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Lex Fridman PodcastUkraine War: Putin, Zelenskyy, Trump, Drones and the Future of Warfare | Lex Fridman Podcast #504
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EPISODE INFO
- Released
- November 10, 2026
- Duration
- 2h 53m
- Channel
- Lex Fridman Podcast
- Watch on YouTube
- ▶ Open ↗
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
Preston Stewart is a West Point graduate and Afghanistan veteran who covers the Ukraine war extensively on his YouTube channel, his podcast called War and Conflict, and his newsletter called Defense Tech News. Michael Kofman is a world-class military analyst specializing in the Russian and Ukrainian militaries. He is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment and he hosts The Russia Contingency podcast on the War on the Rocks platform. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep504-sb See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. *Transcript:* https://lexfridman.com/preston-stewart-michael-kofman-transcript *CONTACT LEX:* *Feedback* - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey *AMA* - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama *Hiring* - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring *Other* - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact *EPISODE LINKS:* Michael's X: https://x.com/KofmanMichael Michael's Podcast: https://warontherocks.com/premium/therussiacontingency/ Preston's YouTube: https://youtube.com/@prestonstewart Preston's X: https://x.com/prestonstew_ *SPONSORS:* To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: *GiveDirectly:* Direct donations to people living in extreme poverty. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/givedirectly-ep504-sb *Fin:* AI agent for customer service. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/fin-ep504-sb *LMNT:* Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/lmnt-ep504-sb *Wispr Flow:* AI-powered voice dictation app. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/wispr_flow-ep504-sb *Shop:* Turns any AI agent into your personal shopper. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/shop-ep504-sb *Perplexity:* AI-powered answer engine. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/perplexity-ep504-sb *OUTLINE:* 0:00 - Introduction 1:00 - State of the war in Ukraine 14:39 - Drone warfare and the kill zone 51:49 - Who is winning the war? 1:03:26 - Military analysis of Russia's 2022 invasion 1:19:14 - Battle of Bakhmut 1:34:56 - War optimism and bad information 1:55:05 - Prigozhin's mutiny 2:09:20 - Putin vs Zelenskyy 2:27:18 - Trump 2:36:13 - Paths to peace in Ukraine 2:46:53 - Nature of war *PODCAST LINKS:*
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SPEAKERS
Lex Fridman
hostPodcast host of the Lex Fridman Podcast who interviews guests across science, technology, and geopolitics.
Michael Kofman
guestMilitary analyst focused on the Russia-Ukraine war and Russian armed forces.
Preston Stewart
guestMilitary commentator with U.S. Army experience who analyzes modern warfare and the Russia-Ukraine war.
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of Lex Fridman Podcast, featuring Lex Fridman and Michael Kofman, Ukraine War: Putin, Zelenskyy, Trump, Drones and the Future of Warfare | Lex Fridman Podcast #504 explores Drone-saturated war reshapes tactics as peace talks face brutal constraints Michael Kofman and Preston Stewart describe a war in which Ukraine’s best ground performance in years coincides with an expansive Russian strike campaign that has broadened from energy targets to a wide set of civilian infrastructure.
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