Striving for Victory: Ukraine faces constant military threats while gaining new U.S. support. The need for strategic unity and preparation against Putin's nuclear threats is vital for a victorious future.
Ukraine continues to face ongoing military challenges, including missile attacks on Kyiv and drone incursions. However, there is also significant international support, with President Zelensky securing new military aid from the U.S. This ongoing conflict highlights the importance of strategic discussions and preparedness to prevent future conflicts. Additionally, the rhetoric from Putin regarding nuclear weapons remains a tactic of intimidation, emphasizing the need for the West to remain resolute in their support for Ukraine and their stance against aggression. Unity among allies and effective military support is critical to achieving a victorious outcome for Ukraine and ensuring long-term peace in the region.
Diplomatic Tensions: Tensions rise as Zelensky seeks support against Russia amid polarized U.S. politics. Competing peace proposals challenge Ukraine's stance, while Russia's nuclear threats loom large.
Recent developments in international politics, particularly surrounding the UN General Assembly, highlight increasing tensions due to Russia's threats regarding nuclear weapons and Ukraine's urgent calls for support against ongoing aggression. President Zelensky's attempts to secure international backing face challenges amidst a polarized U.S. political climate and competing peace proposals from nations like Brazil and China.
Intelligence Flaws: Intelligence on the Russian military prior to the Ukraine invasion was flawed, overlooking morale and operational realities, leading to significant misjudgments about their capabilities and readiness, while relying on misleading historical comparisons.
Military analysts have pointed out serious flaws in the intelligence assessments of the Russian military prior to the invasion of Ukraine. While there were accurate predictions about Russia's intent to attack, assumptions about their military professionalism and capabilities led to misjudgments. Analysts often compared the Russian army to the more advanced U.S. military, underestimating the role of morale, discipline, and other critical factors. They failed to recognize that terms like 'battle-tested' were misapplied, as the Russian operations in Syria did not prepare them for real combat challenges. Furthermore, the tendency to use counterfactual reasoning to explain analytical failures has hindered proper understanding of the conflict's complexities. Historians emphasize the need to acknowledge these mistakes and learn from them, rather than make excuses, in order to improve future military analysis and strategic planning.
Military Analysis Insight: Historical context is crucial for accurate military analysis. Misguided comparisons and groupthink in the analytic community can distort understanding, underscoring the need for diverse expertise and critical debate.
Military analyses often overlook historical context, which can lead to misguided expectations. Comparisons between the Russian military today and its capabilities during World War II are flawed. Additionally, the analytic community suffers from groupthink and the pressure to deliver bold predictions, rather than a nuanced understanding of complex situations. This has resulted in misjudgments about the war in Ukraine. To improve military analysis, a diverse range of expertise and a willingness to embrace uncertainty should be prioritized over consensus-driven approaches that stifle critical debate. By understanding both the lessons from history and the current reality, better decisions can be made to address contemporary conflicts.
War Insights: The war in Ukraine highlighted misjudgments by both Russian and Western analysts. Ukrainians showed resilience, while Russian dishonesty led to miscalculations, emphasizing the need to consider local perspectives in future analyses.
In analyzing the war in Ukraine, several critical insights emerged. While both Western and Russian analysts underestimated the situation, the Ukrainians displayed remarkable resilience and initiative that surprised many. The Russian military’s internal culture of dishonesty and condescension led to severe miscalculations, while the slower-than-expected Western response to supporting Ukraine also hindered effective action. It's important to listen more to the perspectives of frontline states and the people directly involved to gain a clearer picture. As analysts reflect on their mistakes, recognizing the dynamic and self-organizing nature of Ukrainian society offers valuable lessons for future assessments of conflicts.
Insights on War: Understanding individual perspectives of war leaders, encouraging open debate, and analyzing community influences are key to improving war analysis and decision-making.
War leaders, like Putin, have unique perspectives that shape their decisions, which may not always be logical or rational. It's crucial for analysts and researchers to focus on understanding these individual viewpoints rather than relying on broad assumptions. Additionally, examining the communities that inform these analyses can lead to more accurate insights. Currently, there's a tendency in Western institutions to avoid consequences for flawed predictions, resulting in limited improvement. Encouraging open debate and diversity of thought in these communities fosters better understanding and analysis of conflicts. As events unfold, recognizing the role of shock in military strategy is essential, as it can significantly influence outcomes and reactions. Learning from both successful and failed analyses in previous conflicts can help to reshape how we approach and study modern warfare.
Podcast Support: Help spread the word about 'Ukraine the Latest' by following it, leaving reviews, and sharing it with others. Your support and engagement through messages and social media are crucial for connecting and informing listeners worldwide about the situation in Ukraine.
Supporting the podcast 'Ukraine the Latest' is important for spreading information about the situation in Ukraine. By following the podcast on your preferred app and leaving a review, you help others discover it. Engaging with the podcast team through email or social media encourages communication and shows where listeners are tuning in from. Every message is valued, and your input is crucial as the team continues to provide updates on this ongoing issue. By sharing the podcast with friends or family who might not know about it, you help broaden its reach and strengthen the community that is focused on understanding the developments in Ukraine. This support is particularly vital during these challenging times, as the podcast team seeks to provide reliable insights to a global audience. Every action, whether it’s a follow, a review, or a message, contributes to the collective effort of staying informed about the situation.
Exclusive interview with former Counselor of US State Department Eliot A. Cohen & Phillips O'Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies at St Andrews
Ukraine: The Latest
694 Episodes
Recent Episodes from Ukraine: The Latest
Geolocated footage reveals new battles in Kherson & will Ukraine get its own national cemetery?
Day 952.
Today, we consider the precarious situation in the Ukrainian city of Kherson, hear the latest on the political tribulations in Europe and beyond, and reflect on calls for Ukraine to have its own national cemetery.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
James Crisp (Europe Editor). @JamesCrisp6 on X.
Steam Link for David's Funeral:
His funeral will be live streamed here at 11.15 (BST) on Thursday 3 October:
https://youtube.com/live/cMqwb1Rc0Qk
Content Referenced:
How I was chased out of Russia by new drone teams sent to recapture Kursk (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/01/kursk-ukraine-russia-putin-kiev-drones-sudzha/
Drone Pilots Circle like Vultures Over Kherson’s Most Vulnerable (Tochnyi):
Ukraine faces its darkest hour (Financial Times):
https://www.ft.com/content/2bb20587-9680-40f0-ac2d-5e7312486c75
The Telegraph's Battle Lines podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/battle-lines/id1712903296
Ukraine’s artillery is helping boost Scranton’s economy (Washington Post):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/09/29/ukraine-war-scranton-defense-manufacturing/
Why doesn’t Ukraine have a national military cemetery? (Kyiv Independent):
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Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk
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Drone strikes destroy Russian depot 'only hours' after key Iranian missile delivery
Day 951
Today, we report how the latest Ukrainian strikes inside Russia can be seen from space and discuss a bipartisan congressional paper that says the US should fundamentally revisit the post-Cold War status quo in its relations with Russia.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
With thanks to former British Defence Attaché to Russia and Ukraine, John Foreman CBE. @John_ForemanCBE on X.
Articles Referenced:
Exclusive: Russia has secret war drones project in China, intel sources say (Reuters):
Bipartisan report urges rethink of America’s Russia strategy (The Hill)
https://thehill.com/policy/international/4904188-us-russia-relations-helsinki-report/
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Subscribe to The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest
Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk
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Pentagon announces ‘massive’ military aid package & reviewing Russian rockets with former NASA Astronaut Terry Virts
Day 948.
Today, further to updates from the war zone, we look at the new military aid package announced by the US for Kyiv, discuss the upcoming meeting between President Zelensky and Donald Trump, and review Russian rockets and the battle for space with a former commander of the International Space Station.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
With thanks to Terry Virts, former US Air Force F-16 pilot, NASA astronaut, test pilot, and currently a Senior Fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics, an energy think tank. @AstroTerry on X.
Content Referenced:
U.S. Intelligence Stresses Risks in Allowing Long-Range Strikes by Ukraine (New York Times):
Children lost to the war (Ukrainian Government):
https://childrenofwar.gov.ua/en/
Ukraine Focus NGO, delivering Ambulances to Ukraine:
For more information, visit:
For Francis's episode on his journey with Ukraine Focus, see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHOEYMfizow
Students can subscribe to our coverage for free:
We’re giving university students worldwide unlimited access to The Telegraph completely free of charge. Just enter your student email address at telegraph.co.uk/studentsub to enjoy 12 months’ free access to our website and app. Better still, you’ll get another 12 months each time you re-validate your email address.
Subscribe to The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest
Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk
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Exclusive interview with former Counselor of US State Department Eliot A. Cohen & Phillips O'Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies at St Andrews
Day 947.
Today, following the usual military and political updates in this major week, we talk to two of the most high profile analysts of the war about their new report into how rectifying systematic failures in Western analysis and intelligence is vital for preventing future conflict.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @RolandOliphant on X.
Eliot A. Cohen (Former Counsellor of the United States Department of State). @EliotACohen on X.
Phillips O'Brien (Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews). @PhillipsPOBrien on X.
Report Referenced:
'The Russia-Ukraine War: A Study in Analytic Failure' (by Phillips O'Brien & Eliot Cohen)
https://www.csis.org/analysis/russia-ukraine-war-study-analytic-failure
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Donbas city “now being flanked” by Russian forces
Day 946.
Today we hear how the Ukrainian city of Vuhledar is now at great risk of becoming encircled and discuss whether the increasingly fiery exchanges in the United Nations will have any impact.
Contributors:
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @RolandOliphant on X.
Content Referenced:
Brand new luxury British and European cars are entering Russia despite being banned - here's how (Sky News):
https://news.sky.com/story/brand-new-luxury-british-and-european-cars-are-entering-russia-despite-being-banned-heres-how-13218444
Meloni-themed restaurant opens in Albania near Italian migrant centres:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/09/25/meloni-themed-restaurant-opens-in-near-migrant-centres/
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Russian missiles and drones ‘shot down in droves’ & military memories of WWII veterans
Day 945.
Today, military and political battlefields align as President Zelensky fights to persuade world leaders to support Kyiv further while his country faces new bombardments, and – later in the episode – the team share memories of their time in the military talking to veterans of the Second World War, and reflect on what it will mean for soldiers, and Western culture, for that generation to disappear.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon (Former Tank Commander). @HamishDBG on X.
Content Referenced:
Battle Lines - our sister podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/battle-lines/id1712903296
Revealed: Russia anticipated Kursk incursion months in advance, seized papers show (The Guardian):
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Zelensky signs shells at US ammunition factory & "critical" UN summit begins
Day 944
Today, as he heads to Washington, we look at President Zelensky’s 4-point peace plan and hear from Berlin as Chancellor Scholz survives an electoral challenge from left and right.
Contributors:
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Reporter). @RolandOliphant on X.
James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X.
Articles Referenced:
David Knowles: Telegraph journalist who made huge impact in a short life (Press Gazette)
Back to the Cold War: Russia uses Mexico as a hub for spying on the US (NBC News):
https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/cold-war-russia-uses-mexico-hub-spying-us-rcna171819
Fake UK news sites ‘spreading false stories’ about western firms in Ukraine (The Guardian):
Volodymyr Zelensky Has a Plan for Ukraine’s Victory (The New Yorker):
Students can subscribe to our coverage for free:
We’re giving university students worldwide unlimited access to The Telegraph completely free of charge. Just enter your student email address at telegraph.co.uk/studentsub to enjoy 12 months’ free access to our website and app.
Better still, you’ll get another 12 months each time you re-validate your email address.
Subscribe to The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest
Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk
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Ukrainian forces ‘captured hundreds of conscripts’ in Kursk & assessing two years of economic warfare to cripple Moscow
Day 941
Today, we look at the latest developments on the frontline; Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara Murza insists a democratic Russia is possible - as long as the West helps Ukraine win the war; and a leading financial journalist takes us inside the Economic war, the West’s sanctions on Russia, and the Kremlin’s attempts to outfox them.
Contributors:
Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Reporter). @RolandOliphant on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
Francis Dearnlety (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Latika M Bourke (Writer-at-Large for @thenightlyau). @latikambourke on X.
Stephanie Baker (Senior Writer, Bloomberg). @StephaniBaker on X.
Articles:
Stephanie's Book: Punishing Putin: Inside the Global Economic War to Bring Down Russia:
Tribute Episode to David Knowles of Battle Lines:
Volunteers dying as Russia’s war dead tops 70,000 (BBC):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjr3255gpjgo
How oligarchs took on the UK fraud squad – and won (The Guardian):
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2024/sep/12/enrc-oligarchs-took-on-serious-fraud-office-and-won
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Kursk counter-offensive continues & new munitions funnelled to Ukraine from India
Day 940:
Today, we assess the latest military manoeuvres in Kursk, look at how Indian munitions are finding their way into Ukraine, and consider the latest in Ukrainian politics and culture.
Contributors:
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Svitlana Morenets (Ukrainian journalist, The Spectator) @SvMorenets on X.
Articles Referenced:
Ammunition from India enters Ukraine, raising Russian ire (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/world/ammunition-india-enters-ukraine-raising-russian-ire-2024-09-19/
Russia tried to stage coup in Armenia, prosecutors allege (Politico)
https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-stage-violent-coup-armenia-investigation-allegiation/
Moldova charges former top general with high treason after The Insider exposes him as GRU informant (The Insider)
https://theins.press/en/news/274691
Francis's episode on Mikhail Bulgakov
It's time to let Ukraine to join NATO (Boris Johnson in The Spectator)
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/its-time-to-let-ukraine-join-nato/
Lessons from Kursk (Desk Russie)
https://desk-russie.info/2024/09/09/lessons-from-kursk.html
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Ukraine attack on Russian missile depot triggers mini earthquake & Moscow’s espionage war in the Arctic
Day 939.
Today, we discuss an enormous explosion as Kyiv strikes a Russian military depot, hear about Moscow’s hybrid war in the Arctic, and receive an update on the state of the Kursk operation and the munitions race.
Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
Michael Bohnert (Engineer at RAND Corporation). @mbohnert on X.
Articles Referenced:
'Putin is becoming entangled in his own discredited red lines' (The Atlantic Council)
Russia’s Espionage War in the Arctic (The New Yorker) -
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/09/16/russias-espionage-war-in-the-arctic
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