There has been air activity over #Belgorod, #Russia tonight (May 1-2). At first it seemed to be just air defense measures or perhaps an air battle (see below). But now there are reports of explosions that sound like more than just sonic booms. 🧵 for updates & clarifications. 1/
Thus far, there have been reports of two #explosions overnight in #Belgorod, #Russia, occurring during or after air activity also was visible. This video records one of the explosions. 2/
This second video also records an explosion that took tonight in #Belgorod, #Russia. 3/
This video also was recorded tonight in #Belgorod, #Russia. The audio picks up either an #explosion or, according to some people, a sonic boom. 4/
Additional video also is available (see below) of the air activity witnessed tonight over #Belgorod, #Russia. 5/
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of #Russia's #Belgorod region, posted on social media that there have not been any casualties or damage due to the explosions experienced in Belgorod city tonight, and there will be further information made available in the morning. 6/
Just a reminder of where #Belgorod is located in #Russia and in relation to #Ukraine.
Attacks on the city are important because they can 1. Tie up Russian defensive resources 2. Damage Russian military logistics 3. Undermine Russian morale. 7/
Another video of the air activity over #Belgorod, #Russia tonight shows what some are interpreting to be a #parachute. 8/
Interesting: The militia of the "Belgorod People's Republic" reports tonight that "The Armed Forces of Ukraine go on the counteroffensive. The fighting in the center of Belgorod has had some success. There will be more information in the afternoon." 9/
The governor of the #Belgorod region, #Russia, said on social media this morning that the air activity and explosions in Belgorod last night were due to "combat missions" by Russian armed forces and not "someone or something" "flown ... from the territory of Ukraine." 10/
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There's a large #fire tonight (May 2-3) in a #warehouse distribution center east of #Moscow, Russia, about 25 miles (40 km) from the city center. The fire is reported to cover an area of 34,000 square meters, or 8.5 acres. A🧵for updates & clarifications. 1/
The #warehouse#fire near #Moscow, #Russia already has been geolocated. It is at a large distribution center called "Atlant Park." Coordinates:
55.82513603752637, 38.24975883473289 2/
1. "Russian forces did not conduct any confirmed ground attacks along any axes of advance and instead shelled Ukrainian positions on the frontlines." 2/
Key Takeaways (contd.):
2. "The April 30 Ukrainian artillery strike on Russian command headquarters near Izyum likely disrupted Russian operations on the Izyum axis and may hinder Russian offensives from Izyum for the next few days." 3/
Another briefing with a "senior U.S. defense official" is going on at the Pentagon. @JackDetsch is tweeting highlights, and I'll string all of them together into a single (long) 🧵 for easy reference. I'll also append any summaries Jack shares later.
There was an #explosion yesterday at a munitions factory in #Perm, central #Russia, which manufactures charges used in Grad and Smerch missile systems. There were at least two deaths. The link below is to a local news article about the explosion. 🧵 1/ echoperm.ru/news/261/16936…
Note this unusual information from the first news article about the explosion in #Perm, #Russia: "comments and photos [about] the explosion began to appear in social networks in the evening, May 1, but the administrators of the groups for an unknown reason deleted everything." 2/
Ukraine has destroyed two Russian navy patrol boats near Snake Island in the Black Sea. The Raptor patrol, which are 55 feet (17 m) in length, were attacked by drone. Each boat can carry up to 20 marines and a crew of three. 1/ defence-blog.com/ukraine-sank-t…
The Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian naval ships was carried out early this morning, local time, and announced by the Ukrainian defense ministry on social media. 2/
Ukraine damaged, and perhaps sank, another Raptor-class boat in early March. Russia had a total of 17 such boats in its navy, of which about 10 were in the Black Sea, prior to the start of the war in Ukraine in February. 3/
1. "Russian occupying forces are setting conditions to allow Russia to permanently govern occupied areas in southern Ukraine, not just in Donbas." 2/
Key Takeaways (contd.):
2. "Ukrainian forces likely conducted a rocket artillery strike on a Russian command post in Izyum on April 30 that struck after Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov had left but killed other senior Russian officers." 3/