Putin strikes NATO: Romania hit in 'major escalation' & interviews with ‘brainwashed’ Russian PoWs

Putin strikes NATO: Romania hit in 'major escalation' & interviews with ‘brainwashed’ Russian PoWs

Author: The Telegraph May 29, 2026 Duration: 59:25

Day 1,554.

Today, as Romania kicks Russian diplomats out of the country following a drone strike last night that has injured civilians in the eastern city of Galati, we ask, why is it so easy for Romania to name the perpetrator of such attacks when others still seek to avoid apportioning blame. We then look at reports Russia is continuing to be hit hard on the southern corridor, including now by drone-landed mines, followed by the second part of Francis’s special dispatch from the La Biannale art festival in Venice, today looking at the decision to permit the reopening of the Russian Pavilion and his encounter with Pussy Riot. And we finish with an audio dispatch from me, after my visit to a prisoner of war camp in western Ukraine. 


Contributors:

Dom Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.

Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.

With thanks to the soldiers, artists, and curators at the ‘Still Joy’ exhibition in Venice, and to Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot.


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

Additional thanks to Tom Steed and Natalia Makohon for dubbing.


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:

Dom’s full documentary interviewing POWs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJwjbWheClk 


Francis’s first dispatch from Venice and La Biennale:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay2UT-SeKDI 


Learn more about ‘Resistance Imprisoned’:

https://www.ritschfisch.com/exhibition/resistance-imprisoned/ 


Learn more about the PinchukArtCentre’s exhibition ‘Still Joy’ (running until 1st August):

https://pinchukartcentre.org/en/exhibitions/still-joy-from-ukraine-into-the-world-biennale-arte-2026 


Russian drone hits Romanian apartment block in ‘grave escalation’ (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/29/russia-ukraine-war-drone-strikes-romanian-apartment-nato/ 


EMAIL US:

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.


HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Putin strikes NATO: Romania hit in 'major escalation'
  • Dom Nicholls interviews ‘brainwashed’ Russian PoWs



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Each weekday, the team behind Ukraine: The Latest from The Telegraph provides a comprehensive and clear-eyed update on the ongoing war. This isn't just a headline recap. Instead, their journalists and experts delve into the day's developments with depth and context, weaving together frontline dispatches, strategic military analysis, and discussions on the economic and human impacts that define this conflict. You'll hear from reporters on the ground, conversations about historical parallels, and examinations of how the war shapes global politics, energy markets, and culture. With over 138 million downloads, this award-winning daily podcast has become an essential resource for listeners seeking to move beyond the news cycle and understand the multifaceted reality of the war. The coverage naturally expands from battlefield tactics to the stories of refugees, the resilience of daily life, and the geopolitical shifts reverberating worldwide. For a consistent, trusted, and nuanced perspective, this podcast offers a vital daily briefing that connects the immediate events to their broader significance, ensuring you are informed on every dimension of this defining story.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Ukraine: The Latest
Podcast Episodes
Exclusive: Inside NATO's secret base preparing for war with Russia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:22
Day 1,548.Today, as the US administration reveals details of its participation in Vladimir Putin’s flagship business and investment forum, Russia and Belarus conclude major nuclear exercises just as Ukraine continues its…