Skip to content
Inside Kyiv: the firefighters facing Russia’s attacks episode artwork

Oct 20, 2026 32 min

Inside Kyiv: the firefighters facing Russia’s attacks

from The Story

For residents of Kyiv, 2026 has been the deadliest year since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Air defences are virtually nonexistent so strikes and civilian deaths have skyrocketed, making Kyiv’s firefighters evermore crucial. Amid the terror and destruction, they have emerged as heroes – public servants who run towards danger to rescue civilians while being targeted by Russian strikes. For the first time, Ukrainian emergency services have allowed a journalist to embed with them. The Sunday Times’ Tom Watling has the exclusive. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guest: Tom Watling, writer, The Sunday Times. Host: Rosie Wright. Producers: Micaela Arneson and Olivia Case. We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] Read more: A week with the Kyiv firefighters battling Russian drone strikes Further listening: Sir Anthony Beevor: Russia is ‘a prisoner of their own past’ Clips: Fox, BBC, Newsmax, 9News, TalkTV, Asia One News. Photo: Paula Bronstein for The Sunday Times. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Inside Kyiv: the firefighters facing Russia’s attacks

0:00 32:55

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of The Story?

This episode is 32 minutes long.

When was this The Story episode published?

This episode was published on October 20, 2026.

Can I download this The Story episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.