Day 165 of #Russia's illegal war on #Ukraine - welcome to my daily thread on events surrounding the conflict.
Of all the war crimes committed, the biggest was when #Putin decided to invade. Without this stupid, needless aggression, there would not have been one other war crime.
In case you missed anything last night, you can scroll back through the previous day's thread. I've been asked to include a link, so here it is.
Y'day evening we saw proof of Russia bombing #Donetsk, which it controls and the confirmed death of a traitor
It seems to have been a little quieter overnight than in previous days, but of course the regular hotspots on, or near, the front line have been hit including #Kharkiv and #Mykolaiv, more on that shortly in the thread.
The daily British update concentrates on #Russia's problems with its highest command.
London reports "at least" 10 Generals have died on the battlefield in #Ukraine and six Commanders have been sacked.
#Kosovo police arrested a Russian "journalist" at the border overnight at a time of heightened security. Dariya Aslamova was suspected of being a spy.
A Kosovan Minister said "many countries have proven she was engaged in espionage for #Russia."
However she's now been released.
I'm not a naval expert, but I can't understand what's happening with that first ship to legally leave #Odesa with #Ukraine corn.
The #Razoni is at anchor near where I reported y'day, just south of #Turkey, in Intnl waters. It's around 250km from Tripoli
Any idea @YorukIsik?
"Military priests" arrived in #Kharkiv, the propagandists of #Russia say.
Absolutely sick that these guys can live with themselves if they profess to be religious. Oh, I forgot, the Russian church is an extension of the FSB - now it makes sense again!
An MP calling a German journalist a Nazi + threatening to kill
An economist saying it's too expensive to feed prisoners, make families pay or let them starve
And the usual crap about Nazis in #Ukraine, the west.
Whos' fascist?
The dangers facing #Ukraine's farmers are manifold.
Recently we saw tractors battling to harvest before flames engulfed the crops.
Now a reminder of another danger. In #Kherson region a combine harvester was destroyed by a landmine.
1/2 #Kharkiv was hit by at least 4 rockets this morning, possibly six.
Authorities admit #Russia his "civilian critical infrastructure" in the Nemyshlyansky and Industrial areas.
No photos from there yet suggests perhaps a military target was hit.
#Russia's latest firing on the #Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant at #Enerhodar hit directly next to the station's dry spent nuclear fuel storage facility according to Energoatom.
Three radiation monitoring sensors around the site were damaged due to enemy rocket attacks.
"Amnesty International deeply regrets the stress and anger caused by our press release about #Ukraine's military tactics" it said in an email to Reuters, but no statement on its website and no apology from @AgnesCallamard for saying we're trolls!
Bizarrely, #Russia's censors have today blocked the website "Grammarly"
Could backfire this one - it won't help the trolls write even half decent posts now!
A first close up look at what are said to be radar reflectors hanging on the sides of the Antonivskyi Bridge in #Kherson.
Many believe they won't work as #HIMARS operate through GPS and even scramblers may struggle to stop the US rocket systems.
#Ukraine's emergency services released video of the shelling in #Mykolaiv earlier.
One of he rockets hit the roof of a building in he Inhul district.
The Sierra Leone-flagged vessel carrying Ukrainian grain has changed its route.
It's apparently waiting for instructions on a new destination after its original destination from Tripoli in #Lebanon.
Still with #Ukraine's attack on the main road bridge in #Kherson.
A longer video now, which clearly shows a second hit on the #Antonivskyi bridge. One fire was already alight when the second explosion happens a few metres away and later you hear the sound wave.
The bad news for #Ukraine this evening comes in the central-western city of #Vinnytsia.
It's been confirmed there are casualties after missiles hit military bases. The local Governor says they're investigating why air defences did not work.
What a shame for #Russia that they forgot to tell #Ukraine...
Just this afternoon the occupiers proudly announced they'd destroyed the #HIMARS which had been firing on bridges in #Kherson region!
As Homer would say, Doh!
Unverified:
There is also a fire and explosion reportedly in #Chaplynka in #Kherson region.
This is occupied territory too, east of the city of #Kherson. Waiting for details, but could be a small warehouse on fire.
Also unconfirmed reports earlier in #Kherson that rockets may have hit the hydro electric power station. Personally I'm not so sure, nothing further written on this on news or chat sites for a while.
#Ukraine says 4 civilians were killed and six were injured by Russian shelling in #Donetsk today.
Hello again.
Day 1552. A holiday in many countries "Whit Monday" in most, Spring holiday in others (inc UK) and Memorial Day in the U.S
But after 4 years and 3 months, memorials are still being made in Ukraine because our leaders, collectively, let them down.
Here's the daily🧵
I'm still not quite sure where Saturday ended and Sunday began - the days merged into one for me.
What I do know is there were >120 new posts over the 48 hours, that's an average one story every 24 minutes, over the entire two days.
1/2 There are new murderous attacks by Russia already today in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Explosions have been heard in the city of Dnipro after an alert for ballistic missiles. Smoke can be seen, but no initial news of widespread damage, so hopefully air defence did its job.
Here we go again then. Day 1550 of Ukrainians wondering if they, their home, their relatives, will be bombed today.
About 16 million people have been born in the US and 15m in the EU since Russia started its full invasion of Ukraine.
Welcome to Saturday's daily🧵
Friday was a cracking thread, with vodka cheaper than a single tomato, legless Russians celebrating, Moscow claiming a college in occupied Luhansk wasn't housing Rubicon pilots and their drones and Ukraine causing more mayhem deep inside Russia.
#UkraineSanctions have been successfully employed again!
Lots of action in Russia last night, even before I closed the thread. Around 8am this morning another Ukraine strike in Perm' region, a distance of about 1700km.
Putin's gone from the expected capture of Kyiv before the end of Feb 2022 & annihilation of Ukraine's leaders & the country's culture, to begging China to keep it afloat & trying to quell dissenters at home as bombs fall!
The daily🧵
A quick reminder, everything I do is free. No extra content behind paywalls or subscriptions.
Every single day, documenting everything important about the war and about Ukraine. Still never missed a day. If you are able to support here's the link:
Wednesday 20 May is Day 1547 of Putin's catastrophic full invasion of its peaceful neighbour.
Russia has lost a large part of a generation of men - dead, dying or those who managed to emigrate. Reserves spent, economy collapsing.
Putin, not Zelenskyy, is Russia's biggest enemy
Let's start the daily thread in the traditional manner with the link for the start of Tuesday's thread.
A lot more destruction on both sides, as Putin grovels in China. Click, but remember to come back for today's news...
Welcome to THE daily thread on Day 1546 of the war.
Russia is showing small signs of desperation.
More economic woes, more Ukraine air attacks deep inside Russia, a desperation to strengthen ties with allies and having to make new nuclear threats.
All the news in one place:
Here's the link back to the start of Monday's thread for those catching up.
A day when Russia lost more equipment, including a helicopter, but also bombed the hell out of Dnipro, while the EU looks for a lead negotiator to meet Putin.
One thing I learned last night I'll repost here as very few people saw it last night, and for Ukraine watchers it's very interesting and potentially important.
Will Zelenskyi dare fire Zaluzhnyi so he has no platform in the run up to an election?
I've now had confirmation of one fatality in Russia's attack on Kyiv.
The injury count is now up to 16.
This is a video from first responders, trying to rescue those trapped in a collapsed apartment building in the Darnytskyi district.
Air alerts are beginning to be lifted in more regions of Ukraine.
Among those is Khmelnytskyi, where there was a drone swarm on the military airbase. No damage is reported.