Thread by @veruka2

I appreciate all the friends reaching out to see if I am ok, to see if my friends, colleagues, and loved ones (who, let's be real, are all of them) are ok. I'm not ok. Friends and their families in Ukraine are really not ok. Here's what has been happening so far. 1/

Friends in several large cities in Ukraine were awakened at 5am by explosions and rocket fire. Everyone was panicking. We messaged to see who was safe. Some hid in their homes. Some ran to the nearest underground station in the middle of the night to take shelter. 2/

Air raid sirens have gone off several times in Kyiv, just this morning. Several info blasts to take cover in city-organized bomb shelters have gone out. Some areas seem calm. Many have died from shelling in a Kyiv suburb. It's hard to actually understand what's happening there.3/

Ukrainian friends living abroad have tried to get family out, but there have been so many challenges. Some thought they had more time. Flights were booked to get mom and dad away next week. Others lack documents. One niece, a child, has no passport, so the whole family stays. 4/

There are friends in Kyiv who fought in the Donbas war when Russian proxies (w Russian military equipment that they could not handle--remember MH17?) first sank that region into bloody chaos 8 years ago. They now have families, jobs, kids. They're now preparing to fight again. 5/

It's typical in Ukraine to make charitable donations via direct deposits into publicly posted bank accounts. Banking in Ukraine can be weird. The Ukrainian government opened an account for military support. The Ukrainian govm'nt is literally soliciting donations for the army. 6/

Ukraine's biggest military weakness is their air force. In 2014, when Russia began its military occupation of Crimea, Ukraine had an active air force base there. When that base was finally evacuated, air force servicemen left on foot. 7/ nytimes.com/2014/03/20/wor…

The targets of the shelling in Ukraine seem to be selected to completely hobble Ukraine's air defenses, giving Russia the opportunity to use Ukrainian airspace to advance more attacks with impunity. 8/

This is leading to violence MUCH farther west than anyone suspected. Ivano-Frankivsk is an administrative center, but a small one, smaller and more remote than the small, western cities most diplomats have already fled to. 9/

https://twitter.com/veruka2/status/1496829814417727493?s=20&t=LG75hbCCAx45Uv2iQkY29Q

I asked veterans what would help. They immediately encouraged support for an org called Povernys' Zhyvym (Return Alive). They provide MUCH needed technical training/support to the Ukrainian soldiers and economic support for returning veterans. 10/
savelife.in.ua/en/donate/

Not that long ago, when Russian aggression began and reached its most deadly in 2014, young Ukrainians being drafted had to crowd source funds just to get basic equipment like kevlar helmets and clotting agents. Too many literally went to war with nothing but camping gear. 11/

I'm not a war booster. I hate every iota of this. It's terrible and needs to stop. But Ukrainians did not ask for these attacks and still they are happening. Ukrainians are already dying needlessly. 12/

This video was taken by @radiosvoboda this AM with a man fleeing Kyiv to meet his children. "Horror. No idea what to think." He loses composure, breaking down in tears and cursing the "lying b*" who is bringing this s* down on them. 13/
web.telegram.org/z/progressive/…

Everyone is heartbroken and no one knows what to do. 14/