this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. our top stories... russia resumes its offensive in southern ukraine, after a failed ceasefire attempt to allow the evacuation of civilians from the city of mariupol. they continue to destroy mariupol. we decided to move our citizens back because it is not safe to be on the streets. just to know that they are alive. like, every time i close my eyes, i can see and hear my mum and hear the voice of my dad, and i don't know if i will hear them again. sorry... hundreds of people flee the town of irpin north west of the capital kyiv, as it comes under heavy bombarment by russian forces trying to break through.

protests against russian occupation in ukraine have broken out in kherson, the only big city to have been captured so far. ukraine's president volodymyr zelensky has been addressing the us senate by video link to appeal for more help. poland warns of a refugee crisis on an unimaginable scale, as thousands continue to flee the fighting in ukraine. hello, welcome. we begin in the ukrainian town of irpin which has come under heavy fire. these are images we are receiving from the town — it's just northwest of kyiv where russian forces have been trying to break through. hundreds of people are fleeing irpin. some of those leaving said there had been constant shelling all night. irpin lies near the head

of the russian convoy which has been making slow progress towards the ukrainian capital. meanwhile, ukraine and russia have accused each other of violating agreed ceasefires designed to provide humanitarian corridors for trapped civilians in the south of ukraine. plans had been announced for two humanitarian corridors — allowing hundreds of thousands of residents to flee mariupol — and the nearby city of volnovakha. but continuted fighting has meant they couldn't leave. meanwhile, president putin has warned that, any country imposing a no—fly zone over ukraine, will be considered to have joined the war. ukrainian negotiators say they'll hold a third round of talks with russia on monday and the israel prime minister has held surprise talks in moscow with president putin. our international correspondent, orla guerin reports. this is the reality of russia's invasion. yevgen is watching his family

home go up in flames in the town of irpin, 16 miles from kyiv. no military targets here. just his beloved german shepherd being rescued by neighbours. and the belongings of a lifetime snatched from the flames. today, many were desperate to escape the shelling of irpin. they crossed the river on foot. a hurried rescue mission in an escalating war. we witnessed the exodus of frightened civilians, streaming towards buses bound for the railway station in the capital — their only way out. among them, this mother with babe in arms, trying to console her daughter.

leading the mission, the former ukrainian president petro poroshenko, marshalling the crowds. he's pleading with nato to reconsider and impose a no—fly zone, for the sake of all those subjected to russian bombardment. the russians is completely bombing, with air bombs, with missiles, the civilian people, and you see all these people are suffering from that. and this is completely unacceptable. and when we are asking the no—fly zone, this is exactly for these people. and with this situation, we need to protect them. katya tells us, "yesterday they shelled day and night, "hitting the hospital, the university and the tax office." "they're shelling every day," she says. well, in the distance here, you can see the smoke is still rising.

you get a sense of what people are fleeing from. there's a steady stream of people coming here now. they're carrying their bags, their suitcases — some of them have their pets. they're taking just what they can carry, and they're rushing for the buses to try and get out of here and try and get to safety. "we won't let the enemy take ukraine," he vows. do you feel let down by nato? i am not sure. i think, look, we count on them, we still think that the chance is not missing yet. overhead, the russian threat. the capital is just half an hour down the road — danger closing in every day. this video appears to show a russian helicopter shot down north of kyiv, one small victory for ukraine against a powerful enemy.

orla guerin, bbc news, irpin. we're going to show you some pretty stark video now — it's of a russian helicopter being shot down by ukrainian forces. the pictures — showing a russian mi—24 helicopter being struck by a surface to air missile — come from a ukrainian government source. the incident took place by the river dniepro, just north of kyiv. the united nations says one and a half million people have now fled ukraine. many of them head to the town of lviv in western ukraine it is predicted it could be 4 million. many of them head to the town of lviv in western ukraine in the hope of crossing the border into poland. yalda joins us now live from lviv in western ukraine. the bbc�*s yalda hakim joins us from lviv.

