Ukraine: The Latest

Day 1,648.
Today, the market is already reacting to President Zelensky’s warning last night that Russian airspace is now "completely unsafe” thanks to Ukrainian drones, with some flights cancelled. We report August’s statistics from the ground in Ukraine, which don’t end well for Putin, or the over 40,000 soldiers who became casualty statistics of their own. We assess the reaction to Nato member Germany officially naming Russia as the perpetrator of the Leipzig-Halle drone attack and we look at the support Russia is said to be giving to Iran; a direct threat to the United States. Later, we hear from journalist Annie Jacobsen on her new book detailing how biological warfare could break out entirely by accident.

Contributors:
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
Alex Nichol (Telegraph Journalist).
Sophie O’Sullivan (Telegraph Journalist).

With thanks to Annia Jacobsen, author of Biological War: A Scenario.

Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett
Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan
Social Producer: Anita Blay
Studio Director: James England
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:

Drone-Led Ukrainian Offensive Retakes Ground in Critical Eastern Front Sector (Kyiv Post)

Russia secretly helping Iran develop supersonic cruise missiles (Financial Times)

'The Anarchist Cookbook on steroids': How AI is supercharging bioweapons – Battle Lines: Global Health Security

For more from Annie Jacobsen or to purchase her book, visit her website

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:

‘State sponsored terrorism’: Moscow blamed for Germany airport attack
Zelensky warns Russian skies 'completely unsafe’ from Ukrainian drones

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

Day 1,648.
Today, we hear the latest from the capital as Ukraine suffers one of the deadliest waves of raids of the entire war, with new jet-powered drones wreaking havoc. How will Kyiv and its allies respond? Then, we have exclusive remarks from the head of Estonia’s intelligence service on the likelihood of a large-scale Russian mobilisation – and threats to Putin – as well as an update on what Kyiv’s former Defence Minister Fedorov is up to in Italy.

Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Sophia O’Sullivan (Telegraph journalist).
Antonia Langford (Freelance Journalist in Kyiv). @Antonialford on X

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:

Putin’s bombs destroy millions of school books before new term (Antonia Langford for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/31/ukraine-russia-putin-kyiv-missiles/

Russia’s new missiles make Ukraine’s ports a no-go zone (Antonia Langford for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/29/russia-cheap-fast-missiles-cut-ukraine-sea/

Estonia’s spy chief: ‘Russia is in a very bad place – revolution could come overnight’ (David Blair for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/29/kaupo-rosin-interview-russia-bad-place-revolution/

Wie Putin den Krieg eskalieren kann. Mit Alexander Stubb (Ronzheimer interview with Alexander Stubb, in German)
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/wie-putin-den-krieg-eskalieren-kann-mit-alexander-stubb/id1700432142?i=1000786893585

Ousted Ukrainian defense chief Fedorov takes advisory role with Italy (Politico)
https://www.politico.eu/article/mykhailo-fedorov-adviser-italy-defense-minister-guido-crosetto/

Kremlin Says Ukraine Peace Talks on ‘Deep Pause’ (Moscow Times)
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/08/28/kremlin-says-ukraine-peace-talks-on-deep-pause-a93597

Exclusive: Musk opposes allowing Ukraine to use Starlink for strikes on Russia, despite recent media reports, sources say (Kyiv Independent)
https://kyivindependent.com/musk-opposes-allowing-ukraine-to-use-starlink-for-strikes-on-russia-despite-recent-media-reports-sources-say/?mc_cid=60baedc69e&mc_eid=08d0680a95

Germany plans to blame Russia for Leipzig attack as tensions with Putin escalate (Politico)
https://www.politico.eu/article/friedrich-merz-berlin-sanctions-russia-vladimir-putin-leipzig-attach-ascalate/

Fleeing Russians fear Putin is quietly preparing for another mobilization (Politico)
https://www.politico.eu/article/russian-vladimir-putin-quietly-preparing-another-mobilization/

Putin’s mouthpieces earn £800k a year for Kremlin propaganda (Antonia Langford for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/31/putins-mouthpieces-earn-800k-a-year-for-kremlin-propaganda/

