Ukraine smashes major Russian oil refinery & US sells Tomahawks to Germany

Day 1,596.

Ukraine continues playing its game of Whack-A-Hole on the Kremlin's energy plants. Dom looks at technical developments on the battlefield, including the suggestion Ukrainian troops are now deliberately starting their assaults with next to no equipment, before turning to politics: with Tomahawks on their way to Europe and Marine Le Pen, possibly, on her way to the Elysee Palace. Adelie French-splains what a National Rally presidency could mean for European security and Ukraine. Finally, Adelie is joined by Alexander Browder, the 17-year-old who was sanctioned by the Kremlin for exposing a Russian-backed crypto laundering network.

Contributors:

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

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

With thanks to Alexander Browder.

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: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Exclusive: US fund to make 'big' investment in Ukraine's critical minerals this fall, economy minister says (Kyiv Independent)

https://kyivindependent.com/exclusive-us-fund-to-make-big-investment-in-ukraines-critical-minerals-this-fall-economy-minister-says/

Uefa drags its heels over action against Russia’s fake Ukrainian clubs (The Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/27/uefa-action-russia-fake-ukrainian-clubs-shakhtar-donetsk#:~:text=The%20fake%20Shakhtar%2C%20who%20play,promoted%20to%20the%20third%20tier.

Au RN, quinze ans d’affaires judiciaires sous l’ère Marine Le Pen (Le Monde)

https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2026/07/07/au-rassemblement-national-quinze-ans-d-affaires-judiciaires-sous-l-ere-marine-le-pen_6721393_4355770.html

French court clears way for Marine Le Pen to run for president but orders her to wear electronic tag (BBC)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c70yk5xjyl1t

No longer Putin's friends but not for sure. What connects Le Pen's party with the Kremlin (European Pravda)

https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/eng/articles/2025/09/17/7220329/

Confronting the Illicit-Finance Hydra in Crypto Markets: Protecting Retail Investors and Disrupting Hostile Government Exploitation (Alexander Browder for Henry Jackson Society)

https://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HJS-Crypto-Currency-Report-web-final.pdf

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.

Thumbnail image credit: X/@front_ukrainian

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Ukraine smashes major Russian oil refinery
• US sells Tomahawks to Germany

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