Battleground

A week of major military successes for Ukraine is overshadowed by a self-inflicted political crisis in Kyiv.

Hosts Saul David and Patrick Bishop break down President Volodymyr Zelensky's highly controversial dismissal of both his Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, and the young, popular, and deeply effective Defence Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov. The hosts explain why this move is being called Zelensky's "biggest mistake since the start of the full-scale invasion," sparking mass protests across Ukraine.

On a brighter note, the hosts look at a massive new defence pact with France, which has handed Ukraine the blueprints to co-produce SCALP EG cruise missiles and Aster air defence missiles. Meanwhile, Ukraine's relentless drone campaign triggers a massive Russian fuel deficit, causing fistfights at petrol pumps and halting shipping routes.

• The Fedorov Sacking: Why Zelenskyy ousted his widely praised defence minister over a rumoured power struggle and popularity jealousy, threatening Kyiv's international status.
• France's SCALP Blueprint: The details of a major new pact allowing Ukraine to build French SCALP cruise missiles, Aster missiles, and precision-guided bombs domestically.
• Crimea Blockaded by Air and Sea: How Ukrainian drones crippled 100 Russian tankers, shutting down seaborne shipping through the Don-Azov Canal.
• The "Freya" Initiative: A look at Europe's new $700,000 anti-ballistic system, a highly cost-effective Ukrainian-led alternative to the multi-million-dollar Patriot system.
• The F-16s in Action: An update on how Ukraine is successfully utilising its F-16 jets to knock down Russian cruise missiles and deliver precision-guided bombs.
• An Atomised Russian Society: Why drone strikes on infrastructure might actually be degrading Russian public support for the war, challenging traditional WWII assumptions.

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.

"If Zelenskyy decides to remove Fedorov, it’s gonna be his biggest mistake during the war."

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, where we cut through the fog of information to bring you the unfiltered reality of global conflicts.

In this episode, we sit down with Oleksiy Sorokin, the co-founder and deputy chief editor of The Kyiv Independent.

Oleksiy pulls back the curtain on the immense pressures facing the free press in Ukraine, the shifting dynamics of power within the Zelenskyy administration, and the ground-level realities of combating sophisticated Russian disinformation. From the decline of oligarch rule to the critical military dependency on Western air defence, this episode offers an essential, clear-eyed look at the internal and external forces shaping the future of the region.

Highlights:

• The Birth of The Kyiv Independent: How a team of journalists took back control of their voices after being abruptly fired from the Kyiv Post for refusing to silence their political reporting.
• Inside the Russian Mindset: An analysis of why domestic support for the war is shifting due to practical daily hardships—like fuel shortages and economic strain—rather than moral awakenings.
• The Death of Oligarch Rule: How the full-scale invasion inadvertently shattered the political and economic grip of Ukraine’s wealthy elite, consolidating unprecedented power within the government.
• Political Tensions & Reshuffles: The internal polling anxieties surrounding former Armed Forces Chief Zaluzhnyi and the potentially catastrophic stakes of moving the popular Defence Minister, Fedorov.
• The Battlefield Truth: Why long-range Ukrainian drone strikes are changing the narrative, but the critical depletion of Patriot air defence interceptors leaves major cities highly vulnerable to ballistic missile attacks.

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.

A major shift in Washington policy headlines a fraught NATO summit in Ankara.

This week, Patrick Bishop and Saul David break down Donald Trump’s surprising warming of relations with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marked by a critical deal allowing Ukraine to co-produce Patriot missile interceptors to defend its cities from brutal Russian ballistic strikes. Meanwhile, JD Vance signals a massive change in American tone, acknowledging that Russian offensives are achieving almost nothing on the battlefield.

The hosts also unpack the tightening noose around occupied Crimea as Ukrainian strikes trigger a full-scale logistics collapse, forcing Russia to take the drastic step of banning diesel exports to safeguard domestic fuel. Plus, a look at European defense gridlock, a massive hack by Ukraine's IT Army, and a philosophical dive into why Ukrainian democratic traditions breed out-of-the-box military ingenuity while Russia relies on rigid authority.

• The Patriot License: Why Trump's allowig a localised Patriot interceptor manufacturing is a massive defensive game-changer for Kyiv.
• Crimea’s Fuel Crisis: How intermediate and long-range drone strikes forced Russian Deputy PM Alexander Novak to halt seaborne diesel exports.
• European Disunity: The collapse of the joint French-German-Spanish stealth fighter jet project, revealing deep fractures in European defence management.
• Cyber & Logistics: The IT Army of Ukraine wipes 3,000 servers from a major Russian construction firm.
• Introducing The Big Picture: A sneak peek at Battleground's new midweek feature cutting through the fog of global geopolitics with genuine experts.

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.

This week, Roger Moorhouse sits down with exiled Russian journalist and Deutsche Welle commentator Konstantin Eggert for a candid look inside the Russian psyche. As Ukrainian long-range strikes push the realities of war onto Moscow’s doorstep, Eggert explains why the average Russian remains passive, how the Kremlin relies on life-changing sign-up bonuses to avoid mass mobilisation, and why the regime's true vulnerability lies in economic collapse rather than social solidarity.

Highlights:

• The Consumer Shield: Why modern Russians—who have apartments, mortgages, and holidays to lose—actively choose "learned depoliticisation" over civic responsibility.
• Transactional Warfare: A look at the cold, transactional nature of Russia's heavy death toll, where "coffin money" often stifles parental grief.
• The Prime Minister's Trap: How Russia’s constitution gives current PM Mikhail Mishustin massive immediate power if Putin dies, and why the FSB might not easily keep control.
• A Moral Wake-up Call: Eggert’s cautious, long-term hope for a future Russian civic conscience that finally learns to say "I'm sorry" to Ukraine.

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.

The clock is ticking on Vladimir Putin's presidency as Ukraine’s 40-day deep-strike campaign forces a "logistics lockdown" on occupied territories. This week, Saul David and Patrick Bishop break down the surgical precision of Starlink-guided Zvezducha drones paralyzing Russian supply lines.

They also confront tough realities on both sides of the frontline, discussing catastrophic Russian casualty rates alongside a troubling investigation into misconduct within an elite Ukrainian regiment. Plus, a look at rumoured friction between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Valerii Zaluzhnyi over potential autumn elections, and a breakdown of the UK’s messy new defense investment plan.

• The Starlink Scalpel: How mid-range drones are causing a slow strangulation of Russia’s means of waging war.
• Babel’s Investigation: Addressing unprecedented abuse allegations within Ukraine's 425th Separate Assault Regiment.
• Wartime Elections?: Why talks of a political showdown with Valerii Zaluzhnyi have left the hosts mystified.
• Listener Q&A: Unpacking post-war partition scenarios and why targeting civilian aviation remains a high-risk gamble.

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 the final episode of their latest journey through Ukraine, the team gathers in Lviv to reflect on a deeply moving and sobering trip.

The day begins with dramatic news: Hungarian journalist and team fixer, Boldi, was detained for five and a half hours of polite but intense questioning by the SBU (Ukrainian Secret Service). After attempting to investigate a Russian rocket strike on the strategic Druzhba oil pipeline near Brody.

• The "National Shrug": The team discusses how initial wartime shock has shifted into a grim, everyday resignation as citizens adapt to a conflict with no clear endpoint.
• Tragedy and Fortitude: Remembrances of the trip's most haunting faces, from a grieving resident outside a destroyed Kharkiv apartment to Nastia’s heartbreaking process of identifying her fallen husband in Odesa.
• Defiance in the Everyday: Inspiring stories of resilience, including a zookeeper protecting animals under active shellfire and the crowded, vibrant streets of Kharkiv celebrating International Women’s Day.
• Signs of a Sea Change: A look at small tactical victories near Kupiansk, the clearing of Dnipro Oblast, and a powerful interview with Katya, a fearless female combat soldier who survived the brutal sieges of Bakhmut and Avdiivka.

The team concludes with a look at the collective, undeniable energy of the Ukrainian people that continues to inspire anyone who witnesses it.

Julius Strauss writes the blog Back from the Front and also owns and runs Wild Bear Lodge, a bear-viewing lodge, in Canada. Check out both in the links below:

Substack: https://backfromthefront.substack.com/

Wild Bear Lodge: https://wildbearlodge.ca/

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, hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse explore what feels like a momentous and highly unpredictable phase of the war in Ukraine.

They unpack the strategic fallout from the G7 summit in Evian, where Donald Trump declared that America has "nothing to do with this war"—a stark statement contrasted by reports of his private, enthusiastic meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky over Ukraine's long-range strikes. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov laments the shifting diplomatic landscape.

Patrick and Roger also dive deep into the current battlefield realities, dissecting Russia's infiltration tactics and propaganda stunts in the critical city of Kostiantynivka. They look at the severe logistics degradation and worsening manpower shortages facing the Kremlin, highlighting a wave of aggressive draft raids across European Russia that are sparking local panic and resistance.

