427. Election Bans, Drone Offensives & National Resilience

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1. 

   2 Sep 2026 · 38 min

   432. Saving the SAS & The Management of Fear

   In this episode of The Big Picture , host Patrick Bishop is joined by former soldier, military entrepreneur, and author Tim Spicer. Patrick and Tim discuss Tim’s latest book, An Axe and Four Balloons , which tells the story of Brian Franks—the former Etonian and hotel manager who became a wartime commando and is credited with saving the SAS from extinction after the Second World War. Tim explores Franks’s military career, from his early days in the Middlesex Yeomanry and commando raids in the desert, to leading 2 SAS during the perilous Operation Loyton in the Vosges Mountains and his…

2. 

   27 Aug 2026 · 57 min

   431. Hell in Kherson – Life under the Drones & CIA's Secret Moscow Mission

   In this episode of Battleground , Patrick Bishop and Saul David delve into high-stakes diplomacy and the gruelling realities of life on the front lines. First, the hosts analyse the sudden, clandestine visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow. What brought a US military aircraft to Russia's capital for an eight-hour stay, and what does it mean for the future of Western support for Ukraine? Patrick and Saul debate whether the trip was a stern warning against Russian sabotage in NATO countries or an attempt by Washington to enlist Moscow’s help in resolving tensions with Iran. They also…

3. 

   25 Aug 2026 · 50 min

   430. Hungary’s New Dawn: 100 Days of Péter Magyar

   In this instalment of Battleground: The Big Picture , host Julius Strauss takes a deep dive into Hungary’s seismic political shift following the April elections. After 16 years of rule, Viktor Orbán was swept aside by political newcomer Péter Magyar and his Tisza party. Now nearly 100 days into Magyar's mandate, we examine what this historic transition means for Hungary, the European Union, and the remnant of the old regime. Julius is joined by Nick Thorpe, the BBC’s long-standing Budapest correspondent with four decades of reporting experience across Eastern Europe. Together, they analyse…

4. 

   21 Aug 2026 · 43 min

   429. Fedorov's Challenge: A Governance Crisis in Kyiv?

   In this episode, Saul David and Patrick Bishop analyse the political shockwaves in Kyiv following former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov's controversial call for wartime presidential elections. They examine the rising tension within the Ukrainian leadership, the removal of key officials, and the appointment of Yevhenii Humarra as the new Defence Minister. The hosts also discuss the increasing impact of Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian infrastructure and oil refineries, which are creating widespread fuel shortages across Russia. Plus, they explore reports of…

5. 

   19 Aug 2026 · 44 min

   428. Echoes of ’91: The Fall of the USSR and Putin’s Future

   In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture , host Roger Moorhouse sits down with renowned historian and author Robert Service to dissect the historical threads connecting the fall of the Soviet Union to Vladimir Putin’s present-day Russia. Drawing from his recent work on the August 1991 coup, Bob reflects on his first-hand experiences in Moscow, the sudden collapse of Soviet institutions, and the complex legacies left behind by Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin. Together, they explore how the political and economic missteps of the 1990s shaped today’s authoritarian landscape, the…

6. 

   12 Aug 2026 · 35 min

   426. The American Pope: Leo XIV, Trump, and the New Vatican Soft Power

   In this episode of The Big Picture , Patrick speaks with leading religious and political journalist Catherine Pepinster to examine the soft power, geopolitics, and spiritual influence of Pope Leo XIV (Robert Prevost). Episode Highlights The Rise of Pope Leo XIV: How the Augustinian friar and former missionary in Peru became leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, positioning him as a unique "American outsider" on the global stage. Clashes with the White House: An analysis of the high-profile disputes between Pope Leo, Donald Trump, and Vice-President J.D. Vance regarding foreign…

7. 

   6 Aug 2026 · 36 min

   425. Summer Special: The Caspian Strike, Falklands 2.0 & Deterring Russia

   We are currently on a very short summer break, so instead of our regular news update, hosts Roger Moorhouse and Patrick Bishop are diving into listener questions for a special long-form Q&A episode. Don't worry—we will be back next week with all the latest news and updates from the ground. In this episode: Zelenskyy’s Post-War Legacy: Drawing parallels to Winston Churchill’s defeat in the summer 1945 general election, the hosts explore whether President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should announce he won't stand for re-election post-war—and discuss Ukrainian adaptability in missile production. The…

8. 

   4 Aug 2026 · 25 min

   424. Radek Sikorski on Russia’s Evolving Threat, European Defence, and the War in Ukraine

   In this episode of The Big Picture , host Roger Moorhouse is joined by Polish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Radek Sikorski for an in-depth discussion on European security, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the evolving threat posed by Moscow. Minister Sikorski assesses how the conflict has reshaped NATO’s eastern flank and forced Europe to confront years of strategic complacency, he addresses the realities of Russia’s military capabilities and hybrid warfare tactics, the challenges facing Ukrainian refugees, and the delicate path towards EU integration. Sikorski also offers a…

9. 

   30 Jul 2026 · 58 min

   423. On the Front Line with Ukraine's Drone Units with Arnaud De Decker

   Hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse take a look at the latest shifting political dynamics surrounding US-Ukraine relations. They unpack the recent White House meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the potential transactional nature of future US support, and the growing role of Ukraine’s defence industry. Then, Belgian journalist Arnaud De Decker joins the show for an extended interview to share his eyewitness perspective on the war. Returning from an embed with an FPV drone unit in the Donbas, Arnaud offers a vivid account of the reality inside the "kill zone", the rapid…

10. 

    28 Jul 2026 · 41 min

    422. Al Carns MP on Why Western Defence Policy Must Evolve

    In this installment of Battleground: The Big Picture , host Saul David sits down with Al Carns—Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, former Royal Marines colonel, SBS veteran awarded the Military Cross and Distinguished Service Order, and former Minister for the Armed Forces. Carns opens up about his transition from a stellar 24-year military career into politics, driven by the realization that modern technology—specifically AI, low-cost drones, and data integration—has fundamentally transformed the character of warfare. Drawing direct lessons from the battlefield in Ukraine, the former…