👀 Donning military garb instead of his trademark shiny blue suit, Russia’s proxy leader in Donetsk says he has ordered a mass evacuation of residents to Russian Rostov Oblast. He claims “Zelensky will soon order an offensive in the Donbas.” (That couldn’t be further from truth.)
RT/Russia Today top editor says Pushilin wrote her saying Ukraine forces “are lined up in battle formations. If they haven’t received the order [to attack] yet, they will soon.” 🙄 I have been on the Ukrainian front today; no such thing happening. Just shelling from Russia’s side
Ukraine’s foreign minister on the obviously false allegation that Ukrainian forces are preparing an offensive in the Donbas.
This is what’s happening in eastern Ukraine: Russia-led forces are shelling towns up & down the frontline. I met Valentina Gordeyeva today in a Kurakhove hospital. Thursday she was hit by shrapnel in the hand & abdomen waiting for the bus in Mariinka. “My blood was everywhere.”
The Mariinka youth center was also hit in Thursday’s attack. Children scattered to basements here and at the nearby school no. 2. Today, during more shelling, twins Veronika and Yeva, 12, just kept beading beside a window hit yesterday.
Alina Kosse, an administrator at the Mariinka city youth center, said people in Mariinka want peace but don’t expect it will come soon. Like animals learn to adapt to any situation, she said, “we have learned to live with war.”
Masha, 16, sought shelter during yesterday’s shelling in Mariinka. Today she was singing about love even as the Russian bombs rained down on the town again. She said singing helps her cope with the war.

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More from @ChristopherJM

Feb 19
Ukrainian President Zelensky speaking now in Munich. He says Ukraine will defend itself with or without help, whether allies give helmets (Germany) or weapons (US, UK, etc).
Zelensky says "the security architecture in Europe is broken. It’s time for a new one."

He says of the current Russia threat, "This isn't about war in Ukraine. This is about war in Europe."
On NATO: "We are told the doors are open but that we are not allowed."

Zelensky says after years of dodging the question it's time for an answer as to whether Ukraine can be welcomed in NATO.
Read 10 tweets
Feb 19
President Zelensky says he will still go to Munich today for the security conference but will return to Ukraine right after his appearance. His office told me yesterday he was considering staying put in Kyiv. Biden said it was Zelensky's decision but probably best to not go.
Here's the statement from Zelensky's office on the president's decision to go to the Munich Security Conference even as hostilities escalate in the Donbas and the threat of a Russian invasion increases dramatically. president.gov.ua/news/shodo-uch…
And here is Zelensky tweeting from Munich with Boris Johnson. He’s meant to fly back to Kyiv immediately after meetings. Image
Read 4 tweets
Feb 18
Biden speaking now describes Russia's aggression against Ukraine as a "rapidly escalating situation" and says "we believe they will target Ukraine's capital of Kyiv." He belives an attack will happen "in the coming days."
As for false Russian reports of Ukraine planning an offensive: It defies basic logic that the Urkainians would want to invade the Donbas while Russia builds up its forces around its borders, Biden says. He adds: It's consistent with the playbook Russia's used before.
Biden says Zelensky going to Munich is "his decision." Zelensky's press secretary told @BuzzFeedNews that the Ukrainian president was still planning on going to Munich Saturday but was "monitoring the situation."
Read 5 tweets
Feb 17
Russia-backed forces shelled the music room of a kindergarten in far-eastern Stanytsia Luhanska, Luhansk region, at 9am this morning, according to local reports, local city admin, & NGO Proliska. Children were present but unharmed. Two teachers said to have suffered concussions.
The shelling comes amid a flurry of reports today from Russian state media & local Moscow-backed separatists on Telegram of Ukrainian shelling and provocations — none of which have been confirmed. The concern is that these may create a pretext for Moscow to launch a new attack.
Kyiv, the US, NATO, and Western governments have been warning for weeks and increasingly in recent days that Russia could stage "false flag" attacks to justify a new invasion of Ukraine. There is of course precedent for this in this eight-year war.
Read 16 tweets
Feb 16
NEW—US senior administration official: Yesterday, Russian government said it was pulling troops away from the border of Ukraine. That’s false. In fact, Russia has increased its troop presence by at least 7,000. (Biden said 150K troops yday.) No specifics given to support claim.
Senior admin official: Russia could use false pretext to invade Ukraine "at any time." US has seen increase of false claims including alleged mass grave of ppl killed by Ukraine forces; west mercenaries fighting; biological weapons being prepared for use against Russian-speakers.
Senior admin official: VP Kamala Harris will speak Saturday at Munich Security Conference. In speech, will address situation on Ukraine borders, Russian aggression, latest state of play. Themes include “remarkable unity achieved” while coordinating responses to Russian aggression
Read 4 tweets
Feb 16
New @Maxar satellite images from the past 48 hours continue to show heightened military activity in Belarus, Crimea, and western Russia. Pics below are from Feb. 15 and show a new pontoon bridge over the Prypyat River in Belarus.
Armored vehicles, troops, and military equipment at the Brest railyard and Brestsky training area in Belarus. Feb. 16. 📸: @Maxar
Deployed troops and equipment at the Zyabrovka airbase in Belarus, Feb. 10, Feb. 15. The third image from Feb. 15 shows new attack helicopters. 📸: @Maxar
Read 9 tweets

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