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.
Day 1001 of #Russia's all out war in #Ukraine.
The genocide & attempt to wipe its neighbour from the map continues, but #Putin's increasingly desperate.
Welcome to another daily🧵
Breaking news already early this Wednesday morning.
All the news, all day (and night) every day.
Tuesday 19 November was always going to be special. Day 1,000 and what a day it proved.
Record likes and retweets, thanks to everyone who revived my faith in the T witter audience🫂
1/2 First the breaking news - and a third attack of the night inside #Russia.
At the end of yesterday's thread you may have read of the drone attacks on #Voronezh and #Belgorod regions. Well now it's become clear that #Novgorod has also been attacked by #Ukraine's UAVs..
Here's the link back to all Monday's news.
More heinous attacks. On its day of mourning, #Sumy was hit again just as the day ended, and #Odesa lost another ten residents.
Let me start today's news in #Sumy, because sadly the number of killed + injured after #Russia's strike have both increased.
An 11th person died during the night while 89 people required medical treatment. Medics, rescuers, psychologists and volunteers worked through the night.
Day 998 of #Russia's all out war, and Sunday 17 Nov is the day #Moscow's war criminals chose for the big missile attack on #Ukraine
It's such a difficult time for anyone associated with Ukraine. With the election of Musk/Trump, Putin's convinced terrorism will win.
Here's the🧵
Before I forget, here's the link for yesterday's thread. I know many of you like to catch up on what you've missed in #Ukraine and stories connected to the war.
Hello and welcome to Day 996 of #Russia's barbaric war.
Putin's band of war criminals is throwing everything at #Ukraine's defenders for 2 months as the Kremlin is certain tRUmp will force negotiations and wants to be in the strongest position possible.
Here's the daily thread
#Russia is literally teetering on the edge of economic meltdown. If the west does not take this opportunity to ensure justice, protect borders and prosecute war criminals, historians will look back and shake their heads. They may also ask why do anything in the previous 3 years?
Anyway, let's get on with the stories of the day, although we start as ever with the link back to Thursday's thread.
It was a day which saw more problems for #Russia, more war crimes with a civilian shot dead on the street and a terrible attack on #Odesa
Very near 1000 days of war in Europe, but also we should remember that #Ukraine's allies were pretty happy to let the first invasion by #Russia in 2014 go unchecked.
Weakness, appeasement or shady deals for cash only store up and multiply problems.
Here my daily🧵on Day 995
First thing first, the link for the start of yesterday's thread.
Plenty of evidence of #Russia's pending economic collapse, especially masses of airlines. Plus rioting absconders in Russia and assassination of one of their war criminals. All in here⬇️