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Tymofiy Mylovanov

@Mylovanov

Nov 28 • 9 tweets • 2 min read • Read on X

Azov fighter “Rusty” spent 2.5 years in Russian captivity — Olenivka, Taganrog, Donetsk, Makiivka.

At 26, he survived torture, starvation, a 29-year sham sentence and returned to fight. This is his story, as reported by ArmyInform. 1/

When Mariupol fell, he was in a mobile recon group changing 5-15 positions a day, reacting to tank breakthroughs, spotting artillery, raiding Russian units.

In the final days at Azovstal, Russian aviation carried out 110 bombing sorties a day on one plant. 2/

After capture, he became the only prisoner on his floor tortured daily. Interrogations lasted 12 hours. Russians beat his 50 kg body until an FSB officer broke his own finger on him.

They forced Rusty to “confess” to killing civilians after seizures. 3/

His “trial” lasted one hearing. His 70-year-old “lawyer” chatted on Viber, then asked the court to note Rusty’s “sincere confessions.”

Expected sentence: 48 years. Final sentence: 29 years. He says the only thing that kept him alive was revenge and return. 4/

In September 2024 guards suddenly asked prisoners if they wanted an exchange. No one believed it. On 18 October 2024 he boarded the first flight of his life during the swap.

At the Belarus-Ukraine border, Lukashenko’s officers handed him a “gift”: 2 boiled potatoes and a sandwich. 5/

Crossing into Ukraine, SBU officers boarded the bus: “Glory to Ukraine.” “Glory to the Heroes.”

For the first time in 2.5 years, he felt he was home. Then came the question: return to service or rest? He chose service. 6/

His rehab was simple: 12-13 training sessions a week — running, CrossFit, swimming. 2 weeks after release he told his commander “I’m ready.” 7/

Back in Azov’s recon detachment on the Toretsk front, he survived five FPV drone hits, evacuated wounded under fire, and led an 8-man team with zero losses.

He now trains new recruits. His unit calls him one of the most hardened fighters they’ve seen. 8X

Source: armyinform.com.ua/en/2025/11/24/…

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More from @Mylovanov

Tymofiy Mylovanov

@Mylovanov

Nov 29

This is good for Ukraine and moves us to Europe.

Yesterday, Yermak resigned. He and Zelenskyy were extremely close — they had lived and worked together from day one of the war inside the Kyiv compound.

"Talk about Zelenskyy, and you’re talking about Yermak" - Rybachuk for FT
1/

FT used my yesterday's comment that “I strongly support it. It would be the right decision, exactly what you do to get out of a crisis.”

Analyst Fesenko says that this is a “mini revolution” in Kyiv’s power structure & breaks a system where Yermak acted like an unelected VP.

2/

Without Yermak, Zelenskyy’s influence may shrink at first. But former US ambassador William Taylor argues this move can strengthen Zelenskyy at home and abroad if he splits domestic and international roles. 3/

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Tymofiy Mylovanov

@Mylovanov

Nov 29

Witkoff, Kushner and Kremlin envoy Dmitriev didn’t plan peace, they planned business, writes WSJ.

In Miami they mapped a way to pull Russia’s $2T economy back into global markets, with U.S. companies beating Europe to the profits.

1/

Dmitriev pushed access to Russia’s $300B frozen assets, Arctic gas fields, rare-earth mines and even a joint SpaceX mission.

He told them U.S. firms could grab LNG blocks, nickel deposits and Arctic transport routes if Trump cut a deal.

2/

The leaked 28-point plan read like Moscow’s wish list: territorial concessions in Donetsk, U.S.–Russia investment funds and profit-sharing from “reconstruction.”

Poland’s PM Donald Tusk: “This is not about peace. It’s about business.”

3/

Read 9 tweets

Tymofiy Mylovanov

@Mylovanov

Nov 29

Investigation exposes the Russian Red Cross for advancing Kremlin propaganda, partnering with militarized groups and illegally operating in occupied Ukrainian territories — all while receiving millions in Western humanitarian funding, writes United24. 1/

The RRC partners with "Movement of the First," a Kremlin-backed paramilitary youth group led by Artur Orlov, who Putin awarded for storming Luhansk in 2022. Their joint "First Aid" program accounted for 8% of RRC's 2024 spending. 2/

The RRC illegally created "Donetsk Red Cross" and "Luhansk Red Cross" branches in occupied Ukrainian territories. Under international law, only the ICRC or Ukrainian Red Cross should operate there.

These fake branches have no legal mandate. 3/

Read 9 tweets

Tymofiy Mylovanov

@Mylovanov

Nov 29

I told CNN we’re nowhere near a peace deal. This will take many rounds, and we still don’t know if Russia is even serious.

Moscow will run its usual playbook — deny, stall, raise demands, bomb Ukraine, pretend it’s unhappy. But in the end, they will agree to something. 1/

Me: Peace plan leans heavily toward Russia and it looks like Moscow drafted it and Washington just stamped it

The call (Witkoff Ushakov) itself reads more like an attempt to push Russia to make an opening bid. Real story is Witkoff saying a deal means Ukraine giving up Donbas.2/

Me: I believe the plan was drafted by Russia. Maybe the U.S. took it out of convenience or to flatter Putin, who reacts to ego strokes.

But the real problem is this: Washington has little leverage over Russia, so it takes Russia’s draft and then pressures Ukraine instead.

3/

Read 4 tweets

Tymofiy Mylovanov

@Mylovanov

Nov 28

Russia has suddenly lost access to human spaceflight for the first time in 60 years.

A launch tower at Baikonur collapsed during the Soyuz MS-28 liftoff, destroying the only pad capable of sending crewed missions to the ISS — Reuters. 1/

Footage shows the service tower caving in under the rocket’s exhaust plume. Cosmonauts survived, but the launch complex suffered major structural damage requiring long-term reconstruction. 2/

Analysts say all Soyuz and Progress launches are now indefinitely halted. Space expert Vitaly Yegorov: Russia “has lost the ability to send humans into space.” Restoration could take up to two years. 3/

Read 5 tweets

Tymofiy Mylovanov

@Mylovanov

Nov 28

CNN: Why did Yermak resign now?

Me: This is the only right move given the domestic political crisis, and it will strengthen President Zelenskyy. Today's raid of law enforcement in Yermak’s offices was unprecedented and shows institutional independence. 1/

Me: The timing of Yermak’s resignation is terrible for negotiations, but it also shows Ukraine’s state functioning. 2/

CNN: Does this resignation hurt Zelenskyy?

Me: No one believes the President is in any political danger. There was internal pressure for Yermak to step down, even though there are no accusations. Allies also pushed for this quietly to avoid destabilizing Ukraine during negotiations. 3/