Ben Meiselas says Zelenskyy messaged about talks with Witkoff and Kushner
"He also said that he spoke with Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He claims that the conversations were good and wanted to reinvigorate diplomacy and peace."
About this episode
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.
Key takeaways
- Host claims Ukrainian drones struck multiple Wildberries logistics facilities, including an alleged strike in St Petersburg.
- Footage aired is presented as showing warehouse explosions and fires across several Russian/Crimean locations, with attribution largely to social media posts.
- Meiselas cites Forbes figures for inventory losses and restoration costs at named sites, estimating total damages in the multi-billion dollar range.
- The episode asserts a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Shahed drone over Dnipro (no independent corroboration provided in the segment).
- The host says a Russian Su-57 crashed in the Moscow region and that the pilot ejected.
- Meiselas reads a purported Zelenskyy message alleging talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner aimed at reviving diplomacy.