Ukraine: The Latest

Day 1,656.
Today, there are reports President Zelensky’s plane taking him to Norway yesterday may have been the target of the Russian drone that crashed in Moldova. Then, Ukraine is ensuring the war is brought home to previously untouched parts of Russia, as its latest long range drone strike hit Siberia, 3000km inside the country. Kyiv claims it was the longest drone strike in history. Meanwhile, Putin’s folly means his country has now passed the grim milestone of killing or wounding one percent of its entire population and there are question marks over the future diplomatic role for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. And later, Dom and Alex dive into the postbag to answer your questions.

Contributors:
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
Alex Nichol (Telegraph Journalist).

Producer: Rachel Porter
Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett
Video Producer: Tom Steed
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:
If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.uk

US spy chief prepares for greater role in Russia-Ukraine talks (Financial Times)
https://www.ft.com/content/d0557d25-78b5-45d8-bb33-d655e859d803?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Rethinking Ukraine’s Manpower Challenge (Carnegie Endowment)
https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2026/03/ukraine-military-russia-war-manpower-recruitment

The Orient Express: North Korea’s Clandestine Supply Route to Russia (Royal United Services Institute)
https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publ–ications/commentary/report-orient-express-north-koreas-clandestine-supply-route-russia

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.

Thumbnail image credit: NOEL Reports

HIGHLIGHTS:
Record-breaking Ukrainian drone strike hits gas facility 3000km from frontline
Russia exceeds 1.5 million casualties in Ukraine

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

Day 1,655.
Today, no word from Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about Putin’s so-called drive for peace as Russia resumes aerial attacks on Ukraine and hits Moldova…twice: first at a border crossing point, with dead and injured reported there, and then by a Russian drone that flew in via Romania. To further baffle those who believed Moscow’s line that the Kremlin poses no aggressive plans toward Europe, Romania has arrested a Russian spy and Hungary has kicked out Russian diplomats. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has spoken to Vladimir Putin for an “objective and thorough” overview of the situation in Ukraine. And later, we get the latest on the Russian economy via the cucumber index.

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:
Disabled Russians ‘unfit to serve’ – but Putin wants them to enlist (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/07/putin-wants-severely-disabled-russians-to-enlist/

David’s Obituary from 2024:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/09/09/david-knowles-journalist-telegraph-dies-ukraine-war-podcast/

If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.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:

Russia at risk of economic disaster, Kremlin aide warns Putin
Russian city of Novorossiysk ablaze after Ukraine strikes oil terminal
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,654.
Today, we once again see the extent of Putin’s definition of “peace”, claiming there are renewed opportunities for dialogue, then resuming strikes on Ukraine just hours after America’s envoys leave the country. We go to our correspondent in Kyiv to hear about the damage there, before turning to the diplomatic fallout from the weekend, as both sides seek to gain an advantage from renewed US engagement. And then, two years on from his passing, we remember the creator of this podcast, David Knowles, with excerpts from some of our very first episodes, memories of how the podcast began, and hearing about the impact of last year’s fundraiser in his memory.

Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
Antonia Langford (Freelance Journalist in Kyiv). @Antonialford on X
With thanks to Ada Wordsworth, co-founder and director of KHARPP.

Producer: Rachel Porter
Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett
Video Producer: James England
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:
Fundraiser in memory of David Knowles for Ada’s Charity ‘KHARPP’:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-GB/donation-form/fundraiser-for-kharpp-in-memory-of-david-knowles

Order KHARPP’s Anthology on Housing: https://www.kharpp.com/housing-and-the-home-in-ukraine

David’s Obituary from 2024:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/09/09/david-knowles-journalist-telegraph-dies-ukraine-war-podcast/

‘Messages: Choral Anthems of Life & Love’ (Chapel Choir of University College, Durham) –
Order: https://conviviumrecords.co.uk/product/messages/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/6pcIaMlZ48EQhcmkebraKp?si=97790066ef29442b

Zelensky to Axios: U.S. exploring Russia-Ukraine winter de-escalation steps
https://www.axios.com/2026/09/07/zelensky-ukraine-russia-war-witkoff-kushner-putin-trump

Ukraine chief prosecutor resigns over safe stuffed with $100 bills (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/08/ukraine-chief-prosecutor-resigns-over-safe-stuffed-dollars/

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:
Ukrainian counterattack 'liberates 200 square kilometers'
Remembering David Knowles, creator of 'Ukraine: The Latest'
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,653.
Today, after Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner finally set foot in Ukraine on a whirlwind weekend diplomatic tour of Kyiv and Moscow we ask: subjected to Ukrainian and press scrutiny for the first time, has their diplomatic adventure run out of road? We report on the Ukrainian delegation’s top t-shirt tyrant trolling and assess how well Trump’s envoys did. And later, we go to Germany where the hard-Right Alternative for Germany party says they have “made history” after their largest-ever election victory. What could their win mean for defence and Ukraine policy in the country?

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

James Rothwell’s documentary on the AfD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=OjxWBooeTb5O6Tij&v=jhZokdghR-M&feature=youtu.be

Trump envoys thank Putin for ‘incredible memories’ in Moscow (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/05/putin-pauses-strikes-on-kyiv-for-witkoff-and-kushner-talks/

China secretly supplied Russia with components for killer drones (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/06/china-secretly-supplied-russia-components-killer-drones/

Anti-migrant AfD hails history-making election win (James Rothwell for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/06/pro-russian-afd-overwhelming-election-victory-east-germany/

The ‘most dangerous man in Germany’ behind AfD victory (Jörg Luyken and James Rothwell for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/07/the-most-dangerous-man-in-germany-behind-afd-victory/

Merz’s secret plan to stop German ‘traitor states’ blocking Nato troops (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/30/merz-plan-to-prevent-putin-friendly-afd-state-blocking-nato/

Merz’s secret plan to stop German ‘traitor states’ blocking Nato troops (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/07/the-most-dangerous-man-in-germany-behind-afd-victory/

Trump envoys hold talks with Zelenskyy in Kyiv after meeting Putin in Moscow (Financial Times)
https://www.ft.com/content/1e2d9db0-cb2c-4c79-942b-f0aff960e4c5?syn-25a6b1a6=1

China secretly supplied Russia with components for killer drones (Graham Lanktree and Sophia Yan for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/06/china-secretly-supplied-russia-components-killer-drones/

If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.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:
Trump envoys Witkoff and Kushner finally visit Kyiv after stop in Moscow
Pro-Russia AfD wins German state election

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

Day 1,650.
As Russia’s almost ceaseless bombardment of Ukraine continues, we report breaking news of a drone striking the headquarters of Ukraine's Security Service for the first time. Then we
hear of yet another assassination of a Russian general, believed to have ordered one of the war’s most notorious air strikes, plus more energy infrastructure strikes by Kyiv. Next, we turn to rumours that Donald Trump’s envoys Witkoff and Kushner could visit Ukraine in the coming days, before returning to the explosions that destroyed Moscow’s most powerful geopolitical tool in Europe. What do we know now that we didn’t know then about the Nord Stream blast?

Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Sophie O’Sullivan (Telegraph Journalist).
With thanks to Bojan Pancevski, chief European political correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and author of The Nord Stream Conspiracy: The Inside Story of the Explosions That Shook the World.

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:
If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.uk

Exclusive interview with Petr Pavel at NATO:
On YouTube: https://youtu.be/9Vw290vlifU?si=IX7-qlsHJkakv2IX&t=1974
On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-latest/id1612424182?i=1000776015561
On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ulg9DLpc21t0YQDNJTrcD?si=df375c08c49d4e9c

‘The Nord Stream Conspiracy: The Inside Story of the Explosions That Shook The World’ by Bojan Pancevski:
https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/318458/bojan-pancevski

Russian general who ‘ordered attack on children’s hospital’ shot in head (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/03/russian-general-attack-childrens-hospital-shot-ukraine/

Russia to shut Goethe-Institut branches in response to Germany closing Russian House (Kyiv Independent)
https://kyivindependent.com/russia-to-shut-goethe-institut-branches-in-response-to-germany-closing-russian-house/?mc_cid=264a931cdb&mc_eid=08d0680a95

Estonia’s defence minister resigns over £60m Ukraine weapons scandal (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/03/estonian-minister-resigns-over-60m-ukraine-weapons-scandal/

Britain summons top Russian diplomat over Leipzig drone attack (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09/03/britain-summons-russian-diplomat-leipzig-drone-germaby/

Germany announces $290 million aid package to repair Ukrainian energy infrastructure before winter (Kyiv Independent)
https://kyivindependent.com/germany-announces-290-million-aid-package-to-repair-ukrainian-energy-infrastructure-before-winter/?mc_cid=264a931cdb&mc_eid=08d0680a95

Lloyd’s of London loses £1.4bn on Iran war (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/09/03/lloyds-of-london-loses-14bn-on-iran-war

Exclusive: Trump envoys' first Kyiv trip thrown into doubt after Witkoff 'gets scared' (Kyiv Independent)
https://kyivindependent.com/trump-envoys-witkoff-kushner-to-visit-kyiv-moscow-sept-5-6-source-says/

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:
Ukrainian spy HQ ablaze after Russian ‘assassination attempt’ on intelligence chief
Russian general who ‘ordered strike on children’s hospital’ shot dead

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