Day 1,184.

Today, as Moscow’s Airports are once again shut down by Ukrainian drones, we hear about Chechnan officers apparently assassinated in the occupied territories, as it’s revealed Trump told his European counterparts Putin does not want to end the war. Plus, we hear about the educational challenges faced by refugees, and the evolving nature of civil society in a country at war with the founder of one of Ukraine’s largest foundations.

Contributors:

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

Dom Nicholls (Associate Editor for Defence). @DomNicholls on X.

Poppy Wood (Education Editor). @poppyeh on X.

With thanks to Serhiy Prytula, founder of the Serhiy Prytula Foundation. @serhiyprytula 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:

Ukrainian children ‘forced’ to study Russian GCSE (Poppy and Francis’s story in The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/19/ukrainian-children-forced-study-russian-gcse-in-uk/

Special Episode interviewing Ukrainian children:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-childhood-at-war/id1612424182?i=1000704331753

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3SjJ3cUVYiweoChHsvjL6b?si=wH_9X4gQRLyyvGjLfom_Ug

Learn more about the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation:

https://prytulafoundation.org/en

Trump Tells European Leaders in Private That Putin Isn’t Ready to End War (Wall Street

Journal):

https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/trump-putin-call-russia-ukraine-83a6ef59

'We don't want this anymore' — Lavrov confirms Russia has no interest in ceasefire in Ukraine (Kyiv Independent):

https://kyivindependent.com/we-dont-want-this-anymore-russia-rejects-a-ceasefire-in-ukraine-lavrov-says/

Ukrainian ex-politician shot dead while dropping daughter at Madrid school (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/05/21/ukrainian-father-shot-five-time-madrid/

Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest

Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk

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

Day 1,182.

Today, as Vladimir Putin makes his first visit to Kursk after the Kremlin erroneously claimed all Ukrainian soldiers had been completely pushed out of the territory, we look at the latest deep strikes on Russian infrastructure, hear from an ambulance convoy in Ukraine, and speak to a central advisor of the European Union on Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations.

Contributors:

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

Dom Nicholls (Associate Editor for Defence). @DomNicholls on X.

With thanks to Brock Bierman (Founder of the non-profit Ukraine Focus).

And Bob Dean (Head of the Security Unit of the Netherlands Institute of International Relations)

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:

Learn more about ‘Ukraine Focus’, delivering ambulances to Ukraine:

https://ukrainefocus.org/

https://ukrainefocus.org/programs/zelensky-truck/

Ukraine has shown you can now buy an intelligence agency off the shelf (Ben Wallace in The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/20/intelligence-agencies-no-longer-just-for-governments/

Trump’s New Position on the War in Ukraine: Not My Problem (New York Times):

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/us/politics/trump-ukraine-russia.html

Russian Troops Are War-Weary, but Want to Conquer More of Ukraine (New York Times):

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/17/world/europe/russian-troops-peace-putin.html

Losing friends, fast (POLITICO):

https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/brussels-playbook/losing-friends-fast/

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.

Day 1,182.

Today, we continue dissecting the phone call between Putin and Trump and what it means for the prospect of negotiations. We discuss the latest Russian ‘Frankenstein’ missile and tactics on the ground, plus a dive into a report investigating Russian strikes on hotels near the frontline in an effort to target journalists. Finally we hear a dispatch from Sweden and interview with a Swedish chief of defence staff on the Russian threat on the Finnish border.

Contributors:

Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Reporter and Producer). @adeliepjz on X.

Dom Nicholls (Associate Editor for Defence). @DomNicholls on X.

Iona Cleave (Foreign Reporter). @cleaveiona on X.

Venetia Rainey (Co-host of the podcast 'Battle Lines'). @venetiarainey on X.

With thanks to Kenza Rharmaoui (Senior Researcher at Truth Hounds). @truth_hounds 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:

Russia’s new ‘Frankenstein’ missile terrorising Ukraine, The Telegraph

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/05/13/russias-new-frankenstein-missile-terrorising-ukraine/

Russia’s motorbike squads may be suicidal but they are hurting Ukraine, The Telegraph

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/05/19/ukraine-war-are-russias-motorcycle-assaults-really-working/

Last Check-In: The Russian Strikes on Ukrainian Hotels Silencing the Press, Truth Hounds

https://truth-hounds.org/en/cases/last-check-in/

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.