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George Michael is a singer-songwriter and producer born on the 25th of June 1963 who hails from East Finchley, London, England. He is one of the most succesful British artists of all time, seeing worldwide success as both a member of the duo Wham! and in his solo career.

Born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou to a Greek father and an English mother, George Michael was fixated on becoming a performer from a very early age, busking at every opportunity he could. However, it wasn’t until his family moved from London up to Radlett, Hertfordshire that he met someone who shared his musical ambitions. It was while he was attending Bushey Meads School that he met Andrew Ridgeley, who later became his bandmate in the legendary 80’s combo… The Executive. It was a ska band as well, as if the early band embarrassment level wasn’t high enough.

However, while The Executive wasn’t built to last the Michael/Ridgeley partnership was, and together they formed Wham!. After writing songs, recording demos and scoring a record deal with Innervision Records, they became one of the biggest acts of the 80’s. They sold over 25 million records the world over, became the first western pop group to perform in China and bowed out in 1986 with a sold out concert at Wembley Stadium in front of 72’000 fans. It’s not just that it’s merely unlikely for any artist to see that kind of success in any other act, it just doesn’t seem to happen like that.

Any other artist would be doomed by leaving behind that level of success (anyone heard from Andrew Ridgeley lately?), but not Michael. He became one of the few artists to successfully transition from teeny-bopper pin-up (although Wham! were far more legit than most) to serious, adult artist and did so in the most impressive way since The Beatles about twenty years earlier. His debut solo album, “Faith”, was referred to at the time as the British answer to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, an accolade that did not come lightly. It sold 25 million copies the world over, each of its six singles hit the top five in the U.S and the top 20 in the U.K and both the album and it’s title track were the best-selling album and single of 1987. It’s one way of starting a solo career, for sure.

Since then, Michael has had the freedom to do whatever he wants to do. Whether its release scathing political commentary in the form of “Shoot The Dog”, release an album of lounge/jazz covers with “Songs From The Last Century” or tour with an orchestra playing reworked versions of his back catalogue with his “Symphonica” album and live shows. He’s an artist with as convincing a golden touch as any other artist of his generation, and as fans of pop music, we should be thankful he’s still in his prime. Highly recommended.

Live reviews

I went to see him a live a few years ago with some members of my family including my die hard fan of an aunty. It’s amazing how an amazing performance can turn a 45 year old women into a teenager. I witnessed this first hand as dozens of women (including my aunty) screamed like 14 year old girls as George delivered ‘I’m Your Man’.

George was in amazing form, it seemed like he was having as much fun as anyone as he moved across the stage and worked the audience. Accompanied by his backing singers and band he performed all sorts of songs from his rather large catalogue.

From the days of ‘Wham’ with songs like Wake Me Up Before You Go- Go, Freedom and Careless Whisper through to his own classics like ‘Faith and ‘Too Funky’. He also played a number of his more recent tracks.

Theres no doubt George is an unbelievable singer, arguably the best of his generation. Anyone who can fill in for Freddie Mercury on Queen tours has to be a bit special in that category! However I sometimes forget how good of a song writer he is. I left the gig and spent the next 72 hours humming or singing George's songs. He obviously did something right. George Michael, what can I say? You certainly still have it!

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George Michael Faith Tour

The Faith Tour was the first solo concert tour by English recording artist George Michael, launched in support of his multi-million selling debut solo album Faith. The tour spanned nine months between February and October 1988 with three final shows in the summer of 1989 comprising 109 shows across sixteen countries. It was choreographed by Paula Abdul.

On 30 October 1987, Michael released his debut solo studio album, Faith. After receiving a 1988 Brit Award for "Best British Male" at the Royal Albert Hall in London, George Michael embarked on a massive sold out world tour which would occupy most of that year. It started in Tokyo’s Budokan indoor arena in February and ended at Pensacola Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida. Most of the set list was based off the Faith track listing with a couple of songs from Wham! ("Everything She Wants" and "I'm Your Man"). Michael also paid a tribute to artists that he had been influenced by such as "Lady Marmalade" by Labelle, Wild Cherry’s "Play That Funky Music" and Stevie Wonder’s "Love's in Need of Love Today". When Michael performed at Birmingham’s Genting Arena, Andrew Ridgeley joined him briefly onstage for a performance of "I'm Your Man". With already two U.S. number ones, new singles continued to be released while on tour with "One More Try" and "Monkey" also reaching No. 1 in late May and August 1988 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

On Saturday 11 June, Michael performed three songs including Gladys Knight’s "If You Were My Woman" for the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute at Wembley Stadium. Michael used the concert as preparation for a show later the same day at London’s Earls Court.

For the first five months, Michael had consulted eight doctors in a variety of countries for throat pain which had caused some concert cancellations. Eventually in London he was diagnosed with a cyst in the throat. The demanding schedule took a pause for Michael to recuperate.

In August 1988, Michael toured the United States beginning in Landover, Maryland and closing late October in Pensacola, Florida. In Los Angeles, George was joined on stage by Aretha Franklin for a duet on "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". The 43-date American tour alone grossed a total of $15 million (about $31 million in today's dollars), performing to over 750,000 fans. Michael also topped the Billboard Year-End of 1988 charts in the U.S. with his album Faith and single of the same title. According to RIAA, he was the top-selling artist of the year 1988 in the United States.

