Current debates in Europe to help Ukraine in an unprecedented manner is welcome & overdue.

2 yrs of half measures failed. Supporting Ukraine's survival but not victory has led to russian consolidation of the alliance of tyrannies that now jointly destroys Ukraine--& won't stop Tens of times over months I asked partners how come NK can deliver 1,5 mn shells for russian conquest & entire EU fails for Ukr self-defence? Heard in response "but democracy, bureaucracy, production bottlenecks, climate regulations" & plenty of other "buts" missing in tyrannies

Worrying news from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant: russians extended "short days-off" for all Ukrainian personnel, incl the operative, w/o specifying any timeframes. rosatom ppl are back. By now the ZNPP was operating safely only due to the bravery of the Ukrainian staff Most likely they'll try to cut the ZNPP off the Ukrainian grid. If yes, this would be a huge genocidal attack against Ukrainian population as the plant produces up to 25% of all country's electricity. Autumn and winter are coming. russia is a terrorist state & has to be stopped!

This is a turning point for the Ukrainian judiciary: the Rada has just appointed a stellar lawyer w a brilliant reputation, the attorney of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes families Roman Maselko as a member of the key judicial authority High Council of Justice!

Ukraine is changing! Days like this make me optimistic about our future democracy-building efforts. Particularly bc now we have tools like the EU accession process to fix all outstanding issues. Help us to win on a battlefield - and in a few years you'll see a role model democracy in Ukraine

Important statement from Energoatom! 👇

"Nuclear terrorism at work: the russian military have declared their readiness to blow up the mined Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant"

@iaeaorg @ANS_org @antonioguterres

#russiaIsATerroristState /1 The russians make no secret of their plans and already openly blackmail the whole world, declaring the ZNPP mine planting and their readiness to blow it up.

In his statement today, the head of the radiation, chemical and biological defense forces of the russian federation /2

Yesterday russians shelled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Twice. They damaged the high voltage comms line of one of the power units which led to its temporary disconnection,& then also the nitrogen-oxygen station. rosatom reps had evacuated from the station right before attack Why russians are doing this if they have seized the ZNPP? They try to stage a false flag, to accuse Ukraine of attacking a nuclear facility ofc, & also probably to justify the disconnection of the plant from the UA electricity system, what they have threatened earlier to do

A few thoughts on Nord Stream 2, Nord Stream 1, and russian weaponization of energy /1 Nord Stream appeared after russia blackmailed Ukraine by turning off the gas flows in Jan 2009. Instead of concluding that russia is an insecure supplier, Germany concluded that the transit should bypass Ukraine & greenlighted the construction of new gazprom pipes /2

"My son and husband are lying dead in the yard, and I am singing". The story of Angelika Medvedeva from #Mariupol. Angelika lived in Mariupol for thirty years. In March she lost her husband and the only son Denys, whom she could not even bury. /1 She escaped the 'hell' with her daughter-in-law, who lost 15 kilos, and little granddaughter. And now she is trying to start a new life in Lithuania. She still flinches when she hears the sound of an airplane. /2

The granting of full EU candidate status for Ukraine is important now. This is not a random whim of Ukrainians who decided to push for our interests "out of turn". This is an existential matter for us & we have deserved it. Why? 👇 /1 1) Ukrainians are dying for democracy w/o any exaggeration. Dysfunctional corrupt Ukraine is ok for the kremlin & would not require the war of conquest to control us. Ever since we ousted Yanukovych putin punishes us for this fight by exterminating our brightest people /2

A month of survival on the outskirts of #Mariupol. New horrific records of those who went through hell & are now ready to testify to the world about what russians have done to them, to their hometown, to Ukraine. Don't look away,please. We need to stop the appeasement of putin /1 The people of Mariupol thought that the giant factories were an inviolable guarantee of safety. Every Mariupol resident knows that furnace dominoes cannot be stopped since they cannot be restarted. /2

Dear Germans:
- Ukraine indeed still has issues, but we've done more to eradicate corruption over the last 8 years than any other country in Europe. We're on the right way & granting us the EU candidate status will help to boost these efforts dramatically /1

https://twitter.com/charliekreuz/status/1532238560765542400

- Ukraine is not a fragile democracy. We are ousting pro-russian governments and elect those who pledge to fight corruption. We vote down those who fail to implement what they promised.

- Ukraine is not a failed state. All our institutions are operational during the wartime /2

Zelenskyi is very tired. I would answer the question about corruption differently. Yes, there are still corruption-related problems in Ukraine. But it is crucial to recognize big progress made since 2014 & even since 2016 when the referendum was held. A short thread /1

https://twitter.com/Nieuwsuur/status/1530278043289276419

Ukrainian institutions are resilient & operational despite the war. Anti-corruption agencies do their job, the court tries crooks, & money seized is sent for the military needs.
Moreover, we keep reforming - the cleansing of top judicial decision-making bodies was just revived /2

#KalushOrchestra is giving away legendary pink panama & #Eurovision2022 Crystal Microphone Cup for the charitable auction to help in war against russian invaders #StefaniaForUkraine.

All funds raised from the auction will go to the @serhiyprytula Foundation /1 The foundation supplies the Ukrainian Army with reconnaissance drones, army transport, communications equipment, tactical medicine and ambulances.

How to participate in the auction 👇 /2

"My husband has dug me out & taken home".

Iryna has survived the airstrike on #Mariupol Drama Theater that has killed a few hundred people /1 "Before Feb 24, we had an easy-going & decent life. We lived in downtown & believed all will be fine. But then this area turned into one of the most dangerous.
From Mar 11-12, we moved into the bomb shelter, and constantly woke up at 4:00 am by the sounds of explosions /2

Iryna Hovorukha, h/t @skiba45:

They thought russians wouldn't come here. Why do they need the small village of Yagidne of 400 residents and five streets, with simple hardworking people and a lot of old people. But the village was on the highway MO1 /1 Russians turned from the side of the forest. Professionals, conscripts and Tuvans. Tanks were placed in the yards, APC - under the windows. They settled themselves comfortably: on sofas, beds, on stoves. In the evenings - bonfires, barbecues, wine /2

Every Western polician who denies sending long-range heavy arms to Ukraine has to start the day w a story about a Ukrainian who survived russian occupation & kidnapping.

The head of a village in the Kherson region Viktor Marunyaka tells about tortures he went through /1 He was abducted by russians and tortured for several weeks. He recalls: "They brought me to one of the bases, I was kept there for the 3 days. The room was cement & cool. The first night we slept standing up." They beat him every day /2

Residents of #Mariupol who didn’t pass the so-called #filtration are taken to the premises of the former correctional colony #52 in the village of Olenivka, Donetsk region, or the infamous Izolyatsiya prison in #Donetsk. This is hell #genocide /1 In Olenivka russians keep the relatives of servicemen, former law enforcement officers, activists, journalists and even people who randomly arose suspicion, e.g. by having patriotic tattoos. As of today at least 3,000 people are detained there /2

More horrible stories from the #Mariupol survivors #russianWarCrimes

Kateryna recalls her house was on the front line. It was shot at from every direction, burned multiple times, and remnants of other buildings, destroyed by air bombs, were scattered nearby /1 Within seconds, high-rise buildings were falling apart, private-sector houses were burning like torches, and people were losing their limbs amid shelling.

A 1.5-year-old child died from the explosion of Grad rocket system in her house /2

Stories about #Azovstal defenders.
Oleksandr, 35, #Azov Regiment serviceman.
His mother Olena: We are from Kramatorsk. My son is a professional football player. He has 2 daughters. Younger girl was born on Jan 20 this year. He hasn't almost seen her at all (cries) /1 The connection is bad, only once a week they can send us a message. Someone sends SMS, and then the mothers and wives call among themselves to share the message. That's how we live, supporting each other /2

#Mariupol #Azovstal is a bleeding wound on Ukraine's heart.

"We do not need words, we need actions," mothers and wives of #Azovstal defenders say #SaveMariupol /1 Svyatoslav Siryi is 26, he's a serviceman of the #Azov Regiment. His mother says she's ready to go to #Mariupol on foot to be with him. During all this time they had only one short call & several correspondences. Svyatoslav plans to get married this year. He must be released /2

"We'd love to. But..."

The delivery of particular heavy weapons, jets, air & missile defence that Ukraine requests: "we'd love to, but Ukrainians don't know how to use advanced weapons", "we don't have them", "here are your short-range weapons" etc /1 Gas & oil embargo: "we'd love to, but there are no sources to substitute", "businesses will suffer", "everything will collapse"

Stopping the genocide, mass killings of civilians, mass deportation, mass raping, mass abduction: "we'd love to help, but what can we do?" /2

One more heartbreaking story about russian airstrikes on #Mariupol hospitals.

Bombing of hospitals & ripped bodies - this is how Anastasia will remember the war. She is currently in Zaporizhzhia, receiving medical treatment assistance from the Mariupol humanitarian center /1 The war caught her in the Cheriomushki neighborhood. The basement was cold and crowded. She slept upright in the hallway.

Anastasia then moved to another shelter, but it didn’t protect her from sustaining a concussion and an open fracture of the arm /2