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 Fawcett
Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan
Social Producer: Tom Steed
Studio Director: Meghan Searle
Executive Editor: Francis Dearnley
Created by David Knowles

NOW 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:
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
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Atkins
Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett
Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan
Social Producer: Tom Steed
Studio Director: Meghan Searle
Executive Editor: Francis Dearnley
Created by David Knowles

NOW 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 Tests Balloon Barriers to Snare Ukrainian Drones (Kyiv Post)
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/86216

Ukraine 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-war

Russian 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.com
https://www.ebrd.com/home/news-and-events/news/2026/ebrd-president-reaffirms-steadfast-support-for-ukraine-on-sevent.html

If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.uk

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 uses AI machine guns for first time.
Drone swarm sets fire to Russian oil site.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Porter
Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett
Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan
Social Producer: Tom Steed
Studio Director: Meghan Searle
Executive Editor: Francis Dearnley
Created by David Knowles

NOW 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:
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=2

Interview with journalists from the Kyiv Independent:
On YouTube: https://youtu.be/m_ILe1GrwPs?si=II1vUNv7rS1Qdy5Q&t=545
On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-latest/id1612424182?i=1000792423839
On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YW7fcsWSEtcSXZ4JcER2W?si=Q8pYx3SuTQSwF7d_lANkTg

Sophie’s interview with Annie Jacobsen, on her book about biological warfare:
On YouTube: https://youtu.be/sAp28EQy1hY?si=YzmVBjcqnaXUAWm7&t=1371
On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-latest/id1612424182?i=1000787457741
On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0e63alt0a7dxCHuLA81Sm4?si=sX59IhVlRiemfd2g9LabKQ

Francis’s tour of the Berlin Ukraine Museum:
https://youtu.be/5W9yy8Z-Qa0?si=xLFIpuTqqgyiZv46&t=848

Learn 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=2842s

Jacob Rees-Mogg on The Daily T:
On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEBMM-cdqLc
On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6cnkk1J0I1UqtxTYVUL4Fe?si=799b9bcaa9e64177
On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-daily-t/id1489612924?i=1000793278894

How 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.uk

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:
Russia accused of covering up plague leak after Siberia lab worker death
How Kyiv cracked Russia’s kill zone and got its tanks back in the fight
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Porter
Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett
Video Producer: Tom Steed
Social Producer: Natalia Makohon
Studio Director: Meghan Searle
Executive Editor: Francis Dearnley
Created by David Knowles

NOW 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:
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=1

Exclusive: 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.html

Ukraine Has an F-16 Emergency (Wall Street Journal):
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ukraine-f-16-maintenance-delays-russia-sabena-engineering-85ca626a

Dr 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.html

Dimko’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-29

On 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.uk

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: @ZelenskyyUa/X

HIGHLIGHTS:
Ukraine fires home-grown ballistic missile in combat for first time
Exclusive footage: 24 hours as a frontline drone pilot
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Porter
Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett
Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan
Social Producer: Tom Steed
Studio Director: Meghan Searle
Executive Editor: Francis Dearnley
Created by David Knowles

NOW 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:
Pentagon excludes key allies from NATO meeting (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/30/trump-nato-allies-left-out-01100310

Lockheed 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.uk

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:
Russia launches new missile at Ukraine designed to destroy energy infrastructure
Moscow lost 46,000 troops in September, its highest monthly toll of the year
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.