Day 1,492. Today, as Ukraine continues its strikes on Russian oil terminals on the Baltic Sea, we explore how Russia’s oil exports and wider economy are benefiting from the war in Iran. Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky is in Saudi Arabia seeking to strengthen defence cooperation in the Middle East. And later, we bring several updates from the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, along with the first episode from Francis’s new documentary series dedicated to Hungary – widely seen as the chief ba...
Mar 27, 2026•56 min
Day 1,491. Today, as extraordinary Ukrainian strikes in the Baltic region reportedly knock out around 40 per cent of Russia’s crude oil export capacity in a single attack – and achieve the first known successful strike on a Russian military ship in the Baltic Sea, hundreds of kilometres from Ukraine – we assess the strategic impact on Russia’s war economy. We also take the temperature from high-level meetings in Germany and Finland, and examine reports that Moscow is supplying Iran with vital as...
Mar 26, 2026•56 min
Day 1,490. Today, as Ukraine suffers the largest wave of Russian attacks of the entire war – including a rare daytime aerial assault across much of the country – we examine the scale and impact of the bombardment. We also report on Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russia’s Baltic ports, with some drones reportedly reaching Estonia and Latvia. Then we reveal behind-the-scenes details of talks in Florida between Ukrainian and American officials, as the first investment linked to the US-Ukraine mi...
Mar 25, 2026•45 min
Day 1,489. Today, amid confirmation that Vladimir Putin’s spring offensive in Russia’s war in Ukraine has begun, we report on the assaults along the frontline that have driven a sharp rise in Russian casualty figures. We then examine the truth behind growing rumours of unrest and widespread internet outages in Moscow. We also speak to a senior official in the office of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán about allegations that Budapest’s diplomats shared details of European Union meetings with...
Mar 24, 2026•48 min
Day 1,488. Today, after another weekend of so-called peace talks over Russia’s war in Ukraine, we search for signs of a diplomatic breakthrough (spoiler: there isn’t one). We report on a fresh wave of long-range Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia that forced at least 15 Russian airports to suspend flight operations and also examine the so-called “Gamechanger” plot – allegations of a plan to stage a fake assassination attempt on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to boost his chances in next...
Mar 23, 2026•48 min
Day 1,485. Three days into Russia’s so called ‘spring offensive’, there are barely any advances on the ground yet casualties continue to rise. A Ukrainian delegation is on its way to Washington to resume talks tomorrow after the latest round in the diary was postponed by the war in Iran. Meanwhile the European Union stalls again in providing Ukraine with financial relief. Contributors: Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X. Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The La...
Mar 20, 2026•46 min
Day 1,484. Today, as Russian casualty figures continue to climb, we ask whether Moscow’s long-anticipated spring offensive has already begun. We also return to the situation in Moscow, where Vladimir Putin has been absent from public view for several days, as a formerly loyal supporter issues a dramatic call for the Russian president to step down. Then we examine the significance of comments by the CIA director on Moscow’s involvement with Iran, before speaking to one of Britain’s leading histor...
Mar 19, 2026•52 min
Day 1,483. Today, as Russia records its highest daily troop losses of the year in its war against Ukraine, we examine how the head of the Russian armed forces, General Valery Gerasimov, is reportedly presenting outdated battlefield information to Vladimir Putin to suggest the situation at the front remains under control. We report on fears that a damaged Russian shadow fleet tanker drifting in the Mediterranean Sea could trigger an environmental disaster of “unprecedented proportions”, and how P...
Mar 18, 2026•43 min
Day 1,482. Today, as world leaders gather in London, including President Zelensky, we bring you the latest from Moscow following another major Russian aerial bombardment overnight – and examine how the Russian media is reporting the attacks. We also reflect on our questioning Finnish President Alexander Stubb at Chatham House, and what his remarks reveal about Europe’s evolving strategy. And later, we share several stories Adélie was working on from Ukraine, offering insight into life on the gro...
Mar 17, 2026•45 min
Day 1,481. Today, after a massive Russian bombardment across Ukraine – including missile launches from warships in the Black Sea – we assess Kyiv’s latest wave of strikes on Russian energy infrastructure and on Moscow itself. We also examine President Trump’s admission that Vladimir Putin may be supporting Iran’s war effort, and ask whether the easing of sanctions on Russian oil is impacting global energy prices, before hearing about cheating death from above thanks to an unwelcome phone call, a...
Mar 16, 2026•43 min
Day 1,478. Today, as President Zelensky arrives in France for talks with Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Defence Secretary claims the “hidden hand” of Vladimir Putin is behind Iranian drone strikes targeting British troops and allied forces in the Middle East. We report on Washington’s move to further ease sanctions on Russia by allowing all countries – not just India – to purchase Russian oil, a decision Britain’s Energy Minister warns could help the Kremlin stabilise its struggling economy. We also...
Mar 13, 2026•50 min
Day 1,477. Today, as one of Russia’s largest oil facilities is struck in a Ukrainian attack and the war in Iran continues to sow chaos on global energy markets, we examine growing pressure on European governments to ease sanctions on Russia – just as US representatives meet one of Vladimir Putin’s chief economic advisers. Alongside the updates, we bring you a special exclusive interview with one of the authors of a groundbreaking United Nations report on the Ukrainian children taken to Russia, c...
Mar 12, 2026•54 min
Day 1,476. Today, as US envoy Steve Witkoff says “we can take them at their word” after Russia denies sharing intelligence about American forces with Iran – before adding “let’s hope they’re not sharing” – we examine the latest tensions between Washington, Moscow and Tehran. We also analyse a Ukrainian deep-strike operation that raised fresh questions about Russian air defences after a loitering drone was able to film the attack. Then we bring updates on Ukrainian counterattacks in the south, wh...
Mar 11, 2026•42 min
Day 1,475. Today, as President Donald Trump speaks with Vladimir Putin and reportedly offers to ease sanctions on Russian oil amid surging global energy prices linked to his war in Iran, we examine the latest developments on the battlefield as Ukraine claims to have liberated “almost all” of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Then we bring you the latest from Europe, followed by a dispatch from northern Ukraine, where communities continue to endure repeated Russian strikes on the country’s energy infras...
Mar 10, 2026•43 min
Day 1,474. Today, as Ukrainian counter-drone specialists head to the Middle East to help counter Iranian drone attacks, Vladimir Putin offers “unwavering support” to Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei – a pledge that may come with significant conditions. We examine Russia’s latest mass aerial attack on Ukraine following a pause that raised questions about Moscow’s dependence on Tehran, then report on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s warning that Slovakia could follow Hungary in block...
Mar 09, 2026•59 min
Day 1,471. Today, as the United States asks Ukraine to help intercept Iranian drones over the Gulf, Washington simultaneously removes sanctions on Russian oil trade and votes alongside Moscow against a motion condemning attacks on Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. We assess the deepening diplomatic crisis between Ukraine and Hungary after Kyiv accuses Budapest of detaining seven Ukrainian banking officials and seizing a large stash of gold, and ask whether President Zelensky's sharp response could...
Mar 06, 2026•1 hr
Day 1,470. Today, as the Pentagon and at least one Gulf state are revealed to be in talks with Kyiv to buy Ukrainian-made interceptors to fend off attacks by Iranian drones, we look at the latest expansion of the Russian armed forces, before looking at what Moscow is telling its population about the war in the Middle East. Then we bring you an exclusive interview with the French Ambassador to Ukraine to hear how prepared they are for boots on the ground. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Host on U...
Mar 05, 2026•56 min
Day 1,469. Today, as questions are directed at the Kremlin after Russian components were reportedly found in the wreckage of a drone that struck Dubai, we examine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal to swap US-made Patriot air defence missiles for Ukrainian interceptor drones to counter Iranian and Russian weapons. We report on the latest explosion involving a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, and bring you the view from Brussels as European Union member states appear to ...
Mar 04, 2026•42 min
Day 1,468. Today, as war in the Middle East escalates and Putin attempts to position Russia as a potential peace broker, we examine Zelensky’s claim that if Gulf States pressure Moscow towards a ceasefire in Ukraine, Kyiv could offer air defence support in return. We analyse claims that Ukraine captured more territory in February than Russia, and assess France’s extraordinary shift in its nuclear posture and what it means for European security. Then we bring you a dispatch from Adélie in Irpin, ...
Mar 03, 2026•47 min
Day 1,467. Today, as the world reacts to escalating conflict in the Middle East and the devastating use of attack drones against civilian areas, we examine how Donald Trump’s confrontation with Iran could impact Russia’s war in Ukraine and the strategic calculations in both Kyiv and Moscow. We report on the latest shadow fleet tanker boarding operation linked to sanctions enforcement against Russia, and bring you an update from Adélie in Kyiv. And later, we feature a panel recorded at the Black ...
Mar 02, 2026•57 min
Day 1,464. Today, we bring you live dispatches from the north, east, and south of Ukraine following fresh Russian attacks overnight, as a United States delegation meets Ukrainian officials to prepare the next round of trilateral peace talks with Russia in Geneva. We also provide the latest updates on resistance activities in the occupied territories, and take a broader look at the state of Russian society after four years of Putin’s full-scale war – including the impact of sanctions, suppression...
Feb 27, 2026•49 min
Day 1,463. Today, after a mass Russian aerial bombardment struck multiple regions across Ukraine, we report from Kyiv and eastern Ukraine on what it was like on the ground during the latest wave of drone and missile attacks. We then hear about Dom’s visit to a Ukrainian HUR military intelligence base in Zaporizhzhia, and examine reports that Vladimir Putin has been forced to curb the recruitment of foreign fighters to avoid diplomatic fallout with key allies. We also discuss the battlefield “kil...
Feb 26, 2026•49 min
Day 1,462. Today, as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year, we report live from Kyiv the morning after world leaders gathered in the Ukrainian capital to reaffirm their support for President Zelensky. With a new round of Ukraine-Russia-US peace talks scheduled in Geneva and fresh Russian aerial attacks across the country, we ask whether there is any tangible movement – aside from continued Ukrainian advances in the south. We also examine reports that Russia is sending mig...
Feb 25, 2026•52 min
Day 1,461. Today, as world leaders gather in Kyiv to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we report live from two different regions of the country, covering the latest attacks from air and land and assessing the current battlefield picture. We reflect on the resilience of Ukrainians after years of war, and bring updates on an explosion in Moscow as well as reports suggesting that Moscow is now losing more soldiers on the frontline than it can recruit to sustain...
Feb 24, 2026•53 min
Day 1,460. Today, reporting live from Ukraine on the eve of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, we cover fresh bombardments on both Ukrainian and Russian territory, the investigation into an explosive device that killed a police officer in Lviv and injured dozens more, and President Zelensky’s claims that Ukrainian forces have liberated 300 square kilometres in southern Ukraine – and that the Third World War has “already begun.” Plus, we hear reflections from our Europe Edito...
Feb 23, 2026•44 min
Day 1,457. Today, amid reports that Russian forces’ loss of Starlink is reducing the intensity of drone attacks along the frontline, we examine claims that Russian commanders are charging soldiers up to £30,000 to avoid deployment to the most dangerous sectors. We then bring you the latest from the first meeting of Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace”, and finally hear the view from Belarus as Putin seeks to place more nuclear missiles there. Contributors Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor ...
Feb 20, 2026•39 min
Day 1,456. Today, as President Volodymyr Zelensky describes the latest Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Geneva as “difficult”, we ask whether the negotiations between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington made any tangible difference – and whether the Kremlin still has room to delay meaningful concessions. We hear from a former special envoy to Ukraine, and report on an exclusive Telegraph investigation revealing how British-manufactured microelectronics have ended up inside Russian missiles used to kill civ...
Feb 19, 2026•49 min
Day 1,455. Today, as the latest round of Ukraine-US-Russia peace talks in Geneva collapse after just two hours, we speak to our correspondent in Switzerland to understand what went wrong between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington. We examine why the International Paralympic Committee has decided to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Winter Olympics under their national flags, and what that means for sporting sanctions linked to Putin’s war in Ukraine. Plus, our resident Russia-watc...
Feb 18, 2026•43 min
Day 1,454. Today, we bring you the latest from Geneva, Switzerland, as a new round of peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States gets underway. What is the diplomatic temperature between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington – and are we any closer to a ceasefire? Meanwhile, as strikes continue on both Ukrainian and Russian territory, we present a special episode focused on the next generation of Ukrainian students: their hopes and aspirations, and how they view the political decisions shap...
Feb 17, 2026•53 min
Day 1,453. Today, amid fresh Russian bombardments and reports of Ukrainian counter-operations, we step back to assess the broader strategic picture on the battlefield – and ask what 2026 could bring if peace talks collapse. We then report from the Munich Security Conference, where American voices, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, set out competing visions for US involvement in Europe, and Belarus warned about Moscow’s nuclear expansion. Then we cover President Zelensky’s candid remar...
Feb 16, 2026•43 min
