Still big problems for #Russia in the occupied south of #Ukraine. British Intel today highlighting the transport links which will hinder their attempts to fend off a Ukraine assault in #Kherson or counter attack here towards #Mykolaiv.
The #Ukraine land assault in #Kherson will come, but #Russia adding 1000s of extra (untrained) conscripts + Wagner mercenaries to the warzone, complicates matters
The extra cattle fodder pushed in to #Ukraine by the Kremlin, along with #HIMARS and other western weapons, has seen a big uptick in #Russia's soldiers.
The Ukrainian estimates don't even include Wagner mercenaries they say, but the figures are higher than most western estimates
1/2 #Kharkiv was shelled again overnight and this morning. Officials say S-300s were fired from #Belgorod.
In the city, several strikes hit infrastructure/industrial facilities in the Novobavarsky and Kholodnohirsky districts.
In #Kharkiv oblast, earlier in the night, Bogodukhiv and #Chuhuiv districts were hit.
In the former, warehouses of a farm and a private house were on fire. In #Chuguev a school outbuilding was reportedly struck. No photos of the damage yet
#Donetsk channels also published these photos from the Kalininsky district of the occupied city after shelling there. But not much damage from the look of things.
This is the view towards the railway station in the centre of the occupied city taken 20 minutes ago. Multiple plumes of smoke give testament to a concerted attack.
Another huge strike by #Russia on #Mykolaiv overnight; two videos just published.
In one district of #Nikolaev there are fires, while here multi-storey buildings, a supermarket, a pharmacy and other shops were badly damaged.
It's also reported they hit an equestrian school
2/2 The governor of #Mykolaiv says Russian agents and bots immediately started pushing false narratives which should be countered.
* The local govt/infrastructure don't work
* #Nikolaev is a catastrophe - will become another Mariuipol
* We need to negotiate with #Russia.
The sacked Prosecutor General seems set to become #Ukraine's Ambassador to #Switzerland.
There was controversy when @ZelenskyyUa during a purge of government removed @VenediktovaIV from the post.
Unconfirmed reports from occupied #Kherson region of more kidnappings by #Russia.
The Occupiers allegedly abducted Yuriy Sobolevsky, deputy of #Kalanchak council & Tetiana Tkachenko, director of a school.
Russians have real problems finding people willing to teach 🇷🇺 curriculum
The occupiers in #Kherson don't do much to encourage teachers! At the entrance to School 48 in the city, they now have to see the Soviet Union flag on the desk.
The #AZOV battalion was declared a Terrorist Organisation in #Russia's supreme court y'day. The only reason is propaganda & to be able to pass longer sentences against anyone it wants to accuse of being a member.
Today Azov replied in the best way: 9🇷🇺 vehicles gone in #Kharkiv
Oh what a surprise.
Two days ago #Russia hits a minibus of Ukrainian evacuees, killing 3.
Next day they deny, say it was #Ukraine. No one believes them.
Today they claim a minibus in #Donetsk was blown up by a "petal mine" dropped by #Ukraine
An unverified Ukrainian media report here on more cannon fodder from the far east of #Russia.
A team of around 60 so called "Buryat Cossacks" signed up as volunteers, with promises of cash. The youngest is 50. As volunteers, no compensation when they die
The "Amazon of #Russia" has suffered a huge blaze in what looks like sabotage.
The largest warehouse of the Ozon online store is still on fire in the town of #Istra (about an hour west of #Moscow). At least one person has died and 13 are injured.
The Ozon warehouse cannot be saved.
Losses are 10m rubles ($163,000)
Arson is the only cause being considered although a news agency in #Russia has just reported the ultra modern building did not have a fire inspection since opening last year.
The State owned giant is easily the biggest in #Russia, with approximately a third of all banking business.
#Russia says there have already been 27 separate prisoner exchanges and swapping of bodies, with #Ukraine.
Some more propaganda emerging as #Russia desperately tries to think of new ways to avoid being blamed for the massacre of #Ukraine POWs in #Olenivka/#Yelenovka.
