we have an extended report from eastern ukraine, where volunteer forces are facing some of the heaviest fighting of the war so far. they simply cannot let the russians through here. if they do, more ukrainian troops to the south in the donbas will be under threat. so they're hanging on for dear life here. we'll have more on the state of the conflict, and the analysis of the uk chief of defence staff. also tonight... borisjohnson, on a visit to northern ireland, accepts that the political deadlock there is a result of his brexit deal. a warning from the bank of england that rising food prices, partly because of the war in ukraine, could reach "apocalyptic" levels.

and blackpool�*s jake daniels becomes the first professional footballer in the uk men's game for three decades to come out as gay. and coming up in the sport on the bbc news channel... could arsenal get the win they needed against newcastle to move back into the champions league places? good evening. britain's most senior military officer has asserted that ukraine is winning the war against russia and has now secured its survival as an independent state. the chief of the defence staff, admiral sir tony radakin, was speaking as the ukrainian army reported making progress in the north. ukrainian forces have been retaking territory around the country's second biggest city, kharkiv, the target of heavy bombardment since the invasion

began in february. russian forces are now focusing on the donbas region further south, but they are continuing to meet fierce resistance. we start tonight with a special report from near the eastern city of izyum, known as the gateway to the donbas. our correspondent quentin sommerville and camera journalist darren conway have been on patrol with volunteer fighters of the territorial defence force. war descended suddenly on ukraine. along the eastern front, its men may be in bunkers but they do not cower here. three times in the last month, the russians have attacked this base with infantry and tanks, and three times they have been repelled. russian tanks strike on us directly from this position. another attack may be imminent. we are waiting for them for correct fire. so here they wait.

vladimir putin has turned their days into night and taken them away from theirfamilies. but, for the men of this territorial defence unit, this is now home. above their heads hangs a constant threat. the town they have dug under is all but abandoned, its people gone. orphaned pets have sought shelter here too. the men know it won't be long before the next attack. the commander tells me, "they far outnumber us but we are ukrainians and we are on our land. it doesn't matter how good the enemy are as soldiers, they don't have the support that we do from the people who live here." all of these men that you see are volunteers. many of them don't even have military training,

and they are not here manning checkpoints far from the front. they are right in the thick of things. on the outskirts of izyum, the gateway to the donbas, and they are learning pretty fast because they are up against the russian army. and that gives you a sense of how much ukraine is committing to this fight — everything it's got. explosion. above, a russian barrage is the signal — it's time to get to work. outside these walls, everything is in the line of fire, and these men face it daily. explosions. they need little reminder that, to the north, the majority of russia's forces are headquartered and, to the south, most of their ukrainian comrades.

their patrols and defence along this frontline keep these two mighty forces apart. loud explosions. the shells start landing closer as the russians adjust their aim. we heading back? so you get a sense of what russia's artillery and tanks can do to ukrainian homes. this is relentless. the reason that these men are holding on so tight here in these defensive positions is because they simply cannot let the russians through here. if they do, more ukrainian troops to the south in the donbas will be under threat. so they are hanging

on for dear life here. at the front, there's no bunker, but they are armed to the teeth. yuri, this is a volunteer battalion, these men were doing ordinary jobs before the war, and they are facing against russian tanks, russian heavy artillery, in direct fire — how are they managing to hold the russians off? our men, they are going... they fight. every day by this fire, you can watch it, because we believe that all the democratic countries, all the world will help us, and when we will take, we give modern weapon, these brave men, they can destroy completely the russian army. and we liberate all ukraine and we liberate all the world of russian gangster regime.

as the day grows long, it's time to pick up the pace. on open ground, there's no safe hiding place. pinned down, the route back is cut off by artillery fire, so through gardens and back yards they search for an escape. a soldier calls out, "leave this place as soon as possible", and it is here we find natasha, stubbornly hanging on. "do you need help leaving?", yuri asks her. translation: i don't have anyone here. - but she is defiant. this war wasn't her choice. it's as if she refuses to acknowledge it, even as russian shells soar overhead. let us go to her house, she invites us.

we can't go forward, can we? loud explosion. very close to us. very close to us, on our way. yuri tries to convince her to come with us. to stay risks death. translation: idon't- want to betray my husband, he's buried in the cemetery here. i won't leave him. we try, one last time. natasha, why don't you leave here? translation: because it's my home and i have nowhere to go. _ yuri implores her, "natasha, go to a nearby town, "they will help you there." translation: why? i got used to it now. he says, "we can help you, are you ready to be evacuated?" translation: ifi go there, what willl do next? -

off you go, guys, thank you. we have to leave, but natasha is told to pack her bags. they will come back for her when the shelling stops. despite the onslaught, the men pushed forward. loud explosions. this is what stalemate sounds like on the eastern front. and this is what it takes to keep the gateway to the donbas firmly shut. quentin somerville, bbc news, near izyum, ukraine. our diplomatic correspondent, james landale, is here. you mentioned earlier that the uk chief of defence staff has really expressed some optimism about the progress being made by the ukrainians in this conflict. why?

not because i think there is going to be some great breakthrough, as we saw the fighting as hard and brittle, but i think it is seen as settling down now is a conflict into something of a war of attrition. a few gains here, a few losses there, in other words the russians are getting bogged down. from the map, you see the initial russian plan was to encircle ukrainian forces in the donbas. those forces are fighting very hard and making it difficult for the russians to make gains. there have been counter events in the north near pushing back russian forces. the russians have been having such a bad time of it that western military sources now say vladimir putin is himself getting involved in tactical battlefield decisions, normally left tojunior decisions, normally left to junior command. decisions, normally left tojunior command. historically, that has rarely been a sign that things are going well, hence there is more of a mood swing in the diplomatic mood music. you have admiral sir tony radakin saying that ukraine is winning, that it secured its future

as an independent state. sweden today saying, we are going to follow finland injoining nato, albeit without the turks on site, and on top of that mcdonald's has announced its leaving russia for good. it's it's leaving russia for good. it's fair to say that none of this was in the vladimir putin playbook when he started this. , . , ., ., the vladimir putin playbook when he started this. , ., , ., ., ., started this. james landale, our diplomatic— started this. james landale, our diplomatic correspondent, - started this. james landale, our| diplomatic correspondent, thank started this. james landale, our- diplomatic correspondent, thank you. borisjohnson has accepted that the political deadlock in northern ireland is a result of the brexit deal that he approved and signed. after talks in belfast today, the prime minister told the bbc that the northern ireland protocol needed to be "fixed". the protocol keeps northern ireland aligned with the eu single market for trade in goods. the prime minister accused the eu of being "over—zealous" in its checks on goods moving from great britain to northern ireland. the european union says the uk should honour its obligations under the treaty. our political editor, chris mason, has the latest. lowden guitars in county down make instruments for ed sheeran, among plenty of others.

they import some of the things they to make them from the rest of the uk, and sell plenty back over the irish sea. the boss says the deal the prime minister did to deliver brexit has made business harder. we have had some of our most valued partners in england say, "look, these guitars, this administration, it's just too much work." so we have seen sales impacted there. but it is daunting, to have to fill out import documentation for something you never even had to think about before. and this is why businesses are having to adapt. when the uk left the european union, it was agreed that goods arriving in northern ireland from scotland, england and wales would be monitored to make sure they met eu standards. that's because northern ireland shares a land border with the republic of ireland, which is in the eu, and brussels doesn't want unchecked products ending up in what it calls its single market. but an open border on the island of ireland is seen as an essential part of the peace process. prime minister, do you accept

that the reality of what you're with here in northern ireland today is a direct consequence of the deal you signed? yes, absolutely. and i want to be clear that i think that the protocol has a lot to be said for it, and it's very important in the sense that it does guarantee that north—south trade. that's why we want to protect the protocol. but what we can't have is an arrangement that is unbalanced. help me out, then, here. you signed this deal. presumably you knew what was in it. what has changed since? i think it's very important to recognise that the protocol is a classic piece of brussels negotiation. which you signed up to. yes, and i signed up to it in good faith, imagining that it would not be interpreted in too draconian a way... are they acting in bad faith now? i think what they are doing is being overzealous in the way that it's being applied. earlier, the democratic unionist party, who hate the protocol, had

seen the prime minister and told him as much. clearly, we want a fully functioning executive. we want that to happen as soon as possible, and therefore we are looking now to the government. we've had the words. we now need to see the action. there are, though, plenty here who are relaxed about the protocol, and some are happy with it. sinn fein, who'd like a united ireland, won more seats than any other party in the elections the week before last. we had what we would describe as a fairly tough meeting - with the prime minister. we have put it to him very directly that the absolute priority- is about getting government working here in the north. l people are facing incredible difficulties in the midst - l of a cost of living crisis, and it's . simply not acceptable, it's not good enough, for anybody, _ the dup or the british government, to hold society here to ransom. you promised to get brexit done. isn't your trip here today

