405. Escalation, Ambiguity, and the Ghost of Katyn

About this episode

The episode discusses recent Russian military actions and their implications for Ukraine and international relations.

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Roger Moorhouse and Saul David analyse a week defined by Russian escalation, psychological warfare, and deep structural fractures behind the frontline. The Kremlin has intensified its campaign of domestic terror, launching a brutal round of strikes against Kyiv. Among the targets was the newly refurbished Chornobyl Museum—a deeply symbolic attack on historical truth and memory. Russia's deployment of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik ballistic missile has drawn fierce international condemnation, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas slamming it as "reckless nuclear brinkmanship." Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned US diplomats to evacuate the capital ahead of planned "systematic strikes"—a move the team discusses as classic coercive diplomacy designed to fracture Western support. The hosts also unpack the murky diplomatic fallout surrounding a deadly strike on a dormitory in occupied Starobilsk, a location that carries chilling historical echoes of the 1940 Katyn Massacres. Despite Russia's aggressive rhetoric, the strategic picture tells a different story. Ukraine’s targeted long-range drone strategy continues to…

People in this episode

Hosts: Roger Moorhouse, Saul David

Topics covered

• Russian escalation
• psychological warfare
• diplomatic fallout
• military strategy
• historical context

Keywords

• Russia
• Ukraine
• escalation
• diplomacy
• military strategy
• Katyn
• Oreshnik missile

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Kremlin

Products: Oreshnik ballistic missile

Places: Kyiv, Chornobyl Museum, Starobilsk, Syzran

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