# Ukrainian troops ‘cross river’ as Donbas advance continues & Russia drafts children from occupied territories into army

An episode of [Ukraine: The Latest](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1612424182), 9 Oct 2026, 51 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6583012e715d5300169dcdcb/e/6ac90c4e8d5c25136cd42fcc/media.mp3

Day 1,685. Today, as reports emerge of a possible Ukrainian advance in the Donbas with some Russians saying they are ‘doomed’, Dom asks: is this Vivaldi’s fourth season? Russia continues its campaign of state terrorism with a drone strike on a kindergarten and we report powerful testimony from inside the besieged and occupied town of Oleshky. Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is said to be trying to negotiate a deal with Russia to reopen the Nord Stream pipeline, just as a Ukrainian delegation arrives in Florida to try to negotiate a deal to end the war. And later, Adelie speaks to a human rights lawyer about recent reports of children from territories occupied since 2022 being drafted into the Russian army. Image: Ukrainian service members cross a river outside the city of Sievierodonetsk in 2022. Contributors: Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X. Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X. Mykola Bielieskov (Research Fellow at Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies). @MBielieskov on X. With thanks to Kateryna Rashevska. Producer: Rachel Porter Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett Video Producer: Tom Steed and Sophie O'Sullivan Social Producer: Natalia Makohon 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: Buy tickets to ‘War Room’, a new interactive event in London, hosted by Dom: https://www.squadup.com/events/the-war-room Use code UTL20 for 20% off (first 30 users only) If you’re interested in sponsoring Dom’s upcoming defence event, email our colleagues at events@telegraph.co.uk Regional Center for Human Rights: https://rchr.org.ua/en/ 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. HIGHLIGHTS: – Ukrainian troops ‘cross river’ as Donbas advance continues – Russia drafts children from occupied territories into army Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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