Russia abandons ‘meat-grinder’ tactics to try four-man ambushes as ‘staggering’ scale of losses revealed

2026-05-21

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Day 1,547.Today, we assess the reported scale of Russian military losses since 2026 and examine the new battlefield infiltration tactics Moscow has developed in an attempt to break through Ukrainian positions. We also take a closer look at the impact of Kyiv’s strikes on Russian oil refineries and investigate whether there is more behind London’s apparent easing of sanctions on Russian oil than meets the eye. Then we explore how Putin’s latest visit to Beijing is viewed in China, and ask whether the evolving relationship between Mosco...

Day 1,547.

Today, we assess the reported scale of Russian military losses since 2026 and examine the new battlefield infiltration tactics Moscow has developed in an attempt to break through Ukrainian positions. We also take a closer look at the impact of Kyiv’s strikes on Russian oil refineries and investigate whether there is more behind London’s apparent easing of sanctions on Russian oil than meets the eye. Then we explore how Putin’s latest visit to Beijing is viewed in China, and ask whether the evolving relationship between Moscow and Beijing resembles a genuine strategic partnership – or something closer to vassalage. Finally, we hear from someone who was once a FOX News insider about moving to Ukraine and how we came to see the war differently from those in the MAGA movement.

Contributors:

Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.

Sophia Yan (Senior Foreign Correspondent). Sophia_yan on X.

Alex Nichol (Telegraph Journalist).

With thanks to Joseph Lindsley.

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:

The secret Chinese surveillance programme tracking people like me (Sophia Yan in The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/19/leaked-secret-chinese-surveillance-programme-tracks-foreign/

I’ve reported on war, but I’ve never seen it told like this (Francis’s fashion piece in The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/ukraine-fashion-show-london-war-francis-dearnley/

Russia abandons ‘meat-grinder’ tactics to try four-man ambushes (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/01/russia-abandons-meat-grinder-tactic-ukraine-war/

Exclusive: Russians covertly trained by China return to fight in Ukraine, sources say (Reuters):

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russians-covertly-trained-by-china-return-fight-ukraine-sources-say-2026-05-19/

Joseph Lindsley’s Substack, ‘Under Fire News’:

https://underfirenews.substack.com

EMAIL US:

Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.

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