Hello, Patrick Bishop here.

Just to let you know that the episode you're about to hear was recorded before Saul and I learned of the demise of Yvgeny Progogsian.

To hear our thoughts on these astonishing events, please listen to our emergency podcast, which you can find on our feed if you've not already heard it.

But do keep on listening for our take on other events this week,

as well as our answers to all your questions.

Hello and welcome to the 100th episode of Battleground Ukraine with me Saul David and Patrick Bishop.

It's been quite a ride since we brought out our first pod on the Falklands War in early 22.

And thanks to all of you, our download numbers have grown steadily from just a few thousand a week to more than a hundred thousand. It's testament to the fact that, like us, people around the world

care about what's going on in Ukraine. Well, as for events in Ukraine, it's been quite a week,

with the welcome if much overdue news that Netherlands and Denmark, with American approval,

will give at least 61 F-16 fighters to Ukraine when their pilots have completed the necessary training.

There have also been significant gains for Ukraine on the battlefield.

But all is not rosy in the garden.

This week, the Washington Post quoted American intelligence sources

as saying the Ukraine counteroffensive is unlikely to achieve its objective of severing

the land bridge between Russia and Crimea. A Russian missile targeted at a theater in Chen

Killing seven and wounding more than 100 civilians.

And her old friend, Yevgeny Pryogsian, the boss of Wagner, has popped up in Africa,

saying he was determined to make, quote, Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free.

We'll be discussing all this and more, but first, what about those F-16s,

it's about time, isn't it? Yeah, it certainly is. We've been speaking about this for so long, Patrick.

We'd mentioned before on the podcast that some NATO countries were training F-16 pilots,

...