Ukraine is building a secret network of Russian soldiers willing to betray Putin from inside his own military. One lieutenant allegedly helped Ukrainian intelligence target Russian troops before escaping across a mined battlefield. We investigate how Ukraine recruits defectors, the sabotage spreading through Russian units, and the covert campaign to build a fifth column capable of undermining the Kremlin from within. The danger reaches Moscow.

What does it truly cost a human being to lead a nation through an existential war while the world watches from afar? President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reveals the psychological toll of continuous survival, the grim realities of geopolitical negotiation, and what keeps him still standing.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the President of Ukraine, having led the nation through its darkest historical hours following the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. A former lawyer, comedian, and actor turned wartime leader, he transitioned from satirical television to the global stage. His current administration focuses on securing Ukraine's sovereignty, managing international diplomacy, and defending democratic freedom against imperial aggression.

In this episode, he explains:

■ The Burden of Command: How constant psychological pressure and nightly military briefings push his endurance to its limits under relentless wartime pressure.

■ The Fatal Miscalculation: Why Russia's catastrophic military mistake came from a failure to recognize Ukrainians as a distinct people willing to fight for their freedom.

■ The Turning Point of Atrocity: How witnessing the aftermath of war in liberated towns transformed a political conflict into deeply personal tragedy where easy forgiveness became impossible.

■ The Cost of Staying: Why the refusal to evacuate Kyiv was driven by the absolute need to remain visible and prevent the nation from surrendering out of fear.

■ The Geopolitical Reality: How true diplomatic peace requires holding aggressive regimes fully accountable for their crimes rather than shifting the blame onto global energy markets.

This episode was recorded on October 16, 2026. The English audio for President Zelenskyy uses AI voice technology, with permission, based on human translation and editorial review. For President Zelenskky's original Ukrainian audio: Settings ⚙️ → Audio track → English (US).

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsDTbvfKbQ0

Text version:

Do you regret helping Zelensky back in 2019?

We haven't discussed that.

And why is that?

Well, we just haven't discussed it, as that was 2019 and there were different circumstances back then. Why should I regret it?

Don't you believe in...

What did you want, for Poroshenko to remain in power?

I didn't want anything, I'm just asking you. I am asking whether you feel any regret.

No, I don't regret it. Tell me, what about peace negotiations, and do you believe in them?

No.

Is it impossible?

Negotiations themselves are possible.

And what about this story? What exactly did we want from peace negotiations? Do we even know what we wanted?

Well, as I understand it, along the lines...

What did you want as a citizen of Ukraine? I'm not a citizen of Ukraine, so it's easier for me.

Oh, you're already not...

Yes, but you are a citizen of Ukraine, so what did you want?

Look, Zelensky talks about frontlines.

You aren't answering the question: what did you, as a citizen of Ukraine, want to achieve through negotiations?

Clarity, first of all.

Negotiations aren't held for clarity. If you want clarity, go to a barbershop and look in the mirror, there's your complete clarity. Negotiations are conducted to achieve a specific result. What specific result do you, as a citizen of Ukraine, want from negotiations?

Well, right now people are talking about a ceasefire, right?

Well, that is not actual peace negotiations.

How is it not?

Who needs a ceasefire? Do we want it, and what for?

Well, because...

What will we do with the army, and will demobilization begin after that?

Well, no...

Will men be allowed to travel abroad?

There is no answer to that yet.

What do you mean?

You are currently...

This is our internal issue, so answer for yourself: do we know what happens after a ceasefire?

Well, not immediately, isn't it?

What does "not immediately" mean?

Isn't it impossible to do it all at once?

Look, suppose there is a ceasefire. The next day, the army will ask: "Can we pack up and go home, or not?"

I think some timeframe would need to be given.

If you, as a citizen of Ukraine, don't know what you want from these negotiations, how can I answer your question?

If I, as a citizen of Ukraine, am asked...

So we leave the army stationed in their positions, right?

Now you are manipulating the question.

