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Ukraine: The Latest

Exclusive: 72 hours dodging Russia’s ‘drone safari’ in Kherson & Did NATO sink a Russian ship carrying nuclear reactors to North Korea?

Day 1,539.

Today, while Russia unleashes another huge aerial assault across Ukraine – as President Donald Trump insists the war could end soon – we examine Kyiv’s race to develop a new weapon and report on a deadly strike that the United Nations says hit one of its trucks. Then we bring you the latest from the NATO Eastern Flank summit in Romania as allies confront mounting fears over regional security, before looking at an investigation into a sunken Russian ship that was allegedly carrying nuclear reactors to North Korea. And later, in a special report from Kherson, a Telegraph journalist is forced to flee for cover as Russian drones hunt targets above the city.


Contributors:

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

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

Adrian Blomfield (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @Adrianblomfield on X.


CONTENT REFERENCED:

I was hunted in Russia’s 'drone safari' in Kherson (Adrian Blomfield for The Telegraph):

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNQSY6NaPhY 

Long Read: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/72-Hours-in-Kherson-red-zone/ 


Is Ukraine winning the war? The three facets of the 2026 counter-offensive (Dom’s film for The Telegraph incl. discussion of Kyiv's use of data):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-LWZtJBCwY 


German soldiers attacked at Nato base ‘by masked assailants’ (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/12/german-soldiers-attacked-nato-base-masked-assailants/ 


Zelenskiy meets Palantir CEO as Ukraine expands use of AI in war (Reuters):

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/zelenskiy-meets-palantir-ceo-ukraine-expands-use-ai-war-2026-05-12/ 


A Russian ship sank in mysterious circumstances. It may have been carrying submarine nuclear reactors to North Korea (CNN):

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/12/world/a-russian-ship-sank-in-mysterious-circumstances-it-may-have-been-carrying-nuclear-reactors-to-north-korea 


NATO’s frontline countries jockey for US troops after Trump’s Germany withdrawal (POLITICO):

https://www.politico.eu/article/nato-frontline-countries-jockey-for-us-troops-after-donald-trump-germany-withdrawal/ 


Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.


HIGHLIGHTS:

-  Exclusive: 72 hours dodging Russia’s ‘drone safari’ in Kherson

- Did NATO sink this Russian ship carrying nuclear reactors to North Korea?

More episodes

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  • Moscow blamed for explosive drone at German airport & fuel queues return to Russia as Ukraine hits refineries

    44:53|
    Day 1,623.Today, after an extraordinary drone attack in Germany raises fresh questions about Russia’s campaign against the West, we ask whether it is finally time to stop describing Moscow’s actions as “hybrid”, “grey zone” or “sub-threshold” warfare – and instead call them what they are. We also report on Russia’s worsening fuel crisis, with queues once again forming outside petrol stations following Ukraine’s latest drone strike on Yaroslavl oil refinery. In Kyiv, Britain’s new Defence Secretary reaffirms UK support, declaring, “We’re with Ukraine until they win,” as we assess what the change in leadership could mean for military aid and European security. And later, we speak to the founder of an NGO supporting Ukrainian children with learning disabilities and other special educational needs, exploring how war affects those with heightened sensory sensitivities and what can be done to help.Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Sophie O'Sullivan (Telegraph Journalist).Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.With thanks to Alex Khilodenko, the founder of the CodeIT4Life – an NGO that focuses on building secure underground spaces for children with learning disabilities or special needs, like autism, especially taking into account their sensory sensitivity in the midst of war.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/@UkraineTheLatest  CONTENT REFERENCED:CodeIT4Life, the NGO in Kharkiv providing safe underground spaces for children with special needs: https://codeit4.life/no-limits-inclusive-resource-center-in-derhachi/Russia blamed for explosive drone at German airport (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/05/explosive-drone-found-ukraine-plane-russia-germany/ Ukraine strikes oil refinery 800 miles inside Russia (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/06/russia-strikes-ukrainian-train-station/ Report: ‘Russia’s UAV Campaign Over Europe’ (IISS):https://www.iiss.org/globalassets/media-library---content--migration/images-delta/publications/research-papers/2026-new/russia-uav/ammended-file/russia_uav-campaign-over-europe.pdfTrump declined Zelenskyy's request for additional Patriot missiles (Ukrainska Pravda): https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/08/05/8047361/ North Korean missile unit deploys in Russia for Ukraine war, Kyiv says (Reuters);https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/north-korean-missile-unit-deploys-russia-ukraine-war-kyiv-says-2026-08-05/ Trump, Hegseth clashed at Camp David over Iran missile depletion concerns (Washington Post)https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/08/05/trump-hegseth-clashed-camp-david-over-iran-missile-depletion-concerns/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.HIGHLIGHTSMoscow blamed for explosive drone at German airportFuel queues return to Russia as Ukraine hits refineries
  • Russian soldier opens fire on his own platoon as Moscow rains missiles on Kyiv in heaviest attack this year

    58:02|
    Day 1,622.Today, Kyiv reels from the deadliest attack this year after failing to intercept any Russian missiles overnight, as North Korea continues to support Russia’s war, providing 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers. Meanwhile, Ukraine carries out air strikes on another Wildberries warehouse and several industrial sites, including an oil refinery. Then, we keep an eye on Kyiv and Washington’s warming relationship in recent weeks and discuss whether Ukraine could decide Italy’s next election. Finally, examine the lives of war widows as Russian losses mount, and Francis speaks to the World Health Organization’s representative in Ukraine about providing medical care in a war zone.Contributors: Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.Alex Nichol (Telegraph Journalist).Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.With thanks to Dr Jarno Habicht of the World Health Organization (WHO).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/@UkraineTheLatest  CONTENT REFERENCED:Russian soldier opens fire on his own platoon (Antonia Langford for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/04/russian-soldier-opens-fire-on-his-own-platoon/Syria tells US it is willing to drastically drop Russian oil imports (Reuters)https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/syria-tells-us-it-is-willing-drastically-drop-russian-oil-imports-sources-say-2026-08-04/Russia Approves State-Funded IVF for Widows as Birth Rates Hit Historic Low (Kyiv Post)https://www.kyivpost.com/post/80941Facing a demographic catastrophe, Ukraine is paying for troops to freeze their sperm (BBC)https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqxd9549y4xoUkraine's war widows: 'None of us was prepared to pay such a high price for our country' (Le Monde)https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/02/17/ukraine-s-war-widows-none-of-us-was-prepared-to-pay-such-a-high-price-for-our-country_6535062_4.htmlBritish Widows of the First World War, The Forgotten Legion, Andrea Hetheringtonhttps://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/British-Widows-of-the-First-World-War-Hardback/p/14718How Putin Turned Japan Into a Den of Spies (New York Times)https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/world/asia/russia-spies-japan-war-drones-electronics.htmlMI6, DGSE, Ukraine... L’Express reveals an unprecedented ranking of Europe’s best spies (L’Express)https://shorturl.at/6t6hWFrench spy TV series, The Bureau: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4063800/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:Russian soldier opens fire on his own platoonMoscow rains missiles on Kyiv in heaviest attack this year
  • Russia’s ‘barbaric’ drone safari caught on film as another Wildberries warehouse burns

    48:50|
    Day 1,621.Putin finds himself in a sticky situation this morning after two more Wildberry distribution centres are attacked. There is also more evidence of Russia’s drone safari against civilians after a market vendor in Kherson was seen being hunted by a drone. We look at the latest diplomatic developments, which have seen Kyiv’s ambassador to the US dismissed, and its ambassador to London Valery Zaluzhny say that Ukraine is unlikely ever to join NATO. And later, a frontline reporter tells us what life is like today in the embattled fortress cities of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka.Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Lily Shanagher (Foreign Breaking News Report for The Telegraph). @LilyShanagher on X.With thanks to Francis Farrell, Kyiv Independent Senior Reporter.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/@UkraineTheLatest  CONTENT REFERENCED:Learn more about the Kyiv Independent’s October event in London:https://kyivindependent.com/live/ Russia’s Wildberries to build 260,000 square metres of warehouse space in Kazakhstan (Novaya Gazeta)https://novayagazeta.eu/en/articles/2026/08/04/russias-wildberries-to-build-260000-square-metres-of-warehouse-space-in-kazakhstan-en-news Ukraine energy chief says infrastructure attacks will shape war’s outcome (Politico)https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-energy-denys-shmyhal-winter-war/ "Twelve years of fairy tales": former commander-in-chief Zaluzhnyi says Ukraine will never join NATO (Ukrainska Pravda)https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/08/03/8047090/ 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’s ‘barbaric’ drone safari caught on filmAnother Wildberries warehouse burns in St Petersburg
  • Wildberries strikes light up sky 1000km inside Russia as Zelensky ‘reveals’ wartime death tolls

