1/3 #Soledar - what is going on? The most frequent question right now.
I've been studying all reports I can find and spoken to people I know.
#Ukraine claimed a fightback re-taking the railway station and a mine. Much as I want to believe it, I cannot find any evidence of that.
2/3 @CNN claims to regularly speak to one of #Ukraine's soldiers in #Soledar. The latest communication looks incredibly bleak and makes for tough reading.
Officially Ukraine says they still hold Soledar, but it's looking increasingly unlikely. Hopefully the troops can get out.
3/3
I've been surprised there were so few gloating pics or videos from #Russia's Wagner mob in #Soledar.
But there have been some, geolocated by 🇺🇦channel DeepState. Its map shows they are in the centre.
There's likely #Ukraine fire from the rear, possibly inc tochka missiles
#Soledar
Another potential blow tonight too, but this is totally unverified.
Wagner claims its troops in 🇺🇦colours managed to walk into the 17th Tank Brigade's base and opened fire on officers and soldiers.
However, there has been so much malicious disinfo, don't believe it yet
Meanwhile an example of #Russia starting to tear itself apart?
Russia's Defence Min said we also had troops there.
Tonight Wagner produces a video with guys saying they're in those Russian units admitting they were not involved in battle of Soledar
Over 200 #Ukraine soldiers arrived in #Spain for training.
They were warmly greeted by Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles.
"It is a great honour for me to welcome.. Spain feels very close to the entire Ukrainian people since February 24,"
Rumours this morning that USA shared a secret report among NATO partners which claims a second wave of mobilisation in Russia will start at the end of February.
#Russia's Defence Ministry plans to forcibly call-up 400k-500k, believing this is enough to defeat #Ukraine.
Relatives told to keep quiet, social media posts deleted, anger simmering among relatives as funerals continue in #Russia's Samara region after the strike on #Makiivka almost two weeks ago.
Not content with using prisoners as cannon fodder, the ones who don't "volunteer" will likely be forced in to slave labour anyway, according to today's UK intelligence update.
Deputy Defence Minister of #Ukraine says the army is "defending bravely" in #Soledar
In her morning statement, Hanna Malyar repeated that the "enemy threw almost all the main forces into #Donetsk. This is a difficult stage of the war, but we will win. There is no doubt about it"
Locals in occupied parts of #Kherson and #Zaporizhzhia report being detained because their phones have the #Ukraine state app "Diya"
It's a multi purpose app which also includes digital version of the passport. The Russians don't seem to comprehend documents can be digital!
Tony - thanks for your inspiring words!
One of my biggest supporters he's just tipped me again and coffees are coming my way this morning!
Cheers💙💛
In #Belgorod a T-72 tank was being repaired. For #Ukraine it was a great repair. Probably someone started smoking? Ammo inside the tank detonated.
-1 tank. 2 others tanks damaged but survive
#Russia's again deliberately hit civilian targets in #Kherson city.
This time the Terrorist State hit a bus park. 16 public transport vehicles were damaged. One guard was injured.
Shell fragments also damaged the power grid - engineers are now trying to restore electricity.
Early in today's thread I reported Russian war channels openly saying Wagner mercenaries use #Ukraine colours, even uniforms to trick defenders.
The Centre of National Resistance confirms this also saying #Russia plans operations under foreign flags to discredit Ukraine/NATO.
More falling out among the Russians.
One of the official #Wagner mercenary channels, supposedly Prigozhin's own, publishes a statement (translation⬇️) from one of its leaders, strongly criticising the so-called #Donetsk republic leadership.
Despite #Putin's anger at #Russia not being able to manufacture aircraft quickly enough, if at all. Despite shortages of many items in the shops, not least medicines, #Hungary's PM claims "the sanctions failed, they miscalculated" referring to Germany and the EU.
Another small advancement of society in #Ukraine:
Surkis and Shufrych have been expelled from the country's National Olympic Committee.
There was a scandal in November which had forced the pair to initially resign.
Fairly sure a few NATO members will not be too pleased at this headline or the words within.
But I almost agree with @oleksiireznikov, though of course one hopes NATO would be quicker to react when Estonia or Poland is invaded if Russia is not stopped
Putin today made a rare trip out of the bunker, for a funeral of a regional leader.
Looks like the Mayor of #Ufa was told to announce this "assassination attempt"
This will make the public have sympathy for the great leader and they'll understand when he stays Tsar of the bunker
The Guardian's Defence Editor writes that #Ukraine expects pledges of tanks from both the #UK and Germany next week.