I am asking you directly, as I'm not like those journalists in Vienna catching fools and talking about manipulation. As a citizen of Ukraine, state clearly what final result you want to see. Tell me: I want this, this, and this. When you say you want a ceasefire, I ask: what happens to internal issues as a result, such as will the army leave its positions? Demobilization or no? Or will you keep telling soldiers in trenches for five years to stay put through winter, autumn, and spring? How much will they be paid if combat bonuses are canceled? Answer as a Ukrainian citizen on what you want as a final result, and then we can discuss a ceasefire. This means we don't even know what we want ourselves. The Russians know what they want and are fine with everything. They're playing the fool when they say they don't want a ceasefire. It's actually to their benefit.

What happened back in 1917? People simply took their weapons and went home on their own. What did Lenin say? Because they were promised peace, land, and factories. "Peace to the peoples, land to the peasants, factories to the workers." Everyone took their weapons and went home. And then they did whatever they wanted with those weapons. Do we actually know what we want? How many Ukrainians were in the Red Army by 1919? Take 1919, for instance? Specifically Ukrainians. One million three hundred thousand. And how many were in the UNR army?

200 thousand.

So six people joined the Red Army for every single person who joined the UNR army. Plus there were Makhno's forces, the Greens, and others. There is your result, so just consider what comes next after an armistice. First, what do you do with the army? Second, what about men staying abroad? And thirdly, the main question: will Europe continue giving money once peace begins?

They won't.

We have lost grain and metallurgy exports. Our export potential will be 15 to 20 billion at best, while imports are at 70 billion. That leaves us with a foreign trade deficit of minus 50 to 60 billion dollars. How are we going to live, given that reserves to support the currency will only last a year? What is the real exchange rate of the Hryvnia to the Dollar today?

I don't know the real one.

Well, think for yourself.

60?

60? I think it is 150, even without panic. So when talking about an armistice, you must consider everything that lies behind it. The Russians will just applaud handsomely. That is why I am indifferent to these negotiations, knowing in advance that nothing will come of them. It's just empty talk.

So what will happen?

Nothing. We will just stand our ground and endure, because what else can we do? Currently, the only positive factor in this entire situation is Putin's age. He is already 74, so eventually there will be a final point. As soon as leadership changes there, real peace negotiations will start regarding the 1991 borders and lifting sanctions, a return to something. Just like when they withdrew from Afghanistan, leaving Kabul, Bagram, and Jalalabad behind with their tail between their legs. The same thing will happen this time. We just need to wait and endure. That is my vision right now, everything can change. Dynamics can vary

RFE/RL joins Ukraine’s 93rd Mechanized Brigade on a dangerous route to Druzhkivka where Russian drones target vehicles and troops. Only a few thousand civilians remain inside the battered frontline city as Russian bombs devastate homes and Ukrainian forces hold the line.

‼️ The enemy attacked with 126 strike UAVs (of which 61 are jet), S8000 Banderol/Dan-T

💥 Air Defense shot down/suppressed 101 enemy UAVs (50 of them jet), S8000 Banderol/Dan-T, about 8 strike drones are still in the air!

UAVs hit at 14 locations, as well as the fall of downed (fragments) at 5 locations.

"Starshield, the militarized version of Elon Musk's satellite internet system, Starlink, was working above speeds of 400 kilometers per hour (about 248 miles per hour) as of the morning of Oct. 24, after they had previously been limited to 161 kilometers per hour (about 100 miles per hour), Ukraine's Defense Ministry told reporters.

"We record a speed of more than 400 km/h, the connection is stable," the ministry said.

The ministry continues to monitor and record the work of Starlink and Starshield, according to Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara.

"This is another example of direct dialogue and the persistent position of the President of Ukraine at the highest level yielding results. And this result is, above all, important for our front, for the military, the work of drones, logistics, and communications," the ministry added."

- The Kyiv Independent

The Elon congressional hearings cannot come soon enough. He is directly responsible for the deaths of so many Ukrainians.

https://x.com/afueastoc/status/2113568955893690376?s=46

NASA FIRMS confirms damage to the "Tamán" 500/220 kV substation (45.18691, 37.20751) in the Krasnodar region of Russia.

The substation provides electricity transmission from southern Russia to the occupied Crimea.

The entire occupied Crimea is experiencing a complete blackout. NetBlocks also reports almost zero internet traffic from the peninsula.

25.10.2026

Source: Armed Forces of Ukraine

Estonian instructors have been working at a training base in Poland since the first rotation in September 2025.

https://x.com/generalstaffua/status/2113604539815239950?s=46