Thread by @TWMCLtd

Welcome to Saturday's #UkraineWar thread on Day 444 of #Russia's invasion.

All the news as always throughout the day in one handy thread, but with a fun #Eurovision twist today which I'll explain in the next tweet.

If you want to buy me a coffee there's a link in my bio🙏💙💛

So what's all this about #Eurovision ?

Well to mark #Ukraine's "hosting" of the final in #Liverpool tonight, in my tweets today there will be winning song titles🎶 in some of the posts (not all)

Just for fun. Reply if you spot one, as it will help fight the shadow ban on my a/c

Give yourself bonus points if you know the country and year the song won!

Anyway if you missed anything yesterday, you can review Friday's thread here. A day when we had all kinds of everything going on:

Sadly, another scary night in #Ukraine as #Russia launched another wavr of drone attacks and a few things went boom bang a bang in the early hours.

17 out of 21 Iranian-made attack UAVs were shot down plus one reconnaissance drone, but there were strikes and damage in many areas

The worst damage in #Russia's early morning attacks came in #Khmelnytskyi in the west of #Ukraine and #Mykolaiv in the south.

In the latter a 5-storey apartment block (see video) and a 2-storey "enterprise" were hit by drones.
So far we only know of 3 injuries.

Weather's quite nice in #Ukraine with the ground firming up for the counter-attack.
No rain in #Mykolaiv, only teardrops, after the difficult night - Mayor Oleksandr Sienkovych reveals a kindergarten was destroyed next to the apartment block.

#RussiaIsATerroristState

In #Khmelnytskyi officials say critical infrastructure was hit, #Russia says it hit ammunition stocks.

11 people were injured in the attack. Everybody was shocked. The Governor says the blast wave damaged educational, medical and civilian buildings.

#StopRussia

In #Kyiv ""No hits were recorded" say local officials.

But as a result of falling debris from the Russian satellite, a private house and an outbuilding suffered minor damage.

No photos from there yet.

#RussiaIsATerroristState #SaveUkraine

10km west of #Luhansk, another blast in the territory occupied by #Russia.

This is in the town of #Yuvileine. Russian chat sites are not amused - euphoria has gone and numerous questions along the lines of "what air defence doing?" after 4 big hits in 5 days.

#RussiansGoHome

I've not forgotten to update you on #Russia's total losses - just had a busy start to the day unfortunately.

A very high number of artillery systems and special equipment destroyed, according to #Ukraine and just short of another 600 dead Russians.

#StopRussiaNOW

- intermission -

#Eurovision update - SIX winning song titles have been hidden in the thread so far. How are you doing? Go back and check if you can find any more!

#JustForFun #UkraineEurovision #StandWithUkraine

The hit in #Khmelnytskyi has caused transport chaos. No trains are running and bus alternatives have been laid on for connections from the east and centre to the west of #Ukraine.

It's a case of making your mind up if you're travelling in🇺🇦today - full refunds are available.

Quick update on this story from yesterday.

#Luhansk "MP" Vodolatskiy got injured when he headed BACK into the ruins. The official story is he heard sounds and went to help. The more likely version is he was taking selfies when rubble fell on him.

#Ukraine's President #Zelenskyy has arrived in #Rome (no pics yet)

He will hold meetins with President Sergio Mattarella, as well as PM Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis.

Ze's team say "We are strengthening the coalition. An important visit for our victory. We are working."

#Russia launched 15 rockets on frontline #Hulyaipole this morning.

It's known one resident in the town in #Zaporizhzhia region was injured.

No photo/video yet.

#RussiaIsATerroristState

#Ukraine's drone army also proving to be heroes, with some great footage from #Blahovishchenka, not far from #Enerhodar in #Zaporizhzhia

#Ukraine says this UAV destroyed a🇷🇺 intelligence complex, with high-multiplicity cameras and means of radio-electronic intelligence/warfare.

#Russia's occupiers claim #Ukraine has already used its new toy from the #UK

The Occupiers say yesterday's strike (on their base) in #Luhansk was caused by 2 #StormShadow missiles and one US anti-aircraft missile ADM-160B

This contradicts earlier claims and seems unlikely.

Two very loud explosions were reported in #Mariupol earlier today, but despite searching everyway that I can, no further news yet.

The TG channel of the Mariupol Resistance reported after the second blast, near #Azovstal, "tremors like an earthquake"

It could be demolition work

#Zelenskyy arriving in Italy a while ago. Insieme (together) - united against #Russia's aggression.

Grazie @nicolo_bittoni for spotting this.

#Russia tried to take out the "Patriot" air defence system in #Kyiv last week with its hypersonic missiles.

