search for her res. yeah. these as a stray dog. analogies. era with ice caps melting in the north pole juice, climate change. china is ramping up, research and investment in the region. 11 east explorers. china's rise in the arctic on al jazeera, her affairs fight for ukraine's 2nd city care of claims to be in control as both sides prepare for talks. ah, i'm rob matheson, this is audra 0 alive from doha. also coming up in our continuing coverage of the conflict, anti war protests grew louder in russia,

or the president puts his nuclear forces on high alert. been living among the explosions we hear from people caught in the battle for their country. at night we hear a constant shooting and explosion and the anguish of what they've left behind a warning, millions of ukrainians could fleet to neighboring countries. ah, european allies are boosting their support for ukraine as the russian assault and has a 5th day in an unprecedented step. the e u has agreed to fund and supply weapons to a country at war. russian president vladimir putin has put his nuclear forces on high alert, but he's indicating he'll still give diplomacy a chance. talks are due to be held at ukraine's border with bella roost. john hall begins coverage from the this in western ukraine. o. ringback a sunday

service with special poignancy, the 1st of the war. prayers here for peace extinguished just days ago. as if in answer, russian and ukrainian delegations are meeting on the border with bella, bruce. it is the 1st glimmer of negotiation, but few, including ukraine's president. expect a positive outcome. it grayson, beth, rodney, or more. i'll say, frankly, i don't believe in the result of this meeting, but let's try so that no citizen of ukraine would doubt that i as president, did try to stop the war when there was even just a small chance. the russian attack has renewed its focus on critical infrastructure . a gas pipeline ablaze in the eastern city of har, keith, ukraine's 2nd largest russian soldiers trying to enter hockey on sunday. med determined, ukrainian resistance. western intelligence claims the russian advance is being

frustrated on all fronts. russian soldiers tell a different story here. defense ministry pictures claimed to show their forces, making progress in the south between the towns of song and bird dns, near crimea, and miss, i'll strike did this to the vessel. keep based setting an oil. dep o ablaze part of ongoing efforts to knock out ukraine's air defenses and gain control of the skies. muscle cave is 40 kilometers from the capital cave. so none of us and you've got a mother, you have seen that during the whole day. there were attacks from ballistic missiles including to our airport, which we have contained and now they are continuing shelling. but it will be good. the night will not be easy. not here, neither and give, but we will withstand oh, and it is the capital that remains the russians principal go. frequent air, raid sirens, keep nerves on edge. if they're not in bomb shelters or subway stations,

most civilians, a house bound a city wide curfew is in place until monday. and any one out and about is treated with extreme suspicion in towns and cities across ukraine. civil defense units continue to form and arm themselves. rushes army may be much larger than ukraine's, but its soldiers are well out numbered by ordinary ukrainians, willing to stand and fight. nowhere and i'm going to war. i'm going to war. my brother will stay with my mother and my grandmother, and i will go to war with my father. the, at the station in the western city of leave women, children, foreign nationals and international students all trying to leave the room network still operating, built for public convenience and now a lifeline for all. this is the revenue and the 3rd week,

all alive. the morrow is school student trying to get home to nigeria. it's been very, very emotional, very stressful. you didn't expect your time and ukraine within like i didn't know i was, i was a bit who was like everything to be okay. like you wouldn't get to the level the trains don't leave regularly 3 to 5 a day. perhaps. there is no time table for the evacuation of people who just days ago could not have imagined that war would turn their lives upside down like this. and now, as refugees, they joined what could yet become a human exodus of historic proportions. the un refugee agency says close to 400000 people have left for neighboring countries so far. it warns that

number could rise to 4000000 jona whole al jazeera movies or ukraine's military says sunday was a particularly difficult day with substantial russian shelling but ukrainian forces supported by civilians of fighting back. russian troops began attacking ukraine on thursday. they came in from belarus in the north of russia, in the east and crimea in the south. now here's the full range of mosque was offensive. it's marked in red here. russian forces entered from neighboring belarus through the area around dish and noble nuclear plant on the 2nd day of the invasion . it's the sight of the world's worst nuclear disaster. sporadic street fighting has been taking place in the capitol give where people have been urged to take shelter, but ukrainian troops have blown up several bridges to slow the progress of russian armored columns. russia has put its nuclear deterrence units on high alerts. president vladimir putin says it's because nato has, in his words, an aggressive approach,

but he's facing criticism at home for ordering. the operation in ukraine, bernard smith, reports from moscow to protest in russia takes a certain amount of courage as it comes with the likelihood that you'll be detained, of violence. this is petersburg, where they were chanting no to war. yet an independent monitoring group reported protests in 44 russian cities on sunday, including here and cousin ah, and in russia's eastern city of vehicles, probably in europe, he or to person. it is a crime both against ukraine and against russia. you are, i think it is killing lee crane and russia. i'm outraged. i haven't slept for 3 nights. and i think we must now declare very loudly that we don't want to be killed . we don't want any crane to be killed. these have been the 1st significant attempt at nationwide protests in almost a year since the jailing of crumbling critic,

alexa navarro me, are in moscow. the police are making it very difficult for people to try and protest any one who so much as lingers in a suspected gathering area is taken away for questioning. protesters don't worry the kremlin, but sanctions and international condemnation of the invasion of ukraine have prompted vladimir putin to put rushes to terrans forces, which include nuclear, arms on high alert, was really believe you dear colleagues. as you can see, not only do western countries take unfriendly measure against our country in the economic dimension. i mean, the leg sanctions that everyone knows about very well, but also the top officials of lead in their 2 countries allow themselves to make aggressive statements with regard to our country. that is why i or the defense minister and chief of the general staff to put russian army deterrence forces on high combat, outweighed them outside the kremlin. at the tomb of the unknown soldier, monuments represent the losses suffered by soviet cities in world war 2. on sunday

flower started appearing on the warm for keith, but only until the police realized what was going on in russia, there can be no visible opposition to the war on ukraine. bernard smith, al jazeera moscow. okay, i want to bring in jim walsh and cambridge in the u. s. he is an expert in international security and a research associate at the massachusetts institute of technology security studies program. good to have you with us on al jazeera sir. i want to talk to you about vladimir putin putting his nuclear forces on as his calling at high alert in practical terms. what does that mean? well, i don't think nato has to take it seriously in the u. s. has to take it seriously. if an adversary goes on nuclear alert than you then, and you are a target of that and you're going to begin to make reparations in case your adversary moves higher along the alert chain. but i think politically,

it's hard to believe that anyone takes it seriously. i mean basically there are 2 possibilities. you're either a means it and things that he's willing to go on nuclear alert because he's being criticized. and that would mean we're in a far stranger and more dangerous situation than we all appreciate. that seems unlikely. or doesn't mean it, and this is posturing, but he's posturing with his nuclear deterrent, which is unwise and dangerous, and causing the question is judgment in this isn't for a domestic audience. so what does he think he's doing? by doing this? it doesn't make a lot of sense, but the other thing it does is it calls attention to the fact that russia has about 45 percent of the world's nuclear weapons. the nuclear issue is not just north korea, it's all a nuclear weapon states, and any of them put yourself in a situation where that was really dangerous. that's what we're looking at that has 45 percent of the world's nuclear weapons and has initiated a war in europe. quite

a few of the analysts we've been speaking to over the last few days, have been agreeing that the russian russia has not anticipated the level of resistance that appears to be on the streets of the cities in ukraine. now, i want to ask you about how russia is going to change its tactics, because i can bring in some pictures here. we've got some shots of these, a satellite shots of our, what a believe to be russian forces gathering outside and the north of kiev. i believe it is, and they seem to be very significant in numbers. do you think we're seeing russia changing its tactics because of the resistance that it's meeting? well, i think certainly russia believes that it has overwhelming superior force and it does. and it has met both resistance and logistical challenges and nato countries and surrounding countries to change their policy and now allow the transfer of weapons that might be, you know, too little too late. at the end of the day the russian advantage in geography and

technology and soldiers, that's going to be pretty tough to deal with but, but if the ukrainians make it costly and they are more costly than anticipated. and this is unpopular at home and the sanctions add to that, and on and on then, then the question will be, did putin miscalculate and is there some offering to get out of this? but that's what's going to play over the next 2 weeks. the longer this goes on, the higher the cost, and the question of what is, what is putin's end game here? what, what did he think he was going to get error that warranted this? but that's what a play out you now. and the russians have the advantage, they have the superior conventional military advantage, no doubt about it. but they are trying to take over a population, at least in the western part of ukraine, that opposes them. and that could be very unpleasant for a long time. i went to asking

a but go back to what we were talking about with regards to this increased and tension, if you like with regard to nuclear, the nuclear weapons in russia. and one would imagine that there is a, i'm an automatic protocol if you like. i'm, we've all seen the movies, fire one side ramp, set up another one, automatically ram, set up and goes to a certain section. what do you think is the mindset of them a that what, what level do you think the u. s. and nato members are at, at the moment as a result of the announcement that, that president putin has made. well, good, has made other extreme statements about nuclear weapons, waive the morale. you'll remember just in the days before the invasion, they actually stayed in nuclear exercise and he made comments around that. so this is not the 1st time that he has made statements. nevertheless, when people do things in the context of war and, and it's not just a statement of policy or bravado, but rather a change in policy that is to say,

to go on alert. and that gathers more attention, my guess is, and there's been some reporting about this in the united states, that in the particular people in the pentagon, military officials are reaching out to their counterparts in russia, enquire, closed conversations. and so it over with up of reassuring both parties that this is not something a more serious that it appears. so i think back channel communication reassurance is what's going to try to that'll be the main emphasis, at least in the u. s. and in nato, because there's obviously no reason for this to be a to escalate into a nuclear war and less, once i just miscalculate miss reeds makes mistakes. so communication will be one of the main ways to respond to this. as we're mentioning just before they the ears taken and the unprecedented step to, to fund and supply weapons to ukraine. a country at war. germany has already st.

changed its policy. it's going to be sending missiles, an anti tank weapons to ukraine. how much of a change in dynamic on the ground do you think is that gonna make and will it actually be in time? because one would imagine this is going to take a period to get that stuff in there. sure, absolutely. and you can see what the dilemma was here. ugh, leading up to this, you know, some people would say, why didn't they supply arms earlier? well, the reason why didn't supply arms earlier is that they supplied arms earlier than it was worried that the russians would view bad as aggressive and a pretext for intervention. now that the russians have been arranged, i'm pretty much just the surprise of russian analysts, europeans and others. and then the, obviously, the policy is changing. certainly the political momentum is beyond that. i don't know. i mean, this is what this is basically we're on a timer here, kinda under staffed under training,

under equipped civilian and ukraine, military hold on long enough. and that that sort of resupply matters. and so, and also it's not just the weapons beat. there is to be training about how they're use, you know, and they're all sorts of issues associated with that. will countries provide training for it? will there be others in ukraine that those are questions that are probably in flux and moving even as we speak. but as far as the weapons go, i guess the basic rule is for the ukrainians. it's in their interests to last as long as they can to make it as painful as possible to slow it down at every instance. and we'll see, you know, that it can that, can they make it 2 weeks? can they make it longer? ah, that will bring some pressure on russia. i would think we always appreciate you giving us the benefit of you experience in this at jim walsh. thank you. very much indeed

for being with us. and i'll just hear thanks so much. i was watching troops entering ukraine's 2nd largest city hockey leaves. people who live as far as 2 and a half hours south in the city of nitro, or donating blood holder of the humming to spoke to one of the volunteers. there is an eerie sense of con, before the storm. and in the bro, people aware of the horrors that could unfold on its streets and the need to prepare. here at the blood bank, the number of donors has increased. 5 fulton sebastian, assault blood reserves are crucial in a war. and 19 year old jaeger is donating his own in support of the ukrainian army, hoping he won't be called to join its ranks. it's brought. yes, if it is old fiddle nobody, i am afraid. but if i get mobilized, i will go. i have to protect the independence of my country. i will do all i can to help, even if i don't have training. i wish there was some military training at school,

but there was no preparation. dinny pro is famous for its space industry and is at the foot of the city symbol that the civilian war effort is being made. there is a sense of urgency here. empty bottles, fullest styrene and rags are being collected to make molotov cocktails. they will go to the territorial defense, eunice in charge of protecting the city, and slowing the russian advance in another corner of the square sacks of clothed blankets. max old from our father, we won't headcount our soldier for vitaly. it's important to show solidarity with those willing to put their lives on the line. if that causes a stream of people donating whatever they can hear, they drop water, t coffee pickles, all sorts of non perishable food. and this is the corner for medicine. all sorts of

medicine, including nappies for babies. this city is gearing up mobilizing and showing support to those who are going to defend the russians could reached any pro from the south, ordered north east. well, you pull here watching, bewildered, the streets of hulk even keep turned into battle. fields. we reach 15 year old camilla via skype me. her family left her hometown of don. yes. after the russian back separatist took it over in 2014 and now she stuck in harkey with him. mother. the most carry thing that you're just sleepy and you dont expecting anti ants like a lot of noise and you understand that there's a war. and of course you are so scared because not only our, our, our equal weight and tagging, but i, you understand it,

this is so i be honest again explaining like will words is just standing happening inside you it shakes inside you. ah, yes. the back end in the pra natalie and her has been if danny still don't understand my how old this started course now. so even on wednesday it, vanessa devoted divorce. so it was just the in discussions went tuesday or thursday morning. you're shocked and all our families are shocked and to be expected to this, you'll stop really soon. shortly after the 1st warning that war is getting closer, making these preparations ever so urgent that the hamid al jazeera dinny pro allows and some people have arrived. enabling slovakia as the russian attack on

ukraine intensifies, there were matter the border by volunteers who distributed food clothes and toys. slovakia says it will provide accommodation and other aid. the un refugee agency says more than 360000 people have left you train since russian forces invaded on thursday. meanwhile, the e. u is preparing to give you cranium. refugees, special permission to live in the block for up to 3 years without the need to apply for asylum. many a heading to poland, san basra abbey has more from modica border crossing. the uncertainties of war disappear briefly in such moments. untold journeys of peril. days spent waiting at the busiest border crossing in western ukraine. finally, the joy of reuniting with loved ones. others look on waiting for their turn for their people to turn up next for their chance at

a warm embrace. but after medical border crossing and poland, not all tears being shed are those of joy. we have friends who will keep us here. i got my child and i get my child to the left, our husband whole 2nd for many of the people we met here. the thought of what they have been forced to leave behind is unspeakable. people arriving here from ukraine are often exhausted and overwhelms. but there is also a great sense of relief because everyone who's coming here from ukraine into poland . they know that once they are here, they will have help. they will have support and their lives are no longer in danger from russian soldiers. those getting through telephone lines so long, they are measured in kilometers and delays lasting days. system crashes forcing the

few ukrainian border agents to hand write the names of displaced people trying to leave. who now number in the thousands and more are coming. people waiting and polling for friends and family, say the bureaucracy slowing things down is leaving vulnerable people, women, children, the elderly, out in the open said good. and i have the daughter and i am friends in morris, and i need to go day and i been bothering her, nor do you have to go there. journey is not over. but martha rita and honestly count themselves among the lucky few who got out. oh god, oh god. and even with the relative chaos of make shift 8 stations along the border, some of them are, they are better off displaced in poland than trapped and ukraine. where events on

