Missile barrage slams Ukraine & Putin bans recruitment of foreign soldiers to placate allies
Ukraine: The Latest
Louisa Wells / Francis Dearnley
4.8 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 26 February 2026
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Day 1,463.
Today, after a mass Russian aerial bombardment struck multiple regions across Ukraine, we report from Kyiv and eastern Ukraine on what it was like on the ground during the latest wave of drone and missile attacks. We then hear about Dom’s visit to a Ukrainian HUR military intelligence base in Zaporizhzhia, and examine reports that Vladimir Putin has been forced to curb the recruitment of foreign fighters to avoid diplomatic fallout with key allies. We also discuss the battlefield “kill ratio” that could undermine Russia’s war effort, and new air defence systems being developed that claim the capability to intercept nuclear missiles.
Contributors
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest).
Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest).
Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest).
Rozina Sabur (National Security Editor, The Telegraph).
Svitlana Morenets (Ukrainian Journalist).
NOW AVAILABLE IN 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://youtu.be/a5R4_917y_Q?si=Pj95IZlEuSQ5y_qf
CONTENT REFERENCED:
How Ukraine turned hobby drones into precision killing machines (The Telegraph):
Russia’s air defences could shoot down Britain’s nuclear missiles (The Telegraph):
First Ukrainian drone factory opens in Britain (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/26/first-ukrainian-drone-factory-opens-in-britain/
The kill ratio that can sink Putin’s war (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/24/the-kill-ratio-that-can-sink-putin-war/
Putin bans recruitment of foreign soldiers to placate African allies (The Telegraph):
Allies bow to Putin over Ukraine peace troops (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/24/allies-bow-to-putin-over-ukraine-peace-troops/
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:
Our weekly newsletter includes maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons, answers your questions, provides recommended reading, and gives exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights.. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers. Join here – http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter
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Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | The Telegraph. |
| 0:09.3 | I'm Francis Dernley. |
| 0:11.3 | I'm Domnickles. |
| 0:12.4 | I'm Adelie Pursman-Ponte. |
| 0:14.1 | And this is Ukraine, the latest. |
| 0:16.8 | Today, after a mass Russian aerial bombardment struck multiple regions across Ukraine, |
| 0:22.2 | we report from Kiev and eastern Ukraine on what it was like on the ground during the latest wave |
| 0:27.2 | of drone and missile attacks. We then hear about Dom's visit to a Ukrainian-Hur military intelligence |
| 0:33.0 | base in Zaporizia and examine reports that Putin has been forced to curb the recruitment of foreign |
| 0:39.1 | fighters. We also discussed the battlefield kill ratio that could undermine Russia's war effort, |
| 0:44.5 | and new air defense systems being developed that claim the capability to intercept atomic warheads. |
| 0:51.6 | Bravery takes you through the most unimaginable hardships to finally reward you with victory. |
| 1:01.0 | The Russians is not one feast. |
| 1:02.0 | First, we're fighting, with our help for the Ukraine, |
| 1:06.0 | also our freedom and our European Writers. If I'm president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours. |
| 1:15.3 | We are with you, not just today or tomorrow, but for a hundred years. |
| 1:20.2 | We can't as European, let's gain the Russia in Ukraine. |
| 1:24.6 | Nobody's going to break us. We're strong. Where Ukraine is. |
| 1:30.4 | It's Thursday, the 26th of February, four years and two days since the full-scale invasion |
| 1:35.4 | began. And today, I'm joined by my co-host, Dom Nichols in Nipro in eastern Ukraine, |
| 1:40.4 | and Adelaie Poghomte in Kiev. And here in the studio in London, the Telegraph's National Security Editor, Razina Sabour, and Ukrainian journalist Svetlana Morinetz. Just as a reminder, every episode is now available on our new YouTube channel, at Ukraine the latest. So if you want to see Dom and Adelaideley in Ukraine, maps and battlefield footage during the updates, |
| 2:01.4 | and our swanky new studio, do check out the link in the episode description. |
... |
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