messages to those and ukraine, assuring them as they rose from the ashes of ice ukrainians shouldn't give up hope to be able to hear music amid the ruins of muscles all the de feel strange. but it brings home the resilience of residents who say that despite the destruction and lack of help, they remain committed to bringing the city back to life. this is a said start conductor, an orchestra maestro. he invited jenny this from all over northern iraq, tested their talent and then wrote symphonies as someone who was born in new york city. if you know the cultural revival of most and it has responsibility to come, i cannot describe my feeling when i returned and played in the old city. despite all this, there is a hope of happiness that the city will come back. and my favorite melody was composed while i was the refugee and turkey, and i completed it in muscle and called it ashes. now haven't played by the orchestra. much of the old city remains ruined 5 years after iceland with crushed

hair. but from the ashes, people here hope of the future in tune the most ins, former glory, some of the java, the era, most of old city, ah, hello, you're watching out here. these are the stories were following the sour. several russian rockets have heat in a craft maintenance plant near the airport in the western city of levine, the city had so far escaped the worst of the bombardment, st. elsewhere in ukraine. the beef has become a safe haven for refugees fleeing past the country that have come under russian assault. ukrainian capital has also been hit by russian shelling it happened in the district of the deal scheme in the city where part of a rush and miss el. he's a residential building. 2 days after the moscow bombing of a theatre in ukraine's besieged city of merrier pole,

hundreds of people are still buried under the rubble. ukrainian authorities say russian air strikes hit the theatre where while civilians were sheltering there, the kremlin denies this terrible inter buncombe, a doddle. yet rescue operations are continuing at the side of the merry pole theatre where civilians were sheltering. we've managed to save more than a 135 people, but a lot of others are still there and we will continue the work to save them vicious . so you might, over to you as president joe biden, and china as late as she's in pings, spoke for nearly 2 hours for the 1st time since the war in ukraine began. washington wants to stop by jean from providing military and economic helps of letting me virgin chinese media reports that she has told biden that conflict is not in anyone's interest. those are the headlines. i am emily anguish. the news continues here on al jazeera, after inside story teaching, now you can watch out to see were english streaming live on like youtube channel.

last thousands of our programs award winning documentaries and in depth news reports. subscribe to you to dot com forward slash al jazeera english. as russia is war in ukraine, stoles russian misses and artillery continue to bombard several cities, but none have been captured after almost a month of fighting. so what is the kremlin military strategy, and can its objectives be achieved? this is inside story. ah hello and welcome to the program. i'm fully back to bore the war in ukraine, which russia hoped would be over within days, is now into it's 4th week. russian tanks and military convoys remain at

a standstill outside the capital. keith, the kremlin, has yet to capture any of ukraine's biggest cities. despite attacks by land, sea, and air. they've targeted mainly residential areas throughout the week, as well as an outpouring of popular support for ukrainians, advanced weapons and aid from nato countries, and others are helping stall rushes advance. despite the battle ground setbacks, russian president vladimir putin has shown little sign of relenting rob mcbride report from live if. if vladimir putin of russia had early hopes of his russian forces, achieving magnificent victories over the ukrainian army of them being welcomed into ukrainian towns and cities or by populations. glad to see russian forces here. then those hopes are quickly disappearing. just as the snows and frosts are giving way too, as spring here in eastern europe and time is not on the side of the russians,

and many of the forces that came down from the north have been largely bogged down on a long columns in our roads. in the north of the country or from the south, we have more success being found by better equipped units coming up from the crimea . as that may be our better trained and better motivated that have seen victories against ukrainian forces falling back. but the russians have found that in the towns and cities they have taken over, they are still facing a strong resistance from people who simply do not want them there. and time is not on the side of the russians, as putin becomes more of a pariah in the eyes of the. busy world president j. lensky of the ukraine. his stature seems to grow by the day, and the longer that the russian forces are bogged down the more vulnerable they are, to the growing resistance and strength of the rig. ukrainian military fed by recruits from home by volunteers from abroad. and of course,