the ground could be the beginning of a long term conflict. and many more refugees from war in europe. in basra, b o 20. medical border crossing eastern poland largest era spoken to some of the people who decided to stay in the ukranian cities of give and cost keith. despite being surrounded by fighting laura burton monday, reports by an explosion on the outskirts of kias sends a ripple of fear to ukraine's capital. the situation is pretty difficult. at night. we hear a constant shooting and explosion. we can occasionally hear explosions little right like that one here now and the streets are empty. people have been told to stay indoors. so we were urged visor. so it is to stay at home in order not in order for them to see who is on the

streets and perhaps to locate and distract their diversity groups. so today the streets of kiva empty uses. the shops are closed. as sherland have continuous, actually, alexey stops filming at the store to call to ask him to go to a bomb shelter for the east. that's been heavy fighting in the 2nd city of khaki. if i could, her the gun fires, they shell and again, and different sort of sounds of street fights on the street. people to hide in inside please 9 minute families with kids. we'll have to go down to the shelter. so we'll have to go again to the underground and spend the night there. the sounds of

play and laughter would usually fill this nursery. now, an unexploded grad rocket jots from the playground. and the child too scared to say where she is in ukraine, had this message. i constantly hear sirens everywhere. and there's male boys telling, glad to go to shelter, hide somewhere because and there can be a bomb possibly in trumping. it's really scary for a new reality on the ground and no one knows how many more sleepless nights they'll have to endure. lore about a manly al jazeera in an unprecedented move. the e u is to supply weapons to ukraine. it'll also provide fighter jets or diplomatic editor james base as more from brussels. the about turn by germany, which is now decided to send arms to ukraine, lead swiftly to

a change in the european union position of european union steps up once more its support for ukraine and the sanctions against the aggression aggressor that is put in russia for the 1st time ever, the european union will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and other equipment to a country that is under attack. this is a watershed moment that just one of a series of new tough measures announced by the you targeting not just russia, but it's key ally, bella bruce. we will target the other aggressor of this war, who cache anchors reaching no caching, because resume is complicit in the vicious attack against ukraine. so we will hit location as regime with a new package of sanctions. the e u foreign ministers met later by video link to formerly endorsed the new measures

that also ban russian media outlets r. t and sputnik from operating in the u countries. in recent days, more and more european countries of imposed bands on russian plains entering the air space. now an e u wide band is going to be put in place. the aim to further isolate russia and the government of vladimir putin. e u interior ministers of also be meeting to deal with the growing refugee crisis. they fear the total number of people fling their homes could grow to 7000000. james bay's al jazeera brussels of if, as the later sporting organisation to take action against russia banning the country's flag and anthem from international matches its ordered the team to compete under the title, football union of russia. no international matchers will be played in the country. 5th stopped short of banning the national team from the world cup qualifiers, but several countries that say they'll refuse to compete against russian associated

pro sports correspondent rob harris says many fifo member associations are disappointed that sanctions don't go further. the fact phase russia can play on an international football at any level, just without the flag, without their anthem, and only known as the russian or union. or are you a sanction that with miller, with already from the limpid world where russia has been competing as the r c, due to the doping punishment? actually a punishment would have applied as well for russia even if that qualified for the world cup. so this is now trying to put in some measures in response to those concerns off the russian invasion of ukraine. but they, they're all concerned. this does not go far enough. countries still not wanting to play russia axle. i didn't national football at the moment. ines statement after the meeting, the thief a b, or did indicate how things could escalate in terms of that action against russia, depending on the progress of the war, rushes invasion. and indeed,

the fact the continued as we speak this night, the attack on ukraine. the decision today came from the appeal, which actually made up the confederation president on the world of football and on that would have included the way the president alex on the check when he was already taken the champions league final off russia that was due to the state in st . petersburg. so he does like one of those fluid situations, but certainly this decision has not gone down well with it looking why actually faith is not taken the strong action that was being demanded. ah, this is all of these are the top stories. european allies are boosting the support for ukraine is the russian sold enters a 5th day in an unprecedented step. the e u is agreed to fund and supply weapons. so a country at war talks between russia and ukraine, a jew to be held at the border with bellows question, because the man is sure,

alexander lucas shanker, contacted me, said that russian and ukrainian delegation.