taras, obviously watching me now. taras, obviously those are the _ watching me now. taras, obviously those are the explanations - watching me now. taras, obviously those are the explanations that - watching me now. taras, obviously. those are the explanations that were given by the organisers. we have seen music feature so strongly in different aspects of this conflict, whether it is a violinist in bomb shelters or pianists playing before leaving their home. why do you think music is so important?— leaving their home. why do you think music is so important? because music can exnress- — music is so important? because music can express. because _ music is so important? because music can express. because music— music is so important? because music can express. because music can - can express. because music can impress. music is a very powerful tool to extend the message and to make emotion. through the music, you can say very important words, through the melody, through the harmonies, through the words, through the lyrics of the song. 50 you need to play the music to talk

with all of the people, all around the world. because music is international, too. just because of this, we wanted to take part in this show, to send the message. music is very powerful. _ show, to send the message. music is very powerful. but — show, to send the message. music is very powerful, but also _ show, to send the message. music is very powerful, but also social - show, to send the message. music is very powerful, but also social medial very powerful, but also social media is very powerful, because that video went viral. , ., is very powerful, because that video went viral. , . �* , is very powerful, because that video went viral. , ., �* , ., ., is very powerful, because that video went viral. , ., �* , �* went viral. yes, and it's good. and i want to thank _ went viral. yes, and it's good. and i want to thank you, _ went viral. yes, and it's good. and i want to thank you, the _ went viral. yes, and it's good. and i want to thank you, the european | i want to thank you, the european media, the media of united kingdom, for helping us and giving ukrainian message to the world. the russian propaganda is very strong and our war is not so strong, but with your help we can talk this all over the world. and it is very important. thank you so much for this. taras,

thank ou thank you so much for this. taras, thank you very _ thank you so much for this. taras, thank you very much _ thank you so much for this. taras, thank you very much for _ thank you so much for this. taras, thank you very much for your - thank you so much for this. taras, | thank you very much for your time. lead singer of the band antytila. and do stay safe as well. thank you. this is bbc news. the headlines... the us government tries to clarify president biden�*s comments about vladimir putin remaining in power — saying it is not america's job to force him out. as the destruction continues, in a late—night video address, president zelensky urges western countries to supply more planes, tanks, and missile defence systems. officials in colombia says foo fighters' drummer taylor hawkins who died at the age of 50, had 10 different kinds of drugs in his body when he died in a hotel room in the capital bogota on saturday. and the wait is nearly over for this year's oscar nominees — the academy awards ceremony

will be getting under way in hollywood later. now on bbc news, ukraine: reporting from the frontlines. as this conflict enters its fourth week, a staggering 10 million people, a quarter of ukraine's population, have been forced to leave their homes, according to the un. whilst the damage inflicted here has been catastrophic, russia's initial strategy of lightning strike attacks has failed to topple city after city. this is now a war of attrition, with russian troops launching long—range missile attacks to devastating effect, while ukrainian fighters try to cut their supply lines.

the conflict has now been raging for 26 days, and kyiv is under a new curfew. at least eight people are killed after the city is struck by a series of explosions. russian forces continue to hit hard from outside the city but large areas around kyiv remain under ukrainian control. orla guerin meets the territorial defence recruits now training for urban combat as they prepare to defend the capital. the key target is kyiv. and in the forest on the outskirts, its defenders are preparing for battle. their instructor is a georgian who fought the russians during the war in his homeland in 2008. the concern here is not that russia can surround or capture kyiv, but that it may avenge itself

on the city. i am not sure they will be able to besiege kyiv because it is a long city, there is a lot of defence and it would be really hard to encircle it. what i really do afraid is that, out of weakness, out of despair, because they are losing this war, they will destroy it as much as possible, because of hate. then time to get into position behind the sniper sights. alex has been a hunter since boyhood. he is unflinching and unapologetic about his new wartime role hunting the enemy. it is our motherland and we must defend it. in this case, i think it is no difference between animals, which i try to shoot, and animals which come here to kill our people, kill our children,

destroy our buildings and destroy our life at all. ukraine unequivocally rejects a russian deadline for its forces to stop fighting in the besieged port city of mariupol. the humanitarian situation has become increasingly desperate. bodies are being buried in the streets and hundreds of thousands remain trapped with little food, water or power. some do manage to escape, and head for safety. wyre davies meets the families who have made the 200 milejourney to the city of dnipro. nearly everyone who leaves mariupol in cars packed with families arrives here with absolutely nothing at all. and it's to places like this they come, waiting patiently for the very basics — food, clothes, and medicines. some will stay in dnipro,

and for others it is the start of a long journey. as they escaped mariupol, some are told by russian soldiers to keep going as this city too would soon be under attack. "we were driving out under fire," says olga, "shells exploding, they were bombing us and there were dead bodies everywhere." the un says there are 6.5 million displaced people inside ukraine alone. this city and this community are doing their part to make that tra nsistion less traumatic. as russia puts more pressure on ukraine, the authorities in moscow are only too aware of the economic and financial pressure being felt by millions of russians. international sanctions are biting already, for example russia's largest airport, sheremetyevo, here in moscow, today it furloughed 20% of its workers.

last week, it shut down two of its terminals and took one runway out of service, and that is because passenger traffic has plunged because of sanctions. from flights to food, or rather food shortages, fearing that sanctions could push russia into recession, shoppers have been stocking up big time on essentials. the result — sugar has sold out. it's very difficult to find sugar right now here in moscow and a lot of the supermarkets are now limiting the sale of other essentials like vegetable oil, flour and salt, although russian's deputy prime minister today said no need for panic buying, we have all the sugar we need, all the buckwheat we need for everyone. the other thing, by the way, in short supply right now is diplomatic niceties. today the us ambassador in moscow was summoned to the russian foreign ministry and he was told that comments by president biden, who recently described vladimir putin.

as a war criminal, were not appreciated and those remarks had pushed bilateral relations to the verge of collapse. frustrated in their advance towards kyiv, russian forces are trying to create a land route towards the historic port city of odesa, a strategic target along the southern coastline. the city is bolstering its defences. now odesa is well prepared for defence, and local authorities do everything they can. of course, there is a lack of some equipment, may be, for military, but all the time humanitarian aid from other countries comes to odesa and to ukraine, to the whole of ukraine and also odesa now has time, due to mykolaiv, its defenders.

this is the city to the north and east. they deterred the russians quite successfully, so we have time to prepare better, even better. much of ukraine's imports and exports come through the southern city of odesa. it is crucial to the country's economy. now, if russia were to capture it, they would gain a strategic foothold in the south of ukraine, cutting off access to the black sea. across the country, the ukrainian response remains robust. the town of voznesens'k, a potential land route for the russians towards odesa, saw off a ferocious attack by the russian army. many residents have managed to escape, but andrew harding meets the town's defenders ready to stand their ground once more.

security cameras captured the moment russian tanks rolled into town, determined to seize the bridge and beyond it, a clear road across southern ukraine. but the locals were already setting a trap. all hands on deck. blocking off roads, guiding the russians into an ambush. distant gunfire. a local shopkeeper, alexander, filmed himself on the front lines. "you little beauties," he shouts. "it was a colossal effort by the whole town," he says. "we used hunting rifles, people threw bricks, old women loaded sandbags, the russians did not know where to look. i've never seen the community come together like that." as the invaders approached the bridge, the locals blew it up. at which point, these british anti—tank weapons played a decisive role.

the ukrainians destroyed almost every russian vehicle, denying them the chance to seize the town and to rebuild the bridge. tank tracks still marks this garden. her outhouse took a direct hit. she says the russians took two ukrainian soldiers prisoner in there, and she feared they were going to kill them, but then the battle got out of hand. that is the blood of russian soldiers who were sheltering in her house. it may be russia's heaviest defeat so far, their troops retreating far to the east. this town, this community achieved something remarkable here, but we need to put it in perspective — this war is only a few weeks old, and the russians will almost

certainly be back, with more soldiers and a lot more firepower. "we know we can't win here without more anti—tank weapons," says yevheni velichko. "we are grateful for western supplies, but we need more. we know the russians will be back." back for the bridge and back for the town that stood its ground. the 28th day of this conflict and there are signs, for the first time, of ukrainian forces going on the offensive. the government says its troops have retaken the town of makariv to the west of kyiv. among the foreign fighters arriving here to support ukraine are belarusian dissidents. thousands have arrived here after the disputed re—election of the belarusian leader alexander lukashenko in 2020.

gunfire. for the dissidents, this is a battle against both putin's forces and the regime of lukashenko which has heavily backed moscow. michael lowen meets some of the recruits in warsaw preparing for the journey. pavel kulazhanka came back from his life in new york to battle kremlin's forces who are supported by president lukashenko of belarus. without independent and free ukraine, there is no independence for belarus. i really admire ukrainian nation. from the very beginning, we supported ukrainians in their fight for freedom. and i'd like to have my belarusian nation to be as strong and powerful as ukrainians right now. do you think lukashenko will send belarusian troops into ukraine? i hope so because if he sends someone to ukrainian soil, we will destroy them on ukrainian territory first and then

we won't have a lot of problems with our comeback to our motherland. for these dissidents, it is in part a proxy war against a regime at home that has made belarus a launch pad for russian attacks on ukraine — 30,000 russian troops advancing from there to kyiv. they will also take in supplies and what they hope they won't have to use. and then a crash course in first aid by a polish veteran of afghanistan. the tourniquets and bandages of that vicious conflict now a part of life in europe. just hours before leaving, they are learning the vital lessons that could save their lives. when you look around, you can see that these are just ordinary guys mainly who are suddenly preparing for what it will be like entering a theatre of war when they cross tonight. so they head off to someone else�*s war which has become their own. slava ukraini!

they shout. both countries fighting the imperial oppressor. they travel from warsaw to war, hours first to the border. a final sip of safety before a crossing off limits to our camera. their sights set on victory for the two nations in arms. in southern ukraine, the residents of mariupol are still facing unimaginable conditions. their city is in ruins and is still under intense russian bombardment. if mariupol falls, it will give russia a land bridge between the east and crimea which russia annexed in 2014. those who have managed to escape the siege are now able to speak out. wyre davies meets a survivor of the russian attack on the city's theatre. mariia walked for four

days to escape mariupol. without money, a car orfamily, she has nothing. she is the first known survivor of the mariupol theatre attack to speak about what happened. translation: the theatre - was completely packed with people. there was no space to lie down. people were just sitting. it was clear that this was a shelter, people knew this, also, those massive signs saying children that were made on both sides of the theatre. where were you at the exact time of the attack? we were getting our breakfast and by breakfast i mean we were getting some boiled water. someone brought me some pieces of fish, i think, to feed the dogs. when they finished eating,

i went outside to the water tank to get a bowl of water for them. this is when the shell landed. i saw that it landed just where i'd been sitting. i was outside and survived only because there were some men nearby who heard the shell falling, grabbed me by the collar, pinned me between the ground and the wall and covered me with his body. we were sprayed with broken glass and concrete. i was stunned, probably even concussed, because i fell unconscious several times since. when the dust settled, i cleared my eyes, i saw injured people around. i tried to make my way inside. the dogs were the family for me. they were everything i had left. i could not find a way to get inside to at least find out whether they are alive or dead. i sincerely hope they died instantly. a month since the conflict began and leaders of the western military alliance nato meet in brussels to discuss what the world should do now.

putin was banking on nato being split. my early conversations with him in december and early january was clear to me that he didn't think we could sustain this cohesion. allies are also equipping ukraine with significant military supplies, including anti—tank and air defence systems and drones which are proving highly effective. volodymyr zelensky, who addressed nato leaders via video link, is asking for much more. translation: nato still has - to demonstrate that the alliance can do something to save people, to show that indeed it is the strongest defence alliance in the world. the world is waiting. ukraine is waiting for actual actions, proper safety guarantees. four long weeks of this bitter conflict and the city of kharkiv,

less than 25 miles from the border with russia, is facing relentless russian missile strikes and shelling, yet ukrainian troops remain resolute. quentin sommerville is with two ukrainian fighters who have been there since the beginning. a month ago, 22—year—old vlad went off to fight. he and fellow private mark have been here ever since. they have quickly grown comfortable with war�*s daily tempo. they have the upper hand in kharkiv. the first three days were the hardest, when they drove the russians out, but now their duties at the small base have fallen into a pattern. what are you fighting for? translation: for peace in ukraine. what about you, mark? translation: like my comrade just said, for peace in ukraine. l these people came to our land.

no—one was waiting for them here. no—one asked them to come. and what do you want to tell the russian soldiers thatare shelling you? run. we were not calling you here. run away. there is nothing else to say. either you stay here forever in the ground or you go back home and stop killing children and destroying homes and families. go back home while you are still alive. their steady determination, and a little help from western weaponry, have got them this far. it is time to head out to the front again. this, they say, is their land. they know these fields and villages better than the invaders. and here, amid the melting winter snows, they cover

every inch of ground. ukrainian mud is the defender�*s friend. mark's foxhole has room for one and offers just about enough protection from exploding russian shells. suddenly, on the horizon, there is movement. an enemy scouting party is spotted. gunfire the russians shoot back, but the danger here is artillery. mark tells us we have to move. the russians will definitely respond, he says, 100%. it is time to seek better cover. what is it like spending day

and night out in those tiny, tiny little trenches? translation: the shifts are long in the day. - but at night, when it is cold, we swap often. explosion translation: it's ok. you get used to it. explosion humans can adapt to everything. what's going on right now? they're targeting our position. explosion the shells begin to land all around us, only metres away. explosion you can see what they

are up against here. this is daily, but the steadfastness of these men is being felt notjust in kharkiv but around the world. four weeks of this, and still they remain. the russians haven't been able to break their lines, and this invasion might have come as a surprise to the rest of the world, but this is what they have been expecting and training for for years. unable to move, the shelling is relentless. explosion these bombardments are endless. explosion this is russia's tactic of choice. we are told for the third time that day to get into a nearby underground shelter. here, some sanctuary and a brief moment of respite for vlad and mark amid this unending chaos.

explosion a month into this war, ukrainian confidence is growing, not weakening. while russia stumbles, ukraine stands firm. russians are pretty determined to break these lines. are they going get past here? are they going to get past you and these men? translation: i think no. we will not surrender kharkiv. our loved ones have got our backs. they won't get through here. for many of ukraine's displaced, the country's trains have become a lifeline, the rescue express, the sight and sound of hope. fergal keane follows the rail workers who have helped to evacuate millions of people.

it is the sound of reassurance in a world of chaos — the rescue express, rolling through the night and the day from lviv to the warzones of the east and back. keeping these trains running, and running on time as they do, takes the work of so many people at all different levels on the railways. without them, it simply wouldn't have been possible to evacuate millions of people from the danger zone. many are railway veterans who started work in soviet times and are now rescuing people from their own home towns. translation: it is really terrifying. i i am from kharkiv, and my native

city is being bombed. i can feel it and i can see it, but i cannot believe it. dawn, and arrival at kyiv. the kryvospytska family are heading to lviv. translation: my heart is bleeding. i don't want to leave my home, but it is my duty to keep my children safe. when we will win the war, i will take them back home. grandad oleg hugs his wife olena, but he must stay behind to care for an elderly relative. the women carry the burdens of exile.

whistle the family reached lviv eight hours later, but they have already caught another rescue train west to peace and exile. ukraine is now in its fifth week of this russian invasion, and so far moscow has failed to grind down its defences or capture any major population centre. and with the relentless bombardment is happening in the north, it suggests russia is trying to force ukrainians into either accepting the terms of the surrender or witness the slow destruction of their country. debate is continuing in the international community on how to react to putin's

aggression and so much hangs on the balance. in this war, nothing remains certain for long.

this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. our top stories: the us government tries to clarify president biden's comments about vladimir putin remaining in power saying it is not america's job to force him out. as you know, and as you've heard us say repeatedly, we do not have a strategy of regime change in russia, or anywhere else for that matter. as the destruction of ukraine continues, president zelensky urges western countries to supply more planes, tanks, and missile defence systems. ukrainian military intelligence says moscow may be attempting to split the country into two parts, having failed to take the capital. officials in colombia say taylor hawkins, the drummer with the rock band

the foo fighters, who's died at the age of 50, used drugs before he died.