Ukraine launches massive drone blitz on Moscow & cripples shadow fleet tanker in Black Sea
Ukraine: The Latest
Nostalgia for Cold War chess rivalries
Malcolm reflects on 1972 Fischer-Spassky and how those matches once made chess geopolitically significant.
Day 1,386.
Today, as Ukraine fires hundreds of drones into Russia – forcing the closure of all major Moscow airports – we report on how the maritime war is intensifying, with Kyiv striking shadow fleet tankers in the Black Sea and oil rigs in the Caspian Sea. Meanwhile, diplomatic tensions are rising, with President Donald Trump saying he exchanged “pretty strong words” with his European counterparts, just as reports emerge of a White House plan to bring Russia’s economy in from the cold. Then we return to controversial developments in the chess world with The Telegraph’s chess correspondent Malcolm Pein.
Contributors
Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.
Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.
With thanks to Malcolm Pein (Chess Correspondent). @TelegraphChess on X.
SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST’ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:
http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter
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:
Dom and Francis’s Chess Game with Malcolm in Odesa:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCptvJ2tuIA
With clips in our Ukraine Culture War Documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28HqbQLYGMM&pp=ygUPb2Rlc2EgdGVsZWdyYXBo
Starmer, Macron and Merz warn Trump over ‘Euro-Atlantic’ alliance (The Telegraph):
Ukrainian drone boats blow up Russian oil tankers (The Telegraph):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/29/ukrainian-drone-boats-blow-up-russian-oil-tankers/
U.S. Blueprint to Rewire Economies of Russia, Ukraine Sets Off Clash With Europe (Wall Street Journal):
US House passes bill to bolster Europe’s defence, in apparent rebuke to Trump’s foreign policy strategy (The Guardian):
‘Make Europe Great Again’ and more from a longer version of the National Security Strategy (The Telegraph):
LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:
The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatest
Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatest
Email: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk
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