Is Kharkiv becoming as dangerous as frontline city Kherson? Today, Ukraine sets the sky alight over Moscow oblast as it wipes out the latest Wildberries warehouse. Plus, in what Moscow said was Kyiv’s biggest attack of the year, the plant manufacturing rockets for Russia’s space programme was also destroyed, 9000km inside Russia. Thousands of protesters gathered in Kyiv over the weekend in support of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, and Russia’s Foreign Minister effectively admitted responsibility for recent operations in Europe such as the Leipzig drone attack, saying the West is “already starting to groan”. And later, we talk to two journalists who have just returned from Kharkiv, where they made a film warning that the city is fast catching up with Kherson when it comes to drone safari attacks. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X. Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X. With thanks to journalists Anna Conkling and Jason Bellini. Producer: Rachel Porter 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: Anna and Jason’s documentary from Kharkiv https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zIaFDV1TsU Caolan Robertson’s interview with Mykhailo Federov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFZ3-nZPCu0 Putin launches revenge strikes on Kyiv after space centre attack (The Telegraph) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/16/russia-putin-revenge-strikes-kyiv-space-centre-attack/ Russia builds secret drone bases in striking distance of Nato (The Telegraph) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/16/russia-builds-secret-drone-bases-in-nato-striking-distance/ Patriot missiles have been a godsend for Ukraine against Putin, but they’re running out. Kyiv needs help and fast (Jack Watling for The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/14/patriot-missiles-ukraine-putin-kyiv-running-out-nato-danger Second wave of fuel shortages at petrol stations sweeps across Russia (Reuters) https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/second-wave-fuel-shortages-petrol-stations-sweeps-across-russia-2026-08-17/ Call for the release of OSCE SMM staff members https://zmina.ua/en/statements-en/the-release-of-osce-smm-staff-members-is-a-prerequisite-for-the-implementation-of-ceasefire-monitoring/ Learn more about ENGIn https://www.enginprogram.org/ If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.uk EMAIL US: Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.

As Russia continues to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, civilians in Kyiv are facing freezing temperatures, blackouts and widespread heating outages during one of the coldest winters in years. Noosphere reporter Anna Conkling describes what daily life looks like on the ground — from residents relying on warming shelters and power banks to families using gas stoves to heat their homes. Despite repeated attacks and subzero temperatures, many Ukrainians are still finding ways to work, shop and carry on. Watch for a firsthand look at how war and winter are colliding, and how civilians are coping.

The city of Pokrovsk, once a key logistics and cultural hub, now teeters on the brink of collapse. Through firsthand accounts, we see not only the brutal physical destruction of war but also the complete evisceration of the human condition. Ever since mid-2024, residents and Ukrainian officials have been stripping everything of value from the frontline town of Pokrovsk: library books, hospital beds, industrial equipment, everything that once supported a bustling settlement of more than 60,000 people at the heart of Ukraine’s eastern, mainly Russian-speaking Donbas region. International war correspondent Anna Conkling joins Gavin Lee and asserts that "this could be the final days of Pokrovsk under Ukrainian control". #Ukraine #War #Donbas 🔔 Subscribe to France 24 now: https://f24.my/YTen 🔴 LIVE - Watch FRANCE 24 English 24/7 here: https://f24.my/YTliveEN 🌍 Read the latest International News and Top Stories: https://www.france24.com/en/ Like us on Facebook: https://f24.my/FBen Follow us on X: https://f24.my/Xen Bluesky: https://f24.my/BSen and Threads: https://f24.my/THen Browse the news in pictures on Instagram: https://f24.my/IGen Discover our TikTok videos: https://f24.my/TKen Get the latest top stories on Telegram: https://f24.my/TGen

Day 1,282. Today, we hear from on the ground in Kyiv after a massive strike last night damaged the British Council and the EU mission. Meanwhile, Ukraine hit another 2 oil refineries in Russia continuing its strategy of undermining the Russian oil industry and economy. We look towards a meeting between the Ukrainians and Steve Witkoff in the US next week, and we hear from Ed Matthews, from Fire Aid, an organisation that brings fire trucks to vulnerable areas around the world, amongst them Ukraine. Contributors: Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X. Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X. Anna Conkling (Independent Journalist and Telegraph Contributor). @ConklingAnna on X. With thanks to Ed Matthews of Fire Aid.

A significant military advance by Russia in Ukraine is forcing thousands of civilians to evacuate from towns near the frontlines. Recent reports indicate that Russian forces have surged as much as 10 miles past Ukrainian defenses in what officials characterize as one of the most aggressive offensives in recent months. Independent reporter Anna Conkling, working with the news platform Noosphere, has just returned from Eastern Ukraine, providing firsthand insights from the front line regions where Russian forces are actively advancing. ------------------------------------- Join our newsletter at https://bit.ly/2q1tepr Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scrippsnews/ Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/scrippsnews Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scrippsnews/ Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scrippsnews