Ukraine: The Latest

Day 1,586.
Today, as Vladimir Putin continues to make grossly exaggerated claims about Russia’s gains on the battlefield, we assess the latest military progress of both sides, before looking at the long-delayed and controversial defence investment plan finally announced by the British. More money for drones, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence: but does it go far enough, and how close is London to hitting the 5% NATO target demanded by President Donald Trump? Then we hear what the citizens of Kyiv think about Ukraine being on the pathway to membership of the European Union, and report on a manhunt underway in southern France after a parcel bomb exploded at a residential building in neighbouring Monaco, injuring wealthy Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev.

Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
James Crisp (Telegraph’s Europe Editor). @JamesCrisp6 on X.
Antonia Langford (Freelance Journalist in Kyiv). @Antonialford on X

Producer: Phil Atkins
Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett
Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan
Social Producer: Gabby Colvin
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:
Listen to our sister podcast Iran: The Latest:
Video: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJnf_DDTfIVAif-vifC6F2aoPB8GIw6dk
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/iran-the-latest/id1712903296
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7gPBO0qnZI1YBi25zaVT1c

The battle to bring Europe’s biggest military into the EU (James Crisp, Antonia Langford and Joe Barnes for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/24/the-battle-to-bring-europes-biggest-military-into-the-eu/

Ukrainian tycoon injured in Monaco bombing (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/29/monaco-house-explosion-three-injured/

Meduza has identified over a thousand war veterans who have already received positions within the Russian government (Meduza, in Russian):
https://meduza.io/feature/2026/06/29/novaya-rossiyskaya-elita

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: Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU)

HIGHLIGHTS:

Ukraine blows up railway bridges and Russian space centre
UK claims army will be '10 times more lethal' as new defence plan revealed

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

Day 1,585.
After a weekend that saw Ukraine’s Constitution Day celebrated with yet more lengthy queues at petrol stations in Russia and Crimea – a situation not helped by Russian oil refineries continuing to self-sanction – Putin shrugs that these ‘difficult’ days are just a speed bump on the road to inevitable victory. Dom and Francis ponder on Alexander Lukashenko’s slightly odd weekend jaunt to China via Putin’s lakeside retreat in Valdai – at least we now know what all the extra air defence was shipped in for – and ask, is he looking for a new best friend? And finally, after news of a mass shooting in the northern German city of Stade, they speak to Berlin correspondent James Rothwell who has been reporting on NATO preparations for a possible future Battle of the Baltics.

Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X.

Producer: Rachel Porter
Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett
Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan
Social Producer: Gabby Colvin
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: Russia is facing problems in Ukraine war (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/28/putin-russia-is-facing-problems-in-ukraine-war/

Nato prepares for the Battle of the Baltics (James Rothwell for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/23/nato-prepares-battle-baltics/

We’re ready to fight Russia tonight, vows head of German air force (James Rothwell for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/15/luftwaffe-chief-warns-russia-german-ready-to-fight-for-nato/

How German trains became the shame of a nation (James Rothwell for The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/28/how-german-trains-became-the-shame-of-a-nation/

Germany considers return of military conscription (The Telegraph)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/27/germany-considers-compulsory-conscription-defence-russia/

Turkey Offers to Host Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks (Kyiv Post)
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/79139

Putin Says Expecting US Negotiators Once US Less Busy With Iran (Kyiv Post)
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/79177

Serbian President Vučić says he will resign within ‘weeks’ (Politico)
https://www.politico.eu/article/serbian-president-vucic-says-he-will-resign-within-weeks/

Stray Ukraine drones worth the price of hitting Russia, says Estonian minister (Financial Times)
https://www.ft.com/content/f487526b-9646-456b-bccb-001f31090919?syn-25a6b1a6=1

