Putin's army - along with the mercenaries - seem on the verge of a first military success for months since losing two whole swathes of land over the summer.
All the news right here in my daily thread, updated in real time.
Some graphic and horrendous scenes yesterday in an increasingly bloody battle in all senses.
#Ukraine claiming it has not lost #Soledar yet.
Plenty of other news too - you can bring yourself up to date by scrolling through Wednesday's thread here:
430* more troops in #Russia's military killed in the last 24 hours. A big figure, but well down on recent peaks.
Also down are the general equipment numbers destroyed.
This is in line with the end of one big battle as we seem to be at #Soldar.
*Ukraine estimates
Propaganda wars continue: scarcely a mention of the likely loss of #Soledar in #Ukraine media while Russian sites are full of the supposed glory of taking a small town that pre-war had scarcely 10,000 residents
Ukraine released this GRAPHIC video claiming over 100 Russians died:
Journalists, Cabinet Ministers and "representatives of law enforcement agencies" are on Moscow's "Stop List" says the Kremlin's Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
#Russia looks on the verge of increasing the age range for conscripts. Currently it's set at 18-27 year olds. Defence Minister Shoigu said he favoured moving it to ages 21-30.
But now a proposal gaining favour in the Kremlin is to expand the draft to those aged 18 to 30 years.
Here's the British update - reporting on #Russia's Rapid Reaction force, pressed in to action to stop #Kreminna falling. #Ukraine has continued to make small incursions in #Luhansk despite the setbacks in #Donetsk this week.
#Cyprus is another country in the #EU which has tacitly supported #Russia over the years, turning a blind eye to some stinky money in many accounts there.
Outrage in #Mariupol at the destruction by the Occupiers of an historical monument.
The "House with a Clock" is no more. It was the workshop of the leading monumental artist Arnautov whose mosaics are recognised as cultural heritage by USA. #Russia had said it was being repaired
Reports of multiple explosions in occupied #Melitopol' this afternoon.
Some of the explosions may have been #Russia's training exercises for new recruits.
But one channel says locals suspect an ammunition depot detonating and blasts were heard in three other areas of the town.
Serhiy Haidai says "The Armed Forces of #Ukraine are holding their positions there. And on the Kreminna and Svatove directions (we) are moving forward."
Who'd have guessed?
Labour's ridiculously short sighted "Golden Visa" scheme, which was finally shut earlier this year, allowed criminals and (now sanctioned) oligarchs from #Russia to gain citizenship - and launder money in London.
1/4 #Russia is just obsessed with trying to make links with #Ukraine and Nazis.
Been discussing this story with @motytchak for whom I give many thanks.
Earlier a video appeared on RU channels (see next tweet) which claims to be a UA soldier with chemical weapons
2/4 But not just any chemical weapons of course, propagandists claim it's Hydrocyanic capsules, better known as Zyklon B used by Nazi Germany on Jews in WWII and which needs to be stored in the cold.
Conveniently, the video appears just as Wagner make claims of chemical attacks
3/4 It's almost certainly staged - a disgusting fake.
The man in the video says "we'll be dropping this on your head - you'll appreciate it."
But as native speakers tell me it's not normal Ukrainian. Sounds like a Russian student trying to speak very correct Ukrainian
4/4 And does anyone really think any army would store this stuff in an open fridge? Let alone film it if they were using it?
A reminder that #Russia was found to have used chemical weapons in #Syria.
With regard to the Chemical Weapons story above, one more good point @motytchak makes is:
"who can guarantee uninterrupted electricity for the fridge near the frontline in Ukraine in the conditions that we are living in now."
Nothing about this story adds up. Verdict: 100% Fake
It seems #Belarus is equipping an airfield near #Ukraine for combat missions.
Telegram Channel UaOnlii publishes satellite photos showing the old air base near #Homel (RU: #Gomel) now has air defence and radar systems plus two artificial hills.
More shelling is reported across the Russian border in #Belgorod this evening.
This man in Novy Oskol says the windscreen of his car was shattered by shrapnel.
I don't often show clips of #Russia's daily update, but this is worth it.
You may recall how they've so far destroyed twice as many #HIMARS as #Ukraine ever had. 150% of Ukraine's air force, but now one better. They've destroyed US Bradley vehicles before they arrive😄🤡
Hope it's published online soon, but if you're in the UK, worth a watch on Sky News.
There are reports of a #Ukraine fightback in #Soledar, possibly retaking the train station (not in centre of the town)
It could be fake, but watching Alex Rossi's report I was amazed to see drones still able to operate with so many Russian forces and jammers, so it is possible.
Thanks @miltownroad who found the excellent Sky News report from #Soledar on YouTube
#USA says it "supports the decision of allies to provide tanks to #Ukraine" but that may not mean #Germany will release the Leopards.
US Air Force Brigadier General Patrick Ryder made the statement during a Pentagon briefing.
Germany had said it won't send tanks until USA does.
Oh, just seen that another building was hit with something quite big in #Makiivka today.
Half of June has already gone and still no resolution to the war in Ukraine. But Moscow is reaping what is sows.
This is THE daily thread for Tuesday - all the news every single day.
We've reached Day 1574
I keep garnering new followers, but X keeps taking followers away without them choosing to unfollow.
But daily views of the thread are slowly increasing again, now around 12k a day.
But we used to be at 25-30k
1/2 This morning, not just Kyiv badly attacked.
In fact, at the moment, more people are known to have died in Dnipro then the capital and that's where I'll start.
5 killed and 25 injured there plus 3 more wounded in Kamianske in the wider region.
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🧵
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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: