Battleground

In this episode of Battleground, hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse explore what feels like a momentous and highly unpredictable phase of the war in Ukraine.

They unpack the strategic fallout from the G7 summit in Evian, where Donald Trump declared that America has "nothing to do with this war"—a stark statement contrasted by reports of his private, enthusiastic meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky over Ukraine's long-range strikes. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov laments the shifting diplomatic landscape.

Patrick and Roger also dive deep into the current battlefield realities, dissecting Russia's infiltration tactics and propaganda stunts in the critical city of Kostiantynivka. They look at the severe logistics degradation and worsening manpower shortages facing the Kremlin, highlighting a wave of aggressive draft raids across European Russia that are sparking local panic and resistance.

Key Topics Discussed:
The American Calculus: Analysing Trump's transactional foreign policy, his controversial G7 comments, and the conflicting signals coming from his private conversations with Ukrainian leadership.
The Battle for Kostiantynivka: Separating battlefield reality from Kremlin propaganda as Russian forces attempt to squeeze the "Fortress Belt" city in Donetsk Oblast.
Russia's Forced Mobilisation: The political risks of the Kremlin's brutal new recruitment tactics, highlighted by a viral confrontation in Penza and widespread draft raids.
Listener Q&A:
The media's oversimplified war narratives versus front-line stasis.
Ukraine’s innovative "Trophy Lab" program for reverse-engineering captured Russian military tech.
The future of European and NATO defence spending in a post-war climate.

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
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Producer: James Hodgson
A Goalhanger Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Saul David and Julius Strauss travel to western Ukraine to visit the remarkable Superhumans Center in Lviv—a state-of-the-art reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation hospital addressing a staggering crisis of an estimated 100,000 amputees nationwide.

They sit down with Eddie Scott, a British volunteer who survived catastrophic, near-fatal injuries while conducting humanitarian work in Ukraine. Instead of returning to the UK, Eddie chose to stay and now serves as the centre’s Senior Media Manager and global ambassador. In a deeply moving and raw conversation, Eddie shares his journey of physical and psychological recovery, the unique spirit of unity he finds in Ukraine, and delivers a blistering, urgent message to a Western world he fears is growing dangerously indifferent to the ongoing conflict.

Julius Strauss writes the blog Back from the Front and also owns and runs Wild Bear Lodge, a bear-viewing lodge, in Canada. Check out both in the links below:
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
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a remarkably mixed bag of an episode, Roger Moorhouse and Saul David explore whether the war is finally "coming home" to ordinary Russians as a systematic Ukrainian degradation campaign triggers widespread fuel shortages and chaos across fifty-three Russian regions.
The team breaks down Ukraine's multi-strand, hybrid strategy: disabling crucial land bridges to isolate the Crimean Peninsula, mocking Moscow's air defenses with daylight refinery raids, and the geopolitical shockwave of Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko publicly apologizing to President Zelensky. They also dive into a historical comparison to the 1944 Normandy breakout, asking if we are on the cusp of a major Russian battlefield collapse.

Featured Interview: Later in the episode, intrepid Hungarian war reporter Boldi Gyori joins the podcast from Budapest. He shares deeply moving—and at times gruesome—firsthand accounts from his recent trip to the liberated but heavily targeted city of Kherson. Boldi details the terrifying reality of the Russian "human safari," where drone pilots use civilians for target practice, distance-mining litters the streets with "flower petal" explosives, and local volunteers brave "the blue hour" to evacuate the vulnerable and the deceased.
(Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of civilian suffering and war casualties.)

Plus, in the Q&A:
A look at the clandestine partisan group Atesh.
The likelihood of a desperate Kremlin executing a false flag operation.
Why Vladimir Putin recently cut the Kremlin's security cameras over cybersecurity threats.

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
Producer: James Hodgson
A Goalhanger Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Saul David and Julius Strauss check in from the bustling Kyiv Railway Station after completing a train journey from Kharkiv. Despite ongoing Russian infrastructure attacks that have heavily impacted the national grid, Ukraine’s rail network continues to prove itself as the resilient, indispensable artery keeping the country moving in wartime.

The hosts explore how Ukraine’s railways have defied Western calls for "efficiency rationalisation"—revealing how their old-school, deep-reserve structure has actually saved them from collapse. They also examine Russia's evolving, aggressive strategy of targeting critical civilian infrastructure and how it measures up against international law.

Diving Deep on Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Battle
In the second half of the episode, the hosts sit down after their remarkably candid conversation with Executive Director of Transparency International Ukraine - Andrii Borovyk to unpack the high-stakes battle against internal corruption—a fight critical to Ukraine's aspirations of joining the European Union.

Key highlights from their discussion include:
The Corruption Perception Index: Where Ukraine stands globally, its notable progress since 2014, and how it dramatically compares to Russia.
The Midas Scandal & Zelenskyy’s Report Card: A look at the $100 million kickback scheme that rocked the administration, the subsequent firing of top advisor Andriy Yermak, and how the expert grades Ukraine's past and present leaders on crushing corruption.
No One Above the Law: Why addressing wartime corruption cannot wait until the conflict ends, even as sectors like customs, energy, and military conscription remain vulnerable.
The Power of the EU carrot: How Ukraine’s deep desire for EU membership serves as the ultimate external driver keeping the nation on its best behaviour.

What's Coming Friday: Don't miss our next episode, featuring an exclusive, boots-on-the-ground report from friend of the show Boldi Gyori, who just spent a week in Kherson—arguably one of the most dangerous frontline cities in Ukraine right now.

Julius Strauss writes the blog Back from the Front and also owns and runs Wild Bear Lodge, a bear-viewing lodge, in Canada. Check out both in the links below:
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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"History moves gradually, then suddenly."As Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine crosses a somber milestone—matching the exact duration of the First World War at 1,568 days—co-hosts Saul David and Patrick Bishop analyse what feels like a definitive "hinge moment" in the conflict. This week, the tide is turning rapidly in Ukraine’s favour, driven by an extraordinary and relentless intermediate-range drone campaign that Russia seems entirely incapable of combating.
In part one of this deep dive, Saul and Patrick break down how Ukrainian drone pilots have effectively seized control of critical Russian supply lines, including the vital M14 highway, forcing the Kremlin into a logistical catastrophe. From frontline reports of Russian soldiers reduced to acting as supply mules to panic-buying and fuel rationing in occupied Crimea, the vital organs of the Russian war machine are under heavy fire.
The hosts also examine the broader strategic landscape: Russia's deepening diplomatic isolation following pivotal elections in Armenia, the restructuring of Ukraine’s armed forces into powerful army corps, and the geopolitical chess match behind President Zelenskyy’s latest peace feelers.
Later in the episode, the guys dive into the listener mailbag to answer your questions on:
The psychological and political fallout of a potential large-scale Russian frontline collapse.
How NATO handles Russia's continuous "fuzzy" hybrid provocations and the true threshold of Article 5.
Whether the rapid evolution of cheap drone tech will permanently grounded multi-million dollar fighter jets in future warfare.
Plus, a cyber security update on big tech's shifting role in the war, and a look back at the incredible, viral response to their recent interview with Ukrainian special operations forces operative Katya Ratushna.

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.