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 confesses 'problems' in Ukraine war for first time
Reports of fuel hoarding across Russia after long-range Ukrainian strikes
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,582.
Crimea declares a state of emergency after days of intense Ukrainian attacks, as footage shows thousands of cars queuing to leave the Russian-occupied peninsula. It comes as president Zelensky authorises a 40-day operation against Russia ‌“to press for an end to the war”, days before the Nato summit in Ankara. Alex Nichol reports on a major scandal as the commander of one of Ukraine’s largest assault units has been suspended amid allegations of abuse against recruits. Meanwhile, Roland Oliphant has the updates on Ukraine’s row with Poland; the EU’s plan to end refugee protections for some Ukrainians; and Moscow and Washington’s very different recollections of the Trump-Putin meeting in Anchorage.

Contributors:
Roland Oliphant (Telegraph’s Chief Foreign Analyst). @rolandoliphant on X.
Alex Nichol (Telegraph journalist).
Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.
With thanks to Katarína Mathernová, EU Ambassador to 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

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:
The “Skelya” assault regiment commented on the Babel investigation into torture and murders in the unit (Babel)
https://babel.ua/en/news/127978-the-skelya-assault-regiment-commented-on-the-babel-investigation-into-torture-and-murders-in-the-unit

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:
Occupied Crimea declares state of emergency as thousands flee the peninsula
Zelensky announces 40-day operation “to press for an end to the war”

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

Day 1,581.
As the clock ticks down on President Zelensky’s ultimatum to Belarus, Dom examines reports that the drone relay stations Kyiv accused Minsk of hosting have suddenly stopped working – and asks whether Lukashenko may be edging away from Putin. He also has the latest on Ukraine’s long-range strikes deep inside Russia, as France seizes another shadow fleet tanker and Kyiv presses its campaign to raise the cost of war for the Kremlin. Francis unpacks NATO secretary general Mark Rutte’s visit to Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Later, we take you to Gdańsk for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, where the first tranche of the EU’s €90 billion support package is formally handed over to Kyiv.

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

With thanks to Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House.

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:
Orysia Lutsevych’s Chatham House paper, ‘Why a ‘whole-of-society’ model is essential for Ukraine’s recovery’:
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2026/06/why-whole-society-model-essential-ukraines-recovery

«Дураки за деньги закончились»: как российские власти пытаются решить проблему нехватки контрактников (Vertska, in Russian)
https://verstka.media/kak-rossiiskie-vlasti-pytayutsya-reshit-problemu-nehvatki-kontraktnikov

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 sacrifices Crimea air defences to shield Moscow
Zelensky says 'Russia will be forced to choose peace'

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

Day 1,580.
Today, after days of memes and mounting panic across Russia, Vladimir Putin finally breaks his silence on last week’s dramatic strikes on Moscow – insisting they are not a sign of vulnerability, but proof of Russian strength on the battlefield. Dom reports on the remarkable own goal from Russia’s defence ministry, which appears to have done Zelensky’s press office a favour by detailing just how many targets Ukrainian forces have hit in the last 24 hours. We also examine growing frustration in Moscow as the Kremlin accuses the United States of failing to honour the Trump–Putin “understandings” that were supposed to shape the next phase of diplomacy. And later, we get an update from one of the leading campaigners pushing to unlock billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction.

Contributors:
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
James Kilner (Russia Analyst). @Jkjourno on X.
Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.

With thanks to Hugo Dixon of 'The Russian Transfer'.

Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett
Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan
Social Producer: Tom Steed
Studio Director: Chris January
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:
Reported Gasoline Shortages in Russian Federal Subjects and Occupied Ukrainian Territories as of June 23, 2026 (Institute for the Study of War):
https://understandingwar.org/map/reported-gasoline-shortages-in-russian-federal-subjects-and-occupied-ukrainian-territories-as-of-june-23-2026/

Hugo Dixon’s initiative ‘The Russian Transfer’: moving Moscow’s account from Belgium:
https://www.therussiantransfer.com/

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 breaks silence over Moscow strikes humiliation
Fuel shortages grip Russia
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.