#Russia closing in on #Siversk in eastern #Ukraine's #Donbas region according to UK Intel.
However the daily update from London highlights more failings of Putin's war machine.
Reports from @business claim #Russia is creating its own reference grade of oil. They expect trading on their own oil will be launched in October.
I'm surprised, but maybe the expected lower price is the point - to highlight savings countries can make by trading with terrorists
Congratulations to @the_ins_ru and @bellingcat which are among four organisations declared as "undesirable activities on the territory of the Russian Federation"
The order came from the office of #Russia's Prosecutor General.
Most Russians still think they're free!
Two universities have been destroyed this morning in #Mykolaiv.
Regional head Viitaliy Kim reports at least 10 Russian missiles rained down on the city (#Nikolaev) - the impact was caught on CCTV.
Casualties unknown.
130 more Russian soldiers killed yesterday, according to #Ukraine's official update.
The total now liquidated in #PutinsWar hits 38,000.
In addition the President's office has already said over 12,000 Wagner (private military) contractors, meaning over 50k have needlessly died.
In #Melitopol' the Occupiers claim they've prevented a "terrorist attack" (i.e. #Ukraine's Resistance)
Russian officials say a local resident was detained, who kept a home-made bomb and 15 weapons at his home.
The British update earlier mentioned #Siversk in #Donetsk Oblast.
#Russia's Armed Forces this morning claim the town has "almost come under operational control." The invaders reckon ##Ukraine troops are undergoing a phased withdrawal. This may well be true, but no word from Kyiv
Oleksiy Arestovych from the President's office, confirms #Ukraine's successful hits in occupied areas in the last 24 hours.
The brave Resistance in #Kherson continues to work hard. A whole array of new patriotic posters appeared in the city, as shown by this Telegram channel in Kherson.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed #Russia's appeal against the decision of FIFA and UEFA to ban them from international football competitions.
While #Putin insists "everything is going to plan" in his special operation to destroy everyone in a peaceful neighbour, I saw something interesting
Authorities in #Novosibirsk are "asking" doctors to go for month-long working trips to #Donetsk + #Luhansk
All according to plan😉
The artist of these drawings was under house arrest for 6 months for "distributing porn"
Yulia Tsvetkova wanted to "normalise the female body" - prosecutors demanded 3 years jail.
Amazingly she won, a Russian court actually dismissed her case.
Overnight a mysterious fire broke out at a police station in the far-east city of #Vladivostok.
"All circumstances are being investigated" say authorities though the source of the blaze was quickly found and extinguished without casualties.
Officials there say more then 25 mortars landed, but there were no casualties.
When seeing reports like this we need to ask who benefits and what is gained by such attacks?
2/2
#Ukraine gains nothing by senselessly firing mortars into villages of zero strategic interest. It risks angering western partners. Same with strikes on civilians in #Donetsk. So, no reason for🇺🇦to do this
#Russia meanwhile gains hugely if western powers stop sending weapons
#Russia tells its people it spends so much time, effort, rubles, lives, fighting for freedom.
Yet at home every single person who preaches freedom is mercilessly dealt with. Ex-head of OpenRussia democracy group is jailed for 4 years.
#Sloviansk reportedly shelled this evening. Sadly we can expect a lot more of this here in the coming weeks as #Russia does its usual trying to destroy a city before "liberating" it.
Still not allowed to identify the exact sites where missiles have landed in #Ukraine this evening because of martial law, so media is limited right now.
This is in #Kramatorsk, just a few km from Sloviansk. Broken glass all around after rockets landed there.
So this is now known the very centre of #Kramatorsk has been hit. Ploshcha Myru (Myru Square).
Thankfully the rocket landed in an open space and casualties seem few despite this usually being busy at this time in the evening. Hopefully air raid sirens did their job
It's clear there has been a coordinated terrorist attack on #Ukraine this evening. Many feared dead in different towns and cities. Many fires now after the strikes.
#Ukraine govt official @arestovych, reacting to the killing of civilians said "It's necessary to kick #Russia out of the UN, assign it the status of 'state sponsor of terrorism'."
Better weapons help he says:
"Today M270s arrived - HIMARS have 6 rockets, these have 12."
President @ZelenskyyUa acknowledged the country's under attack as he spoke:
"The occupiers realise we become stronger, the goal of their terror is simple - to put pressure on our society, intimidate people, cause maximum damage to our cities while the 🇷🇺 terrorists still can"
Insane video - that's a car blazing in a crater from one of #Russia's missiles on the central #Ukraine city of #Dnipro
Day 1301 of Ukraine fighting for its survival. The right to be free, speak their own language, worship in their own churches, to learn their own history.
A history of long suppression by Russia.
As war crimes grow daily, the words "never again" don't seem to apply.
Here's the🧵
Yesterday began, and ended, with Russia attacking Zaporizhzhia, injuring civilians.
Also, the head of the IAEA disgraced himself in Russia's arms, changes of 🇺🇦army leadership, and how a Russian guy was a Putin opponent, until 3 mins after being elected.
Day 1300 of Putin's war.
Another 100 days of fighting completed.
We are no nearer peace than we were 100 days ago.
Almost 200 days ago Trump demanded a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.
Not surprising as he started it, it's always Putin stopping peace.
Here's Monday's daily🧵
If you were busy over the weekend, click the link to see all Sunday's stories.
It was a day when Ukraine had to quickly repair a main railway line after a massive explosion, but they also managed to make multiple hits on Russia's rail and oil industries
Hello on Day 1298 of Russia's full invasion of its sovereign neighbour. So, only 1295 days late in fulfilling the boast of taking Kyiv in 3 days. #EATP for Putin.
I've compiled a🧵every single day without fail.
You can help my work with a boost, comment, re-post or a coffee🙏
Friday saw more important visitors arrive in Kyiv (and another familiar place is in Ukraine today).
There was more solidarity and practical support, while Russia suffered more oil woes.
I'll start in Odesa, because that's where the familiar face has turned up.
He was planning to return to Ukraine a couple of weeks ago, but couldn't make it, but now Boris is back.
Loved by nearly all Ukrainians, his early arrival (with Lord Ashcroft) meant he avoids the crowds.
Day 1297 of Russia's imperialist war, but the senior bully keeps being given a bloody nose by the junior school kid next door. How embarrassing for the "world's second greatest army" and more 'punches' thrown by Ukraine overnight..
There was so much in yesterday's thread.
Russia hitting churches, Ukraine striking a boat.
The US helping Belarus, which helps🇷🇺 & Trump questioning if the drone attack on Poland was a mistake.
Thursday ended with a Ukraine drone surge into Russia: