this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories: barricades on the outskirts of kyiv, where they're preparing for an assault, possibly within days. president zelensky was asked about it today and he said if the russians, if president putin is determined to take care of, he will have to raise the city to the ground. —— raze. we hear from the young ukrainian recruits at the checkpoints they'll be defending. satellite imagery shows some of the damage in the city of mariupol, where there are claims russian troops are stopping people from leaving. and making music amidst the madness: we talk to some of the violinists trying to raise money for the people of ukraine.

hello and welcome to bbc news. first this hour, more fighting has been taking place outside the ukrainian capital kyiv, where russian forces are around 15 miles — or 2a kilometres — from the centre of the city. british military intelligence believes those russian troops have been regrouping, possibly for a fresh offensive in the coming days. a military airfield was destroyed this morning near kyiv. the latest information about russian positions is shown here in red. outside the capital, the cities of chernihiv, sumy and kharkiv continue to be shelled, while the ukrainian military says the eastern outskirts of the besieged city of mariupol have been captured by russian troops. the city has endured days of shelling.

president zelensky says ukrainian and russian negotiating teams have started discussing what he called "concrete topics, rather than exchanging ultimatums". ourfirst report is from jeremy bowen, on the outskirts of kyiv. pictures of russian forces, time and place indeterminate, emerge from their side. among their potential targets here in kyiv, no—one knows their precise orders, but they're assuming an attack is coming. on the ukrainian side, they're trying to make checkpoints into real obstacles. the professionals are a few miles closer to the russians. the soldiers here are all volunteers. they are still expected to fight, even with only a few days training. just over a week ago, i met two university friends — maksym, aged 19, and demytro, 18 — as they signed up in kyiv. what are you studying?

i am studying economy. and i am studying biology. most of the recruits that day were about the same age, making jokes to hide their nerves. when they lined up outside, they looked as if they were off to a festival — except for the guns. now, demytro and maksym have been given uniforms, three days training and they are facing the russians. get used to my gun, i learned how to shoot and act in the battle, also many other things that will be very crucial during the fight with some russians. i feel much more confident than i was before. because we get enough knowledge in tactics.

do you think the battle is coming for kyiv? yes, it is definitely possible. but we just have to stop them here in brovary, because if they get to kyiv, then this war might be over. what do your parents think about what you're doing? "mum, i'm on the war. "i am fighting with a gun in my hands," and she said, "oh, maksym..." "nice joke." "don'tjoke with your mother, it's war. "just sit in the shelter and do your work, volunteer "or do something else." do you feel scared? not much, but it is human nature to feel scared and of course, deeply in my soul, ifeel a bit scared. because no—one wants to die — even if it's for your country — so, death is not an option for us.

for now, they are on the checkpoint. if the russians come, they will be firing out of a trench in the war�*s key battle. war always has a political, as well as a military dimension. while president zelensky and his government are here in kyiv, no—one can say that they have been defeated, even if they are losing territory elsewhere. at the same time, president putin cannot claim victory in this war if his men can't take this city. everyone here is waiting — soldiers, civilians in and out of uniform, and maksym and demytro. jeremy bowen, bbc news, kyiv. our chief international correspondent lyse doucet is also in kyiv to give us a sense of the mood tonight in the ukrainian capital. it's bitterly cold and it has been a night of more constant

and loud explosions. when the curfew came into force at eight o'clock local time, that's 18 hours gmt, usually every night there is some explosions, when night falls, we see both explosions but here explosions in the distance and we sometimes see the surface to air missiles streaking across the skies by the ukrainian forces. tonight, it was far nausea, much louder, more constant, like rolling thunder, for a very long time, and that confirms what we know, but fighting is intensifying on the outskirts of the city and in some places as close as 12 miles to the east, that's about eight miles, and we understand that in earp in which used to be a charming suburb on the outskirts of kyiv, it's now flattened and blackened by days and days of russian artillery fire and showing —— irpin. that's the place where our viewers may remember the heart—wrenching images of the

residents of irpin crossing the rickety bridge made of planks and pipes, the ukrainians had destroyed the main bridge to stop the russians from advancing. but there is now fierce fighting for control of a town which is the gateway to this capital. no—one is in any doubt that kyiv is in moscow's sites. perhaps people hoped against hope that diplomacy that you heard about might make some progress to cause the russians to pull back but they've been inching forward since the start of the invasion and are getting ever closer. they are not in the centre of the capital, it will still take a long time, but it is clear thatis a long time, but it is clear that is their intent so you feel the mood here is more ominous, greaterforeboding but you also hear the defiance of the ukrainians will fight, president zelensky was asked about it today and he said if the russians, if president putin is determined to take kyiv, he will have to raze the city to the ground. a£111" kyiv, he will have to raze the city to the ground. our thanks

