Black Sea naval base in flames after huge Ukrainian drone attack as Trump asks Kyiv to limit strikes on oil tankers

Day 1,629

Today, just as Ukraine attacks a naval base, an oil terminal and port infrastructure in the Black Sea, we hear that US Vice President JD Vance asked Kyiv last month to stop drone strikes on oil tankers in the region. Then, we discuss the latest UN briefing about Ukraine’s POWs and civilian detainees imprisoned in Russia, and the horrible conditions they are being held in. Finally, our Russia expert James takes us through Syria’s evolving stance towards Russia and the economic fallout from the Wildberries strikes.

Contributors:

Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.

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

James Kilner (Russia Analyst). @Jkjourno on X.

Producer: Rachel Porter

Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett

Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan

Social Producer: Natalia Makahon

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:

If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.uk

Ukraine Stops Reporting Russian Missile Data as Defenses Struggle (Bloomberg)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-11/ukraine-stops-reporting-russia-missile-data-as-defenses-struggle?srnd=homepage-americas

Russian Civilian Deaths Are Growing Rapidly as Ukraine Expands Its Air War (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/11/world/europe/russia-ukraine-civilian-casualties.html

Russian Turns to India to Gasoline and Ukraine Pummels Refineries (Bloomberg)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-12/russia-turns-to-india-for-gasoline-as-ukraine-pummels-refineries

Dom’s visit to a prisoner of war camp in Ukraine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZuemttm2OM

JD Vance asked Ukraine to halt strikes on tankers using Russian port (Financial Times)

https://www.ft.com/content/725b4d15-bd8d-4083-a04e-db016338af2e?shareType=nongift&syn-25a6b1a6=1

In Russia, wherever Putin goes, gasoline prices fall (Le Monde)

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/08/07/in-russia-wherever-putin-goes-gasoline-prices-fall_6756239_4.html

Behind the Lines: Innocence No Defense for Young Crimean (CEPA)

https://cepa.org/article/behind-the-lines-innocence-no-defense-for-young-crimean/

Russians raid homes of Crimean Tatars and take four women to FSB in Simferopol (Ukrainska Pravda)

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/10/15/8002814/

Crimea: Persecution of Crimean Tatars Intensifies (Human Rights Watch)

https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/11/14/crimea-persecution-crimean-tatars-intensifies

Crimean Tatar leader: ‘My people and country need defending’ (Hyphen)

https://hyphenonline.com/2024/08/27/my-people-and-country-need-defending-nariman-dzhelyal-ukraine-crimea/

After four years of war, Ukrainian astronomy is battered but unbroken (Scientific American)

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/war-pushes-ukraines-astronomy-to-the-brink/

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:

• Black Sea naval base in flames after huge Ukrainian drone attack • Trump asks Kyiv to limit strikes on oil tankers

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