Day 1,231. Today, we report on the sudden death of Russia’s former transport minister within hours of his sacking by Vladimir Putin. Then we examine Donald Trump’s pledge to resume weapons deliveries to Ukraine and look ahead to President Macron’s visit to the UK. Finally, we hear an updated figure of the number of children kidnapped by Russia, and discuss their fate if the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab closes this autumn amid its funding being pulled. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journ...
Jul 08, 2025•53 min
Day 1,230. Today, as Ukraine was hit over the weekend in Kharkiv, Kherson, Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka, and Ukraine attacked Russia’s airfields and fleets, we discuss the positive phone call between Trump and Zelensky, and dive into political fractures in Ukraine. Then we speak with Sam Cook about his foundation and the role of history in wartime. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. S...
Jul 07, 2025•52 min
Day 1,227. Today, as Putin and Trump hung up the phones after an hour-long conversation yesterday, Kyiv headed to the shelters for another massive drone and missile attack and a long, sleepless night. This morning, Russia declared that it is ‘not possible’ to achieve their goals through diplomatic means after the phone call. We discuss all these stories, then hear from Dr Jade McGlynn for the latest on resistance in the occupied territories, and talk to a British band who chose to perform in Kyi...
Jul 04, 2025•49 min
Day 1,226. Today, as the fallout from Donald Trump freezing US weapons to Ukraine continues, in a special dispatch, we join the Ukrainian navy out on the Black Sea during an air attack on Odesa. Then we speak to the creator of Wargame – the new podcast simulating an attack by Russia on British soil, and hear what lessons it offers countries across the Western world. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence)....
Jul 03, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Day 1,225. Today, as Donald Trump’s administration decides to halt shipments of certain air defence missiles bound for Ukraine, we assess the ramifications for trust in the United States, before hearing the latest domestic stories being reported inside Russia, and speak to a former Kremlin propagandist. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. James Kilner (Foreign Correspondent). @jkjou...
Jul 02, 2025•55 min
Day 1,224. Today, after enduring weeks of drone and missile strikes, Kyiv hits back in a long-range attack on a factory deep inside Russia and on a site in occupied Crimea. Plus, we examine Moscow’s latest attempt to shift Donald Trump’s focus away from ceasefire demands and, later, Francis talks to an investigator for the Eyes on Russia project which works to expose human rights violations and threats to democracy through open source investigations and research. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (...
Jul 01, 2025•53 min
Day 1,223. Today, after Ukraine claims to have destroyed a litany of Russian aircraft, we discuss war crimes described on Russia state television committed against snipers, and a remarkable story about how Moscow is reportedly using nuns as spies to spread propaganda. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X. Content Referenced:...
Jun 30, 2025•48 min
Day 1,220. Today, as the US Ambassador to Russia leaves Moscow, we look at the latest attacks on Ukraine from land and air, and hear how the war is perceived on the other side of the world: in New Zealand. Contributors: Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @RolandOliphant on X. Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. With thanks to Tenby Powell (founder of the NGO Kiwi K.A.R.E). @tenbypowell on X. Content Referenced: Learn more about Kiwi K.A.R.E: https:/...
Jun 27, 2025•42 min
Day 1,219. Today, after what some are calling a ‘triumphant’ NATO summit in the Hague, we assess the pledges made by President Donald Trump, and ask whether it was a historic achievement by Secretary General Mark Rutte. Then we do deeper dives into Ukraine’s military and strategic innovations, and the threat posed by Russia on Europe’s eastern flank, with dispatches from Lithuania and Latvia. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. David Blair (Chief F...
Jun 26, 2025•53 min
Day 1,218. Today, we look at the second day of the NATO summit in The Hague, including Mark Rutte’s leaked message to President Donald Trump, and President Zelensky’s upcoming meeting with the US president. We also hear about why young women are choosing to leave Ukraine “in droves” to study abroad, and what that means for the future of Ukraine. And finally we discuss a documentary series about Ukrainian veterans. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Do...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Day 1,217. Today, as the NATO summit gets underway in The Hague, we look at how the alliance is shifting the goalposts on how members’ contributions should be counted. We report on last night’s closed door session with President Zelensky - which we attended - and we hear the panel event Francis moderated recently at the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnle...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Day 1,216. Today, we discuss the ramifications of the historic American strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, and how we should read Tehran's Foreign Minister’s scramble to Moscow. Plus we feature a special dispatch from Gotland, Sweden, to meet the Armed Forces’ newest outfit protecting Europe’s strategic Baltic outpost from Russia. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Venetia Rainey (Co-...
Jun 23, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Day 1,213. Today, we discuss our exclusive reporting into insider Russian reaction to Operation Spider’s Web, hear from someone just on the frontline in Donetsk, and relay the latest acts of resistance in the occupied territories. Plus, you’ll hear Dom’s panel from the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa featuring former British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and former Minister of State for Security, Tom Tugendhat, reflecting on key decisions made in the war. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Execut...
Jun 20, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Day 1,212. Today, as we pass 100 days since Ukraine unconditionally accepted the US peace proposal for a total cease fire, we report how Russia continues to kill civilians across the country. We look at how much effort Russian officials are putting into telling the world sanctions are having no impact whatsoever on their economy, and report on Finland’s exit from the Ottawa Treaty. And we hear a number of voices from our recent trip to Odesa in southern Ukraine. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (A...
Jun 19, 2025•55 min
Day 1,211. Today, as the death toll from Monday night’s strike on Kyiv climbs, we report reaction from the United States, plus why we should be paying attention to the St Petersburg Economic Forum and how Moscow has taken aim at Britain’s new head of MI6. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Hamish De Bretton-Gordon (Former British Army Tank Commander). @HamishDBG on X James Kilner (Foreign Correspondent). @jkjourno on X. SIGN UP TO THE NEW ‘UKRAINE: T...
Jun 18, 2025•49 min
Day 1,210. Today, as a day of mourning is announced in Kyiv after a severe night’s bombardment – leaving at least 16 dead and over a 100 injured – we consider Moscow’s demands that Ukraine destroy all its western weaponry, and further ramifications of the Israel-Iran crisis for the war. Then we take you to the Black Sea Forum in Odesa, hearing the first interviews we recorded there, and describing some of the sights that greeted us when crossing the border. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Execut...
Jun 17, 2025•52 min
Day 1,209. Today, after Russia launches a combined missile and drone attack against Kremenchuk – right in the centre of Ukraine – we consider an intelligence operation in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad which caused $5 million worth of damage. Then we hear about a new play that has just opened in London about Ukraine's experience, after a deep dive into how Moscow hired African farmers to make shampoo, before sending them to war. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @F...
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr
Day 1,206. Today, as explosions are heard across Crimea, we discuss the impact of Israel’s attack on Iran on the war in Ukraine, especially on drone procurement. Then we do a deep dive into Ukrainian food, visiting a special charity in Kharkiv making salt, and interviewing a bestselling cookery writer about her family’s remarkable experiences over the past century, and the recipes passed down the generations. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dom...
Jun 13, 2025•54 min
Day 1,205. Today, as Russian casualties reportedly pass one million, we assess an extraordinary press release by the Trump administration marking ‘Russia Day’, and examine the mentality underpinning the United States’s stance on the war. Then we hear again from a Ukrainian winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, and discuss Margaret Thatcher’s attitude towards Russia with the Iron Lady’s definitive biographer and confidant. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley o...
Jun 12, 2025•48 min
Day 1,204. Today, as Russia continues to attack civilians in Ukraine – two weeks after Donald Trump said it would take him a fortnight to work out if Vladimir Putin was serious about peace or just ‘tapping’ him along – we take the temperature in Brussels where more sanctions have been announced, and also hear from a senior Ukrainian defence official. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Joe Barnes (Brussels Correspondent). @Barnes_Joe on X. Yulia Marus...
