Day 1,617.

As yet more Russian Wildberries distribution sites reach for the stars, Ukrainian missile producer Firepoint wins the month’s top-trolling award by offering merch to anyone who correctly predicts their next target. Dom reports how ballistic-missile defence is the hot topic of military and diplomatic discussion at the moment, with offers from Poland, favours asked of SpaceX and, perhaps least surprising of all, a growing coolness from Donald Trump over the plan/idea/wishful thinking that Ukraine would be given the Patriot blueprints. Alex Nichol reports that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff may be in Ukraine in the next few weeks, which would be their first trip to Kyiv despite making multiple visits to Putin in Moscow.

Contributors:

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

Alex Nichol (Telegraph Journalist).

With thanks to Hugh Roberts (@hugh.g.a.roberts on Instagram) and the University of Exeter.

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

Russian missile destroys US firm’s Kyiv drone factory (The Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/30/us-firm-drone-factory-terminal-autonomy-ukraine-russia

Zelensky Asked Trump for a Favor From Elon Musk (The Atlantic)

https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/07/zelensky-asked-trump-for-a-favor-from-elon-musk/688122/

Donald Trump ‘not sure’ he will let Ukraine build Patriot missiles (Financial Times)

https://www.ft.com/content/d8c42f6b-4dba-4976-a907-c7c93bca0bbd?syn-25a6b1a6=1

War and peace: Ukraine’s ambassador in Washington joins our table (Christian Science Monitor)

https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/monitor_breakfast/2026/0731/ukraine-ambassador-olga-stefanishyna?icid=rss

The Geopolitics of Russia’s Civil Nuclear Exports Four Years into the War (Centre for Strategic and International Studies)

https://www.csis.org/analysis/geopolitics-russias-civil-nuclear-exports-four-years-war

Ukrainian War Time Poetry:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx2YPXiQIIQvRHSFfabgsOZM_5G5eqj5O

Jantar Publishing House:

https://www.jantarpublishing.com/

Lines from the frontline: the poet soldiers defending Ukraine (The Conversation):

https://theconversation.com/lines-from-the-frontline-the-poet-soldiers-defending-ukraine-276676

Death of a Ukrainian Writer (New Yorker):

https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-death-of-a-ukrainian-writer-victoria-amelina

The Buried Book That Helped Ukraine’s Literary Revival (The New York Times):

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/20/world/europe/ukraine-publishing-buried-book.html

More about Aliaksei Lazarau: https://x.com/Alx_lazarau/status/2050195969103307014

The petition to allow non-Ukrainian to be recognised as Hero of Ukraine: https://petition.president.gov.ua/petition/264020

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:

• Russians 'fear being killed in Red Square,' Kyiv claims
• Zelensky asks Elon Musk a favour

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

Day 1,616.

A Russian cruise missile is believed to have landed in Poland overnight, just after President Zelensky and Polish prime minister Donald Tusk met to patch up a rumbling diplomatic spat. Meanwhile, inside Ukraine, former Minister of Defence Fedorov gives his first big interview since being sacked, saying there is 'resistance to change' in the defence ministry and laying out his vision to win the war. Finally, Dom, Adelie, and Francis read your best summer postcards and answer your questions.

Contributors:

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

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

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

Producer: Tom Steed

Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett

Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan

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:

‘Russian missile’ leaves crater in Poland (The Telegraph)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/30/poland-explosion-russian-missile-attack/

Attacks on Ukrainians in Poland are rising. Disinformation fuels the flames (Kyiv Independent)

https://kyivindependent.com/attacks-on-ukrainians-in-poland-are-rising-disinformation-fuels-the-flames/

Watch the full interview with Mykhailo Fedorov (Ukrainska Pravda, in Ukrainian)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbjYc4-OuT0

Russia importing sensitive UK, EU tech through India, data shows (Politico)

https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-import-uk-eu-technology-india-data/

Francis’s Interview with Michael Bohnert re. Patriot missile timescales:

https://youtu.be/Fg_PmGkpJu4?si=Jf7HoU6anVj1JCQW

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:

• Russian missile leaves crater in Poland
• Fedorov reveals all in first interview since sacking

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

Day 1,615.

After Russia sees another night of Ukrainian drone strikes on a Wildberries warehouse and oil refinery attacks, Francis examines Kyiv’s campaign to disrupt Putin’s logistics and wartime economy. He also looks at encouraging developments in Washington, where Presidents Zelensky and Trump met ahead of the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, before Graham’s landmark bipartisan sanctions bill took a significant step forward in Congress. Then James Kilner has his regular Russia roundup, as rumours of a fresh mobilisation continue to circulate, before we explore the dramatic downfall of the powerful head of Russia’s international chess federation.

Contributors:

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

James Kilner (Russia Analyst). @Jkjourno on X.

Malcolm Pein (Telegraph chess correspondent). @TelegraphChess on X.

Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett

Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan

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:

Russia explores support for Wildberries after Ukrainian drone attacks, sources say (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/russia-explores-support-wildberries-after-ukrainian-drone-attacks-sources-say-2026-07-28/

Laura Loomer says she called Trump from Ukraine, plans to brief president on visit (Kyiv Independent)

https://kyivindependent.com/laura-loomer-says-she-called-trump-from-ukraine-plans-to-brief-president-on-visit/

Kremlin Gambit: German FIDE presidential candidate Vadim Rosenstein continues to earn millions in Russia (Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News, in Russian)

https://sport.unian.net/othersports/kandidat-v-prezidenty-fide-vadim-rozenshteyn-prodolzhaet-vesti-biznes-v-rossii-13451784.html

Russians Form Street Patrol to Shield Men From Forced Recruitment (Kyiv Post)

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/81265

World chess chief faces endgame after EU announces Russia war sanctions (BBC)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewrk58k2k4o

No contact with political prisoner Andrei Trofimov since April (Memorial)

https://memopzk.org/en/news/no-contact-with-political-prisoner-andrei-trofimov-since-april/

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:

• Ukraine wipes out seventh Wildberries warehouse and major oil refinery
• US senate advances key Russia sanctions bill

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