Ukraine: The Latest

Putin vows revenge after oil tanker blown up in Mediterranean & EU plugs Kyiv’s €90bn budget black hole

Day 1,394. Today, as the dust settles on the critical overnight deal in Brussels to loan €90 billion to Ukraine, we report on another strike against a vessel in Russia’s shadow fleet – this time in the Mediterranean Sea. And later, we offer clear answers to the hardy perennial questions you’re likely to hear at Christmas parties from those who haven’t been following the war, before opening our podcast Secret Santa presents. Contributors Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Joe Barnes (Brussels Correspondent). @Barnes_Joe on X. Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X. SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter [http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter]   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: EU agrees €90bn loan for Ukraine – but won’t use frozen Russian assets (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/19/european-union-agrees-loan-ukraine/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/19/european-union-agrees-loan-ukraine/] Russia won’t get back frozen $300bn assets under latest peace plan (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/18/russia-wont-get-frozen-300bn-assets-latest-peace-ukraine/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/18/russia-wont-get-frozen-300bn-assets-latest-peace-ukraine/]  Ukrainian drones blow up Russian oil tanker in Mediterranean (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/19/ukraine-strikes-russian-oil-tanker-in-mediterranean/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/19/ukraine-strikes-russian-oil-tanker-in-mediterranean/?WT.mc_id=e_DM768916&WT.tsrc=email&etype=Edi_Brk_New&utmsource=email&utm_medium=Edi_Brk_New20251219&utm_campaign=DM768916] LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST 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 [https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest] Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest [http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest] Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk [ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Putin: European leaders are ‘pigs’ who will be replaced & the race against time to plug Ukraine’s financial black hole

Day 1,393. Today, as EU leaders meet to decide what – if anything – to do with frozen Russian assets, we examine just how consequential this moment could be for the bloc and for European security more broadly. We also analyse how Vladimir Putin has deliberately shifted his language to appeal to Donald Trump, and track another attack on a Russian oil tanker as Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet appears to have blockaded itself inside Novorossiysk rather than risk further Ukrainian drone strikes. Contributors Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Joe Barnes (Brussels Correspondent). @Barnes_Joe on X. SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter [http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter]   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: Putin: European leaders are ‘pigs’ who will be replaced (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/17/putin-european-leaders-are-pigs-who-will-be-replaced/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/17/putin-european-leaders-are-pigs-who-will-be-replaced/]  Zelensky’s race against time to plug £48bn war black hole (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/18/the-budget-black-hole-that-threatens-the-future-of-ukraine/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/18/the-budget-black-hole-that-threatens-the-future-of-ukraine/]  How Putin’s favourite pop star became ‘most hated woman in Russia’ (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/16/putins-favourite-pop-star-most-hated-woman-russia/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/16/putins-favourite-pop-star-most-hated-woman-russia/]  LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST 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 [https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest] Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest [http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest] Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk [ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Russia: Trump has ‘promised us Ukrainian territory’

Day 1,392. Today, as Russia attempts to insist that one of its $400 million submarines was not destroyed by a Ukrainian sea drone — in a manner that appears to prove the opposite — we bring you inside reporting from the American and Ukrainian negotiating teams at this pivotal moment. We also look ahead to a crunch European vote on whether to unlock and use frozen Russian state assets. Contributors Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Michael Weiss (Editor of The Insider). @michaeldweiss on X. SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter [http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter]   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: US has promised us Ukrainian territory (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/16/russia-us-promised-ukrainian-territory-war-sergei-lavrov/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/16/russia-us-promised-ukrainian-territory-war-sergei-lavrov/]  Susie Wiles, JD Vance, and the “Junkyard Dogs”: The White House Chief of Staff on Trump’s Second Term (Vanity Fair): https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1 [https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-susie-wiles-interview-exclusive-part-1]  Ukraine Support Tracker (Kiel Institute): https://www.kielinstitut.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/ [https://www.kielinstitut.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/]  How Europe Can Defend Itself with Less America (CSIS Report): https://www.csis.org/analysis/how-europe-can-defend-itself-less-america [https://www.csis.org/analysis/how-europe-can-defend-itself-less-america]  Canadian military intelligence officer allegedly shared classified information with Ukraine (Globe & Mail): https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canadian-forces-intelligence-officer-classified-information-ukraine/?intcmp=gift_share [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canadian-forces-intelligence-officer-classified-information-ukraine/?intcmp=gift_share]  Swedish Navy spots armed Russian military personnel aboard shadow fleet tankers in Baltic Sea (Euromaidan): https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/12/16/swedish-navy-spots-russian-military-aboard-shadow-fleet/ [https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/12/16/swedish-navy-spots-russian-military-aboard-shadow-fleet/]  LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST 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 [https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest] Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest [http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest] Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk [ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

US offers Ukraine ‘platinum’ NATO-style security guarantees in ‘breakthrough’ & Kyiv blows up $400m Russian submarine with underwater drones

Day 1,391. Today, we assess what some are calling a “breakthrough” in talks between Europe, Ukraine, and the United States, after reports that Washington is offering Kyiv security guarantees equivalent to NATO’s Article 5. But is the proposal all it appears to be – and would Vladimir Putin ever accept it? We then report a first in military history: the sinking of a submarine in port by a drone, before examining internal pressures within Russian society, and reflecting on what Moscow has done to the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, reopening its destroyed theatre with a performance many see as shockingly insensitive. Contributors Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Roland Oliphant (Chief Foreign Analyst). @RolandOliphant on X. James Kilner (Russian Analyst). @jkjourno on X. SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter [http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter]   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: US tells Ukraine: Take our ‘platinum’ security guarantees or lose them (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/15/germany-witkoff-and-kushner-far-from-ideal-negotiators/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/15/germany-witkoff-and-kushner-far-from-ideal-negotiators/]  Ukraine ‘blows up £300m Russian submarine’ with underwater drones (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/15/ukraine-blows-up-300m-russian-submarine-underwater-drones/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/15/ukraine-blows-up-300m-russian-submarine-underwater-drones/]  The bedroom farce at the centre of a Russian war-crime propaganda plot (Roland Oliphant on Maruipol in The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/11/mariupol-theatre-putin-ukraine-plans/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/11/mariupol-theatre-putin-ukraine-plans/]  LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST 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 [https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest] Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest [http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest] Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk [ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Zelensky gives up NATO ambitions in peace deal ‘concession’ & the missile-sized weak spot in Russia’s air defenses

Day 1,390. Today, after another weekend of intense diplomatic activity, we take you to Berlin, where President Zelensky is meeting the American delegation – joined by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz – as Europe seeks to reassert itself in the peace process. We also examine the surge in military activity over the weekend, which saw multiple cities plunged into blackout, before turning to Germany’s rapidly evolving position, where comparisons are increasingly being drawn between today and the events that sparked the Second World War. Contributors Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X. SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter [http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter]   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: Zelensky gives up Nato ambitions in peace deal concession (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/14/zelensky-gives-up-nato-ambitions-in-peace-deal-concession/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/14/zelensky-gives-up-nato-ambitions-in-peace-deal-concession/]  MI6 chief warns Putin: We won’t abandon Ukraine (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/15/mi6-chief-warns-putin-we-wont-abandon-ukraine/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/15/mi6-chief-warns-putin-we-wont-abandon-ukraine/]  FBI boss met with Ukraine’s top peace negotiators (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/12/12/fbi-boss-ukraine-top-peace-negotiators/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/12/12/fbi-boss-ukraine-top-peace-negotiators/]  Lithuania in state of emergency over smuggler balloons linked to Russia (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/09/lithuania-in-state-of-emergency-over-smuggler-balloons-link/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/09/lithuania-in-state-of-emergency-over-smuggler-balloons-link/]  German tank-shaped Christmas calendar ‘glorifying war’ (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/10/german-tank-shaped-christmas-calendar-glorifying-war/ [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/10/german-tank-shaped-christmas-calendar-glorifying-war/]  New Ukrainian Polling: https://kiis.com.ua/ [https://kiis.com.ua/]  Chess-FIDE reinstates Russian and Belarusian teams in official contests (Reuters): https://www.reuters.com/sports/chess-fide-reinstates-russian-belarusian-teams-official-contests-2025-12-15/ [https://www.reuters.com/sports/chess-fide-reinstates-russian-belarusian-teams-official-contests-2025-12-15/]  ‘Disrupting Russian Air Defence Production: Reclaiming the Sky’ (RUSI): https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/research-papers/disrupting-russian-air-defence-production-reclaiming-sky [https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/research-papers/disrupting-russian-air-defence-production-reclaiming-sky] Comprehensive approach to security: Federal Council launches consultation on Switzerland's security policy strategy (Swiss Government) https://www.news.admin.ch/en/newnsb/BLkWfUbUsXtBFoSj-krgU [https://www.news.admin.ch/en/newnsb/BLkWfUbUsXtBFoSj-krgU] UN Press Page: https://press.un.org/en [https://press.un.org/en] LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST 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 [https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest] Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest [http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest] Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk [ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.