Episode summary
The MeidasTouch episode, hosted by Ben Meiselas, focuses on claimed Ukrainian long-range drone strikes against Wildberries logistics facilities in Russia and occupied Crimea, including an alleged hit in St Petersburg. Meiselas narrates and plays brief clips he presents as footage of warehouse fires and explosions, and he references posts from pro-Ukraine social media accounts while describing multiple locations as targets (including Krasnodar, Nevinnomyssk, Voronezh, Simferopol and the Moscow region).
He then shifts to costs, citing Forbes estimates for inventory losses and restoration expenses at specific Wildberries sites, and argues the combined damage could reach several billion dollars, potentially higher if a St Petersburg site is included. The programme also mentions other battlefield-related claims: that a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Shahed drone over Dnipro, and that a Russian Su-57 fighter crashed in the Moscow region with the pilot ejecting.
Later, Meiselas reads from what he describes as a statement by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attributing to him comments that long-range strikes and sanctions are creating a “toxic atmosphere” around Vladimir Putin and that Putin’s entourage understands Putin is responsible for the war’s continuation. He also attributes to Zelenskyy a claim of discussions with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about reinvigorating diplomacy, alongside words of thanks to Trump and the American people. The episode ends with a replayed clip of a tense Trump–Zelenskyy exchange and a brief book pre-order promotion by the host.