• The American Calculus: Analysing Trump's transactional foreign policy, his controversial G7 comments, and the conflicting signals coming from his private conversations with Ukrainian leadership.
• The Battle for Kostiantynivka: Separating battlefield reality from Kremlin propaganda as Russian forces attempt to squeeze the "Fortress Belt" city in Donetsk Oblast.
• Russia's Forced Mobilisation: The political risks of the Kremlin's brutal new recruitment tactics, highlighted by a viral confrontation in Penza and widespread draft raids.
• Listener Q&A:
• The media's oversimplified war narratives versus front-line stasis.
• Ukraine’s innovative "Trophy Lab" program for reverse-engineering captured Russian military tech.
• The future of European and NATO defence spending in a post-war climate.

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, Saul David and Julius Strauss travel to western Ukraine to visit the remarkable Superhumans Center in Lviv—a state-of-the-art reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation hospital addressing a staggering crisis of an estimated 100,000 amputees nationwide.

They sit down with Eddie Scott, a British volunteer who survived catastrophic, near-fatal injuries while conducting humanitarian work in Ukraine. Instead of returning to the UK, Eddie chose to stay and now serves as the centre’s Senior Media Manager and global ambassador. In a deeply moving and raw conversation, Eddie shares his journey of physical and psychological recovery, the unique spirit of unity he finds in Ukraine, and delivers a blistering, urgent message to a Western world he fears is growing dangerously indifferent to the ongoing conflict.

Julius Strauss writes the blog Back from the Front and also owns and runs Wild Bear Lodge, a bear-viewing lodge, in Canada. Check out both in the links below:

Substack: https://backfromthefront.substack.com/

Wild Bear Lodge: https://wildbearlodge.ca/

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]

Follow us on:

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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

In a remarkably mixed bag of an episode, Roger Moorhouse and Saul David explore whether the war is finally "coming home" to ordinary Russians as a systematic Ukrainian degradation campaign triggers widespread fuel shortages and chaos across fifty-three Russian regions.

The team breaks down Ukraine's multi-strand, hybrid strategy: disabling crucial land bridges to isolate the Crimean Peninsula, mocking Moscow's air defenses with daylight refinery raids, and the geopolitical shockwave of Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko publicly apologizing to President Zelensky. They also dive into a historical comparison to the 1944 Normandy breakout, asking if we are on the cusp of a major Russian battlefield collapse.

Featured Interview: Later in the episode, intrepid Hungarian war reporter Boldi Gyori joins the podcast from Budapest. He shares deeply moving—and at times gruesome—firsthand accounts from his recent trip to the liberated but heavily targeted city of Kherson. Boldi details the terrifying reality of the Russian "human safari," where drone pilots use civilians for target practice, distance-mining litters the streets with "flower petal" explosives, and local volunteers brave "the blue hour" to evacuate the vulnerable and the deceased.

(Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of civilian suffering and war casualties.)

Plus, in the Q&A:

• A look at the clandestine partisan group Atesh.
• The likelihood of a desperate Kremlin executing a false flag operation.
• Why Vladimir Putin recently cut the Kremlin's security cameras over cybersecurity threats.

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 Ukraine, Saul David and Julius Strauss check in from the bustling Kyiv Railway Station after completing a train journey from Kharkiv. Despite ongoing Russian infrastructure attacks that have heavily impacted the national grid, Ukraine’s rail network continues to prove itself as the resilient, indispensable artery keeping the country moving in wartime.

The hosts explore how Ukraine’s railways have defied Western calls for "efficiency rationalisation"—revealing how their old-school, deep-reserve structure has actually saved them from collapse. They also examine Russia's evolving, aggressive strategy of targeting critical civilian infrastructure and how it measures up against international law.

In the second half of the episode, the hosts sit down after their remarkably candid conversation with Executive Director of Transparency International Ukraine - Andrii Borovyk to unpack the high-stakes battle against internal corruption—a fight critical to Ukraine's aspirations of joining the European Union.

Key highlights from their discussion include:

• The Corruption Perception Index: Where Ukraine stands globally, its notable progress since 2014, and how it dramatically compares to Russia.
• The Midas Scandal & Zelenskyy’s Report Card: A look at the $100 million kickback scheme that rocked the administration, the subsequent firing of top advisor Andriy Yermak, and how the expert grades Ukraine's past and present leaders on crushing corruption.
• No One Above the Law: Why addressing wartime corruption cannot wait until the conflict ends, even as sectors like customs, energy, and military conscription remain vulnerable.
• The Power of the EU carrot: How Ukraine’s deep desire for EU membership serves as the ultimate external driver keeping the nation on its best behaviour.
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Julius Strauss writes the blog Back from the Front and also owns and runs Wild Bear Lodge, a bear-viewing lodge, in Canada. Check out both in the links below:

Substack: https://backfromthefront.substack.com/

Wild Bear Lodge: https://wildbearlodge.ca/

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]

Follow us on:

X - @PodBattleground

Instagram - podbattleground

Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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