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More from @mattia_n

Mattia Nelles

@mattia_n

Mar 14

A longer thread 🧵 on the alarming situation in #Ukraine's occupied southeast. The developments are fluid and both alarming and inspiring.
What we are seeing there is the attempt to set up Stalin-like police states (dressed as "People's Republics"). Worst is yet to come. /1

First off, the Russians occupied more ground quickly in the south than elsewhere in Ukraine. They expected the Russian-speaking population to be welcoming but we saw no community or any officials welcoming the occupiers. /2

Instead of being greeted as liberators, citizens flocked to the streets and made it abundantly clear that the Russian forces are NOT welcome. Despite massive intimidations (soldiers firing live rounds in the air), activists, local officials, and citizens resisted peacefully. /3

Read 20 tweets

Mattia Nelles

@mattia_n

Mar 13

The second mayor was kidnapped!
Russian occupying forces have detained Yevgeniy Matveyev, the mayor of Dniprorudne, in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to the Head of Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration Oleksandr Starukh. #Ukraine
facebook.com/starukh/posts/…

In Melitopol, where the mayor Ivan Fedorov was detained by Russian forces, the city council held an extraordinary session and appealed to the Prosecutor General to a high treason probe into the Opposition Bloc attempts to create a new city government 👇
mlt.gov.ua/?r=posts.clien…

Yesterday, Halina Danilchenko, a local deputy from the Opposition Bloc, recorded a video message about the creation of the "committee of people's representatives", which will govern the city. Danilchenko called the protesters in the city "extremists".
ria-m.tv/news/280172/v_…

Read 4 tweets

Mattia Nelles

@mattia_n

Mar 12

Yesterday, we took in Olena, a 39 y.o. woman from Kharkiv with her child and mother. She’s a Tamada, a wedding host. On 24 February, she was at work, at wedding with 300 people, when first rockets and air strikes hit Kharkiv. Everybody hurried home. /1

For ten days, Elena and her family (10 people) sheltered in the basement of the family house in the northwestern part of the city. They spend every night down there and thought they could sit it out. /2

On day 8 and 9 of the war, rockets reigned down on their neighborhood and completely destroyed their neighbors house. Police rescued the neighbors from beneath the rubble. Olena and her family decided to flee. But her husband and two friends were drafted on the spot. /3

Read 6 tweets

Mattia Nelles

@mattia_n

Mar 11

The 🇺🇦 presidential office reports that the Russian occupiers have kidnapped Ivan Fedoro, the major of Melitopol in southern #Ukraine. Security camera of the city hall seem to show the abduction.

*Ivan FedoroV

About 2000 people showed up to demand the release of Ivan Fedorov, the detained major of Melitopol #Ukraine
Source: t.me/kt20220224/166

Read 9 tweets

Mattia Nelles

@mattia_n

Mar 9

Today, I attended an emergency online conference of 🇺🇦 mayors from Mariupol, Kharkiv, Trostianets (Sumy region), Merefa (Kharkiv region), and Zhytomyr organized by the Ministry for Regional Development. What the mayors reported raises alarms on many different levels. A small 🧵

Sergej Orlov, deputy mayor of Mariupol, said that we witness is a "medieval siege" and he emphasized that the humanitarian situation is getting worse every day. For several days, the city is cut-off and there is no heating, water, gas, or proper food and medicine supply. /1

Citizens of Mariupol are hungry and use any wood they find to cook and to melt snow to drink. 3000 babies are deprived of food and will soon need medical attention. About 300,000 citizens remain trapped in the middle of this brutal siege. /2

Read 12 tweets

Mattia Nelles

@mattia_n

Mar 9

Footage from the Children Hospital in Mariupol, which was hit and severely damaged. Unclear how many casualties. #Ukraine

@suspilne_news

Source @suspilne_news
t.me/suspilnenews/7…

Footage from the inside of the heavily destroyed maternity hospital. People and children are under the wreckage, writes President Zelenskyy.
Source 👇
t.me/V_Zelenskiy_of…