welcome to bbc news. our top stories. one of europe's largest nuclear pants that make plants in ukraine is on fire after coming under russian bombardment. civilians are also underfire. president putin under fire. president putin remains underfire. president putin remains undaunted. translation: i will never renounce my conviction that russians and ukrainians are one people. find ukrainians are one people. and in the south, _ ukrainians are one people. and in the south, mariupol has become a city under siege as power and water supplies are cut off by relentless rushing shelling. washington is turning up shelling. washington is turning up the pressure on president putin, imposing fresh sanctions on oligarchs and associates of the russian media.

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. we want to bring you some news that we are keeping an eye on this our in ukraine. afire is an eye on this our in ukraine. a fire is broken out in a training building on the outskirts of the sakina nuclear plant. the plant is the largest of its kind in europe. these are live pictures from the area where it is four o'clock in the morning. in the last few minutes the plant director has been reported as saying that radiation security has been secured and firefighters have been allowed inside. my colleague is monitoring the story and joins me now. over the last 20 or 30 minutes there have been many developments on the story that you have been following. can you bring us up—to—date? following. can you bring us up-to-date?_ following. can you bring us u-to-date? , , , up-to-date? this smoke rising from the nuclear—

up-to-date? this smoke rising from the nuclear plant, - up-to-date? this smoke rising from the nuclear plant, it - up-to-date? this smoke rising from the nuclear plant, it is . from the nuclear plant, it is concerned the president of the united states who spoke to president zelensky about it already. what we understand is that russian shelling is being blamed by a neighbouring mayor on the cause of this fire and we were unsure originally where it had struck but it seems to be outside the perimeter, in a training building at the moment. we did know that russian forces have been surrounding the city and had tried, in tanks, to go in and take over the nuclear power plant but there had been resistance from residents and workers from the plants to and what we have seen at the moment is a kind of alarm at what could happen and if we show you this tweet from the minister of foreign affairs of ukraine he says that the russian army is firing from all sides upon the zaporizhzhia powerplant. there it is. as he says, the largest nuclear power plant in europe. fire has already broken out and if it blows up it will be ten times larger than shoe noble.

russians must immediately seize and allow firefighters into establish a security zone. over the last 20 minutes with her differing reports about whether firefighters can actually gain access or not but it appears they can gain access. the iaea has woken _ they can gain access. the iaea has woken up _ they can gain access. the iaea has woken up almost - they can gain access. the iaea has woken up almost in - they can gain access. the iaea has woken up almost in the . has woken up almost in the middle of the night because its headquarters are in vienna and they have been tweeting? the? they have been tweeting? they have monitored _ they have been tweeting? they have monitored the _ they have been tweeting? tue: have monitored the situation and have released statements about the concern but now they tweet to say that the director—general has spoken with ukraine prime minister about this serious situation, as they call it at the nuclear power plant and the appeal for a halt in the use of force and warn of severe danger. bear in mind that there are six reactors, three are in use and it provides one fifth of the ukraine electricity in 2020. it is one of four working nuclear power plants in the country but obviously it would be concerning. it brings our mind

practitioner noble, the side of terrible nuclear disaster in 19 86 which is currently under russian control and this is a spillover of the war in ukraine and the concerns about it. we're at pictures from earlier where there was russian shelling and this is certainly the recent pictures from that nuclear plough plan. it is difficult to tell, given that this is black—and—white and filled at night, exactly what is going on but, clearly, as you have been saying, has been russian shelling in the area. it is worth saying that we have seen one worth —— report from afp newsagency quoting unnamed local authorities to say the situation at ukraine's nuclear plant is secured. you and i will try and confirm that and look for other people to say that, if so, that is potentially better news. that is better news. _ potentially better news. that is better news. this - potentially better news. that is better news. this is - potentially better news. that is better news. this is in - potentially better news. that is better news. this is in a i is better news. this is in a very strategic position. we have been discussing mariupol and odesa and kyiv and it is

very close... it is about an eight hour drive from kyiv, southeast, but it is closer to mariupol where there is constant shelling taking place at the moment and russians have surrounded the city there. so this is in the middle of a battleground, if you like and thatis battleground, if you like and that is where the concern is going to be. that is where the concern is going to toe-— that is where the concern is going to be. that is where the concern is auoin to be. �* ., ~ ., going to be. but, thank you for “oininu going to be. but, thank you for joining us- _ elsewhere, russian troops have been intensifying their attacks in a northern city. 22 people were killed in an air strike on a residential area. there are fears of a humanitarian crisis in the southern port of mariupol where civilians are trapped by shelling. there are also reports of food shortages in the city of occurs on we russian troops to control on wednesday. my colleague clive murray is in the area and his report contains distressing images. this is the city of chernihiv,

