Day 1,689.

Today, as Moscow continues to strike Ukrainian energy infrastructure despite President Donald Trump's so-called ceasefire, we hear the further fallout from the US President's decision to purchase Russian diesel while – at the same time – Vladimir Putin is openly providing technology to Iran with the aim of killing Americans. We then bring you a new interceptor reportedly capable of shooting down some of the fastest Russian drones, and hear for the first time Kyiv's former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi defend his record. Lastly, a special dispatch from Francis dedicated to mine-hunting on the Black Sea.

Contributors:

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

With thanks to the servicemen and women of the Royal Navy and Ukrainian Navy.

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:

Buy tickets to ‘War Room’, a new interactive event in London, hosted by Dom:

https://www.squadup.com/events/the-war-room

Use code UTL20 for 20% off (first 30 users only)

Zelensky: Russia has hit six energy sites since Trump ‘ceasefire’ (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/13/russia-hits-six-energy-sites-since-trump-ceasefire-zelensky/

Russia's offensive ability is broken, Kyiv's former top general tells BBC (BBC):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9y7lgg2vdggo

Russia secretly helping Iran develop supersonic cruise missiles (The Telegraph):

https://www.ft.com/content/6cf367bc-95b0-4f1f-b149-a25684adefc3?syn-25a6b1a6=1

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:

– Putin answers Trump’s ceasefire call with missile barrage

– Francis joins mine-hunting mission with Ukrainian navy

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

Day 1,688.

Today, after a weekend that has surely seen America’s global moral authority fundamentally weakened, we try to make sense of the dizzying news reports and developments in the war. President Zelensky called Donald Trump’s extraordinary decision to buy fuel from Russia “weak” which, coming after he failed to secure the Nobel Peace prize – again – Mr Trump took in a typically gracious and statesmanlike manner. Then, despite claims from the US President that he’d brokered an energy ceasefire, neither side took any notice. We try to work out what it all means, and whether all that has actually been achieved this weekend is that US taxpayers' dollars will now go directly to kill Ukrainian civilians.

Contributors:

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

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

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:

Russia attacks Ukrainian power plant hours after Trump ‘ceasefire’ (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/11/donald-trump-energy-ceasefire-ukraine-russia-zelensky/

Republicans turn on Trump over Putin deal (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/11/trump-facing-backlash-over-putin-deal/

Trump: Zelensky must be ousted (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/10/donald-trump-russia-oil-deal-putin-zelensky-ukraine/

Trump threatens to cut off Ukraine’s weapon supplies (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/12/trump-threatens-to-cut-off-weapons-for-ukraine/

Paul Ronzheimer Interview w. former Kyiv Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JhpyhImRLY

Learn more about the ‘Get Reading Appeal’:

https://bookaid.org/support-us/the-sunday-times-get-ukraine-reading-appeal/

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: Zelensky must be ousted

– Russia attacks Ukrainian power plant hours after ‘energy ceasefire’

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

Day 1,685.

Today, as reports emerge of a possible Ukrainian advance in the Donbas with some Russians saying they are ‘doomed’, Dom asks: is this Vivaldi’s fourth season? Russia continues its campaign of state terrorism with a drone strike on a kindergarten and we report powerful testimony from inside the besieged and occupied town of Oleshky. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is said to be trying to negotiate a deal with Russia to reopen the Nord Stream pipeline, just as a Ukrainian delegation arrives in Florida to try to negotiate a deal to end the war. And later, Adelie speaks to a human rights lawyer about recent reports of children from territories occupied since 2022 being drafted into the Russian army.

Image: Ukrainian service members cross a river outside the city of Sievierodonetsk in 2022.

Contributors:

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

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

Mykola Bielieskov (Research Fellow at Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies). @MBielieskov on X.

With thanks to Kateryna Rashevska.

Producer: Rachel Porter

Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett

Video Producer: Tom Steed and Sophie O'Sullivan

Social Producer: 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:

Buy tickets to ‘War Room’, a new interactive event in London, hosted by Dom:

https://www.squadup.com/events/the-war-room

Use code UTL20 for 20% off (first 30 users only)

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

Regional Center for Human Rights:

https://rchr.org.ua/en/

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 troops ‘cross river’ as Donbas advance continues

– Russia drafts children from occupied territories into army

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