Ukraine: The Latest

Day 1,696.

Today, as President Trump says Putin isn’t “doing much” in Ukraine, we hear how the Russian President has sought to make Trump an offer he can’t refuse: a trilateral meeting with him and President Xi of China to settle all family business. Then we bring you a Telegraph exclusive on how Moscow is buying up holiday homes near NATO bases for nefarious purposes, before an in-depth look at the consequences of Ukraine losing access to the Starlink/Starfield, including for firefighters battling the destruction wrought by Russian missiles and drones.

Contributors:

Fra...

Day 1,695.

Today, following the temporary Starlink-Starshield shutdown last week, we reveal how Musk approached President Trump to slow down Starlink in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the U.S. Ambassador to the EU – following Trump’s last minute executive order to block the bipartisan, Russian sanctions act – warns European companies face "devastating" retaliation from Washington if Brussels moves forward with plans to restrict American tech rivals. Meanwhile, with the so-called “energy ceasefire” a distant memory, we report on the continued attacks by both Russia and Ukraine, including a major strike on an oil terminal in St Petersburg. Finally, we turn to the fun...

Day 1,692.

Today, as President Zelensky arrives for talks with European leaders in Brussels, Russia embodies the geopolitical equivalent of running to teacher to say big boys took their football, by complaining that Ukraine has hit another one of their oil refineries. Donald Trump is accused of betrayal, for the second time this week, but this time from a most unlikely source, and NAFO gets a shout out in the Irish Parliament. And, as we mention football, we end this torrid week with something a bit brighter: a dispatch with Ukraine’s number one football team as they st...

Day 1,691.

Today, as the blame game over who limited Ukraine’s use of Starlink and Starshield reaches fever pitch, we hear Elon Musk’s rebuttal while White House officials point the finger at him. Meanwhile, President Zelensky breaks cover and admits he feels “betrayed” by President Trump. Later, Dom sits down for an exclusive interview with Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, who says Russia is “boiling Europe like a frog”.

Contributors:

Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.

Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.

Wi...

Day 1,690.

Today, just as President Zelensky arrives in London and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham promises to speed up missile deliveries, the speed of the Starlink service to Ukraine’s troops has mysteriously slowed down. Donald Trump insists the US is still providing intelligence support to Ukraine even as Russian ballistic missiles kill people without warning. Plus, to show in what high regard they hold Mr Trump’s opinion, the Russians continue to observe his apparent energy ceasefire by firing missiles at power plants, causing more civilian deaths and leaving 600,000 in the dark. And later, we have an i...

Day 1,689.

Today, as Moscow continues to strike Ukrainian energy infrastructure despite President Donald Trump's so-called ceasefire, we hear the further fallout from the US President's decision to purchase Russian diesel while – at the same time – Vladimir Putin is openly providing technology to Iran with the aim of killing Americans. We then bring you a new interceptor reportedly capable of shooting down some of the fastest Russian drones, and hear for the first time Kyiv's former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi defend his record. Lastly, a special dispatch from Francis dedicated to mine-hunting on the Black Sea.

Cont...

Day 1,688.

Today, after a weekend that has surely seen America’s global moral authority fundamentally weakened, we try to make sense of the dizzying news reports and developments in the war. President Zelensky called Donald Trump’s extraordinary decision to buy fuel from Russia “weak” which, coming after he failed to secure the Nobel Peace prize – again – Mr Trump took in a typically gracious and statesmanlike manner. Then, despite claims from the US President that he’d brokered an energy ceasefire, neither side took any notice. We try to work out what it all means, and whether all that has a...

Day 1,685.

Today, as reports emerge of a possible Ukrainian advance in the Donbas with some Russians saying they are ‘doomed’, Dom asks: is this Vivaldi’s fourth season? Russia continues its campaign of state terrorism with a drone strike on a kindergarten and we report powerful testimony from inside the besieged and occupied town of Oleshky. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is said to be trying to negotiate a deal with Russia to reopen the Nord Stream pipeline, just as a Ukrainian delegation arrives in Florida to try to negotiate a deal to end the war. And later, Adelie...

Day 1,684.

Today, Russia continues its war against civilians in Ukraine, killing 33 in a single strike on a Kramatorsk bus stop. UKraine hits deep in Russia, targeting at least one oil refinery and a data centre, and as Moldova says it will install bomb shelters at border crossings following repeated Russian attacks, the UK has sanctioned its 645th shadow fleet vessel. And later, we answer your questions about the technical and tactical side of the war with the help of an expert on weapons technology.

Contributors:

Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest...

Day 1,683.

Today, as Putin marks his 74th birthday, Ukraine is hit by deadly attacks exposing Europe’s vulnerability to ballistic missiles and drones. We hear of one proposal being debated in London, before turning to an extraordinary development in Germany: the arrest of the country’s former spy chief on treason charges. Plus, Ukrainian naval drones reportedly strike a tanker near the Russia port city of Sochi, setting it ablaze. Then, updates from our Russia analyst James Kilner: post-election tax raids, growing fears of mobilisation, and the latest of the alleged plague outbreak that prompted several countries to a...

Day 1,682.

Today, as Ukraine continues to be battered with strikes from the evasive jet-powered drones, Kyiv installs AI-powered machine gun turrets to protect its bridges. Ukraine sends a swarm of drones to Moscow overnight, setting fire to the capital’s largest oil facility. We explore the tactical importance of balloons and report on the pro-Russian new government in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Finally, Adélie speaks with Odile Renaud-Basso, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and how their financial support contributes to the country’s war effort.

Contributors:

Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Host o...

Day 1,681.

Today, after a weekend that saw Kyiv’s key bridges hit by Russian drones in broad daylight – as Frederich Merz was actually visiting the Ukrainian capital, we hear the German chancellor’s defiant response. We discuss the death of a lab worker in Siberia, possibly of plague, sparking concern of an outbreak. Then we dive deeper into the tactics that allowed Ukraine to advance on the battlefield this year, and see Tucker Carlson being taken to task by former British MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, on his views on Ukraine and World War Two.

Contributors:

F...

Day 1,678.

Today, Ukraine successfully uses its FP-7 ballistic missile for the first time, though they won’t disclose on what or where. Meanwhile, reports point to Russia's sinister plans for the winter which include isolating Ukraine’s main largest cities from the power grid. Russia has vowed to use ‘all the weapons at its disposal’ in case of a war against Nato. We bring you a Telegraph scoop on the Russian biker who masterminded the Leipzig drone incident, plus exclusive footage from a former Ukrainian drone pilot.

Contributors:

Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine...

Day 1,677.

Today, on Ukraine’s Day of Defenders, Russia unleashes a new weapon against the country, one specifically designed to hurt civilians as winter approaches. Another school in Kyiv is hit and the British Foreign Office adds 31 more names to its list of sanctioned Russians, along with personal details including a few phone numbers. We gave one of them a ring. Russia seemingly gets the wrong end of the stick and threatens nuclear war over its Kaliningrad enclave. Later, Francis speaks to the director of a Lviv-based institute promoting Ukrainian culture and documenting Russia’s war in the...

Day 1,676.

Today, amid yet more deadly strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding oblast – and as parts of airspace above Poland are once again shut down – we bring you developments causing deep concern across Europe. President Trump, frustrated by the lack of progress and eager to unlock a path to business, is reportedly considering a deal with the Kremlin that would see the US ease sanctions on Russia in exchange for the release of political prisoners. Then, Francis is joined by journalists from the Kyiv Independent to talk about why Ukrainians feel “betrayed” by Europe.

Contribu...

Day 1,675.

Today, after more deadly daytime raids strike Kyiv – with people climbing out the windows of burning buildings – we hear how Poland is changing its rules of engagement regarding drones entering its airspace as the number of incursions continue to rise across Europe. Then we do a deep dive into the future of modern warfare and defence procurement following a new long read by the former Secretary of the US Army and The Telegraph’s exclusive interview with Ukraine’s Drone Chief, Robert ‘Magyar’ Brovdi.

Contributors:

Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Fr...

Day 1,674.

Today, as Russia’s manufactured humanitarian catastrophe in the occupied town of Oleshky attracts global attention, amid reports civilians are now resorting to eating grass and weeds, the Council of Europe shows the United Nations how to respond. Victor Orban’s year gets even worse, and look who’s back! Mykhailo Fedorov launches his Army of Robots. Later, we have an exclusive interview with the head of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces and pioneer of modern warfare: Robert Brovdi, callsign ‘Magyar’, during which he says he’s supremely relaxed about the prospect of another possible Russian mobilisation...

Day 1,671.

Today, as the UN General Assembly in New York winds down, secretary-general Antonio Guterres was all smiles and handshakes for Russia’s foreign minister. Ukraine lets Donald Trump know quite how seriously they take his warnings these days by attacking at least two more oil refineries inside Russia. Meanwhile, the Kremlin shows how seriously it is pursuing peace by dropping high explosive on a medical centre, farm workers and a 14 year old boy. And Britain quietly announces it is cutting the money used to support Ukrainian families that have fled the bloodshed. And later, a dispatch fr...

Day 1,670.

Today, Washington’s top diplomat says he has invited Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami later this year, even as Moscow continues its brutal assault on Ukrainian civilians – including on a maternity hospital in the capital overnight. Meanwhile, a fire at a Starlink satellite station in Poland was a deliberate act of sabotage, according to Warsaw, as Denmark warns of the rising threat from Russia. We’ll have the latest from the diplomatic wrangling at the UN general assembly, including President Zelensky’s attack on the EU for dropping some Russian sanctions. And later, we turn...

Day 1,669.

Today, the Red Cross says 275,000 people have been registered as missing in connection with Russia’s war against Ukraine. We return to the United Nations in New York, where Presidents Trump and Zelensky met to discuss an energy truce and bringing the war to an end, as UK prime minister Andy Burnham offered his support. Then, we hear the perspectives of some soldiers on the frontlines, and why some long for the days of trench warfare, from reporter Colin Freeman who recently returned from Ukraine.

Contributors:

Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: Th...

Day 1,668.

Today, Russia wakes up to two new hits on refineries as Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The two leaders are expected to talk about a potential pause on energy strikes between Ukraine and Russia. Then we discuss the latest and largest sanctions package from the EU, currently at a stalemate, and the new spat between Hungary and Ukraine.

Contributors:

Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.

Alex Nichol (Telegraph Journalist).

Day 1,667.

Today, as Donald Trump says Russia has lost control of its ‘diesel oil industry’ after Moscow suffers the largest air raid in its history, early results from the Russian parliamentary elections show a not very shocking landslide for Putin’s United Russia party. Dom digests the numbers with Russia analyst James Kilner. Ukraine forces Russia to close its beaches and gives more detail about how it has brought surprise back to the battlefield, including by using air drones to drop ground drones behind enemy lines. Plus, there are reports Ukrainian troops have reentered Luhansk oblast, meaning Putin...

Day 1,664.

Today, as Russians start to vote in parliamentary elections for which the only thing transparent is the voting booth, Canada considers taking associate membership of the EU. 50,000 North Korean soldiers could be training in Russia and Ukraine gets bored of finding new targets so hits the same Russian airbase for the second night running. Later, Dr Jade McGlynn of King’s College London on what we know so far about Russia’s so-called elections, as voting begins in a contest all but guaranteed to fall in favour of Vladimir Putin and his United Russia party.

Day 1,663.

Today, we hear reaction to the US Congress approving a bipartisan bill which could see significant sanctions against Russia enshrined into US law, with the potential of 100% tariffs against countries purchasing energy from Moscow. Then we bring you reports of airspace being closed over Poland, and the latest developments of the Ukrainian counteroffensive around Lyman. Later, Francis speaks to one of the UN team documenting Russian forces’ appalling sexual violence against Ukrainians, and leading the push for accountability for these war crimes.

Contributors:

Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on...

Day 1,662.

Today, the EU announces a ‘counter-hybrid playbook’ and its own version of NATO’s Article 4 after the worrying increase of hybrid incidents and attacks on Europe. The US indicts four Russian intelligence agents preparing acts of terrorism and assassinations across Europe and the US. Meanwhile, American lawmakers are set to vote on Lindsey Graham’s Russian sanctions bill and President Zelensky claims that Moscow intentionally attacked Moldova. Later, Alex Nichol meets the activist risking everything to smuggle military deserters out of Russia.

Contributors:

Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.

Day 1,661.

Today, the Danish Prime Minister condemns the latest ‘reckless action’ by Moscow, after a Russian frigate in the Baltic Sea fired flares at a military helicopter. NATO jets were also in action last night, shooting down a drone over Lithuania. The Ukrainian commander who masterminded the recent counterattack in the Donbas region gives a little more detail about what happened. And in news that will surprise almost no one, Donald Trump’s claim to have got a deal over the line between Kyiv and Moscow about a ceasefire on energy facilities has, just like Russia’s Syzran o...

Day 1,660.

Today, after Russia strikes a train near the Ukrainian border with Poland, narrowly missing top European officials including Boris Johnson, we consider whether the attack was deliberate. The officials were attending a major gathering in Kyiv seeking to forge a new way forward – we’ll bring you the highlights. Then we try to get to the bottom of what some are calling ‘Ukraine’s biggest victory this year’ – the reported counterattack around Lyman liberating almost 200 square kilometers of territory. If confirmed, it seemingly exposed lying Russian commanders, Ukrainian formidable operational security, and expectations in the ground war over the...

Day 1,657.

Today, on the anniversary of 9/11, a British intelligence chief has warned that the world is more dangerous today than in 2001. Then we report on the latest attacks, including in Kyiv and on an Ozon warehouse in Russia’s Saratov region, and get insights from Western officials about the true state of Russian casualty figures and the strategic picture of the war. Then, Francis speaks to Ambassador Daniel Fried, the former US diplomat who played a key role in American policy in Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Contributors:

Francis De...

Day 1,656.

Today, there are reports President Zelensky’s plane taking him to Norway yesterday may have been the target of the Russian drone that crashed in Moldova. Then, Ukraine is ensuring the war is brought home to previously untouched parts of Russia, as its latest long range drone strike hit Siberia, 3000km inside the country. Kyiv claims it was the longest drone strike in history. Meanwhile, Putin’s folly means his country has now passed the grim milestone of killing or wounding one percent of its entire population and there are question marks over the future diplomatic role...

Day 1,655.

Today, no word from Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about Putin’s so-called drive for peace as Russia resumes aerial attacks on Ukraine and hits Moldova…twice: first at a border crossing point, with dead and injured reported there, and then by a Russian drone that flew in via Romania. To further baffle those who believed Moscow’s line that the Kremlin poses no aggressive plans toward Europe, Romania has arrested a Russian spy and Hungary has kicked out Russian diplomats. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has spoken to Vladimir Putin for an “objective and thorough” overview of the situat...

Day 1,654.

Today, we once again see the extent of Putin’s definition of “peace”, claiming there are renewed opportunities for dialogue, then resuming strikes on Ukraine just hours after America’s envoys leave the country. We go to our correspondent in Kyiv to hear about the damage there, before turning to the diplomatic fallout from the weekend, as both sides seek to gain an advantage from renewed US engagement. And then, two years on from his passing, we remember the creator of this podcast, David Knowles, with excerpts from some of our very first episodes, memories of how the...

Day 1,653.

Today, after Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner finally set foot in Ukraine on a whirlwind weekend diplomatic tour of Kyiv and Moscow we ask: subjected to Ukrainian and press scrutiny for the first time, has their diplomatic adventure run out of road? We report on the Ukrainian delegation’s top t-shirt tyrant trolling and assess how well Trump’s envoys did. And later, we go to Germany where the hard-Right Alternative for Germany party says they have “made history” after their largest-ever election victory. What could their win mean for defence and Ukraine policy in the country...

Day 1,650.

As Russia’s almost ceaseless bombardment of Ukraine continues, we report breaking news of a drone striking the headquarters of Ukraine's Security Service for the first time. Then we

hear of yet another assassination of a Russian general, believed to have ordered one of the war’s most notorious air strikes, plus more energy infrastructure strikes by Kyiv. Next, we turn to rumours that Donald Trump’s envoys Witkoff and Kushner could visit Ukraine in the coming days, before returning to the explosions that destroyed Moscow’s most powerful geopolitical tool in Europe. What do we kn...

Day 1,649

Today, as every scheduled flight this afternoon from two of Moscow’s major airports are delayed or cancelled, Ukraine seeks international approval for all flights in Russian airspace to be grounded. Marco Rubio confirms talks with Ukraine about Patriot licenses are ongoing, just as NATO reveals it’s been secretly testing Israeli ballistic missiles on German frigates. Plus, there was a suspected arson attack on an arms factory in Germany last night, just hours before Denmark's intelligence agency warned Russia is 'actively' preparing acts of sabotage. Later, Dom and Francis respond to some of your questions and...

Day 1,648.

Today, the market is already reacting to President Zelensky’s warning last night that Russian airspace is now "completely unsafe” thanks to Ukrainian drones, with some flights cancelled. We report August’s statistics from the ground in Ukraine, which don’t end well for Putin, or the over 40,000 soldiers who became casualty statistics of their own. We assess the reaction to Nato member Germany officially naming Russia as the perpetrator of the Leipzig-Halle drone attack and we look at the support Russia is said to be giving to Iran; a direct threat to the United States. Later, w...

Day 1,648.

Today, we hear the latest from the capital as Ukraine suffers one of the deadliest waves of raids of the entire war, with new jet-powered drones wreaking havoc. How will Kyiv and its allies respond? Then, we have exclusive remarks from the head of Estonia’s intelligence service on the likelihood of a large-scale Russian mobilisation – and threats to Putin – as well as an update on what Kyiv’s former Defence Minister Fedorov is up to in Italy.

Contributors: 

Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.

Sophia O’...

Day 1,644.

Today, after Kyiv endured the longest period of air raid alerts since the start of the war – and yes, we do mean 2014 – Ukrainians get back to their new normal: recovering family memories from the ashes of destroyed homes and grabbing a morning coffee amid shattered glass. Ukraine reorganises its Donbas defence, whilst also wiping out another long range Russian bomber, deploying brand-new US military kit and answering the question we’ve all been wondering: can you have too many Kalashnikovs mounted on a single robot? And later, we’re in London’s iconic St Paul’s cathedral, t...

Day 1,643.

Today, an hours-long drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight as Russia continues its push on three key towns in the fortress belt in the East. But in some welcome news, Ukraine appears to have repelled Putin’s forces north of Lyman in a secret counterattack. Plus, the real reason for CIA director John Ratfcliffe’s visit to Moscow this week, and President Zelensky’s top aid says Ukraine and Russia could hold talks as soon as September. Then Francis reports from Germany, where elections could trigger a dramatic shift in the country’s defence policy. Meanwhil...

Day 1,642.

Today, after the CIA apparently finds a way through Russian air defences, sneaking their director into the country with the Kremlin spokesman later denying any knowledge of a US military plane landing in Moscow, and with the Vatican’s Foreign Minister turning up nearby, we ask what was so interesting about Moscow yesterday. Then, after his call for elections blew up in his face, Ukraine’s ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov made another political gaffe by saying, much to Moscow’s delight, that his country is ‘slowly losing the war’. All this while Ukraine strikes 16 targets across Rus...

Day 1,642.

Today, after a parade of robots marks Ukraine’s Independence Day, we turn to New York, where the United States has refused to join NATO allies and other partners in calling for Russia to join Ukraine in an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Meanwhile Britain’s Andy Burnham has said he will join European allies in pressuring Donald Trump to provide Patriot missiles to Ukraine – just as Zelensky says Kyiv has received “a few” but “we need more”. We report on the fantastic news for Wildberries and Ozon customers and owners of other large businesses in Russia, as long as you...