The British announcement is expected on Monday, heaping pressure on #Germany to release the Leopards.
In #Berdyansk a car burns in what appears to be an attack by #Ukraine partisans in the Morozov area of the city.
But #Russia's occupiers say the target, the imposed 'Head' of the city Aleksey Kichigin, survived.
He "noticed a suspicious object" under his car - 1kg of explosives
The squabbling lovers look to have patched things up today...
#Russia's Defence Ministry posted a statement acknowledging #Wagner group's role in the attack on #Soledar.
Operations were carried out by a “mixed group of Russian troops" but Wagner led the “direct assault.”
1/2 I've been toying for hours whether to highlight Ryan's account & grievances with some of #Ukraine's leadership.
What is written is damaging for Ukraine, but either way it needs @oleksiireznikov to investigate urgently and take action or say it's fake
1/2 #Ukraine is still hurting #Russia in #Soledar even if they're likely outside the city. I've trimmed this video to fit on Twitter. Drone operators track newly arriving recruits to their digs, and then blast it away.
So how is an army "in control" still getting hit so easily?
2/2
I've been told that the terrain is tough and #Russia's Wagner group has almost not bothered advancing artillery, just sending the convicts to fight to the death, hence the massive death toll and no protection for their advance troops.
Everything I've seen confirms this.
The most powerful tweet of the day. We can always learn from history.
Sadly, sometimes out leaders take too long to work it out.
It's Alaska Day, or a couple of half-baked Alaskas meeting later as Russia hopes to carve up Ukraine, with Trump's approval.
That's much later on Day 1269 of Putin's war.
As I start this thread at around 02:30 GMT, 05:30 Ukraine, there is a big attack on Russia.
Let the🧵begin
In a rush to get to sleep, so let me waste no further time in giving the link to yesterday's thread.
Both X and BSky have been a bit crappy scrolling through threads. One thing you can do is click my profile and then "replies", click one + scroll up
Whoever said 7 days is a long time in politics was dead right.
An about turn from tough guy & threats to TACO queen & Putin's poodle. And the next 7 days is now set to bring another cosy meet between a felon and an indicted war criminal.
It's Day 1263 of THE Ukraine thread:
A later start to Saturday's thread because of a crazily late finish to the last🧵
Fewer than 20,000 views for the first time in weeks on such an important day🤨🤔
So much effort and so little impact some days 😢
If you're one of many to miss it, click⬇️
Day 1261 - the White House thinks the war in Ukraine is coming to an end.
Especially as the Kremlin has this morning announced Putin and Trump will meet in the coming days.
But is the war criminal just duping the US Pres again and buying more time?
Follow me & today's thread:
Much of Wednesday was taken up with the politics surrounding US envoy Wirkoff's latest chummy chat with Putin.
But then it turned dark, literally as the sun went down, but Ukraine looks to have had the better of the drone exchanges.
Catch up here:
1/2 The big story since the last couple of hours of y'day's thread has been Ukraine's multiple successes in breaching Russia's air defence at military targets.
The Kremlin says it destroyed 93 drones, 60 over the Black Sea. There's no mention of how many they missed!
Exhibit A:
Even the most ardent peaceniks are realising one side doesn't want to stop fighting. At least until, as a state new agency said recently, all Ukrainians are killed.
Each + every day you'll find all the news here in one handy🧵
Let's go!
If you missed anything of yesterday's developments, well not as much to catch up on.
Click the link to review, things only really started going late at night..
Trying to compile threads on a train, using mobile only so far, is a nightmare. My first typo was rather important. It's Day 1256, so the observant don't need to message me 😊
Family day out today, going to see "Evita"
But always a thread and as up to date as I can be.
"White rabbits" is what I have to say to you this morning.
An old British custom is to say 'rabbits' or 'white rabbits' (often 3 times) at the start of a new month to ensure good luck for the month ahead
August is the 43rd month of Russia's war.
Today is Day 1255. Here's the🧵
Yesterday was a depressing day.
Not just Russia's horrific attacks on Kyiv, but the general lack of response and condemnation. The world just shrugs its shoulders.
2 weeks ago I said things could move quickly on air defence. One system had reportedly already been delivered to Ukraine
Remember Switzerland's order was bumped down to give priority to🇺🇦?
Now Germany says 2 more Patriots will be sent by October, starting with launchers in days