Ukraine: The Latest

Day 1,359.Today, as Ukraine launches more projectiles at Russia than it receives in return, we examine the worsening situation on the ground in the Zaporizhzhia region and the growing domestic turmoil facing President Zelensky, as the corruption scandal rattles his government. We then look at the latest defence measures being adopted across Germany, Norway, and Poland, and end with voices from a Ukrainian women’s film festival highlighting resilience, creativity, and the power of cultural resistance amid war.ContributorsFrancis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X.Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X.With thanks to Mariia Vynogradova and Ksenia Bugrimova from the Women and the World International Film Festival.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter  Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Tanks or drones? German defence giants clash over how to rebuild military (James Rothwell in The Telegraph):https://tinyurl.com/yc7tdthuPolish civilians arm themselves in case of Russian invasion (James Rothwell in The Telegraph):https://tinyurl.com/56y9m2s4Russia massing nuclear fleet in Arctic Circle ‘for war with Nato’ (James Rothwell in The Telegraph):https://tinyurl.com/bdv28359More Soldiers, More Gold (Bild):https://tinyurl.com/bdurmwxfUkraine’s Hardest Winter (Jack Watling in Foreign Affairs):https://www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/ukraines-hardest-winter Ukraine withdraws from positions near settlement in Zaporizhzhia (Kyiv Independent):https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-withdraws-from-another-settlement-in-zaporizhzhia-oblast-amid-ongoing-russian-offensive/?mc_cid=73117cc8fa&mc_eid=08d0680a95 Women and the World International Film Festival:https://www.iffww.com/Trailer to Dad’s Lullaby, a documentary about a Ukrainian veteran by Lesia Diak:https://cineuropa.org/en/video/464790/Hitler’s DNA proves he really did have only one ball (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2025/11/12/scientists-secrets-adolf-hitler-dna-adhd/

Day 1,358.As Ukrainian forces struggle against overwhelming Russian manpower in the Zaporizhzhya region, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko calls for the conscription age to be lowered. We bring the latest on a corruption scandal inside Ukraine’s state nuclear power company, and assess the geopolitical significance of Kazakhstan joining the Abraham Accords. Meanwhile, in Russia, Sergey Lavrov appears to have fallen out of favour with the Kremlin once again and officials have cut off internet access around military sites.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.James Kilner (Former Russia Correspondent). @jkjourno on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter  Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Ukrainian minister implicated in nuclear power corruption scandal suspended (Kyiv Independent):https://kyivindependent.com/minister-implicated-suspended/ Ukraine faces ‘huge problems’ finding soldiers as men flee abroad, says Kyiv mayor (POLITICO):https://www.politico.eu/article/war-in-ukraine-draft-age-russia-vitali-klitschkoUK’s Jonathan Powell contacted Moscow in bid to build back channel to Vladimir Putin (Financial Times):https://www.ft.com/content/f06920c2-94f6-49b8-89df-82ace669cf25?shareType=nongift Trump Admin Pushes to Weaken Ukraine Resolution on Russian Occupation at UN, Sources Tell Kyiv Post (Kyiv Post):https://www.kyivpost.com/post/63999 Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk

Day 1,357.Today, the battle for Pokrovsk continues to rage on with 300 Russian soldiers now in the city, pressing forward to the north. We discuss the corruption probe in Ukraine targeting one of Zelensky’s close allies and how it led to the president’s debacle over the summer when he tried to curtail Ukraine’s two anti-corruption agencies. Finally, we zoom in on Lavrov’s disappearance from the public eye in the last couple of weeks and on the patterns of drone incursions across Europe these past two months. Note: an earlier version of this episode stated that a probe was looking into Ukraine's Chief Anti-Corruption Prosecutor. It is instead investigating his deputy, Andryi Synyuk. ContributorsAdélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on XMemphis Barker (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @memphisbarker on XRoland Oliphant (Chief Foreign Analyst). @RolandOliphant on XJoe Barnes (Brussels Correspondent). @Barnes_Joe on XSIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter  Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:‘We are losing Pokrovsk’: Russia nears biggest gain since 2023, The Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/11/pokrovsk-ukraine-russia-gain-volodymyr-zelensky-gen-syrskyi/Who is Timur Mindich, Zelensky's secretive associate at the center of a major corruption probe?, Kyiv Independenthttps://kyivindependent.com/who-is-timur-mindich/?mc_cid=721276d3ca&mc_eid=4a5b852913Where’s Sergei Lavrov? Rumours swirl over the fate of Putin’s foreign affairs enforcer, The Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/11/10/the-rumours-swirling-over-the-fate-of-sergei-lavrov/Mapped: Russia’s new drone war against Europe, The Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/11/mapped-russia-new-drone-war-against-europe/Poppies and cornflowers became symbols of November 11 thanks to women forgotten by history, Le Mondehttps://www.lemonde.fr/en/m-le-mag/article/2025/11/11/poppies-and-cornflowers-became-symbols-of-november-11-thanks-to-women-forgotten-by-history_6747339_117.htmlThe Poppy Lady, The Story of Madame Anna Guérin and the Remembrance Poppyhttps://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Poppy-Lady-Hardback/p/21829Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk

Day 1,356Today, after weekend strikes on energy facilities in both countries left blackouts in Russia and Ukraine, we report how Moscow now seems to be deliberately targeting Ukrainian nuclear plants well away from the front line, how Britain is sending military personnel to defend Belgian skies, and later we have an interview with Dr Jack Watling, Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute, in which he describes Ukraine’s adaptation of battlefield tactics.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.With thanks to Dr Jack Watling, Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute. @Jack_Watling on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter  Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Dr Jack Watling's New RUSI Report - 'Emergent Approaches to Combined Arms Manoeuvre in Ukraine':https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/insights-papers/emergent-approaches-combined-arms-manoeuvre-ukrainePokrovsk: Where Putin Shattered His Teethhttps://cepa.org/article/pokrovsk-where-putin-shattered-his-teeth/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=emailLISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk

Day 1,353.Today, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visits President Trump in Washington, a few weeks after the collapse of the Budapest meeting with Russia. Meanwhile, we look at reports claiming that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov may have fallen out of favour with President Putin, and the UN Commission of Inquiry accuses Russia of committing crimes against humanity and torture. Finally, our regular contributor Jade McGlynn shares the latestContributorsAdélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjzon X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Dr. Jade McGlynn (War Studies Department of King's College). @DrJadeMcGlynn on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter  Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:United Nations Human Rights Council: Independent International Commission of Inquiry reporthttps://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/11/commission-visits-kyiv-reiterating-its-findings?sub-site=HRCOrbán to visit US to try to broker another Putin summit but questions raised over motiveshttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/07/orban-hungary-white-house-visit-trumpWhat’s the truth about South Africa’s ‘genocide’ of white farmers?https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/whats-the-truth-about-south-africas-genocide-of-white-farmers/Fact-checking Trump’s claims of white farmer ‘genocide’ in South Africahttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trumps-claims-of-white-farmer-genocide-in-south-africaSouth Africa crime statistics debunk 'white genocide' claims - ministerhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgr5xe7z0y0oIs there a genocide of white South Africans as Trump claims?https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wg5pg1xp5oKilling of White Farmer Becomes a Flash Point in South Africahttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/world/africa/South-Africa-murder-protests.html‘Kill the Boer’ Song Fuels Backlash in South Africa and U.S.https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/02/world/africa/south-africa-kill-boer-song.html

Day 1,352.Today, as more and more Russian forces flow into Pokrovsk, Ukrainian soldiers manage to fly a Ukraine flag on the city council’s building. Ukraine also scrambles to put together a new budget for next year, while Zelensky faces harsh criticism after the announcement of relief packages ahead of winter. We hear reports of how Russia is sending disabled men to fight and wonder if the cannon fodder strategy is reaching an end.ContributorsAdélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Verity Bowman (Journalist). @VerityBowman on X.With thanks to Albina Kovalyova, @agent_Alka on X. SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter  Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Kharkiv War Diaries: Stories from a City on the Edgehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlrrWx3hBekKharkiv: Love in a War Zonehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct82kyOccupied, 2022https://www.albinakovalyova.com/work/documentary/'Catastrophic populism:' Critics push back against Zelensky's winter support package for Ukrainianshttps://kyivindependent.com/catastrophic-populism-critics-push-back-against-zelenskys-winter-support-package-for-ukrainians/?mc_cid=1d6cb51478&mc_eid=4a5b852913Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk

Day 1,351.Today, as reports from Pokrovsk indicate Russian troops now hold positions across nearly the entire city, prosecutors in Kharkiv launch a new war crimes investigation after footage emerged of an alleged Russian FPV drone strike on two civilians carrying a white flag near Kharkiv. We also examine today’s Joint Expeditionary Force meeting in Norway – asking whether it’s wise for the group to brand itself as “NATO’s first responders” – before doing a deep dive into recent cases of Ukrainian and Russian spycraft. Later, we speak with the commander of a Ukrainian drone unit who helped destroy Russian forces following the so-called “breakthrough” in Dobropillya.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.With thanks to Dimko Zhluktenko.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter  Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Learn more about Dimko’s charity, Dzyga’s Paw:https://dzygaspaw.com/ Dom’s story on MI5 chief’s warnings (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/16/sir-ken-mccallum-mi5-china-spy-scandal-national-security/ The Ukrainian double-agent playing Russia at its own game (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/01/ukraine-russia-war-double-agent-security-services/ A champion like no other: The curious life of a Unit 29155 operative (The Insider):https://theins.ru/en/inv/286477 Russia moves to year-round conscription from 2026 (Kyiv Independent):https://kyivindependent.com/putin-signs-law-allowing-year-round-conscription-in-russia/?mc_cid=fb29c7d440&mc_eid=08d0680a95 Is there a risk of encirclement in Pokrovsk and what awaits Myrnohrad? Soldiers explain (Hromadske):https://hromadske.ua/en/war/254005-ti-khto-v-pokrovsku-na-peredovykh-pozytsiiakh-vze-v-pryntsypi-v-otochenni-z-iakoho-malo-shansiv-vyyty Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk

Day 1,350.Today, as fierce fighting continues around Pokrovsk and Ukrainian forces strike energy facilities inside Russia, we report on a surge in American surveillance flights over the Black Sea – coinciding with the arrival of Washington’s Ambassador to NATO in Kyiv. We also examine Ukraine’s claim to have hit an elite Russian special forces unit stationed on a Black Sea oil platform, and speak with sanctions expert Stephanie Baker, who explains why Donald Trump’s sanctions on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft are so significant.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.With thanks to Stephanie Baker (Senior Writer at Bloomberg). @StephaniBaker on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter  Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Stephanie Baker’s Book, ‘Punishing Putin: ‘The gripping expose of the global economic sanctions against Russia’s war in Ukraine’:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Punishing-Putin-gripping-economic-sanctions-ebook/dp/B0CWWFJ52GUkraine rescues camel used by Russian military (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/30/ukraine-rescues-camel-used-by-russian-military/ Ukraine ‘strikes elite Russian unit’ on Black Sea oil rig (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/03/ukraine-strikes-elite-russian-unit-on-black-sea-oil-rig/ Putin’s shadow fleet under threat as Trump tries to ‘terrify’ Russia’s allies (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/11/04/putins-shadow-fleet-runs-aground-against-us-sanctions/ Russian Oil Finds Fewer Takes in China After Hit From Sanctions (Bloomberg):https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-02/russian-oil-finds-fewer-takers-in-china-after-hit-from-sanctions Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast's iconic front-line rail stop, closed for 'indefinite period' (Kyiv Independent):https://kyivindependent.com/key-train-route-to-ukraines-east-has-been-reduced-for-an-indefinite-period-due-to-safety-concerns/ Intense US surveillance activity over the Black Sea (ItaMilRadar):https://www.itamilradar.com/2025/11/03/intense-us-surveillance-activity-over-the-black-sea/ Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk

Day 1,349.Today, as reports emerge that General Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, travelled to the embattled frontline city of Pokrovsk, we sit down with former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who led the alliance in the first years of the full-scale invasion. We also speak with Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Gulliksen about his powerful new documentary Facing War – which takes viewers inside the rooms where Stoltenberg and world leaders made pivotal decisions that shaped the course of the conflict.ContributorsFrancis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.With thanks to former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. @jensstoltenbergdocumentary on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter  Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Learn more about ‘Facing War’ - new film about Jens Stoltenberg by Tommy Gulliksen:https://m.imdb.com/title/tt35671816/ Ukraine special forces launch helicopter raid to stop Russian encirclement (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/01/ukraine-special-forces-helicopter-assault-pokrovsk/ Draft dodger who jumped from moving train faces deportation to Russia (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/01/draft-dodger-who-jumped-moving-train-deportation-russia/ Russia deploys 170,000 troops in battle for Pokrovsk (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/31/russia-deploys-170000-troops-battle-pokrovsk/ ‘How to Negotiate with Putin’ by Robert Person (Journal of Democracy):https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusive/how-to-negotiate-with-putin/ Zelensky Is Winning Trump Voters Over (Wall Street Journal):https://www.wsj.com/opinion/zelensky-is-winning-trump-voters-over-72d5f6c1?reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk