Battleground

Roger Moorhouse and Patrick Bishop analyse the latest developments in the war, covering the diplomatic fallout from the Abu Dhabi talks and growing concerns over a potential "21st-century Yalta" at the upcoming APEC summit.

The hosts examine stalling Russian advances, surging casualty figures, and President Zelenskyy’s pushback against Kremlin disinformation.

They also discuss the intensifying winter air campaign, recent updates from the cybersphere—including NATO's proactive deterrence strategies—and listener questions on Russian mass mobilisation and strategic bombers.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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

In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, Roger Moorhouse is joined by Cambridge Professor Brendan Simms, to discuss his latest book, The Return of the Great Powers.

Together, they explore the concept of "great power" through the lens of four core criteria—resources, reach, reputation, and resilience. The conversation examines why the world is shifting back into a multipolar system after decades of post-Cold War unipolarity, assessing the positions of the United States, China, Russia, France, and the UK.

Professor Simms also shares his insights on European complacency, the realities of modern warfare and nuclear deterrence, and why his historical perspective ultimately offers a surprisingly optimistic outlook on the future of the West.

Recommended reading: The Return of the Great Powers by Brendan Simms.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Saul David and Patrick Bishop break down the major political and military developments shaking the conflict, led by a stunning political backlash in the U.S. midterm elections that has left Donald Trump facing a newly empowered Democratic opposition in Congress.

The discussion dives deep into the international and domestic ripple effects, covering everything from shifting peace negotiations to tactical realities on the ground:

• The U.S. Midterms & Foreign Policy: How the "blue tsunami" and a split Congress might act as a brake on White House policy, alongside the looming shadow of legal investigations facing key administration envoys.
• The Oleshky Evacuation & Humanitarian Realities: Analysing the numbers behind the temporary ceasefire brokered by First Lady Melania Trump, revealing how very few evacuees chose to head to Russia—shattering long-held political narratives.
• The Battlefront & Escalating Costs: New data on record Russian monthly casualties, relentless drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure, and Ukraine's continued long-range strikes against Russian oil facilities.
• Cyber Warfare & Strategic Communications: Examining the bizarre hacking of emergency air raid applications in both countries and a major victory for a Ukrainian inter-agency team at NATO's strategic communications exercise.
• Internal Pressures & European Support: Addressing growing social tensions, mobilisation clashes inside Ukraine, public opinion trends regarding military aid across Europe, and listener questions exploring historical parallels from World War II and the debate over strategic bombers.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, Saul is joined once again by Volodymyr Dehtyarov, spokesperson for the Khartia Corps, to discuss the brutal realities of modern combat heading into the sixth year of the war.

The discussion centres on Operation Veles, an extraordinary underground campaign where the Kharkiv Corps utilised gas pipelines to push Russian forces back 15 kilometres. Volodymyr details what it is like fighting in the cramped, high-stakes environment below ground—drawing parallels to historical tunnel warfare—while highlighting how innovative technologies like UGVs, drones, and electric scooters are transforming subterranean battlefields.

The conversation also covers the broader strategic landscape:

• The evolving frontline: Assessing Ukraine's momentum in 2026, record Russian casualty numbers, and the shifting dynamics in Kharkiv and Kupiansk.
• Technological constraints & infrastructure: The localised impacts of US satellite limits on air defence, and relentless Russian targeting of civilian and energy infrastructure in the rear.
• Recruitment and foreign fighters: How Khartia is managing personnel demands through specialised tech roles and the National Guard's new international recruitment centre.
• Geopolitics and peace: Why hope is considered a "bad strategy," pushing Ukraine to double down on European defence partnerships and domestic military production.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, hosts Saul David and Roger Moorhouse break down the latest developments in the war, the complexities of international diplomacy, and critical frontline updates.

The episode begins by analysing the recent 90-minute phone call between Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, and Vladimir Putin, which quickly devolved into a lecture on medieval Slavic history with zero mention of a ceasefire.

Moving to the front lines, the hosts examine Operation Velesh, detailing how Ukrainian forces from the Khartiia Corps successfully utilised old gas pipelines to push back Russian troops by 15 kilometres on the Kupiansk front.

The conversation also covers updates on the brief Starshield throttling controversy, Elon Musk's role, and the ongoing digital and cybersecurity challenges facing Ukraine.

Additionally, Saul and Roger look at Melania Trump’s brokered ceasefire in Oleshky alongside lingering concerns over civilian safety and deportations.

Finally, the listener Q&A segment features discussions on WWII leadership comparisons involving Churchill, Putin, and Trump, the UK’s tactical nuclear ambitions with F-35s, nuclear non-proliferation, and broader European political resolve.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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In this episode of Battleground, host Saul David is joined by acclaimed historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist James M. Scott to discuss his brilliant new book, Empire of Ashes: Truman, Hirohito, and the Descent into Total War.

Completing his gripping decade-long trilogy on the American aerial bombardment of Japan (following Target Tokyo and Black Snow), James delves into the dramatic final four months of the Second World War in the East. Together, Saul and James explore:

• The Scientific & Political Genesis: The massive secret undertaking of the Manhattan Project, the building of secretive atomic cities, and the heavy burden placed on President Harry Truman as he assumed office.
• Emperor Hirohito’s Delicate Peace Push: How the isolated Japanese leader navigated a military desperate for a catastrophic mainland showdown, ultimately pulling his nation back from total destruction.
• The Debate Over Use: The fierce moral and scientific opposition led by figures like Leo Szilard, the calculation of staggering potential invasion casualties, and whether Japan would have surrendered without the atomic bombs.

