Today is the 14th day of the Mariupol defense from the Russian invasion. From 1 March, the city is fully encircled. - @Polk_Azov
The Russian troops are ruthlessly destroying both the city of Mariupol and its inhabitants with artillery and airstrikes. There is no electricity, water, gas, or communications due to the shelling. - @Polk_Azov
The invaders don't let humanitarian convoys into the city, civilians can't get out of the city. Mariupol's on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe. People collect rainwater for drinking, prepare food on fire outdoors, bury the dead neighbors just in the yards. - @Polk_Azov
Those having nobody to bury them lie on Mariupol streets until the utility workers take them away and bury them in mass graves. Multiple houses were destroyed, people are hiding in bomb shelters and religious buildings, but the enemy is also shelling these buildings. - @Polk_Azov
"If the Ukrainian troops don't relieve the siege of the city in the near future, then a famine will begin in Mariupol, and the genocide of Ukrainians devised by Russians will be completed." - @Polk_Azov
Ukraine is running out of air defense interceptors. But they've found a solution: destroy Russia's missiles before they launch. 🧵 euromaidanpress.com/2025/05/10/dro…
Ukrainian drones just flew 240km into Russia and struck Shaykovka airbase—for the second time in 6 weeks. The target? Storage facilities for the Kh-22, a 1960s-era missile filled with 3,000 liters of extremely toxic fuel (heptyl + concentrated nitric acid). 👇
These ancient missiles are uniquely vulnerable to shrapnel damage. As aviation expert Bill Sweetman noted: "Nothing says fun like flying around with an ancient missile containing ~4 tons of hypergolic fuel." 👇
Europe thought it had escaped Russian energy dependence by ditching Gazprom's pipeline gas. But there's a less visible flow still pumping billions into Putin's war chest: Novatek's LNG tankers sailing freely to European ports.
Novatek isn't just a "private" Russian company. Its CEO Mikhelson transferred shares to Putin's inner circle in exchange for Arctic gas fields and tax breaks. The company supplies gas to ammunition factories & funds Russian troops through the Kremlin-aligned Courage Foundation
While pipeline gas exports plummeted, Novatek's business is booming. In 2024 alone, 287 LNG tankers left Yamal terminals, each carrying 74,000 tonnes of Russian gas. Major volumes flow to France, Spain and Belgium – with EU imports actually increasing since the invasion.
#OTD in 1654, Ukrainian leaders signed the Pereiaslav Agreements with Muscovy (Russia).
What they saw as a temporary military alliance became Russia's favorite colonial narrative - and one of the key drivers behind Putin's war. A 🧵 1/10
2/10 Let's unpack this crucial moment in history. In 1648, Ukraine's Cossacks had just won independence from Poland. Their new state - the Hetmanate - needed allies to survive. After several failed diplomatic attempts with other nations...
3/10 ...Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytskyi turned to Muscovy as a last resort. The deal seemed straightforward: military protection in exchange for pledging allegiance to the Tsar, while maintaining Ukraine's autonomy.
A short thread on several other Ukrainian attacks in Russia and occupied territories
Following the strike yesterday morning, the fire spread at an oil facility in Russia's Orel and towards evening, an additional fuel tank exploded, producing much darker smoke (📹via @hochu_dodomu)
A video emerged of a car bomb attack in occupied Donetsk on 9 December () that killed the Olenivka prison chief, who was involved in a terror attack on Ukrainian POWs in his facility.
🧵1/12 BREAKING: Both Georgian Dream and opposition claim victory in today's parliamentary elections, as most exit polls show opposition lead.
The vote could end 12 years of rule by a party critics call "Russian Dream" 🇬🇪 a recap of how Georgia got here: euromaidanpress.com/2024/05/11/fro…
2/12 2003: Georgia's pro-Western path began with Rose Revolution. President Mikheil Saakashvili led sweeping reforms, oriented country toward EU and NATO despite Russia's 2008 invasion and occupation of 20% of Georgia
3/12 2012: Enter Bidzina Ivanishvili - Russian-made billionaire who promised both EU integration AND better Russia ties. His Georgian Dream defeated Saakashvili's party in Georgia's first peaceful power transfer.