Tim Mak Profile picture
May 2, 2022 16 tweets 7 min read Read on X
Good morning to readers, hello from Ukraine

Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands. Back in the capital for first time since late Feb. Much has changed!

But first the news: British intel claims Russia used ~65% of ground forces in Ukraine; and more than 1/4 are now combat ineffective
UK Ministry of Defense says that Russia's most elite forces, including its airborne troops, are among those most devastated by combat in Ukraine; and that it will set those units back by years.

Meanwhile ~100 civilians were able to evacuate a steel plant in besieged Mariupol, Zelenskyy announced...

Attempts for a limited ceasefire to create an evacuation corridor for civilians had failed for days, but the U.N. helped mediate this latest effort.
Ukrainian govt says several hundred civilians remain in the Azovstal steel plant, including ~20 children.

They also claim that the shelling began immediately after the latest evacuation took place.

Photo: Maxar satellite imagery of plant from late last week.
Elsewhere in southern Ukraine, the UA military is saying that they sunk two smaller Raptor Class naval vessels in the Black Sea, using drones.

My colleague @BrianMannADK has more from Odesa (you should follow him):

The Raptor-class vessels can hold some 20 troops, and a crew of three.

It can travel at a max speed of 50km, and is approximately 17 meters long.

Here's video of the Ukrainian attacks, according to the UA government:
In eastern Ukraine, the UA military reports fighting all along the front lines.

I spoke to Elena Dulgig, who was waiting in line for humanitarian aid in Kramatorsk, a city in the Donbas region, 20-30 miles from the front lines
Elena needs the help: most of the grocery stores in town are closed or have nothing left to sell…

…and she has been out of work since Feb 25, the day after the invasion

Pictured below with her mother
It was a hectic scene, as locals jockeyed for position to get a few basic provisions:

They received some canned goods, a little milk, a little pasta.
Elena told us what she wanted most was peace, that she was concerned about her son, who is in the Kharkiv region, another area that is close to the front lines...
Elena said she hadn't seen her son in six months, and that she wants the war to be over so that her grandkids can visit safely.

More from Elena and others in Kramatorsk on NPR soon.
NPR team found it difficult to find much food or gas in Kramatorsk.

We got some bread, some cheese, and some deli meat.

I broke into a jalapeño pepper beef patty MRE that I brought along, and due to request we keep room lights off at night, ate it under red light headlamp
Spotted at a cafe three hours outside Kyiv:

Two Ukrainian mil officers at at a table under the shade, arms around their spouses; as their children played (one was rolling around on a skateboard). Looked like they were on leave.

Sense of relief characterized the whole scene.
Returning to Kyiv for the first time since the invasion: the route is much more militarized... the city is bustling, a contrast to those panicked few first hours where the streets were empty.

Still waited for the better part of an hour at a checkpoint to enter the city.
Today’s dog of war is Misha, a dog who was very eager to have belly rubs and cried when I stopped playing with him, which broke my heart a little
Bonus moose of war:

A moose being evacuated from the zoo in Kharkiv, per Ukraine NOW, social media arm of Ukrainian government

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More from @timkmak

Apr 21
Today, along with my friend @KlasfeldReports, I’m launching a new publication.

Introducing @allrisenews.

Our current system of journalism is flawed.

It omits what WE CAN DO about the terrible things we read about. Image
We’ll report news, then show you how to turn it into action.

We will bring you fearless journalism that won’t treat you like passive spectators to Donald Trump’s assault on democracy.

Reporting that guides you through your rights and powers in the law.
From Ukraine, the number one feeling I got from reading American news was helplessness.

Every day brings more scandals and challenges to the constitution.

No one was talking about what we could do to make a difference.
Read 8 tweets
Apr 20
Scoop: Trump’s special envoy for Russia Steve Witkoff has a serious conflict of interest: business dealings with a man sanctioned by Ukraine as a threat to its national security.

Len Blavatnik is a longtime business partner of Witkoff’s, and made his money in post-Soviet Russia. Image
Steve Witkoff, appointed as Trump’s special envoy, has repeatedly shown not just an affinity for Moscow but has openly stated that he “spent a lot of time talking and developing a friendship and relationship” with Putin — a dictator responsible for the deaths of Ukrainians. Image
After a meeting with Putin, he told Trump that the fastest way to a ceasefire would be to give four Ukrainian territories to Russia, Reuters reported – views that drew direct condemnation from Ukraine’s president this week.
Read 11 tweets
Feb 22
Good morning to readers; Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.

Tomorrow Germany will vote. Will it stand by Ukraine or give power to the pro-Russian far right?

Kirill, a Ukrainian in Hungary, warns voters about ‘Orbanization’ of Germany. Image
Kiril Demchenko has lived in Hungary for four years, so he knows how a country changes when its authorities flirt with the Kremlin, as Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban has done.
Kiril says after the start of the full-scale invasion, Hungarians began to treat Ukrainians badly, especially older people who see Russia as an ally, not an aggressor.
Read 15 tweets
Jan 28
Here's what we're reading today:

Trump’s suspension of U.S. foreign aid has left numerous Ukraine-based humanitarian projects w/o funding.

USAID is supporting veterans groups, local media, critical infrastructure among other vital areas. Image
Russian intelligence contact relatives of Ukrainian POWs immediately after capture, trying to manipulate them into sending money or sensitive information.

They also promise prisoner exchanges or better treatment for their POW relatives while in captivity. Image
EU may ban selling video game consoles to Russia, as Russia is using them to operate attack drones.

Following Western sanctions, Russia's military has been known to use non-military tech for military purposes, like refrigerator parts which are used in missiles and drones. Image
Read 6 tweets
Dec 30, 2024
Good morning to readers; Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.

War doesn’t stop, even on Christmas Eve. Nastia and I spent the night at a medical stabilization point near the frontline, where medics were working around the clock to save Ukrainian soldiers. Image
We had barely started eating Kutya – the sweet Ukrainian Christmas dish you’re obliged to eat first, and with a spoon – when the first call came in for an emergency evacuation.
At the forward headquarters of MOAS, an NGO dedicated to spiriting critical patients away from the frontlines, Christmas Eve dinner was marked with a couple hearty toasts and camaraderie.
Read 10 tweets
Oct 24, 2024
Good morning to readers; Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.

For years I thought I was done with Maria Butina, the Russian agent linked with the NRA that I uncovered.

But after she was released from prison, she went back to Russia to become a legislator with Putin’s party... Image
… and I became a resident of Kyiv, a city being relentlessly attacked by the forces she so vigorously supports.

This is the inside story of how I came to unmask Maria Butina.
Every great investigative story starts with an unlikely tip.

Usually it sounds just a little too wild to be true.

Oftentimes, these claims are impossible to prove.
Read 14 tweets

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