But, hallelujah! The American system had the last laugh, becoming the first known take-down of the $4m rocket.

edition.cnn.com/2023/05/12/pol…

#Germany donating another €2.7 bn worth of
military aid to #Ukraine, according to @derspiegel

Berlin knows a little peace can be achieved quicker by defeating #Russia, so will give 4 IRIS air defence systems, 200 drones, 18 howitzers, 20 Marder BMPs,
30 Leopard-1 tanks and more

1/2
Remarkable #FriendlyFire incident in the #Bryansk region of #Russia.

A Mi-2 helicopter divebombs in the village of #Klintsy after being shot down, presumably by their own colleagues

#StandWithUkraine

2/2
There's even video of the moment #Russia's military helicopter was hit by air defence in #Bryansk oblast.

Russians are running scared now almost everywhere and getting way too trigger happy!

We are now up to 14 references to #Eurovision winning songs in today's thread. Scroll back and see how many you can spot and if you're a smarty pants the country which sang it and the year.

Trying to have a bit of fun and get more engagement to beat the Twitter shadow-ban!

I'm literally only just up to date (I think) on reporting the most important news from #Ukraine.

Finally got time to give the daily UK Intel report, including a delightful phrase of #Russia having a "severe shortage of credible combat units"

#RussiansGoHome

⚡️Breaking⚡️

What air defence doing?
Remarkable in #Russia - not only did they hit their own helicopter in #Bryansk, it's now confirmed a Su-34 fighter jet was shot down. This is unlikely to be Ukrainian too.

#FriendlyFire

Two pilots who were in the helicopter crash in #Bryansk, are confirmed dead. A woman on the ground is injured; photos show wreckage.

#Russia says it's looking for saboteurs "who may be involved" in the attack on the Mi-8 & Su-34 (heli + plane). A cover for air defence disasters?

There are rumours of another #Russia jet crashing in #Bryansk.

It's said to have gone down in the Starodubsky district - I am trying to verify.

By the way many reporting 2 helicopters crashed. I think there's only been one.

#Russia media report both crew of the Su-34 jet, which crashed in the village of #Istrovka near Starodub, died after being unable to eject.

Meanwhile this video shows some damage on the ground from debris after the helicopter was downed about 40km away.

Now outright panic in #Bryansk region of #Russia

This may be the site of the other downed jet in the region. Everyone is told to run for cover.

#StandWithUkraine

OMG it's all happening

#RussiaOnFire - literally!

The InterContinental Hotel in the centre of #Moscow is on fire!

Another video clip of the @InterConHotels in the very centre of #Moscow blazing away.

#RussiaOnFire

In among the chaos and the repeated attacks on #Luhansk, the 🇷🇺MoD has rather optimistically told the brainwashed public in #Russia that they shot down the #Ukraine jet which fired the British missile at Luhansk yesterday.

Likely another fairytale from #Moscow.

So we know about one helicopter and one plane which have crashed in #Bryansk, quite near the border with #Ukraine.

I wanna believe it's more, and #Russia has now said it is checking reports about a 2nd chopper and a 2nd jet having also been hit.

#StopRussia

Today's like an arcade game, with so many things happening.

Mash now reports the fire at the luxury InterContinental hotel in downtown #Moscow has been extinguished, no casualties.

Confirmed!

#Russia admits a second helicopter HAS been shot down in #Bryansk region.

It's an Mi-8 and crashed in the Unechsky district near the village of #Volkustichy.

News that #Russia is hunting a sabotage group inside #Bryansk

🇷🇺's "Home Office" issued this notice.
At 12:56 saboteurs took "25 weapons + several thousand ammunition from a weapons store" in #Klintsy

The group are wearing green camouflage and have white bandages on their hands

#Russia's Readovka media says Kremlin's story is nonsense. They claim to have proof that #Ukraine shot down all the Terrorist State's aircraft today, with a carefully planned operation from #Chernihiv region

Of course, this also happens to be the most palatable option for Putin.

Meanwhile #Russia still hunts for non-existent saboteurs in #Bryansk.

This was filmed in the last few minutes from #Klintsky, near the hunting shop.

Haven't seen this many aircraft downed since 1944

I think this is video of the second helicopter #Russia lost this afternoon.

Someone on a farm in #Shkryabino village managed to catch the moment on camera.

#StandWithUkraine #CounterOffensive

While chaos ensues elsewhere, #Wagner owner Prigozhin seems to be inciting #Russia's regular army to revolt.

Acting more and more like a Diva, in his latest recording he said:
"In this brainless war, the only saint and absolutely innocent in all problems is a Russian soldier."

#Finland's Helsingin Sanomat news site reports #Russia's border guards are canceling visas for Finnish citizens who travel to Russia to fill up their cars on cheap fuel and buy groceries.

A worker's died after a ceiling collapsed at the "Hadzhi-Konsta Trading House" in the centre of #Moscow.

We can now say #RussiaIsCollapsing

rosbalt.ru/moscow/2023/05…

I won't describe Erdogan as a puppet on a string like Lukashenko, but just when Putin thought things couldn't get any worse today...

