I was in Kursk with Ukrainian forces. Russian civilians had consistent access to food, safe shelter, medicine. None of the many I interviewed showed signs of torture or mistreatment. In fact, Ukrainian medics would tend to any injuries.

Nor did they display the instinctive fear or nervousness around Ukrainian forces that would suggest ill treatment. They even argued openly with them about politics- you think that would happen in Russian occupied Ukraine?

Civilians should not suffer- but Russian civilians in Kursk had a spa vacation compared to Ukrainians in Bucha or Kherson...

I feel it is important to put this on the record, as I did to NGOs (such as @drc ) when I exited. No civilians ‘deserve’ to suffer in war. But in Kursk, I saw Ukraine live up to its obligations under the Geneva Convention to protect enemy civilians under its control.

Those remaining had freedom of movement, of speech (no one stopped them speaking Russian, when those under Russian occupation are banned from speaking Ukrainian). I saw none harmed, nor did any of the other journalists who visited at the same time.

Yet we know how badly Ukrainian civilians suffered from the thugs who terrorised Bucha.

🧵 1)/15 THE BOOK I WAS BANNED FROM RUSSIA FOR WRITING

I’m DELIGHTED to announce that my book, the first history of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ‘The Dogs of Mariupol’, will be published next week by @BitebackPub . It’s already been called ‘an extraordinary read… superbly crafted by Paul Conroy @reflextv and ‘what the war in Ukraine is really like’ by Shaun Pinner @olddog100ua

It features first hand reporting from every major frontline from Kursk to Kherson, as well as exclusive access to the corridors of power in Kyiv and exclusive lines from President Zelensky.

It has been a project of sweat, guts, tears and blood that I can’t wait to share it with you.

Read on for a sneak peek from inside… 2) PROLOGUE, RUSKIY MIR- You’ve never heard of ‘Novopetrivka’, the tiny town in Kherson Oblast where The Dogs of Mariupol opens. It was one of the innumerable settlements that suffered destruction, murder and torture from Russian occupation. It was here that I first understood the term ‘Ruskiy Mir’. It literally means ‘Russian world’ or ‘Russian peace’, but has become a shorthand in Ukraine for the horrors of invasion and occupation.

🧵DRONES I also spent a night with a drone unit near Kupyansk, 2km from Russian lines. As shells run low, they are a stopgap solution that helps stop Russian advances while Ukraine waits for the resumption of US Aid. Images shared with their permission
whowhatwhy.org/international/… Cost is a key reason The vampire drone here, that can carry six munitions at a time and can be flown back for reuse, costs about $30,000. A one use FPV drone costs a few hundred dollars. Artillery shells cost thousands each. The guns themselves millions.

🧵 From a terrifying day covering evacuations from Kherson. Key takeaways:

The Russians seem to be directly targetting civilian evacuation points. Shells landed within a few hundred metres of the main meeting spot. No possible military targets anywhere near. A Ukrainian officer said to me on the record that the Russians are refusing to allow civilians on the side they control through checkpoints. However, he shot down rumours that Russians were shooting people trying to flee, saying they had no evidence.

🧵Backfrom liberated Kherson- some observations:

Locals are full of praise for the way the UAF fought. 🇺🇦 artillery consistently hit Russian positions without hurting civilians. The city is not badly damaged at all.

It is in much better shape than Kharkiv or Mykolaiv. Saw little in the way of abandoned Russian kit, and evidence of deceptions (mannequins) that suggested the retreat was competently organised, and probably started weeks ago. Far from a Kharkiv style rout.

In conversations with military and civilian officials in Mykolaiv region- not a single one expects a significant 🇺🇦 counter offensive in the Kherson direction soon.

The most optimistic prediction was 'around November'. 'We can only attack when we are ready', a military spokesperson said 'we need to train more troops, destroy Russian ammunition and logistics. And we need you to send us more weapons. Long range rocket systems and air defence to counter their advantage in aircraft.'

I told Amnesty International their report would land terribly, miss crucial context and give support to the aggressor side. They didn't listen to me.

Here's the story for @BylineTimes
bylinetimes.com/2022/08/08/why… One of the worst errors in the Amnesty report is they say that the Ukrainian military made no effort to evacuate civilians from the firing line.

This is completely false. They constantly assisted with evacuating people. All journalists in Donbas saw it.

Ukrainian commander in Lysychansk all but confirmed to us the loss of Rubhizne, North of Severodonetsk. The Ukrainians now only control one exit to the town.

He said the Russians were redeploying positions today for an imminent ground assault on Severodonetsk. "Russian artillery destroys city block by block" another commander tells us. "It's just like what they did in Mariupol".

Even if the Russians fail to take Severodonetsk, there will be nothing left of it to save.

There is *no* support for Russia in Kherson. This annexation is naked imperial conquest and they aren't even trying to disguise it. I wrote about the situation in Kherson and the residents disgust with Russian occupation for @newlinesmag here:
newlinesmag.com/reportage/from…

What is happening in Kharkiv is sick. Russians are just shelling anything in the city they fancy. Not even pretending they are military targets.

This was a market complex three days ago. It's a slow motion Mariupol. Whenever we visit the aftermath of a bombing like this, there are *never any* remnants of military hardware. These are purely civilian targets.

And yet Russians pretend there is a secret Azov base under every house.