Thread by @ScottMStedman

Massive explosions reported in multiple cities now in Ukraine. Kramatorsk, Odesa, and Donetsk. Russian troops have been seen entering Ukraine's mainland via Crimea.

Putin's maniacal war has begun.

Every major city in Ukraine is reporting explosions. A live cam from Kharkiv shows a gigantic flash of light on the ground.

Kyiv loud noises heard.

Huge fireballs seen in Kharkiv. The entire country is under air and missile assault.

In the first 30 minutes of strikes, Putin appears to have gone after Kyiv. He has lost his mind.

Locations so far appear to generally line up with the locations of the airports in the major cities.

Friend in the State Department texts: "He [Putin] picked the worst-case scenario."

Interfax: Small arms fire near the Kyiv Boryspil airport.

As predicted, Russia is striking airports first. Reports coming in of the first jets heard in E Ukraine.

This isn't small artillery. This sounds like a cruise missile.

https://twitter.com/AndreyZhukovv/status/1496690287476973569

Rubio confirming the worst:

https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1496689463761817600?s=20&t=Wg4eSg8OVwcsO6ovwoIW3Q

Seeing new large explosions in Kharkiv.

Green men are being spotted in major cities including Kharkiv and Kherson.

Alleged video of Ukrainian air assets being shot down near Kharkiv facebook.com/watch/?v=68114…

Big explosions now in every major city. Appears to be another round of medium and long-range missiles.

Interfax: Russian troops from the Navy are landing in Odesa.

Reuters citing eyewitnesses: New explosions at the Kyiv Boryspil airport.

Reports from multiple sources of jets overhead in Odesa and other major cities.

Reuters citing a Ukrainian official: Martial law is being declared.

US intelligence warnings were that if Russia decided to launch the full-scale invasion (they have), they would encircle Kyiv and force a change in govt.

Hearing some of the first reports of clashes between RU and UKR forces near Odesa.

Websites for multiple Ukrainian government offices are down, including Foreign Affairs.

US official says Biden and Zelensky are speaking right now. Almost midnight in DC.

Zelensky to address the nation after the call.

I'm not going to post casualty numbers in this thread. As awful as it is, it is going to continually increase.

Ze is speaking now.

"Stay calm, stay home"

He didn't say much. Just that Ukraine is fighting back. Mentioned that strikes targeted airports and border crossings. "Glory to Ukraine"

Maidan looks so calm and peaceful...

Interfax: Ground clashes in Schastia near Luhansk

The Russian stock exchange stops all trading after massive sell-offs. moex.com/n41368/?nt=101

Sirens blaring in Kyiv

Air raid sirens still going off.

Reuters: Russia is temporarily suspending flights to various airports until March 2.

US now has a drone over the Black Sea.

Ukrainian Interior Minister confirms that Russian *and* Belarusian troops came in through Belarus. Clashes.

Explosions now heard at the Kyiv Boryspil airport. Might be anti-aircraft

This is about 140 miles from Kyiv:

https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud/status/1496719765049511939?s=20&t=OCYXcpiOajnm_nnJAUyfTg

Explosion in Lutsk, some 50 miles from NATO territory (Poland)

Air raid sirens in Lviv, Western Ukraine

Ukraine's military said they shot down a Russian jet in Eastern Ukraine.

Military now saying 5 Russian planes and 1 helicopter shot down.

Ground forces are clashing in Luhansk.

Russia's Defense Ministry says Ukraine's air defenses are neutralized.

Reuters: Explosions in Lviv.

Seems quiet across the country.

Lining up different reports, it seems that Russia attacked on the ground via the north (Belarus), south (Crimea), and east (Russia) at around the same time.

Reuters reporting 4+ explosions in Mariupol.

I'm not going to post graphic pictures or videos but obviously the Ukrainians have suffered heavy military losses.

US intelligence and analysts have stated that after the initial airstrikes and missile strikes (this has happened), Russia would begin the ground fighting in the major cities. We are starting to see that in Luhansk.

The first videos of dead children are appearing. The worst of humanity.

Russian tanks seen outside of Kharkiv.

We're at a really quiet, ominous phase now. Tanks have rolled across the border from 3 directions. Only a matter of time before they arrive in major cities.

Odesa officials are reporting multiple dead and wounded in an explosion near Podilsk, some 12 miles from Moldova.

Aeroflot, Gazprom, Novatek, X5, are all down more than 30%.

EU Commission President: "We will freeze Russian assets in the EU"

Moscow says it is closing shipping lanes in the Sea of Azov.

Multiple people are reporting the sounds of jets over Kyiv.

Reports of clashes on the outskirts of Luhansk and Kherson.

Moldova is declaring a state of emergency.

Gazprom is down 46%!

Gazprom just hit 50% down. Half of its value gone in hours.

Sberbank down 50%.

