New drones, deadlier attacks: Dystopian reality in Ukraine
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This is Fresh Air. I'm Dave Davies. Since Russia invaded Ukraine four and a half years ago, Ukrainian forces have held their own on the battlefield with support from Western allies, and morale among the country's civilian population has held up despite punishing air attacks. But our guest, Zanny Minton Bedos, editor in chief of The Economist, says the war is changing in ways that bring a new level of terror to Ukrainian citizens and pose serious threats to the country's economy. Menton Bedos recently returned from a reporting trip with a team of journalists to Ukraine, where she says both sides in the war are developing new weapons and refining tactics with lethal consequences.
One example, so called safari hunting drones, that identify a person or vehicle as a target, then follow as the target flees in terror. The drone eventually dives and crashes into the target, detonating a deadly explosive charge. We've invited Zanny Minton Bedtoes back on the show to talk about Ukraine and catch up on some other important topics, including the war with Iran, trade, tariffs, and the state of US, European and Canadian alliances. Zanny Minton Beddos is a former economist for the International Monetary Fund who joined The Economist magazine in 1994. She holds degrees from Oxford University and Harvard University, and is a regular commentator on television and radio.
We recorded our conversation yesterday. Zanny Minton Bettos, welcome back to Fresh Air. Thank you so much for having me. You and this team of journalists from The Economist recently made an extensive trip to Ukraine. You've been there before.
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