Thread by @timkmak

Good morning to my friends waking up in the US:

Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands. Ukraine warns Russia about to conduct naval landings around Odessa.

Power is out in Mariupol. And residential areas are getting bombarded in Kharkiv per UA

The fire at the nuclear complex is out.

Want to touch briefly on nuke complex bc it's so alarming. Zaporizhzhia is largest complex of its kind in Europe

The fire was in a nearby building, not critical infrastructure. Russian troops now appear to control much of the complex. But Ukrainian technicians still staffing

A little taste of what Ukrainian families all across the country all receiving: air raid sirens and alerts in the day, at night, and in the early morning hours:

I’m observing over the past 24 hours the sudden transformation of the civilian economy into a war economy focused on the war effort.

I went to a school gym, for example, which is now home to a facility producing camo nets.

Volunteers make netting, cut fabric to aid the troops

This veterans home, guarded by a soldier with an AK, is now a volunteer logistics hub for food and medicine for the frontline troops

Outside the veterans home is a grizzled vet, injured in previous fighting in the east.

He smokes a cigarette with his left hand and has this patch: an AK with the phrase “stays in every house.”

“So we always stay ready,” he tells me

This milk processing factory for Molokia, a dairy producer in Ukraine, has basically thrown out their business plan and is shipping as much product to Kyiv and onwards as they can — close to the front lines for soldiers

In this Ukrainian industrial zone, a warehouse which created combines/grain silos is now building anti-tank hedgehogs from old train tracks.. and other anti vehicle devices

All this just transformed overnight and voluntarily. You might remember hedgehogs fr Saving Private Ryan

Ukrainians gave me a tour of this industrial zone for manufacturing anti-tank and anti-vehicle devices

They’re proud of their work and think this will deter the Russians from moving deeper into Ukraine

I spoke to another businessman, who owns a small shopping center in the city I’m in.

He’s converting it into a place for internally displaced people to stay.

All I heard was the knocking of hammers and electric screwdrivers as they built bunk beds for families coming into town

At least 1 million Ukrainians have fled the country.

Worst of all to see are the children who are clearly frightened.

I saw one girl, apprehensive, hiding behind what appeared to be her grandmother, as air sirens wailed and the family sought shelter.

At least 1 million Ukrainians have fled the country.

Worst of all to see are the children who are clearly frightened.

I saw one girl, apprehensive, hiding behind what appeared to be her grandmother, as air sirens wailed and the family sought shelter

At a place temporarily converted for internally displaced people, I saw them preparing for children with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sheets, and cartoon blankets... bunk beds and mattresses on the ground..,

A badass U.S. humanitarian worker I ran into, headed in the direction of Kyiv, asked me to find the stories of joy. And they are still there.

Children are still children – even in camps for internally displaced people, they still find a way to play and laugh.

I saw a group of them playing and laughing by a foosball table at a safe house last night.

I choked up a little thinking about it this morning

Another brief ray of joy: Ian Bremmer sends along a snippet of what is happening on the other side once they reach points further west in Europe:

https://twitter.com/ianbremmer/status/1499489586254336002?s=21

Here, the war continues. Ukraine has this guide for how to approach a Russian soldier who wants to surrender

Ukrainian Guidance on surrendering Russian soldiers:

“Their lives must be protected. They are needed for the exchange fund of prisoners.

If you see a hungry Russian soldier ready to surrender, first offer him to give you his weapon, then take him to the local village council”

One more question I wanted to get a better understanding of is: why has the Russian air force not been used more widely?

It has massive superiority over the Ukrainians but has not seen proportionate action.

Some potential explanations:

1. Limited quantities of precise air-delivered munitions. Syria experience shows they don't have many.

2. They're worried about friendly fire

3. They're poorly trained and cannot operate the aircraft they do have.

rusi.org/explore-our-re…

Some potential explanations:

1. Limited quantities of precise air-delivered hunitions. Syria experience
shows they don't have many.

2. They're worried about friendly fire

3. They're poorly trained and cannot operate the aircraft they do have.

rusi.org/explore-our-re…

Finally, I want to review this drink I bought in Ukraine

Non Stop EVOLUTION, it’s called.

3/10 tastes like cough syrup, would not change my heritable characteristics over successive generations

Russian helicopter seeking to evacuate downed pilot was also shot down, says Ukrainian internal affairs ministry aide:

I visit a Ukrainian factory, which before the war was being used to make agricultural combines and silos.

Overnight, it's been transformed into a factory for anti-tank devices:

instagram.com/p/CasqpjQgmkB/