all now using increasing amounts of this sophisticated military hardware from the west. the anti tank missiles, the anti aircraft missiles, all of them increasingly targeted now at russian forces. rob mcbride, for inside story, ah, or less now bringing our guests for today's inside story in keys. we have alexi heron, who is a professor of politics at keith mor healer academy. he's also the head of lisa at the democratic initiative foundation thinktank in london. anna mad fever, an expert on russia and duration affairs. she is also the author of through times of trouble. conflict in southeastern ukraine, explained from within and in washington dc were joined by doug crain. he is an assistant director at the eurasia center of the atlantic council that cus thinktank . welcome to your thank you for being with us on inside story alexei in key. let me start with you. if you could tell us about the situation on the ground. ah,

as this conflict enters its 4th week, are we seeing a change in a russia strategy since the initial invasion? well, 1st of all, i would like to, well, basically your correspondent, the describe, the situation quite correctly. so rational forces stole, they exhausted their demoralize. and in this situation, what groceries doing, they are starting to kill, to kill civilians, to shell civilian objects. and there's many evidence also a lot of the do a lot of for those, they do not spirit maternity houses. so children, hospitals, and other places they are blocking duplication corridors. they are preventing humanitarian corner boys up to the besieged scene is like hurricane or muddy hooper . and actually russians were saying that they are going to liberate russian

speakers. they turned russian speaking cities, lay, car, q, and money will, in a total in destroy, it boomed and destroyed. so this is a debt now, over russia to intimidate, doing them in the severest, to intimidates a vest, to intimidate ukraine and to intimate the as the world community. it was the threat of nuclear war. right? so by the way, i would like i would like to have, excuse me, i would like to actually, while i am talking to use it is in a alarm. so people, it's necessary for people to go to 0 bomb shelter. and about 2 days ago, a residential place, just one kilometer from me, was hit by russians near i did there the end and that the bombings have been it could have become frequent in recent days in keys or as we seen and heard from our

correspondence on the ground, lexi, thank you for telling us about the situation there. russia has denied, of course targeting civilians. let me come to you and i am at viva. in la, then, a british military intelligence has said, russia's invasion has largely stoled on all fronts, with russian forces making minimal progress on land sea or in recent days. but president putin has again denied this, saying that the operation is going to plan well. what is the reality of the situation as you see it? yes, i would like to say i'm torn exceed out. i have a full support and sympathy with the appliance, and we are of course, very sad and choked with. so please accept them as kind of hotmail. i was all to, to think it is one of which in a past,

present the brave. he cannot mountain the old address of people on the day when that is this huge concert in moscow showing. so that, that it support war effort and say, actually you know, my strategy has been so he has present the brain from, it's not it's out of question. but i don't think that we can make any final assessments and say that this is something which is definite. normally they would have been several bethel plants, several operations, maybe some of them will be more political with a little bit of military pressure. some of it was more kind of combination and so with will become full or assault. so put in a has chosen the high risk strategy, but he does not mean the other strategist don't exist. what does normal pattern of behavior is 1st, to pissed, the opponent, but typically militarily economical,

whatever means wait for a spawns everly, this response, pause, and then take the next step. now we are seeing that kind of pause and pollution stage. he is also thinking how things would progress before the next kind of strategy, p estimate. ok, so i you say where in the pause and evaluation phase of this, a russian strategy, doug crane, what are your thoughts? well, what do you make of this strategy? we're seeing a shift towards great a use of artillery and miss on strikes again. city such as chris on car cave and mary paul of course, which has been besieged. what does that say to you about? what is to come next in the conflict? sure, thank you. and in 1st i want to echo anissa words alexi. i wish you nothing but safety right now. and i hope that you're ok. it's incredible that you're joining us as air raid sirens are going around you. i wish you nothing but safety. as,

