Russia accused of covering up plague leak & how Kyiv cracked Putin's kill zone

Day 1,681.
Today, after a weekend that saw Kyiv’s key bridges hit by Russian drones in broad daylight – as Frederich Merz was actually visiting the Ukrainian capital, we hear the German chancellor’s defiant response. We discuss the death of a lab worker in Siberia, possibly of plague, sparking concern of an outbreak. Then we dive deeper into the tactics that allowed Ukraine to advance on the battlefield this year, and see Tucker Carlson being taken to task by former British MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, on his views on Ukraine and World War Two.

Contributors:
Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.
Sophie O’Sullivan (Telegraph Journalist).
Verity Bowman (Foreign and Global Health Security Reporter). @VerityBowman on X.

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: youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest

CONTENT REFERENCED:
U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Now Involve an Oil Deal Tied to Trump Allies (New York Times)
nytimes.com/2026/10/03/us/politics/kushner-wit…

Interview with journalists from the Kyiv Independent:
On YouTube: youtu.be/m_ILe1GrwPs?si=II1vUNv7rS1Qdy5Q&t…
On Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-late…
On Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/3YW7fcsWSEtcSXZ4JcER2…

Sophie’s interview with Annie Jacobsen, on her book about biological warfare:
On YouTube: youtu.be/sAp28EQy1hY?si=YzmVBjcqnaXUAWm7&t…
On Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-late…
On Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0e63alt0a7dxCHuLA81Sm…

Francis’s tour of the Berlin Ukraine Museum:
youtu.be/5W9yy8Z-Qa0?si=xLFIpuTqqgyiZv46&t…

Learn more about the Ukraine Museum in Berlin:
berlinstory.de/ukraine-museum

Tucker Carlson debates Jacob-Rees Mogg:
youtube.com/watch?v=WDwKfFV8eCU&t=2842s

Jacob Rees-Mogg on The Daily T:
On YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=uEBMM-cdqLc
On Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6cnkk1J0I1UqtxTYVUL4Fe?s…
On Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-daily-t/id14…

How Kyiv cracked Russia’s kill zone and got its tanks back in the fight (Verity Bowman for The Telegraph)
telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/03/how-ukra…

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.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Russia accused of covering up plague leak after Siberia lab worker death
• How Kyiv cracked Russia’s kill zone and got its tanks back in the fight
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