In early July 1989, nine months after the tour ended, Michael performed three special concerts (shows in Spain had been previously cancelled) at Madrid’s Las Ventas, La Rosaleda Stadium, Malaga and Sarrià Stadium in Barcelona.

Opening acts Deon Estus The Bangles (Texas, Louisiana, Orlando/Miami, Florida)

George Michael - Lead vocals Chris Cameron - Musical Director Carlos Rios - Guitarist Deon Estus - Bassist Moyes Lucas - Drummer Tony Patler - Keyboards Andy Hamilton - Saxophone Lynn Mabry - Vocalist Eric Henderson/Art Palmer - Dancers Lippmann Kahane Entertainment - Management Jake Duncan - Tour Manager Albert Lawrence - Production Manager Jonathan Smeeton/Shawn Richardson - Lighting Designers Benji Lefevre - Sound Engineer Chris Porter - Sound Co-ordinator Mark Fisher/Jonathan Park - Stageset Designer Gerry Raymond Barker - Stage Manager Ian Tucker - Lighting Crew Chief Chris Wade Evans - Monitor Engineer Bon Weber - Head Carpenter Michael Garabedian - Carpenter Dean Hart/Steve Olean - Riggers Siobhan Bailey - Asst. to George Michael Rusty Hooker - Tour Accountant Triad - Agency Nick Sizer - Drum Technician Adrian Wilson - Guitar Technician Gary Hodgson - Keyboard Technician Wells Christie III - Programming Technician Ronnie Franklin/Bill Greer - Security Officers Melanie Panayiotou - Hair Kathy Jeung/Melanie Panayiotou - Make Up Michael Putland/Chris Cuffaro - Tour Photographers Alan Keyes - Wardrobe Master Debra De Luca - Asst. Tour Manager Paul Corkill - Fitness Trainer Michael Deissler/Alastair Walsh - Laser Technicians Brian Latt/John Brant - Color Ray Technicians Lori Goldklang - Management Assistant Deirdre Pratt - Tour Manager Assistant Showco INC. - Sound Samuelsons - Lighting VARI*LITE INC. - Moving Lights

• 1 Joan Armatrading UK Tour 1992
• 2 Lollapalooza 1991
• 3 The Magic Summer Tour

I hope that people think of me as someone who had some kind of integrity

Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Philanthropist and Creative Icon, George Michael is considered one of the most influential recording artists of all time.

He rose to fame in the 1980s as a member of the duo WHAM!, selling over 30 million records. He later embarked on a solo career achieving immense success selling over 125 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart eight times in the US and hitting the No.1 spot on the UK singles charts seven times as a solo artist and redefining pop music in the process.

During a career that spanned thirty-five years George received a large collection of awards. He won two GRAMMYs, was nominated nine times, and won four American Music Awards as well as winning twelve Billboard awards and being nominated forty times. He also won three BRIT Awards. George always considered winning his first Ivor Novello Award for songwriting as one of the most special. George won six Ivor Novello Awards and not only is he the youngest person to win in 1985 at the age of 21, but also remains the only individual songwriter ever to win their prestigious Songwriter Of The Year Award three times.

The Singles: Echoes from the Edge of Heaven is the fourth compilation album by Wham!, released on 7 July 2023. It was released in a variety of formats in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the duo’s formation, with the standard physical and digital version containing the duo’s singles in chronological order that were released from 1982 to 1986, with the exception of Club Fantastic Megamix (although it is included on the expanded version) and Careless Whisper  (partially credited to Wham! in some regions upon release in 1984), along with several B-sides.

The expanded digital version adds 17 tracks, made up of different mixes of the singles, which are included across the separate singles in the CD and seven-inch vinyl box sets.

The compilation was released two days following the Netflix release of the 2023 documentary film Wham!.

A documentary film about Wham! marks the 40th anniversary of their 1983 debut album Fantastic .

It was directed by Chris Smith and relies primarily on rare archive footage and audio interviews by the duo, including television appearances, concert footage, private home video, behind-the-scenes outtakes, and family comments all linked together using scrapbooks created by Andrew Ridgeley’s mother.

According to Netflix, Wham! was watched by 4.4 million people in its first five days of digital release worldwide in any language and ranked 8th for the most watched TV and film. It was the most-watched film in the United Kingdom debuting at number one for the week 3 July to 9 July 2023. 

Last Christmas once again reach the summit of the Official Singles Chart boasting 11.4 million streams.

Originally released in 1984, Last Christmas once held the record for the best-selling single never to have hit Number 1 in the UK; famously kept at Number 2 by Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? it first went to Number 1 on New Year’s Day 2021, at the time breaking a chart record for the longest time a track has taken to top the Singles Chart. 

This is Last Christmas’s second stint at Number 1, and Wham!’s fifth Number 1 single overall. 

The re-issue of Older has re-entered the Official UK Albums Chart at number 2 – having missed out on the number 1 position by a mere 340 copies.

Songs From The Last Century , George’s fourth solo album, was released. Produced by Phil Ramone and George Michael, it was his only album of cover versions and was recorded in New York. Roxanne was released as a single. The album peaked at #2 in the UK chart.

George was arrested in Beverly Hills for allegedly engaging in a lewd act alone in a public restroom, police said.

Wham!’s visit to China attracted huge media attention across the world. A documentary film – Wham! in China: Foreign Skies , released in 1986 – was shot over the two weeks and edited over summer and autumn 1985 in London. The film was directed by Lindsay Anderson and produced by Martin Lewis.

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George Michael Forever

Celebrating George Michael's music, life and legacy

Concert Review: George Michael in Concert at Madison Square Garden (1988)

May 25, 2019

Concert review of George Michael’s Faith Tour performance at the Madison Square Garden in New York City on August 15, 1988. The review was written by Barbara Jaeger for The Record, a Hackensack, New Jersey newspaper and published on August 16, 1988.

A Peerless Concert by George Michael

George Michael understated his promise.

Early in his concert Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, the British pop singer vowed he would give his fans a good time. By the end of the almost two-hour show, Michael had delivered a great time.

In a year that has already included first-rate performances by Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, and Sting, Michael’s sold-out show the first of three at the Garden was by far the most enthralling.

Whereas Springsteen and Sting rely on their songs and Jackson on staging, Michael blends music and moves into a delicious, dizzying mix.

On the opening song, a down-and-dirty rendition of “I Want Your Sex,” the former Wham! member established such a frenetic pace racing from one side of the stage to the other, bumping and grinding that one suspected he would wilt before the evening was over. But Michael’s energy just seemed to increase, as the show sped to its conclusion, a reprise of “I Want Your Sex” performed with even more vigor.

Michael — who closes his Madison Square Garden engagement tonight but will return to the area for a Sunday show at the Brendan Byrne Arena –proved himself a powerful, interpretive vocalist who captured the essence of each song, whether a funky, dance-inspired tune (“Hard Day” and “Monkey”) or a moving ballad (“One More Try” and “Careless Whisper”).

The 24-year-old singer-songwriter, who is on his first solo tour, drew most of his concert material from his multi-platinum solo album, “Faith.” But he also included several Wham! nuggets, as well as a few I including a high-spirited romp through Wild Cherry’s “Play , Funky Music” and a sexy, steamy rendition of La Belle’s “Lady Marmalade.

The imaginatively designed stage on which Michael performed proved the perfect workplace. Resembling a giant cage, the bars in the front and at the sides side swung out to create a wide-open expanse. Tiny lights, positioned on the bars, created soft moody effects for the slow-paced songs, and bright dramatic effects for the uptempo ones.

Michael strapped on an acoustic guitar for the rockabilly-tinged tune “Faith.” His joyous rendition of the song received added acoustic guitar power from two of his six backing musicians, who stepped forward to join Michael center stage and inspired a robust audience sing-along.

The breathy voice, not to mention the slinky moves, that Michael employed for “Hand to Mouth” enhanced the song’s sultry, sensuous beat. A similar approach was taken on “Father Figure.”

Keyboards, sounding very much like a snake charmer’s flute, kicked off the song, but quickly gave way to Michael’s slow, almost hypnotic vocals. But soon his voice, as well as that of his female backing vocalist, were ripping through “Father Figure” with gospel-like fervor. ‘

It was on the ballads, however, that Michael truly shined.

He sung a powerful and inspired rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Love”s In Need of Love Today” that would have made the song’s composer proud. His delicate, emotional handling of “One More Try” solidified his standing as a singer with soul; so did his plaintive delivery of “Careless Whisper.”

Augmenting the music was Michael’s marvelous dancing. While the show was obviously carefully choreographed, his moves many of which would make Jackson jealous never seemed calculated. They just seemed to flow from the sensuous beat, a beat that one wished wouldn’t stop. –

Similar Posts:

• George Michael Interview with Capital FM Radio with Dr. Fox (Dec 1998)
• George Michael: The Lone Star State Interview on Q Magazine (June 1988)
• ‘Souled Out: George Michael’ Published in Interview Magazine (1988)
• George Michael: One Night in New York (Q Magazine, 1992)
• An Audience with George Michael: Interview with Chris Evans (1996)

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November 12, 2019 at 2:26 pm

A wonderful article, which i never forget

List of George Michael Interviews

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Top 10 life lessons from george michael.

Freedom, a constant theme in George Michael’s work, something he craved and cherished, this liberation that he gave his audience through his music, is his enduring spirit and his everlasting legacy. The Irish Times, “Freedom: George Michael gets his final right to reply – and it’s a thing of beauty,” October 15, 2017

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Note: only considered 107 of 136 setlists (ignored empty and strikingly short setlists)

• I Want Your Sex, Parts I & II Play Video
• Hard Day Play Video
• Father Figure Play Video
• Love's in Need of Love Today ( Stevie Wonder  cover) Play Video
• Everything She Wants ( Wham!  song) Play Video
• I'm Your Man ( Wham!  song) Play Video
• A Different Corner Play Video
• Faith Play Video
• Monkey Play Video
• Hand to Mouth Play Video
• Play That Funky Music ( Wild Cherry  cover) Play Video
• One More Try Play Video
• I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) ( Aretha Franklin  cover) Play Video
• Careless Whisper Play Video
• Lady Marmalade ( The Eleventh Hour  cover) Play Video
• A Last Request (I Want Your Sex, Part III) Play Video

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The Life and Music of George Michael

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George Michael London Tour by Black Taxi

Fans of the iconic Wham! singer will love this George Michael London Tour. Your expert taxi tour guide will take you on a journey through the life of one of the most iconic popular music artists from the past 40 years.