“Anyone who is ready and able to hold a weapon can immediately join the ranks of the defense forces.” - Ukrainian Ministry of Defense

Lithuania also calling a state of emergency.

Reuters quoting a witness: A siren is going off in Medyka, Poland.

Moscow suspends trading.

Rosneft -58%
Sberbank -57%
Gazprom -54%

New explosions in Odesa, CNN reports.

I have to get some sleep.

If I'm reading this right, the U.S. sanctions don't include any Russian oligarchs.

Banking sanctions:

-VTB (assets in the US frozen)
-Sberbank
-Bank Otkritie
-Sovcombank
-Novikombank

Families sanctioned:

-Ivanov, Sechin, Patrushev.

No oligarchs. Putin laughs.

The banking sanctions are incredibly strong. The individual sanctions... What were they thinking?

White House releases sanctions list: whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/…

Heavy clashes reported in Hostomel, some 15 miles from Kyiv city center.

Take reports of 'Russian military says X' or 'Ukrainian military says Y' about specific incidents with a grain of salt. As always, there is a fog of war and information war.

US analysts and intelligence predicted that after the first hours of invasion, we would see more airstrikes as ground forces fight near the major cities. We are in that timeframe now.

Senior US defense official tells reporters that 160 missiles have been tracked and that Russian troops are moving closer to Kyiv in recent hours.

The Institute for the Study of War says, "Russian forces have not yet attempted the decapitation strike several analysts and outlets have forecasted and may attempt to do so in the near future." understandingwar.org/backgrounder/r…

Multiple sources are reporting that Russia has taken Snake Island, some 20 miles off the coast of Ukraine.

Fighting appears strongest right now in and around Kharkiv.

Sound of an explosion on the Maidan live stream, in Kyiv.

Russian troops and equipment massing in Brest, Belarus. This is right on the Poland border.

https://twitter.com/JackDetsch/status/1496958617945317377

Zelensky decree says he is calling a general mobilization. Essentially calling all able people to fight. president.gov.ua/documents/6920…

State Department analyst I know is scratching his head at Russia's lack of overwhelming attacks on Ukraine's air force and other targets. "This is the one area where we were wrong. We expected much more expansive strikes in the first 24 hours. Kinetic and cyber."

US drone seems to be interested in the last few hours in Sevastopol, Crimea. Many Russian ships are around here.

CNN citing Ukrainian intelligence: Large bombardment of Kyiv expected around 3:00 am. That is in 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Ze: Russian saboteurs are in Kyiv.

Sorry for the break in updates. I spend half my time now dealing with an insanely stressful defamation SLAPP

https://twitter.com/ScottMStedman/status/1493659203503747073?s=20&t=aOoJ2gXQbD0piRWGplmFVg

A major impact of some kind of in Kyiv

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1497041023201161222

AP quoting SecDef Austin: Russian tanks are approximately 20 miles from Kyiv.

If accurate, that means that they moved approximately 60 miles closer than where we saw them earlier today in Chernobyl. At this rate, they could be in Kyiv within a day.

Now: 2 loud explosions heard on the Maidan livecam.

This tracks with Austin's comments

https://twitter.com/Liveuamap/status/1497065630574518274

Explosions are going off in Kyiv like every 5 minutes right now.

Jets now heard overhead.

More strikes against airports, this time in the west

https://twitter.com/GicAriana/status/1497070505186136067?s=20&t=4JFs2U7qR77ACFS20oQzPA

Air raid sirens in Lviv, western Ukraine

Air raid sirens now in Kyiv

Column of 56 tanks spotted in Dymer, just about 20 miles from Kyiv.

https://twitter.com/voiceofukrain/status/1497074670511738902?s=20&t=7EosTQ9pOIDL_BtFoQxFvA

I can't imagine Putin is happy with how this is going about 40 hours after the first strikes.

But part of it seems to be his choice? We haven't seen a fraction of the firepower he assembled, both kinetically and cyber.

Really heavy explosions in Kyiv.

Psaki announces sanctions on Putin.

👀

Ze: The Russians will attempt to storm Kyiv tonight

Woah, China just abstained in the UN vote condemning Russia.

This is really important daylight between Russia and China that wasn't predicted.

The resolution was vetoed by Russia anyway. China was expected to vote with them because of their potential future moves with regard to Taiwan. The abstention is important and welcome to the West.

Psaki announces that the RDIF is being sanctioned. A big move.

https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1497339078039195648

The defense of Kyiv is getting intense. This is the *type* of plane allegedly downed. It's a massive aircraft.

https://twitter.com/ELINTNews/status/1497346330796167175

Ukrainian military says 100+ Russians were on board.

Inbox: "U.S. Treasury Imposes Sanctions on Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov"

Putin, Lavrov, Shoigu, and Gerasimov sanctioned

"any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked."

"or indirectly" is going to be doing a lot of work here