what is the latest situation? well, as ou what is the latest situation? well, as you say. _ what is the latest situation? well, as you say. we _ what is the latest situation? well, as you say. we are _ what is the latest situation? well, as you say, we are now _ what is the latest situation? well, as you say, we are now ten - what is the latest situation? well, as you say, we are now ten days i what is the latest situation? vii as you say, we are now ten days into this war and ten days of utter horror for this war and ten days of utter horrorfor all this war and ten days of utter horror for all the people of ukraine, and as the fighting rages on in the north, the east, and the south of the country, tens of thousands of people are making their way to the relative safety of lviv here in the west of the country. this area hasn't yet been struck or hit by any kind of bombardment but everyday we hear the sirens which force us underground, the sirens are an alert, like most places in this fear that they might be russian jets overhead, so we get ushered into the bunker is where you meet dozens and dozens of women who are mostly here on their own, they have left the men in their lives in their homes, in their villages and in their cities. they have to stay and fight and defend this country. we have been hearing that in the last 2a hours

alone, at lviv station, 100,000 people have arrived. there is a mass exodus. the authorities here in lviv say that they are going to be overwhelmed because they expect more and more people to pour into the city, a city which really has become a hub, helpful notjust the internally displaced and asylum seekers looking for shelter and safety but also a hub for resistance. this part of the country knows that the war could come to them at any point so they are preparing themselves, notjust preparing themselves, notjust preparing themselves, notjust preparing themselves for the defence of this part of the country, but they are also working to make camouflage nets, for example, for other parts of the country, to try and assist the army wherever they can. lviv in itself has become incredibly significant in this conflict. ~ ., incredibly significant in this conflict. ~ . ., ., conflict. we have heard about the kindness of— conflict. we have heard about the kindness of strangers _ conflict. we have heard about the kindness of strangers in - kindness of strangers in neighbouring countries but presumably that must apply in lviv as well. many of those who leave

their homes in the east of ukraine are initially taking shelter in your city? are initially taking shelter in your ci ? ., , are initially taking shelter in your ci ? . , city? that is right. lviv has really become the _ city? that is right. lviv has really become the split _ city? that is right. lviv has really become the split between - city? that is right. lviv has really become the split between east . city? that is right. lviv has really l become the split between east and west. when i visited the city a few years ago, there was a real sense of nationalism. russia had annexed crimea in 2014 and at the last eight years, the many people here who may have spoken russian, when i was speaking to them a few years ago, they were saying that they didn't want to speak russian, they wanted to speak ukrainian. there was a sense of nationalism, patriotism, that really has come again to the forefront. they feel the sense of pride, of solidarity, they feel a sense of pride for their president, president volodymyr zelensky, who comes out night after night telling his people to fight for their country, to fight for their nation. and then there are the people who are coming from the east, who are coming from another part of the

country, who are being overwhelmingly welcomed by people here. every day we see on people dashed on street corners, within with their backs, with their worldly possessions, everything crammed into one suitcase and their children freezing cold having arrived here either by road or by train, looking for a new life, and wondering when they will be able to go back home. you have an interesting experience in this context because of being afghan yourself, you have a visually been back to afghanistan, that was a country which has changed so much by the intervention of other countries. i wonder what your perspective is one what you are seeing in ukraine right now? one what you are seeing in ukraine riaht now? ~ . , ., ~ ., right now? well the heartbreak that i saw in afghanistan, _ right now? well the heartbreak that i saw in afghanistan, the _ right now? well the heartbreak that i saw in afghanistan, the sense - right now? well the heartbreak that i saw in afghanistan, the sense of. i saw in afghanistan, the sense of loss, a nation lost, 20 years of achievements and gains that had been achieved for so many people, especially the women and the girls,

millions and millions of girls had returned to school, women were working, they were in positions of leadership, impositions of government and authority. in the army, and civil society. as journalist. a whole nation and society had been built, and then a matter of weeks, in a matter of a day, the 15th of august, an entire nation fell apart. and then the president of the country fled when, when he fled, the hopes of the nation fled, the hopes of the nation crumbled. to see the present here who was offered a ride by the united states early on in this conflict, just a few days ago, the united states called him and said, do you want to be evacuated? and he said i don't need a ride, i need ammunition. and, so, that really makes you understand the nature of the war here in this country, they are fighting tooth and nail to

ensure that they dashed their more powerful neighbour, the aggressor, doesn'tjust gobble up their country, gobble up their sense of national identity. and so the contrast between afghanistan and here is great but it is also similar because the afghan people to had the sense of pride for what they had built over so long and are so desperately heartbroken by how much has been lost. flan desperately heartbroken by how much has been lost-— has been lost. can you put into words, has been lost. can you put into words. from — has been lost. can you put into words, from what _ has been lost. can you put into words, from what people - has been lost. can you put into words, from what people have | has been lost. can you put into - words, from what people have been saying to you during your time in lviv, about what it is, apart from that sense of pride and anger that their country is being violated, what is it about russian dominance, russian occupation, russian influence that the ukrainians you spoke to, particularly in the west of the country, what is it they feel? ~ , ., , feel? well, you remember when vladimir putin _ feel? well, you remember when vladimir putin famously - feel? well, you remember when vladimir putin famously said - feel? well, you remember when vladimir putin famously said to l vladimir putin famously said to george w bush in 2008, when there was talk about ukraine potentially

