welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore. i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines: we're with ukrainian forces on the frontline, fighting to defend the country's second largest city kharkiv from russia's relentless assault. if these tactics are unfamiliar to you, then you have not been paying attention because this is the russian attack playbook, perfected over ten years of war in syria. on the frontline with the ukrainian army as they brave the no man's land towards russian forces — their spirits stronger than ever. we are finding on our land and

protect ourfamilies, so it doesn't matter how they fight. we fight like lions and they will not win. wounded ukrainian civilians are kept in the hallways of a hospital in kharkiv, away from the windows to avoid further injury. translation: stupid russian scars are will _ translation: stupid russian scars are will carry _ translation: stupid russian scars are will carry all - translation: stupid russian scars are will carry all my - scars are will carry all my life but as long as my heart beats i was still live and love. more than 2 million people are said to have fled the capital, kyiv, but others have arrived, after escaping from the russian soldiers moving ever closer to the city. and, roman abramovich, the russian owner of chelsea football club, is among seven more oligarchs sanctioned by the british government — the sale of the club is now on hold.

hello and welcome to the programme. we begin our coverage with an exclusive report from the frontline of the battle for ukraine's second—largest city, kharkiv. it has endured nightly russian air attacks and suffered dozens of civilian deaths and hundreds of injuries. most of the city's 1.5 million residents have fled. the ukrainian forces fought back a russian armoured column in the early days of the invasion and have been fighting since to stop a further russian advance. quentin sommerville and camera journalist darren conway are the first journalists to be embedded with the ukranian army as they fight the russian advance. i should warn you their report contains graphic images from the frontline that some viewers will find disturbing. head to the very eastern edge of ukraine and a ghostly vision of the country's fate

unfolds before you. the city of kharkiv is being purged of life. in near total blackout, the police in the country's second—largest city take us on patrol. the russians aren't far. explosion. shelling happens every night. this close to the russian border, there's another threat here — saboteurs. no—one escapes scrutiny. alina, 76—years—old, is lost and confused. in an instant, everybody�*s life here has been up—ended. but this young nation has surprised russia and the world with its resolve.

we weave our way past the fallen, into no man's land, with the ukrainian army. here is 21—year—old yevgen gromadsky. where are the russians? over the sound of shelling, he tells me, "the russian soldiers are standing about 900 meters away from here. you can hear right now that they're firing on our positions and we are firing back". it's a grenade launcher, british. but it's more than just a grenade launcher — it's a guided missile. is it good against tanks? it's the best we have right now. how are the russians fighting? they're fighting like soldiers of i9ai. they're attacking, just like in front, now they don't

do any assault. so, yeah, they have a lot of people here, a lot of tanks, a lot of their vehicles and techniques. but we're fighting in our land and we protect our families. so it doesn't matter how they fight, we fight like lions and they won't win. this city of a million plus people has emptied out. this civilian, so close to ukrainian lines, just didn't make it. we've actually come beyond the ukrainian front line, and we know that because look at all the destruction around here, and this whole area's littered with dead russian bodies. these men, in fact, and there are two more over there. there are two more over. there are chechen, they have ids on them. their weapons have been removed. the ukrainians keep telling us they�* re really comfortable with this type of fight because this is their territory, they're defending their city, theirfamilies. but the challenge from them is what comes from the sky. they want more aircraft and

they want more air defences. and that might be where this battle, this war, is won and lost. in a war with russia, the front line is everywhere. shouting, explosion. this is what people have been fleeing in kharkiv — endless bombardment for the past two weeks. automated alert: our administration would like to inform you that a fire has started in the building. for that reason, please go to the ground floor and from there, leave the building. this is what russia does to cities, it bombards them, it besieges them, it surrounds them. it terrorizes entire populations. and if these tactics are unfamiliar to you, then you haven't been paying attention, because this is the russian attack play book, perfected in over ten years of war in syria.