    42:08|
    Day 1,620. Today, we report on another weekend of intense military activity: from renewed strikes on Wildberries warehouses – so severe that the company's owner and CEO Tatyana Kim was compelled to issue a public statement – to assassination attempts and a bombing at a Moscow restaurant. Plus, drone strikes on Russian positions in Crimea and a brutal attack on Kyiv that reveals the city's vulnerability to ballistic missile strikes. Dom and Francis also examine the latest casualty figures claimed by President Zelensky, the evolving US position on Ukraine, and what the new adaptation of The Odyssey might be trying to say about how modern warfare is having a corrosive effect on contemporary society.Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls 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/@UkraineTheLatest  CONTENT REFERENCED:If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukJames Kilner on the true significance of the Wildberries attacks:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_UYWPnaFRM&t=835s Ukraine only able to intercept one of 27 Russian missiles aimed at Kyiv (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/01/ukraine-only-able-intercept-one-27-russian-missiles-kyiv/ Trump backtracks on promise to give Ukraine Patriot blueprints (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/07/31/trump-backtracks-promise-ukraine-patriot-blueprints/  'Nature of the threats has changed' — Kyiv removes protective structures from city monuments (Kyiv Independent)https://kyivindependent.com/kyiv-to-remove-protective-coverings-over-monuments/?mc_cid=f58d6cc26e&mc_eid=08d0680a95 Zelensky Updates NSDC Roster Amid Government Reshuffle (Kyiv Post):https://www.kyivpost.com/post/81516 Tulsi Gabbard and her guru (The Washington Post):https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/06/21/tulsi-gabbard-her-guru-mysterious-messages-that-helped-shape-her-political-career/ 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.Thumbnail image credit: X/@bayraktar_1loveHIGHLIGHTS:Wildberries strikes light up the sky 1000km inside Russia Zelensky ‘reveals’ wartime death tolls
  • Russians 'fear being killed by drones in Red Square' & Zelensky asks Elon Musk a favour

    45:00|
    Day 1,617.As yet more Russian Wildberries distribution sites reach for the stars, Ukrainian missile producer Firepoint wins the month’s top-trolling award by offering merch to anyone who correctly predicts their next target. Dom reports how ballistic-missile defence is the hot topic of military and diplomatic discussion at the moment, with offers from Poland, favours asked of SpaceX and, perhaps least surprising of all, a growing coolness from Donald Trump over the plan/idea/wishful thinking that Ukraine would be given the Patriot blueprints. Alex Nichol reports that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff may be in Ukraine in the next few weeks, which would be their first trip to Kyiv despite making multiple visits to Putin in Moscow. Finally, Adélie discusses Ukrainian war poetry, with the man who brought the newest generation of poets to English-speaking audiences. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Alex Nichol (Telegraph Journalist).Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.With thanks to Hugh Roberts (@hugh.g.a.roberts on Instagram) and the University of Exeter. 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/@UkraineTheLatest  CONTENT REFERENCED:If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukRussian missile destroys US firm’s Kyiv drone factory (The Guardian)https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/30/us-firm-drone-factory-terminal-autonomy-ukraine-russia Zelensky Asked Trump for a Favor From Elon Musk (The Atlantic)https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/07/zelensky-asked-trump-for-a-favor-from-elon-musk/688122/Donald Trump ‘not sure’ he will let Ukraine build Patriot missiles (Financial Times)https://www.ft.com/content/d8c42f6b-4dba-4976-a907-c7c93bca0bbd?syn-25a6b1a6=1 War and peace: Ukraine’s ambassador in Washington joins our table (Christian Science Monitor)https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/monitor_breakfast/2026/0731/ukraine-ambassador-olga-stefanishyna?icid=rssThe Geopolitics of Russia’s Civil Nuclear Exports Four Years into the War (Centre for Strategic and International Studies)https://www.csis.org/analysis/geopolitics-russias-civil-nuclear-exports-four-years-war Ukrainian War Time Poetry: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx2YPXiQIIQvRHSFfabgsOZM_5G5eqj5OJantar Publishing House: https://www.jantarpublishing.com/Lines from the frontline: the poet soldiers defending Ukraine (The Conversation): https://theconversation.com/lines-from-the-frontline-the-poet-soldiers-defending-ukraine-276676 Death of a Ukrainian Writer (New Yorker): https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-death-of-a-ukrainian-writer-victoria-amelinaThe Buried Book That Helped Ukraine’s Literary Revival (The New York Times): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/20/world/europe/ukraine-publishing-buried-book.htmlMore about Aliaksei Lazarau: https://x.com/Alx_lazarau/status/2050195969103307014 The petition to allow non-Ukrainian to be recognised as Hero of Ukraine: https://petition.president.gov.ua/petition/264020 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:Russians 'fear being killed in Red Square,' Kyiv claimsZelensky asks Elon Musk a favour
  • Russian missile leaves crater in Poland & Fedorov reveals all in first interview since sacking

    45:12|
    Day 1,616.A Russian cruise missile is believed to have landed in Poland overnight, just after President Zelensky and Polish prime minister Donald Tusk met to patch up a rumbling diplomatic spat. Meanwhile, inside Ukraine, former Minister of Defence Fedorov gives his first big interview since being sacked, saying there is 'resistance to change' in the defence ministry and laying out his vision to win the war. Finally, Dom, Adelie, and Francis read your best summer postcards and answer your questions.Contributors:Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Producer: Tom SteedSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O’SullivanSocial Producer: Anita BlayStudio 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 missile’ leaves crater in Poland (The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/30/poland-explosion-russian-missile-attack/ Attacks on Ukrainians in Poland are rising. Disinformation fuels the flames (Kyiv Independent)https://kyivindependent.com/attacks-on-ukrainians-in-poland-are-rising-disinformation-fuels-the-flames/Watch the full interview with Mykhailo Fedorov (Ukrainska Pravda, in Ukrainian)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbjYc4-OuT0Russia importing sensitive UK, EU tech through India, data shows (Politico)https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-import-uk-eu-technology-india-data/Francis’s Interview with Michael Bohnert re. Patriot missile timescales:https://youtu.be/Fg_PmGkpJu4?si=Jf7HoU6anVj1JCQW 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:Russian missile leaves crater in PolandFedorov reveals all in first interview since sacking
  • Ukraine wipes out seventh Wildberries warehouse and major oil refinery as US senate advances key Russia sanctions bill

    36:33|
    Day 1,615.After Russia sees another night of Ukrainian drone strikes on a Wildberries warehouse and oil refinery attacks, Francis examines Kyiv’s campaign to disrupt Putin’s logistics and wartime economy. He also looks at encouraging developments in Washington, where Presidents Zelensky and Trump met ahead of the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, before Graham’s landmark bipartisan sanctions bill took a significant step forward in Congress. Then James Kilner has his regular Russia roundup, as rumours of a fresh mobilisation continue to circulate, before we explore the dramatic downfall of the powerful head of Russia’s international chess federation.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.James Kilner (Russia Analyst). @Jkjourno on X.Malcolm Pein (Telegraph chess correspondent). @TelegraphChess on X.Senior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O’SullivanSocial Producer: Anita BlayStudio 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:Russia explores support for Wildberries after Ukrainian drone attacks, sources say (Reuters)https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/russia-explores-support-wildberries-after-ukrainian-drone-attacks-sources-say-2026-07-28/Laura Loomer says she called Trump from Ukraine, plans to brief president on visit (Kyiv Independent)https://kyivindependent.com/laura-loomer-says-she-called-trump-from-ukraine-plans-to-brief-president-on-visit/ Kremlin Gambit: German FIDE presidential candidate Vadim Rosenstein continues to earn millions in Russia (Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News, in Russian)https://sport.unian.net/othersports/kandidat-v-prezidenty-fide-vadim-rozenshteyn-prodolzhaet-vesti-biznes-v-rossii-13451784.html Russians Form Street Patrol to Shield Men From Forced Recruitment (Kyiv Post)https://www.kyivpost.com/post/81265 World chess chief faces endgame after EU announces Russia war sanctions (BBC)https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewrk58k2k4o No contact with political prisoner Andrei Trofimov since April (Memorial)https://memopzk.org/en/news/no-contact-with-political-prisoner-andrei-trofimov-since-april/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:Ukraine wipes out seventh Wildberries warehouse and major oil refineryUS senate advances key Russia sanctions bill
  • Crimea 'without power' after deadly raids as Zelensky meets Trump

    46:46|
    Day 1,614.As Ukraine strikes a target more than 1,300 kilometres from Kyiv, Francis and Alex Nichol assess the significance of President Zelensky’s visit to Washington for Lindsey Graham’s funeral and to meet with President Trump. It comes a day after Ukraine struck a tanker from Iran in the Caspian Sea, something the US president was asked about on Air Force One. Meanwhile, attention is focused on Congress as lawmakers prepare to decide the fate of the bipartisan sanctions bill, which would impose sweeping tariffs on countries continuing to buy Russian energy. Later, we take a deep dive into the Black Sea grain corridor, exploring why it’s returned to the centre of the war after recent attacks on merchant shipping, and what it means for global food security.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Alex Nichol (Telegraph Journalist).With thanks to Andrey Sizov, head of SovEcon grain consultancy (@sizov_andre on X).Producer: Tom SteedSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O’SullivanSocial Producer: Anita BlayStudio 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:Democrats ‘undermining US support for Ukraine’ (The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/27/democrat-opponents-sanctioning-russia-act-undermine-ukraine/ Life of a Ukrainian draft dodger (Antonia Langford for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/28/ukraine-hunt-for-draft-dodgers-becomes-battle-on-the-street/ EU hesitates to target Irish plant accused of supplying Russia’s war industry (Financial Times)https://www.ft.com/content/ef7ff634-b738-4975-91b5-2edffc51da68?syn-25a6b1a6=1 The Sizov Reporthttp://sizov.reportWagner’s Remnants Are Running an Opioid Empire in the Center of Africa (Wall Street Journal)https://www.wsj.com/world/africa/russia-wagner-africa-opioid-trade-d015c4bc 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:Crimea 'without power' after deadly raidsZelensky meets Trump in Washington ahead of Lindsey Graham funeral
  • ‘Humiliated’ Putin poses with fake submarine after navy parade cancelled & Ukraine strikes Iranian tanker in Caspian Sea

    38:42|
    Day 1,613.As Putin is forced to cancel his annual Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg for the second year in a row – forced to stand by an image of a submarine instead – we report on another major weekend on the battlefield for both Russia and Ukraine, including a strike by Kyiv on an Iranian-linked tanker in the Caspian Sea. Meanwhile Volodymyr Zelensky is in London to meet with new British PM Andy Burnham for the first time, as the Ukrainian president warns of a new mobilisation drive by Moscow amid mounting Russian losses. Then we hear from the WELT offices in Germany about their wargame that caused such a stir, NATO’s Secretary General had to respond.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X.With thanks to Caroline Drüten, international security correspondent at WELT.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:‘Ernstfall: What if Russia Attacks NATO? Inside a German Wargame’ (WELT Podcast):Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ernstfall-what-if-russia-attacks-nato-inside-a/id6785429115Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GHuBrh6zwl1mq4TVeY6 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/21/new-missile-at-centre-of-anglo-german-golden-age-of-defence/ Fabrice Deprez’s Substack describing Kramatorsk:https://eastradar.substack.com/p/the-long-war-60?triedRedirect=true Kazakhstan’s Tokayev Urges Putin to Freeze Ukraine War (Kyiv Post)https://www.kyivpost.com/post/81070 Kremlin Shrugs Off Reports of US-Ukraine Air Truce Plan, Says It’s ‘Too Early’ (Kyiv Post)https://www.kyivpost.com/post/81124 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:‘Humiliated’ Putin poses with fake submarine after navy parade cancelledUkraine strikes Iranian tanker in Caspian Sea