joining nato, he said but it isn't a real country. and the feeling is, as we have heard the last few weeks and in those strange speeches that bellamy putin has been given, that ukraine is very much part of mother russia. he wants to see ukraine as part of the sphere of influence of russia and so here is a nation that has elected its authorities, its leaderships democratically, they ousted a pro claim pro—kremlin leader in may 14 —— 2014 and they elected a new leader and volodymyr zelensky came into power in 2019, a former comedian who has now rarely taken on this role of a hero for so many people here. i don't want this sense of national national identity, their sense of pride in a country, someone else was

assessing the term ukraine, versus ukraine, 70 people for generations would call this country the ukraine but actually it is ukraine. a legitimate country. a legitimate nation. and that is what the people of this country continually tell me, that we are a sovereign state, that we are a country and we want to ensure that we remain a country that decides it's fate and its future for itself. it decides it's fate and its future for itself. , ., ., , itself. it is getting late, i hope ou aet itself. it is getting late, i hope you get some _ itself. it is getting late, i hope you get some sleep _ itself. it is getting late, i hope you get some sleep tonight, i itself. it is getting late, i hope - you get some sleep tonight, thank you get some sleep tonight, thank you for your insight and sharing that with us this evening. the israeli prime minister, naftali bennett, has met president putin in moscow to discuss the war in ukraine. no details of the meeting have been made public. a spokesman said mr bennett also spoke to the ukrainian president zelensky after the meeting with vladimir putin. tom bateman injerusalem has the latest on naftali bennett's unexpected visit to moscow.

i have to say news of his trip to moscow, flying out early on saturday morning during thejewish sabbath, he is a practising jew and normally doesn't work on the sabbath and that gives you some indication of how much he wanted to do this. we have had indications now for some days that mr bennett has been attempting to position himself as a potential mediator between russia and ukraine or between their leaderships. he has had at least two phone calls with vladimir putin over the last week and then came this trip to moscow. and we were told that the meeting in the kremlin with mr bennett and president putin took around three hours. no detail little as to the exact details of the discussion as relates to ukraine, other than that the kremlin confirmed the discussions

were around that. but what mr bennett's officials have been keen to point out is that this happened in coordination with key western countries, with the germans, with the french, and crucially with the united states. as you pointed out, israel had been under growing pressure to condemn moscow, to condemn mr putin, which they did at the united nations general assembly, but mr bennett has been extra careful, he has barely mentioned mr putin's name since this invasion began, because they want to keep on the right side of this. he sees himself, as far as they are concerned, in terms of mediation, because i think that will give them access to the kremlin. the israelis see themselves as a potential bridge between the west and moscow in all of this and they think that is a card that should be kept on the table. mr bennett held, had a phone call with mr zelensky, the ukrainian president after that meeting with mr putin, and is now off to berlin where he will speak to the

german chancellor. we were just seeing pictures of the previous meeting at sochi involving mr bennett and mr putin but on this trip, interesting that he took the housing minister along, who is himself born i think in ukraine. he is the israeli housing minister, he was born in ukraine, second city, when ukraine was part of the soviet union. he is the israeli housing minister, he was born in kharkive ukraine's second city, when ukraine was part of the soviet union. he went to university there. he is a historian, actually, and speaks fluent russian. the israelis said he went with mr bennett, in order to help with translation in the kremlin. but really quite an extraordinary figure to be sitting in the room there, somebody who was born and brought up and studied in the city that has now being under a ferocious russian attack inside ukraine, sitting in the room with mr bennett and vladimir putin. we don't know what he thinks, of course, because we haven't had any details, the israelis aren't going to say what the nature

of the discussions were. and i think moving to that point, the issue here is about, well, 0k, you might be able to have a mediator in the form of the israelis, it is something that was not taken that seriously a week ago when it first popped up as an issue but now it is on another level level of seriousness, given this flight to moscow. the problem is, though, you can have a mediator, but what is the substance for mediation? we have been seeing those talks between russia and ukraine officials on the border, the third set of talks due tomorrow but very little of substance achieved, talk of a humanitarian corridor, they haven't emerged, and the circumstances over the disputed. but this is extremely early days. it is hard to see exactly what the israelis can mediate over, can discuss, but of course as i say they are very keen to position themselves as potential brokers.

tom bateman there injerusalem. this week, we've heard repeated calls from the ukrainian president for nato to impose a no—fly—zone over ukraine — something the alliance has consistently refused to contemplate. 0ur security correspondent gordon corera explains the reasons why. it was a demand repeated again by the president zelensky and its video conference call with american senators, we'll hear more about that in a few minutes. first, our security correspondent gordon correra has been examining why the west is so anxious to avoid a no—fly zone. russian aircraft had been in the skies over ukraine, outnumbering defenders. that's led to calls for what's known as a no—fly zone to prevent them posing a threat. so far, the western military alliance nato has been reluctant to use its air power to impose such a zone, in which other planes would be told not to fly over ukraine. why the reluctance? the concern is that, in practice, a no—fly zone carries real risks.

if the russians flyjets like these into ukrainian airspace, then nato planes would directly engage them in combat in the skies. but it also means taking out threats on the ground to nato planes so they can enforce the zone, so potentially attacking russian surface—to—air missile sites, and russia has advanced s400 systems which could, in theory, shoot down nato planes even from over the border in belarus. nato has been building up its air power in the region but its secretary general yesterday ruled out a no—fly zone because of the risk it would lead to conflict with russia. 0ur assessment is that we understand the desperation, but we also believe that, if we did that, we would end up with something that could end in a full—fledged war in europe. and today, vladimir putin issued a direct warning to any country which might be used as a base for a no—fly zone.

translation: any movement in this direction will be considered _ by us as a participation in the armed conflict. there have been no—fly zones before. in the early 1990s, one was imposed over parts of iraq to protect civilians, but moscow is a very different adversary. as the russian military continues to inflict this kind of devastation on ukraine, the call for some kind of action are likely to intensify, but for the moment the chance of that including a no—fly zone seems remote. gordon corera, bbc news. as we've been hearing, around 200,000 people are desperate to leave mariupol in the south of the country, but their exit to safety has been stalled. if and when russian forces take the city, they will effectively cut ukraine off from the black sea. 0ur eastern europe correspondent sarah rainsford is in the town

of zaporizhzhia whose nucler power plant was targeted by russian troops earlier this week, and where evacuees from mariupol are being taken. this enormous pile of clothing, warm clothes here, has been brought by the people of zaporizhzhia to this collection point because they were told that they were expecting a huge flow of families to come here from mariupol in the south, where there's been really heavy fighting for days now, so they've brought blankets, they brought bedding. hot dinners have been prepared by local businesspeople. they've brought fresh fruit and vegetables, too — all of it for the large number of families they were expecting to arrive here, but that humanitarian corridor that was supposed to be set up today never happened. so what you've got in here — look at this — this is the city circus ring, and the authorities had laid out mattresses and pillows. they thought that people could have a rest here, take a few moments before

they carried on to be housed in hostels, student hostels and schools in safety. but it hasn't been used. what's happened is the mayor of mariupol has said that the humanitarian corridor was impossible to set up because the russian forces carried on firing. they said it was far too dangerous for people to get in the evacuation buses and to try to drive to safety. he said that there are still negotiations going on between the russians and ukrainians and that, when it is safe and when it is possible, they will get people on those buses and they will get them to places like this. but, for the moment, all of this is prepared, all of it's ready — but there's no one here. that was sarah rainsford. the us secretary of state, antony blinken, has met ukraine's foreign minister, dmytroy kuleba, telling him he was in awe of his courage in standing up to russia. the two men met at the polish—ukraine border.

mr kuleba reiterated his desire and optimism for more military backing from nato, specifically a no fly zone. mr blinken is touring nato's eastern european member states. 0ur correspondent kasia madera, is on the poland—ukraine border. it's just a huge movement of people. if you just put it into context how many people are travelling in such a short space of time. this is korczowa, yet another bus that has come just from the border. these people have made the crossing into poland and now they're being asked to come off the bus so that they can go inside and just get a little bit warmed up. bear in mind what these people have gone through. they've just crossed the border into poland and all of theirjourneys to get to this stage have been long, exhausting and uncertain.

so the first arrival, the first time that they can come off and just reassess their situation. the children, the overwhelming number of children are being greeted by a whole team of volunteers. there are hundreds and hundreds of volunteers doing exactly this across the length of this chain of... this area, which was once a car park, that has been turned into this emergency situation, a meeting point where people can just get off and then think about what it is that they do next. now, next to us is a huge, huge warehouse, and it's where they have arranged an emergency place where people can get a bit of sleep. and the us secretary of state, anthony blinken, who has been in warsaw talking to the polish prime minister, mateusz morawiecki, just a short time ago, he was here. he went inside this enormous warehouse to see for himself how the people that have just crossed

over from ukraine, how they are. because we're seeing just this overwhelmingly emotional scenes. the children are exhausted. a rally has been taking place in new york's times square in support of ukraine. thousands of people joined the event, many of them calling for the introduction of an immediate no—fly zone in ukraine. similar demonstrations have been taking place in other parts of the world, including on saturday here in london. and also in tel aviv outside the russian embassy. earlier, i spoke to our correspondent in washington, david willis, and got more details on that call with us senators. president zelensky�*s first direct pitch to us lawmakers says

the conflict in his country began and there were about 280 lawmakers from both parties on that call. we are told that president zelensky spoke for about 30 minutes, after which there were questions and answers, and he called for three things in particular. they include an embargo on russian oil imports, the imposition of a no—fly zone over ukraine and for more planes and drones from eastern europe, in particular soviet style mixed 29 fighterjets which members of the ukrainian air force are equipped and trained to fly. now, there are problems with all of those. firstly, those planes would have to come probably from poland, they would first have to be stripped of their nato reconnaissance communications equipment and then transported somehow to ukraine because they couldn't be flown

directly from poland for fear of involving nato in this conflict. ditto the no—fly zone which nato leaders have ruled out for exactly that reason. as regards the embargo on russian oil imports, well, there is already rising oil prices here, shortage, potentially, of oil, and the warning of further price rises at the pumps. so, the white house hasn't thrown its support behind that embargo, although there are calls from both parties for such an embargo to be put into place. we'll see what happens on that one. just on that question of the energy side and the potential embargo, one of the most senior figures in the us fracking industry was reported on saturday in the financial times as saying we are not in a position to be able to fill the gap, as it were.

and presumably the economic price is one that perhaps the us wouldn't be willing to pay at this stage. well, that is right. president biden and last week that strategic oil reserves were being dipped into. $60 million additional dollars of oil, $30 million of it coming from here in the united states but the mid—term elections are coming up later this year, of course you don't need me to tell you that focusing the minds of american voters very much will be pocketbook issues, and they will include of course inflation which is currently at a 40 year high here. so, the white house resistant at the moment to do anything that would limit the world supply of oil. i might add that they threw their weight, those on the call today, behind the $10 billion of aid, military and humanitarian assistance that the white house has called on congress to authorise.

although lawmakers went away for the weekend without reaching agreement on the issue. it's the first—time in a major conflict that younger people have been able to show the rest of the world what's happening to them via social media platforms like tiktok, telegram and twitter. valeria lives in ukraine and has been posting videos showing the situation in her city. it has become a pr weapon to help with the situation. it has become a pr weapon to help with the situation. graham satchell has been speaking to her. every day, 20—year—old valeria has been posting videos, documenting the war on her social media pages. i make content on tiktok, instagram, and every person needs to know about our problem.

i think it is not a ukrainian problem. it is a world problem. everybody needs to see and to know what is happening, because it looks like a third world war in the 21st century. this video has been watched more than a million times. it is the first time in a major conflict that younger people have been able to show the rest of the world what's happening to them in an instant. i have a normal bomb shelter. it's like a small house underground. valeria showed us the basement where she's been living with her mum and dad. it's my fridge, some food we buy, like bread — bread, milk, eggs, something simple. for now, we have a dangerous

atmosphere outside, so now i'm in a place where i feel myself — i feel safe with my family, mother, father and my little dog. as well as filming damage above ground, valeria has documented life underground, cooking with her mum, dancing with her dad. but in the last few days, the war has come ever closer. this is valeria's hometown on thursday. explosion. the explosion is reported to have killed more than 40 civilians. i can't believe that it's happening in my native city where i live, where i spend my school time, childhood...yes. now on bbc news, we look back at the last week of events in ukraine

in a special programme seven days the changed the world. ukraine wakes after a night of explosions. this is the capital city, kyiv.

people are on high alert, tension is high — but it's eerily quiet. then... siren wails. recognise the whole of luhansk and donetsk which represents... we have just heard a siren go off for the first time, we haven't heard that before. this is a very worrying morning for people in the capital city and beyond. this is what the fear had been all along. after weeks of uncertainty, russia's president, vladimir putin, addressed the nation around 6am moscow time. translation: we will strive for demilitarisation _ and denazification of ukraine. russia cannot feel safe, developed and exist with a constant threat emanating from the territory of modern ukraine. vladimir putin declares war on ukraine. over the next 20 minutes,

we'll look back at a week that changed history, with bbcjournalists on the ground across ukraine and russia. orla guerin was in ukraine's capital as it came under siege. a day has changed everything for ukraine, and for security in europe. ukrainians were not safe in their own homes. here, the aftermath of a strike on a block of flats in kharkiv, ukraine's second city. missile fragments now on display in the playground. like many here, natalya is trying to comprehend what has befallen ukraine, trying to work out how to protect her two—year—old. translation: we're shocked. we're totally shocked. we are afraid for our children, for our families.

as russian attacks grow in intensity, western leaders impose sanctions and condemn the violence. putin is the aggressor. putin chose this war. and now he and his country will bear the consequences. it's vital for the safety of every nation that putin's squalid venture should ultimately fail and be seen to fail. the un security council held a surreal emergency session to discuss the actions of one of its own. don't ask me questionsj when you are speaking. the current council president, a russian. as the secretary—general called for peace. president putin, stop your troops from attacking ukraine. give peace a chance. too many people have already died. while leaders discussed,

armed convoys rolled across ukraine. silence quickly became the norm for many here. in this year, 2022, the most advanced of intelligence, the worst of warnings, the most intense of diplomacy couldn't make president putin blink. international norms are being shutout. the architecture of all our lives... siren wails. and a siren to remind you that war has come to kyiv, in a european capital, in a city, that is going right round the world. in moscow, hundreds took to the streets. "no to war," they chanted, determined to make their voices heard. but they were silenced. many were arrested. overnight brought no respite. more attacks before dawn, as ukrainian anti—aircraft batteries intercept a missile over the capital.

as the assault closes in on kyiv, 2.5 million civilians suddenly on the front line. russia says it's not targeting civilians, but this is what happens when you fire missiles at a capital city. paul adams walked among the empty streets of kyiv. in 24 hours, these streets have almost completely emptied. it is increasingly dangerous to go out. ukrainians have warned that russian soldiers could be operating inside the city, perhaps even in stolen ukrainian vehicles. pressure on the government is mounting all the time. most people here believe the russians simply want to get rid of it. for ukraine's president, speaking again to his people, this is a lonely fight. translation: this morning, we are alone in defending our country. - just like yesterday, the most powerful forces in the world watched from afar. have yesterday's sanctions persuaded russia? we see in our skies and feel on the ground they are not enough. many residents have taken

cover on the ground. many residents have taken cover underground. they sing. now we have come to the building where the bomb shelter is, - and we're trying to stay here. it's pretty crowded. people get their dogs and cats - and kids and we're hearing the news about possible attacks in this district. - attacks are spreading across the country. in mariupol in the southeast, destruction. in sumy in the northeast, battles rage. here in the capital, horror as a tank drives over a car. incredibly, the driver survived. the outbreak of war means the once unthinkable is suddenly normal. ukraine's president volodymyr

zelensky sends a rallying cry, as everyday ukrainians take to the battle line. translation: we are all here, our soldiers are here, _ the citizens are here and we are here. we defend our independence. that's how it will go. glory to our defenders, both male and female, glory to ukraine. but many also try to flee. thousands flood train stations, like this one in kyiv. a warning shot sounds out as people desperately tried to escape the conflict via any means possible. be it by car, foot, or by train, people head for the borders. fergal keane was in lviv. here, people run for the train station as the sirens ring out. they look for shelter and for a means of escape. platforms overflowing

with people wanting to get out. this is hard to credit, to believe, in the europe of 2022. people are just crushing all around me trying to get onto these trains. a woman, a young mother with a baby there screaming because everyone's getting crushed. their hope is that the train would help them avoid this. the line of cars to the polish border. those people are moving on foot down towards the border with poland, but it's another 20 kilometers from where we are at the moment. we just need to move out of the way and let more people pass us here. they're coming. a constant procession of people. however they arrive at the border, this slow shuffle out of the lives they knew is what awaits.

despite russia's military might, ukraine holds firm. but the worry from western officials is this, if president putin of russia doesn't get the quick victory that many predicted and the one he wants, then the worry is that he might resort to more drastic measures to achieve his goal. to quote one official, he said for him, this is no longer a war of choice, but of necessity. this is what kyiv awoke to. all of this disruption in a residential area. authorities say it was a russian missile strike which killed two people. the streets of kyiv are empty. a city braced for impact. volodymyr zelensky appears on the city's deserted streets, reassuring the nation.

