Late last night #Russia predictably used its veto in the @UN Security Council vote, proving again the UN is useless. Despite condemnation of Russia by the UN leader, the Kremlin can simply avoid punishment.
China, Brazil, India and Gabon abstained. The others voted in favour.
The near siege of #Lyman continues.
While #Russia tries to bring in reserves, there have been unverified reports and videos of its troops fleeing the cauldron.
During the night it seems #Ukraine has been striking #Kreminna, the Russians' escape/reinforcement route.
Near recently liberated #Kupyansk, a convoy of cars was attacked a week ago. 7 families' cars were fired on by the retreating Russians. Twenty people were killed, including 10 children.
#Ukraine's managed to liberate more villages near #Lyman.
Novoselivka, Shandryholovo and Stavky are clear of invaders according to Kyiv, but last night #Russia was saying it had regained ground inside #Stavky.
The balance of evidence points to Ukraine being correct.
Even the most rabid pro-Russian sites are now reporting The Kremlin's troops are retreating from #Lyman.
The firefight seems to be the attempt by #Russia to protect troops and maybe some equipment they try to preserve. It's likely they will move back as far as #Kreminna.
Footage now of #Russia's vehicles fleeing on the one route out of #Lyman
The "Return alive" group publishes aerial shots of some of an estimated 5,000 trapped Kremlin fighters hurrying away - #Ukraine has fire control and I understand is picking off many
Another strange video has been published, which I cannot verify.
A #Ukraine patriot says this is happening in Occupied #Zaporizhzhia region. #Russia seems to be burying things - no one knows what but some allege it must be chemical weapons.
Back to the explosions at the #Belbek airfield in Occupied #Crimea.
The Head of #Sevastopol says the fire is now out. And there does indeed seem to be a grainy video confirming a plane overshot the runway by a long way.
A lot of theories sent to me about this. The most popular, and likely, is they are marine mines.
But why bury them in already dug trenches?
Some correspondents adamant they'll be covered with contaminated waste and then blown up when🇺🇦army approaches.
As Day 220 draws to a close, we have ongoing battles in #Kreminna where #Russia's fleeing forces try to establish new defences, and in #Kherson region where #Ukraine is pushing forward.
Reality seems to be dawning on Russia, even the censored TV stations
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.