Day 1,338.

Today, as Donald Trump unveils sweeping new sanctions on Russia’s energy giants, we analyse what recent developments reveal about the shifting power dynamics between Moscow and Washington. We also investigate an alleged Russian war crime in Donetsk and what it exposes about the brutal nature of the fighting there, before exploring why NATO nations continue to pour vast resources into tank production and modernisation.

Contributors:

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

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

Memphis Barker (Senior Foreign Correspondent). @memphisbarker on X.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon (Chemical Weapons Expert and former Tank Commander). @hamishdbg on X.

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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.

CONTENT REFERENCED:

Trump’s sanctions put him on a warpath with Russia, says Medvedev (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2025/10/22/trump-russia-oil-sanctions-putin/

Bodies strewn across Pokrovsk reveal horror of Russian war crimes (Memphis Barker in The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/22/bodies-strewn-pokrovsk-horror-russian-war-crimes-ukraine/

The man with the worst job in Ukraine (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/23/man-with-worst-job-in-ukraine/

Russian commander ordered troops to shoot Ukrainian civilians near Pokrovsk, radio intercept suggests (Kyiv Independent):

https://kyivindependent.com/russian-commander-ordered-troops-to-kill-civilians-in-pokrovsk-hur-intercepted-call-says/

U.S. Lifts Key Restriction on Ukraine’s Use of European Long-Range Missiles (Wall Street Journal):

https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/u-s-lifts-key-restriction-on-ukraines-use-of-western-long-range-missiles-5a15c12d?mod=author_content_page_1_pos_1

How tanks are evolving in Ukraine (New York Times):

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/09/08/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-drones-tanks-military.html

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