Welcome to Monday's daily thread documenting #Ukraine's defence against #Russia's full invasion.
It's Day 404 of the war.
What a crazy day Sunday was with a high profile assassination, church shenanigans, and then #Wagner "taking" #Bakhmut.
Review it here
2/2 Fighting in #Bakhmut has been ongoing in the centre of the town for a while, so it's likely #Russia made some more ground and #Ukraine was at least temporarily pushed back.
But there's still fighting; ZSU is heavily active in the west of the town and has control of one road.
The number of #Russia's troops killed in the war passes 175,000 today.
Another 600 losing their lives in the last 24 hours according to #Ukraine. Equipment losses remain low.
The Resistance has critically injured another collaborator. Maksym Zubarev decided to work with #Russia when made "head" of occupied Yakymivka (RU: #Akimovka), around 30km or 20 miles south-west of Melitopol'.
More on the car bombing in #Melitopol this morning (see previous tweet).
Here's video from the scene. From previous experience, when the Occupiers say one of their officials is seriously injured, it more than often means dead.
Repsonding to Prigozhin's claim of "legally" taking the town, in short he says:
"He may have taken #Artemovsk but #BakhmutHolds. It's the Soviet mentality. They believe if you capture an admin building you control the whole city."
Today's British Intel report has extra significance for me. It's impossible to read about the propaganda without thinking of the assassination of Prigozhin's mate Tatarsky, in Prigozhin's cafe.
The Kremlin desperate to reduce Prigozhin's influence and warn others?
1/ #Russia has now detained Dariya Trepova over the murder of "Tatarsky".
At this point it's worth reminding you the "war blogger" was just a convict in jail until the 2014 invasion when he was offered freedom to fight #Ukraine. So he fits right in to Prigozhin's mob!
2/ Here's the first picture of 26 year old Dariya Trepova in custody.
For some reason #Russia says it needed more than 100 security officials to be involved in the special operation to detain her in the north of St Petersburg!
Trying to blacken her name already, Russia says...
3/ .. detained Dariya Trepova is an active supporter of the FBK. That should be a badge of honour - it's an anti-corruption organisation, which of course has long since been banned.
When arrested it's reported Trevova began to laugh and say that it was all a set-up.
4/ Another unidentified man was with Trepova when she was detained.
And then we get the usual line..
"The terrorist act committed yesterday against Vladlen Tatarsky was planned by the Ukrainian special services" of course there's no proof.
#Russia has reclassified the bomb blast, which killed Tatarsky, as a terrorist incident. They now say 33 were injured, 22 remain in hospitals, 8 seriously ill.
Meanwhile investigators released new video of the main suspect, Dariya Trepova, at her apartment, then later cuffed.
This 58 year old woman has been arrested for writing pro-Ukraine messages in #Sevastopol on #Crimea.
"Sevastopol is Ukraine" reads this one and now she will be charged with "vandalism"
It's Day 1274 of Ukraine's incredible defence of its people, land, culture + shielding many NATO states, next on Putin's hit-list from his long stated dream to reunite the USSR
Somehow Trump & his cults (I nearly misspelled that) seem intent on helping Putin.
Here's the daily🧵
Tuesday was another 50+ post thread, packed full of some more untold insights into Ukraine news and life, including the resurgence of Covid and a language 'foul' on the football field.
But politics and Russian atrocities are omnipresent.
Here's your link
Let me start with an unwanted shock for residents in Poltava, who were warned of a radiation threat this morning, I imagine sparking all sorts of horrific thoughts.
Thankfully, the governor says it was human error, Myrhorod should've had an air alert, not the radiation warning.
Zelenskyy's forced to be careful, but Ukraine's always been ready for the unconditional ceasefire Trump first demanded 5 months ago. So no surprise he's travelling to Washington on Monday
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: