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 [email protected]

EMAIL US:

Contact the team on [email protected]. 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 [email protected]

EMAIL US:

Contact the team on [email protected]. 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 [email protected]

EMAIL US:

Contact the team on [email protected]. 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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]. 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.

Day 1,642.

Today, after a parade of robots marks Ukraine’s Independence Day, we turn to New York, where the United States has refused to join NATO allies and other partners in calling for Russia to join Ukraine in an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. Meanwhile Britain’s Andy Burnham has said he will join European allies in pressuring Donald Trump to provide Patriot missiles to Ukraine – just as Zelensky says Kyiv has received “a few” but “we need more”. We report on the fantastic news for Wildberries and Ozon customers and owners of other large businesses in Russia, as long as you don’t read Moscow’s small print. And we talk to a former South Korean diplomat to get a better idea of just how significant – and dangerous – Kim Jong Un’s support is for Vladimir Putin. 

Contributors:

Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.

Alex Nichol (Telegraph Journalist).

With thanks to Lami Kim, IISS Korea Chair and former South Korean diplomat.

Producer: Rachel Porter

Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett

Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan & Aaron Wheeler

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 [email protected]

Russia threatens to attack British factories (The Telegraph)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/25/russia-threatens-attack-british-factories-ukraine/

Kellogg Backs Mobilization of Ukrainian Women (Kyiv Post)

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/83010

Russian soldier fires RPG at his feet (The Telegraph)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/25/russian-soldier-fires-rpg-at-own-feet/

Russia's Perm oil refinery halted operations after August 21 drone attack, sources say (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russias-perm-oil-refinery-halted-operations-after-august-21-drone-attack-sources-2026-08-24/

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 24, 2026 (Institute for the Study of War)

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-24-2026/

Dr Lami Kim’s work:

Everything but the Bomb: South Korea’s Nuclear Hedging Strategy

Mind the air-defence gap: South Korea’s burgeoning role in air and missile defence

Europe’s missile defence gap: is South Korea part of the answer?

EMAIL US:

Contact the team on [email protected]. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Zelensky finally handed 'some' Patriot missiles after weeks of raids
• Remarkable footage shows Russian soldier firing rocket at his own feet

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

Day 1,641.

Today we assess a hectic weekend of diplomacy, with Andy Burnham and other world leaders in Kyiv to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day – his first foreign trip as Britain’s new Prime Minister. He came ready to hand over blueprints for Storm Shadow cruise missiles, not long after President Zelensky discussed fresh supplies of missile interceptors with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. Meanwhile, Ukraine has targeted another major Russian online retailer – Ozon – for the first time, and Russia’s ambassador to London Andrei Kelin was withdrawn to Moscow with no explanation.

Contributors: 

Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.

Antonia Langford (Freelance Journalist in Kyiv). @Antonialford on X

With thanks to John Foreman CBE, Chatham House associate fellow and former UK defence attaché to Russia.

Producer: Rachel Porter

Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett

Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan and Tom Steed

Social Producer: Aaron Wheeler

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 [email protected]

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 23, 2026 (Institute for the Study of War)

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-23-2026/

Burnham hits back after Kremlin accuses him of prolonging war in Ukraine (Antonia Langford for The Telegraph)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/24/kremlin-attacks-burnham-over-storm-shadows-for-ukraine/

EMAIL US:

Contact the team on [email protected]. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• British Storm Shadow missile blueprints exchanged for 'goldmine of Ukrainian battlefield data'
• Coalition of the Willing meet in Kyiv in Ukraine’s Independence Day, including Andy Burnham

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

Day 1,638.

Today, as Russia is accused of yet another incursion into Nato airspace, there are reports of a major Ukrainian drone attack on occupied Crimea. Kyiv is apparently seeking approval – again – from Elon Musk, this time to use Starlink in strikes on Russian missile launchers. Meanwhile, Russia is defenseless in the Mediterranean for the first time in a decade. We speak to the Telegraph journalist who got the scoop. Plus, a bizarre twist in the story of the suspected Nord Stream saboteur - and which American music artist is set to perform in St Petersburg in October? Finally, we catch up with occupied territories expert Dr Jade McGlynn on her recent trip to eastern Ukraine.

Contributors:

Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.

Sophie O’Sullivan (Telegraph journalist). 

Tom Cotterill (Telegraph defence editor). @TomCotterillX on X.

Jade McGlynn (Research fellow, King’s College London). @DrJadeMcGlynn on X.

