From pathetic Putin's ramblings/partial mobilisation, to the street protests in #Russia, to the prisoner swap deal which saw all 5 Britons released, ending with Zelenskyy's focused and powerful, history-making speech at the #UN
Last night there were big queues at #Russia's southern border with #Georgia.
Presumably men trying to flee before they receive the dreaded call-up to fight in #Ukraine.
Yesterday there were reportedly long queues at the Finnish border and flight tickets selling out.
This is how many Russians spent a large part of the night.
This just one police station in #StPetersburg with around 50 arrested people kept here for hours, many all night. They were among thousands protesting against mobilisation in #Russia
At least they had a piano!
This is how many Russians spent a large part of the night.
This just one police station in #StPetersburg with around 50 arrested people kept here for hours, many all night. They were among thousands protesting against mobilisation in #Russia
At least they had a piano!
"It's vital for world security that we do not blink, that we are at least as brave as #Ukraine's army."
Forgive me for giving another outing to my essay following Putin's partial mobilisation, hope you agree and feel free to share.
Last night Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave powerful speeches at the #UNGA
Soon it's the turn of Britain's new Prime Minister @trussliz, who will continue to keep the pressure on #Russia. But will she call #Russia a "Terrorist State"?
As I type it's known 1,455 people were arrested in 38 cities across #Russia as anger at the PARTIAL mobilisation spilled on to the streets.
More news coming from #Russia's other borders too..
This was on the south-eastern border with #Kazakhstan
Local news outfit ATEO says "there is a huge queue of cars. The vast majority with men of military age."
...and the border with #Finland
Some trying to escape #Russia are sleeping in their cars. The queue reported by Fontanka to be "several kilometres long"
British Intelligence today reflects on the partial mobilisation, which "is effectively an admission that #Russia has exhausted its supply of willing volunteers"
Always difficult to verify claims on the basis of a couple of stories and photos.
But there are a few reports like this. A man claims after he was arrested at a protest in #Moscow last night, he was given draft papers to join the war on #Ukraine.
#Russia's exceptional intelligence forces - you know the ones @Bellingcat continually humiliate - have saved an oil and gas complex from #Ukraine saboteurs.
It's supposed to have happened in #Volgograd. Look at the evidence - oh there's just dodgy acting!
Nothing to see here in #Moscow - all according to plan.
#Putin always intended for huge queues at #Vnukovo airport, with a disproportionate number of young men fleeing, sorry going on important business, abroad!
Another attack on civilians in the occupied area of #Ukraine, just hours before the sham and illegal referenda get underway
There is zero logic or benefit to 🇺🇦carrying out such attacks. This in #Donetsk, covered market area. 6 dead, 6 injured
Also in #Donetsk, something has been hit by the airport. That's a far more likely and legitimate target for #Ukraine, especially as troops have been advancing on the area for the last fortnight.
Voting paper for illegal referendum in the occupied part of #Zaporizhzhia is revealed.
Minor surprise it's in Ukrainian and Russian. Crazy thing is to vote on a region when half of it including the rcapital are not under #Russia's control.
Anyway, we know the "results" already
Ukrainian have already been having fun with the illegal referendum forms.
As young male Russians flee, they're being told they can't move to #Kazakhstan. To gain residency they'll need a signed paper of approval from #Russia!
The morning after the night before. A dreadful 24 hours for Ukraine as Terrorism rained down on all four of 🇺🇦's biggest cities.
Russia acts with impunity. Putin & his commanders have got away with war crimes for 4 years, so what will change?
Here's the🧵for Day 1513
As I type, BSky is down, which causes problems as it's much easier to simul-post than go back & repost everything later.
So, like the old days before fascism took over here, I'm on X (itter) only.
But these problems are infinitesimally small compared to 1000s in Ukraine today.
A pretty astonishing 24 hours of round-the-clock day and night attacks from Russia. Trying to exhaust Ukraine's air defence missiles and also exhaust the operators too, no doubt.
Many, many civilian deaths and injuries.
This is how it unfolded..
You've found the start of another daily thread and Friday is Day 1507 of Ukraine's heroic struggle to keep alive its independent statehood.
Since Bohdan Khmelnytskyi's uprising in 1648, Ukraine has never had 35 years of freedom. It's about to accomplish that, but at what cost?
All the important stories, throughout the day, every day. It's all fact-checked; I'm a real, trained journalist with vast experience and knowledge of Ukraine.
What's not to love?😆
Catch up on yesterday's thread here:
This is the beginning of the daily Ukraine thread on Day 1491.
The day started with an attack a major Russian port, which I was still reporting on during yesterday's🧵at 03:15 GMT/05:15 Kyiv
More details on that coming up.
The aerial fightback at the end of the day (start of today) came after Russia broke every record in the book for drone numbers during a cowardly attack on less protected city centres in the west of the country.