Ukraine prepares for fresh attack from north & Russians survive 'only 35 minutes' on frontline

Day 1,587.

As more of Russia’s ground-based space infrastructure is launched by Ukraine into low earth orbit, eight days after the first such strike, Dom asks: where are the air defences? In the words of Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov it’s just “one crisis after another" for Russia, as he talks about the campaign to strangle Crimea. Meanwhile, Russian milbloggers are complaining that the life expectancy of a Russian soldier at the front is now about half an hour; criticisms that drew the remarkable response from the State Duma that Russian people should “just get on with it”. Russia analyst James Kilner reports on how fuel shortages are dominating life in the country. Later, David Miliband of the International Rescue Committee gives a glimpse of civilian life near the frontline.

Contributors:

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

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

Adrian Blomfield (Telegraph Senior Foreign Correspondent). @adrianblomfield on X.

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:

Africans being tricked by Russia to fight in the killing forests of Ukraine (The Telegraph)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/14/africans-tricked-russia-killing-forests-ukraine/

As the Tide Turns Against Putin, Beware the Drowning Man (Foreign Policy)

https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/25/russia-ukraine-war-putin-escalation-nato-europe/ 

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