In the second half of the conversation, the discussion pivots from 1945 to the modern day, examining the ongoing shadow of nuclear proliferation, the threat posed by reckless actors like Putin's Russia, the future of non-proliferation frameworks following actions regarding Iran, and how the existence of nuclear weapons uniquely reshapes global conflict. Finally, James shares his candid perspective on recent geopolitical developments surrounding Ukraine, shifting US policies, and how upcoming midterm elections could completely alter the political landscape.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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If you're interested in supporting Sebastian and Ethan's Driving Ukraine initiative you can find their donation page here: https://donorbox.org/sebastianandethan

And you can find more information about the charity here: https://drivingukraine.org

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse examine the shifting geopolitical landscape, rising political turbulence in Europe, and escalating hostility from Washington toward Ukraine.

• French Unrest & Le Pen's Programme: The hosts analyse the political consequences of recent mass disturbances across France, Marine Le Pen's pledge to phase out French bilateral assistance to Ukraine within six months, and comparisons to Italy's Giorgia Meloni and Germany's AfD.
• Washington's Strategic Pivot: A deep dive into Donald Trump's sharp rhetoric against President Zelensky, his decision to bypass the Lindsey Graham sanctions package, pursue a diesel deal with Moscow, and effectively align with Russia.
• Starlink Restrictions & Cyber Update: Reviewing cyber expert David Alexander's report on how speed limits introduced on Starlink/Starshield severely hampered Ukrainian drone defence and military operations.
• A Modern Yalta & St Petersburg Fallout: Discussion surrounding the alarming proposal for a tripartite meeting between Trump, Putin, and Xi Jinping, alongside Steve Witkoff's controversial diplomatic visit to St Petersburg.
• Listener Q&A: Patrick and Roger answer listener questions regarding the true motivations behind the diesel deal, Ukrainian targeting strategies and the Kerch Bridge, why the UK is providing jets to support Saudi Arabia against the Houthis, and whether upcoming US midterms will restrict Trump's foreign policy manoeuvres.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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Around 95% of international internet traffic, as well as vast amounts of energy and data, travels through fibre-optic cables and pipelines resting silently on the ocean floor. Despite being the invisible backbone of modern civilisation, this critical infrastructure remains largely unprotected and increasingly vulnerable to hybrid warfare and deliberate sabotage.

In this episode of The Big Picture, host Roger welcomes Elisabeth Braw, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and author of The Undersea War: Ancient Law, Modern Sabotage, and the Struggle for the Ocean Floor.

Together, they dive deep into the hidden vulnerabilities of our global maritime order, discussing:

• The Invisible Backbone: How a network of subsea cables—dating back to Victorian-era telegraph lines—powers our modern daily existence.
• Modern Sabotage & Shadow Fleets: Real-world case studies of subsea damage, including the cutting of Taiwan’s Matsu Islands cables and the "Christmas Day Massacre" in the Gulf of Finland involving the Russian-linked vessel Eagle S.
• Legal Grey Zones: Why UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) and current international maritime law struggle to hold bad actors accountable in Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
• Private Tech Giants as Cable Owners: The geopolitical implications of tech giants like Meta, Google, and Amazon owning subsea infrastructure—and the risks of private cyber-retaliation.
• A Path Forward: Braw’s proposal for an International Seabed Protection Alliance and a tribute to the "cable surgeons" who repair damaged infrastructure under extreme conditions.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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As winter approaches, Ukraine faces escalating pressure on both the battlefield and the diplomatic front. In this episode, Patrick Bishop and Saul David unpack alarming allegations from Kyiv that the U.S. government—via Starshield speed restrictions—temporarily crippled Ukraine's ability to track fast-moving ballistic missiles and coordinate frontline operations.

The hosts analyse President Trump’s campaign to pressure President Zelenskyy into halting deep strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, alongside field reports on the grim conditions inside the fortress city of Sloviansk and the relentless drone threat in Kyiv.

Also in this episode:

• Cyber Warfare Update: David Alexander breaks down recent Ukrainian drone strikes hitting Russia's primary cloud service provider, Yandex, and the arrest of a pro-Kremlin disinformation blogger in Montenegro.
• Listener Q&A: Patrick and Saul answer questions on whether Europe can ever truly bridge the massive intelligence and satellite gap left by the U.S., and examine how Russia is steadily losing its geopolitical hegemony in the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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In this episode of Battleground The Big Picture, host Patrick Bishop is joined by Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Centre for Civil Liberties and recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.

Oleksandra discusses the immense human toll of Russia's war on Ukraine, detailing how her team has documented over 100,000 war crimes while striving to return names and dignity to the victims. The conversation explores the urgent push to establish a special international tribunal for the crime of aggression to hold Vladimir Putin and his leadership accountable, the limitations and failures of existing global structures like the International Criminal Court and the United Nations, and the profound resilience of ordinary people in the face of global turbulence.

Tune in for a powerful and thought-provoking discussion on how we can forge a new architecture of international justice, why Europe must move beyond "the weakness of the powerful," and why the defence of human rights matters for the future of the entire world.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at [email protected]

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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