“I took a decision to die here, on my home soil, without someone else’s blood on my hands.”

Russian conscript soldier Sergei Gridin, 20, has hanged himself on a belt after learning about upcoming deployed to Ukraine.

Translation of a suicidal note. Full text. Thread.
1/5 "If you read this, that means I am not alive anymore. Yesterday they have included me in rotation for Ukraine. No one from our company has returned from there yet…"
2/5

Opinion. After the sudden death of long-term Foreign Affairs Minister Makei the events in Belarus might speed up dramatically. First of all, Ukraine should brace for threats from the north. Just to give you an idea how important Makei was - he was the only top-tier minister who survived post-2020 purge of Lukashenka apparatchiks.
(Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, Minister of Interior, Prosecutor General - they all gone).

🧵
Day-to-day life in Izyum during 6 months of Russian occupation.

Source: @TarasBerezovets. Based on the conversations with locals hours after liberation. 50 families have sent their kids to summer school camps in Russia (Russians were pressing for many more, but people were reluctant). Now, after the town was recaptured by Ukraine, children’s whereabouts are unknown. It is impossible to contact them.

Prof @NTenzer: It may take decades for Russia to become a democracy.
charter97.org/en/news/2022/9… "Many Russians, even some dissidents (not all of them, but even some dissidents) are not considering enough, in my view, that the Russian people should feel a kind of guilt for what their government is doing, even if they are not directly responsible for the crimes."

A body of Yuri Voronov, 61, was found floating in the pool of his mansion in the suburbs of St Petersburg with bullet in his head.
Mr Voronov ran transport company which had contracts with Gazprom. Former top manager of Lukoil Alexander Subbotin, 43, was found dead in Mytishchi, a city just northeast of Moscow on May 9 reportedly after being treated with toad venom to cure a hangover

Transcript of intercepted conversation of a Russian occupier (S) and his mom (M).
He tries to explain her what he sees with his own eyes, but she is filled with Russian preposterous propaganda and hardly accepts any logical arguments.
S: What the heck we are doing in Ukraine? OK, what if we took it, what next?
M: We took what?
S: Ukraine. What would have changed?
M: Wait. They have nukes.
S: OK. So if they shoot us, they would be leveled too. There is no sense in it.

UA General Staff: according to available information, the command of the 38 separate assault brigade of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus received an order to cross the border with Ukraine. Instructions how to act further will be made after crossing the border UA General Staff:
- Kyiv: the enemy has no success in its advancement. The enemy shells residential areas in southwestern outskirts of the city.
- “Mariupol remains an example of heroic resistance to the Russian invasion.”
- Volyn direction; Chernichiv — Ukraine holds the line.

It’s not only Ukrainians. Russians moms pay terrible price for Putin’s dreams of empire.

A mother of a Russian soldier Maxim Khanygin, killed in action in Ukraine speaks.
V Charter97.
TRANSCRIPT I am horrified. Everybody is horrified. Everybody is shocked. All the friends refuse to believe he died. They all say “He is such a strong lad. We can’t believe it.”

The overwhelming majority of captured Russians either deny they knew where they were heading or say whatever out of fear.

Artsiom, artilleryman from Ulan-Ude is one of few exceptions who seems to actually get it.

Video message from Artsiom to his wife.
TRANSCRIPT
Video Unian Actually, it was a mistake that I did not refuse back then from all of this, although we were thinking about it.

What has happened now… The things which I saw here… [sobbing] Children die… This is not a joke. Strikes…

I would never want…something like that for my children.

Ukrainian President Office:
- Enemy’s advancement near Kyiv and Chernohiv are stalled.
- “Kharkiv is Staligrand of the 21st century”. Charkiv residential areas are under heavy bombardment. The enemy suffers immense losses. - Ukrainian forces pushed back and made a small advancement on the eastern direction and entered into the territory which is under Russia-controlled separatists rule since 2014.
- Mariupol — “situation under control”
- Kherson — street fights are ongoing.

Ukrainian MoD: Despite heavy casualties, Russians continue offensive northeast of Kyiv aiming to encircle the capital The enemy continues its advancement in Kherson, Nova Khakovka, Hola Prystan. More Russian forces are heading towards Kherson and Mykolaiv.

Kyiv TV tower was hit Unian. The strike was aimed at equipment building near the tower to cause maximal damage among the staff workers. The TV tower itself stands.

Another video address of Mayor of Kharkiv.

TRANSCRIPT (full video: t.me/uniannet/33534)

Dear inhabitants of Kharkiv. We have endured a very difficult day today.

You know. Today has showed that it not just a war. This is a killing of us, People of Ukraine. For the first time in many years Kharkiv went through this. Shells which hit residential buildings, killed and crippled innocent civilians.
Kharkiv did not see such destructions ever in the recent history. And this is terrible.
37 wounded only for this day. 3 of them are children

Video address of Mayor of Kharkiv captures everyday realities of war in Ukraine.
Made earlier today. S. Unian

TRANSCRIPT

Dear Inhabitants of Kharkiv. We have endured a very difficult day today. Starting from this morning multiple units of Russian Army made a breakthrough into Kharkiv.
You saw them into residential areas of the city.

Yesterday night there was an enormous artillery bombardment. But we have held the line. And we will forever.

#Belarus. People gather near General Staff Office in Minsk
“Glory to Ukraine!
Glory to heroes!” they chant.
S Charter97 Driver in Minsk honk their horns. I

Protest queues are back to #Belarus
Photo tgm MKB Protests erupted in multiple places in Minsk #Belarus. First arrests have started. S.: Belsat

Today’s exchange between Putin and Sergey Naryshkin, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia

TRANSCRIPT
Putin: ”Are you offering to commence a negotiation process?”
Naryshkin: “No. I…”
P: “Or to recognize their sovereignty?”
N: “I… I…”
P: “Just say it as it is”
N: “I will support the proposal about… recognition…”
P: “You will support or you do support? Sergey, just say it as it is.”
N: “I do support the proposal”
P: “Then say it as it is. Yes or no”
N: “[barely audible] yes…”

Minister of Defense of #Belarus Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin: Russian troops will stay in Belarus because “Presidents of Belarus and Russian Federation have decided” to do so. Two things to note in that announcement:
- Minister of Defense of **Belarus** cites President of **Russian Federation** as a decision maker - officially Lieutenant General Khrenin is not a subordinate of Mr Putin;
- Russian flag on photo.

“Dozens” of protesters in Almaty were killed, say #Kazakhstan officials.
Via RFEL The military with APC have encircled the area in front of Akimat building. And then the shooting began.
Via RFERL

Protesters have entered the city administration building (akimat) in Almaty #Kazakhstan, according to tgm newsnurkz Sounds of shots have been heard near Akimat building in Almaty #Kazakhstan. Via tam БГМ

How the West should deal with Russia.
Rasa Juknevičienė's @RJukneviciene, former Minister of Defense of Lithuania (2008-12) take.
"The most important is not to be afraid, despite that Russia is a nuclear power, despite that tensions are on the table." @RJukneviciene "Don't feel guilty. We are not guilty. NATO is not an offensive structure."