we know that russia bombs hospitals. so here at the city's hospital number four, they keep the wounded in hallways — away from the windows. miss valentina has been hit by shrapnel. "i have a poem for you", she says. translation: these stupid russian shrapnel pieces i will carry all my life. but as long as my heart still beats, i will still live and love. and so too, will eight—year—old dmitri, now that this has been removed from his skull. this is the war that russia has fought before and is fighting again. we don't know the rest of ukraine's fate, but kharkiv has already shown what's coming next. translation: defenders, we will ride together. we will win this war and all our heroic people will gather to rebuild our beloved ukraine.

quentin sommerville, bbc news, kharkiv, in eastern ukraine. russian forces continue their advance towards the capital, kyiv. more than half the population has fled since the invasion began. the mayor of the city described it as a fortress. humanitarian organisations have warned that many people have run out of food and are still living without water or gas. russian forces are said to have rolled their armoured vehicles up to the north—eastern edge of the city today. jeremy bowen sent this report from kyiv. when your world is turned upside down, there's separation, loss, confusion, and relief at getting out alive. hundreds more have been evacuated from villages in the firing line outside kyiv in the last few days. taking bad memories into new uncertain lives. did you see any russians? yes. what were the russians like,

did they speak to you? they were mute, mute. they were mute. no comments, no words, no. and nothing. they were mute. they stayed like... ..stones. medics can help with the physical pain of wounds. kyiv�*s hospitals are ready, expecting many more. but what do you say to someone who needs the comfort of home? when everything familiar has gone? this minibus was from the children's home, many with special needs, and carers who had spent two weeks in cellars trying to keep them calm.

the police took videos to record who had escaped. then they checked their bags. the fear of russian infiltrators is strong. food is not in short supply, along with plenty of questions what about the russians will do next, and allegations about what they are doing now. the police commander said they had had many phone calls about violation of the rights of civilians and weapons, injuries and murders. appeals for information about the missing. at another crossing point, hundreds more walking out of the firing line. and a priest who helped rescue them from the russian army. there is nothing which is related to god in the actions. so, there's no reason for them to attack ukraine.

we are not attack anybody, so we just made decision to have different future, we want to have democracy, so if russians they want to restore soviet union, may god bless them, but we ask them to do it within their borders. ten miles east of kyiv, russia's tactical blunders continued. tanks are easy targets when they push forward, bunched up, in broad daylight, but the ukrainians are still outnumbered and outgunned. at strong points round the city, ukrainian troops are waiting. they know the russians are regrouping, and will try again. petrol bombs aren't all they have got. nato has sent in thousands of modern anti—tank weapons for whatever is coming down the road. the russians are about 5km in that direction. if they want to come into the city, they will have to take this piece of ground and push in. if they are encircling kyiv, they can probably stay more

or less where they . the men at this position have to assume that an attack is coming. for the soldiers who waited, the sky was bright, and the forest still and lonely. jeremy bowen, bbc news, kyiv. well, in the last couple of hours ukraine's president, volodymyr zelensky, has been speaking. our news reporter mark lobel has been keeping across that for us. talk us through what he said? president zelensky said 100,000 have been evacuated over the past two days from ukrainian cities but when it came to marry a poll, the city in the south, he said essentials could not come in because the russian tanks attacking a corridor there. and he called it outright terror from experienced terrorists —— mariupol. one mp fears that

hundreds may have already died in mariupol and another, his parents are still there, he says that the russian army are killing peoplejust says that the russian army are killing people just for says that the russian army are killing peoplejust forfun. killing people just for fun. have killing peoplejust forfun. have a listen to what he said. there are 350,000 people in a mousetrap any convoys of humanitarian, food, medicine and bodies are laying on the streets _ and bodies are laying on the streets. in mass graves already. _ streets. in mass graves already. and this is in a city in europe _ already. and this is in a city in europe in a city that was totally— in europe in a city that was totally peaceful two weeks ago. mariupol, the mousetrap as it was called there, has also been caught up in a disinformation walk and which has castigated these tweets and it came from these tweets and it came from the russian embassy in the uk, after a maternity hospital was bombed in mariupol on wednesday and the russians claimed it had been used by ukrainian forces. twitter says it broke rules and

claimed at one point a picture of a distressed pregnant woman exiting the rubble was staged and she had used make up. the russian ministry of defence is denied any responsibility for the attack. denied any responsibility for the attack-— denied any responsibility for the attack. refocus again on the attack. refocus again on the fighting _ the attack. refocus again on the fighting that _ the attack. refocus again on the fighting that has - the attack. refocus again on the fighting that has been i the fighting that has been taking place on the ground, we have seen in that report, for instance, in what has been happening in kharkiv and images of ukrainian attacks on russian convoysin of ukrainian attacks on russian convoys in kyiv, so what is yoursense convoys in kyiv, so what is your sense now of how fighting is going on both sides? we have lona is going on both sides? we have long spoken _ is going on both sides? we have long spoken about _ is going on both sides? we have long spoken about how - is going on both sides? we have long spoken about how the - long spoken about how the ukrainians are outnumbered numerically and i think that report uncovered another battle, a battle of wills. one retired american commander who was the commanding general of the us army in europe had a different assessment, having watched that report of the ukrainian fighting force, have a listen. ., ukrainian fighting force, have a listen. . , ., a listen. the human dimension is so much _

a listen. the human dimension is so much more _ a listen. the human dimension is so much more powerful- a listen. the human dimension is so much more powerful and| is so much more powerful and important _ is so much more powerful and important then the material or tethnical— important then the material or technical part. this is why i think— technical part. this is why i think ukraine is going to win inthe— think ukraine is going to win in the end. they have time on their— in the end. they have time on their side, _ in the end. they have time on their side, the logistical situation is getting better by the day _ situation is getting better by the day. the russians have a manpower shortage. i think they ammunition shortage that will stert— ammunition shortage that will start showing up soon. unexpected comments and also an unexpected development on russian state tv. criticisms of the war has been aired tonight during a debate where one of the guests likened the prospects of the war as turning into something like afghanistan or west, into something like afghanistan orwest, referring into something like afghanistan or west, referring to the soviet union and their decade—long invasion there. but people are suspicious of russia, wanting to gain the upper hand and talk now of the possibility now i've using chemical and biological weapons. we have had warnings from the uk and us which had been present about what would happen next but the question is

why would russia want to use heavy choking gases now? here is the view of one expert he thinks it is a realistic prospect that russia will start using chemical weapons. people can hide among the rubble. _ people can hide among the rubble, the ukrainian military can hi — rubble, the ukrainian military can hi there, jump out with their— can hi there, jump out with their anti—tank weapons and kill the _ their anti—tank weapons and kill the vulnerable tanks. but if you — kill the vulnerable tanks. but if you use _ kill the vulnerable tanks. but if you use chemical weapons, that— if you use chemical weapons, that is— if you use chemical weapons, that is not— if you use chemical weapons, that is not stopped by concrete waits — that is not stopped by concrete waits it — that is not stopped by concrete walls. it seeps underground, it kills _ walls. it seeps underground, it kills people underground. now, desite kills people underground. now, de5pite that. — kills people underground. now, despite that, russia _ kills people underground. now, despite that, russia is - kills people underground. now, despite that, russia is going . despite that, russia is going to be convening a un security council meeting on friday. it wants to discuss unproven allegations that the us has biological weapons activities ongoing in ukraine. president zelensky�*s response to that tonight in his message has been, if you want to know russia's plans, look at what russia's plans, look at what russia accuses others of, and he insists no chemical weapons have been manufactured on his lands.

