We surface a story that’s been making waves. A Russian diesel-electric submarine, The Novorossiysk, is being trailed through the North Sea by NATO ships, sparking headlines about a “crippled” vessel and “embarrassment for Moscow.” But is it really in trouble? Or are we, once again, jumping to Cold War-style conclusions?

Yes, it leaked fuel last month. Boats do that. It’s now heading home. They do that too. It’s been politely shadowed by eleven ships from six nations—Britain, France, the Dutch—all watching closely, all behaving exactly as they should. And it’s on the surface? Perfectly normal for a diesel-electric sub. These boats run on a mix of diesel and battery power—surfacing to recharge before diving again.

The truth is, diesel-electric submarines are both silent hunters and noisy neighbours. On battery, they’re whisper quiet; on diesel, they roar like thunder.

So, could The Novorossiysk simply be recharging, not retreating? Is NATO flexing its muscles for show, rather than necessity? And in an age of nuclear subs and high-tech stealth—are diesel-electrics just relics running on borrowed time? Former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe dives deep into the story.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/15/russia-navy-putin-mediterranean-naval-threat/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/14/broken-russian-submarine-novorossiysk-channel-north-sea-tug/

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War is the perfect petri dish for disease. In the conflicts of the 18th and 19th centuries, many more troops died of illnesses than in battle. And, at the start of the 20th century, the Spanish Flu pandemic emerged out of the chaos of the First World War.

With anti-microbial resistance on the rise and HIV cases soaring among Russian soldiers, might ‘Disease X’ – the mystery pathogen that could cause the next pandemic – be lurking in Ukraine, or Gaza, or Sudan? 

In the first episode of a brand new Global Health Security Series for Battle Lines, Venetia Rainey is joined by Arthur Scott-Geddes to ask: Could war spark the next pandemic?  

We hear from Amesh Adalja, Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security about pandemic preparedness and how war zones breed disease. 

Plus, Laura Spinney, author of best selling book, Pale Rider, explains how the First World War paved the way for the Spanish Flu to kill up to 100 million people.  

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China isn’t just spying — many Western security officials believe it’s waging a full-blown, whole-of-government campaign against the West. From hacking our systems to manipulating elections and social media, Beijing’s playing the long game to undermine Britain, America, and their allies. We speak to former FBI agent Michael Feinberg who quit under very controversial circumstances — he lifts the lid on how China’s outsmarting the FBI, America, and the entire Western intelligence machine. Rooted in centuries of pride and grievance, he says that China sees itself on a divine mission to topple Western dominance. And while our governments talk tough, we’ve tied ourselves to China economically — a dangerous bind.

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Credits: Steven McDowell / Science Photo Library RF

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In this explosive episode of Battle Lines, Venetia Rainey is asking the question everyone else is too afraid to: is Britain ready for a Russian-style drone onslaught? Drones have been spotted across Europe — Poland, Germany, Denmark, Belgium — sparking fears of a new kind of hybrid war. Could the UK defend itself if those drones turned up on our shores? To find out, Venetia is joined by ex-RAF pilot and CEO of FlyBy Technology, Jon Parker, and The Telegraph's senior foreign correspondent, Memphis Barker. Their verdict? Britain’s readiness score — a pitiful two or three out of ten. This is a wake-up call.

Read Memphis' Wales drone dispatch:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/09/14/britains-best-attack-drones-are-stuck-chasing-sheep/

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Credits: Mariusz Burcz / Alamy Stock Photo

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Two years on from October 7th, Donald Trump is on the cusp of brokering a fragile peace deal between Israel and Hamas. But with Hamas showing signs of reconstituting itself and Israeli forces still in control of much of the Strip, few believe the war is truly over.

In this episode, we hear from The Telegraph’s Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin, fresh from an Israeli army embed inside Gaza City, about what he saw on the ground and why Hamas’s resilience could shape what comes next. 

Venetia also speaks to Dalia Horn, whose brother-in-law Eitan Horn is one of around twenty hostages believed to be alive in Gaza out of the 48 not yet released. 

Plus, Sophia Yan catches up again with two close friends from the Oasis of Peace — one Jewish Israeli, one Palestinian — who she has spoken to throughout the conflict about their friendship and whether they still believe in the two-state solution. 