as for russia strategy right now, it seems like what alexi had mentioned before the attempt to intimidate ukrainians with massive bombardment and shelling of cities and civilian targets is spot on. i think that we can all recognize by now that ukrainians are not going to surrender to russian domination. so even if russian forces were a bit more effective in their campaigns and were able to seize major cities like yours, i think that we can see now they would not be able to hold them so easily. we already see and see like hassan, where occupiers are being met by demonstrators ukrainian operations forces us special operations forces are also waging a significant operations. you know, they recently rescued the captured merit political and freed him. so these attempts to bomb civilian targets such as the marble feeder which was bomb, does this week, where 1000 civilians whiting there. these are attempts to try to talents of

ukrainian people and physically eradicate any resistance, right? we'll see though that, that, that's not going to be so effective and not say the strength of the ukrainian resistance has certainly caught many people by surprise, including the russians. what do you think has worked to their advantage? well, look, this is surprise only for those who, who do not know ukraine didn't fall. there is also a ball in the ukraine who didn't follow events in the ukraine and who was so called fortune understand us believe the, those who believed in the russian mis boat, everything which was done by russia since 2014. because a, you know, ukrainian better, it grew in 2014 after the 1st ration of ukraine. and let me in mind that, that set time ukraine was thought of the non block country official and russia

wally the agreement. so it increased ukrainian patriotism, which includes not only ukrainians, but also ethnic russians or jews. and as it groups which are in the ukraine, so also bulls shows that ukrainians are going to resist agreeing. an army was significantly transformed since 2014, but put in the apparently he didn't want to believe it. you know, this is the decision making in the ship state. nobody is willing to submit human heal situation on the ground. so put a miscalculate that he saw to yes, he saw the ukrainians would be happy to meet the russian soldiers. he misunderstood and miscalculated ukrainian, army ukrainians to side. and he also miscalculated for international support to

ukraine as well. right. interesting. you say that i know you said before that we are in the past about a past phase of this strategy. now the russian strategy, do you think we are going to see a significant shift of this strategy moving forward and well the ukrainians be able to maintain an active defensive military effort which have been able to do so until now? well, the last part of your question is really, i think has been answered by on it. say, i can tell you from my perspective, we need to take the peace negotiations, direct nish books between ukrainian or russian. like seriously, we should not dismiss them. we should not be treating them with skepticism or put in as all was a lie, it all was in the end and in some kind of peace deal. this soon. it

and some peace deal. the better for the people of your credit. so full support for negotiations, they have been hopeful was for both science. we do not want to corbin too much of them, let them do their job. we'd need to take it seriously. they probably have to be some compromised cranial slate as well. so let but a little so happening. i mean, the bombardment continues a seizure variable continue, so it's hard not to be skeptical about whether the talks can achieve anything. i have a different course and i studied conflicts and was for almost 30 years of my profession like we bill not have that kind of ideal piece which comes from yes, everybody comes down sitting down to medication table takes out there as well. but you're really making up, there was no real piece,

comes out of the what it comes from within the war. and that's if we look at was if you got sloppy, how croatia and so they made peace. well through the force of arms yet. craner. so have to be displaced, lead here, but india to come to make peace and this piece is lucky. so should not be trying to say that this will be so kind of priest team, please deal we're every will be, is horribly civilized with each other. well, or just sit down applauding. you want to be a massive groups. ok, well, not a message. well, let's take a look at rushes, recent military operations and how they compared to this current one in ukraine. russia's entry into serious civil war in 2015, for example. our help turned the tide in president bashar assad favor russian force has relied heavily on intense bombing and indiscriminate air attacks against

residential areas. in 1999 russian forces invaders chechnya for the 2nd time in 5 years, then they shifted towards greater use of artillery and messiah strikes against major cities. and they also cut off supply lines between cities. the capital of grossey was leveled in the fighting 20 years earlier. the then soviet union invaded neighboring afghanistan in an attempt to reinforce a new pro soviet regime in cavil. the soviets counted on a short term military operation, but never sent enough soldiers to deal with stiff resistance by afghans and thousands of foreign fighters. a dog. let me come to you and ask you about, ah, you know, the scale of russia's military involvement in, in ukraine compared to a, 1st of all the entire capacity of russian forces. and compared to these recent conflicts without syria or even going as far back as the afghanistan war. how has russia fed? what, what is different this time around for?

