Ukraine: The Latest
The Telegraph
- 47 minutes 6 seconds'Hiroshima without radiation': refinery inferno spews black rain & Ukraine kills 12 Russian FSB officers in drone strike
Day 1,520.
Today, as black rain continues to fall over the Russian city of Tuapse following Ukrainian strikes on an oil refinery, some residents are drawing comparisons to Hiroshima. We examine the latest developments in drone warfare, including new interceptor drones launched from fixed-wing aircraft in flight, and report on Prince Harry’s visit to a demining charity in Ukraine after his recent rebuke by Donald Trump. And later, we bring you our regular update on resistance activity in Russian-occupied Ukraine, along with a special report marking the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.
Contributors:
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.
With thanks to Dr Jade McGlynn of King’s College, London, and Simon Evans, director of the Chornobyl Program at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
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:
Dom’s Video with Ukrainian Resistance leader:
Dom’s long read on the Resistance: ‘The Ukrainian saboteur waging a revenge war on Russia’ (The Telegraph):
Ukraine kills 12 Russian FSB officers in drone strike (The Telegraph):
Married pensioners killed in Russian strikes on Ukraine (The Telegraph):
The €500mn hole in Chernobyl’s roof (The Financial Times)
https://www.ft.com/content/c0f1ff87-cd28-4e7f-8f4c-6e4799ce53e5?syn-25a6b1a6=1
EMAIL US:
Contact the team on [email protected] . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Russian refinery inferno spews black rain
- Ukraine kills 12 Russian FSB officers in strike
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
24 April 2026, 3:54 pm - 45 minutes 4 secondsExclusive: ‘Killing Russians is fun’ – First ever interview with a Ukrainian resistance leader
Day 1,519.
Today, in a global first, we bring you an exclusive interview with a leading member of Ukraine’s resistance movement operating inside Russian-occupied territory. We also give you updates as President Zelensky arrives in Cyprus met with confirmation that the European Union has not only formally approved the €90 billion loan for Ukraine, but also a 20th package of sanctions against Russia. We report on Ukrainian strikes against a major Russian counterintelligence unit, before examining how the US military has begun deploying Ukrainian counter-drone technology at an air base in Saudi Arabia to defend against Iran.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
With thanks to Petro of the Ukrainian resistance, and Dr Jade McGlynn and the Centre for Statecraft and National Security at King’s College London for assisting with this interview.
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:
Dom’s Video Interview: ‘Inside the Ukrainian resistance in Russia’s occupied territories’:
My grandfather ended Stalinism – now Putin has labelled me a ‘foreign agent’ (Iona Cleave in The Telegraph):
US turns to Ukrainian counter-drone tech after Iran attacks, sources say (Reuters):
Russia could be ready for NATO conflict year after Ukraine, Dutch warn (Defense News):
Public Annual Report 2025 Military Intelligence and Security Service (Dutch Intelligence):
EMAIL US:
Contact the team on [email protected] . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- First ever interview with a Ukrainian resistance leader
- Updates as Zelensky finally gets EU’s €90bn loan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
23 April 2026, 4:42 pm - 50 minutes 18 secondsUkraine names territory ‘Donnyland’ to appease Trump & ‘breakthrough’ as EU approves €90bn loan for Zelensky
Day 1,518.
Today, after months of back-room negotiations, delays and doubts, we go live to Brussels as the EU finally approves the €90 billion loan for Ukraine. How significant is this decision for Kyiv’s war effort – and what happens now that the funding is secured? We also report on the proposal of “Donnyland”, a suggested name for territory in Donbas Ukraine may dedicate to Donald Trump. Then we round up the latest headlines from Russia and Central Asia.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
Joe Barnes (Brussels Correspondent). @Barnes_Joe on X.
James Kilner (Russia Analyst). @Jkjourno on X.
