Ukrainecast Q&A: Taurus missiles, kidnapped children, and the state of Russia's military
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 is presented by Lucy Hockings and Vitaly Shevchenko.
The producers were Laurie Kalus, Ben Carter and Nik Sindle. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Tim Walklate and 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
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Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Donald Trump criticises the BBC for Gaza aid misreporting as the White House accuses the broadcaster of interpreting the word of Hamas as 'the total truth'
The Trump administration has hit out at the BBC, accusing the corporation of interpreting the word of ' Hamas as the total truth'. Yesterday, 21 Palestinians were killed by IDF troops as they tried to collect aid near a distribution site in Rafah, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Previously, the Hamas-run health ministry said at least 31 people had been killed while waiting for food, laying blame on ' Israeli gunfire'. When asked about these reports, Karoline Leavitt, the US President's secretary, said the Oval Office was attempting to confirm what had transpired before speaking publicly. But in a bizarre turn of events, she basted the BBC for its coverage on the matter, accusing them of taking 'the word of Hamas with total truth.' Waving a printout of stories on the BBC website, she described how headlines had changed from accusations an Israeli tank had killed 26 people, to 21, and then again to 31 fatalities. 'Unfortunately, unlike some in the media, we don't take the word of Hamas with total truth,' she said in a press conference: 'We like to look into it when they speak… unlike the BBC …' 'And then, oh, wait, they had to correct and take down their entire story, saying we reviewed the footage and couldn't find any evidence of anything,' she said. 'So we're going to look into reports before we confirm them from this podium or before we take action. Taking another swipe at the broadcaster, she added: 'And I suggest that journalists who actually care about truth do the same to reduce the amount of misinformation that's going around the globe.' A BBC spokesperson said: 'The claim the BBC took down a story after reviewing footage is completely wrong. We did not remove any story and we stand by our journalism. 'Our news stories and headlines about Sunday's aid distribution centre incident were updated throughout the day with the latest fatality figures as they came in from various sources. 'These were always clearly attributed, from the first figure of 15 from medics, through the 31 killed from the Hamas-run health ministry to the final Red Cross statement of 'at least 21' at their field hospital. 'This is totally normal practice on any fast-moving news story.' Completely separately, a BBC Verify online report on Monday reported a viral video posted on social media was not linked to the aid distribution centre it claimed to show. This video did not run on BBC news channels and had not informed our reporting. Conflating these two stories is simply misleading. It is vital to bring people the truth about what is happening in Gaza. International journalists are not currently allowed into Gaza and we would welcome the support of the White House in our call for immediate access. Last week, thousands of Palestinians overran an aid distribution site in Gaza, established by a US and Israeli-backed group. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said they had to retreat due to the insurmontable numbers of people seeking aid Earlier today, 27 were killed and several were injured by IDF troops near a food site in Gaza, according to local officials. The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of people they viewed as a threat after they left a designated access route near the distribution centre in Rafah and approached their positions. It added it was still investigating what had happened. The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in northern Gaza, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid much of the enclave to waste. The reports in northern and southern Gaza could not be independently verified. An International Committee of the Red Cross spokesperson said its field hospital in Rafah had received 184 casualties, adding that 19 of those were dead upon arrival, and eight died of their wounds shortly after. Video showed injured people, including at least one woman, being rushed to a medical centre on carts drawn by donkeys. Health officials said at least 18 more Palestinians were killed in other military strikes in the territory on Tuesday. The United Nations human rights office in Geneva said on Tuesday the impediment of access to food relief for civilians in Gaza might constitute a war crime and described attacks on people trying to access food aid as 'unconscionable'. The head of the U.N. agency, Volker Turk, urged a prompt and impartial investigation into the killings. Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer denied that civilians had been targeted. 'The IDF is doing everything in its power to allow Gazans to get to the humanitarian aid. The IDF is not preventing the arrival of Gazans at humanitarian aid sites. Indeed, we are encouraging it,' Mencer said.
Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump ally Lindsey Graham calls out Elon Musk 'bull****' after tech titan throws his credibility under the bus
Senator Lindsey Graham snapped back at billionaire Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk, after the tech titan shared a post alleging he was responsible for nearly a million dollars in spending on hotel rooms in Ukraine. Graham, R-S.C., landed in hot water with former top Trump White House ally Elon Musk Tuesday afternoon in a spectacular clash on social media. Musk reposted a tweet which accused Graham of spending $400,000 on hotel rooms in Ukraine. Social media influencer Nick Sortor made the original post with the allegations, which has amassed over 10 million views since just before 11 a.m. Tuesday morning. 'People love whining in my comment section when I say Congress takes a lot of vacations: 'They're not on vacation. They're working in their districts!' 'BULL****. Lindsey Graham was just PARTYING IN UKRAINE on OUR DIME. When did Lindsey Graham become the Senator from Ukraine??!' Sorotor concluded. Sortor's post also included a video of Senator Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) shaking hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend in Kiyv. A screenshot of a spending disbursement of $411,634 made by the U.S. Department of State to an organization in Ukraine, the International - Business Center Tov was also included in Sortor's post. Musk reposted Sortor's post, adding 'Why is the hotel bill so high? The room service must be incredible!' Graham fired back at the allegations Tuesday afternoon with his own X post. 'Fake news. More BS. I'm all-in trying to help President @realDonaldTrump end this war — and making sure Putin doesn't win. This isn't a travel expense report. It's a monthly contract between the State Department for U.S. diplomats in a war zone — nothing to do with my trip' Graham tweeted from his official government account. Fake news. More BS. I'm all-in trying to help President @realDonaldTrump end this war — and making sure Putin doesn't win. This isn't a travel expense report. It's a monthly contract between the State Department for U.S. diplomats in a war zone — nothing to do with my trip. — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 3, 2025 Per data available on USA Spending, the International - Business Center Tov has received $8.59 million marked as hotel spending. The group has received money from the American government in 2023, 2024, and 2025. While the allegations continued to gain steam on social media Tuesday, Musk's own Grok AI classified the X boss's claims as misinformation. 'There's no evidence supporting claims of GOP spending on luxury hotels in Ukraine; such narratives may stem from misinformation. The idea that Congress spends 60% of their time on vacation is exaggerated, as they work about 133 days in session, with other time often spent on district duties,' a Grok reply to a post made by X user Matt Van Swol reads. @matt_vanswol is expressing frustration over the GOP's failure to act on proposed spending cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), linked to Elon Musk and the Trump administration. There's no evidence supporting claims of GOP spending on luxury hotels in Ukraine;… — Grok (@grok) June 3, 2025 Senator Graham has been one of Ukraine's most vocal advocates throughout the course of the nation's war with Russia, taking several trips to the country in recent years. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon accused Graham of working against the wishes of President Trump during his trips on an episode of his War Room podcast, which aired Monday. 'The White House has to condemn this immediately and pull all support and tell Lindsey Graham to come home or we are going to put you under arrest when you come home. You're stirring it up,' Bannon said.