80 miles north of the capital, kyiv. and this is war. explosion. this is a residential area. and here's another. russia's military did this to whole communities in syria as well as chechnya. their commanders have form. chernihiv lost 22 of its citizens in this attack. the governor says two schools were also hit. make no mistake about vladimir putin's desire to colonise this land. ukraine says russian targeting is indiscriminate. welcome to the town of borodyanka, population 12,500. parts of it a wasteland now of destruction in an increasingly dirty war. translation:

god forbid, if we are no more, then latvia, lithuania, estonia will be next, then moldova, georgia, poland and so on. they will march to the berlin wall, believe me. it's the same story of destruction in southern ukraine. large parts of the port city of mariupol are being shelled. as russian forces tighten the noose, a humanitarian tragedy unfolds. the city's electricity supply has already been cut. and resistance, though noble, is futile in the city of kherson, conquered by russian tanks, the first major urban area to fall in this war. but there's no bigger

prize than the capital, kyiv. an explosion overnight rocks the railway station. debris from a russian cruise missile shot out of the sky. it's unclear how many were injured. by day, the capital is being abandoned. these cars have been dumped outside the railway station as thousands flee. it is pretty much deserted here, a couple of people out for a stroll in the snow. but this is a city that's so much on edge, and all the checkpoints that we've come across, the guards have come up to us, they've wanted to check our papers, wanted to check if we're filming them. there really is a sense of dread and unease here, which is frankly to be expected. and this is why. not farfrom kyiv, a column of heavy russian armour inches closer to the capital, waiting for vladimir putin's order to strike.

we speak to barry now from the atlantic council in washington. first, let's talk about this fire at nuclear plant. in terms of the country having nuclear plants, this must be something that worries washington, given the fact that president biden chose to speak to president zelenskyy in the last few minutes. it zelenskyy in the last few minutes-_ zelenskyy in the last few minutes. , ., minutes. it is never a good thing when _ minutes. it is never a good thing when there _ minutes. it is never a good thing when there is - minutes. it is never a good thing when there is a - minutes. it is never a good thing when there is a fire l minutes. it is never a good | thing when there is a fire in minutes. it is never a good i thing when there is a fire in a nuclear plant in a war zone but this is also the first time that a nuclear plant has ever been hit in a war. we don't know if it was deliberate or the indiscipline of the forces but we also do not know the risk yet because it has safeguard facilities and cooling systems, containment building. if those are fine then the risk is less. if those are not fine, if they are no longer operable then we face a

significant risk, potentially. in this fire is happening because russian forces are advancing in the south where that plant is. what is your assessment of that russian advance, particularly in the south where it appears that russia's ground on the south is almost linking up with its ground in the east.- almost linking up with its ground in the east. they have seemed to — ground in the east. they have seemed to make _ ground in the east. they have seemed to make more - ground in the east. they have l seemed to make more process ground in the east. they have - seemed to make more process in the south, they had a nice head start having taken crimea in 2014 and so they do look like they are making more progress in the south and linking up. but the lines on the map did not tell the whole story. there could be significant resistance and role reversal. this is a long way from being over, even in the south. how would weapon supply to the ukrainian army change the course of the conflict? we have already seen how some of those weapons can have significant effect, there is no way that vladimir putin should be believed that it is going according to plan. it is

not going according to plan. there has been an enormous number of russian soldiers who have been killed and wounded and systems taken out by, for example, the drones that the ukrainians have used and so i think if ukraine could be provided with as much weaponry as possible, airlines, ground launch, support for intelligence and surveillance, they could do probably a good job of preventing the russian advance and of stopping the atrocities by the unprofessional russian military. barry patfull, thank you forjoining us. president putin has defended his country's campaign in a televised address he said that military operation was going to plan. mr putin also admitted some of his soldiers had been killed in the campaign and he stood for a moment's silence for russia's losses. president putin was accusing ukraine of