that was mark lobel, keeping us up that was mark lobel, keeping us up to date with the latest news lines coming up from president zelensky. we will be sure to keep you up to date about that security council meeting as and when it happens right here on bbc news. still to come on the programme, we'll tell you how the sale of chelsea football club is now on hold after owner roman abramovich is sanctioned by the british government. the numbers of dead and wounded defied belief. this, the worst terrorist atrocity on european soil in modern times. in less than 24 hours then, the soviet union lost an elderly, sick leader, and replaced him with a dynamic figure 20 years his junior. we heard these gunshots in the gym. _ then he came out| through a fire exit and started firing at our huts. god, we were all petrified. james earl ray, aged a1, sentenced to 99 years and due for parole when he's 90,

travelled from memphis jail to nashville state prison in an eight—car convoy. reporter: paul, what's it feel like to be married at last? - it feels fine, thank you. what are you going to do now? is it going to change your life much, do you think? i don't know, really — _ i've never been married before. this is newsday on the bbc. our headlines: we're with ukrainian forces on the frontline, fighting to defend the country's second largest city kharkiv from russia's relentless assault. more than 2 million people are said to have fled the capital kyiv, but others have arrived, after escaping from the russian soldiers moving ever closer to the city.

within ukraine, humanitarian corridors have been set up in an attempt to allow hundreds of thousands of civilians to escape the fighting. one of those corridors is from sumy in the northwest, to poltava almost 200km away. in the past three days around 60,000 people — that's one in five of the population — have left sumy. our eastern european correspondent sarah rainsford has been meeting some of them. sleeping peacefully at last after 15 days of fear. this little boy arrived from sumy last night to a city where there are no bombs and no fighter jets but the children here have brought their memories. daniel's poem is about enemies and occupiers and longing for peaceful skies. he and his mum escaped sumy squeezed into a car with strangers when the shooting was stopped

for a few hours. translation: we walked over broken glass, we saw the ruined build, the bombing, the roofs ripped off, it was scary. that is why we are fleeing, running as far as possible from the shooting. trying to save our lives and the children above all. "it is so russia doesn't kill us," daniel pipes up. he is eight years old. russia is trying to bomb his city into submission. tens of thousands of civilians have now been evacuated, but ukraine's soldiers are still resisting. and behind the lines there is a giant support effort. the school that is now housing evacuees is also feeding hundreds of soldiers. teachers and residents all pitching in. now we are cooking for our soldiers

so they can protect our homes, our children, our parents, grandparents and our whole country. just two weeks' ago that was a normal school kitchen, but now all of this is being prepared to feed ukrainian soldiers, and people displaced by the fighting. the lady in charge told me she can't believe they are doing this, but it's a massive collective effort to provide the food and to make it here at the school. this classroom is now home for a family from kharkiv. safe, but stranded, with nowhere else to go. svetla na talks of the terrifying sound of russian fighterjets, but also of friends in russia itself, who tell her ukraine provoked this war and who claim even now that no civilians are suffering. "that really hurts", svetla na says. her niece's world has shrunk to this. it is safe for now, but katya's learned it can be

shattered in an instant. sarah rainsford, bbc news. meanwhile, in russia, president putin has claimed the country will emerge stronger from international sanctions. in a televised video conference mr putin said western governments were deceiving their own people, and russia would calmly solve its problems. here's our russia editor, steve rosenberg. i think this is wishful thinking on vladimir putin's part, because this tsunami of international sanctions hitting russia threatens to quit —— cripple the economy here. today president putin said, we will adapt, we will overcome, we will take measures against those foreign companies pulling out of russia, raising fears of nationalisation, seizing of assets. but is that really the solution to russia's problem right now. a russian oligarch,

one of the richest men in russia, wrote today that those kind of measures would put russia back 100 years, back to 1917, the time of the russian revolution. now, when vladimir putin came to power more than 20 years ago, the one thing that he promised russians was sustainability, and four years after he cultivated the image of mr stability, the only man in a country capable of keeping russia together. but that stability is gone now, it has been shattered, by president putin's decision to send troops into a sovereign nation, into ukraine, for what he still calls a special military operation. the russian owner of chelsea football club, roman abramovich, is among another seven people who've been hit with uk sanctions because of their suspected close links to president putin. the decision means that although chelsea can still play matches, the sale of the club is on hold, and it's now banned from selling tickets, players, and any merchandise. the mobile phone company three

