Exclusive: Russian commanders charging up to $40,000 to spare soldiers from the frontlines in Ukraine & ‘You’re not evil’: Trump unveils Board of Peace

Exclusive: Russian commanders charging up to $40,000 to spare soldiers from the frontlines in Ukraine & ‘You’re not evil’: Trump unveils Board of Peace

Day 1,457.

Today, amid reports that Russian forces’ loss of Starlink is reducing the intensity of drone attacks along the frontline, we examine claims that Russian commanders are charging soldiers up to £30,000 to avoid deployment to the most dangerous sectors. We then bring you the latest from the first meeting of Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace”, and finally hear the view from Belarus as Putin seeks to place more nuclear missiles there.


Contributors

Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.

Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.

Rozina Sabur (National Security Editor). @RozinaSaburon X.

With thanks to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.


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CONTENT REFERENCED:


US presses NATO for major reset, ending mission in Iraq (The Telegraph):

https://www.politico.eu/article/us-presses-nato-reset-cut-foreign-missions-allies-peacekeeping-iraq-kosovo/


Russian commanders demand £30k to spare soldiers from front line (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/19/russian-commanders-demand-30k-spare-soldiers-front-line/


Over 1,000 Kenyans enlisted to fight in Russia-Ukraine war, report says (BBC):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8w266769go

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Episoder(1060)

Zelensky ‘planning election and peace deal referendum’ & Winter Olympics threatens to disqualify Ukrainian athlete over 'remembrance helmet'

Zelensky ‘planning election and peace deal referendum’ & Winter Olympics threatens to disqualify Ukrainian athlete over 'remembrance helmet'

Day 1,448.Today, we assess where things stand after mixed messaging has left Kyiv, Moscow and Western capitals confused over whether President Zelensky will use the fourth anniversary of Russia’s inv...

11 Feb 47min

Rumours of 'Ukrainian counteroffensive' in the south & Japan aligns with NATO to support Ukraine in surprise move

Rumours of 'Ukrainian counteroffensive' in the south & Japan aligns with NATO to support Ukraine in surprise move

Day 1,447.Today, amid growing rumours that Ukraine may be preparing a new counteroffensive, we discuss how the Kremlin is attempting to play down expectations and undermine confidence in the ongoing p...

10 Feb 49min

Revealed: Trump and Putin’s $12 trillion partnership plan & wargaming a Russian attack on NATO with Lt Gen Ben Hodges, former commander of US Army Europe

Revealed: Trump and Putin’s $12 trillion partnership plan & wargaming a Russian attack on NATO with Lt Gen Ben Hodges, former commander of US Army Europe

Day 1,446.Today, in a rare public outburst against the Trump administration, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accuses the United States of “backtracking” on the so-called Anchorage Agreement, un...

9 Feb 59min

Top Russian general who ‘orchestrated’ poisonings shot in Moscow & fears of new arms race as US-Russia nuclear weapons treaty expires

Top Russian general who ‘orchestrated’ poisonings shot in Moscow & fears of new arms race as US-Russia nuclear weapons treaty expires

Day 1,443.Today, after an apparent assassination attempt on a senior Russian general in Moscow, we examine the major Russian bombardments across Ukraine that followed the second day of peace talks in ...

6 Feb 41min

Putin spends 50% of state budget on military, says intelligence service & Russia tests turning pigeons into drones

Putin spends 50% of state budget on military, says intelligence service & Russia tests turning pigeons into drones

Day 1,442.Today, as reports suggest Russian troops are in turmoil across the frontline after being denied access to Starlink satellite communications, we return to Abu Dhabi for the latest development...

5 Feb 47min

Trump says Putin ‘kept his word’ over ceasefire after Russia’s ‘most devastating’ strike of winter

Trump says Putin ‘kept his word’ over ceasefire after Russia’s ‘most devastating’ strike of winter

Day 1,441.Today, as Donald Trump claims Vladimir Putin has “kept his word” by not striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, we report on the resumption of trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi involving...

4 Feb 46min

Putin waits until Kyiv hits -20C before knocking out power with missiles & FIFA president calls for lifting Russia sports ban

Putin waits until Kyiv hits -20C before knocking out power with missiles & FIFA president calls for lifting Russia sports ban

Day 1,440.Today, as Ukrainians endure temperatures of minus -20 degrees Celsius and Russia marks the end of its so-called “energy ceasefire” with a new mass aerial attack, we ask what is stopping Dona...

3 Feb 49min

Putin’s forces trying to ‘bypass and infiltrate’ frontline city & was Epstein's ‘sex empire’ a Russian honeytrap?

Putin’s forces trying to ‘bypass and infiltrate’ frontline city & was Epstein's ‘sex empire’ a Russian honeytrap?

Day 1,439.Today, as Vladimir Putin’s so-called “energy ceasefire” is reportedly broken once again, we report on another weekend of devastating Russian strikes on Ukraine – including an attack that kil...

2 Feb 42min

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