at gunpoint.

Victoria and Vitaliy are joined by medical students who worked to save people in the bunkers of Kharkiv who are now in the UK studying at Cambridge University.

The BBC’s defence correspondent Jonathan Beale details his interview with leading UK military commander Jim Hockenhull and the state of play in the war.

The lawyer of detained US basketball star Brittney Griner, speaks to us about the verdict that saw her client sentenced to nine years in Russian prison for drug possession.

This episode of Ukrainecast was made by Phil Marzouk with Ivana Davidovic and Arsenii Sokolov. The planning producer was Louise Hidalgo. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on +44 330 1239480 with your questions and comments.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC sounds, music, radio, podcasts.

0:05.0

It's 170 days since Russian forces invaded Ukraine and once again, the nuclear plant in

0:11.2

Zaparysia, Vitaly's home city, has been attacked.

0:14.8

Ukrainian and Russian officials are busy blaming each other for the continued attacks.

0:20.7

Inside the plant, workers are petrified about what will happen next.

0:26.4

Ukraine's James Waterhouse has actually spoken to some of them, including this woman,

0:31.6

who he's calling Svitlana, her words are spoken for her to protect her identity.

0:37.2

My working day is a constant stress.

0:39.5

I cannot work like I used to.

0:41.7

The last week I haven't even been able to come to my workplace.

0:45.7

It's dangerous.

0:47.2

A few days ago, there was shelling of the nitrogen oxygen station which caused the fire.

0:52.6

By some miracles, the people working there survived.

0:56.0

As a psychological situation is difficult, soldiers are walking everywhere with weapons

1:01.4

and everyone is actually kept at gunpoint.

1:07.4

On day 170 of the war, this is Ukraine's cast.

1:12.0

Ukraine's cast, from this age.

1:15.6

The question for us now is to be or not to be.

1:19.4

I'm ordering the Ministry of Defence to put the strategic nuclear forces on special alert.

1:24.8

I could not imagine that I would find out that actually my home is bombed.

1:29.5

Putin is the aggression.

1:31.6

He will never be able to cleanse the blood from his hands.

...

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