Tour Highlights

• Marvel at George Michael’s giant mural
• See where George crashed his Range Rover at Snappy Snaps
• Pass by George’s ‘cruising’ spots where he enjoyed his sexual freedom
• Find out where some of George’s hit songs were written
• Go past George’s childhood home
• See the school that featured in George Michael’s song ‘Round here’
• Stop at the pub where George and Andrew came up with the name Wham!
• Visit Highgate Cemetery in which George Michael has an unmarked grave
• Finish the tour outside George’s North London home which has become a mecca for fans

When George Michael tragically died on Christmas Day 2016 he left behind a 35 year legacy of iconic songs. 

His songs and life were very much influenced by his family upbringing and background in the suburbs of North London and our expert guide will share wonderful stories of his life, family, his friendships, loves, and achievements.

The George Michael Small Group tour will start with George’s humble childhood beginnings in Kingsbury in North London in the 1970s. By the time you reach Highgate at the end of the tour, you will have followed the course of the rise of one of Britain’s greatest singers.  This is where he had reached the dizzy heights of fame having achieved multi-award-winning albums and fame with Wham! and as a solo singer from the 80’s to the noughties.

Your George Michael tour will be in a comfortable London taxi shared with other fans of Yog and will include musical excerpts throughout to bring to life the voice of a generation. 

Going on a musical journey you will get to see some of the sites where these songs were written, where George and Andrew had their first-ever gig, where George, Andrew, and Pepsi formed Wham! and much more.

The tour will cover more than 15 important sites in the life of George across places including Kingsbury, sites in Hertfordshire and Hampstead, and Highgate.

There will be plenty of opportunities to get out of the vehicle, listen to his music and even stop for a drink at the same pub where Wham! was formed.

What’s Included

• 4 hour tour featuring highlights of George Michael’s London
• Knowledgeable, approachable & fun tourist guide
• Modern, traditional taxi shared with up to 5 guests

What’s Excluded

• Food & drink
• Entry fee to Highgate cemetery

What To Bring

• Consider layers of clothing
• Comfortable shoes for touring

Good To Know

• English language tour
• Tour is full health & safety accredited with the official “Good to Go” marque

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

• The vehicle can accommodate a foldable wheelchair in the luggage hold. Walking is required as part of the tour. Carers can attend with a 25% discount. There is no British Sign Language interpreter on the tour.

Do children need to be accompanied?

• All people under 18 (i.e. 17 years old and younger) must be accompanied by an adult (aged 18 years or over) on all tour

Is the tour suitable for children?

• There are some adult themes discussed on tour so it as the discretion of parents

Take a look at our TripAdvisor page or leave us a review. We love hearing from you!

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CAPA announces show celebrating legacy of George Michael

A show celebrating the life and legacy of a pop icon is coming to the Southern Theatre in the fall, CAPA announced on Tuesday.

The Life and Music of George Michael , a staged concert-style show commemorating the musical journey of the iconic pop star, will come to Columbus this October.

Attendees can experience the legacy live from renditions of early Wham! hits to George Michael's solo career, featuring timeless songs like 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go,' 'Careless Whisper,' 'Faith,' and many more.

“Get ready for an extraordinary adventure celebrating George Michael’s legacy and musical brilliance,” writer and director Dean Elliott said in a media release. “Fans are out of their seats the entire night, singing and dancing in the aisles to the unforgettable hits that left an indelible mark on pop culture.”

Michael's career spanned four decades, and in his time, he sold over 115 million albums, was awarded two Grammys, three Brit Awards, three American Music Awards, and four MTV Music Awards.

The show will come to the Southern Theatre on October 29 and tickets will go on sale this Friday. You can find information on the show online here . 

THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF GEORGE MICHAEL Adds 12 Performances in Toronto

Performances will run November 1 through November 10.

"The Life and Music of George Michael " North American tour has added 12 performances in Toronto, Canada, following overwhelming demand. The dynamically staged concert-style show will visit 28 cities in all and chronicles George Michael 's remarkable musical journey and his deep connection with fans. Audiences will join a true celebration of this icon, and experience live renditions of early hits from Wham! as well as George Michael 's illustrious solo career that made him a legend.

LATEST NEWS

"The Life and Music of George Michael " launches September 17 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania and will make stops in Boston, San Francisco and Southern California to name a few. The tour will conclude in Toronto for 12 performances starting November 1 through November 10. For tour dates, tickets and more information, visit www.TheLifeandMusicofGM.com .

"Get ready for an extraordinary adventure celebrating George Michael 's legacy and musical brilliance," says Writer and Director Dean Elliott . "Fans are out of their seats the entire night, singing and dancing in the aisles to the unforgettable hits that left an indelible mark on pop culture."

"The Life and Music of George Michael " celebrates the performance and sound of one of the biggest international stars of our time. The show will have fans on their feet dancing and singing along to blockbuster hits including "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go," "Freedom," "Faith," "Careless Whisper," "Father Figure," and many more.

Michael sold over 115 million albums spanning four decades and rose to fame as a member of Wham! in the early 80's. He went solo in 1987 with "Faith," one of the biggest albums of all time. The album had four number one hits including "Faith," "Monkey," "Father Figure," and "One More Try." He won two Grammy Awards, three Brit awards, three American Music Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards.

Returning to this fall's tour and fresh off the Australian run of the show this summer, Craig Winberry is back and honored get the party started. Craig is praised by TheaterMania as an enduring performer in a standout performance of "Shooting Star". He has captivated audiences in Off-Broadway hits like "The Gunfighter Meets His Match" and "The Golden Girls Musical Parody." He's also made a mark in regional theaters with standout performances in "Mamma Mia." Beyond theater and film, Craig is part of the music duo BaseSuite, with popular tracks on top streaming platforms. The recent EP release from the duo includes a cover of WHAM!'s cult classic Club Tropicana.

Joining "The Life and Music of George Michael " tour this fall is Connor Antico . Connor is a dynamic and versatile actor, singer, and songwriter who received his BFA from Pace Musical Theater NYC. Connor recently co-starred in the Emmy Award-winning "Girl You Need No Makeup" alongside Amy Schumer . His film and TV credits include Netflix's "Greater, The Brandon Burlsworth Story," "Naomi & Eli's No Kiss List," "Jamie Marks is Dead," and Oxygen Network's "The Next Big Thing." He also performs as lead singer alongside Paul Pesco of Hall & Oates' "Live From Daryl's House.

For more information including on sale dates, a tour schedule and tickets visit www.TheLifeandMusicofGM.com .

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Inside Ukraine’s Invasion of Russia

What the unlikely incursion could mean for the war..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

My name is Andrew Kramer. I’m a reporter for “The New York Times.” I’m standing on the highway where Ukrainian troops are moving tanks and armored vehicles into Russia. Every few minutes, we have tanks, trucks with soldiers rumbling past and in the direction of Russia.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is the “Daily.”

Ukraine sliced through the border area, pushed through minefields and thinly-manned defenses and has been pressing deeper into Russia.

When Ukraine’s military crossed over into Russia two weeks ago, it appeared at first to be a largely symbolic gesture. But in the time since, it’s emerged as a defining moment in the two-year-old war.

This is the first major military incursion into Russia since World War II.

Today, Andrew Kramer on what’s behind the audacious Ukrainian operation, and Anton Troianovski on how Russia’s response could reshape the conflict.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

It’s Wednesday, August 21.

Andrew, I wonder if you can take us back to the moment when you discovered that this pretty unimaginable thing had occurred — Ukrainian troops entering Russian territory and turning the basic equation of this war upside down.

Well, the entire operation was shrouded in secrecy. So the first reports were actually from Russian social media posts, and everything was a little bit vague. We were seeing reports of fighting along the border, but nothing indicating the scale of what was to come. The secret was very well guarded. It wasn’t clear until the second day that this was more than a border skirmish, that this was a full Ukrainian military invasion of Russia, and that Ukraine had taken control of a rural area in the southwestern part of Russia.

So what do you do there in Kyiv, where I imagine you’re absorbing this information once you realize that such a major turning point in this conflict has just begun to unfold?

Well, we decided to head out to the border region in Northeastern Ukraine and have a look at how this appeared on the ground. And this required a little bit of logistics. We used an armored car that the bureau has, and —

I don’t think I knew that we had an armored car.

We do. And initially, we were watching and talking to soldiers and officers about this incursion and then also creeping forward toward the border to get a firsthand look. And we drove over a very high plain where the road passes into Russia. And it’s a very rural area of cornfields and country roads. And then ahead of us was the border completely unguarded, seemingly deserted, at least from a distance.

So this was a remarkable moment. As somebody who covered Russia, the idea of the Russian border being open and deserted by the Russian military was really remarkable.

And once you get inside, what are you seeing?

We got out of the car and looked around and saw really a tableau of destruction. This was a Russian administrative building, maybe three-stories tall at one point before it was bombarded. Now sheet metal was just flapping in the wind. All the windows were blown out. And we looked around, and there were craters in the ground from artillery and debris, shells from a fight, a firefight, were tinkling underfoot when we walked. And there were customs forms and other administrative documents blowing on the ground.

And a little bit farther on, there was a sign over the road that said “Russia.” It was a very eerie scene. And what we were looking at was the detritus of a lost battle to defend the Russian border.

So we walked around this site and we noticed some Ukrainian soldiers who were wearing surgical masks. And it became clear that what we were seeing was a grim task by these soldiers of clearing the bodies of dead Russians from this building that had been destroyed in the initial attack on the Russian border.

We watched them load bodies and zip them into body bags. And this was really a grim scene of just what a difficult fight and losing fight this had been for Russian border guards at this site.

This section of the border had likely been chosen in part because it was guarded by Russian conscript soldiers. And these are very green, inexperienced soldiers who’d been drafted after high school. And in almost all cases that we know of, they retreated, abandoned their positions, or they surrendered.

There were small arms, cartridges, and there were sandbags in this location, firing positions. But there was no indication that they were expecting an army to come across the border at them. So after about 40 minutes, we decided it was time to go and got back armored car and drove back into Ukraine, back into the relative safety of the cities far from the frontline.

Once you return to Ukraine, Andrew, what do you end up learning about the scope of this operation? Clearly, had just witnessed one place where Ukrainian troops had crossed the border and clearly done a significant amount of damage to the Russian administrative border crossing. But how much territory was involved in this? And how many Russian troops were killed or taken?

The ultimate scale of the invasion was significant. By some estimates, about 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers were involved.

This one border post was not the only target. They crossed in multiple locations. And once they had breached the border, quickly fanned out on the highways and captured towns and villages, ultimately, by now, occupying about 400 square miles of Russian territory, around 120,000 Russian civilians were displaced. More thousands, although we don’t know the precise number, are now under Ukrainian occupation. And the fighting has continued, moving both deeper into Russia and also spreading out along the border to widen this area that’s under Ukrainian control.

What you’re describing in no way feels like a gesture or something that’s meant to be fleeting, but clearly something longer term, this invasion of Russia. Do you have the sense, Andrew, that this kind of operation at this scale was allowed under the terms of the West’s military aid to Ukraine? We’ve talked a lot about this on the show with you, with our colleagues who cover Russia, that it’s been understood that Ukraine could not really use Western military equipment as it has done here, clearly, to go after Russia itself, with very few exceptions.

Well, the fact is Zelenskyy has said he didn’t tell the US in advance of this operation. He didn’t ask permission. The Biden administration’s policy is to avoid escalation. Russia is a nuclear armed country. And to allow American missiles, American weapons to be used inside of Russia was a significant step. But once Ukraine launched this operation, this ground invasion of Russia, we heard from the Germans, we heard from the Americans that this was, in fact, in their assessment, within the bounds of using Western weaponry to defend Ukraine. There had been an exception that weapons could be used in the border region for defensive purposes. And this was interpreted in that light.

Interesting. Well, with that in mind, what do we know about Ukraine’s objective here, its goals, for undertaking such a risky invasion of Russia?

The Ukrainian government didn’t initially articulate any goals, but it’s clear there were several layers to this. One was strategic and military. The Ukrainians wanted to strike where Russia was weakest and forced Russia to divert its troops and its weapons from inside Ukraine to defending its own territory inside Russia. It was a strategy of taking the war to Russia and in this way, relieving pressure on their own soldiers who are fighting desperately in Eastern Ukraine to hold territory.

So basically, to strengthen Ukraine’s own hand on the main battlefield, which is Russian-occupied Ukraine.

That’s right.

What else? You said this is multi-motivational.

Well, there seemed to be another larger geopolitical goal. And this was a goal to hasten the end of the war. There was a sense that if they were to strike inside of Russia, if they were to capture territory, this would provide leverage and possible peace talks.

Right, because for the first time, Ukraine has something that Russia wants, not the other way around.

Exactly. And there was also an idea that this could have an effect on public opinion in Russia, that by showing Russians what it’s like to be occupied, what it’s like to be attacked, Putin could no longer present to his society the operation in Ukraine as something distant and something that would continue even as they lived their ordinary lives.

Right. We know that Ukraine has pursued that approach before, bringing the pain of this conflict to Russia through sporadic drone attacks on Russian communities, even in Moscow. But this seems, by far, the most ambitious and successful version of that tactic. A whole other order of magnitude.

Exactly. Ukrainians I talked to said that maybe this is what would be needed in the war — to show Russians what the war was like inside of Ukraine.

[SOLEMN MUSIC]

I spoke with one woman who said that only when the Russians hear what it’s like to hear a child crying in a bomb shelter, would they want an end to the war.

So this was the Ukrainian sentiment. This was a bold military move that would help them in their war. But it’s an open question whether this will bring Russia to the bargaining table or just more pain to Ukraine in a Russian retaliation.

After the break, Anton Troianovski brings us the Russian side of the story.

We’ll be right back.

Anton, you cover Russia for “The Times.” And you have been tracking the Kremlin’s response to this large-scale invasion by Ukraine. So how has Russia reacted to this, especially once the dust settled and this sneak attack was more or less over?

Well, let’s start with the military response. There, it was clear that Russia was completely unprepared for this. Ukraine was able to march miles deep into the country, facing minimal resistance and was able to take, it appears, hundreds of Russian soldiers prisoner. In the two weeks since, Russia has been able to dispatch forces there, but Russia is not mustering the forces necessary or maybe able or willing to use the firepower necessary to end this quickly. And in the meantime, Ukraine is obviously getting the opportunity to dig in. And this is increasingly looking like a longer term occupation of Russian territory by Ukraine.

Wow. So this is not the kind of massive military response that you would expect pretty much from any country being invaded, let alone a country as obsessed with its borders as Russia is.

Yeah, it’s pretty stunning how two weeks in, Ukraine controlling Russian territory has already become routine.

How does the Russian government explain that reality to the people of Russia, that they are, for now, letting Ukraine occupy all of this Russian territory?

Well, they’re not really trying to explain it, but that does bring us to the kind of political media PR aspect of the Russian response, which has been really to treat this as a natural disaster. More than as part of this war. So —

Can you explain that? How are they treating it like a natural disaster?

If you turned on the Russian TV news in the days after the invasion started two weeks ago, you were seeing pictures of pallets of water being delivered to displaced people. You were seeing footage of candlelight vigils around the country and people saying things like, “Kursk, we are with you.” But it was not cast as part of or let alone a consequence of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine that started in February 2022. So I think the choice has been made so far to just play this down. They’re calling it “the situation in the Kursk region” on Russian TV.

So the strategy is kind of self denial. If Russia doesn’t treat this like an invasion, it’s not an invasion. A little bit reminds us of what Putin has said about invading Ukraine, special operation, not a full-scale invasion of a neighboring country.

Yeah. And remember, Putin is the president of an autocracy in which there is basically no free media at this point. So he does have the luxury to take this kind of tack and does not have to think very much about short-term public pressure on his actions. But while Putin hasn’t responded forcefully yet, it doesn’t mean he isn’t planning something, or it doesn’t mean he won’t still respond. Think back to last summer when the Prigozhin mutiny march on Moscow happened in June, and two months later Prigozhin’s plane fell out of the sky in what we believe was a Kremlin assassination.

So there could still be a response that comes later. But his non-response or slow response so far does remind us of how Putin has, in many ways, been cautious throughout the last 2 and 1/2 years to not have this become a wider war.

Understood. Given Russia’s response so far and understanding that response may be delayed, how should we think about whether Ukraine is actually achieving its goals for this invasion, diverting Russian troops from Ukraine, who, in theory, would rush back to protect Russia’s borders, drawing Russia into peace talks with Ukraine, and finally, bringing the pain of this war as deeply as possible into Russia itself?

So the jury is still out. On the attempt to draw Russian troops out of Eastern Ukraine and over to Kursk, that does not seem to have worked so far. We have reports of some Russian troops leaving, but not really that many. And we are seeing that Russia is still pushing ahead in the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine. The fight there for the Ukrainians is really tough right now. We’re not seeing the Russian pressure let up in Eastern Ukraine. And on the contrary, we’re actually seeing them take. King more of Ukraine.

That seems very important because the entire assumption of this invasion would seem to be that Putin’s response would have to be to protect Russian territory. So far, that doesn’t seem to be his overall imperative. And now you’re suggesting that instead, he’s using it as a chance to push further and further into Ukraine. That would seem like a Ukrainian miscalculation.

Right. So we don’t know what’s going to happen going forward. But for now, that part of the calculation seems to not have come through. But then there’s other aspects here. So on pressuring Russia to go into bona fide peace talks with Ukraine, where Russia would be ready to move back from its maximalist aims, there — we still have to see. I mean, for the first time, Ukraine is holding Russian territory. And for the first time, you can now imagine a deal in which Ukraine pulls back troops in exchange from Russia pulling back troops, right?

So Ukraine absolutely has a new kind of leverage here. The problem is that Putin is not someone who likes the optics of folding under pressure. But there is one test case that we’re watching closely. Our colleagues at “The Washington Post” have done some good reporting on this, and that is negotiations around both sides committing to not striking each other’s energy infrastructure. There was supposed to be a round of talks about this potential deal this month after the Kursk incursion. Russian officials have said, we don’t see a point in negotiating with Ukraine for now. So they’re not ruling it out entirely, but they’re saying, for now, we won’t talk.

So if this invasion was supposed to represent a potential major breakthrough in the peace talks with Russia, based on the evidence so far, that is not happening. But what about that third prong of Ukraine’s strategy — inflicting pain on the Russian people in their own country? That seems self-evidently to have already happened.

Yes. This is really a humiliation for Putin. That’s clear. We are seeing yet again that Russia’s vaunted security apparatus has failed in its basic task of maintaining security inside Russia’s borders. But at the same time, you have to remember that Ukraine occupies a few hundred square miles of territory right now. That’s a very, very small sliver of the Kursk region and obviously, microscopic, if you think about the 6-plus million square miles that Russia occupies on the globe. So Russians have become more worried, have become more anxious, but it’s not a drastic, dramatic shift.

Well, Anton, that makes me wonder if there’s a universe where Ukraine pushes day after day, bridge after bridge, mile after mile and starts to take so much Russian territory that this message gets delivered to all of the people of Russia very, very loudly and in a way that becomes pretty hard to ignore?

I mean, so one problem here is that there’s another potential response you could see from a public in this kind of situation, which is the rally around the flag effect, right? That as Ukraine pushes forward, more and more Russians might actually become further energized to support Putin’s war. We haven’t seen a ton of that yet, but that’s certainly one other thing to watch. And the other question mark is, At what point do Ukraine’s Western allies step in here and try to get the Ukrainians to stop or pull back because they are worried about escalation risk? I think that concern still clearly does exist in Western capitals.

The Biden administration, obviously, so far still hasn’t allowed Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike Russian territory beyond the immediate border areas. So we’ll have to see about that. But certainly, you now hear President Zelenskyy saying that Putin’s lack of response over the last two weeks shows that, in Zelenskyy’s words, “this whole idea of Russia having red lines that can’t be crossed is naive.”

So it feels like at the moment, two weeks into this invasion, there are two, let’s call them fictions, for lack of a better word, guiding how everyone is seeing and responding to this military action by Ukraine. The first is that Putin’s acting as if this invasion never really happened at all. And how long can he really keep that up? And for Ukraine, the alleged fiction here is that there really is a red line that they can’t cross in bringing this war back to Russia and the Russian people without triggering a wider conflict. So far, Ukraine seems to be saying that that red line doesn’t exist, and we just proved it. So how should we think about those two fictions together?

Well, for one thing, they show how unpredictable this war is. Just like, who could have thought that we would be sitting here in August 2024 talking about a Ukrainian invasion onto Russian territory and talking about —

— Putin doesn’t seem to be all that concerned about it?

So you’re seeing this competition between these two big, almost guiding principles for these two men fighting this war. Putin’s constant signaling that he’s ready to bear more costs to get what he wants. And Zelenskyy’s showing us that he’s willing to take risks and do the unexpected and take the fight to Russia and test what some thought would be Russia’s red line.

And that just reminds us of how intractable this war is, how 2 and 1/2 years in, people still don’t understand how it ends or when it ends. Perhaps the invasion brings us closer to that, or perhaps it extends it even more.

Well, Anton, thank you very much.

Thank you, Michael.

Here’s what else you need to know today. “The Times” reports that President Biden has approved a highly classified plan to, for the first time, reorient America’s strategy for deterring nuclear weapons to focus on China. The plan is an acknowledgment of China’s rapid expansion of its nuclear arsenal, which will rival that of the United States and Russia over the next decade. And —

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

Ladies and gentlemen, we are here tonight to officially nominate Kamala Harris for president! (SINGING) Fire up that loud

Another round of shots

DNC, turn out for what?

On the second night of the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris was formally nominated by her party’s delegates during a jubilant roll call featuring the rapper Lil Jon. A few hours later —

Something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn’t it? Yeah.

You know, we’re feeling it here in this arena, but it’s spreading all across this country we love. A familiar feeling that’s been buried too deep for far too long. You know what I’m talking about.

It’s the contagious power of hope.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama forcefully endorsed Harris in back-to-back speeches.

America is ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.

If you want more news, and I suspect you do, check out our other “Daily News” show. It’s called the “Headlines.” It brings you the day’s top stories along with analysis from “Times” reporters, all in about 10 minutes or less. And you can subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts.

Today’s episode was produced by Nina Feldman, Luke Vander Ploeg, and Mooj Zadie. It was edited by MJ Davis Lin. Contains original music by Rowan Niemisto and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

• August 23, 2024   •   37:44 At the Democratic Convention, a Historic Nomination
• August 22, 2024   •   29:42 The Republican Plan to Challenge a Harris Victory
• August 21, 2024   •   27:54 Inside Ukraine’s Invasion of Russia
• August 20, 2024   •   36:54 Biden Leaves the Stage
• August 19, 2024   •   44:28 The Story of Kamala Harris
• August 18, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘The Man Who Couldn’t Stop Going to College’
• August 16, 2024   •   29:47 How Air-Conditioning Conquered America
• August 15, 2024   •   24:11 A Controversial Crackdown on Homeless Encampments
• August 14, 2024   •   25:38 How One Tech Monopoly Paved the Way for Another
• August 13, 2024   •   24:09 Harris Takes the Lead in Key States
• August 12, 2024   •   33:52 Inside the Three Worst Weeks of Trump’s Campaign
• August 11, 2024   •   48:13 The Sunday Read: ‘The Woman Who Could Smell Parkinson’s’

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Andrew E. Kramer

Produced by Nina Feldman Luke Vander Ploeg and Mooj Zadie

Edited by M.J. Davis Lin

Original music by Rowan Niemisto and Dan Powell

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow ‘The Daily’ Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Warning: this episode contains descriptions of war.

When Ukrainian troops crossed over into Russia two weeks ago, it appeared at first to be a largely symbolic gesture. But in the time since, it has emerged as a potentially pivotal moment in the war.

Andrew Kramer, the Kyiv bureau chief for The Times, explains what’s behind the audacious Ukrainian operation, and Anton Troianovski, the Moscow bureau chief, explains how Russia’s response could reshape the conflict.

On today’s episode

Andrew E. Kramer , the Kyiv bureau chief for The New York Times.

Anton Troianovski , the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times.

Background reading

Planned in secrecy, the incursion was a bold move to upend the war’s dynamics and put Moscow on the defensive — a gambit that could also leave Ukraine exposed .

President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to hold Russian territory as leverage in future talks. In Moscow, many doubt the strategy .

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Andrew E. Kramer is the Kyiv bureau chief for The Times, who has been covering the war in Ukraine since 2014. More about Andrew E. Kramer

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