proof that you haven't? we've got an ongoing and dynamic relationship with our friends in the eu. you've not got brexit done. no, i disagree with that very much. but, chris, where you're right is that we have a residual issue. it's causing... in northern ireland, it's causing stresses and strains. back in county down, another guitar is finished, but the soundtrack and consequences of brexit can still be clearly heard. the prime minister emphasised he wants to do everything he possibly could to restore power sharing government here, and today was step one. tomorrow will be step two with a speech from the foreign secretary liz truss setting out a plan for a new law to override elements of the protocol. something plenty in the eu say would be a breach of international law. the government hopes that by the end of this week

they may have done enough to persuade the democratic unionist party to go back into the assembly, so the assembly can meet again, but thatis so the assembly can meet again, but that is not the same as executive and devolved government. that is likely to take much longer. studio: many thanks, chris mason, a political editor in belfast. —— our political editor in belfast. —— our political editor. the governor of the bank of england has warned that rising food prices, partly because of the war in ukraine, could reach "apocalyptic" levels. andrew bailey said he felt helpless against global forces, as he defended the bank's policies, at a time when households are experiencing a cost—of—living crisis. our economics editor, faisal islam, reports. from high streets to households to headquarters up and down the country, prices are surging in a way we haven't seen for a generation. like, before i had storage heaters in my house and it was already expensive, but now it's unlivable. people can't afford it, especially when you've got kids.

i'm finding it really hard because i've got my little ones, and its... it's really hard. and that's raised questions about the institution that's charged with controlling inflation, the bank of england. for a quarter of a century, the bank of england's legal target — its responsibility, its onejob, if you like — has been to keep inflation at around 2%. but it's right now at a 30—year high, heading for a ito—year high. if its forecasts are right it'll be five times that target by the end of the year — a failing on any scale, but the bank thinks it will have done its job if it comes down from those highs back to target over the next two years. not everybody�*s convinced. i wonder if you could just comment on the assertion that many are beginning to make now that, you know, you've really been asleep at the wheel, you should have done far more on the monetary side far earlier in order to get on top of this inflation,

we shouldn't be in the position that we are in. we can't predict things like wars. i mean, as you i think were implying, that is not really in our power — i'm not sure it's in anybody's power, really — to predict. and to forecast 10% inflation, and then say, as we were saying a few minutes ago, "there's not a lot we can do about 80% of it", i can tell you, it an extremely difficult place to be. i mean, we have to recognise the reality of the situation that we face. today diesel prices reached a uk record on average even after the 5p—per—litre cut. and global wheat prices are back near a record. these developments are driven by the ukraine war and sanctions. for the bank of england, it creates a very difficult tightrope. faisal islam, bbc news. a 22—year—old man has been found guilty of murdering police community support officerjulia james in kent last year. the officer was bludgeoned to death while walking her dog near her home.

callum wheeler was captured on camera footage near the scene the day after the murder. he'll be sentenced at a later date. jake daniels, the blackpool forward, has become the first professional footballer in the men's game in the uk for more than 30 years to reveal that he's gay. he said the time was right to come out, and explained that hiding his identity had caused stress and mental health problems. daniels, who's 17, said his team—mates had been supportive and he hoped to become a role model for others. our sports editor dan roan reports. he may be at the very start of his career by jake he may be at the very start of his career byjake daniels is he may be at the very start of his career by jake daniels is already career byjake daniels is already a footballing trailblazer. the 17—year—old only made his first—team debut for blackpool earlier this month. today he became the first professional in the british men's game for more than 30 years to come out publicly as gay. it’s game for more than 30 years to come out publicly as gay-— out publicly as gay. it's been such a lona out publicly as gay. it's been such a long time _ out publicly as gay. it's been such a long time of— out publicly as gay. it's been such a long time of lying _ out publicly as gay. it's been such a long time of lying and _ out publicly as gay. it's been such a long time of lying and i've - out publicly as gay. it's been such a long time of lying and i've just l a long time of lying and i'vejust processed and processed every day of how i want to do it, when i want to do it. the day i told my mum and my

