After two hours delay, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun a highly anticipated phone call, according to the statement from the White House. apnews.com/article/trump-… x.com/MrKovalenko/st… 2/ White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino said that Putin and Trump have been in phone discussions since 2 pm London time (10 am in Washington), and the ongoing call now surpassed the 90-minute mark. (Sky News) The delay was about an hour, not two hours.

Today, the Ukrainian Parliament issued a subpoena to the head of the Security Service of #Ukraine (@ServiceSsu; SBU) a fresh Lt. Gen. Vasyl Maliuk, 40 due to the outrageous fact that his agents did clandestine surveillance of Ukrainian #journalists from the "Bihus Info" media who investigate corruption in the government.

Currently, the SBU is in a crisis communications mode disseminating press releases that "nothing to see here" and "the scapegoats have been already fired". The service is trying to shut down this scandal of Watergate proportions and divert attention from the well established link between them and the office of President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the law, the SBU reports directly to the President.

Nobody heard about a regular SBU agent Maliuk before President Zelensky came to power. But after 2019, he began making a career with a speed of light. He was promoted to top positions incl. the department "K" (investigations of corruption which the "Bihus Info" apparently does better). In 2022, the Zelensky's childhood friend Ivan Bakanov screwed up as the SBU chief, so President replaced him with Mr. Maliuk. In a tough 2022, it was a right choice. Maliuk launched the cleanup from the Russian agents and collaborators, blew up the the Kerch bridge, and destroyed other targets inside Russia. For that, Zelensky awarded him with the Lt. Gen. rank.

But it's hard to imagine that Lt. Gen. Maliuk had no idea that his Department of Statehood Protection investigates journalists for a long time. As the SBU chief, he approves and supervises all operations. It is possible that Lt. Gen. Maliuk, as being thankful to Zelensky for career promotions, wasn't able to say "no" when he picked up his phone and saw the number that belongs to the presidential office. Soon, the Parliament is going to ask Mr. Maliuk the key question: Who is behind the surveillance of journalists? 2/ The next turn in the Ukrainian political scandal about government surveillance of journalists of "Bihus Info". Today, the office of the Prosecutor General stripped the Security Service of #Ukraine of this investigation as its agents turned out to be the crime suspects. The Prosecutor General ordered the State Bureau of Investigations to launch an independent inquiry instead. t.me/pgo_gov_ua/214…

The third in a row massive Russian missile/drone attack on #Ukraine to be this Monday morning.👉The open intel reports about 9 Russian Tu-95 that departed the far remote Olenya airbase near Murmansk. Each bomber can carry 4 cruise missiles which means 36 missiles maximum. The bombers will reach the launch area in 2,5 hours from now - at 5am Kyiv time. Let God save Ukraine and bless its air defenses! 2/ The third largest Russian air strike on #Ukraine in 2 weeks just began. Airborne 11 bombers Tu-95, 4 bombers Tu-22, and a dozen of bombers Su-34/35. The Russian cruise missiles are penetrating the Ukrainian airspace.

Ups. This is a very serious sign that the western partners are tired of #Zelensky and his team when President of the key #Ukraine's partner #Poland Andrzej Duda refuses to see @ZelenskyyUa at the UN, and makes a harsh statement comparing him to "a sinking adrenalin-driven guy whom we should keep on a distance because he can sink all of us who try to save him". -- This US visit of Zelensky is becoming a disaster. 2/ This is even worse than I thought. "Polish president on grain dispute: "Ukraine is like a drowning man, it can drag us into the depths." pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/…

This night, Russian social media report about a series of explosions in #Sevastopol city, the naval base of the Russian fleet in the occupied #Crimea that belongs to #Ukraine. First available visuals show not only intercepts of the low-flying objects but confirm several ground explosions from something that actually penetrated the air defenses. Allegedly, the city power station, docked military vessels in the Southern Bay and the Naval Repair Factory were hit.
2/ According to Russian Telegram channels, it was actually a Ukrainian missile that penetrated the #Sevastopol air defenses and struck the Naval Shipbuilding & Repair Factory causing massive fire.

Facebook reminded me that on this day 8 years ago my #Ukrainian military comrade Lt. Col. Volodymyr Sarychev was released from the Russian captivity where he spent 77 days after the battle for Debaltseve. That time I lived in #Ukraine and served in the Ukrainian army. With my… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 2/ The story of the capture and the release of my comrade Lt. Col. in February 2015 is interesting in the historical perspective comparing to the current, second, and ongoing Russian invasion of #Ukraine. He was captured in his car on the major supply road Debaltseve-Artemivsk… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

1/ The retreating Russian forces mined the Kahovska dam across the #Dnipro river that holds a large reservoir, as Zelensky warned. If RAF blows up the dam, up to 80 settlements down the river incl. #Kherson city (that Ukraine is going to liberate) would be flooded. [Thread⬇️] 2/ By blowing up the Kakhovska dam to slow down the #Ukrainian offensive on #Kherson, the Russians will shoot themselves in a leg ➡️ the canal Dnipro-Crimea that brings water to the occupied Crimean peninsula may drain as well. (Photo is from social media and illustrative)

"Currently, any coup in Russia is impossible. The system there built in a way that people in power are interested to keep it as is. They have their assets & their world vision," explained Andriy Cherniak, a representative of Intel Directorate of Ukraine's MoD for RBK-Ukraina. 2/ "There are adequate people among them who realize that situation in Russia is critical. But they won't become locomotives of any shifts," said Cherniak.

"By the end of spring, all of this will end. By the summer all will be finalized," said the chief of #Ukraine military intelligence Gen. Kyrylo Budanov in his interview for the #Ukrainian Obozrevatel news website. [Thread⬇️] 2/ Gen. Budanov said that by the end of this year #Ukrainian Armed Forces will greatly move forward: "Those will be significant victories. You'll see them soon. I hope that it will be #Kherson."

Since today, Moscow is a legitimate target for Ukraine. 2/ A Ukrainian foundation Come Back Alive & Intel Directorate of #Ukraine MoD announced a start of the fundraising project "Cotton in Moscow" which aimed "to enable long distance strikes." facebook.com/34616466554097…

1/ Everybody knows Chief Commander of the UAF 4-star Gen Valeriy Zaluzhniy. I’d like you to know more about who is enabling the success of #Ukraine military by providing correct intelligence. Meet the chief of the Intel Directorate of MoD Major General Kyrylo Budanov [on a photo] 2/ Kyrylo #Budanov is the youngest 2-star military General in #Ukraine. He became Gen. in 2021 when he was just 35 years old. Prior to that, he earned full set of 3 medals For Bravery for participating in secret UA operations against RU troops in the Donbas and Crimea.

1/ My hypotheses regarding #CrimeanBridge: This isn't a track-planted bomb as Russian propaganda says. This isn't an SBU operation as the Ukrainian media claim. This isn't a boat-planted bomb delivered under the bridge. Most signs of a precise strike by a powerful missile. 2/ Russia will never admit that Ukraine's military blew up Putin's precious bridge. They keep the narrative that Ukraine can't do anything. That's why Rus. propaganda claims that it was just a car bomb like a random terroristic suicidal act that happens in Russia sometimes.

"The storages [of Russian trains with tactical #nuclear missiles] - about 12 of them - are located behind the Ural. If any such train will start moving from there, the western intel will know immediatelly," said Ukr. military expert Oleg Zhdanov. [2] "Russia has 2 types of #nuclear trains developed in the USSR. The first type is a ballistic launcher with a rocket that consists of 7 railway cars camouflaged as refrigerators or passenger cars. There is such a division in RAF located in Nizhniy Tagil city," said Mr. Zhdanov.

