logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
46m 12s

From the archive: Was it inevitable? A s...

The Guardian
About this episode
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: To understand the tragedy of this war, it is worth going back beyond the last few weeks and months, and even beyond Vladimir Putin. By Keith Gessen. Read by Andrew McGregor. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Up next
Yesterday
From the archive: The death of the department store
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: the closure of John Lewis’s store in Sheffield after almost 60 years was a bitter blow. As debate rages over what to do ... Show More
33m 54s
Jul 7
‘Do you have a family?’: midlife with no kids, ageing parents – and no crisis
In my 40s, I found myself with a life that didn’t look like it was ‘supposed’ to. What was I doing? On trips to South Korea with my mother, an answer began to emerge By E Tammy Kim. Read by Jennifer J Kim. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod 
30m 48s
Jul 2
From the archive: ‘You can’t be the player’s friend’: inside the secret world of tennis umpires
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: new technology was supposed to make umpiring easy. It hasn’t worked out that way By William Ralston. Read by Simon Vance ... Show More
45m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
15. Tanks Riding Towards Moscow
Vladimir Putin survived the short lived revolt that saw thousands of mercenaries march towards Moscow, but at what cost?Jonny Dymond is joined by:Polina Ivanova: foreign correspondent for the Financial Times, covering Russia and Ukraine. Owen Matthews: journalist, historian and a ... Show More
28m 54s
Aug 2024
On the ground in Kursk as Kyiv advances 35 kilometres into Russia
Day 913.Today, we hear from a journalist who was just on the ground with Ukrainian forces in Kursk, Russia, reflect on the latest battlefield and political developments, and look deeper into Putin’s recent foreign trips and ask what it tells us about the tensions in Russian socie ... Show More
49m 37s
Jan 2025
Don’t mention the war: Russia’s internal tensions
There is no simplistic split of sentiment about Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. But what most Russians want is a return to normal that now seems impossible. Our The World Ahead series continues with a look at what is to come in British politics (9:16). And the delicate business ... Show More
22m 9s
Aug 2024
Ukraine's daring attack into Russia continues to gain ground
Day 898.Today, we analyse the ongoing invasion of Russia by the Ukrainian military and ask, with so many drones watching everything that moves, how has surprise returned to the battlefield? Contributors:Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearn ... Show More
54m 13s
May 2024
War in Ukraine: Is Russia winning?
The war in Ukraine has turned from a relative stalemate to a major Russian offensive in the past few weeks. Several villages on Ukraine's north-eastern frontier near the city of Kharkiv have fallen under Moscow's control. Now overstretched Ukrainian troops are struggling to conta ... Show More
26m 21s
Jun 2024
The Battle for Kyiv and beyond
How did the Ukrainian people face down an invasion of unprecedented savagery from Putin’s Russia? And how did the battle for Ukraine’s capital shape the war that followed? Illia Ponomarenko is the author of the new book I Will Show You How It Was: The Story of Wartime Kyiv and fo ... Show More
50m 57s
Nov 2024
Russian army experiences bloodiest month of the entire war
Day 997.Today, we assess the state of the Russian army, hear new revelations from inside the Biden administration, and look deeper at the impact of this war in other theatres, such as Korea and Africa. Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on ... Show More
59m 18s
Nov 2024
Endgame in Ukraine
James Meek talks to Tom about his latest report from Ukraine, where he spent time in Kharkiv and Kupiansk in the east of the country. In Kharkiv, he found a population living in fear not only of the Russian glide bombs falling daily on the city, but also of the increasingly ruthl ... Show More
57m 29s
Dec 2024
Putin hits Kyiv with North Korean missiles & Russian airbase near Moscow 'ablaze'
Day 1,031Today, as Kyiv comes under renewed intense bombardment, we speculate over a possible Russian advance in the South, and later, we interview a blind lawyer in Kharkiv. Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Associa ... Show More
53m 40s
Oct 2024
Ukrainian 'prisoner soldiers' enter the fray in the Battle of Donbas
Day 976.Today, as Putin admits Russia is working with North Korea, we look at several investigations into Moscow’s interactions with terrorist groups, and consider the former Ukrainian prisoners released to fight on the front lines. Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Assistant Commen ... Show More
48m 12s