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:
Ukraine to launch EU-funded weapons spending spree after Orban defeat (Joe Barnes in The Telegraph):
The Ukrainian negotiator who can silence Russia’s guns with one call (Joe Barnes in The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/20/ukrainian-peacemaker-swapping-prisoners
Ukraine proposes creating ‘Donnyland’ to satisfy Trump (The Telegraph):
A banking crisis made in the Kremlin is gripping Russia (Melissa Lawford in The Telegraph):
Putin closes major oil pipeline to Germany (The Telegraph):
Russian economy is faltering despite oil windfall, Sweden warns (Financial Times):
https://www.ft.com/content/04a9d05d-2502-44d4-b7e0-041aaa4f83cd?syn-25a6b1a6=1
‘Donnyland’? Ukraine Proposes Naming Part of the Donbas in Trump’s Honor (New York Times):
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/us/politics/donnyland-ukraine-donbas-trump.html
Russia and North Korea Celebrate Joining of First Road Bridge (Moscow Times):
New biography on author Mikhail Bulgakov labeled under 'drug propaganda' law in Russia (Kyiv Independent):
EMAIL US:
Contact the team on [email protected] . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- EU approves €90 billion loan for Ukraine.
- A territory in the Donbas region of Ukraine may be named ‘Donnyland’ in tribute to Donald Trump.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
22 April 2026, 4:38 pm - 51 minutes 7 secondsRussian nursery-school children ‘taught to fly drones’ & reviewing controversial thriller 'The Wizard of the Kremlin'
Day 1,517.
Today, amid another exchange of drone and missile strikes between Ukraine and Russia, we report on growing speculation that the European Union’s €90 billion loan for Kyiv could finally be approved as early as tomorrow. We also examine Ukraine’s efforts to develop its own alternative to US-made Patriot air defence systems. Then, later, we take a deep dive into a major new Western film, The Wizard of the Kremlin, exploring how accurately it portrays Vladimir Putin’s rise to power – and the wider questions raised by telling Russia’s story through a pre-war, fictional lens.
Contributors:
Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
With thanks to Chief Film Critic at The Telegraph Robbie Collin and political scientist Anna Colin Lebedev.
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:
Exclusive interview: World faces new nuclear arms race (The Telegraph):
Former tank commander reviews Challenger 3 (Hamish de Bretton-Gordon in The Telegraph):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PLOyJKtGKw
Russian nursery-school children taught to fly drones (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/21/russia-nursery-school-children-fly-drones/
Jude Law as Vladimir Putin? It’s a strangely flattering choice (Robbie Collin in The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/review-wizard-kremlin-putin-jude-law/
(Hom)mage du Kremlin, Anna Colin Lebedev:
In French: https://colinlebedev.fr/2026/01/22/hommage-du-kremlin/
In English: https://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article77848
Personal Website: colinlebedev.fr
Jude Law plays Putin in a film shot in Riga. Latvian officials say it serves Kremlin propaganda (Meduza):
The History Bureau, Putin and the Apartment Bombs (BBC):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m002q5dk
Ukraine pushing to produce home-grown ballistic defense system 'within a year,' Zelensky says (Kyiv Independent):
EMAIL US:
Contact the team on [email protected] . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Russian nursery-school children ‘taught to fly drones’
- Reviewing new film 'The Wizard of the Kremlin'
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
21 April 2026, 5:28 pm - 48 minutes 15 secondsMassive ‘volcanic’ refinery blaze erupts again ‘only hours’ after being put out & witnessing Russia's 'spiral into madness' under Putin
Day 1,516.
Today, as President Zelensky warns of increased Russian military activity in neighbouring Belarus, we discuss weekend Ukrainian air raids targeting oil refineries around Moscow. We then examine a shock election result that has brought another pro-Russia leader to power within both the EU and NATO, following in the footsteps of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. And later, we speak to a veteran foreign correspondent who spent 25 years in Russia – and has made more than a dozen trips to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion – for his memories of how Vladimir Putin built a system of ever greater repression and violence.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
With thanks to Marc Bennetts – foreign correspondent at The Times of London.
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:
Marc Bennetts’ book, ‘The Descent: Witnessing Russia's Spiral into Madness Under Putin’:
Pro-Russian fighter pilot wins crushing victory in Bulgaria election (The Telegraph):
Moscow-born gunman kills six in Kyiv supermarket ‘terror attack’ (The Telegraph):
BBC’s Steve Rosenberg: I’m walking a tightrope in Russia. It could all end tomorrow (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/04/20/steve-rosenberg-on-putins-russia/
EMAIL US:
Contact the team on [email protected] . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
20 April 2026, 5:25 pm - 49 minutes 52 seconds‘Volcanic eruption’ as Ukraine hits one of Putin’s largest oil refineries & inside a morgue for frontline soldiers
Day 1,513.
Today, as Hungary’s new prime minister Péter Magyar signals he will not veto the €90 billion European Union loan for Ukraine – and Slovakia’s opposition to the package appears to be crumbling – we ask whether Brussels can finally get the funding approved. We report on a continued surge in Ukrainian airstrikes against high-value Russian targets, and consider whether the air war in Russia’s war against Ukraine is beginning to tilt in Kyiv’s favour. We also examine developments in Ukraine’s domestic politics, as former presidential aide Andriy Yermak faces scrutiny from the country’s anti-corruption authorities. And later, we bring you a special interview from Adélie’s recent trip to Ukraine with Asami Terajima on the military’s efforts to prevent troops going AWOL and visiting a Kharkiv morgue.
Contributors:
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.
With thanks to Asami Terajima – frontline reporter at the Kyiv Independent.
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:
Top Zelensky allies Yermak, Arakhamia targeted in new searches, summons, source says (Kyiv Independent):
https://kyivindependent.com/yermak/
The Mushroom Captivating Wartime Ukraine (New Lines):
https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/the-mushroom-captivating-wartime-ukraine/
Russian air defenses are collapsing. Now Ukrainian warplanes can hit harder (Euromaidan):
https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/04/15/donetsk-airport-raid/
Inside Ukraine's AWOL and military desertion crisis
https://kyivindependent.com/inside-ukraines-awol-and-desertion-crisis/
As Ukraine war deaths mount, Kharkiv morgue strains to identify the truth
Coming of age during war, where mistakes can cost a life
https://kyivindependent.com/coming-of-age-during-war-where-mistakes-can-cost-a-life/
War Notes Newsletter
https://kyivindependent.com/newsletters/war-notes/
The Kyiv Independent doesn’t have a paywall or an owner and is supported by a
community of readers who make this work possible: https://kyivindependent.com/membership/?utm_source=membership-offline-arcola-theatre&utm_medium=offline&utm_campaign=pr
EMAIL US:
Contact the team on [email protected] . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
17 April 2026, 4:17 pm - 39 minutes 37 secondsPutin’s forces suffer 35,000 casualties in March – the highest rate of the war – as 17 killed in Russia’s deadliest attack of 2026
Day 1,512.
Today, as Russian forces suffer more than 35,000 casualties in Ukraine in a single month – the highest rate of the war so far – we report on fresh strikes across Ukraine that have killed at least 17 civilians, including a 12 year old boy. We assess the outcome of the latest Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base, and examine the dramatic first moves of Hungary’s new prime minister, who has vowed to shut down state television, describing it as “North Korean-style propaganda”. And later, we bring you the latest from Russia, including reaction in Moscow to the political fall of Viktor Orbán.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.
James Kilner (Russia Analyst). @Jkjourno on X.
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:
Child among 14 killed in Russian strikes (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/16/wave-of-russian-strikes-kills-14-in-ukraine/
Ukraine’s drones dent Russia’s war-fuelled oil windfall (Financial Times):
https://www.ft.com/content/d49e288f-b74e-44a8-a2f3-ec87f7cb5c27?syn-25a6b1a6=1
‘The pope versus the president: how Leo became Trump’s fearless foe’ (Financial Times):
https://www.ft.com/content/4f67aa87-9210-402d-bfef-b71b294d65cb?syn-25a6b1a6=1
Pope Pius II’s memoirs (Vol. I; Harvard University Press):
https://itatti.harvard.edu/publications/commentaries
The Border by Erika Fatland:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57950362-the-border
EMAIL US:
Contact the team on [email protected] . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
16 April 2026, 4:41 pm - 49 minutes 18 secondsRussia crippled as ‘meat assaults’ fail in spring offensive & will this be the year Ukraine takes more territory than Moscow?
Day 1,511.
Today, as the 50-nation Ukraine Defence Contact Group meets in Berlin just hours after President Zelensky signs a new defence cooperation pact with Germany, we assess the first moves of Hungary’s new prime minister and what they could mean for European support for Ukraine. We then take a deep dive into Russian military tactics and campaign design – including how Moscow consolidates control over occupied territories – with an expert from the Institute for the Study of War.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
With thanks to Karolina Hird of the Institute for the Study of War.
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:
Karolina Hird’s Occupation Updates for the ISW:
https://understandingwar.org/people/karolina-hird/
The SBU detained an FSB informant who, while working as a school principal in Kramatorsk, corrected shelling of the city (Ukrainian Government):
17-year-old Lithuanian who won the Norwegian Mathematical Olympiad donated the entire prize to Ukraine (LRT):
Ukraine opens first Africa food supply center in Ghana (Kyiv Independent):
EMAIL US:
Contact the team on [email protected] . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
15 April 2026, 4:49 pm - 50 minutes 44 secondsRussian troops ‘surrender to army robots’ in war first & interview with former CIA operative on Putin’s spycraft
Day 1,510.
Today, as new evidence emerges that Russia is increasing sign-on bonuses to recruit more soldiers for its war in Ukraine, we report on efforts to ramp up defences around Vladimir Putin’s palace. We also examine dramatic political developments in Hungary, where the new prime minister has vowed to expose alleged Russian links – amid reports of document shredding by allies of former leader Viktor Orbán. And later, we speak to a former CIA operative about Russian disinformation tactics, the failures of Kremlin intelligence services, and what they have learned – and not learned – from the war.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
With thanks to former CIA operative Sean M. Wiswesser.
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:
Sean M. Wiswesser’s book, ‘Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin's Secret War’:
Putin has lost his best friend inside the EU. Who can he rely on now Orban has gone? (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/04/14/putin-loses-best-friend-orban/
Ukraine ‘forces Russians to surrender using only robots’ (The Telegraph):
Putin’s house now protected by 27 air defence systems (Antonia Langford in The Telegraph):
Zelensky's Ukraine's Defense Industry Worker Day Address (President's Office):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Br_kdXR-sk&t=56s
Starmer accused of ‘corrosive complacency’ over defence (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/04/14/starmer-accused-complacency-former-nato-chief-defence/
EMAIL US:
Contact the team on [email protected] . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
14 April 2026, 4:55 pm - 28 minutes 6 seconds‘Disaster’ for Putin as Orbán ousted in Hungarian election landslide
Day 1,509.
Today, as Ukraine and the wider world react to the apparent rejection of Viktor Orbán’s model of “illiberal democracy” in Hungary, we ask: who is Péter Magyar, and what does his rise mean for Hungarian politics and Europe? As Hungarians confront a potential new political era, we examine whether real change is coming in Budapest – and how the European Union will handle the unresolved вопрос of the €90 billion loan for Ukraine. We also assess how much fighting actually paused during the Orthodox Easter ceasefire in Russia’s war against Ukraine, and ask whether Vladimir Putin is ultimately a winner or loser from the recent global attacks on oil infrastructure.
Contributors:
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
James Crisp (Europe Editor). @JamesCrisp6 on X.
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:
Orban ousted in Hungarian election landslide (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/12/orban-concedes-defeat-hungarian-election/
How Orban’s ousting in Hungary undermines Putin (James Crisp in The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/13/orbans-ousting-hungary-undermines-putin/
What it’s like to be hunted by drones in Ukraine (Antonia Langford in The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/13/what-its-like-to-be-hunted-by-drones-in-ukraine/
Learn more about ‘The Light of Freedom – A Night for Ukraine’ fundraiser tomorrow:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/supportukraine/2051898
EMAIL US:
Contact the team on [email protected] . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
13 April 2026, 4:45 pm - 47 minutes 39 secondsWhy Putin's 'holiday ceasefire' deal can't be trusted
Day 1,506.
Today, as Putin finally agrees to a brief ceasefire this weekend to mark Orthodox Easter - trying to pass the initiative off as his own generosity - we examine what a ceasefire is and, importantly, what it is not. We report how the next round of so-called peace talks have run into the sand and we have our regular update about resistance operations in the occupied territories. Plus, a special report from Adelie, for which discretion is advised, about how Russian troops are using sexual violence as a tactic in their war.
Contributors:
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.
Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.
With thanks to Dr Jade McGlynn and Sara Cincurova.
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 announces Easter ceasefire in Ukraine
Ukrainian Women Tell Their Stories of Sexual Violence by Russian Soldiers
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/20/world/europe/russian-soldiers-sexual-violence-ukraine.html
Three Years After Bucha’s Liberation, Ukrainian Women Still Struggle for Justice
EMAIL US:
Contact the team on [email protected] . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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