Global Courant 2023-05-18 20:16:10
Putin
Today in Ukraine: The Latest, we report on Ukraine’s limited gains over Bakhmut, a derailed freight train in occupied Crimea, and front-line videos of Ukrainian tank tactics. In addition, we reflect further on the legacy of World War II and why autocracies often fail in longer conflicts.
Assistant commentator Francis Dearnley begins by summarizing another heavy bombing day for Kiev:
According to the Ukrainian military, their air defenses successfully shot down 29 of 30 Russian cruise missiles in overnight attacks. The attacks targeted several areas, including Kiev and the southern city of Odessa. Officials claim that one person was killed and two others injured in the attacks in Odessa. In Kiev, however, all cruise missiles were reportedly intercepted and neutralized by the air defense.
Commenting on the significance of these ‘failed’ strikes, Francis continues:
The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine has stressed that “Kiev remains Putin’s ruthless and unattainable target.” He points to the symbolic significance of the capital being attacked by Russian missiles, albeit not with the effectiveness Putin intended, as he has advertised these hypersonic missiles as game-changers that have not proved as devastating as he had hoped.
Later in the episode, chemical weapons expert Hamish De Bretton-Gordon joins the panel and gives his opinion on the all-important nuclear issue:
I think one of the very positive things that has come out of the conflict in Ukraine so far is that the nuclear bubble has completely burst. The fact that these hypersonic missiles are so easily knocked out really matters – they are an important part of Putin’s strategic and tactical nuclear arsenal. But now everyone knows that they are not really viable.
Smoke rises after a Russian missile strike on Kiev
War in Ukraine changes our world. Every weekday, the Telegraph’s top journalists analyze the invasion from all angles – military, humanitarian, political, economic, historical – and tell you what you need to know to stay informed.
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With over 30 million downloads, Our Ukraine: The Latest Podcast is your go-to source for the latest analysis, live commentary, and on-site reporting correspondents. We’ve been broadcasting since the full-scale invasion began.
Ukraine: The Latest contributors are:
David Knowles
David is head of social media at the Telegraph, where he spent nearly two years. He previously worked for the World Economic Forum in Geneva. He speaks French.
Dominic Nichols
Dom has been Associate Editor (Defense) at the Telegraph since joining in 2018. Previously, he served 23 years in the British Army, in tank and helicopter units. He had operational deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.
Francis Dearley
Francis is an assistant commentator at the Telegraph. Prior to working as a journalist, he was Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Policy Council in the Houses of Parliament in London. He studied history at Cambridge University and in the podcast he examines how the past sheds light on the latest diplomatic, political and strategic developments.
They are also regularly joined by the Telegraph’s foreign correspondents around the world, including Joe Barnes (Brussels), Sophia Yan (China), Nataliya Vasilyeva (Russia), Roland Oliphant (Senior Reporter) and Colin Freeman (Reporter). In London, Venetia Rainey (Weekend Foreign Editor), Katie O’Neill (Assistant Foreign Editor) and Verity Bowman (News Reporter) also seem to offer regular updates.
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