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 suffers some of deadliest attacks of war
Estonia spy chief says 'revolution could come overnight in Russia’
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,644.
Today, after Kyiv endured the longest period of air raid alerts since the start of the war – and yes, we do mean 2014 – Ukrainians get back to their new normal: recovering family memories from the ashes of destroyed homes and grabbing a morning coffee amid shattered glass. Ukraine reorganises its Donbas defence, whilst also wiping out another long range Russian bomber, deploying brand-new US military kit and answering the question we’ve all been wondering: can you have too many Kalashnikovs mounted on a single robot? And later, we’re in London’s iconic St Paul’s cathedral, talking, and listening, to the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra.

NOTE: Monday is a Bank Holiday in the UK, so there will be no episode. Normal service will resume on Tuesday.

Contributors:
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
Sophie O’Sullivan (Telegraph Journalist)
Lilian Fawcett (Telegraph Journalist)
With thanks to the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra.

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:

Learn about the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra:
https://www.ukrainianfreedomorchestra.org/

Trump Says Russia Will Not Attack NATO (Kyiv Post)
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/83238

EU states revive plan to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine (Financial Times) https://www.ft.com/content/6d272811-8d26-46f0-ae24-abed61aa1bf3?syn-25a6b1a6=1

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:
Kyiv hit by longest air-raid alert since war began
Frontline troops test rifle-wielding robots
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,643.
Today, an hours-long drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight as Russia continues its push on three key towns in the fortress belt in the East. But in some welcome news, Ukraine appears to have repelled Putin’s forces north of Lyman in a secret counterattack. Plus, the real reason for CIA director John Ratfcliffe’s visit to Moscow this week, and President Zelensky’s top aid says Ukraine and Russia could hold talks as soon as September. Then Francis reports from Germany, where elections could trigger a dramatic shift in the country’s defence policy. Meanwhile Friedrich Merz’s government considers investing in Britain’s nuclear programme to bolster Europe’s deterrent against Moscow.

Contributors:
Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X.

Producer: Rachel Porter
Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett
Video Producer: James England and Hana Kelly
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:
If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.uk

Explosions, jet-powered drones rock Kyiv as rare hours-long Russian aerial attack continues into afternoon (Kyiv Independent)
https://kyivindependent.com/explosions-rock-kyiv-as-russia-launches-ballistic-missiles-at-the-capital-and-other-regions-across-ukraine/

'The city is dying' — Ukrainians in Kramatorsk brace for worst as Russian forces inch closer (Asami Terajima for the Kyiv Independent)
https://kyivindependent.com/the-city-is-dying-ukrainians-in-kramatorsk-brace-for-worst-as-russian-forces-inch-closer/

Germany in talks to help fund Trident (Joe Barnes, James Rothwell and James Crisp for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/26/germany-talks-help-fund-britains-trident-nuclear-deterrent/

German politician wants to hold swingers’ party in city hall (James Rothwell for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/23/german-politician-swingers-party-city-hall-mannheim/

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:
Kyiv intercepts first ballistic missiles in a month during huge raid
Ukraine’s secret Donbas counterattack repels Russian troops

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

Day 1,642.
Today, after the CIA apparently finds a way through Russian air defences, sneaking their director into the country with the Kremlin spokesman later denying any knowledge of a US military plane landing in Moscow, and with the Vatican’s Foreign Minister turning up nearby, we ask what was so interesting about Moscow yesterday. Then, after his call for elections blew up in his face, Ukraine’s ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov made another political gaffe by saying, much to Moscow’s delight, that his country is ‘slowly losing the war’. All this while Ukraine strikes 16 targets across Russia, including oil facilities and another Wildberries warehouse. Later, we get our regular deep dive into Russian cucumbers and other economic indicators as well as a look at the latest cooling in relations between Russia and Armenia.

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

Russia to extend diesel export ban through September, sources say (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russia-extend-diesel-export-ban-through-september-sources-say-2026-08-25/

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:

CIA head meets Russian spy chiefs in Moscow
Putin's fuel crisis deepens as Ukraine hits 16 key sites

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