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Goalhanger

A history podcast that explores the narratives, turning points, and characters that shape conflicts, encompassing a blend of social and military history. Following on from the series on the Falklands War, best-selling military historians Patrick Bishop, Saul David, and Roger Moorhouse turn their attention every Friday to the war in Ukraine, and every Wednesday look back at the significant wars, events, and figures from conflicts around the world.

Goalhanger Podcasts

Battleground

In the second part of our interview with Katya Ratushna, she recounts the harrowing final days of Avdiivka and shares her strategic vision for the future of the Ukrainian defence. 

Following her account of Bakhmut in Part 1, Katya offers a raw perspective on the "fate" of being among the last to leave a city on its final night. 

She offers an unfiltered look at:

 
The Avdiivka Evacuation: A gripping account of a midnight escape where a loose piece of thermal gear saved her from a Russian drone grenade that hit her group. 

 
Leadership and Gender: How she earned authority over eight years to command men in the Special Operation Forces and why she believes women bring a unique, "idea-driven" motivation to the front lines. 

 
The UAV Revolution: The challenges of scaling drone units and why she believes the military must move beyond technical piloting to a comprehensive system of tactical education. 

 
The "Kill Zone" Reality: A candid discussion on manpower, revealing that only an estimated 15% of the army is physically holding the most dangerous front-line positions. 

 
A Divided Kharkiv: A deeply personal reflection on the pro-Russian sentiments within her own family and the enduring Ukrainian roots of her home city. 

Join us for the conclusion of this powerful interview as Katya explores how rational thinking saves lives and why the time bought by defending these cities is Ukraine's most precious resource

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com

Follow us on:

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast
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398. Katya’s War: The Last Night in Avdiivka

In this episode of Battleground, Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse dive into the complex and shifting dynamics of the Ukraine conflict.

We begin by examining how the escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Iran are creating ripples that reach all the way to Kyiv. 

As the U.S. appears to seek a rapid exit from its "Operation Epic Fury" in the Gulf, we analyse what this perceived strategic incoherence means for future American support—or lack thereof—for Ukraine. 

The heart of today's discussion focuses on explosive leaked intelligence reports detailing Vladimir Putin’s intensifying paranoia. From installing surveillance on his own staff to avoiding his usual residences, the Russian leader is reportedly on "high alert" for a potential coup or drone assassination attempt from within his own elite circle. We take a close look at: 

 
The Shoigu Suspicion: Why former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is now being viewed as a "potential destabilising actor". 

 
A "Slimmed-Down" Victory Day: Why the traditional May 9 military parade in Red Square will feature no heavy weaponry this year. 

 
The Cost of War at Home: How plummeting approval ratings, 14.5% interest rates, and a crackdown on Telegram are fuelling public dissatisfaction in Russia.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com

Follow us on:

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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397. Is the Kremlin Crumbling? Putin’s Bunkers, Coup Fears, and the Shoigu Suspicion

If you would like to watch this podcast you can watch it on Spotify or you can find it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@BattlegroundUkraine

In this episode, we welcome back a remarkable guest: Katya Ratushna. While some may recognise her from the Academy Award-nominated film Porcelain War, Katya is, above all, a seasoned soldier and a veteran of the Battles for Kharkiv, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka. 

Speaking from her hometown of Kharkiv, Katya shares her journey from a civilian digging trenches in 2014 to a special operations soldier fighting in the most contested sectors of the full-scale invasion. She offers a raw, unfiltered perspective on: 

 
The Early Days of Resistance: How she and a group of 22 friends started the war with their own personal weapons and armour, patrolling Kharkiv in a small Ford Fiesta packed with RPGs. 

 
The challenges of Service: A candid discussion on the "conflict of senses" regarding mobilisation and the social complications facing Ukraine as veterans remain on the front lines without enough replacements to rotate out. 

 
The "Zoo" of Bakhmut: The chaotic reality of urban combat, where diverse units often struggled with communication and friendly fire, and the heartbreaking silence of friends who have since disappeared. 

 
The Final Night: A vivid account of the May 2023 withdrawal from Bakhmut—navigating burning anti-tank mines and manoeuvring a Humvee through exhausted troops as the scent of cherry blossoms signalled a somber end to a fierce campaign. 

Join us for Part 1 of this powerful interview as Katya dismantles stereotypes and explores why mindset is the most critical survival tool on the modern battlefield. 

