Ukraine: The Latest

Day 1,426.
Today, as Moscow reportedly tests thermobaric munitions on ground-based drones, and strikes on substations connected to Ukrainian nuclear power plants continue, we turn to the World Economic Forum in Davos, where world leaders have gathered for what was meant to be a week of diplomatic breakthroughs for Kyiv. Instead, the agenda has been seized by President Trump and his threats over Greenland; we hear the latest from the island, before speaking to the author of a new report on Russian cyber warfare.

Contributors
Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X.
With thanks to Michael McManus (Henry Jackson Society). @HJS_Org on X.

SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:
http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter
Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Trump leaks texts, threatens Macron and trashes Starmer (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/20/trump-publishes-private-text-messages-european-leaders/

Denmark sends more troops to Greenland (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/20/donald-trump-chagos-deal-greenland-takeover-macron-nato0/

The Henry Jackson Society’s cyber report will be published here later today:
https://henryjacksonsociety.org/centre-for-russia-and-eurasia-studies/

Russians Made a Simplified Solntsepyok Using a Drone (Militarnyi):
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/russians-made-a-simplified-solntsepyok-using-a-drone/

The History Bureau: Putin and the Apartment Bombs (BBC):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002q5dk

Trump’s Letter to Norway Should Be the Last Straw (Anne Applebaum in The Atlantic):
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/trump-letter-to-norway/685676/?gift=SCYx-5scVta3-cr_IlgTych2xLOYB0BDKFOlaP7EsG0

LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:
The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest

Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest
Email: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,425.
Today, amid the gravest crisis for the transatlantic alliance in decades over the fate of Greenland, we examine the implications of Russia considering strikes on substations supplying Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. Then we assess the options available to NATO allies seeking to placate President Donald Trump, before hearing about a Ukrainian robot that supposedly held the line against Russian troops for 45 days, and offering an update on how Moscow is deploying Orthodox nuns as an instrument of hybrid warfare.

Contributors
Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X.
Verity Bowman (Foreign Correspondent). @VerityBowman on X.

SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:
http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter
Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Trump: Taking Greenland is revenge for losing Nobel Peace Prize (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/19/trump-taking-greenland-is-revenge-for-no-nobel-peace-prize/

Pro-Putin spy nuns infiltrating Sweden (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/18/pro-putin-spy-nuns-infiltrating-sweden/

James Rothwell’s Sweden Dispatch (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/15/sweden-trump-exaggerating-putin-threat-greenland-denmark/

Denmark ‘will shoot first and ask questions later’ over Greenland (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/07/denmark-usa-trump-shoot-first-ask-questions-later-greenland/

Ukraine’s robot machine gunner held off Russia for six weeks (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/16/ukraines-robot-machine-gunner-that-held-off-russia-weeks/

The Ukrainian billionaire whose battalion delivered a blow to Putin (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/17/ukrainian-billionaire-battalion-blow-putin/

‘America vs. the World’ (The Atlantic):
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/03/trump-national-security-greenland-spheres-of-interest/685673/

LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:
The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest

Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest
Email: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,422.
Today, as Trump is finally gifted a Nobel Peace Prize – just not quite the one he wants – we hear how Germany has denied a Russian shadow-fleet tanker access to the Baltic Sea, and assess Emmanuel Macron’s claim that France is now supplying two-thirds of Ukraine’s strategic military intelligence, as he and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni suggest the time may be right to begin talks with Vladimir Putin again. Plus, we discuss the findings of a major new report on the occupied territories, and bring you the latest updates on acts of resistance in those regions.

Contributors
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
Lily Shanagher (Foreign Reporter). @LilyShanagher on X.
Gareth Corfield (Transport Correspondent). @GazTheJourno on X.
Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dr. Jade McGlynn (War Studies Department of King's College). @DrJadeMcGlynn on X.

SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:
http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter
Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Dr Jade McGlynn’s report on the Occupied Territories:
https://www.csis.org/analysis/thresholds-survival-resistance-occupied-ukraine

Exclusive: Rail union boss sang pro-Russia chants in occupied Ukraine (Gareth Corfield in The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/union-boss-eddie-dempsey-sang-pro-russian-chants/

Uncovered: Secret room beneath Chinese embassy that poses threat to City of London (Gareth Corfield in The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/12/revealed-china-embassy-secret-plans-spy-basement/

Germany blocks Russian “shadow fleet” tanker from entering its territorial waters in unprecedented move (The Insider):
https://theins.press/en/news/288483

LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:
The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest

Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest
Email: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,421.
Today, as President Zelensky declares a national emergency over the energy crisis triggered by Russian attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure, we ask what Europe’s strategy is now, before examining reports Russia has forced African recruits into suicide missions on the battlefield. Then we assess how events in Iran and Venezuela could reshape global energy prices, and whether those shocks will ultimately help or hinder Vladimir Putin.

Contributors
Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
Ben Farmer (Africa correspondent). @benfarmer on X.
Stephanie Baker(Senior writer at Bloomberg and sanctions expert). @StephaniBaker on X.

SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:
http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter
Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.

CONTENT REFERENCED:
Russia forces African recruits to become suicide bombers (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/12/russia-using-africans-cannon-fodder-ukraine/

EU chief diplomat Kallas: World’s woes mean it’s time to start drinking (POLITICO):
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-chief-diplomat-kaja-kallas-state-world-means-time-start-drinking/

EU reveals details on 90 billion 'Ukraine Support Loan' (Kyiv Independent):
https://kyivindependent.com/eu-reveals-details-on-90-billion-ukraine-support-loan/?mc_cid=28574c74cc&mc_eid=08d0680a95

Stephanie Baker’s Book: ‘Punishing Putin: The gripping expose of the global economic sanctions against Russia’s war in Ukraine’ –
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Punishing-Putin-gripping-economic-sanctions-ebook/dp/B0CWWFJ52G

LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:
The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest

Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest
Email: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,420.
Today, as reports emerge that a Russian air-defence missile has struck a residential building in the city of Rostov-on-Don, we examine claims that France is pushing to prevent Ukraine from purchasing American weapons, then look at the criminal charges brought against a prominent figure in Ukraine’s modern history. Later, we turn to Moscow’s media landscape to hear how the Russian press is interpreting potentially momentous developments in Iran, Venezuela, and Greenland.

Contributors
Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
James Kilner (Russia Analyst). @jkjourno on X.

SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:
http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter
Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.

CONTENT REFERENCED:
France pushes to block Ukraine from buying US weapons (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/13/france-blocks-ukraine-from-buying-us-weapons/

Starmer poised to hammer out Ukraine peace plan in Davos (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/13/starmer-poised-talks-ukraine-peace-deal-davos-war-russia-uk/

Scottish independence accounts go dark after Iran internet blackout (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/12/scottish-independence-accounts-dark-iran-internet-blackout/

America abandoned this Arctic silo 60 years ago. Now, it could solve Nato’s Greenland problem (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/13/nuclear-option-america-nato-greenland/

Marco Rubio, Trump's Foreign-Policy Enabler (The New Yorker):
https://www.newyorker.com/newsletter/the-daily/marco-rubio-trumps-foreign-policy-enabler

Ukraine officially awards lithium deposit to Trump-linked investors, $179 million set for development (Kyiv Independent):
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-to-attract-179-million-u-s-investment-in-key-lithium-deposit/

Ukraine war: UN appeals for $2.3 billion to support aid teams’ ‘heroic work’ (United Nations):
https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/01/1166749?_gl=1*15f56p1*_ga*NzU3NDczMzg2LjE3NjgzOTI4NDc.*_ga_TK9BQL5X7Z*czE3NjgzOTI4NDYkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjgzOTI4NDYkajYwJGwwJGgw

LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:
The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest

Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest
Email: [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.