Rephonic
Artwork for This Is Not A Drill

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler

Podmasters
Russia
Ukraine
United States
NATO
Donald Trump
Iran
China
Israel
European Union
Middle East
Climate Change
Syria
Vladimir Putin
Trump Administration
Hezbollah
Gaza
Taiwan
Hamas
Artificial Intelligence
Ukraine War

Exploring threats to global stability from Ukraine to China to the Middle East with host Gavin Esler – former BBC News presenter, Washington correspondent and host of Newsnight – plus Ukraine-based war reporter Oz Katerji and independent conflict analyst Emma Beals. This Is Not A Drill dives deep into the dangers, corruption, conflicts, disinformation, rivalries and ruthless realpolitik that are m... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes266Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsNewsSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for This Is Not A Drill

Latest Episodes

A new four-part series from This Is Not A Drill… Putin thought he could conquer Ukraine with a tank, air and infantry-led attack straight out of the Second World War. Instead Kyiv turned the tables on Russia with the fastest, most intensive transform... more

Is everything we knew about warfare changing right before our eyes? The war in Ukraine began with tanks and infantry...and now drones dominate in the battle for dominance.

In a brand new four-part series New Weapons for New Wars, we explore what the... more

Space is now an essential part of military planning and operations. Recent reports suggest Russia and China have discussed targeting Starlink satellites, highlighting their increasing importance in conflicts. Are ‘space wars’ no longer science ficti... more

As Russian casualties mount in brutal frontline assaults on Ukraine, Putin’s recruitment is growing ever more desperate. With international sanctions biting and Ukraine’s own campaigns targeting critical Russian infrastructure - can Putin sustain his... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Quiet Riot
Quiet RiotAlex Andreou, Naomi Smith, Kenny Campbell

Recent Guests

Illya Sekirin
Ukraine-based drone operator and author of Rise of the Machines
Ukraine/Ukrainian armed forces
Episode: New Weapons for New Wars – How DRONES change everything
Mick Ryan
Senior Fellow, former Major General, defense strategist
Lowy Institute
Episode: New Weapons for New Wars – How DRONES change everything
Peter Apps
Global defence columnist for Reuters
Reuters
Episode: New Weapons for New Wars – How DRONES change everything
Mark Hilborne
Senior Lecturer in the School of Security Studies at King's College London
King's College London
Episode: Space, Russia and China – How war is expanding beyond Earth
Nigel Gould-Davies
Senior Research Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)
International Institute for Strategic Studies
Episode: Putin is running out of soldiers – but that won’t stop him
Ryan Haas
Director of the China Center at the Brookings Institution
Brookings Institution
Episode: Xi outsmarts Trump – How America’s Iran failure is empowering China
Jimmy Rushton
Special correspondent at Kyiv Independent
Kyiv Independent
Episode: Inside Zelenskyy’s military turmoil
Sophie Pedder
Paris Bureau Chief for The Economist and biographer of Emmanuel Macron
The Economist
Episode: Is the “True European Army” coming? – Macron, France and the future of European defence
Ed Arnold
Senior Associate Fellow in International Security
Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
Episode: Inside the NATO conference – A breakdown from Ankara

Hosts

Gavin Esler
Host of This Is Not A Drill, Podmasters
Oz Katerji
Host of This Is Not A Drill, This Is Not A Drill (podcast)

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 2.8k ratings
  • Nice podcast - horrible music

    This podcast’s introductory music is just unbearable.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Jay remi
    France9 months ago
  • Appetite for corruption episode

    Brilliant episode from a highly respected author who can also explain the highly complex nature of money and corruption to a level that this layman finds easy to access. Also thanks to Gavin for his calm and measured analysis.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    agah1971
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Advertisements everywhere

    Ads every few minutes in the middle of content not just at the beginning and end.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    IMO_2000
    Australiaa year ago
  • Blatantly Biased

