Thread by @TWMCLtd

Day 57 of the war in #Ukraine

#Russia's merciless and totally illegal invasion continues

Welcome to the daily thread for Thursday.

#StandWithUkraine️ #StopRussia

#Mariupol' is still standing.
No response yet from #Russia on Ukraine's offer to exchange all those in Azovstal steel works (fighters and civilians) for Russian Prisoners of War.

Meanwhile the crazy TikTok-ing head of Chechnya has guaranteed that Mariupol will be Russian today.

Quick update on this which emerged last night.

#USA has also added that 14 Howitzers are now in #Ukraine hands - around 50 🇺🇦army personnel are currently being trained in Europe on how to operate the equipment.

https://twitter.com/TWMCLtd/status/1516907502448881664

#Kherson (under Russian occupation) will hold a "referendum" next week

The options likely to be:
Do you vote in favour of
a) An Independent Kherson People's Republic️
or
b) Jail, torture, maybe death

But Resistance steps up attacks
75 RU soldiers/propagandists reported killed

Another reminder of the shocking ill-discipline, lack of morals and pathetic, criminal state of #Russia's army.

This car, which the looters failed to get back over the border to Belarus, was packed with incredible amounts of private stolen goods.

#StandWithUkraine

Difficult to see here at night, but it's reported that this is the #Dniprovsky market in #Kherson on fire tonight.

There has been ongoing shelling and missiles in many areas of #Ukraine overnight, but this is occupied territory, so no idea how this happened

#StandWithUkraine️

Another shocking discovery in #Kyiv region.

The state's Police Chief Andriy Nebitov says a 15 year old girl is among bodies found in two more mass graves discovered in #Borodianka.
In total 9 dead, all executed, some signs of torture before death

facebook.com/pol.kyivregion…

Lead singer of @okeanelzy, national hero @s_vakarchuk has been banned from Russia for 50 years in the #Kremlin's latest "sanctions" list targeting artists.

Another #Ukraine singer, Svetlana Loboda is among the names

#StandWithUkraine️

lenta.ru/news/2022/04/2…

Four buses full of evacuees have left #Mariupol' this morning.

In recent days there hasn't been a "humanitarian corridor" agreed, with both sides blaming each other.

Deputy PM Iryna Vereshchuk confirmed the news but added "The security situation is difficult. Things may change"

Russia says it is calling off the attack on the Azovstal steel plant.

Putin says he's ordered a siege instead of assault on Azovstal, hailing the “successful liberation" of the rest of the devastated port city

Remember, no exaggeration, most of what Putin says is lies, so attacks may continue on #Mariupol'
Likely current tactics were getting them nowhere at a steel plant designed to withstand nuclear attack

Also "complete control" = losing 3 tanks, 3 vehicles?

https://twitter.com/Polk_Azov/status/1517048378999418881

#Latvia's Parliament approved the final reading of a bill to enable removing citizenship for Latvians who support #PutinsWar.

#Austria announces it's already stopped importing and refining oil from #Russia.

Good - a little less in the Putin's war budget.

People may think "they'll just sell oil elsewhere".
True, but Russia would have to discount it more and more and that will annoy OPEC partners.

Not impressed with @ProcterGamble which has done everything possible to keep trading in Russia and financing Putin's genocide of #Ukraine.

Finally the company admits "it may not be able to continue trading" but only because of supply problems.

reuters.com/business/tide-…

Let's check in at #Kherson now to see how things are going under Russian occupation.

Just 6 days until the illegal referendum there I believe and good news if you need sauce, otherwise not many options on the supermarket shelves.

#StandWithUkraine #StopRussia

Meanwhile an eagle eyes viewer of Russian TV saw how good life is in #Kherson with these photos.

Just one problem it's NOT the occupied city in #Ukraine - the watcher says it's the Russian coastal town of Yeysk in Krasnodar region, by the Sea of Azov.

Volunteers in #Kharkiv oblast have been shot by Russia's army according to #Ukraine's Ministry of Defence

The group was travelling from the village of Shevchenkove when attacked.

All routes are blocked - the only way out of villages in this area is over the border to #Russia

#Croatia's PM has stopped all contact with the country's President over his pro-Russian views

Andrei Plenkovic said "I don't know if he is their agent or not, but the damage he has done to Croatia in foreign affairs over the past two months is enormous."

#StandWithUkraine️

The situation's been getting worse for #Ukraine in #Mykolaiv region. Constant shelling and rocket attacks have forced Ukrainian troops back.

Regional governor Vitaliy Kim finally admits what seemed obvious a while ago, saying "around 20 villages are occupied south of Snihirivka"

No civilians have been able to leave #Azovstal steel plant in #Mariupol' today.
The city's mayor told a press briefing, he doesn't know the exact number trapped there but it's between 300-1,000.

Another 200 residents elsewhere in the city are still waiting for today's evacuation

#Ukraine Defence has published this video of the moment it says an enemy helicopter was shot out of the sky.

The drone footage is reportedly from today in #Zaporizhzhia region. MANPADS destroyed a Russian K-52 "Alligator" model.

As I predicted, #Russia is still bombing the Azovstal metalworks in #Mariupol'

Earlier today Putin pledged not to continue the attack, just enforce a blockade.
News of the shelling was given by Mayoral adviser, Petr Andryushchenko who also reported fighting elsewhere in the city

President @ZelenskyyUa says #Ukraine is:
a) preparing to unblock #Mariupol by military means, but
b) hopes that it will be possible to carry out the evacuation peacefully.
Not sure how a+b coexist and right now "a" looks like a pipe dream.

Interesting news from the Russian city of #Tver, about 100 miles north-west of Moscow.

A research institute, where Iskander missiles and S-400 systems were developed, burned down.
Five people died in the blaze, the cause of which is unknown.

Reports in social media of strikes on infrastructure in both #Donetsk and #Zaporizhzhia regions.

Unable to state categorically if this is aggressive action by #Russia or a defensive measure by #Ukraine.

#Russia appears to be moving troops out of #Mariupol'

Not clear how many will leave, but it shows to me #Putin's desperation to claim all of Donbas by 9 May. It's risky moving too many with Ukrainians still fighting, but such a long frontline is open in #Donbas he needs numbers

Railways are being targeted again by #Russia.

State governor for #Dnipropetrovsk region says 3 missiles hit #Novomoskovsk.
No one was killed or injured in the attack, believed to be on rail infrastructure and tracks.

President @ZelenskyyUa confirmed in his evening address that #Russia had rejected the idea of an Easter truce.

The Sec.Gen of the @UN had called for a truce for the Orthodox Easter this weekend, #Ukraine had agreed. Not so the Kremlin.

#Mykolaiv's leaders have confirmed one person died and two others were injured last night in rocket attacks on the city.

The mayor of #Nikolaev claims #Russia was again using cluster munitions, but also pointed out the three people hit were breaking the curfew.

#Kharkiv's been used to a battering every night, but these days it's happening in daylight too.

Two more residents were killed as more than 50 rockets and missiles rained down on the city in north-east #Ukraine. The two who died were in a car which was struck by a shell.

#Ukraine details "hits" on 15 Russian aircraft during the day.

Three were helicopters and 3 fighter/bomber planes. The other 9 were unmanned "Orlan" drones.