This morning I heard "TV vet" Scott on BBC Five Live in a surprisingly emotional interview.
It also highighted some of the unseen problems such as "orphaned" or abandoned pets now having pups or kittens of their own in the wild.
Geat work from @btc_int
If #Ukraine pulls out of #Bakhmut these twin cities will be right on the front line.
Nothing is sacred for #Russia - even the church in Kramatork is damaged (the small sign says "mines☠️")
Last night it appears there was a new strike on #Russia's bases in #Zaporizhzhia.
Black smoke rose "for several hours" over neighbouring villages of Novokarlivka and Inzhenerne, about 10km from #Polohy
It's also known a railway bridge in Novokarlivka was damaged the day before.
Much of #Odesa city and the region is without power this morning after "an accident"
Officials stress there were no strikes by #Russia, but a substation is on fire, causing outages in the Suvorovsky, Primorsky, Malinovsky districts of #Odessa and part of the wider region.
Thank you to Ali, Carolynne and David for submitting story suggestions via DM today - indeed it was Carolynne who spotted the last one.
UK Intel highlights another fairly pointless announcement by #Russia.
It's all designed to give the impression to their own soldiers and the domestic audience back home that "everything is going to plan"
P.S. they fail to mention none of the 4 regions is under total🇷🇺 control🤡
In #Belgorod they're trying to downplay the scale of the huge fire in #Borisov
The Governor said “A civilian industrial facility in Borisov was attacked by #Ukraine. The fire was contained... Thank God that no one was hurt"
The yellow "terrorism" threat is extended indefinitely
More good news - 116 Prisoners of War have been returned to #Ukraine in the latest swap deal
Andriy Yermak from the President's Office says they are "defenders of #Mariupol, #Kherson partisans, snipers from #Bakhmut area"
Two of the released are officers, 114 privates/sergeants
USA's Attorney General Merrick Garland has confirmed #Ukraine is to get the value of forfeited assets of a Russian oligarch for the first time.
It follows the indictment of Konstantin Malofeev for evading sanctions. Millions were seized from Malofeev's US bank account.
📷UaOnlii
LOL. I hope this is true.
Someone (pretending to be) from #Ukraine's Security Service hacked a regional meeting of the Occupiers, informed the meeting they were on the wanted list and blasted the Ukrainian National Anthem.
Those who smiled could be in trouble😅
The bodies of British humanitarian volunteers, Chris Parry + Andrew Bagshaw are back in #Kyiv.
There was a memorial service in Kyiv this week. There's a lovely article about UK/NZ national Andy here inc a video of the 2 working
#Ukraine's army loves TikTok.
Well to be more accurate they love watching #Russia's troops record videos of their locations, such as here.
It was soon geolocated and now the TikTok stars are deleted from life according to ZSU.
Oops, this missed the thread, so including it now:
These are only rumours but from the same MPs who predicted other departures successfully. They believe Reznikov will be moved to the President's Office.
Tomorrow Kyivans will be able to use electricity without restriction until 4pm.
I cannot remember the last time this was the case.
The situation in #Odesa, after the earlier fire at the substation, has improved also. But there will be emergency power cuts there tomorrow.
Also in #Odesa region today, a barge laden with 860 tons of wheat sank.
The #Romania owned vessel reported water began to flow into the engine room while it was in the port of Reni. Five Romanian sailors escaped.
UPDATE
...Of the 18 member management committee of Cycling's Governing body, it just so happens one is Russian, one from Chine and among the others a Cuban and a member from UAE.
UCI says the decision to readmit cyclists from #Russia and #Belarus was unanimous.
Still quiet this evening.
I wasn't going to include this but as there's not so much in today's thread, here you go.
#RussiaOnFire - only an apartment block where 3 flats went up in flames.
Saturday 27 December 2025 is Day 1403 of Russia's war of choice.
The day began with missile attacks on Ukraine shortly after midnight and the terrorism continued with drone strikes, may into residential areas, with Kyiv bearing the brunt of the damage.
Here's THE daily thread
Here's the link to yesterday's thread, which started with Russian murders, missiles on streets in Kharkiv and ended with the missile attack on Kyiv.
But there were also 'direct sanctions' taken by Ukraine on war criminals and military targets:
News is still coming in from Kyiv especially after the awful bombardment. Mayor of the city, @Vitaliy_Klychko has just issued an update saying 28 people have been injured, with 13 hospitalised
Although the city's had the air raid warning lifted, it's still affecting Kyiv region
Christmas Eve is another milestone as we mark the latest 100 days of war
Yes, it's Day 1400 of Ukraine's fight for its existence.
Coming up:
Zelenskyy accepts peace plan but are we really nearer peace?
A twist in Moscow's 2nd car bomb in 24 hours.
And all the news yet to happen
A very late start today - I apologise but it's Christmas time with things to do, places to go and also my body demanding enough sleep to survive!
So we start as usual with the throwback to yesterday for you to catch up, which included car bomb #2..
The seemingly random attack on police officers in Moscow last night, may have been a Ukraine targeted attack.
Two "traffic officers" died overnight on the same street where a Lt Gen was eliminated the day before.
Now it's reported the dead were in Ukraine and tortured civilians
This is the start of Tuesday's daily thread, with all the important news from, and relevant to, Ukraine in one handy place.
It's Day 1385 and I've still never missed a day of fact checking, analysing and reporting every aspect of the defence against Russia's illegal war.
Yesterday a lot of talking behind the scenes, but politicians were broadly tight-lipped on progress.
Russia did make more small gains on the frontline, but we also found a cat with burned whiskers + how Russian pilots' head-tennis went disastrously wrong
Pres Zelenskyy's whirlwind tour continues, arriving in Rome this morning to meet the Pope at Castle Gandolfo.
At Villa Barberini, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was welcomed by the vice-regent of the papal household, Augustinian Father Edward Daniang Daleng.
Day 1366 of the war in Europe is the start of two days of mourning in a small city in Ukraine which suffered over 160 killed and injured in a single Russia attack 24 hours ago.
As the war crimes mount, Trump approves a mad-hat simpleton's plan to end the war
Here's THE daily🧵
Here's the link for the start of Wednesday's🧵
I posted 65 stories - that equates to a post every 22 minutes throughout the entire 24 hours.
Psychologically a devastating day for Ukraine. Being murdered by Russia, being abandoned by the USA.
A reminder US officials are in Kyiv, due to meet Zelenskyy, when Ukraine's president knows he will have to tell the Americans to shove the surrender document up Witkoff's "White House pass"
Is Rubio undermining the WH plan?
It's certainly not realistic and without 🇷🇺concessions
Welcome to another daily thread covering all the important things happening in Ukraine right now, and therefore by (unwanted association) Russia too.
All things fact checked, analysed and explained.
The news you can rely on, every day, in one place.
It's Day 1361. I'm late!⏰
Well I had a lovely lie-in as, all things considered it was a relatively news-free morning
My "bitter enders" (those who make it through to the very end of the🧵) will know there was a big attack on Dnipro which kept me reporting late.
Missed it? click⬇️
One thing I've had to do is wade through Trump's interview on GB News. It's actually been worthwhile because it's a wonderful example I can use to train what NOT to do!
Main points being:
1'48" to ask a question is dreadful
Such simpering loses all credibility before you begin
The first few hours of Day 1360 of Russia's genocidal war started with Ukrainians in shelters. More innocent lives have been claimed by the Moscow horde.
The west unable or unwilling to stop the slaughter despite 1000s of war crimes.
We're not incapable, must not be unwilling.
One of the heaviest bombardments Kyiv has ever known dominated y'day's thread and the start of today's.
But Ukraine also continues to pick-off financial targets inside Russia
It all made for one of the longest🧵 so far - the least you can do is read it!