Among the new lines, The Kremlin says Ukraine demanded Azov prisoners were taken to that specific jail.
🇷🇺💩
#Ukraine used to be awash with fakes or illegal copies. Times are changing as the country tries to reach western standards on all fronts.
Here 2,500 counterfeit @Apple products are burned by the Kyiv customs office.
#Russia has been at great pains to hide from view the goings on at the railway station. Huge losses were reported when #Ukraine attacked the station.
Days later in another incident Russians themselves accidentally set off munitions
What time is it?
Looks like #HIMARS are paying a visit to #Pesky just north-west of occupied #Donetsk.
Rich pickings for #Ukraine's defence forces by the look of it.
As a ship full of #Ukraine's legitimate food heads to #Lebanon, a court there has annulled previous court orders on a Syrian boat (#Laodicea) and allowed it to flee with its cargo, almost certainly stolen grain from #Ukraine.
It's reported tonight that finally the @UN has agreed to "launch a mission to establish the facts" of the shelling of the Prisoner of War prison in #Olenivka / #Yelenovka in the #Donbas.
50 #Ukraine captives were murdered, with most fingers pointing at Moscow.
Update on the massive fire in #Istra near #Moscow today.
Some media reports in #Russia say 20 people are missing, but official channels have said this is not confirmed.
Another update from the gloriously free #Russia which tries to "free" other countries.
News now that if kids are caught using a VPN in an attempt to find out what's really happening in the world, the parents will be jailed. That's the latest serious proposal aired on TV tonight!
Remarkably quiet in #Ukraine right now with no major attacks to report in any cities.
Presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych this evening said "We are in a lull, real events will begin within a week."
Hello, welcome to Friday and to Day 163 of #Russia's war on #Ukraine
Critical days after The Kremlin's tactic of carpet bombing the front line, then throwing 1000s of cannon fodder into the "grey zone" seems to be pushing Ukraine back in #Donetsk.
All the news, all day, here⬇️
The @TheStudyofWar last night reported #Ukraine "is likely seizing the strategic initiative and forcing #Russia to reallocate forces" due to threats in #Kherson.
However their maps don't include the news about #Avdiivka and #Bakhmut which I brought you in yesterday's thread
Also last night I showed the scenes in #Nikopol - and I'll tweet a new video in the next post
UK's MoD's update highlights the sheer recklessness of #Russia firing on Nikopol from a nuclear power plant in #Enerhodar, storing weapons there knowing #Ukraine can't risk firing there
2/2 The Red Cross statement says they had no access to prisoners in #Olenivka before the strike. This contradicts Russian propaganda channels which claimed they visited 4 days before.
US Intel concurs with my assessment Russia is delaying UN/ICRC visits to plant evidence.
But let's not forget this is NOT happening due to Russia's goodwill. It's because The Kremlin is allowed to export goods and Kaliningrad was unblocked.
The last day of July is Day 158 of #Russia's war of choice.
Each day I document the major news and events, along with analysis. I've been working in #Ukraine for 20 years and studying the relationship with its neighbour as Putin became more and more aggressive.
Enjoy the thread
Of course not only Putin and #Russia involved in the illegal aggression.
#Belarus is playing an active part too. I am disappointed that Britain's @DefenceHQ does not acknowledge that Lukashenka is the ILLEGITIMATE president. @Tsihanouskaya won the 2020 elections
Today the number of Russian Armoured Personnel Carriers destroyed by #Ukraine in this war so far ticked over 4,000.
Also a lot of artillery systems are being taken out in recent days. Plus another 160 soldiers eliminated.
Welcome to the weekend.
Day 157 of #Russia's illegal full-scale war on #Ukraine, but it's 8 and a half years since the start of the invasion when Putin's troops appeared on #Crimea and then later east 🇺🇦
Ukrainians fight on for freedom.
Here's the daily🧵
All the news in 1 place
The condemnation of both the castration/murder videos & bombing of #Ukraine POWs in Russian held territory, continue at high levels.
The UN says it is "shocked by the recent videos" in a statement about the torture and shooting in the head of a prisoner