so this warren, ukraine is perhaps more similar to soviet involvement in afghanistan and russia's wars in chechnya. then compared to involvement and syria, it's similar to syria in the fact that they are leveling cities and committing serious atrocities against civilians. but it's different from that because the, you know, syria did not have such major ground campaigns from the russian forces or afghan to stand in. chechnya were long grinding wars against insurgencies. eventually that lasted for years and, and sucked up a major drain from a mosque. s forces. this is something that unfortunate while, while it's still very early in ukraine, this war is only entered it's 4th week. now, i think that all indications point to that this is something that could stretch on for quite some time. we've already seen that russia's forces are inadequate for what they're trying to accomplish in ukraine. that's why syria is sending something

like 40000 syrian troops to assist them. russia is trying to bully bell ruffian forces into joining them. rushes, asking reportedly china for ammunition for food because the food that it's centered soldiers into war with some of it expired decades ago to know that russian forces were wholly unprepared for what they're finding here. i think that they expected something maybe more similar to what the us experienced in afghanistan as it withdrew the taliban. last year, swept rapidly across the country, the government fled, and the government flaps and the taliban quickly swept into power. that seems like something that the russians may have expected here. unfortunately, it's not the reality improved seriously miscalculated, ah, i, your thoughts about this, that, do you agree? is russia repeating the same mistakes as it did in past operations, whether in afghanistan or half way? yes, and now i think the 1st thing is it's too early to dismiss our for our me and the

fire power. so the, our grouping, they can supply. so let us kind of not saying that they're defeated in kind of a 30 days lease. yes. yeah. but i have been to a dentist on 2 girls made tour and they pulled the homes. what can syria, what the church now have seen these places and talk to people who actually lived a little bit was so a bit of kind of hand hands on experience there. to some extent they were all quite different there. what is check now was horrible miscalculation, but remember the russian army, at that time was it caused me and they sent into battle field a lot of completely, i'm experience unwilling. once good. there was also a big opposition within russia and within russian military to the company. yeah. okay. in that, they would not the really quite sent ground troops. so the only way little tactic

was to warm, grossly from the air. ok out, sidney was different because russia started involvement in for a couple ellipse will all get towards the end of 2016 when the war was on already ranging for 4 years. and there were multiple actors in walk in. it is also a, so a lot of difference as you say, and let me come to your legacy at a tactic used in, sorry i was to in circle and besieged rebel held areas and pound them from the air and from artillery batteries any any, and exhaust really that the defenders and any civilians who had managed to escape this is not quite what we're seeing yet in ukraine. but how long if it is the case, how long will the ukrainians be able to to hold on as long as much? and again, if we imagine even, you know,

worst case scenario and it's really difficult for me to imagine that you would surrender. but we will continue fight, you know, there's no question about cities and decisiveness of people. you know, also were recently pulls held in the ukraine. 90 percent are supporting the government 8 to 5 percent or is going to take arms to defends account. so let me compare this conference, i will give you the figures. ok, so in 10 years war in afghanistan to soviet union lost. 15000 soldiers, 15 souls. okay? now according to ukrainian official statistics, russia last the see just and sitting ok. maybe ukrainian statistics is a little bit higher. americans, east americans are talking about $7007.00 sells and soldiers killed russian

soldiers at minimum minimum. ok so, but you can get 15000 for 10 years in the canister. and let's take 7000 in 3 weeks down. this 7000 is more than the u. s. last in ghana. and for 20 years. so the losses which rush her curse. i incredible. a rational never, never had such losses as a gown. okay, so the statistics of course would be denied by russia. let me ask all 3 of you. one last round of question. everything is denied every single night, but of course russia is not waging war against the green and there are shades not budgeting sooner. ok, not sit back, but let's, let's say i'm so let me ask you