to these descent. _ —— our thanks to lyse doucet. a senior ukrainian minister says around 13,000 people were evacuated from a number of ukrainian cities on saturday, almost twice the number who were able to get out on the day before. but she said no—one had managed to leave the besieged port of mariupol and blamed obstruction by russian forces. 0ur reporter leana hosea is here. thank you very much for coming in and he will speak to us about some of the latest developments there and you can see there on the map the crucial city port on the south of the country, the sight of some of the worst fighting so far, what updates do you have? yes, concern is really rising residents in the black sea port of mariupol and we are getting satellite images now that have been taken over the black sea port which showed neighbourhoods, whole neighbourhoods, whole neighbourhoods really badly damaged, images taken on saturday by the private us satellite company maxar shows fires burning in the industrial

district of western maria poll. ———— mariupol. just taking a look at these pictures as they show up, yes. yes, that was, here is the industrial site, as you can see, fires burning and before that was a field with, you know, obviously a crater in the middle of it but as you can see just the middle of it but as you can seejust nine months the middle of it but as you can see just nine months ago, the middle of it but as you can seejust nine months ago, last june, the satellite took images over mariupol and you can see what was once a neighbourhood with a football pitch which just weeks ago may have been the scene of fun and games and now there is smoke billowing out of it from telling. there is also, we should be able to see, these were apartment, high—rise apartment blocks that amongst trees. these were people's homes on the other side of the road and now, blackened, smoking wasteland. this image we should have coming up here is of a hospital in mariupol, it was lastjune, and now you can see is clearly

damaged. ukrainian authorities have said the russian military has captured the city's eastern outskirts and an mp from president zelensky�*s party says russia, though, is still not in full control, obviously, of the city. full control, obviously, of the ci . ., ., . city. today, we have which conceived _ city. today, we have which conceived information - city. today, we have which l conceived information saying that — conceived information saying that our _ conceived information saying that our troops have managed to rebel_ that our troops have managed to rebel russian attacks and russian _ rebel russian attacks and russian troops are not yet occupied mariupol, it continues to struggle, but the price may be very— to struggle, but the price may be very high in terms of civilian— be very high in terms of civilian lives because russia is showing and targeting deliberately familiar objects and civilian populations. difficult details to hear, i suppose, and those images were striking, won't they? talk us through the humanitarian situation, leana. humanitarian urou -s situation, leana. humanitarian grouns are _ situation, leana. humanitarian groups are calling _ situation, leana. humanitarian groups are calling it _ groups are calling it apocalyptic. mariupol has been under siege for a week now, they have run out of water, they have run out of water, they have run out of food and there are reports of looting on

there are reports of looting on the street. it's freezing now and there is no heating, where hearing reports of aid agencies talking about dead bodies from the various bombardments just in the street, in —— and neighbours having to dig graves in their own gardens to bury their neighbours so really, a desperate situation. people also dying from lack of medication, they have existing conditions and cannot access their medication and obviously, both sides lambing the other, the wider humanitarian corridor has not worked and why they have not been able to get those civilians out.— civilians out. that is the situation _ civilians out. that is the situation and _ civilians out. that is the situation and thank - civilians out. that is the situation and thank you | civilians out. that is the - situation and thank you very much for talking us to read. —— talking us through it. president putin has held talks with the leaders of france and germany about the situation in ukraine. let's get more from our europe editor, katya adler. in french and german officials it is difficult, vladimir putin is not open to realistic conditions for a ceasefire and the kremlin says they used the opportunity to complain about

alleged human rights abuses by ukrainians on russian soldiers, so you could say well, you know, what is the point of these conversations? what went on in those 75 minutes? emmanuel macron has held about ten of these calls already since russia invaded ukraine, he has been criticised by some at home and abroad about being naive or arrogant or played by moscow and i put it to him a few days ago and he said these calls are not a whim of his. they are co—ordinated with all of the western allies so he and france, like 0laf scholz in germany, they are imposing sanctions on russia, they are supporting the military in ukraine but, they say, in case vladimir putin looks for that offramp, if he is ready for a ceasefire, when he is available to talk, negotiate realistically, then it is important to keep these lines of communication open and ready and so, emmanuel macron has said you know, these calls to the kremlin will continue.

katya adler with the european perspective. this is bbc news. the headlines: fighting is intensifying near the ukrainian capital of kyiv, where they're preparing for an assault, possibly within days. satellite imagery shows some of the damage in the city of mariupol. the ukrainian government says it was unable to evacuate citizens again on saturday. president zelensky says about 1,300 ukrainian troops have been killed since the start of russia's invasion. he told journalists in kyiv that far larger numbers of russian soldiers had died, perhaps ten times as many, but those figures can't be verified. as russian forces continued to shell kyiv, mr zelensky said they'd have to destroy the capital and its population to occupy it. 0ur security correspondent frank gardner has this assessment of russian's military strategy.

it looks like, and it feels like, the beginning of the endgame — although who knows how long that's going to last? if we look at the map here on day 17, the red areas are where russian forces have taken control. in the south, they continue to make advances. they are pushing to the north—west. in the north is where the real battle is going to be fought. that's for the capital, kyiv, around here. now, you remember that great big russian armoured column that was stuck for days north of the capital? most of that has redeployed into the forests, to the north—west, moving their artillery and rocket systems within range of the capital, looking to encircle it. if president putin can't take kyiv, then his war has failed. and that appears to be what he is determined to do, is to capture the capital. but it's not going to be an easy battle. and who knows when that assault is actually going to begin? a direct hit on a russian armoured column as it advances on the capital, kyiv. western supplied anti—tank weapons have slowed the russian advance, but they

haven't stopped it. in the air, russian warplanes remain wary of ukraine's air defences. but they have the advantage of numbers on their side. the latest pentagon assessment is that the russian air force is flying an average of 200 missions a day, compared tojust ten for the ukrainians. now, some of those russian sorties don't even need to cross into ukrainian airspace. they can fire their cruise missiles from inside russian territory. this is what they're up against, western supplied missile systems, plus some old soviet—era stock. the ukrainians have shot down a number of russian helicopters and planes. russia has threatened to start targeting the supply of western weaponry. meanwhile, the pentagon has dismissed fears that some of these weapons could end up with criminals and terrorists. "we believe that risk is worth taking," says a us defence official, "because the ukrainians are fighting so skilfully with the tools at their disposal, and they're using them so creatively."

president putin has made it clear what he intends to do with any anti—aircraft missiles his forces captured from the ukrainians. "i support the possibility," he says, "of giving these to the military units "of the lugansk and donetsk people's republics. "please do this." the kremlin's position towards ukraine has barely moved since the day this invasion began, two and a half weeks ago. "this war can stop when you want it to, "you just need to lay down your arms, surrender, "give in to all our demands and forget about being a part "of western europe." frank gardner, bbc news. i'm joined now by professor carla martinez machain. she's an expert in international conflict and professor of political science at kansas state university. thanks very much for coming on the programme.— the programme. thank you for havin: the programme. thank you for having me _ the programme. thank you for having me on. _ the programme. thank you for having me on. i— the programme. thank you for having me on. i suppose - the programme. thank you for having me on. i suppose therej having me on. i suppose there is a consensus _ having me on. i suppose there is a consensus now— having me on. i suppose there is a consensus now that - having me on. i suppose there is a consensus now that we . having me on. i suppose there l is a consensus now that we have seen from the russian forces,

and underperformance, ukrainian forces have over performed, where does that leave us now, many are now worry that this could be leading president putin, forcing him into even more extreme measures in the days and weeks to come. when you think we are? i days and weeks to come. when you think we are?— you think we are? i think you are correct — you think we are? i think you are correct in _ you think we are? i think you are correct in that _ you think we are? i think you are correct in that what - you think we are? i think you are correct in that what we . are correct in that what we have seen is the ukrainian military has performed better than many would have expected, i believe better than president putin expected, i think he believed this to be a quick walk, a quick invasion to achieve his military aims more effectively. and we have seen that with defence on their side and as well as morale on the side, the ukrainians have been able to hold out the russians better than we — some would have expected. just because the russians have run into logistical problems at the beginning of their invasion, that doesn't mean they won't be able to solve those problems or, as you mentioned, that

president putin might be willing to escalate, including potentially continuing to target civilian targets in the context of the invasion. i5 context of the invasion. is there any consensus now about what president putin's end game actually is? what the overall goal is? i actually is? what the overall coal is? ~ actually is? what the overall coal is?

east of the country, you might not need to do that. yes. and i don't think _ not need to do that. yes. and i don't think he _ not need to do that. yes. and i don't think he will— not need to do that. yes. and i don't think he will be _ don't think he will be satisfied with just annexing that part of the government and leaving the government in place. at least that is not what is most desired outcome is. you might be forced into that position, but they don't think that it is most desired outcome. think that it is most desired outcome-— outcome. interesting. let's move the — outcome. interesting. let's move the nato _ outcome. interesting. let's move the nato side - outcome. interesting. let's move the nato side of- outcome. interesting. let's move the nato side of this. what do you think, is there a potential tipping point that would see more involvement, whether you see it at the moment? fist whether you see it at the moment?— whether you see it at the moment? �* , ,., ., ., whether you see it at the moment? �* , ., ., moment? at this point nato has made it clear _ moment? at this point nato has made it clear from _ moment? at this point nato has made it clear from the - made it clear from the secretary general that they are not willing to enforce a no—fly zonein not willing to enforce a no—fly zone in ukraine, but at the same time, the us and other nato members are deploying to them all of those have received an increase in us military forces, and that is essentially setting up a tripwire, whereas putin keeps the invasion going further west, potentially into nato countries, that would trigger an involvement by the

us and by other nato members as well. �* ,., us and by other nato members as well. �* ., . ., , well. and so far, clearly, we're not _ well. and so far, clearly, we're not anywhere - well. and so far, clearly, we're not anywhere near| well. and so far, clearly, - we're not anywhere near that the moment. sanctions have been the moment. sanctions have been the main response. what do you think putin's reaction internally will be to those things and so far?- things and so far? well, i think this _ things and so far? well, i think this sanctions - things and so far? well, i think this sanctions have | things and so far? well, i - think this sanctions have been escalating and so already we are seeing them have some harm on the russian economy, especially those sanctions on the russian central bank, they are not allowing them to access their foreign are not allowing them to access theirforeign reserves. but at this point putin is still relying on the support of an inner circle. not all of this inner circle. not all of this inner circle. not all of this inner circle are these oligarchs that we see that have assets in europe, but he also has what one of my colleagues refers to as strongman, all of these people that also have their assets in russia that are being yet harmed as much by the sanctions. so he has called them an act of war, he has

reacted against them, but they are not at the point yet where they are stopping him. qm. they are stopping him. 0k, professor _ they are stopping him. 0k, professor carla _ they are stopping him. 0k, professor carla martinez machain, thank you very much for coming on the programme. thank you. let's get some of the day's other news. in iraq, the state news agency says the city of irbil has been hit by several missiles. video on social media shows several large explosions in the vicinity of the american consulate. no casualties were reported. irbil is the capital of the autonomous kurdish region, in northern iraq. this the saudi authorities have executed 81 men — the largest number of executions carried out there in a single day. the saudis say the men were guilty of serious crimes, including murder and rape, but activists estimate half of them belonged to the marginalised shia minority. a soviet—era scouting drone has crashed near the croatian capital, zagreb. authorities there say it's not clear who launched the military drone, which apparently flew from ukraine across hungary, without being intercepted by nato. investigators will examine the black box of the drone, which narrowly missed a student

dormitory when it crashed a group of top international violinists from 29 countries have collaborated on a video performance to raise money for the plight of ukrainians. let's take a listen. violin music plays earlier, my colleague lukwesa burak spoke to the violinist illia bondarenko in ukraine, whom you saw playing at the start of that video

performance, and kerenza peacock, who told us how the war inspired her to create the project. on the day putin invaded ukraine was going about my normal day as a violinist and was about to run errands, and i thoughtjust was about to run errands, and i thought just a was about to run errands, and i thoughtjust a horrific thought just a horrific situation, thoughtjust a horrific situation, wonder what my fellow violinists are doing in ukraine, so a randomly defended —— befriended some in ukraine. ended up talking to a whole bunch of violinist there who said they were all practising their scales, said they were all practising theirscales, but said they were all practising their scales, but without going to work out how to arm themselves. just thought it was a horrific situation and they ended up getting in touch with illia, who was sheltering in his basement, and that is how this whole idea came about. practising scales are not the best of fun, are they, they might as well put them to use, illia, i wonder rating come to you, what did you think when reached out to you? i you, what did you think when reached out to you?- reached out to you? i was really impressed, - reached out to you? i was| really impressed, because reached out to you? i was -

really impressed, because they dhint— really impressed, because they didn't expect she would ever see the _ didn't expect she would ever see the video on my instagram with— see the video on my instagram with my— see the video on my instagram with my string quarter and asked _ with my string quarter and asked me if i am safe, my health. _ asked me if i am safe, my health, and i was really surprised and impressed and grateful— surprised and impressed and grateful for her and she offered me that idea to make that video, that project. it is wonderful. gf that video, that pro'ect. it is warmth that video, that pro'ect. it is wonderful. , ., , wonderful. of course, there has been a particular— wonderful. of course, there has been a particular music - wonderful. of course, there has been a particular music video i been a particular music video that has gone viral, that was vera, who was playing to lift the spirits of those in bomb shelters in ukraine. have either of you reached out to her or heard from her? trio. her or heard from her? no, actually. — her or heard from her? no, actually. i _ her or heard from her? no, actually, i think— her or heard from her? no, actually, i think we - her or heard from her? no, actually, i think we had - actually, i think we had already collected our videos for this when that came into the news. i have not got her contact details but i would

