Thread by @timkmak

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.

https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1520987841702080512

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):

https://twitter.com/BrianMannADK/status/1521090387611426817

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:

https://twitter.com/JulianRoepcke/status/1521037598860484608

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