Ukraine: The Latest

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 form of folk tales.Contributors:Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Sophie O’Sullivan (Telegraph journalist).Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.With thanks to Sasha Dovzhyk, founder of Index: institute for documentation and exchange.Producer: Rachel PorterSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O’SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatestCONTENT REFERENCED:Pentagon excludes key allies from NATO meeting (Politico)https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/30/trump-nato-allies-left-out-01100310Lockheed Martin in ‘Deep’ Overseas Patriot Production Talks as Ukraine Eyes Domestic Output (Kyiv Post)https://www.kyivpost.com/post/85792'Apocalypse Baroque: Tales from Ukraine at War' by Sasha Dovzhyk:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Apocalypse-Baroque-Tales-Ukraine-War/dp/1917569319 Victoria Amelina Fellowship Programme 2027 (INDEX):https://www.index-ukraine.org/en/news/vidkritij-konkurs-na-stipendiyu-imeni-viktoriyi-amelinoyi-2027 If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukEMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Russia launches new missile at Ukraine designed to destroy energy infrastructureMoscow lost 46,000 troops in September, its highest monthly toll of the year

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.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.With thanks to Francis Farrell, Toma Istomina, and Dominic Culverwell of the Kyiv Independent.Senior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O’SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatestCONTENT REFERENCED:Exclusive: Trump's push for a Ukraine energy truce runs into a Putin problem (Kyiv Independent)https://kyivindependent.com/trumps-push-for-a-ukraine-energy-truce-runs-into-a-putin-problem/Putin envoy, US officials discussed Ukraine war and energy initiatives, US official says (Reuters)https://www.reuters.com/world/putin-envoy-us-officials-discussed-ukraine-war-energy-initiatives-us-official-2026-09-29/Trump’s Latest Appeal to Russia Could Outrage Even His Allies (Simon Shuster for The Atlantic)https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/09/trump-russia-putin-ukraine-sanctions/688808/Frontline Club Event with the Kyiv Independent on 1st October (Francis Dearnley moderating):https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/panel-discussion-ukraine-inside-their-war-tickets-2000033706656?aff=oddtdtcreator The Kyiv Independent Live in London on 2 October:https://tickets.kyivindependent.com/events/thekyivindependentlive/2281999/r/frontline If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukEMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Fleeing Russians using Ukrainian civilians as 'human shields' in KharkivHuge blaze after Russian bomber crashes in Far East

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). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Antonia Langford (Freelance Journalist in Kyiv). @Antonialford on XProducer: Rachel PorterSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O’SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatestCONTENT REFERENCED:RAND paper: Tomorrow's Victory and the Army of the Future: Forecasting the Next Steps in Ukraine's Military Evolutionhttps://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2026/09/tomorrows-victory-and-the-army-of-the-future.html?project=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=1789510664&utm_medium=rand_social&utm_source=twitterRussia attacks scientists in strikes on Kyiv (Antonia Langford for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/28/russia-attacks-scientists-kyiv-national-academy-fire/Rewiring the Arsenal of Democracy (Dan Driscoll for Foreign Affairs)https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/rewiring-arsenal-democracy-war-dan-driscollFrontline Club Event with the Kyiv Independent on 1st October (Francis Dearnley moderating):https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/panel-discussion-ukraine-inside-their-war-tickets-2000033706656?aff=oddtdtcreatorThe Kyiv Independent Live in London on 2 October:https://tickets.kyivindependent.com/events/thekyivindependentlive/2281999/r/frontlineDavid Knowles’s episode dedicated to Babyn Yar:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/gas-shortages-finally-hit-moscow-as-kyiv-intensifies/id1612424182?i=1000728581605If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukEMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Scientists cling to burning building after Russian raidUkraine's Operation Vivaldi liberates occupied villages

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, saying, "we are ready to welcome these limitless portions of stewed meat”.Contributors:Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Antonia Langford (Freelance Journalist in Kyiv). @Antonialford on X.Producer: Rachel PorterSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O’SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesFor the Brovdi interview:Additional reporting: Kateryna Hatsenko and Oleksiy MuzchynaVideographer: Edward MatthewsEditor: Josh BourneTranslation: Natalia MakohonProducer: Jack LeatherNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatestCONTENT REFERENCED:‘We will turn Putin’s new foot soldiers into stewed meat’ (full written interview with Robert Brovdi, by Antonia Langford for The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/28/we-will-turn-putins-new-foot-soldiers-into-stewed-meat/If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukEMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Exclusive interview with Ukraine’s drone chief Robert ‘Magyar’ BrovdiRussia’s manufactured humanitarian catastrophe in the occupied town of Oleshky

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 from Francis’s recent trip to Germany where he toured the Ukraine Museum in Berlin.Contributors:Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.With thanks to Enno Lenze, Berlin Ukraine Museum curator.Producer: Rachel PorterSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O’SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:Russian attacks on Kyiv kill 5, including 14-year-old boy, injure 39 as drone strikes continue into daytime (Kyiv Independent)https://kyivindependent.com/russian-overnight-attack-on-kyiv-sets-fires-damages-buildings/Ukrainians in UK fear homelessness over host scheme funding cuts (The Guardian)https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/24/uk-homes-for-ukraine-funding-cut-homeless Le Pen welcomes Trump’s G20 invite for Putin (Politico)https://www.politico.eu/article/le-pen-welcomes-putins-g20-invite/Le Pen says she won’t leave NATO until Russia’s war in Ukraine ends (Politico)https://www.politico.eu/article/marine-le-pen-says-she-wont-leave-nato-until-russias-war-in-ukraine-ends/Hungary's "punishment" for Ukraine: how Magyar aims to humiliate Kyiv and block its EU future (Sergiy Sydorenko for European Pravda)https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/eng/articles/2026/09/18/7245792/Learn more about the Ukraine Museum in Berlin:https://www.berlinstory.de/ukraine-museum/If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukEMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Huge mushroom cloud after Ukraine strikes oil refinery 1500km inside RussiaKremlin forces strike a medical centre and farm workers, kill a 14-year old-boy

