Thread by @michaelh992

Thread on #Russia's invasion of #Ukraine - March 18

Russian offensives continue to be almost entirely stalled/paused, with the exception of the Donbass.

There are reports that Izyum fell (I haven't seen video evidence that it is the case though, so I would not consider this to be confirmed). This could be significant, as Russian forces would be able to advance towards Slovyansk in the Donetsk Province.

Separatist forces have also claimed to have captured Rubizhne, showing a video of the raising of the flag in the city. The city appears to be at least partly if not fully under Russian control. This will put more pressure on Severodonetsk

This also confirms that Russian forces are mostly focusing on the Donbass these days (Izyum is outside of the Donbass, but the offensive is geared towards capturing parts of the Donetsk province in my opinion).

Meanwhile, airstrikes were reported this morning near Lviv. The mayor said an aircraft repair plant was hit (not the first time such targets are hit)

The Kyiv administration also reported another strike against the city's Podilskyi district this morning

This is a video from the strike in the Podilskyi district #Kyiv

Today is the day of "reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol" with Russia (in Russia), marking eight years of Russian annexation of Crimea. There are rumors that Putin may speak today on that occasion.

Ukrainian Stugna ATGM at work (undisclosed location)

Russia claims to have "liberated" more than 90% of the Luhansk Province. We (@LeBeckInt) will release our own estimates later on today, the bottom line being that it may still take weeks for Russia to even just capture the two provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Pictures from the Podilskyi district in #Kyiv

Kyiv this morning Podilskyi district (pic. via UNIAN)

Continued

Evacuation buses from Berdyansk near Mariupol

Aftermath of a Russian attack against Konotop

Earlier this month, Russian soldiers came to the town to demand the city surrenders or else face artillery strikes. More than two weeks after, the city is still under Ukrainian control.

https://twitter.com/michaelh992/status/1498950149070106629

According to to a member of parliament 130 people have been rescued from the basement of the Mariupol Theater, which held despite the Russian strike, but there still are 1,300 people.

🚩A curfew is being imposed throughout the Kyiv Oblast, from March 18 at 20:00 to March 19 at 07:00.

🚩Poland will formally submit a proposal for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine at the next NATO summit according to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki

One of the Russian helicopters recently shot down by Ukrainian forces had the inscription "To Berlin" on an earlier picture.

It did not get to Berlin.

At the event celebrating the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea in Moscow, Russian presenters are wearing the "Z" as if this was some sort of research for AIDS concert

The RT feed also has Putin cut off in the middle of his speech (41:32) and disappearing
facebook.com/RTnews/videos/…

Russian forces shelled a local hospital in Lysychansk according to the head of the Luhansk Regional Administration

After the Biden-Xi phone call ⬇️

https://twitter.com/CGTNEurope/status/1504824113596096521

Debris from a Tochka-U ballistic missile (likely fired by Ukrainian forces) falls near Melitopol