Producer: Rachel Porter

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:

If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at [email protected]

Ukraine’s Logistics Targeting Raises Questions for Russia’s Rear Defences (RUSI)

https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/ukraines-logistics-targeting-raises-questions-russias-rear-defences 

‘Highway of death’: the Ukrainian drone campaign menacing Russian logistics (The Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/11/highway-of-death-the-ukrainian-drone-campaign-menacing-russian-logistics

Ukraine seeks Elon Musk’s help to hit Russian missile launchers (Financial Times)

https://www.ft.com/content/ff536e6e-dc56-45e3-b5e0-2dfb28148cb6?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Ukraine Planned to Swarm Moscow Airports With AI-Guided Drones (Simon Shuster for The Atlantic)

https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/08/ukraine-moscow-airports-ai-drones/688337/ 

Coalition of the Willing to hold Independence Day meeting in Kyiv (Kyiv Independent)

https://kyivindependent.com/coalition-of-the-willing-to-hold-independence-day-meeting-in-kyiv/

Russian publishers reportedly cut print runs after Ukrainian strikes on Wildberries warehouses, where their books are stored (Meduza) https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/08/21/russian-publishers-reportedly-cut-print-runs-after-ukrainian-strikes-on-wildberries-warehouses-where-their-books-are-stored

The cheap submarine-detection kits set to expose Putin’s invisible force (Tom Cotterill for The Telegraph)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/21/cheap-submarine-detection-kits-expose-russia-navy-ships-war/ 

Russian widows hire clairvoyants to contact husbands killed in war (The Telegraph)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/17/russian-widows-hire-clairvoyants-to-contact-husbands-killed/

To hear Francis answer the question about Russian missile launchers in our last Q&A, on August 13th: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbf1PD2Xjhs&t=1890s

EMAIL US:

Contact the team on [email protected]. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Russia 'defenceless' in the Mediterranean for first time in war
• Ukraine hits Moscow’s supply lines to Crimea

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

Day 1,637

Today, as at least 15 people are killed in another terrible missile bombardment on Kyiv, Putin is finally forced to acknowledge the Wildberries strikes that have seen warehouses ablaze across Russia. Meanwhile Ukraine targets Russian oil refineries once again. Then we ask whether former Defence Minister Fedorov overplayed his hand by calling for election – as key supporters reject the idea – before considering how Ukrainian literature and art is already shaping the war’s memory.

Contributors: 

Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.

Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.

With thanks to Charlotte Higgins, chief culture writer at the Guardian and author of Ukrainian Lessons: Art in a Time of War.

Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett

Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan

Social Producer: Anita Blay

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:

Charlotte Higgins’ Book – ‘Ukrainian Lessons: Art in a Time of War’

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ukrainian-Lessons-Art-Time-War/dp/1787335976 

Victoria Amelina’s Book – ‘Looking at Women, Looking at War: A War and Justice Diary from Ukraine’

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Looking-Women-War-foreword-Margaret/dp/0008727503 

Learn more about the Ukrainian Institute Language School: https://uil.org.uk/language-school/  

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/20/russian-cruise-missiles-kill-12-in-kyiv/ 

Russia still has 50 Kinzhal missiles in its arsenal after suspending production – Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (Ukrainska Pravda)

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/08/20/8049496/ 

Fuel pumps are running dry but Putin won’t let Russians complain (The Telegraph)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/20/fuel-pumps-running-dry-putin-russia-ukraine-war-kremlin/ 

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 19, 2026 (Institute for the Study of War)

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-19-2026/ 

GeoInsider reporting on the Russian naval attack drone shot down by Romania

https://x.com/InsiderGeo/status/2090388854855397440?s=20

Adelie’s interview with Hugh Roberts on translating Ukrainian poetry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AXCoKZkXMI 

If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at [email protected]

EMAIL US:

Contact the team on [email protected]. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Putin breaks silence on Wildberries carnage
• 15 killed in Russian bombardment on Kyiv

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

Day 1,636.

Today, in a blistering attack on his former boss, ousted Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has taken aim at President Zelensky, calling out government corruption and a governance system “in crisis” and calling for fresh elections. It comes as Zelensky’s new defence minister is endorsed by parliament, but also as Ukraine’s national anti-corruption body launches dawn raids on a “high-ranking official” in the president’s office. Plus, nursery children in Russia have been held at gunpoint in government anti-terror drills and Croatian police arrest a Ukrainian man for the alleged sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline. Later, Dom speaks to Ukrainian athlete Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who last weekend won gold in the high jump at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

Contributors: 

Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.

Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.

With thanks to Olga Saladukha and Oleksiy Kasyanov of the Ukrainian Athletic Federation, and champion high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh.

Producer: Rachel Porter

Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett

Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan and Anthony Melton

Social Producer: Natalia Makohon

Translation by Natalia Makohon

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 [email protected]

Nursery children held at gunpoint in Russian anti-terror drills (Antonia Langford for The Telegraph)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/19/kindergarten-children-held-at-gunpoint-in-russian-drills/

Top Zelensky aide targeted in new anti-corruption investigation (Antonia Langford for The Telegraph)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/19/top-zelensky-aide-targeted-anti-corruption-investigation/

Croatia arrests Ukrainian suspected of Nord Stream sabotage, to be tried in Germany (Kyiv Independent)

https://kyivindependent.com/croatia-arrests-suspected-nord-stream-saboteur-to-be-tried-in-germany/

EMAIL US:

Contact the team on [email protected]. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Mykhailo Fedorov calls for election in blistering attack on Zelensky
• Former defence minister also claims corruption is harming Kyiv’s war effort

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