The world’s #1 most listened-to podcast on the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trusted by over 140 million listeners, every weekday The Telegraph’s award-winning team provides breaking news and expert analysis on military strategy, weaponry and the geopolitics of Vladimir Putin vs. Volodymyr Zelensky. And ask: where does Donald Trump fit in?
From frontline reporting and battlefield analysis to deep dives on military strategy, sanctions, energy markets, and global security, we cover the latest war updates alongside history, economics, culture, and daily life in Ukraine and Russia. Featuring expert insight on weapons systems, cyber warfare, humanitarian issues, and what happens next, it is widely considered the go-to source for understanding the conflict.
NOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:
Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Day 1,518. Today, after months of back-room negotiations, delays and doubts, we go live to Brussels as the EU finally approves the €90 billion loan for Ukraine. How significant is this decision for Kyiv’s war effort – and what happens now that the funding is secured? We also report on the proposal of “Donnyland”, a suggested name for territory in Donbas Ukraine may dedicate to Donald Trump. Then we round up the latest headlines from Russia and Central Asia. Contributors: Francis Dearnley (Host o...
Day 1,517. Today, amid another exchange of drone and missile strikes between Ukraine and Russia, we report on growing speculation that the European Union’s €90 billion loan for Kyiv could finally be approved as early as tomorrow. We also examine Ukraine’s efforts to develop its own alternative to US-made Patriot air defence systems. Then, later, we take a deep dive into a major new Western film, The Wizard of the Kremlin , exploring how accurately it portrays Vladimir Putin’s rise to power – and...
Day 1,516. Today, as President Zelensky warns of increased Russian military activity in neighbouring Belarus, we discuss weekend Ukrainian air raids targeting oil refineries around Moscow. We then examine a shock election result that has brought another pro-Russia leader to power within both the EU and NATO, following in the footsteps of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. And later, we speak to a veteran foreign correspondent who spent 25 years in Russia – and has made more than a dozen trips to Ukraine si...
Day 1,513. Today, as Hungary’s new prime minister Péter Magyar signals he will not veto the €90 billion European Union loan for Ukraine – and Slovakia’s opposition to the package appears to be crumbling – we ask whether Brussels can finally get the funding approved. We report on a continued surge in Ukrainian airstrikes against high-value Russian targets, and consider whether the air war in Russia’s war against Ukraine is beginning to tilt in Kyiv’s favour. We also examine developments in Ukrain...
Day 1,512. Today, as Russian forces suffer more than 35,000 casualties in Ukraine in a single month – the highest rate of the war so far – we report on fresh strikes across Ukraine that have killed at least 17 civilians, including a 12 year old boy. We assess the outcome of the latest Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base, and examine the dramatic first moves of Hungary’s new prime minister, who has vowed to shut down state television, describing it as “North Korean-style pr...
Day 1,511. Today, as the 50-nation Ukraine Defence Contact Group meets in Berlin just hours after President Zelensky signs a new defence cooperation pact with Germany, we assess the first moves of Hungary’s new prime minister and what they could mean for European support for Ukraine. We then take a deep dive into Russian military tactics and campaign design – including how Moscow consolidates control over occupied territories – with an expert from the Institute for the Study of War. Contributors...
Day 1,510. Today, as new evidence emerges that Russia is increasing sign-on bonuses to recruit more soldiers for its war in Ukraine, we report on efforts to ramp up defences around Vladimir Putin’s palace. We also examine dramatic political developments in Hungary, where the new prime minister has vowed to expose alleged Russian links – amid reports of document shredding by allies of former leader Viktor Orbán. And later, we speak to a former CIA operative about Russian disinformation tactics, t...
Day 1,509. Today, as Ukraine and the wider world react to the apparent rejection of Viktor Orbán’s model of “illiberal democracy” in Hungary, we ask: who is Péter Magyar, and what does his rise mean for Hungarian politics and Europe? As Hungarians confront a potential new political era, we examine whether real change is coming in Budapest – and how the European Union will handle the unresolved вопрос of the €90 billion loan for Ukraine. We also assess how much fighting actually paused during the...
Day 1,506. Today, as Putin finally agrees to a brief ceasefire this weekend to mark Orthodox Easter - trying to pass the initiative off as his own generosity - we examine what a ceasefire is and, importantly, what it is not. We report how the next round of so-called peace talks have run into the sand and we have our regular update about resistance operations in the occupied territories. Plus, a special report from Adelie, for which discretion is advised, about how Russian troops are using sexual...
Day 1,505. Today, as Russian shadow fleet tankers steam through the English channel backed up by warships, The Telegraph’s acting defence editor Tom Cotterill, was also floating nearby to witness PM Sir Keir Starmer’s new shadow fleet policy in action. We report on Russia's secret submarine operation in British waters. Ukraine claims that it has put Russia's last remaining ferry in the Kerch Strait out of action, potentially isolating occupied Crimea. And we hear that Hungary has uncovered a mas...
Day 1,504. Today Ukraine praises the news of an apparent ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran, with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha saying: “American decisiveness works”. We report on an FBI operation to protect US citizens from Russian cyberhackers and take in the aromas of a fishing port in NW France, where Breton fishermen are donating their old nets to Ukraine to protect against drones. Plus, Francis has a second dispatch with Orban’s team on the upcoming Hungary elections. Contributors:...
Day 1,503. Today after another set of attacks on Russian oil and gas infrastructure, it's clear Ukraine is not going to heed calls by some international leaders to stop striking Russian energy facilities. President Zelensky has continued his whirlwind diplomatic tour visiting Syria and Turkey over Easter, and we hear from our Senior Foreign Correspondent, Adrian Blomfield, about how a drone designed for herding cattle helped destroy a bridge being used by Russia. Plus, Francis has a special repo...
Day 1,498. Today, as President Donald Trump threatens to withdraw from the key US initiative that enables allies to purchase American weapons for Ukraine, we analyse new footage of emerging drone technologies on the frontline, before exposing the brutal realities of Russia’s battlefield economy and the corruption sustaining Vladimir Putin’s war effort. We also report on record crime rates in Russia since the invasion, as returning soldiers strain domestic stability, and hear expert analysis on t...
This episode discusses Donald Trump's exclusive interview threatening US withdrawal from NATO and his strategy for the Iran conflict, alongside new Russian "jousting" drones impacting the Ukrainian battlefield. It also covers the political hurdles for EU financial aid to Ukraine, Russia's internal efforts to fund the war, and an in-depth look at the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, connecting its legacy of displacement and nuclear violence to current events.
Day 1,496. Today, as Ukraine offers to assist in re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, we hear reports of the Ukrainians being warned off attacking oil energy infrastructure as the world continues to reel from the war in Iran, before examining leaked calls between the Russian and Hungarian foreign ministers that suggest an even closer relationship between Moscow and Budapest than previously understood. Finally, we reflect on the anniversary of the Bucha massacre – one of the most notorious atrocities...
Day 1,495. Today, as the full extent of the damage from Ukrainian strikes in the Baltic region becomes clearer, we assess the impact on Russia’s oil infrastructure and the wider war economy. We also examine stalled offensives on the ground, with both Russian and Ukrainian forces struggling to make significant gains along the frontline. Then we turn to President Zelensky’s “Gulf Grand Tour”, as he signs defence agreements with Gulf states seeking Ukrainian assistance against Iranian drone threats...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
