Ukrainian Parliament votes to give permission for the right to self defense and for civilians to carry firearms.
Full battalion of T-72B3 on the E105 highway (Belgorod, Russia to Kharkiv, Ukraine).
This is not a "Battalion Tactical Group". It is a tank battalion.
This is the fourth such battalion that we've seen on that stretch of highway in the last 24hrs.
Referring back to the Finnish analysts map we can see that the E105 highway is nowhere near the Russian occupied zones of Ukraine.
Full salvos of 122mm artillery and 122m rockets landing in Ukraine north of Crimea.
Time/date of this video is unconfirmed but reportedly today in the vicinity of Mariupol.
What can be confirmed is that these are not Russian regulars. This is a separatist armored battalion with elderly T-64's and BMP-1's. Neither vehicle is used by the Russian Army but large numbers are held in reserve stockpiles.
Mariupol is on the coast of the Sea of Azov and despite heavy fighting in 2014-15 remains in Ukrainian hands (for now).
Apologies for the (cut-n-paste) all caps to follow.
NOTAM over Kharkiv, Ukraine up to 16,500 ft "POSSIBILITY OF INTERCEPTION FOR OFFENDERS."
E) TEMPO RESTRICTED AREA CENTERED ON 49580N 036243E
WITH RADIUS 10 KM ACTIVATED.
FLIGHTS OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT ARE PROHIBITED.
FLIGHTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH MAXIMUM TAKE OFF WEIGHT
*That's above shoulder fired SAM and AA gun range. But well within all other SAM ranges.
The Russians probably aren't expecting either Ukraine or NATO to fly air missions in the Kharkiv area. But they will be launching air and artillery strikes of their own on the Ukrainian defenders.
There is now a 10 mile traffic jam on the E105 highway to Kharkiv from Russia. And it's all Russian Army vehicles.
In western military terms that's the MSR (Main Supply Route).
Russian Mech Infantry battle group in Krasnaya Yaruga, 9 miles from Ukraine's border and about 10 miles north of the MSR.
This is likely a flank protection group for the MSR, but could also/or be intended for a drive on the city of Sumy, Ukraine.
The airports in Kharkiv, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhya that are closed until morning have their runways blocked by tractors in order to prevent Russia’s paratroopers from landing there.
Here's the Russian NOTAM flight restriction area.
Heavy and sustained artillery just west of Mariupol.
In western terms that's called Prep Fire.
Video posted tonight from Crimea. Per video author, caption says, "Hundreds of vehicles go to the border with Ukraine."
In the video is a Russian Naval Infantry unit. Surprisingly the 2nd vehicle seen in the video is an elderly PT-76 amphibious tank. Supposedly the Russian Navy only has about 30 of those remaining in service.
Traffic jams are reported in Crimea on the only road leading north into the rest of Ukraine.
(for once the TicTok music is fitting the occasion)
CNN reporting 90% of Ukrainian government web sites now down due to cyber strikes.
NOTAM closing the entire Ukrainian airspace.
Pretty sure this one is from the Ukrainian government.
China MFA SPOX statement on Ukraine should put to rest any questions about PRC views on the crisis. To summarize:
1) It's the U.S's fault
2) The U.S. is exacerbating the issue
3) China will never join sanctions
4) China's position is not contradictory
Russia's Speznaz attack on Ukraine Crimea border posts, more missiles onto Mariupol, and lights out in major cities.
This, Mariupol, is not the main attack. It has objectives, but it is a diversion from the center of gravity. What the Germans called the schwerpunkt (main emphasis) is elsewhere.
It's designed to draw Ukrainian reserves away from that schwerpunkt.
Secretary-General of UN: Mr. Putin, stop your troops.
Putin presidential address right now.
I'll go ahead and translate Putin's response before he makes it...
"No."
*checks watch*
Russian bomber launched PGM's should start arriving on Ukrainian targets within the next half hour to hour, depending on launch points and missile types.
Kramatorsk air base in Ukraine is getting hit right now. That will be the missiles.
Live stream from Kharkov, Ukraine.
Looks like the camera view is from west of the city looking east. Not sure.
MRLS barrage. Location unknown, camera view from behind the launchers.
Missile strikes reported around Kyiv.
Kerch Strait is closed. Russian tugboats and other small ships blocking passage under Putin's bridge.
Previous MRLS barrage reportedly on or around the E105 highway inside of Ukraine.
Missile strikes on Odessa, on the Black Sea coast.
The time in Ukraine is around 5:30am.
That the preliminaries have begun over the last two hours is proof that the Russians have elected to go in in daylight hours.
Artillery tempo increasing around Kharkhiv.
Expecting artillery strikes from Belarus soon.
Repeated missile strikes on the military airport in Kyiv.
The last two cargo planes to fly into that airport are Turkish A-400's, and they are still there.
Wanna see NATO invoke Article 5? That's how you do it.
Still waiting on confirmation of ground fighting in or around Kyiv. If so it's Spesnaz and/or pro-Russian Ukrainians, not paratroopers.
Maybe confirmed (maybe not) that Russia shot down two Turkish made UAV's in Ukrainian service.
UAV shoot down confirmed.
Fighting in and around Kyiv confirmed.
Odessa strike appears to have taken out most or all of Ukraine's tiny navy.
More bombers reported airborne over Russia.
Most of those are coming from the Engels-2 air base. The range of their missiles means that they have only to take off, reach launch altitude, and fire, before returning to the base landing pattern.
It appears both Mariupol and Odessa being subjected to some form of amphib operation.
1st Guards Tank Army at the gates of Kharkov.
Increasing reports of Russian paratroopers fighting in Kyiv (do the Russians have stealth paratrooper delivery aircraft?) More likely is these are elements of 45th Guards Spetsnaz who have been in place and waiting for days if not longer.
Still no sign of artillery or troop movements from the Belarus border (despite Marco Rubio's claims).
But I am expecting that sooner rather than later.
Kyiv getting pounded with missile strikes.
Now seeing reports of "gunfire" from the Belarus border region.
Missiles hitting known arms depots all over eastern Ukraine.
Fighting around Odessa may be a bridge to far for the Russians., they don't control the lower Dnieper River bridges yet.
Russian Su-25 attack aircraft visible over Dnipro.
They badly want those Dnieper River bridges.
This video of an MRLS barrage landing just outside of eastern Kharkiv is (or was) the location of the Ukrainian 92 Mech Brigade.
Kherson airport is on fire.
Kherson is where the southernmost of the Dnieper River bridges is located.
Reports of explosions in Transnistria (Russian occupied Romania on the Ukrainian southwestern border).
The Ukrainian city of Lutsk was targeted moments ago by Russian missile strikes.
Lutsk is less than 100 km from the border with Poland: the furthest West strikes so far this morning.
LiveUAMap website lost its site briefly to a DDoS attack. Blocked Russia and Belarus and the attack stopped.
Video of Ukrainian APC's moving through Mariupol in daylight. City hasn't fallen yet.
But that would be the local reserves that I spoke of earlier.
Images from above. Those are Ukrainian, the Russians don't make or use them.
Eastern European members of NATO are invoking Article 4, which means urgent consultations on military plans for the alliance.
Video of Ukrainian MRLS beginning to respond.
Dunno how accurate, but the angle of fire indicates firing at something very close to them.
Also...not confirmed.
And the Furball (large aerial battle between fighter aircraft).
Video of Ukrainian Su-27's engaging Russian fighters over Ukraine.
Unconfirmed, location unknown, and fighters seen are too close to each other for missile fire, at knife fight range (guns).
But they are definitely dueling.
Deleted. Disinfo. From an Iranian source.
Romanian MinDef reported that at 6:15AM an Ukrainian SU-27 jet approached RO airspace and was escorted and landed in Bacau airbase, in Romania.
Very good and short thread...
https://twitter.com/BretDevereaux/status/1496701773884628992
Russian armored formations confirmed on the western outskirts of Kharkov.
Now comes the first point of decision. Do the spearheads bypass via the ring road or do they go into the city?
Ukraine's Embassy in Turkey has requested Turkey close the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits for Russian warships.
@Render seems he is trying to take the country in one field swoop
@Render the app still works. DEFCON warning system got attacked too
@AkomoCombine Yeah. That's about half of Ukraine's MiG-29 force.
They keep most of those in pairs in reinforced hanger bunkers. Unlikely that Russia got them all (yet).
Surprised to not be seeing any runway cratering going on yet.
@AkomoCombine Never mind. The Russians are using cratering munitions on at least some of the airports.
@AkomoCombine @Render
Wondering if moldova is heavily in play too
Just out loud you all have your hands full
@damselfly59 Almost certainly. @AkomoCombine
@AkomoCombine could you share a link to that map (no need to include Render. He is in batcave mode)
@_Ms_J It's accurate minus the missile strikes around Lviv. @AkomoCombine
Ukrainian causalities are starting to come in now.
Massive RU military column spotted moving north through Armyanks in #Crimea.
@Render Saw this from Poland
president @andrzejduda: Despite the efforts of the international comm, Ukraine fell victim to the brutal,unprovoked & unjustified Russian attack. We cooperate with our allies from NATO and the EU, we’ll jointly respond to RUS brutal aggression & won’t leave UKR without support
Ukr gov claiming no Russian landings or airborne troops in Odessa (yet).
CNN video show Russian tanks crossing the Belarus border into Ukraine in broad daylight, without artillery preparation.