Good morning. Day 281 of the war. There has not been an attack on Kyiv for 8 days. We now get electricity several times a day for several hours. It feels luxurious. My tweeter diary entry today is about the Ukrainian Railways. They are true heroes. @AKamyshin 1/
Alexander Kamyshin, CEO of UR, is a true leader and inspiration for me and many in Ukraine today. UR has not stopped working for an hour during the war. They evacuated millions of people under shelling, they kept trains on time and opened new connections, and turned train 2/
stations into centers of life that serve as places where people can shelter, shop, meet, eat, get medical help, and of course travel. This is a lifeline that connects Ukraine throughout and with the outside world. Alexander took me on a tour of the Kyiv main station 3/
KSE has presented the Ukrainian Railways with an award that recognizes their resilience and support to people and economy during the war. The selfie above was taken by Alexander when we gave the award. It was in the business lounge of the main train station at 9 pm yesterday 4/
Alexander took me around the station. The first video above show that train platform and a train that is about to depart to Koval in the West of Ukraine. The second video shows the main hall of the train station, security checkpoint, a gift and arts shop, etc 5/
I was particularly impressed with their “fortress of resilience”. This is large hall / shelter in which people can rest and get warm. There is even a place for infants. You can get food there through World Food Kitchen. Here is a picture of Julia who leads WFC in 🇺🇦 6/
There are wooden stoves in the hall, firewood, water, supplies. They are ready for any kind of blackout. The fortress can shelter 500-1000 of people. They even have minibuses that can drive people home or go get supplies if needed. 7/
There are USAID supplied blankets; btw, UR ships them in thousands through the country; serving as a distributor. There are even chemical heating pads for hands so people can get warm faster, especially kids, if they spent a lot of time in the cold outside. 8/
In the station, there are also shops operating 24/7. Here is quick video of one. 9/
This is how a ticket hall looks. No lines. Clean, warm. 10/
They are constantly upgrading and i@proving. Here, for example, is an accessible ticket window. It opens soon. The information booth is also accessible. A pet of it is leveled in such a way that kids can see over the counter and speak easier with the UR staff. 11/
There is a modern storage facility when you can leave your bags. You can pay by credit card. Safety is ensured by check points at the entry into the train station. 12/
There are QR codes everywhere to provide feedback on the quality of service 13/
One challenge for the UR, especially in the beginning of the war, is to handle large numbers of people, tens of thousands. Not a single person died because of stampede. Here is the person responsible for the design and management of the crowds as well as many other things. 14/
The train stations are also a place for people to meet and reconnect during the war. I almost cried when I saw a civilian meeting and hugging a soldier. I think they are relatives and the solider just came back from the front. I did not ask. 15/
This is me outside of the train station. I was honored to see how it works and have a quick tour. My respect for the Ukrainian Railways has only grown. They are an inspiration for me. I am an economist and we teach that private business is superior to state owned companies. 16/
Here is one very specific counter example. We want to do a business case on the UR. If you are a good at writing business cases and interested, please contact me. We might also want to do a join leadership course. And, at the bed, my usual plea - please support us if you can
Zelensky has strongly rejected Russian Putin's accusations that Ukraine was involved in the terrorist attack in the Moscow region.
"Today, Putin was talking to himself again, and it was broadcast on television again. Again, he blames Ukraine. 2/
Sick and cynical creature. Everyone is a terrorist except for him, although he has been feeding on terror for two decades. He is the biggest cause for terror. He and his special security services. 3/
Multiple explosions in Kyiv. No air warning before explosions. Traces of air defense missiles in the sky. Telegram channels say Russia launched ballistic missiles.
This is unusual as ballistic missile attacks happen at night or early morning.
Ukrainian media say these were supersonic ballistic missiles launched in Crimea
Here is how things are at our university during the attack 3/
Four suspects in Moscow terror attack are all citizens of Tajikistan: Mirzoyev, 32, Rachabalizoda, 30, Faizov, 19, and Fariduni, 25. There is no evidence connecting them to Ukraine.
They appeared in court visibly tortured. 1/
Faizov was non-responsive in a wheelchair
Mirzoyev had a plastic bag over his neck
Rachabalizoda was without ear; there were videos of Russian Secuirty forces cutting off his ear and forcing him to eat it to him during the arrest 2/
Russian authorities leak multiple photos and videos of torture and barbaric treatment of suspects.
The top Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan: I when I see them walked bent over to court, and even this [cut off] ear this, I feel exceptionally satisfied. 3/
Many argue that Russian FSB organized the terror attack in Moscow
I think they are wrong and this is why: the U.S. “duty to warn” policy
The U.S. indeed warned Russia about the attack. It can embarrass Russia by releasing the details of its warning. 1/
This threat serves as a constraint on how much Russia can spin the situation.
If Russia pushes Ukraine story too far, the U.S. can release specific facts it gave to Russia. If these facts could have helped avoid the massacre, Russian people can turn against Putin and FSB 2/
Furthermore, Russia might not know everything the U.S. knows. That might be an additional force that limits Russia desire to abuse the horrible attack for its political interest. 3/
Ukraine and Russia trade massive missile attacks. This might appear related to Moscow attack, but it is not.
I am in Kyiv and have just woken up (5am) by two loud explosions
Earlier tonight Ukraine successfully hit Sevastopol with multiple missiles 1/
The Ukrainian attack on Sevastopol that hosts the Russian Black Sea fleet has been confirmed by Russian state media. There are dead and injured.
Ukrainian media report that UK made storm shadows hit a communication center of the Russia fleet 2/
This night Russia launched multiple missiles across the entire Ukraine. It is too early for videos of the damage, but explosions and interceptions are reported across the country. The attack continues
Russia used 14 strategic bombers at once, 2 warships, and drones 3/
Margarita Simonyan: “it is no ISIS, they are all Ukrainians”.
What doesn’t it mean for Russia, Ukraine and the region? 1/
As I said earlier, Putin has no choice but to blame Ukraine. Otherwise he admits his incompetence to prevent the attack, weakness to be unable to respond, and a strategic failure of invading Ukraine instead of focusing on other, real issues for Russia. He will loose power. 2/