    Iran escaping blame though it’s been attacking Israel through proxies… how can u not apply the same logic to for Israel invading Palestine for decades … just another sold out show

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    alexis7778
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Superb

    Really learn a lot from this podcast. Analysis of complex issues presented in an accessible way.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AW PCloud
    United Kingdoma year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests are consistently described as experts with strong analytical insights.
Some feedback notes ad load and pacing as areas for improvement.
Listeners appreciate the depth and rigor of discussions across global hotspots.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#26
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#61
United Kingdom/News
Apple Podcasts
#192
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#96
France/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#101
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#33
South Africa/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Space, Russia and China – How war is expanding beyond Earth
Q: What legal frameworks govern targeting satellites and dual-use space tech?
Existing frameworks like the Outer Space Treaty and broader Law of Armed Conflict struggle to keep pace with dual-use technologies, leading to gray areas where commercial operators and states could act in military contexts without clear prohibitions.
Space, Russia and China – How war is expanding beyond Earth
Q: What is space's role in warfare today beyond communications?
Starlink and low Earth orbit satellites now support not just communications but also real-time surveillance, targeting, and drone operations, making space a central pillar of modern military activity and raising questions about resilience and redundancy in warfare systems.
Putin is running out of soldiers – but that won’t stop him
Q: What are the main constraints on Russia's ability to expand production for the war?
Labor is severely constrained, major factories run around the clock with limited capacity to scale, and while import dependence with China helps, there are hard limits to increasing labor supply domestically.
Putin is running out of soldiers – but that won’t stop him
Q: Could you explain what you mean by Russia's crisis in political economy and how it affects their war effort?
Russia is financing a costly war while cut off from international capital markets, pushing up deficits and forcing internal capital reshuffles, which creates distortions and long-term pressure on the economy and society.
Xi outsmarts Trump – How America’s Iran failure is empowering China
Q: Well, you began a recent analysis for Brookings by writing the United States and Israel fought Iran and China won. Maybe you could explain a bit about that.
Beijing views the U.S. crisis in the Middle East as a distraction that limits American ability to counter China, which enables China to expand influence while Washington is preoccupied. China is trying to balance its relationships in the Gulf and avoid over-committing to any single partner.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About This Is Not A Drill

What is This Is Not A Drill about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program consistently analyzes escalating global flashpoints, with a focus on Ukraine, China, the Middle East, and European defense dynamics. It features in-depth conversations with policy experts, journalists, and regional specialists, unpacking how geopolitical competition, disinformation, and realpolitik shape stability and risk. A standout is its willingness to connect broad strategic trends to concrete incidents, from military leadership shifts to alliance reconfigurations, often through historical context and forecasting. Listeners looking for rigorous, issue-driven geopolitics with expert guests will likely find it valuable, though the format can be dense for casual news consumers. The breadth of topics and access to frontline an... more

Where can I find podcast stats for This Is Not A Drill?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for This Is Not A Drill. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to This Is Not A Drill and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does This Is Not A Drill get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for This Is Not A Drill, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for This Is Not A Drill?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for This Is Not A Drill, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does This Is Not A Drill have?

To see how many followers or subscribers This Is Not A Drill has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to This Is Not A Drill?

These podcasts share a similar audience with This Is Not A Drill:

1. The Bunker – News without the nonsense
2. Behind The Lines with Arthur Snell
3. Oh God, What Now?
4. American Friction
5. Quiet Riot

How many episodes of This Is Not A Drill are there?

This Is Not A Drill launched 5 years ago and published 266 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact This Is Not A Drill?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for This Is Not A Drill?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for This Is Not A Drill from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for This Is Not A Drill?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of This Is Not A Drill. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on This Is Not A Drill?

Recent guests on This Is Not A Drill include:

1. Illya Sekirin
2. Mick Ryan
3. Peter Apps
4. Mark Hilborne
5. Nigel Gould-Davies
6. Ryan Haas
7. Jimmy Rushton
8. Sophie Pedder

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days