using people as human shields and calling the forces neo—nazis. translation: al soldiers and officers are — translation: al soldiers and officers are fighting _ translation: al soldiers and officers are fighting for - officers are fighting for russia. fora officers are fighting for russia. for a peaceful life. for the citizens of the dom bus. the denazification and demilitarisation of ukraine so that the anti— russia on our borders will not threaten us. the united states turned up the pressure on russia earlier imposing fresh sanctions on at least eight oligarchs and associates of incident putin. those targeted included the owner of a giant mining company and the kremlin spokesman. in the state of the union address i announced that the department ofjustice is going after the crimes of russian oligarchs and the attorney general spoke to that earlier. and they line their pockets with russian people money and ukraine and the people —— while ukraine and the people —— while ukraine and the people —— while ukraine and their people are hiding in subways from missiles

being fired indiscriminately. today i announced that we are adding dozens of names to the list including some of russia's wealthiest billionaires and banning travel to america by more than 50 russian oligarchs, theirfamilies and more than 50 russian oligarchs, their families and close associates.— associates. here is our correspondent, - associates. here is our| correspondent, duncan kennedy, on the aim of these sanctions. kennedy, on the aim of these sanctione— sanctions. they want his cronies _ sanctions. they want his cronies to _ sanctions. they want his cronies to put _ sanctions. they want his cronies to put pressure l sanctions. they want his i cronies to put pressure on sanctions. they want his - cronies to put pressure on him, saying we are losing millions of dollars worth of business around the world, our private lives are suffering, for example, these 19 people and theirfamilies, their visa will their families, their visa will not theirfamilies, their visa will not be honoured anymore and they will be unable to travel to the united states. that may have implications for the education of children, many of their own houses in the united states. a couple own yachts that are moored here in the united states. so all of the trappings of wealth have been cut off by these sanctions. they hope that that will be

painful and they hope that that, in turn, will be passed on to president putin. but they know this will take time. as one commentator put it, sanctions are slower than tanks so don't expect these oligarchs to get on the phone to president putin tonight and say, look, you must stop this old tomorrow. they are not being like that. what they hope is that over a period of time, just like they say, with the example in iran when they apply pressure to iran five or six years ago, once these guys in charge, the leaders, feel the pain of all the trappings of wealth really slipping away from them, then the leadership in the form of, this case, president putin, will also have to take notice. there is no guarantee of that and they know it. they know it is just part of a parcel of measures that they try to apply to president putin via his surrogates. stan; putin via his surrogates. stay with us here _ putin via his surrogates. stay with us here on _ putin via his surrogates. stay with us here on bbc - putin via his surrogates. stay with us here on bbc news. still to come, there is no slowing the wave of people fleeing the

fighting. more than1 million people have now left ukraine. first, the plates slid gently off the restaurant tables. then suddenly, the tables, the chairs and people crashed sideways and downwards. it was just a matter of seconds as the ferry lurched onto her side. the hydrogen bomb on a remote pacific atoll. the americans had successfully tested a weapon whose explosive force dwarfed that of the bomb dropped on hiroshima. i had heard the news earlier, and so, my heart went bang, bang, bang! - the constitutional rights of these marchers are their rights as citizens of the united states and they should be protected, even in the right to test them out, so that they don't get their heads broken and are sent to hospital. this religious controversy — i know you don't want to say too much about it — but does it worry you

that it's going to boil up when you get the states? well, it worries me, yes, but i hope everything will be all right - in the end, as they say. this is bbc news. there headlines? europe's biggest nuclear plant in zaporizhzhya is reportedly on fire after being bombed bartered reportedly by the russians. the city of marriott paul has had water and power supply cut. italy's president had said that many more would die, and our international correspondent has been there to meet some of the refugees fleeing ukraine.

the rush to get more defences in place. a democratic european capital waits for invaders at the gates. these are called hedgehogs and were designed to stop a tank. so, can ukrainian forces keep the russians out? "i don't know," says sergei. "i'm not a general. we'll try. that's why we're here. that's all i know. you need to ask the president." the last—minute preparations here include battlefield first aid for volunteers. how to apply a tourniquet so you don't bleed out. at the city's edge, olga is sharing knowledge that might save lives. how soon do you think it could be before there is real fighting here?

