What’s behind reports of a possible pneumonic plague case in Irkutsk, Russia?

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.

01:18 Impact of Strikes on Kyiv Infrastructure & Zelensky’s Response 03:39 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Visits Kyiv

03:59 Strikes Across Odesa, Kharkiv & Oleshky Aid Operation

06:52 Jacob Rees-Mogg / Tucker Carlson Interview

14:24 Friedrich Merz Announces €1.3B Aid Package & Defence Deals

16:44 Siberian Lab Technician Death Sparks Pneumonic Plague Fears

22:58 EU Unlocks €2.9B in Reform-Linked Funding for Ukraine

24:52 Anti-Putin Slogans at Moscow Rally, Moldova Incident & Latvian Elections

27:54 Verity Bowman Analysis: 5-Step Tactics Restoring Tank Warfare

32:03 Rescue Operation in Oleshky & Kyiv’s Ukraine Museum in Berlin

Producer: Rachel Porter

Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett

Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan

Social Producer: Tom Steed

Studio Director: Meghan Searle

Executive Editor: Francis Dearnley

Created by David Knowles

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:

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=2

Interview with journalists from the Kyiv Independent:

On YouTube: https://youtu.be/m_ILe1GrwPs?si=II1vUNv7rS1Qdy5Q&t=545

On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-latest/id1612424182?i=1000792423839

On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YW7fcsWSEtcSXZ4JcER2W?si=Q8pYx3SuTQSwF7d_lANkTg

Sophie’s interview with Annie Jacobsen, on her book about biological warfare:

On YouTube: https://youtu.be/sAp28EQy1hY?si=YzmVBjcqnaXUAWm7&t=1371

On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ukraine-the-latest/id1612424182?i=1000787457741

On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0e63alt0a7dxCHuLA81Sm4?si=sX59IhVlRiemfd2g9LabKQ

Francis’s tour of the Berlin Ukraine Museum:

https://youtu.be/5W9yy8Z-Qa0?si=xLFIpuTqqgyiZv46&t=848

Learn 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=2842s

On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEBMM-cdqLc

On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6cnkk1J0I1UqtxTYVUL4Fe?si=799b9bcaa9e64177

On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-daily-t/id1489612924?i=1000793278894

How 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.uk

EMAIL US:

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