Frontline: The War in Ukraine and Global Security

“I think forensics could indicate where this has come from.”Bomb threats made against European flights could have “the fingerprints of Russia all over them”, says Michael Bociurkiw, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and the founder of the World Briefing report on Substack.

“He thought the whole system would fold over and collapse much quicker … the fight put up by the stoic regiments and special forces decimated the Russians.” Putin’s intelligence failed as Ukrainian forces’ “uncrewed revolution” enabled them to put up a stronger fight than he expected during his “special military operation”, says Al Carns, a former Armed Forces minister and Labour MP who fought in Afghanistan.

“They can’t keep up with that rate of loss. So they’re recruiting fewer than they are losing.”Putin cannot sustain Russia’s heavy losses after Ukrainian forces retook all its 2026 territorial gains, in some cases using only robots, says former ambassador Kurt Volker.

Filmmaker and charity founder Pritan Ambroase joins Amy Kellogg to reveal the terrifying campaign of intimidation, harassment, and violence he has faced since working on his upcoming documentary, Can I Go Home Now? Ambroase also opens up about the devastating psychological toll of interviewing over 500 Ukrainian children, sharing harrowing accounts of kidnappings, deportations, and war crimes that he says reveal a "deeper, uglier definition" of cruelty.

“Russia has run out of people ready to be killed for $2,000 a month."Author and Russia/Ukraine expert Anna Zafesova joins Frontline presenter Amy Kellogg, as she lays out the state of the war, arguing that Putin is in a domestically vulnerable state. As new rumours swirl about potential Russian-US business deals on team Trump's wish list, she returns to address the age-old question: What, if anything, does Putin have on the US President?

“By definition, it’s not going to be a limited response from Nato; it’s going to be a regional response, including strikes inside Russia and the risk to go nuclear.”It is “erroneous” to think that Russia may launch an armed attack against the alliance, as Putin does not have the capability to fend off a Nato response, says John Foreman, former UK defence attaché to the Russian Federation.

“He better strike while the iron’s hot because eventually Nato is ogling other be, without the US, able to take on Russia … and that day will come.”Putin and Trumps cosy relationship will backfire as it has only made Nato stronger says former deputy assistant secretary of defence Jim Townsend.

“I’m not sure Putin will survive into that period, but at some point they are going to look back and say this is a disaster.”The Russians are going to “pay the price” down the line as Russia loses all Western investment and falls behind in innovation in the AI race while Putin focuses on his war in Ukraine, says Lord Ricketts.