Putin ‘moving nuclear missiles’ to EU border & frog poison hit on Navalny reveals secret chemical weapons
Ukraine: The Latest
Louisa Wells / Francis Dearnley
4.8 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 16 February 2026
⏱️ 44 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Day 1,453.
Today, amid fresh Russian bombardments and reports of Ukrainian counter-operations, we step back to assess the broader strategic picture on the battlefield – and ask what 2026 could bring if peace talks collapse. We then report from the Munich Security Conference, where American voices, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, set out competing visions for US involvement in Europe, and Belarus warned about Moscow’s nuclear expansion. Then we cover President Zelensky’s candid remarks, and examine the extraordinary claims from British intelligence that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed with a toxin derived from a frog on the orders of Vladimir Putin.
Contributors
Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Venetia Rainey (Co-host Battle Lines podcast). @venetiarainey on X.
Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X.
Rozina Sabur (National Security Editor). @RozinaSabur on X.
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CONTENT REFERENCED:
Putin’s frog poison hit on Navalny reveals his secret chemical weapons (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/14/russia-killed-navalny-with-frog-poison-britain-reveals/
Kim opens new neighbourhood for families of soldiers killed in Ukraine (The Telegraph):
Putin ‘moving nuclear missiles’ to EU border (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/15/putin-moving-nuclear-missiles-to-eu-border/
Nato will strike ‘deep inside Russia’ if Putin hits Baltics (The Telegraph):
Poland considers building nuclear weapons (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/16/poland-considers-building-nuclear-weapons-russia/
Ukraine’s War of Endurance – The Fight for Advantage in the Conflict’s Fifth Year (Michael Kofman in Foreign Affairs):
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/russia/ukraines-war-endurance
Ukraine struck $100 million Russian Nebo-U radar system in occupied Crimea, General Staff claims (Kyiv Independent):
Ukraine’s survival still an ‘open question’, Kyiv mayor warns (Financial Times):
https://www.ft.com/content/a140cba5-d36c-47b7-95cb-57218fa5874c
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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 and this is Ukraine, the latest. |
| 0:13.5 | Today, amid fresh Russian bombardments and reports of Ukrainian counter-operations, |
| 0:17.8 | we step back to assess the broader strategic picture on the battlefield. |
| 0:22.7 | Then we report from the Munich Security Conference, where American voices, including |
| 0:27.0 | US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, set down competing visions for US involvement in Europe. |
| 0:33.1 | We cover President Zelensky's candid remarks and examine the extraordinary claims from British |
| 0:37.9 | intelligence that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed with a toxin derived from an |
| 0:44.1 | Ecuadorian frog on the orders of Putin. |
| 0:47.7 | bravery takes you through the most unimaginable hardships to finally reward you with victory. |
| 0:57.5 | The Russian does not want peace. |
| 0:59.3 | First, we're fighting, with our help for the Ukraine, |
| 1:02.7 | also our freedom and our European values. |
| 1:08.0 | If I'm president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours. |
| 1:11.9 | We are with you, not just today or tomorrow, but for a hundred years. |
| 1:17.0 | We can't as European, let's gain the Russia in Ukraine. |
| 1:21.5 | Nobody's going to break us. We're strong. We're Ukraine is. |
| 1:27.3 | It's Monday, the 16th of February, three years and 359 days since the full-scale invasion |
| 1:34.3 | began. |
| 1:35.3 | And today I'm joined in our studio by host of our sister podcast battle lines, Venetia Rani. |
| 1:39.3 | And later, you'll hear Adli Poghomonte talk to the Telegraph's national security editor, |
| 1:47.3 | Razina Sabur, who is at the Munich Security Conference. |
... |
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