2026-09-22
5 分钟The Economist.
Hi there, it's Jason Palmer here, co-host of The Intelligence, our daily news and current affairs podcast.
This is Editor's Picks.
You're about to hear an article from the latest edition of The Economist read aloud.
Enjoy.
How fast fortunes can shift in war.
Only a few months ago, Russia seemed stuck.
It was unable to advance on the front line despite suffering over 1,000 casualties a day,
even as Ukrainian strikes deep within enemy territory were piling pressure on Vladimir Putin.
In recent weeks, however, the dynamic has changed.
Russia is exploiting new technology and extra production to hit Ukrainian
cities with savage ferocity in a bid to make life there unbearable.
Ukraine is not about to collapse.
Its front line remains strong.
But European allies need to redouble their support.
In this war, they are glimpsing the future and Ukraine is where their defence must begin.
As we set out in our reporting, Russia has sharply intensified its air war against Ukraine's cities,
border crossings and infrastructure far from the front.
This is made possible by new technology, including a switch from propeller to jet-powered Shahhead drones,
which will need interceptor missiles to counter them.