unfortunately i think it's a few days, and we're afraid. but it's our town, it's our country, and we must save it, we must fight. olga, what were you doing before the invasion? are you a medic? no, i'm not medic. i just... gunfire. well, we'vejust heard some gunfire. the troops say that happens from time to time. it could be coming from russian forces or from russian saboteurs who are inside the city. and deep in a forest, more defences. felling pine trees to block the enemy's advance. shovels in hand, they dig in for a long fight. this could be a scene from the first or second world war, but it's now, today, 2022. well, there's a whole network of trenches being built here now.

they tell us they have to be ready and soon. they believe that russian forces could reach this position within a day or two. everyone here knows the russians have more firepower, but they say their morale is higher because they are defending their own soil. and the volunteers in the forest speak only of victory. "i think we'll win," this man says, "though it will be hard." "we will break them," his friend adds, "so their children and grandchildren will remember it forever." back in the heart of the capital, independence square, cradle of the revolution in 2014. it's now deserted, and this city is a battleground in waiting. orla guerin, bbc news, kyiv.

let's get some of the other news of the day. the family who own perdue have agreed to pay $6 million for its contribution in the opioid epidemic. the sum is bigger than a previous settlement and they filed for bankruptcy amidst thousands of lawsuits, blamed forfuelling lawsuits, blamed for fuelling the lawsuits, blamed forfuelling the opioid crisis. the us embassy in cuba has announced it will resume consular activities after a five year break. president biden is easing restrictions communist cuba. the metropolitan opera, the russian soprano, will no longer perform after she failed to comply with the demand that renounces support for vladimir putin. she will be replaced by a ukrainian soprano.

looking at how the conflict is affecting people away from the front lines. our correspondent gave his the latest from lviv lviv errors lead quiet in there is a curfew applied till seven in the morning but already sirens are going off, warning of something potentially going overhead, the concern about jets potentially going overhead, the concern aboutjets overhead and we were ushered into an underground bunker with dozens of women and children, babies crying, uncertain of what was actually going on. children are uncertain about their future and why they are in this new city, having fled homes. many of the people who came here into the western city of lviv have fled fighting in the east, south and north of the country. i spoke to a young family who

came from the capital, kyiv, and told me they hope to stay for a few weeks and then they want to go back to their families but there is uncertainty about whether they can ever do that, certainly not in the near future. can ever do that, certainly not in the nearfuture. earlier, we were on the polish ukrainian border where we saw devastating scenes of women and children having say goodbye to the men in their lives, so many mothers, daughters and sisters who have left men behind you are being asked by the government, because of martial law before the war was imposed, that they need to stay and fight and confront the might of the russian army and deal with the russian army and deal with the shelling is a bombing that the shelling is a bombing that the country has experienced for the country has experienced for the past eight days. many refugees continue at of ukraine and into poland without finding century, including those who are welcoming them in their homes. we speak to an american screenwriter who lives in the polish capital of

warsaw. we have a busy growing family and what has made you want to open up your home? figs want to open up your home? as soon as want to open up your home? is soon as i found there was a way to connect with people fleeing ukraine i immediately talked to my husband about it and we agreed to take people in. who agreed to take people in. who have ou agreed to take people in. who have you got? _ agreed to take people in. who have you got? have _ agreed to take people in. who have you got? have one - agreed to take people in. who| have you got? have one family he 'ust have you got? have one family he just left _ have you got? have one family he just left this _ have you got? have one family he just left this morning - have you got? have one family he just left this morning and i he just left this morning and went to a long—term apartment and tomorrow a new families on the bus on the way here and will arrive in the evening. you have any _ will arrive in the evening. you have any way _ will arrive in the evening. you have any way of _ will arrive in the evening. you have any way of communicating? a shared language? we have any way of communicating? a shared language?— a shared language? we use a bit of goo . le a shared language? we use a bit of google translate _ a shared language? we use a bit of google translate and - a shared language? we use a bit of google translate and a - of google translate and a little polish but my polish is not that good. we will make it work though! do you have space in your house? i'm actually in the room right now. this was the room right now. this was the office but we cleared it out on the day that we decided we would do this and friends donated furniture and we got it all set up so it would be a

