Ukraine Correspondent. British-Lebanese conflict journalist & filmmaker based in Kyiv. Director of The Battle For Kyiv. Co-host of
@DrillPod
. RTs ≠ endorsement.
I am beyond proud to introduce you all to the trailer for my first ever feature length documentary.
This is the story of The Battle For Kyiv, told from the ground, as Russia attempted to capture this city.
Two years later to the day, Kyiv still stands.
Two years ago Vladimir Putin launched his full scale invasion of Ukraine.
The world expected Kyiv to fall in just three days, but the fierce Ukrainian resistance surprised everybody and Kyiv remains unconquered.
@OzKaterji
was there to document it. 👇🏻
Hello world, Kyiv reporting in.
Fresh snow is settling on the ground. The invaders have not breached the barricades.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
Last night Russia tried to assassinate Zelenskiy, their plot was foiled, their hit squad was eliminated.
The city’s defences have still not been breached.
Air raid sirens fill the sky.
But we are still here.
And we will remain here.
#Kyiv
I hope Ukrainians learn the lessons Syrians had to against Russia fast. Never reveal the locations of shelters for women and children, field clinics or breadlines. Russia will target them first. Don’t reveal the locations to the UN. Russia will access them, and target them first.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
There were a few explosions in the night, this morning fresh snow is again covering the ground.
The government is still standing.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Every time I get a little down I remember there is an Orthodox Jewish man called Andrew who has been holding a solo protest outside the Chinese embassy in London over their treatment of Muslim Uighurs every week for a year, and knowing this act of solidarity exists keeps me going
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
Day 17 of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and his army is not even close to taking this city yet. The bravery of the Ukrainian people is incredible to witness.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
Once again I wake up to find this beautiful city is still standing strong, still fighting back. For now, we are not encircled. Supply lines & routes in & out of the city are still functioning.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
Eleven days into this war, Kyiv remains defiant.
Russian tanks have not yet penetrated her defences.
This city was predicted to fall in 48 hours.
But we are still here.
And we will remain here.
#Kyiv
.
Good news from the streets of Kyiv, many of the shops have fresh fruit and veg on the shelves, there has been a restock! After a few tough days, there are currently no long queues for food here in the city centre.
I have no idea what the situation in the rest of Kyiv is yet, but I can see from my window that this city is still standing, still resisting, unbent, unbroken and unbowed.
Whatever happens next, don’t ever let your children forget what happened here.
Kyiv fought back.
To put into context what is happening in Ukraine right now, every analyst I know is in a state of disbelief at just how quickly Ukraine is advancing. They keep saying “there’s no way they’ve made that much progress”, only to see visual conformation of that progress hours later.
Sorry the tank thread may be a while, i rescued this poor little abandoned guy after he limped over to me at the destroyed column. Don’t have a name for him, and frankly no idea how to look after a dog, but apparently we’re pals now
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
After a few days of bitterly cold weather and snow, the sun is out and shining down on this beautiful city, which is still free and still standing strong.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
Quiet night in Kyiv, the sun is shining and people are back out on the streets again today. Russia’s military advances remain stalled outside the city.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Some rare good news for my followers, this Syrian father and son who went viral for this photograph after both of them survived a regime air strike have been granted asylum in Italy.
If you look at footage of a murdered young Israeli woman’s corpse being paraded around the Gaza Strip and see this as “a day of celebration for supporters of democracy and human rights” then you are completely devoid of a moral conscience and are fundamentally broken as a person.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
They said Kyiv would fall in 48 hours, today we hear news of Ukrainian counteroffensives liberating territory across the Oblast. Not only do its defences hold, but Kyiv is still fighting back.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Good morning world, this is Kyiv reporting in.
This city is still standing. This city is still resisting. This city is still strong.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
.
Sorry I know this is very serious but I’m in Kyiv & have no meaningful way of covering this story for you except by retweeting Russian telegram screenshots. This is however definitely in the top 3 funniest things that has happened in my lifetime & I absolutely am going to laugh.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
The sun is shining on another beautiful day in Ukraine’s capital, last night was a quiet one, Ukrainian resistance continues to hold the line, Russia has made no advances.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Russia's Foreign Policy Modus Operandi:
1) Russia creates problem
2) Russia pretends to seek diplomatic solution for problem
3) Russia's signs agreement
4) Russia immediately violates agreement
5) Russia blames everyone else for its own actions
6) Rinse and Repeat.
Meet Anna, a 23 year old Ukrainian territorial defence volunteer who I met today in liberated Irpin. Anna is the first LGBT volunteer I have met on the frontlines, she told me she was fighting for her girlfriend and her homeland.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
This city’s defences remain intact, the brave Ukrainians defending their country remain resolute.
I am but a guest here, but this place & these people will forever be a part of my heart.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
We know from Hezbollah themselves that these were 5000 devices on a secure network that had explosives hidden inside & bought by Hezbollah for their own operatives, and solely their own operatives.