love her tojoin contact details but i would love her to join with us on something. love her to 'oin with us on something.— love her to 'oin with us on something. love her to 'oin with us on somethin. , ., ., something. maybe we can arrange it. how something. maybe we can arrange it- how much _ something. maybe we can arrange it. how much money _ something. maybe we can arrange it. how much money has - something. maybe we can arrange it. how much money has been - it. how much money has been raised so far i don't know if it is kerenza or illia who has a figure for us? we it is kerenza or illia who has a figure for us?— a figure for us? we have actually _ a figure for us? we have actually been _ a figure for us? we have actually been during - a figure for us? we have actually been during the| a figure for us? we have - actually been during the links to a lot of different charities, now our youtube video we are donating to the un refugee agency and i think we only put the donate button on the and i think we have a few thousand dollars. so, yeah, we are encouraging people to give where they can enter the international rescue committee as well. that was my colleague lukwesa burak _ as well. that was my colleague lukwesa burak asking - as well. that was my colleague lukwesa burak asking the - lukwesa burak asking the questions there. let's show you the scene in kyiv right now. it is pretty early in the morning, coming up to 3:30am. the city breaks there. russian troops are within 25 kilometres of the capital. that is it from me. i am lewis

vaughanjones. you can get me on social media. this is bbc news. bye—bye. hello there. cloud, wind, and rain moving in from the southwest will dominate over the next few hours. it's an area of low pressure that will gradually sit towards the west of northern ireland, that's where we will see the strongest of the winds and perhaps the heaviest of the rain throughout the day this sunday. elsewhere, there is a weak weather front which will produce some showery rain through central and eastern scotland and eastern england first thing. that will ease away, sunshine comes through and a scattering of showers across england and wales, some of them heavy and thundery. the sharper showers, the most frequent rain likely to be to the northwest, that's where we will see the strongest of the winds as well, 50—60 mph gusts not out of the question. windierfor all of us through sunday, top temperatures though 9—13 celsius. if you dodge the showers and keep a little bit more sunshine, that will feel pleasant enough. now, as we move out of sunday into monday, start a new working week,

we are likely to see this weather front here bringing some outbreaks of rain to begin with, but on the whole, it's an improving picture. much lighter winds on monday, that means with the sunshine coming through, it will feel noticeably warmer out there. so the rain quite light and patchy, and it will drift its way steadily eastwards and fragment further into the afternoon. more cloud for scotland but generally sunny spells, a few isolated showers, lighter winds and highs of 1a degrees on monday. now, with some clearer skies, we could see some patchy mist and maybe some fog forming first thing on tuesday morning. it's going to be a chilly start on tuesday. the fog will lift, we will have sunshine coming through, not a bad day, largely dry with light winds for all of us, and again, pleasant enough, 1a degrees the high. wednesday, the middle part of the week, looks likely to be the day where some of us will see some rain at some point, and some of it quite heavy in actualfact. now, to the south of this weather front, it could turn very mild indeed with more of a southerly flow across eastern and south—east england. so, here, 16 degrees not out of the question, but some of that rain really could be quite heavy, and behind those weather fronts, up into the far northwest, here, it will be noticeably cooler, 8—9 celsius the overall high. so, that's how we are looking

through the middle part of the week. let's just summarise that for you one more time. it looks likely that our week ahead will be largely dry with lighter winds and mild, but looks likely that on wednesday, there will be some rain for all of us at some point. take care.

this is bbc news.

the headlines: furtherfighting has been taking place outside the ukrainian capital kyiv, where russian forces are around 25 kilometres from the centre of the city. british military intelligence believes those russian troops have been regrouping, possibly for a fresh offensive that could happen in the coming days. a senior ukrainian minister says around 13,000 people were evacuated from a number of ukrainian cities on saturday — almost twice the number who were able to get out the day before. but no—one managed to leave the besieged port of mariupol, blocked by russian forces. in iraq, the state news agency says the city of erbil has been hit by several missiles. video on social media shows several large explosions in the vicinity of the american consulate. no casualties were reported. erbil is the capital of the autonomous kurdish region in northern iraq.

now on bbc news, a special edition of ukrainecast