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.
This is the start of THE daily thread covering all things Ukraine.
Reliable, accurate information for 1124 days as Russia and its willing accomplices (Iran, North Korea and MAGA-land) try to destroy Ukraine, its culture and its democracy to make it a vassal state.
Here's the🧵
Yesterday started with shocking lies and propaganda from the White House and ended with another massive attack by Russia, knowing tRUmp and co don't mind at all.
Find all the details by clicking and scrolling here⬇️
The war Russia inflicted on Ukraine enters Day 1120
Ukraine, a country which never invaded another, never killed anyone abroad; a fully democratic nation where only one President has ever won a second term in office.
Here's THE daily thread for Wednesday, with all the news.
Yesterday was all about the ritual humiliation of tRUmp, dished out by Putin, and the US president's brain being too rusty to realise.
I also indulged in a long sub-thread on my fears about what's happening in Washington DC.
Catch up here:
It's official. tRUmp's supposed skill at making a deal is absolutely RANK
Russia
Afghanistan
NK (North Korea)
#TraitorTrump promised a deal with his mate in NK, got nothing.
He handed the Taliban everything, got nothing.
Now, ending the war in 24 hours turned into humiliation
Putin, the aggressor, the war criminal, presiding over countless heinous crimes, executions, kidnapping of children, is about to be given a pass by Donald J Trump.
The despot and the wannabe talk today.
This is THE daily thread
Yesterday saw an explosive end to a day which started with mystery surrounding a Ukraine hit in Russia, and moved through the thread with some harrowing and shocking tales and scenes from Kherson.
Welcome to my daily thread, covering all things #Ukraine every single day since even before the first day of Russia's full invasion.
This is Day 1110 of Putin's long promised land grab - he's also pledged to reunite the rest of the USSR.
More atrocities overnight, let's begin:
For those loving people who urge me to get more sleep, you will be pleased to know there was no alarm this morning; I am refreshed and ready to tackle JD TRussia again.
A busy Friday ended with news of the awful attack in free Donetsk, catch up here:
Today sees the completion of 3 years of full scale war unleashed by #Russia on #Ukraine.
As signs point to an end to this war relatively soon, the ONLY question which should be asked is: are you happy to reward war-criminal terrorists with land?
Here's THE daily thread:
It's Day 1096 of #Russia 's war.
If you missed anything yesterday, catch up on Saturday's news here:
1/2 The #UK is in full focus today.
As @Keir_Starmer prepares to fly to Washington, new sanctions will be unveiled tomorrow.
Foreign Sec @DavidLammy says it will be "the largest package of sanctions against #Russia since the early days of the war eroding its military machine."
Day 1083 of the war in Europe and the 1083rd of my daily threads.
Three years ago we knew #Ukraine wouldn't go down without a fight. Now, for the first time in over a year there's genuine reason for #Russia to be worried about the outcome.
Plenty to learn and from in Sunday's thread.
In #Russia, ships crashing and exploding, faking capture of a key town in #Ukraine and late at night drones attacking again.
On the other hand, Moscow attacks civilians. Take a look at what you missed: