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.
1/2 This morning, not just Kyiv badly attacked.
In fact, at the moment, more people are known to have died in Dnipro then the capital and that's where I'll start.
5 killed and 25 injured there plus 3 more wounded in Kamianske in the wider region.
Hello again.
Day 1552. A holiday in many countries "Whit Monday" in most, Spring holiday in others (inc UK) and Memorial Day in the U.S
But after 4 years and 3 months, memorials are still being made in Ukraine because our leaders, collectively, let them down.
Here's the daily🧵
I'm still not quite sure where Saturday ended and Sunday began - the days merged into one for me.
What I do know is there were >120 new posts over the 48 hours, that's an average one story every 24 minutes, over the entire two days.
1/2 There are new murderous attacks by Russia already today in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Explosions have been heard in the city of Dnipro after an alert for ballistic missiles. Smoke can be seen, but no initial news of widespread damage, so hopefully air defence did its job.
Here we go again then. Day 1550 of Ukrainians wondering if they, their home, their relatives, will be bombed today.
About 16 million people have been born in the US and 15m in the EU since Russia started its full invasion of Ukraine.
Welcome to Saturday's daily🧵
Friday was a cracking thread, with vodka cheaper than a single tomato, legless Russians celebrating, Moscow claiming a college in occupied Luhansk wasn't housing Rubicon pilots and their drones and Ukraine causing more mayhem deep inside Russia.
#UkraineSanctions have been successfully employed again!
Lots of action in Russia last night, even before I closed the thread. Around 8am this morning another Ukraine strike in Perm' region, a distance of about 1700km.
Putin's gone from the expected capture of Kyiv before the end of Feb 2022 & annihilation of Ukraine's leaders & the country's culture, to begging China to keep it afloat & trying to quell dissenters at home as bombs fall!
The daily🧵
A quick reminder, everything I do is free. No extra content behind paywalls or subscriptions.
Every single day, documenting everything important about the war and about Ukraine. Still never missed a day. If you are able to support here's the link:
Wednesday 20 May is Day 1547 of Putin's catastrophic full invasion of its peaceful neighbour.
Russia has lost a large part of a generation of men - dead, dying or those who managed to emigrate. Reserves spent, economy collapsing.
Putin, not Zelenskyy, is Russia's biggest enemy
Let's start the daily thread in the traditional manner with the link for the start of Tuesday's thread.
A lot more destruction on both sides, as Putin grovels in China. Click, but remember to come back for today's news...
Welcome to THE daily thread on Day 1546 of the war.
Russia is showing small signs of desperation.
More economic woes, more Ukraine air attacks deep inside Russia, a desperation to strengthen ties with allies and having to make new nuclear threats.
All the news in one place:
Here's the link back to the start of Monday's thread for those catching up.
A day when Russia lost more equipment, including a helicopter, but also bombed the hell out of Dnipro, while the EU looks for a lead negotiator to meet Putin.
One thing I learned last night I'll repost here as very few people saw it last night, and for Ukraine watchers it's very interesting and potentially important.
Will Zelenskyi dare fire Zaluzhnyi so he has no platform in the run up to an election?