Day 1,209.

Today, after Russia launches a combined missile and drone attack against Kremenchuk – right in the centre of Ukraine – we consider an intelligence operation in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad which caused $5 million worth of damage. Then we hear about a new play that has just opened in London about Ukraine's experience, after a deep dive into how Moscow hired African farmers to make shampoo, before sending them to war.

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.

With thanks to Josephine Burton and Simeon Kylsyi at Dash Arts.

SIGN UP TO THE NEW ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:

https://secure.telegraph.co.uk/customer/secure/newsletter/ukraine/

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:

‘The Reckoning’ at the Arcola Theatre until 28th June:

https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/the-reckoning/

You can learn more and contact the team at:

https://www.dasharts.org.uk/contact

Russia hired African farmers to make shampoo, then sent them to war (Ben Farmer in The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/09/russia-sent-african-shampoo-makers-die-ukraine-front-line/

The Russia affair in the Swiss secret service (Swiss Info):

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/foreign-affairs/the-russia-affair-in-the-swiss-secret-service/89461415

How Russia recruited a teenage Canadian spy (Reuters):

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/europe-espionage-teen-spy/

Ukrainian intelligence agents attack Russian substation causing $5 million in damage (Kyiv Independent):

https://kyivindependent.com/hur-agents-ignite-substation-in-russias-kaliningrad-in-sabotage-operation/

Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest

Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk

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

Day 1,206.

Today, as explosions are heard across Crimea, we discuss the impact of Israel’s attack on Iran on the war in Ukraine, especially on drone procurement. Then we do a deep dive into Ukrainian food, visiting a special charity in Kharkiv making salt, and interviewing a bestselling cookery writer about her family’s remarkable experiences over the past century, and the recipes passed down the generations.

Contributors:

Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.

Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.

With thanks to Olia Hercules (bestselling cookery writer). @Olia_Hercules on X.

Content Referenced:

Join Us for Live Podcast at Chalke Valley (29 June):

https://www.chalkefestival.com/

Join Us for Live Podcast at Scarborough Fair (9 July):

https://scarboroughfair.uk/events/putins-folly-the-war-in-ukraine-three-years-on/

Charities Mentioned in Kharkiv Segment:

https://www.instagram.com/lavka_deokupatsii/?igsh=dG4wNzVnZjBsdDZy#

https://www.instagram.com/volonterska_ua/?igsh=M2Q3ZmJ3YXRhMHlz#

Olia Hercules’s Book - ‘Strong Roots: A Ukrainian Family Story of War, Exile and Hope’:

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/strong-roots-9781526662965/

Nato drafts one-page communiqué to suit Trump’s attention span (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/13/nato-drawing-up-trump-one-page-communique/

France blocking Britain from EU’s massive defence fund (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/12/france-blocking-britain-from-eu-massive-defence-fund/

Pro-Orbán propagandist’s ties to Russian intelligence exposed during national security screening (Direkt36):

https://www.direkt36.hu/en/fideszes-propagandista-orosz-titkosszolgalati-kapcsolatai-buktak-ki-egy-nemzetbiztonsagi-ellenorzesen/

SIGN UP TO THE NEW ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:

https://secure.telegraph.co.uk/customer/secure/newsletter/ukraine/

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.

Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest

Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk

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

Day 1,205.

Today, as Russian casualties reportedly pass one million, we assess an extraordinary press release by the Trump administration marking ‘Russia Day’, and examine the mentality underpinning the United States’s stance on the war. Then we hear again from a Ukrainian winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, and discuss Margaret Thatcher’s attitude towards Russia with the Iron Lady’s definitive biographer and confidant.

Contributors:

Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.

Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.

Charles Moore, Baron Moore of Etchingham (Member of the House of Lords and former editor of The Daily Telegraph). @CharlesHMoore on X.

Olseandra Matviichuk (Ukrainian Human Rights Lawyer and Head of Centre for Civil Liberties). @avalaina on X.

SIGN UP TO THE NEW ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:

https://secure.telegraph.co.uk/customer/secure/newsletter/ukraine/

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:

Oleksandra’s list of some trusted NGOs and charities supporting Ukraine:

https://www.ukraineshortlist.com/

Russia sends its most valuable planes as far away from Ukraine as possible (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/11/russia-sends-nuclear-bombers-further-after-ukraine-drone/

“They are hunting us”: systematic drone attacks targeting civilians in Kherson (Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine): https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/iicihr-ukraine/index

NOW AVAILABLE 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: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk

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