"i am here," he says, "and we will not lay down our arms." far from it. we found ukrainians taking up arms, forming volunteer brigades to defend the city alongside local police. this volunteer says, "i don't want to live in russia and my brothers in arms don't want that either. we will defend this city or i will die." across the country, groups formed to make home—made petrol bombs. many unite in the face of continuing russian advance, keen to defend their homeland. it's just too dangerous above ground. we've all had to come down, the bbc team here, to shelter underground. it's been clear throughout the day that the increasing level of military ordnance going off quite a few miles away, but getting closer and closer to our position here, it's simply too dangerous to be above ground. i think what needs to be remembered is this is the experience now for millions of people

across this country. let's get into that a little bit more with our chief international correspondent, lyse doucet. this is a city, kyiv, capital cityjust under three million people, well over 40 million people across this country. this is their experience of this war. ukraine is now a subterranean world, life is lived for millions of people across this country in basements like this, in car parks, in bomb shelters, wherever they can find shelter. the metro station has stopped working in kyiv because it's now a 24—hour refuge, and a curfew is in force, notjust a night curfew, but a curfew which will last until 8am on monday. that was the first warning we heard today that something was about to happen, and in the last hour there's there's been electricity in the air. the air raid sirens have sounded. there's been explosions, rattle of gunfire and an urgency to the warnings, take to the shelters.

this comes after an order for moscow to its forces to advance in all directions against kyiv. there is no let up in fighting. on the streets of kharkiv, a grim warning of what is to come if the conflict doesn't stop. russian troops roll in, but the ukrainian defence forces fight on. putin takes his next move. the world stops. war in ukraine and now russia's nuclear forces on special alert. russian state tv announce "our submarines alone are capable of launching more than 500 nuclear warheads guaranteed to destroy america and all of nato." so what is this, brinkmanship? something more or something less? empty threats?

but i think after the dramatic events we've seen in recent days, it would be unwise to dismiss these signals from the kremlin. a pointed message to the west — don't push russia. president putin summoned his military chiefs and gave them an order. translation: top officials of leading nato countries i are making aggressive statements about our country. therefore, i'm ordering the minister of defense and the chief of the general staff to put the strategic nuclear forces on special alert. would putin really use them? he practised a week ago overseeing exercises of russia's strategic deterrence forces. typically unsubtle hints to america and nato not to stand in his way over ukraine. this is now an age

of wartime leaders. a former ukrainian prime minister posts an online tutorial on how to make petrol bombs. they only create small explosions. across ukraine, military powers are creating much bigger impacts. nick beake looked on from the capital, kyiv. the explosions get louder as the russians draw ever nearer. seizing this european capital while the world looks on is for now president putin's prime objective. and everyone living here simply has no idea just how much force he's prepared to use to do that and just how many people could die. children in the capital play in an underground world, mirroring the gruesome reality of what's unfolding above them. overnight, a now upsettingly familiar crackle of gunfire for many in ukraine.

the reality of life in a country at war sounding throughout the night. this is the quietest we've seen the centre of kyiv, and this is being replicated in cities across the country. ukraine's defense has been both surprising and extraordinary, but it is still the underdog and russia is still making gains. at the largest pediatric center in ukraine, staff are used to battling disease. now they have to adjust to war. doctors say they have enough supplies, but the world health organization warns if the situation gets worse, oxygen supplies could run out. outside, ill children wait with their worried mothers to be transferred to poland for cancer treatment no longer available here. this boy is facing a risky journey with his mother. i'll be frank, i'm scared,

but i can see no other way to escape, so we have to do this. every day, sirens sound the ukrainians run underground or for shelter — car parks, basements and bunkers become home to millions across the country. sarah rainsford saw first—hand the reality of conditions people face. this bomb shelter, this bunker was built beneath a factory in the soviet union. it was supposed to be used in the event of a nuclear attack, and now it's being used in modern day ukraine to keep people safe. when the sirens wail again. there has been no attack on dnipro yet, but suddenly the danger feels close. alina and yuri spent last night here. she says it's scary, he tells me he was shaking the first time. we don't understand why

russia is attacking us. they say they want to protect us, but from what we're just hiding now. we don't need their protection. people in areas like this and now spending their nights in bomb shelters, the fighting hasn't come here yet, but people are extremely worried already. back in kyiv, the air raid sirens are wailing again. there've been reports about foreign students not being allowed on trains. in these hard times, ijust hope it doesn't matter who's indian, who's pakistani, russian, ukrainian, we all are those people. we have certain human rights. so i guess in these hard times, we should just help each other and co operate. and that's all. already, there are queues for food, some wondering how long it will be until supplies start to run out — day five of the invasion and ukraine still resists. but there are fears kyiv could be put under siege.

one more russian missile strike brings terror to the streets of kyiv. the target — kyiv�*s tv tower. emergency services say five people were killed. and more firepower is closing in. more uncertainty for a city already under intense strain. aerial photography reveals a convoy around 40 miles long headed for the capital. whether people have been taking shelter below ground or taking up weapons above it, they will have all seen the pictures from other locations in this vast country of what is happening. volunteers from all walks of life continue to come forward to defend their country, not entirely sure of what they're signing up for. igor, a lawyer, now mans a lookout post. yeah, so a week ago, i was representing my cases

in a courtroom. and now... it's difficult to grasp. but if you don't think about it and simply do what, you have to do it, it actually feels pretty already normal. i mean, have you ever held a gun in your hands before? at school, we've trained to deal with these sort of things, but i have never dealt with it and never even shot a gun or a pistol. the new architecture of kyiv — tank traps and barricades made from whatever is at hand, a city watching on as ukraine's second city, kharkiv comes under fire. a strike right at the heart of the city. russia says it's not targeting civilians here. it says it's using

precision missiles. it claims it's liberating ukraine from nazis, but russia has invaded its neighbor and it is killing civilians. ukraine's president calls it the price forfreedom. it's tangible just how enormous that price is. we are fighting, just for our land and for ourfreedom. a show of solidarity from the european parliament, a standing ovation. then the president was off to lead the defence of his country. below ground in our bomb shelter, the adrenaline has run out. people are visibly tired, visibly upset from everything that's going on, and when you come up, it's this — empty. and you can feel the tension. moscow has urged people living here to leave as it lists new targets, but for so many people

that's not an option. in broad daylight — dangerjust outside the window. this is a town about 25 miles from kyiv. as russians advance towards the city, they leave a trail of destruction. they know nothing about our capital, about our history. but they have an order to erase our history, to erase our country, to erase us all. west of kyiv, the target may have been an air base nearby, but family homes have been destroyed. oleg stands calmly in the rubble, but he has lost his wife. "she was the light of my life," he says. "she was the best thing that's happened to me.

but i'm trying to keep myself together because of one reason — i still have parents and a daughter." they are telling people to stay inside. shooting in the air, you hear the sounds, a glimpse of street to street fighting on the black sea. russia appears to have captured the port city. in the capital, seven days on from the start of war, sirens wail, they echo the fear and dread many in kyiv feel. people wait nervous for the future a week that has changed the world forever. nothing is certain in the days, weeks or months ahead. the people of ukraine wait as the world watches on.

our weather is much quieter than it was at the end of february, but there are still plenty of other contrasts out there across the uk to talk about. most of the sunshine today in northern ireland and scotland. a much cloudier picture across eastern and southern parts of england underneath an area of cloud, damp, drizzly, breezy, feeling cold. the cloud from a weather front hanging around for quite some time gradually pushing further west overnight and beginning to decay into tomorrow. overnight will take more cloud across one of the midlands, into parts of wales and south—west england. still some outbreaks of light rain and drizzle around. temperatures will be holding just

above freezing that is cloud. elsewhere likely to get a frost, coldest and parts of northern ireland and scotland. plenty of sunshine around. for wales and england some sunny spells. through the southern half of england and south wales, still some areas are for cloud initially, some patchy light rain and drizzle. it doesn't look like a brighter day across the eastern side of england compared to today. there will be a stronger wind in the far north—west of scotland. even where there is a lot of sunshine, temperatures will be a degree or so down compared to today. overnight and into monday, cloud breaks up across southern areas. more clear spells, more likely to see a touch of frost. lowest temperatures into rural scotland and northern england on monday morning.

monday looking like another quiet day with high pressure close by. areas of cloud drifting south to north across the uk, but with sunny spells around most places are looking dry. still looking chilly in the breeze and another frost on tuesday morning. midweek, a lot of uncertainty about the day today detail, but the overall detail looks like high pressure moves away, low moves in. we are more likely to see rain moving in, a windier picture in the west. but also with that things turning milder.

this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. our top stories... as ukraine appeals for nato to impose a no fly zone to protect civilians from continuing russian attacks, a former ukrainian president tells the bbc his country is desperate. you see all these people are suffering from death and this is completely unacceptable and when we are asking the no—fly zone, this is exactly for these people. mata are asking the no-fly zone, this is exactly for these people.- exactly for these people. nato as recently as _ exactly for these people. nato as recently as friday _ exactly for these people. nato as recently as friday evening - exactly for these people. nato as. recently as friday evening rejected the calls for a knife dashed no—fly zone. the calls for a knife dashed no-fly zone. �* , the calls for a knife dashed no-fly zone. �* y ., , . ., zone. any movement in this direction will be considered _ zone. any movement in this direction will be considered by _ zone. any movement in this direction will be considered by us _ zone. any movement in this direction will be considered by us by _ zone. any movement in this direction will be considered by us by a - will be considered by us by a participation in the armed conflict.