a final round of question to each one of you. we have very little time left. let me start with you, doug. what are the possible scenarios for, for the outcome of the battle? will russia be able to gain full control of ukraine? i think there's 2 options here that could really happen. first put in, if he was smart, he would recognize that there is no political victory to be had in ukraine, but ukrainians are more motivated to win this war than the russian soldiers are. and they're more willing to go farther than the russians if he was wise and wanted to preserve his rule. he would end this war, he would stop the killing. he would try to know, save the world, you know what, you put these sanctions on russia and isolated us because of this war. i've ended the war with these sanctions. let's bring companies back to russia and you'll try to preserve his rule that way. and actually, i don't think that's what coons going to do. okay, i could put you your thought, sorry, running out of time. i apologize for interrupting you on a,

your thoughts. what do you see as a possible outcome of this conflict? so this is not a war on about ukraine. this is potent control based on that with the west. it depends what kind of concessions the west is prepared to give him. and if the west gives him something, which will sort of set this by him, then ukraine will span. if not, we're going to see a very lucky and very distraught and possibly what local. ok, and i think it's a battle with the west alexi you. hi, chris black, you know, thank you and i thank you for that. next bill you have the last word. how does this? and so here here, i totally disagree was my russian go because it's not the same war between russia service. it's not the result of come from dish. quoting says this crazy deal to crash. you agree?

because without ukraine, you cannot restore some kind of the soviet union or the rational employer. so point in the saying that ukrainians do not exist as a separate nation, that ukrainian state is for you. so he would like to crush you agree? we're going to defer and i seen it adds and those to be put in will be it would be necessary for him to, to withdraw. he cannot win school. you know, he cannot win it. ok, thank you so much. thank you for your thoughts on this very interesting discussion program. alexey her on on. i'm a driver, kane, thank you for joining us and, and thank you for watching. you can always watch this program again any time by visiting our website at al jazeera dot com for further discussion. go to our facebook page at facebook dot com forward slash ha, inside story. you can of course, also join the conversation on twitter handle is that

a j inside story from mutually back to bring the whole team? thanks for watching bye for now. from the front lines al, his name is correspondence continued to report every angle, if the war in ukraine we've just heard chilling in the distance a machine gun. far in the forests, there is a humanitarian crisis erupting on multiple fronts. rockets landed just a few meters from our convoy them in the positions. i've been all over the need for a region anytime st. totally destroyed along the road, we came in on. there was still clearly an active battlefield day with out there for the latest development. from international politics to the global pandemic, and everything in between. it did not respect poor people and your our planet promised to ensure the safety of women. what's happened just the 15th. i'm told by

that people can you have more feel? why is the u. k. feel hostile to try and see if the mysteries all of us join me. if i take on the live with man or the misconceptions and meet the contradiction of time to get up front on al jazeera or china in the us sleep walking their way to war. in the struggle over ukraine, here's the test for president joe biden from is really trying to do is rewrite the security architecture in this, your personal united states. you, sir, if you go to walking through gum at the same time, you know, we take on us politics and society, that's the bottom line. this one's fear warlord during lay barriers, decade long, civil war says he's now fighting a drug epidemic. the work that the former warlord joshua boy he has done with treat children, has attracted to help with an ass protected and in effect from public prosecution. despite the recommendation is made by the action and reconciliation. permission for

this former warlord liberia has become the frontline of a drug war. it cannot afford to lose. he says it's a battle he will fight out of responsibility and killed for his past crimes and for his country. ah, this is al jazeera ah hello, i'm emily anglin, in dough. hi, you're watching the news hour and al jazeera is continuing coverage of the ukraine . warm. russia speaks of tightening the new surround. the devastated port city of marian pole which its forces have encircled and bombarded for weeks. the u. s. and chinese ladies speak for the 1st time since november with joe biden, seeking to.