Putin’s forces trying to ‘bypass and infiltrate’ frontline city & was Epstein's ‘sex empire’ a Russian honeytrap?

Day 1,439.

Today, as Vladimir Putin’s so-called “energy ceasefire” is reportedly broken once again, we report on another weekend of devastating Russian strikes on Ukraine – including an attack that killed 15 miners when drones hit their bus during a near Dnipro, and a strike on a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhya that injured at least six. We then examine mounting claims that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was not only close to the Kremlin, but may have acted as a foreign agent on Russia’s behalf.

Contributors

Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.

Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.

Poppy Wood (Education Editor). @poppyeh on X.

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CONTENT REFERENCED:

Epstein’s links to Putin and Kremlin spies raise fears he was Russian agent (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/01/epstein-links-to-putin-and-fsb-raise-fears-he-was-a-russian/ 

Putin targets migrant smuggling networks to boost his ranks (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/putin-targets-migrant-smuggling-networks-to-boost-his-ranks/ 

Putin ‘will send thousands of criminals to wreak havoc across Europe’ (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/01/putin-send-thousands-criminals-wreak-havoc-across-europe/ 

International law meant to limit effects of war at breaking point, study finds (The Telegraph):

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2026/feb/02/more-than-100000-civilians-killed-war-crimes-out-of-control-study 

Slovakia PM's national security adviser resigns over Epstein links (BBC):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cnvgljj1dygo?xtor 

Epstein Library Database (DoJ):

https://www.justice.gov/epstein 

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