EXTRA – First hand: How Trump’s diplomatic storm is impacting Ukraine
Former Conservative MP Jack Lopresti joined Ukraine’s foreign legion, in November 2024, to share his insights and experience of procurement and diplomacy.Those skills have become all the more important since the diplomatic earthquakes of Donald Trump’s presidency, including a temporary halt to American weapons, ammunition and intelligence for Ukraine.Mr Lopresti tells Sitrep about the impact on the military fight, the effect on morale, and why he still firmly believes Ukraine is not losing.
--------
17:55
The military drone revolution explained
Drones have come of age in Ukraine, ruling the battlefield and overtaking artillery as the leading cause of casualties.Kate and Mike are joined by RAF veteran Dr Keith Dear to explain how small devices once designed for consumers are now not only flying spies, but also lethal weapons that have radically changed the way land battles are fought.Ukrainian drone-experts are reported to be training British troops as part of Operation Interflex. So what can we learn from their experiences, and can we be sure that drones will still be as relevant in the next war?And the founder of SYOS aerospace, which will supply £30m worth of drones to Ukraine, explains how drone-boat technology is evolving and has helped Ukraine neutralise Russia’s black sea fleet.
--------
38:39
Will fighting end the Ukraine war before diplomacy?
The death and destruction in Ukraine has only intensified in the two months since Donald Trump unilaterally announced peace talks, and the one month since Ukraine offered a 30-day ceasefire.With diplomacy having delivered nothing so far Sitrep explains how the war has played out in that time, who has the battlefield momentum, and the potential paths ahead.Equipment is key to Ukraine’s chances but a leaked German assessment says high-end tanks, like the Leopard 2, sometimes cause problems rather than providing capability.Former British tank-commander Hamish de Bretton-Gordon explains why, what lessons the UK should take from this, and which tank he’d want to be in if he were in Ukraine.
--------
44:19
HMS Prince of Wales ready for a deployment of firsts
The Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier will be accompanied by more than 3000 servicemen and women, up to 24 RAF fighter jets, four British ships and four more from allies to sail as a carrier strike group halfway round the world.But it is a considerably more dangerous world than four years ago when a British carrier group last sailed to the Indo-Pacific.Retired Commodore Steve Prest tells us what threats the vessels could face in the Red Sea and the capabilities they have to protect themselves, and Professor Michael Clarke explains why the UK wants to show off its military might as far away as Australia when a land war is raging in Europe.This first global operational deployment for HMS Prince of Wales will also be the first time a UK carrier has sailed with a full complement of British F35’s, and Claire Sadler explains another first – using drones to fly resupply missions between ships.
--------
35:02
Minerals, nuclear weapons and the battle for the Arctic
The world’s biggest military powers are all jockeying for position in and around the Arctic, starkly illustrated by Donald Trump’s demands for the US to buy Greenland even though it’s already NATO territory.Sitrep explains the melting pot of strategic positioning, potential trade routes, and natural resources that are driving shows of military force, including by the UK, in the High North.Arctic expert Professor Caroline Kennedy-Pipe tells us the US can already put as many military bases as it wants in Greenland, but that the race for minerals also really matters for military power. And Professor Michael Clarke reveals the weapon of choice for Canadian troops in the Arctic, to defend themselves from polar bears.
Polska