大象传媒

In spite of the power cuts and air raid warnings, the festive spirit is alive and well in Kyiv. Ice skating, Santa鈥檚 grotto, and mulled wine are all on offer at the city鈥檚 Winter Land, a Christmassy theme park. We hear from the team bringing a smile to the faces of families in spite of the war.

When the 大象传媒鈥檚 Sarah Rainsford last visited Kharkiv, the city was under attack. Nine months on, Sarah returns, and it鈥檚 back under Ukrainian control. The Metro that was then a bomb shelter is now the home to a Christmas tree.

And what should we read into the recent prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow? We decode the diplomatic manoeuvres with former US state department official Jeremy Shapiro.

Today鈥檚 episode is presented by Adam Fleming and Vitaliy Shevchenko.

The producers were Arsenii Sokolov, Clare Williamson and Luke Radcliff. The technical producer was Emma Crowe. The series producer is Fiona Leach. The assistant editor is Alison Gee and the editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

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