Exclusive: Ukraine prepared to cede territory held by Russia & 'breach' sparks alarm on eastern front

Day 1,266.

Today, as Russian forces surge behind Ukrainian lines in the Donbas, we ask if this is just leverage for the upcoming talks in Alaska, or signs of a fundamental weakness in Ukraine’s defence. We also hear how President Zelensky’s line on ceding territory may be softening and look at how Russian propaganda is interpreting Putin’s upcoming meeting with Trump.

Contributors:

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

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

Joe Barnes (Brussels Correspondant). @Barnes_Joe on X.

James Kilner (Former Russia Correspondant). @jkjourno on X.

Content Referenced:

Battle Lines:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/08/battle-lines-podcast-inside-the-rise-of-chinas-military/

Ukraine prepared to cede territory held by Russia (Joe Barnes in The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/08/11/ukraine-prepared-freeze-war-current-frontline-summit/

Britain issues warning to Merz and Macron over Ukraine (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/08/12/stop-commenting-trump-putin-ukraine-peace-talks-merz-macron/

Children First: Trump-Putin Summit ‘Disaster’ for Ukraine’s Stolen Kids, Warns Expert (Kyiv Post):

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/57954

Putin silences Russia with sweeping internet blackouts (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/08/07/putin-silences-russia-internet-blackouts/

North Koreans tell BBC they are being sent to work 'like slaves' in Russia (BBC):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2077gwjlvxo

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Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It’s free for everyone, including non-subscribers.

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