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Read Henry’s dispatch: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/04/inside-gaza-city-idf-face-younger-braver-hamas/

Read El Sharabi’s book extract: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/04/eli-sharabi-hamas-hostage-book-extract-2/

Listen to Sophia’s previous conversations with the best friends: 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/02/14/battle-lines-israel-oasis-of-peace-palestine/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/09/israels-oasis-of-peace-one-year-later/

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump delivered extraordinary speeches to top military generals this week, declaring a war on the "enemy within" and signaling a radical transformation of the US armed forces.

To decode what it all means, Roland Oliphant speaks with Mark Cancian, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former Marine Corps colonel. Are American soldiers lazier than before? Is there any chance the US Navy will start building battleships again? And how significant is Trump's call for cities to be used as "training grounds"?

They also discuss the ongoing redrafting of the National Defense Strategy and what it means for America's allies and enemies.

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Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss bringing an end to the conflict in Gaza. Last week, he was giving a fiery speech at the UN General Assembly denying the accusation of genocide levelled at Israel following a UN report.

In response to an earlier Battle Lines interview with one of the report's authors, Venetia gets the other side of the argument with Dr. Eran Shamir-Borer, a former head of the International Law Department in the Israel Defense Forces and part of Israel's team at the International Court of Justice defending the country's against a genocide case there. He is now director of the Center for Security and Democracy at the Israel Democracy Institute and shares his legal perspective on why the UN Commission of Inquiry's report was wrong and Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza. Plus he discusses how Hamas' operating tactics makes the Gaza war one of the most morally and legally complex in modern history.

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One of the darling's of the global populist movement, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, has recently been sentenced to over 27 years in prison in his native country. So what does that tell us about the possible fortunes for other political leaders of the same ilk across the globe, and where does the South American country go from here?

Roland hears from the Telegraph's senior foreign correspondent Adrian Blomfield, who has just returned from Brazil, about his meeting with Bolsonaro's wife and the extraordinary phenomenon of one of the world's largest Catholic majority countries being set to become majority Evangelical Christian in the coming years.

Also in the programme, Roland speaks to Moldovan policy analyst Andrei Curăraru about the country's historic parliamentary elections this Sunday, and how Russia is trying to influence the result.

Read Adrian Blomfield's interview with Mrs Bolsonaro: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/09/24/michelle-bolsonaro-rise-like-lioness-husband-languish-jail/

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Is the UN still relevant? The organisation faces numerous unresolved conflicts, a cash crisis, deep polarisation among its members, a bloated bureaucracy and the waning interest of its biggest backer, the US.

Venetia Rainey speaks to Richard Gowan, veteran UN watcher and UN director for the US think tank International Crisis Group. He says the body is “rotting from the top” and questions if parts of it will survive another 10 years.

Plus, a wave of Western countries including the UK, Canada, France and Australia have recognised the state of Palestine in the hope of preserving the two-state solution. But that option is long dead, according to The Telegraph's chief foreign affairs commentator, David Blair.

Read David Blair's analysis: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/20/starmers-middle-east-madness-in-recognising-palestine/

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What links Elon Musk, Steve Bannon and Tommy Robinson? They all believe England is on the cusp of civil war. As US President Donald Trump wraps up his second state visit to the UK, hosts Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant examine the darker side of the transatlantic “special relationship” — from American support for the British far-right to the spread of populist extremism across borders.

They’re joined by Rob Crilly, The Telegraph’s chief US correspondent, who explains MAGA-world’s obsession with the idea of British decline, Trump’s surprisingly friendly ties with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and what the president’s visit means for US-UK relations and the defence industry.

They also discuss Musk’s speech at Robinson's "free speech" rally in London, Steve Bannon’s influence, and the rise of political violence in America following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Read Roland's analysis: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/17/conservative-america-turn-britain-musk-vance-charlie-kirk/

Read Rob's analysis: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/09/18/trump-inspects-troops-war-brewing-at-home/

Credits: X/@TRobinsonNewEra; National Conservatism via YouTube; Charlie Kirk via YouTube; White House via YouTube

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