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com

Follow us on:

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Instagram - podbattleground

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

396. Katya’s War: From Kharkiv to Bakhmut

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Roger Moorhouse and Saul David explore how Ukraine’s "kinetic sanctions" are successfully targeting the heart of the Russian economy where Western diplomacy has stalled. With 55% of Russia’s refining capacity now in the crosshairs, the strategic impact of long-range drone strikes is becoming impossible for the Kremlin to ignore.

We also discuss:

 
The Vanishing Victory Parade: Why Moscow has stripped its iconic Red Square celebration of vehicles and cadets, citing "terrorist threats."

 
The Cyber Front: From the "Tehran-style" internet clampdown in Russia to a daring Ukrainian hack of a military recruitment event at a Russian university.

 
Robot Wars: The implications of the first-ever capture of a military position using exclusively unmanned systems and the mounting Russian personnel losses.

 
Domestic Discontent: How the "Special Military Operation" is finally coming home to the Russian people through "black rain," internet restrictions, and VPN cat-and-mouse games.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com

 
Follow us on:

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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395. Kinetic Sanctions

If you would like to watch this podcast you can watch it on Spotify or you can find it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@BattlegroundUkraine

In this episode, we arrive in Kharkiv following an overnight train from Odesa to find a city of stark contrasts. While residents carry flowers for International Women’s Day in the beautiful spring sunshine, the scars of war are everywhere, from bombed-out buildings to the distant sound of explosions.

We sit down with Public Affairs Officer at the Khartiia Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine, Volodymyr Dehtyarov discuss the evolving tactical landscape of the conflict. He details how Ukraine is adapting with a new, meticulous approach to urban operations that prioritises minimising casualties.

Key topics include:

The New Minister of Defence: Why the appointment of a young, tech-savvy leader is seen as a pivotal move for the Ukrainian military. 

A New Way of Fighting: A deep dive into the recent operation in Kupiansk, where meticulous planning and drone-heavy tactics achieved a staggering 20-to-1 casualty ratio.

The Drone Revolution: How the battlefield has become "transparent and lethal," leading to the replacement of traditional armoured vehicles with fibre-optic aerial drones and unmanned ground vehicles for logistics and strikes.

Cognitive Warfare: The ongoing battle against Russian bot networks and the role of artificial intelligence in shaping public narrative and social division.

Julius Strauss writes the blog Back from the Front and also owns and runs Wild Bear Lodge, a bear-viewing lodge, in Canada. Here are the hyperlinks:

Substack: https://backfromthefront.substack.com/

Wild Bear Lodge: https://wildbearlodge.ca/

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com

Follow us on:

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast
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394. Kharkiv: Flowers, Sunshine, and the Shadow of War

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Saul David and Patrick Bishop dive into the pivotal shifts of the Ukraine War in 2026. From groundbreaking naval drone warfare to the "murky" world of energy diplomacy, we analyse why the Kremlin’s narrative is starting to crumble under the weight of economic reality and technological innovation.

In this episode Saul and Patrick look at: 

 
The Druzhba Pipeline & Hungary: Analysing new Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s proposal to drop the EU veto in exchange for Russian oil flow.

 
Russia’s Economic State: Why Swedish intelligence believes the Kremlin is hiding a massive budget gap and 15% inflation rate behind "massaged" data.

 
Military Technology Breakthroughs: The impact of the final SpaceX M-code satellite launch on Ukraine's precision strikes and the rise of "un-jammable" GPS.

 
Naval Drone Innovation: A world-first as Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces intercept a Russian Shahid drone using a surface vessel.

 
The Information War: Why Russian GRU hacking campaigns and disinformation failed to sway the Hungarian electorate.

Support the Show:
If you enjoyed this deep dive into the Russia-Ukraine conflict, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com

Follow us on:

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast
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393. The Druzhba Pipeline Deal: Hungary’s New PM & Russia’s Hidden Inflation

If you would like to watch this podcast you can watch it on Spotify or you can find it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@BattlegroundUkraine

We return to the historic port city of Odesa to witness the stark contrast between a city trying to maintain a sense of normalcy and the high-tech, high-stakes reality of the front lines.

In this episode, we explore the brittle state of Ukraine's energy grid, the mood of the locals to help us understand the complex, sometimes ambivalent, moods of a population weary of conflict.