sister, the day after i scored four so itjust shows how much of a weight off the show it was a massive relief, and lying all the time, it has been a struggle, but i feel i am ready to be myself, be free and be confident with it all.— confident with it all. justin fashanu — confident with it all. justin fashanu was _ confident with it all. justin fashanu was the - confident with it all. justin fashanu was the last act l confident with it all. justin | fashanu was the last act of confident with it all. justin - fashanu was the last act of male professional in the british game to come out publicly in 1990, suffering years of homophobic abuse. he took his own life in 1998. with more of a focus on in cclloosseerr include a city in recent years there has been progress since. last yearjosh cavallo, who plays in australia, revealed this. i cavallo, who plays in australia, revealed this.— cavallo, who plays in australia, revealed this. ., ., ., revealed this. i am a footballer and i am aa . revealed this. i am a footballer and i am gay- like _ revealed this. i am a footballer and i am gay. like micd _ revealed this. i am a footballer and i am gay. like micd on the - revealed this. i am a footballer and i am gay. like micd on the currentl i am gay. like micd on the current top—flight male professional in the world to come out. in top-flight male professional in the world to come out.— world to come out. in making his decision daniels _ world to come out. in making his decision daniels has _ world to come out. in making his decision daniels has received the support of his club blackpool and praise from across the game. some will be surprised that in this day and age a player revealing their sexuality has made so many headlines, but others believe this is truly a historic moment for football, despite the issues that it

continues to confront.— continues to confront. he is going down a path _ continues to confront. he is going down a path many, many - continues to confront. he is going down a path many, many others l continues to confront. he is going i down a path many, many others will follow _ down a path many, many others will follow they — down a path many, many others will follow. they have probablyjust been waiting _ follow. they have probablyjust been waiting to _ follow. they have probablyjust been waiting to see how it pans out for whoever — waiting to see how it pans out for whoever is — waiting to see how it pans out for whoever is first and i think once they see — whoever is first and i think once they see that the overwhelming majority — they see that the overwhelming majority of people will be more than accepting, _ majority of people will be more than accepting, others will follow suit. when _ accepting, others will follow suit. when it _ accepting, others will follow suit. when it comes to gay players the women's professional game remember the act remains far more representative than the men's, but many feel that by leading the way daniels can break the stigma attached to homosexuality in sport. dan roan, bbc news, blackpool. drug and alcohol services in england are to receive £780 million — the biggest single investment in decades — to reshape addiction treatment. the money will be used to try to reverse a record number of deaths, from both drugs and alcohol and the crime associated with them. research by the office for national statistics shows an 85% rise in deaths from drugs in england and wales, between 1993 and 2020.

in 2020 there were just over 11,500 deaths. when it comes to alcohol deaths there was a 32% rise between 2001 and 2020, across the uk. in 2020 alone, almost 9,000 deaths were registered. our correspondentjeremy cooke has been to birkenhead in the wirral to see a new approach that is both saving and changing lives. cocaine is the devil, to be fair. this is a story of drugs and booze and addiction. the shame is when you don't admit you have a problem. it's the story of the fight to get clean, for those living on the edge. one slip would kill me because i'd feel there would be no going back. sharp scratch. drug and alcohol deaths are at an all—time high. something has to change. what i've found was a broken service. do you know, i didn't find good — ifound bad. hello. mike? yes. didn't recognise with your mask on, mate. mike is on a mission,

and i've spent a year watching his struggle to move on from addiction. for me, when i used to have a drink, cocaine used to come hand in hand. so i would have a sip of a pint, and then i'd be wanting to, you know, get a bag. deaths associated with cocaine have increased fivefold since 2010. mike's life was spiralling down. when i'd had a drink i'd just turned into this person that people didn't want to be around. aggressive? yeah, aggressive, nasty, narcissistic as well, i would really say. violent? violent, yes, definitely. that's a real dark moment for me, and a real moment that i don't ever want to sit in again. birkenhead, still recovering from the crippling recession of the 1980s and the drugs crisis that followed. mike found nightingales — downstairs a cafe, upstairs a rehab centre. is everyone 0k? yeah. this is what recovery looks like. it makes me feel stronger when i

don't give into that temptation. mike signed up to the programme after another arrest, another night in a cell. for him, it was a light bulb moment. it gives us a choice that we can be the best possible person that we want to be. it is an intense rehab programme, and today mike isjoining the ranks of graduates. thank you very much. i really appreciate that. here in birkenhead they have come up with the concept of a recovery village which brings together and co—ordinates all of the many different services which aim to help people get off and stay off the drugs and booze, and it is changing lives. it's notjust another person that's coming in — it's an individual, and we're there to support that person, to connect them with the community, to reconnect them. i know you're guarding me on the path i am on. i love you so much, you are sorely missed. it's late summer, and for mike, a milestone. his mum margaret would have been 68 today, but the family lost her to cancer five years ago.

mike remembers drinking on the day she died. the same day my mum passed away, that photo, i'm probably under the influence there. what was your lifestyle then? drinking and using. all the time? all the time, yeah. mike has news for his mum. spot on. he has been doing voluntary support work, helping other addicts, and it has turned into a paid position. got a job now, mum. going to be helping other people, as well as keeping myself sober and clean. she's always there, dad. mike is staying strong, but it's hard. you all right? yeah, i'm 0k, mate. it's been a tough few weeks. i've had moments of depression, moments of being down, and i wanted people to realise i might be 18 months' clean and sober, but again that can creep up at any time. the recovery village here is a community fighting back. wouldn't be where i am now if i'd not had peers around me.

and at a time when a major government report by dame carol black has found that, across england, many services are not fit for purpose. how many people can you take at once? as many as you can fit in the door. we've told her about the recovery village and now she has come to herself how wirral ways and the other services here... be patient. ..are working together. this place has been called the beating heart of the recovery community in birkenhead. dame carol has persuaded ministers that it's good value to spend an unprecedented £780 million on improving recovery in england. if you get people into good treatment, and good recovery programmes, we know from research in this country murders go down, acquisitive crime goes down and less people go to prison. i've got a real passion for this, and i really want to help people. and it's not every day that a lad from birkenhead gets to share his story with the government's most important drugs adviser. it's my two—year birthday — i'm actually two years clean and sober today.

they saved my life and i'm now a recovery co—ordinator for the team. fantastic. that makes me very happy. the relief that i was not the only person struggling with addiction. mike's story is one of hope, that with the right support there can be life after addiction. there is a lot of things that alcohol and drugs stripped me of, but there's a lot of things now that i am rebuilding. i accepted i had a problem and this is my story. jeremy cooke, bbc news, birkenhead. applause just to let you know, if you've been affected by any of the issues injeremy�*s report details of organisations offering information and support with addiction are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call for free to hear recorded information on 08000155 947. britain's sam ryder, who starred in the eurovision song contest, says he's "so joyful and so grateful", after taking second place in saturday's competition —

the uk's best result since 1998. the social media star topped the nationaljury vote with space man, as our correspondent david sillito reports. the return from eurovision. how are you feeling this morning? thank you so much. really appreciate the support. in recent years, this has normally been a moment to reflect on another disappointment. # up in space, man... # but, after this performance, it's been rather different for sam ryder. chanting: sam, sam, sam! this year, i don't have the eurovision blues, because of him! screaming and chatter i can't believe it! foryoungerfans, he introduced them to the joy of douze points... cheering

being runner—up to ukraine, with all that emotion and symbolism, was quite a moment. i'm still, i don't know, processing, i guess. was it real? did it happen? when you're there and experiencing it, notjust as a performer but as a fan, being in that arena and feeling the palpable joy, everything that eurovision celebrates and is about is the best of us. cheering sam ryder, space man. rarely has coming second felt so good. david sillito, bbc news. chanting: sam, sam, sam! that's it. now on bbc one, time for the news where you are. have a very good night.

hello, and welcome to our look ahead to what the papers will be bringing us tomorrow. with me are lord digbyjones, who's a former uk trade minister, and the broadcaster, henry bonsu. welcome to both of you. the metro leads with teenage footballerjake daniels, who has become the first male professional to come out as gay since 1990. the i has the same story — and reports the huge wave of support jake daniels has received, calling it a "chorus of approval". the financial times features the warning by bank of england governor andrew bailey, that he's unable to stop inflation hitting 10% this year. the guardian also picks up on the governor's concerns. he's issued what he calls an "apocalyptic", warning about food price rises, driven by the war in ukraine. that story leads the telegraph, as well — they report the pressure andrew bailey is under from some tory mps, who believe he should have acted sooner to curb inflation. the sun has the latest revelations in the wagatha christie libel case,