Ukraine: The Latest

Day 1,717.
Today, as Ukrainian, Russian, and US delegations began trilateral peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi after a nine-month pause, we ask if anything meaningful – other than a possible prisoner swap – can be achieved and what the prospects may be for a leaders summit in the next few months. Meanwhile, Germany gets tough with the EU and threatens to block next year’s budget unless there’s much more cash for Ukraine, and we report back on the Telegraph’s defence event last night where an audience tried to outsmart Russia – and discovered an unexpected visitor from Moscow’s embassy in the audience.

Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.

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

SUPPORT US – JOIN OUR MEMBERS’ CLUB
For more from the team, join UTL+. For a small monthly fee, you’ll get behind-the-scenes content, bonus videos, and discounted tickets to live events and merch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdHjleMvPSs-JEjiQ8_D2cA/join
If you joined shortly after we launched the membership scheme on Monday 26th October, email ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk with your YouTube handle and mailing address. If you’re one of the first 50, we’ll send you a free mug!
You can also join in the conversation on our YouTube community page (it’s free!): https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest/community

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:
Pro-Putin spy nuns infiltrating Sweden (James Rothwell in The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/18/pro-putin-spy-nuns-infiltrating-sweden/
US demands a seat for Europe at Ukraine peace talks (POLITICO):
https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-russia-peace-talks-us-demands-europe-joins-next-negotiations/

EMAIL US:
Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.

HIGHLIGHTS:
US demands a seat for Europe as Ukraine peace talks resume after 9 months
A Russian diplomat speaks to us for the first time
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,716.
Today, as a data leak from inside Russia confirms the staggering scale of Russian losses in Putin’s so-called ‘special military operation’, we examine the figures as another extraordinary milestone emerges from the battlefield: this weekend saw Moscow’s bloodiest day of the entire war. Then, following his recent conversation with Putin, we hear from Norway’s prime minister about whether the Russian president is genuinely prepared to negotiate. And, ahead of trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi, we’re joined by Ukraine’s former foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.
With thanks to Dmytro Kuleba, former foreign minister of Ukraine.

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

SUPPORT US – JOIN OUR MEMBERS’ CLUB
For more from the team, join UTL+. For a small monthly fee, you’ll get behind-the-scenes content, bonus videos, and discounted tickets to live events and merch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdHjleMvPSs-JEjiQ8_D2cA/join
If you joined shortly after we launched the membership scheme on Monday 26th October, email ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk with your YouTube handle and mailing address. If you’re one of the first 50, we’ll send you a free mug!
You can also join in the conversation on our YouTube community page (it’s free!): https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest/community

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:
Trump: Ukraine will have ‘different shape’ after war (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/11/09/trump-says-ukraine-will-have-different-shape-after-war/

Russian data leak reveals death toll in Ukraine (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/11/08/russian-data-leak-reveals-death-toll-in-ukraine/

Putin’s frame of mind, according to the last European leader to speak to him (The Telegraph’s interview with Jonas Gahr Støre)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/11/09/putins-frame-of-mind-interview/

EMAIL US:
Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Russian data leak reveals 'staggering' death toll in Ukraine
Former Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba looks ahead to Abu Dhabi peace talks
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,713.
Today, a photo shared exclusively with Ukraine: The Latest suggests this week’s Russian strike on an aid centre, which has now killed 53 people, was deliberate and targeted. Meanwhile, President Trump meets with – in his words – “the head person of Russia” to discuss a peace deal which he says “could involve all of Europe”. Then, Brussels calls on Kyiv to speed up its rule of law reforms in order to become an EU member. And finally, we examine Russia’s gradual return to world sport, and how Moscow uses sports as an extension of state power.

Contributors:
Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.
Sophie O’Sullivan (Telegraph journalist).
With thanks to Bruce Berglund, historian and author of The Moscow Playbook: How Russia Used, Abused, and Transformed Sports in the Hunt for Power.

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

SUPPORT US – JOIN OUR MEMBERS’ CLUB
For more from the team, join UTL+. For a small monthly fee, you’ll get behind-the-scenes content, bonus videos, and discounted tickets to live events and merch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdHjleMvPSs-JEjiQ8_D2cA/join

If you joined shortly after we launched the membership scheme on Monday 26th October, email ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk with your YouTube handle and mailing address. If you’re one of the first 50, we’ll send you a free mug!
You can also join in the conversation on our YouTube community page (it’s free!): https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest/community

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:
EU tells Ukraine to speed up reforms, sets out more cautious path for accession (Politico)
https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-accession-path-eu-membership-wobbles-european-commission-brussels-caution/

Putin appoints child abduction suspect as human rights chief (The Times)
https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/putin-appoints-child-abduction-suspect-human-rights-chief-53p9cxk2v

Adélie’s latest interview with Katerina Mathernova, EU Ambassador to Ukraine:
On YouTube: https://youtu.be/yoxX7vdK8Es
On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/elon-musk-turns-on-ukraine-by-limiting-starlink/id1612424182?i=1000796346442
On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6KV3sI451O5yknphWqVJ7j?si=1595b2b8a4564fb3

Francis Farrel’s interview about the events in Kyiv earlier this week:
On YouTube: https://youtu.be/oyhudPWo_G8
On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukrainians-clash-with-riot-police-over-mobilisation/id1612424182?i=1000799644454
On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ZjlgkfJ7XKchSuq7f8hE4?si=98a1ac6f22784d38

Journalist Szabolcs Panyi, recipient of the Journalist of the Year 2026 Magnitsky Award for his investigations into Orban’s ties to Moscow
https://www.magnitskyawards.com/bios/szabolcs-panyi/

Bruce Berglund’s book, The Moscow Playbook: How Russia Used, Abused, and Transformed Sports in the Hunt for Power
https://www.bruceberglund.net/books

EMAIL US:
Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Trump and Putin plot ‘big, beautiful’ deal for Europe
New exclusive image of destroyed Ukrainian aid centre suggests strike was targeted
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,712.
Today, as Ukraine’s attacks against Russian oil refineries – and Wildberries – spark huge blazes, the death toll continues to rise on the deadly strikes in Zaporizhzhia, while citizens of Kyiv found themselves without water for over 24 hours. Then we bring you the latest mood music around peace negotiations, as a growing number of European officials believe that Putin is ready to negotiate. Then we talk about the important role that shotguns play in bringing down drones, and how tank warfare is still being seen on the battlefield.

Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Danielle Sheridan (Defence Editor). @SheridanDani on X.
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon (Former tank commander and chemical weapons expert). @HamishDBG 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

SUPPORT US – JOIN OUR MEMBERS’ CLUB
For more from the team, join UTL+. For a small monthly fee, you’ll get behind-the-scenes content, bonus videos, and discounted tickets to live events and merch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdHjleMvPSs-JEjiQ8_D2cA/join

If you joined shortly after we launched the membership scheme on Monday 26th October, email ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk with your YouTube handle and mailing address. If you’re one of the first 50, we’ll send you a free mug!

You can also join in the conversation on our YouTube community page (it’s free!): https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest/community

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:
‘Tank Command: How the Tank Changed the Face of Battle’ by Hamish de Bretton-Gordon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tank-Command-Changed-Face-Battle/dp/1035437619

Watch Hamish's full dispatch on taking down drones with a shotfun:
https://youtu.be/8FtXkA2z0ng

Ukraine’s new, lethal combined tank-and-drone tactics are pushing Putin back (Hamish de Bretton-Gordon for The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/02/ukraine-war-tank-drone-combined-arms-putin-russia-defeat/

Putin’s diesel delivery to the US veers off course (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/11/05/putin-diesel-delivery-to-us-veers-off-course/

Russia deepened Iran support with missile launcher deal (Financial Times):
https://www.ft.com/content/19ec7782-9f22-4101-ba55-da88860310bc?syn-25a6b1a6=1

How Kyiv cracked Russia’s kill zone and got its tanks back in the fight (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/03/how-ukraine-cracked-russias-kill-zone/?recomm_id=096fef1f-0b4d-4dfe-873e-2e27cc639ad7

Subscribe to the Telegraph’s Cables newsletter: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/newsletters/

EMAIL US:
Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Death toll rises to 40 and 30 still missing after one of Russia’s deadliest strikes of war
Russia suffers second highest ever daily losses with 2380 Russian casualties
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,711.
Today, as President Trump is given a drubbing by the Democrats in the midterms, we ask what the result means and the opportunities it affords for Ukraine and Europe. Meanwhile, first lady Melania Trump prepares to host Russian and Ukrainian delegates at the White House ahead of peace talks in Abu Dhabi next week. Then, we turn to Ukraine, where deadly Russian raids continue, Moscow’s economy shows fresh signs of strain, and international pushback gathers pace against the participation of Russian athletes in international competition.

Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.

With thanks to Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Dispatch.

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

SUPPORT US – JOIN OUR MEMBERS’ CLUB
For more from the team, join UTL+. For a small monthly fee, you’ll get behind-the-scenes content, bonus videos, and discounted tickets to live events and merch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdHjleMvPSs-JEjiQ8_D2cA/join

If you joined shortly after we launched the membership scheme on Monday 26th October, email ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk with your YouTube handle and mailing address. If you’re one of the first 50, we’ll send you a free mug!

You can also join in the conversation on our YouTube community page (it’s free!): https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest/community

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:
Ukrainian children ‘forced’ to study Russian GCSE (Poppy Wood and Francis Dearnley for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/19/ukrainian-children-forced-study-russian-gcse-in-uk/

EMAIL US:
Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Putin and Zelensky brace for impact of Trump's historic midterms defeat
Russian economy creaking as Moscow cuts military pay
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.