Russia accused of covering up plague leak & how Kyiv cracked Putin's kill zone

Day 1,681.Today, after a weekend that saw Kyiv’s key bridges hit by Russian drones in broad daylight – as Frederich Merz was actually visiting the Ukrainian capital, we hear the German chancellor’s defiant response. We discuss the death of a lab worker in Siberia, possibly of plague, sparking concern of an outbreak. Then we dive deeper into the tactics that allowed Ukraine to advance on the battlefield this year, and see Tucker Carlson being taken to task by former British MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, on his views on Ukraine and World War Two.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Sophie O’Sullivan (Telegraph Journalist).Verity Bowman (Foreign and Global Health Security Reporter). @VerityBowman on X.Producer: Rachel PorterSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O’SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW 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/@UkraineTheLatestCONTENT REFERENCED:U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Now Involve an Oil Deal Tied to Trump Allies (New York Times)https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/03/us/politics/kushner-witkoff-russia-oil-deal.html?searchResultPosition=2Interview with journalists from the Kyiv Independent:On YouTube: https://youtu.be/m_ILe1GrwPs?si=II1vUNv7rS1Qdy5Q&t=545On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-latest/id1612424182?i=1000792423839On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YW7fcsWSEtcSXZ4JcER2W?si=Q8pYx3SuTQSwF7d_lANkTgSophie’s interview with Annie Jacobsen, on her book about biological warfare:On YouTube: https://youtu.be/sAp28EQy1hY?si=YzmVBjcqnaXUAWm7&t=1371On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-latest/id1612424182?i=1000787457741On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0e63alt0a7dxCHuLA81Sm4?si=sX59IhVlRiemfd2g9LabKQFrancis’s tour of the Berlin Ukraine Museum:https://youtu.be/5W9yy8Z-Qa0?si=xLFIpuTqqgyiZv46&t=848Learn more about the Ukraine Museum in Berlin:https://www.berlinstory.de/ukraine-museum/Tucker Carlson debates Jacob-Rees Mogg:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDwKfFV8eCU&t=2842sJacob Rees-Mogg on The Daily T:On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEBMM-cdqLcOn Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6cnkk1J0I1UqtxTYVUL4Fe?si=799b9bcaa9e64177On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-daily-t/id1489612924?i=1000793278894How Kyiv cracked Russia’s kill zone and got its tanks back in the fight (Verity Bowman for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/03/how-ukraine-cracked-russias-kill-zone/If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.ukEMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as ma