If you are citizen of the Commonwealth, Happy Coronation Day, or if you're a Republican, just enjoy the weekend😅
This is the daily thread for Saturday with all the news in one thread, updated throughout the day.
Let's start in occupied #Crimea, where chat sites make pleasant reading this morning:
08:04 "A loud bang was heard in the #Krasnogvardeyskoye district"
08:05 "a good roar sounded. Dzhankoy-Krasnogvardeyskoye"
08:05 "strong 'cotton' in Krasnogvardeyskoye."
Here's what was seen
#Russia's Occupiers on #Crimea insist air defence worked in the north of Crimea "there were no casualties or destruction"
Oh but then the Kerch Bridge was unexpectedly closed. Guards told these people "threat of an attack" but later authorities say it's "for technical reasons"🤡
I must admit I was quite surprised to be greeted with home pages like this as I scoured #Ukraine's media this morning!
Live coverage from London in text and video...
One reason #Ukraine has found a new, and deep affection, for Britain is of course its unequivocal support from Day 1 of the war.
As a Brit I was really touched by #Kyiv's Ministry of Defence's Official "thank you" video to the #UK for this special day #LondonCalling#Coronation
Daily losses time!
Again, incredibly high numbers of #Russia's artillery systems and vehicles/fuel tanks were taken out in the last 24 hours*
Plus another 560 burials to arrange back in the Terrorist State.
Local Telegram channels in #Zaporizhzhia report another massive hit on #Russia's troops.
They say in the village of #Novovolodymyrivka, north of #Melitopol', #Ukraine scouts found their base near the pumping station and it was obliterated yesterday afternoon with many dead.
Yesterday I wrote about #Ukraine for the first time bringing down #Russia's "Kinzhal" missile.
Ukraine later denied this. But today they admit it is true. The US Patriot system managed to hit the much-vaunted hypersonic rocket.
I didn't know about this case, but the persecution of Crimean Tatars has never stopped.
Once again Putin treads in the footsteps of the great ogre and tyrant Stalin.
#Wagner chief mercenary Prigozhin has today stated that he is in touch with Chechnya's Putin lick-spittle, Ramzan Kadyrov.
Yesterday after Progozhin published his video saying they will retreat from #Bakhmut, the Chechen "leader" pledged to send his men to the meat grinder.
1/2 News that one of #Russia's relatively big figures in the war is critically ill after an assassination attempt.
Zakhar Prilepin's audi was blown up in #NizhnyNovgorod, a large city 400km east of #Moscow. His driver was killed - a huge crater is reported to have been left..
2/2 Prilepin is regarded by many as an anti-semite, is friends and related by marriage to Putin's "grey cardinal" Surkov.
He even had a battalion named after him when he fought in #Donetsk. Thereafter he became a writer and propagandist.
Police now check many cars in the area:
3/
A little more on Prilepin, as the first video from the scene has been published, showing the huge crater and the wreckage.
Some write he lost both legs, but it seems more likely both are broken but may be salvageable. Other injuries not known yet, he was flown by helicopter.
In a statement on its' Telegram channel, the ATESH movement seems to have claimed responsibility for blowing up Zakhar Prilepin. Here's a translation of its post:
Thank you @Claws_se for buying me my first coffees of the day via the link in my bio.
Very much appreciated💙💛
The #Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been "switched off"
#Russia's "director" of the plant Yuri Chernichuk give not give a specific reason but said "ZNPP is serviced in accordance with all necessary regulations"
Yesterday the Occupiers began to evacuate #Enerhodar.
Prilepin's driver/guard, who died in the assassination attempt has been named.
Aleksandr Shubin fought for the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic", where he presumably met Prilepin.
#Russia announces another prisoner exchange - yet to be confirmed by #Ukraine.
TASS -
"On 6 May, as a result of a complex negotiation process, three Russian military personnel, pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces, who were in mortal danger in captivity, were returned."
Among all the bans being introduced in #Russia, perhaps this is the strangest:
#StPetersburg has announced use of jet skis is forbidden from 7-10 May.
#Russia is rpeorted to have already made an arrest following the car bomb attack on Prilepin.
TASS reports the detention happened near the village of #Pionersky, where the Audi was blown up.
Meanwhile the life of the 'writer' himself is not said to be in danger.
The latest genius design from #Russia is a "birdhouse" for a tank!
The Russian MoD says "The design creates a kind of canopy over the roof of the tower, where the armour is thin, covering it from attacks from above."
On the other hand, a bigger target🤣
#Ukraine gives details of what it achieved in the prisoner swap.
45 Ukrainians came home today, including 3 from Azovstal. In total 10 Officers and one soldier who had previously been in Russian captivity for 2.5 years.
There continuing to be so many fires raging in #Sverdlosk region. Many villages remain at risk.
A local channel made a montage of some of the apolocalyptic scenes.
This is the entrance to #Volgograd.
Except the sign says "Stalingrad" - renamed for the weekend. But the symbolism is not lost.
Even a decade ago there would have been a huge protest against this, but now #Putin's hero's reputation is restored, no longer a tyrant.
#Crimea has been assuring immigrant Russians that air defence has worked again.
Possible, but locals say two loud sounds were heard and big craters appear by Cossack Bay near #Sevastopol.
#Ukraine's state energy company denies #Russia's earlier statement about a complete shutdown of the #Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Enerhoatom says "The statements of pro-Russian propaganda are not true" but adds it consumes electricity from Ukraine for its own needs.
#Russia's already publishing videos of the suspect admitting to the car bomb attack on extremist Prilepin
Some media report Aleksandr Permyakov is a Ukrainian who recently took Russian citizenship.
Of course he says he acted on the instructions of the Ukraine's special services.
Tragedy in #Kherson region where six demining experts have been killed by #Russia's shelling.
The employees of the State Emergency Service came under fire near the city. Two more people, including a female paramedic were injured.
1/2 Extraordinary scenes and incompetence in #Russia's #Sverdlovsk region again.
Gunpowder stores have ignited as the wildfires continue to spread..
The village of #Pervomaisky is the latest to be evacuated.
2/2
Another scary video from the same area of #Sverdlovsk. 18 more warehouses of gunpowder are threatened - could be fun!
Back in January, one person died and 6 people were injured in an explosion at the Gefest-M enterprise there, which owns the gunpowder stores. #RussiaonFire
In #Enerhodar locals report the local hospital is being evacuated.
The war in Europe continues. This is Day 1445 of Russia's attempt to erase Ukraine from the map & destroy its language and culture.
The genocide continues as I type, with a massive missile attack underway.
For all the news as it happens, keep checking back. This is THE daily🧵
Yesterday started with a supposed assassination attempt on another very senior Russian soldier.
A load of other great stories too, including the start of the overnight attack on Ukraine's remaining energy facilities. Catch up on what you missed here:
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.