Day 1,365. Today, we examine the proposal that has left Kyiv and Europe reeling: a US peace plan that could force Ukraine to lease part of its territory to Russia, cap the size of its armed forces, and accept a series of concessions that would amount to a major victory for Vladimir Putin. We then hear from a leading pollster about domestic attitudes in Russia towards the war – and what potential tipping points could shift public opinion. Finally, we reflect on the significance of the anniversary...
Nov 20, 2025•50 min
Day 1,364. Today, as Ukraine confirms the latest use of US ATACMS missiles inside Russia and Britain tracks a Russian spy ship in UK waters, we examine growing pressure on President Zelensky to dismiss a senior official over the widening nuclear-energy corruption scandal – with Andriy Yermak increasingly in the spotlight. We also report on allegations that a former British civil servant committed war crimes in Ukraine, and discuss why Spain is attempting to return to Donald Trump’s good graces w...
Nov 19, 2025•56 min
Day 1,363. Today, after a 17-year-old girl was killed and 9 others injured in an overnight Russian missile attack in Kharkiv Oblast, we return to the dire situation in Pokrovsk, before asking why Vladimir Putin is targeting his own war cheerleaders in his latest clampdown. Then we look at the First World War medical condition being reported on the frontlines in Ukraine, and hear from an American serving in the Ukrainian army. Contributors Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDe...
Nov 18, 2025•46 min
Day 1,362. Today, as Poland reports sabotage on vital rail links connecting it to Ukraine and Romania evacuates civilians after Russian strikes across the Danube, we unpack President Zelensky’s latest diplomatic push – including a new energy deal with Greece and a landmark agreement with France for 100 fighter jets. Later, we speak with Vladimir Kara-Murza, the prominent opposition figure arrested in 2022 for denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and given a 25-year sentence in a Siberian pena...
Nov 17, 2025•54 min
Day 1,359. Today, as one of Russia’s largest oil terminals burns following an overnight strike, we report on yet another aerial blitz on Kyiv and assess the latest wave of European support for Ukraine. We also examine German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s call for President Zelensky to stem the flow of young Ukrainian men fleeing to Germany. Later, we bring you an exclusive interview with the Deputy Head of Zelensky’s Presidential Office, who shares Kyiv’s latest response to the corruption scandal ...
Nov 14, 2025•57 min
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 resis...
Nov 13, 2025•57 min
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 ar...
Nov 12, 2025•41 min
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 pa...
Nov 11, 2025•40 min
Day 1,356 Today, 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. C...
Nov 10, 2025•49 min
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 latest Contributors Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Jour...
Nov 07, 2025•51 min
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. Contributors Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @...
Nov 06, 2025•58 min
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 Ukrain...
Nov 05, 2025•50 min
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 gia...
Nov 04, 2025•50 min
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 th...
Nov 03, 2025•55 min
Day 1,346. Today, as Ukrainian forces hang on in Pokrovsk, we discuss more reports coming out of the city of Russian troops fighting in civilian clothes – a clear war crime. Plus, we hear about Ukraine’s latest long range strikes inside Russia and look at a worrying message from the International Atomic Energy Agency that accuses Moscow of targeting three of Ukraine's nuclear power plants. Later, we hear how a Ukrainian opera lost for 250 years premiered earlier this month in Chernivtsi, accompa...
Oct 31, 2025•42 min
Day 1,345. Today, as Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet in South Korea, we ask whether Ukraine can ever expect China to face real consequences for its support of Russia throughout the war. We also examine Vladimir Putin’s ongoing air campaign to cripple Ukraine’s energy infrastructure – including last night’s major assault – and bring you the latest stories from inside the Russian Federation, from renewed public protests to fresh signs of deepening economic stagnation. Contributors: Francis Dearnl...
Oct 30, 2025•39 min
Day 1,344. Today, as the situation around the frontline city of Pokrovsk continues to worsen, we examine Ukraine’s latest wave of deep strikes targeting Russia’s military infrastructure. Then we turn to Brussels, where frustration mounts after European nations failed to agree on how to unlock frozen Russian assets to support Kyiv’s war effort. Then we hear about the motorway some believe could save NATO from Vladimir Putin’s aggression. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio)...
Oct 29, 2025•44 min
Day 1,343. Today, as the fierce battle for Pokrovsk rages on – with Russian troops now inside the city and 15 armoured vehicles destroyed on its outskirts – we report on the dramatic destruction of a dam in Russia that has cut off Moscow’s forces inside Ukraine. Later, we speak to one of the leading architects behind the Western initiative to seize $300 billion in frozen Russian state assets, exploring how close this unprecedented move is to becoming reality – and what it could mean for the futu...
Oct 28, 2025•52 min
Day 1,342. Today, after a weekend of Russian bombardments on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities – with fires killing multiple civilians – we examine Moscow’s failed diplomatic bid to block Donald Trump’s latest sanctions on Russian energy. Then we consider how Vladimir Putin’s unveiling of a “next-generation” cruise missile reveals growing unease in the Kremlin. Later, we sit down with Ukrainian historian Serhii Plokhy, to discuss the Cold War arms race, and how Kyiv could have retained nuclear wea...