And, we go inside a civilian drone school to meet the soldiers of the 39th Marine Brigade. They share insights on:

The Drone Revolution: Why FPV (First Person View) drones are the "cooking pot" of modern military innovation and why they are now essential for successful assault operations.

A New Military Culture: The rise of "patronage services" providing mental and physical rehabilitation for wounded soldiers and their families.The 

Recruitment Crisis: An honest look at why it is difficult to find motivated recruits and how the army is evolving to prioritise specialised skills over "Soviet-style" tactics.

Julius Strauss writes the blog Back from the Front and also owns and runs Wild Bear Lodge, a bear-viewing lodge, in Canada. Here are the hyperlinks:

Substack: https://backfromthefront.substack.com/

Wild Bear Lodge: https://wildbearlodge.ca/

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com

Follow us on:

X - @PodBattleground

Instagram - podbattleground

Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

392. Lessons for the West: The Most Experienced Army in Europe

A political earthquake has struck Budapest. After 16 years of dominance, Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz Party have been unseated in a resounding victory by Péter Magyar and the Tisza Party. With a historic 79% turnout and a two-thirds supermajority, the Hungarian landscape has been permanently altered—but what does this mean for the rest of the world?

In this comprehensive two-part special, host Patrick Bishop sits down with old friends and Hungarian experts Julius Strauss and Boldi Gyori to dissect a week that changed Europe.

We explore the sheer scale of the Tisza Party’s victory and how they overcame the "dirty tricks" of a quasi-autocracy. 

Julius and Boldi share the ground-level emotion of the election and analyse what we can expect from Péter Magyar—a former Fidesz stalwart turned revolutionary. 

We also examine the immediate ripples felt in Moscow, Brussels, and Washington.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com

Follow us on:

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Instagram - podbattleground

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

391. The Hungarian Earthquake: The Fall of the Orbán Era

You can watch this video on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/Khbr9JD_q98

In this special episode from Ukraine, the Battleground team visits Odesa to document the devastating impact of Russia’s winter strategy on the city's critical infrastructure. 

We go inside a key electrical substation—one of over 40 hit by drone attacks—to witness firsthand the "horrendous" damage caused by waves of Shaheed drones and speak with the resilient workers keeping the lights on in freezing conditions.

The episode also explores the war's "harder to see" wounds through a visit to a discreet clinic in Odesa. There, we meet Olga, a former London-based professional who returned home to establish a unique rehabilitation centre. 

She shares her mission to treat the psychological trauma and physical scars of returning soldiers and their families, operating under extreme conditions where even the clinic’s location must remain a secret for safety.

If you would like to support Olga and her team you can do so here - https://www.caresukraine.com/vsesylini_donate/

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com

Follow us on:

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Instagram - podbattleground

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

390. The Invisible Frontline: Power, Trauma, and Resilience in Odesa

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, hosts Saul David and Roger Morehouse explore a series of significant developments that suggest a shifting tide in the conflict. 

Political Controversy in Budapest: A look at US Vice President JD Vance’s recent speech in Hungary, his support for Victor Orbán, and the implications of his "outrageous" claims regarding foreign electoral interference. 

Revolutionary Drone Warfare: For the first time in history, a drone-led operation—using the British-made Malloy T150—successfully brought down a Russian-held bridge over a tributary of the Dnipro River. 

Strategic Strikes on Russian Oil: Despite calls from allies to stop, Ukraine continues its precision strikes on Russian oil hubs and refineries, including targets near Moscow and the Baltic port of Primorsk, to choke off Russian war profits. 

MI6 Assessment & Frontline Success: With reports indicating that Ukraine’s defenses are at their most secure in 10 months, we analyze recent gains near Avdiivka and the impact of the stalling Russian spring-summer offensive. 

Systemic Brutality in the Russian Ranks: A deep dive into reports from The Economist regarding the horrific conditions, corruption, and exploitation faced by Russian soldiers at the front. 

Cybersecurity & "Cat Feeder" Comms: How Russian citizens are using creative methods—from Duolingo to video-enabled cat feeders—to bypass the Kremlin’s crackdown on VPNs and messaging apps. 

Saul and Roger also answer listener questions regarding the security of the Baltic states and the potential impact of a change in US administration on military aid.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com

Follow us on:

X - @PodBattleground

Instagram - podbattleground

TikTok - battlegroundukraine

Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

398. Katya’s War: The Last Night in Avdiivka

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