Opposition candidate Kılıçdaroglu is polling 49% in final opinion polls aheda of #Turkiye's election tomorrow and "may win in the first round."

A couple of photos of the inside of this mess in #Moscow.

#RussiaIsCollapsing

Remiss of me not to say thank you earlier, but it got ridiculously busy.

I've had some very generous donations from Rich here and also @bk13051 and @staigertrevor1

Thank you to everyone supporting me with words, retweets or coffees💙💛

ko-fi.com/home/coffeesho…

#Russia's independent Mash + Baza media report the deaths of the crews of all 4 aircraft shot down today in #Bryansk.

9 dead in total.
One woman on the ground was taken to hospital with burns after fuel seems to have splashed on her as one helicopter fell.
#StopRussia

Back in #Ukraine I have to report the deaths of two residents of #Kostyantynivka, near the frontline in #Donetsk obast (RU: #Konstantinovka)

11 others, including children, have been injured in #Russia's attack. Many buildings in the town were damaged, as you can see
#SaveUkraine

Another catastrophe for #Russia?

This is said to be just outside #Avdiivka where Russia's tried to advance for months. I can't verify the video but the time stamp matches.

The caption says "Orcs went to the concert" new slang for death, referencing singer Kobzon's 2018 death.

The number injured in the #Khmelnitskyi attack has risen to 31.

But the city's Mayor, Oleksandr Simchyshyn, says they are mostly minor injuries and no-one's life is endangered.

We're up to 20 references to #Eurovision winners in today's thread (tonight #Ukraine is jt-host with #Liverpool)

If you've no idea what I am on about, scroll back and try to find the winning song titles hidden in today's posts in this thread

@Claire_Myfanwy is doing best so far

Phew! Finally I can breathe.

A while ago I volunteered to do the voice over for #Ukraine's best university.
I'm proud to associate myself with @NaUKMA and delighted with the now published promo as they try to gain support from abroad. Hope you like it too

Will this turn out to be Putin's Waterloo? Napoleon chose one battle too many and we could look back on today as the turning point in this war which is ruining #Russia.

Kommersant reports all 4 downed aircraft were on their way to bomb #Ukraine when shot out of the sky.
💙💛

President @ZelenskyyUa and the delegation from #Ukraine met the Pope in the Vatican.

#SlavaUkraini

Who thought #Bakhmut would rise like a phoenix? It seemed impossible for #Ukraine to hang on.

But while #Russia says they are attacking, #Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, confirms the invaders are still being pushed back and suffering losses.

1/2
Numerous videos now appearing on TikTok and pro-Russia TG channels of the moment of the extraordinary explosion in #Khmelnytskyi this morning.

Here are two of them showing the huge blast after #Russia's strike.

2/2

#Khmelnytskyi

In your eyes it looks awful. It is and doubtless a big loss for #Ukraine. What's worse it's very likely to be a traitor who gave away the location.

#SaveUkraine #StopRussia

Everyone needs to see this... My number one video of the day.

Amid the horrors of war in #Ukraine there's still room for tenderness and kindness as shown today in #Kyiv.

#Yizhak #SaveUkraine #SaveTheHedgehog

The Russian installed "leader" of #Luhansk region today disconnected mobile internet for users.

The panic measure follows the recent spate of missiles to hit the city and oblast.

Some #Ukraine channels write about another blast this evening but it's denied by the Occupiers.

Pessimists were preparing for a long war, some thinking what's another year.
But optimism is taking hold in #Ukraine after a positive day.

Dep Def Min Hanna Malyar adding to the good news by telling of many Russian prisoners captured in #Bakhmut and advances in two directions.

#Eurovision2023 is almost upon us and expect plenty of wild dances and crazy performances.

#Ukraine is official host of the show in #Liverpool and 26 countries take part.
26 is also the number of hidden Eurovision winners I wrote in today's thread.
How did you do? Answers soon!

"With all due respect to His Holiness, we don't need mediators, we need a just peace."
The words of @ZelenskyyUa on Italy's @RaiUno TV this evening.

#Ukraine's President also said he had "nothing to talk about" with the Russian leader when asked if he'd meet Putin.

Thank you @Give_Up_On_Name for buying me an evening coffee! It's been a tough day keeping up to date with everything.
Thanks to all who support me💙💛

ko-fi.com/home/coffeesho…

Here are the results to my little bit of #Eurovision fun. The 26 was actually inadvertently 27 as I randomly wrote "the voice" in one tweet.

I highlighted the song titles I "hid" during this thread today with the order in the left margin.

If you're watching, enjoy!

Not sure I believe the rumour that #Lukashenko could be seriously ill.

Thanks @mlabik77 for spotting this

pravda.com.ua/news/2023/05/1…