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 adopt precautionary measures.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.James Kilner (Russia Analyst). @Jkjourno 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:Dom’s Panel, ‘Bytes, bots or bayonets: Is Britain ready for the future of warfare?’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKIdJcsXiqs&t=2977s&pp=0gcJCTUMAYcqIYzv Kim Jong-un wishes ‘dearest friend’ Putin a happy birthday (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/07/kim-jong-un-vladimir-putin-happy-birthday/Journalist Evan Gershkovich: ‘Being jailed in Russia was pure fear’ (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/07/journalist-evan-gershkovich-putin-russia-prison/ MI6 fears German spy chief leaked British secrets (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/06/mi6-fears-german-spy-chief-leaked-british-secrets/ Golden naked Trump statue unveiled at European Parliament (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/07/golden-naked-donald-trump-statue-european-parliament/ EMAIL 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 blaze as naval drone hits oil tanker off Russian resort city Sochi Former German spy chief arrested for treason

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 on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.With thanks to Odile Renaud-Basso, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.Producer: Phil AtkinsSenior 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:Russia Tests Balloon Barriers to Snare Ukrainian Drones (Kyiv Post)https://www.kyivpost.com/post/86216Ukraine doesn’t want charity from the US. It wants a true economic partnership (The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03/31/ukraine-doesnt-want-charity-us-wants-economic-partnership/Fuel from South Korea being shipped to Russia as Ukraine war grinds on (The Guardian)https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/06/oil-tankers-south-korea-russia-ukraine-warRussian drones sank Turkish cargo ship in Black Sea, says Zelensky (The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/05/russian-drones-sank-turkish-cargo-ship-black-sea-zelensky/To find out more about the EBRD:Ebrd.comhttps://www.ebrd.com/home/news-and-events/news/2026/ebrd-president-reaffirms-steadfast-support-for-ukraine-on-sevent.htmlIf 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:Ukraine uses AI machine guns for first time.Drone swarm sets fire to Russian oil site.

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:Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Sophie O’Sullivan (Telegraph Journalist).Verity Bowman (Foreign and Global Health Security Reporter). @VerityBowman 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/@UkraineTheLatestCONTENT REFERENCED:U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Now Involve an Oil Deal Tied to Trump Allies (New York Times)https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/03/us/politics/kushner-witkoff-russia-oil-deal.html?searchResultPosition=2Interview with journalists from the Kyiv Independent:On YouTube: https://youtu.be/m_ILe1GrwPs?si=II1vUNv7rS1Qdy5Q&t=545On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-latest/id1612424182?i=1000792423839On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YW7fcsWSEtcSXZ4JcER2W?si=Q8pYx3SuTQSwF7d_lANkTgSophie’s interview with Annie Jacobsen, on her book about biological warfare:On YouTube: https://youtu.be/sAp28EQy1hY?si=YzmVBjcqnaXUAWm7&t=1371On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-latest/id1612424182?i=1000787457741On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0e63alt0a7dxCHuLA81Sm4?si=sX59IhVlRiemfd2g9LabKQFrancis’s tour of the Berlin Ukraine Museum:https://youtu.be/5W9yy8Z-Qa0?si=xLFIpuTqqgyiZv46&t=848Learn more about the Ukraine Museum in Berlin:https://www.berlinstory.de/ukraine-museum/Tucker Carlson debates Jacob-Rees Mogg:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDwKfFV8eCU&t=2842sJacob Rees-Mogg on The Daily T:On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEBMM-cdqLcOn Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6cnkk1J0I1UqtxTYVUL4Fe?si=799b9bcaa9e64177On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-daily-t/id1489612924?i=1000793278894How Kyiv cracked Russia’s kill zone and got its tanks back in the fight (Verity Bowman for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/03/how-ukraine-cracked-russias-kill-zone/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 accused of covering up plague leak after Siberia lab worker deathHow Kyiv cracked Russia’s kill zone and got its tanks back in the fight

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: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.Jade McGlynn (Senior research fellow, King’s College London). @DrJadeMcGlynn on X.With thanks to Dimko Zhluktenko, from the 413th Regiment of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (@dim0kq on X).Producer: Rachel PorterSenior 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:Putin has told military leaders to abandon rules of war, Zelenskyy says (Financial Times):https://www.ft.com/content/c2ad4cd1-a08a-4f55-8d57-fa83dbfa98af?syn-25a6b1a6=1Exclusive: The Russian biker ‘spy’ behind airport drone attack (The Telegraph and Welt am Sontag): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/02/unmasked-russian-biker-spy-leipzig-airport-drone-attack/Russia Is Planning Its Most Powerful Blow Yet to Try to Freeze Ukraine (The New York Times):https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/world/europe/russia-ukraine-winter.htmlUkraine Has an F-16 Emergency (Wall Street Journal):https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ukraine-f-16-maintenance-delays-russia-sabena-engineering-85ca626aDr Jade McGlynn’s Insights survey of internally displaced persons (Centre for Statecraft and National Security, King's College London):https://totinsights.org/idp-survey-2026.htmlDimko’s charity Dzyga’s Paw:https://dzygaspaw.com/Dimko’s book, Ordinary Guy At War:https://kovyla.pub/books/ordinary-guy-at-war-a-ukrainians-journey-paperback-29On the double biopic about Charles de Gaulle wartime actions, Résistance (Part I) and Liberté (Part 2):https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28553375/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: @ZelenskyyUa/XHIGHLIGHTS:Ukraine fires home-grown ballistic missile in combat for first timeExclusive footage: 24 hours as a frontline drone pilot

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