comfortable place for people to rest and figure out what to do next. ., next. tell me about the reaction _ next. tell me about the reaction of _ next. tell me about the reaction of friends - next. tell me about the reaction of friends and l next. tell me about the - reaction of friends and family then? it reaction of friends and family then? ., , , reaction of friends and family then? . , , ~ , then? it was interesting. as soon as they _ then? it was interesting. as soon as they realised - then? it was interesting. as soon as they realised there | then? it was interesting. as - soon as they realised there was something that could be done, they wanted to be involved and help. i've had an outpouring of people bringing me things that we needed to make a comfortable home, donating money forfood home, donating money for food and home, donating money forfood and supplies for the people. everyone wants to do what they can to contribute. what is the thing they need the most apart from a warm bed? i don't know. i thinkjust acceptance and time and stability. just a feeling that they are safe and do not have to worry where they are going or if their kids understand what is going on. that their children feel safe and feel this is less of a

horror and more of a visit, i guess. t horror and more of a visit, i cuess. , ., , ., ., guess. i understand you have not guess. i understand you have got really _ guess. i understand you have got really young _ guess. i understand you have got really young kids. - guess. i understand you have got really young kids. what l guess. i understand you have i got really young kids. what you want them to learn from this experience when they see new people coming into your house? i think it's a really great experience for my children. we didn't quite explain at the beginning what was going on but my five—year—old is very perceptive and she wanted to know why they did not have anything. what they didn't have anything. what they didn't have any toys, why they didn't have any toys, why they didn't have a lot of possessions and why they were not at home, and she figured it out. she was very excited for her new friends and their three—year—old, what she can understand is that there is a new girl here who also love the same cartoons she does, likes the same goals, and so for them, just a chance to take it naturally, that you can accept people with open arms evenif accept people with open arms even if you cannot communicate with words, you can find common

ground and be loving.— ground and be loving. thank you so much for— ground and be loving. thank you so much forjoining _ ground and be loving. thank you so much forjoining us. - that is about it from us. to stay with us on bbc news. hello there. cloud and outbreaks of rain are continuing to move very slowly eastwards. we should have more sunshine around across the uk this weekend, but on thursday, the best of the sunshine was across northern ireland. highest temperatures, though, were in the south—east of england — 14 degrees — ahead of that band of thicker cloud, which is taking that rain very slowly eastwards. there are some breaks in the cloud coming in from the west, a few showers around as well, but temperatures early morning could be close to freezing perhaps in northern ireland and western parts of scotland. further east, it's milder, but it is wetter. we've got cloud and rain from the word go. and for a while in the morning, that rain could be on the heavy side before it pulls away from much of eastern scotland and eventually

from the north—east of england. we keep some rain, though, further south across eastern england. further west, though, we're into that brighter sky, some sunshine and maybe one or two showers for northern ireland, western scotland, wales and western england. and these areas on the whole, a little bit milder, i think, on friday. still quite cold, though, for eastern scotland and the north—east of england. improvements, though, this weekend. more sunshine to come for scotland and northern ireland, and we should slowly see the weather improving across england and wales as that rain finally moves away. but we start the weekend cold in scotland and northern ireland, a slight frost here. there's even a risk of temperatures close to freezing in the south—west of england and south wales. further east, though, we've still got that band of cloud and rain. and that will tend to sink its way southwards and westwards, taking some of that damp weather towards the south—west of england, but allowing more sunshine in wales now, and the north of england, together with sunshine in scotland and northern ireland. and in the sunshine, temperatures 8, 9 degrees, so a milder day for eastern scotland and the north—east of england. second half of the weekend

sees the back of this weather front at long last. looks like it is going to be fading away a little more quickly now as that area of high pressure builds down from the north. so, the rain gets squeezed out. if there is any rain, it's really down through the english channel. a dry picture, generally, i think, on sunday. more sunshine to come across england and wales, certainly some brighter skies here, and we continue to see the sunshine after a cold start in scotland and northern ireland. still not particularly warm for the time of year. temperatures only around 8 or 9 degrees. high pressure builds in this weekend, and then it starts to slip away to the east of the uk, allowing a stronger wind to pick up, but it looks like all these weather fronts and rain are going to stay away towards the west.

the headline static fire has broken of the largest nuclear power plant in ukraine. visit kenny plant has been shelled by the russians. the mayor has pleaded with the russians to stop firing saying that the situation posed a threat to world security. the russian bombardment of cities across ukraine has been intensifying. airstrikes and further heavy shelling have taken place in chernihiv. is putin has taken that may claim that his campaign is on track. washington is turning up the pressure on mr putin, imposing fresh sanctions on oligarchs and associates in russian media. britain has also taken further action against two oligarchs, the former russian deputy prime minister and a billionaire industrialist.