BBC News
42 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Very good week' for England or 'back to the drawing board'?
Big-name retirements, an impressive display against Portugal but dominated by Spain days later. Has it been a positive week for England or a reality check?Sarina Wiegman's side are preparing to defend their European title in Switzerland next month but had two testing matches in the Women's Nations League to navigate first.A 6-0 victory over Portugal afforded the opportunity for returning stars to build their fitness after injuries, but Tuesday's game in Spain against the world champions was the ultimate litmus test to assess the level of the Lionesses going into the tournament. Key players back and new tests Manager Wiegman had her hands full going into the camp after goalkeeper Mary Earps announced her shock international retirement and key defender Millie Bright withdrew from the squad to focus on her mental and physical St-Germain stopper Earps had fallen down the pecking order, with Hannah Hampton increasingly looking more likely to secure the number one Wiegman admitted Earps would have been a valuable member of the Euros squad - and it had been "hard" to deal with her decision. That news was a major distraction as England prepared to face Portugal, piling pressure on Hampton and raising questions about the morale in the response was emphatic and admirable as they produced an immense display, thrashing Portugal in front of an entertained crowd at Beever-Jones demonstrated England's attacking depth with a brilliant hat-trick, while Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway all got minutes after returning from knee positive signs cannot be forgotten, although their week did not end on a high as an elite Spain side fought back in style for a 2-1 success that took them into the Nations League England defender Anita Asante told ITV: "The most important thing is the right players are getting the right minutes to feel prepared going into the Euros."Karen Carney, a former Lionesses midfielder, added: "It's great we got fitness for Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood. "If we get them back fighting - it's a good position for them. I'm confident for England going into the group stages."Carney admitted England had to "suffer" against Spain because they rotated in the second half as Wiegman looked to expose some of her fringe players to the experience against world-class names her Euros squad on Thursday and handed a senior debut to Missy Bo Kearns, just hours before midfielder Fran Kirby announced her international retirement, capping off a rollercoaster week for the Dutchwoman."Sometimes you have to go through these moments because the bigger picture for the summer is giving players the minutes that they need," added Carney."The changes in the second half really hampered England and we felt disconnected. It is a positive because Wiegman has got a lot to learn."The England boss echoed that sentiment, saying she was not concerned and could use the Spain loss as another "learning moment"."We had a very good week - players coming back from injuries, players fighting for positions, or minutes, or selection, and that is very positive." 'I would rather have a lesson now' But while there were certainly positives - most notably the Portugal performance after such a disruptive build-up - the second-half display in their defeat by Spain showed they clearly have work to France, the Netherlands and Wales awaiting them in the group stages at the Euros, they do not have time to get up to are tipped by many to be the tournament favourites and will undoubtedly be one of England's biggest obstacles if they want to defend their would have been unsettling, then, to see how easily Montse Tome's side dominated possession in the second half and put the visitors under relentless pressure and should have scored more goals than the two from substitute Claudia Pina."It's back to the drawing board against our old rival Spain," said former England international Lindsay Johnson on BBC Radio 5 Live. "In the first half, England looked confident in that low block, and they hit Spain on the transition. "In the second half, England really dropped off, Spain upped their game and England couldn't get anywhere near Spain. They were chasing shadows."Captain Leah Williamson admitted her side's performances away from home recently have been "difficult".It has been an inconsistent Women's Nations League campaign for the were held to a 1-1 draw in Portugal, then beat Spain at Wembley days later in February. In April, they thrashed Belgium 5-0 at home, then lost 3-2 in Leuven."What we have been saying the whole time is that 'it's the new England'. So we wanted to try different things as well," Williamson told BBC Radio 5 Live. "There was more inconsistency than we like, but you have seen very good sides of us. They are the levels we need to keep pushing for and hopefully we will be ready [for the Euros]."We would have liked to pick up a win [against Spain]. That would have done wonders for our confidence, how we feel and how we look ahead."But we can't forget all the work we have done. As we always say, I would rather have a lesson now than in a month's time."England will have another opportunity to piece things together when they face Jamaica in a friendly on 29 June - their final match before the Euros. Head here to get involved