Not civilians, active members of Hezbollah with pagers for secure communications.
I can tell you all one place in Europe that definitely has not seen an uptick in antisemitic violence in the last few weeks - Ukraine.
After everything that has been said about this country and her people, I feel like this should be more widely acknowledged.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
The snow has thawed, and there are a few more cars and people out on the streets today than there were a couple of days ago. Each day new barricades go up & old barricades are reinforced.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Every American poll right now is like:
Do you think Donald Trump is a deeply unwell psychopath, rapist, putschist and a criminal?
Yes: 65%
No: 35%
Who are you voting for President:
Donald Trump: 53%
Joe Biden: 40%
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
Last night Russia bombed a maternity clinic and children’s hospital. While Russia targets civilians, Ukrainians risk their lives to protect & defend one another.
Kyiv’s defences still hold.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
First they said Russia wouldn’t invade. Then they said we shouldn’t send Ukraine weapons. Then they said Ukraine would lose. Then they said Ukraine couldn’t win, even with western weapons. Now they are saying Ukraine should surrender.
Russia’s apologists will never stop.
After two months of war it has become very clear that the western Far Left don’t even have the language to discuss Ukraine. “Pro-war”, “escalation”, “NATO imperialism”, it’s all just waffle copy-pasted from previous geopolitical crises. A movement utterly divorced from reality.
14 years of “stop eating avocados if you want to buy a house” and now total war has broken out at the mere suggestion that Grandad should spend one less month in Tenerife this year.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
While Ukraine’s cities are continually brutalised from the sky her people resist with incredible courage and unshakable determination to defend their homes. As a guest here, I am humbled by it.
We are still here.
We willl remain here.
#Kyiv
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
Day 24 of Russia's invasion, Ukrainian resistance holds firm, but the nation is praying for the safety of more than 1000 civilians trapped under the rubble of Mariupol Theatre.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
By now, the world is waking up to the horrors Putin is inflicting on the people of Ukraine.
But they have responded to this with determination & defiance, not fear.
They refuse to be broken.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
The context not included here by the Hezbollah apologist Seamus Malekafzali is that this is a Hezbollah affiliated hospital in an area controlled entirely by Hezbollah and this medical professional was in possession of a Hezbollah pager because he was a member of Hezbollah.
Enough is enough, the Russian ambassador to the UK should have been expelled long ago, but if violating Geneva conventions on official diplomatic social media accounts isn't a red line, our failure to respond becomes an act of complicity.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
This city is back under curfew again, but her defences still hold firm. We are 27 days into this war, and every day Russia fails to capture this city, Ukrainian belief grows that they can win.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
Eight days after Ukraine was invaded by a fascist dictatorship with one of the most powerful military forces on earth, this city’s defences are still holding.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
Today Ukraine awoke to the news that another residential apartment block has been hit by a missile in Kyiv. Russia is failing to achieve its military objectives & is actively targeting civilians
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
I don’t know how many times this needs to be said, but if your only response to a genocide is to demand an end to arming the people defending themselves from genocide, you are objectively sanctioning genocide.
This is a field in Kharkiv, Ukraine, where spent Russian cluster bombs are stored. Russia has extensively used cluster munitions in civilian areas in Ukraine. Remember this image every single time the topic of supplying DPICMs to Ukraine arises.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
Loud explosions echo across this city under curfew, while air raid sirens pierce the air. It has been one of the heaviest nights of fighting since this invasion began.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Lmao bombing retreating military forces is not a war crime you bootlicking authoritarian clown. You think retreating invasion forces are to be treated like non-combatants under the Geneva Conventions? That’s absurd. Read a fucking book you moron.
this was an american war crime on retreating forces and civilians called “highway of death” where a6 intruder jets bombed the front of the vehicle column to cause a pile up, boxing in thousands of cars they kept bombing for 10 hrs straight, you polish-govt-funded fascist freak
Sometimes in life, it is no longer to enough to simply observe. I am sorry I cannot keep reporting for the next few hours, but i can not simply watch first responders dig through rubble with a camera in my hand.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
There is fierce fighting all across the country, many civilians are being evacuated from frontline towns and cities, while Russia actively targets innocent people.
But the capital still stands.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
It has been one month since Russia invaded Ukraine. Putin planned to take this city in 48 hours, but this city fought back with fierce determination. Its defences have still not been breached.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
I think people dismissing the idea that Russia would attack a NATO state are woefully clueless. If Russia wins in Ukraine, and gets in Trump a President willing to abandon NATO, Putin will strike NATO. This isn’t a low-probability event, it’s Russia’s explicit goal in Europe.
Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza overnight, the scenes are beyond shocking, some of the worst images I’ve ever seen in 15 years of documenting war crimes.
Those responsible for this must be prosecuted in international courts & an immediate arms embargo should be declared.
The anger in Ukraine today towards Tucker Carlson is unlike anything I’ve seen before towards any western political or media figure. The rage is genuinely palpable, his name is trending here in both English and Cyrillic, and the responses are furious.
Remarkably, and unbeknown to me at the time, conflict photojournalist Erin Trieb had taken a photo of Tank in the place we found him shortly before he followed me and my colleague to our car. Even though I was there, I am still stunned by this photograph.
It’s kind of insane how “crippled the Black Sea Fleet and unilaterally re-opened its grain shipment corridor” isn’t widely considered part of Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive, when it very clearly is, and it very clearly has been hugely successful & consequential.
After every humiliation in Ukraine or Russia, Putin responds by brutalising defenceless Syrian civilians. And the world barely even notices. So Syrians flee on boats that are unsafe, then drown. And the world barely even notices. Nobody is doing anything to protect them.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
Loud explosions throughout last night and this morning, the violence is creeping closer to the centre of this city. Civilian infrastructure is definitely being deliberately targeted.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Report in Meduza today that Putin wants a “ceasefire” with Ukraine, in order to halt Ukrainian counteroffensives, consolidate Russian control over occupied land, and prepare his forces for a renewed invasion next year.
One of the more interesting places to watch for fallout is Africa. Wagner PMC runs the majority of Russia’s Africa operations. Russia has basically lost control of its entire military footprint in Africa overnight.
It’s with both sadness and much joy that I said farewell to my very good friend Tank today as my friends at the Kyiv Post are taking him to meet his new Ukrainian foster family where he will find a loving home & will remain nearby in the hope his original owner claims him ❤️
I’m sorry but Ukrainians reverse-engineering the Shahed drone and using them to destroy Russian oil refineries is an objectively hilarious development.
Putin’s 3-day war still going to plan…
Remember Tara Reade that pro-Putin grifter who falsely accused Biden of sexual assault, a story people like Ryan Grim ran with, whose links to Russia were dismissed as an outrageous smear against an alleged survivor of assault? Well she’s just announced she has defected to Russia
It cannot be overstated how dangerous this man is, he is sat in a mainstream broadcast studio talking about how much he admires fascism and fascists while his party surges in the polls.
"What is it about the murderous dictator [Vladimir Putin] that you admire?" Nicky Campbell asks Reform UK leader Nigel Farage
"You can recognise the fact that some people are good at what they do even if they have evil intent" Farage responds
We all know Russia is a racist, fascist dictatorship - but broadcasting this level of open anti-black racism using Russia’s South African Embassy really illustrates just how little they give a shit about diplomacy with even their own BRICS allies.
If I had known publishing in Rolling Stone would infuriate so many Putin apologists to the point of apoplectic hysteria I would have done it much sooner.
This is Tank. He limped over to journalist
@OzKaterji
on a street full of destroyed armored vehicles in Bucha, Ukraine. He was alone and scared, but happy to follow a friendly voice. He was brave at the vet and is finally sleeping while the search for his people continues. 14/10
Tank update, he is at the vets getting a check up, he has a few ticks, fleas and some deep bite marks presumably from other stray dogs. Also I’m in touch with a charity focusing on reuniting owners in Irpin and Bucha with their pets and will put Tank up on that database.
Say what you like about Steve Bray, but if there's ever been such a thing as "getting the last laugh", this is it. It is his Sistine Chapel. It's his Mona Lisa. It's his Rome.
After three months in Ukraine, I have just safely crossed the Polish border. I’m eternally indebted to the Ukrainian people for allowing me to bear witness to their heroism & defiance, it has been the greatest privilege of my life. Their strength & bravery is a lesson for us all.
We’re witnessing one of the most remarkable events in human history in the battle for Kharkiv. Keep your eyes focused on Ukraine, it needs our support now more than ever. The largest nation on earth is being routed by Ukrainian mettle and Western steel.
Good morning, this is Kyiv calling.
Day 22 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, all of its military advances have been stalled by fierce Ukrainian resistance. Russia responds to this by deliberately bombing children.
We are still here.
We will remain here.
#Kyiv
Very sad news to report this morning, a drunk driver swerved off the road and hit Tank the dog yesterday while he was out walking with his new family and sadly he passed away. I’m so sad I’ll never get to see my brave little friend again, rest in peace little man 😢 xxx
Given South Africa's continued support for Putin despite an ICJ ruling against Russia, this is an absurd thing to say, and smacks of just a total lack of moral consistency.
I know I should just ignore it but it makes me very angry when I say that killing civilians is wrong and then idiots who don’t know the first thing about my career reply “these people don’t care when Israel does it”.
Yes I do. I cared long before you even heard of the conflict.
It’s incredible how Putin has built this image of a strong man, while he cowers in bunkers & flees Moscow at the first sign of trouble, when Zelenskiy, a short comedian, stayed, fought & became a hero to his people, even under far more dangerous circumstances. Putin is a coward.