Jun 11, 2025•51 min
Day 1,203. Today, as Ukraine fends off yet another overnight aerial bombardment, the first prisoners of war to return since the latest rounds of peace talks arrive in Ukraine. Meanwhile in London, we hear about NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte’s punchy speech at Chatham House yesterday. Finally, we talk with former Swedish Defence minister Peter Hulqvist. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholl...
Jun 10, 2025•51 min
Day 1,202. Today, we assess the overall strategic picture as Russia sets its sights on one of the regions not illegally annexed after one the most furious, but failed, aerial bombardments of the war. Then we hear more from the fallout of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s meeting with Donald Trump and from the Polish Presidential election last week, before hearing from a historian of the Cold War about the right, and wrong, lessons we take from that era. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive...
Jun 09, 2025•58 min
Day 1,199. Today, as Ukraine strikes more military targets deep inside Russia, Moscow responds by launching a massive missile and drone attack against civilian targets across much of Ukraine. We hear what life is like in the embattled city of Pokrovsk in the Donbas, and then the latest updates on resistance in the occupied territories with Dr Jade McGlynn. Later, we interview Lord Robertson - architect of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Aud...
Jun 06, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Day 1,198. Today, as the true impact of the historic drone strikes on the Russian air fleet become clear, we reflect more deeply on their implications for the war, and what it tells us that Putin refused to reference them in televised remarks. Plus we share more on our experiences in the port city of Odesa this week, including recordings from inside a basement during an air raid. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Edito...
Jun 05, 2025•45 min
Day 1,197. Today, after another series of deadly strikes on civilians in Sumy, Russia continue to push ahead in the north of the region. Meanwhile, we continue to assess the damages from Operation Spider’s Web and the Kerch Bridge explosion. We also dive into the UK’s Strategic Defence Review and what it means for Ukraine, while the UK promises 100,000 drones to Ukraine by Spring 2026. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign...
Jun 04, 2025•59 min
Day 1,196. Today, while fighting continues around the area of Pokrovsk, Ukraine claims yet another attack on crucial Russian infrastructure. This time, it is the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia to Crimea that was hit with underwater explosives. Meanwhile, in Istanbul yesterday, the Russia and Ukrainian delegations continue to be at a deadlock, despite agreeing on an exchange of POWs. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Roland Oliphant (Senior Forei...
Jun 03, 2025•40 min
Day 1,195. Today, after what some are calling the most successful special operation in modern history, we assess the strategic significance of Ukraine's strikes on Russia’s bomber fleet. We also discuss the Polish presidential elections and the Strategic Defence Review, coming out later today in the UK. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @...
Jun 02, 2025•49 min
Day 1,192. Today, while missiles and drones ran down on Ukraine, and especially on Kharkiv, Ukraine and its allies are still waiting for Russia’s memo on their terms for a potential ceasefire and peace talks next week in Istanbul. We also discuss the increase of electronic warfare on the battlefield and share an exclusive interview with former deputy assistant to the US president and senior director for European and Russian affairs on the U.S. National Security Council, Fiona Hill. Plus, Dom and...
May 30, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Day 1,191. Today, Ukraine targets Moscow with drone attacks for the second consecutive days and strikes several industrial plants linked to the war effort in Russia. Meanwhile, Russia proposes a new round of peace talks in Istanbul on June 2nd. We discuss the memorandums that both Ukraine and Russia are drafting ahead of the meeting and whether we’ll see a change from Russia’s maximalist stance from earlier this month. And we look ahead to the Polish presidential elections on Sunday. Finally, Fr...
May 29, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Day 1,190. Today, as Ukraine reels from yet another record drone bombardment, we look at warnings that Russia is massing 50,000 troops near Sumy ahead of a new offensive. Plus we bring you some of the top lines from Chancellor Friederich Merz’s press conference with Vlodomyr Zelensky, where he announced that Germany would help Ukraine build long-range missiles. We’ll also be hearing Dom’s interview with Estonia’s defence minister about Moscow’s shadow fleet and how to protect critical infrastruc...
May 28, 2025•40 min