Oct 27, 2025•48 min
In this special live episode recorded at the Honourable Artillery Company in London, we take stock of the war as it grinds into its fourth calendar year. Joined by General Sir Richard Barrons – former head of UK Joint Forces Command and co-author of Britain’s Strategic Defence Review – and Orysia Lutsevych OBE – head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House – hosts Dom Nicholls, Francis Dearnley, and Adélie Pojzman-Pontay debate the state of the conflict, Donald Trump’s renewed deadlines and ultima...
Oct 25, 2025•1 hr 19 min
Day 1,339. Today, as President Zelensky meets the Coalition of the Willing in London, we discuss the shock felt in Brussels after European countries failed to come to a deal on the use of frozen Russian assets. We also hear the latest updates on the Ukrainian resistance, and Francis reports not from the frontline but the front row, as he attends a Ukrainian fashion show. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjzon X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence)....
Oct 24, 2025•55 min
Day 1,338. Today, as Donald Trump unveils sweeping new sanctions on Russia’s energy giants, we analyse what recent developments reveal about the shifting power dynamics between Moscow and Washington. We also investigate an alleged Russian war crime in Donetsk and what it exposes about the brutal nature of the fighting there, before exploring why NATO nations continue to pour vast resources into tank production and modernisation. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @Franc...
Oct 23, 2025•41 min
Day 1,337. Today, after Vladimir Putin defied Donald Trump to wreck the proposed Budapest peace talks, we report how overnight attacks ended with children having to be evacuated from a burning kindergarten in Kharkiv after it was hit in a Russian drone strike. Plus, British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles hit their targets in Russia and, later, we hear about how for civilians in Ukraine, learning the specific sound of drones can be a matter of life or death… and how their buzzing can stay ...
Oct 22, 2025•38 min
Day 1,336. Today, amid growing signs the planned Trump-Putin summit in Hungary is already in jeopardy, we assess a breakthrough in Europe that could see finally frozen Russian state assets loaned to Ukraine. Then we uncover disturbing accounts revealing the dire state of Russia’s armed forces, and bring you the latest stories from Moscow as the economy continues to display signs of fracture. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dominic Nicholls (Ass...
Oct 21, 2025•48 min
Day 1,335. Today, as the world digests the outcome of the White House meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, we examine why the lack of progress on Tomahawk missiles caught many observers off guard. We also explore the significance – if any – of Trump’s planned talks with Vladimir Putin in Budapest, widely seen as part of the Kremlin’s strategy to stall for time. Plus, we report on another slow weekend at the front, continued Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil and gas faci...
Oct 20, 2025•53 min
Day 1,332. Today, as President Zelensky meets Donald Trump at the White House, we unpack Vladimir Putin’s emergency – if predictable – intervention: an unscheduled call with the US President that may have derailed Kyiv’s hopes of securing Tomahawk missiles. Then, in a special cultural dispatch, we dive into the world of Ukrainian classical music. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. With thanks to Hobart Earle, Music Director and Principal Conductor...
Oct 17, 2025•57 min
Day 1,331. Today, as President Zelensky heads to Washington for another high-stakes meeting with Donald Trump, we break down the latest from the frontlines as NATO vows to ramp up its military support for Ukraine. We also examine a rare protest in St Petersburg calling for Vladimir Putin’s death, explore how recent drone incursions are reshaping German attitudes toward the war, and ask why Syria’s president – once a sworn enemy of the Kremlin – has now met the Russian President in Moscow. Contri...
Oct 16, 2025•46 min
Day 1,330. Today, as NATO defence ministers meet in Brussels with the US representative to NATO warning Russia of “consequences” if the Kremlin doesn’t move towards a peace agreement, we report how Mexican and Colombian drug cartels have infiltrated the Ukrainian military to learn how to fly kamikaze drones. Plus we take a deep dive into the current political crisis in France and examine what impact it could have on the war. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicho...
Oct 15, 2025•42 min
Day 1,329. Today, as Donald Trump vows to harness the momentum of the Gaza ceasefire to bring peace to Ukraine, we examine global reaction – or the striking silence – after a UN convoy was attacked by Russian forces. Then we assess reports of a possible chemical weapons attack in Donetsk and take a deep dive into stories emerging from inside Russia – revealing the cracks in its economy and the growing strains within its society. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @Franc...
Oct 14, 2025•44 min
Day 1,328. Today, as we learn the Donald Trump administration has been sharing intelligence enabling Kyiv to strike at Russian energy facilities, we reflect on the likelihood that Tomahawk missiles are incoming, and the fallout from the US President not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Then we hear live from the country of Georgia, where protests continue and tensions remain high, before Francis ends with an appeal on a neglected subject: animals in war. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Executive...
Oct 13, 2025•42 min