has said it is suspending its sponsorship with the club. assad ahmad gave us this update from chelsea's grounds. well, there is a huge amount of interest in what is happening here at chelsea. just one week ago, roman abramovich, the ownerfor nearly 20 ago, roman abramovich, the owner for nearly 20 years, said he was going to sell the club. that quite a number of chelsea fans by surprise, they were not necessarily shocked, it is because of events in ukraine stop in the days that followed, a number of billionaires stepped forward saying that they would be interested in buying the club, then today the government to slap some sanctions on mr ivanovich, which means he is not allowed to sell the club as of yet. —— mr roman abramovich. other implications of those sections mean the club's shop has to remain closed. you might think thatis remain closed. you might think that is not a big deal, the club shop being close, but it is the significance of it, that mr roman abramovich is not allowed to benefit from a single pound made in that club shop. so that has to remain

closed until further notice. shop. so that has to remain closed untilfurther notice. as far as the team are concerned, travel costs for away games are being capped at £20,000. that sounds like a lot of money, not when you have to move a ton of players, backroom staff, physiotherapists and managers, to away games, including in new york and france, next week. lots of people will be wondering, what is happening behind the scenes at the club itself be affecting the players? we will find out soon enough. players? we will find out soon enou:h. �* , ., enough. let's return to the situation — enough. let's return to the situation in _ enough. let's return to the situation in ukraine. - enough. let's return to the situation in ukraine. i- enough. let's return to the situation in ukraine. i want enough. let's return to the i situation in ukraine. i want to show you what the scene in kyiv looks like right now. it is in the early hours of the morning, as you can see there are very quiet on the streets, and in ukraine's capital, close to 2 million people, nearly half its population, have fled the city. she has has been turned into a fortress, every street and building and at every checkpoint. russian forces are edging closer to kyiv, with reports of titles between ukrainian troops for controls

of the main highway which leads there you are now says more than 2 million people across ukraine have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries. that is all from us on newsday. hello. the last couple of days, the weather really has been quite good. beautiful, sunny skies for some of us, particularly across eastern parts of the uk. but things are going to turn now — the cloud you can see on the satellite picture is a weather front, it's approaching. it means rain, wind, and really, that's how it'll be over the next few days. so through the early hours of the morning, the outbreaks of rain are reaching western parts of the uk. even ahead of it, we have some rain across scotland and parts of england. but generally speaking, it is a dry night and early morning. very, very mild, 8—10 celsius in many areas. then quickly through the morning, the rain becomes quite heavy in southwestern parts of england, through wales, the midlands. the rain will reach wales and eventually southwestern scotland, too, and through the afternoon, i think many of us will have

had at least some rain. now through the afternoon or so, it'll brighten up across wales and southwestern parts of england. sunshine and showers here the second half of the day. there could be some thunderstorms, too, and on top of that, the winds will strengthen. but you can see it across the uk — it is a real mixed bag, i think, through friday and into friday night. now saturday, we see another area of low pressure with new fronts approaching us — this, once again, spells heavy rain initially for western parts of the uk. but in the southwest, as this low pressure increases, you can see strong winds blowing around it, and we could be talking about gusts of 60—70mph around the isles of scilly and the tip of cornwall. so really very blustery, even quite stormy weather for a time here. but elsewhere eastern parts of the country on saturday — look at that, newcastle, hull, london —— fine, sunshine. breezy, yes, but at least you'll have the sunshine. and then come sunday, that low pressure really spreads across the country. it'll become windy elsewhere, gale force winds around some of the coasts, but there will be plenty of sunny

spells occasionally interrupted by some heavy showers brought in by those strong winds. so, yes, there'll be some sunshine around through the weekend, but there'll be blustery winds around, too, and heavy showers, with temperatures hovering around 12 celsius or so. how about next week? well, we're expecting the temperatures to rise even as high as 17—18 celsius, at least temporarily, in southwestern parts of the uk. so the southerly winds will bring milder but changeable weather.

this is bbc news. we will have the headlines and all the main stories for you at the top of the hour, straight after this programme. another extraordinary week, where history has just unfolded in front of our eyes, and you just feel it when you are watching lyse doucet on the news.