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 to your questions.Contributors:Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Analyst). @RolandOliphant on X.Alex Nichol (Telegraph Journalist).Senior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Tom SteedSocial Producer: Natalia MakohonStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatestCONTENT REFERENCED:Listen to Roland speak to Iona Cleave at the UN General Assembly on Iran: The LatestOn Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/iran-threatens-to-expand-war-to-indian-ocean-and/id1712903296?i=1000791501834On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3yi1uXRLDDLXb3D705zHWa?si=3f73adaea823441aOn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmYw4lHgBK4&list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk&index=1Russian losses in the war with Ukraine. Mediazona count, updated (BBC Russia Service and Mediazona)https://en.zona.media/article/2026/09/21/casualties_eng-trlLa CIA alerta de un ataque ruso con drones contra España, Francia o Italia (‘CIA warning about Russian drones strikes against Spain, France and Italy’, El Mundo)https://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2026/09/23/6ab411e9fdddff35028b4598.htmlAlex’s interview with Grigory Sverdlin, founder of Get LostOn Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-latest/id1612424182?i=1000790063760On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6cnkk1J0I1UqtxTYVUL4Fe?si=a2c72a1d799a4e47On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcV10QYYU9YJoin our Community page on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest/communityIf you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukEMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Zelensky tells Russian hecklers he will only visit Moscow ’on a rocket’Poland says Starlink attack was sabotage amid surge in drone threats against Nato

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: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Colin Freeman (Freelance reporter). @colinfreeman99 on X.Senior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O’SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatestCONTENT REFERENCED:David Knowles Fundraiser for KHARPP:https://www.zeffy.com/en-GB/donation-form/fundraiser-for-kharpp-in-memory-of-david-knowles Frontline Club Event with the Kyiv Independent on 1st October (Francis Dearnley moderating):https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/panel-discussion-ukraine-inside-their-war-tickets-2000033706656?aff=oddtdtcreator The Kyiv Independent Live in London on 2 October:https://tickets.kyivindependent.com/events/thekyivindependentlive/2281999/r/frontline Colin Freeman's Book on the International Legion:https://amzn.eu/d/0cqiSDDD Ukraine open to grain truce with Russia, deputy PM says (Politico)https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-open-to-grain-truce-with-russia-deputy-pm-vsevolod-chentsov-says/ Ukraine veterans yearn for return to trench warfare (Colin Freeman for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/21/ukraine-veterans-yearn-for-days-of-meat-wave-war/ Dom’s interview with Valerie Stobbart, mother of Nathan Stobbart who went missing while fighting for Russia:On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-latest/id1612424182?i=1000789807562On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/34xFLINgowRYMKp3AJ9BmX?si=479d9d97182b4251On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53m2ZP3xm6AIf you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukEMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Drone warfare makes us long for the trenches, say frontline soldiers275,000 people reported missing in connection with the war

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).Producer: Rachel PorterSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O’SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:Almost unbelievably, the US is planning to pull large numbers of troops out of Europe (Hamish de Bretton-Gordon for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/21/us-troop-pullout-europe-putin-nato-war-ukraine/Visits by foreign partners are indeed Kyiv’s fine air defense (INFOGRAPHIC)https://texty.org.ua/articles/118329/visits-by-foreign-partners-are-indeed-kyivs-fine-air-defense-infographic/Kremlin-backed forgery scheme moved $6.9bn through global banks (The Financial Times)https://www.ft.com/content/3848a4ad-1426-4352-ba86-ef1279c4ffd1?syn-25a6b1a6=1Adélie’s interview with Alexander Browder on how cryptocurrency is financing Russia’s war (from 27:08): youtube.com/watch?v=r8TQnqmuUMI&feature=youtu.beThe Ukrainian Book Institute appeal to support Ukrainian publishers, following the summer strikes on book markets and warehouses: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mn7HUU_nH3AnZn66zjrdv88Fr12lt1x_/viewAdélie’s interview with Hugh Roberts on translating and publishing Ukrainian War Poetry (from 13:07): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AXCoKZkXMI&feature=youtu.beHemingway Knows Nothing, Artur Dron’s latest book: https://www.jantarpublishing.com/product-page/hemingway-knows-nothingIf you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukEMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Giant fireball after strike on Russian refineryZelensky and Trump set to discuss energy truce in New York

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 no longer has 100% control of any of the four oblasts he says he’s annexed.Contributors:Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.James Kilner (Russia Analyst). @Jkjourno on X.Producer: Rachel PorterSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O’SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest  CONTENT REFERENCED:Luxembourg launches investigation after drones temporarily suspend flight operations (Reuters)https://www.reuters.com/world/flights-resume-luxembourg-airport-after-temporary-shutdown-over-drone-activity-2026-09-19/If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukEMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.Thumbnail image credit: @bayraktar_1love/XHIGHLIGHTS:Ukraine blitzes Moscow in largest ever drone attackPutin’s United Russia party triumphs in sham election