Everybody knows Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of #Ukraine, 4-star General Valerii Zaluzhnyi. But I'd like you to pay attention to another key person contributing to battlefield successes: 3-star General Olexander Syrskiy who's on a photo from liberated #Lyman [Thread⬇️] [2] A few weeks ago, the Russian military launched PsyOp+InfoOp to discredit Gen. Syrskiy. They disseminated fakes about his conflict with Zaluzhniy. One top Ukr. journalist, the Censor website editor Yurii Butusov (useful idiot) joined the PsyOp but it was quickly neutralized.

Today, a #Ukrainian volunteer medic Yulia Paevska who spent 3 months in Russian captivity after the defense of #Mariupol delivered devastating testimony before US lawmakers in Washington DC, recounting her experiences of torture, death, and terror. Photo by Ukr. Amb. @OMarkarova. [2] The British @guardian published a news report with excerpts about Yulia Paevska's speech in DC. theguardian.com/world/live/202…

Today, the Rus. startegic bombers Tu-95 from outside of Ukr. airspace targeted Kryviy Rih city with 3-6 cruise missiles X-101. Allegedly, a damb & pump station of Karachun resevior on #Ingulets river was ruined, water rushed into the lower city, water supply partially disrupted. [2] The water level in #Ingulets river in Kryvyi Rih city is currently raising. The reason for this Rus. attack is to ruin (with the flow of water from Karachun reservior) those Ukr. pontoon bridges across #Ingulets to stop supplies for the counteroffensive in #Kherson prov-ce.

Since the start of the counteroffensive, I face rudeness, arrogance, and insults from some of followers (i.e. with Ukrainian & NAFO IDs) in comments & PMs. Plus, many from Russia rushed to follow me. I don't take insults personally. But someone isn't happy that Ukraine is winning [2] To insult me ppl tweeted and messaged that 1) my hair is gray, 2) my English sucks, 3) my analysis is too simple & thus not useful, 4) I am another Trent Telenko (Who is that?), 5) I tweet smth to click-bite & get more followers.

#Ukraine confirmed that it struck the Russian air bases on the occupied #Crimean peninsula. This is an element of the victorious war strategy described a bit by the UAF Chief Commander Gen. Zaluzhniy in his article published today by @UKRINFORM [Thread⬇️] ukrinform.ua/rubric-ato/356… [2] Gen. Zaluzhniy's article is a semi-academic analysis of chances & opportunities for the enemy & the UAF for the 2013 bcs - as he says - "there're all reasons to think that it [war] will go behind the calendar limits of 2022".

BREAKING. First reports about the powerful explosions at the major Russian airbase #Belbek near Sevastopol naval base in occupied #Crimea. 2/ In 15-20 minutes after the series of explosions at the Russian airbase #Belbek, locals report about the second salvo that tore the airbase apart. Most likely, many Russian pilots died on the ground in their aircrafts while attempting to flee.

In July, four foreigners who were killed by the Russians were awarded by the #Ukraine's President @ZelenskyyUa with a medal "For Bravery". They volunteered to fight in the Ukrainian military or distribute humanitarian aid. [Thread⬇️] [2] An Australian, father-of-three Michael Charles O'Neill, 47, who lived in Hobart, was killed on May 28 while providing humanitarian aid in #Ukraine. On July 13, awarded by @ZelenskyyUa with a medal “For Bravery”, posthumously. Read more: smh.com.au/world/europe/a…

After @ZelenskyyUa recently dismissed the chief of Security Service (his childhood friend) Ivan Bakanov, we found out about the capture & indictment of the next top-ranked Russian mole: former deputy head of Intel. Dept of #Ukraine MoD Gen. Major Viacheslav Onisko. [Thread⬇️] [2] Today, Security Service of #Ukraine indicted the former deputy head of Intel. Dept of #Ukraine MoD (2008-2010) Gen. Major Viacheslav Onysko in state treason & armed assault on the law enforcement officer during his arrest in March 2022, right after the war began.