destruction of the nation starts march 4th on d w. ah, this is d w. use live from then? it's being called, europe's darkest hours since the end of the 2nd world war. ah, aaron's rate rate siren sound in the ukrainian capital kiev president brought him. it's alleged, he says, a full scale russian invasion is underway. he says he's country is being attacked, but as people not to panic, reports of explosions come in from cities across you. christ. russian president

vladimir putin tries to justify the sending it of troops saying it is a life and death decision for the future of russia. the attack on his neighbor draws international outrage. ah, i'm been for sewland welcome. russia has launched a military assault on ukraine heating targets across the country. u. s. president joe biden has condemned. the attack is unjustified and unprovoked. here in germany, foreign minister adelina bab, book has just said if the world does not respond, we will pay an even higher price. russian president vladimir putin announced the move in an unscheduled tv address shortly before 6 am in moscow. he said he'd been left with no choice because of the threat emanating from ukraine. within minute

explosions were reported in numerous places including the southern port cities of odessa and muddy opal as well as comatose can ha keefe in the east. and the po in central ukraine and the capital kiev. so i mean, that's a delay. bullied d w is fine if a child in the capital kia funny. what a night, what a morning for people there. what is the situation like in kiev where you are actually is worsening in terms of the announcement that are being made right now by the ukranian government. u. s. president is basically taking everything to social media, trying to inform people they are, the ukrainian defense minister says everyone who is able to hold a weapon is basically called upon to join the defense forces. that clearly underlines what's been already analyzed over the course of the past. weeks that ukrainians military forces inferior compared to russia's military. now we do not know what the situation is going to for the escalade, but let me tell you,

as you woke up to the explosions this morning, that really was a shock to many here. people in keith didn't think even to the last minute that actually russia is going to go so far as a assaulting a key of the capital city after also, after all, also play to be uprooting. pointed out in this surprised a televised, surprising televised address this morning. that this is quote, a military operation in eastern ukraine, but it turns out that there are various reports that explosions are heard in many parts of the country, shelling and reports of people being injured and killed, not the problem is we cannot verify this information, said i'm not even going to talk about any numbers at this point, because as this escalation has entered, a new face. and there are various accusations between a russian forces and ukrainian now government official military information. what

is actually currently happening on the ground? i can only tell you, in fact, what i've been experiencing this morning, and that was a very, very critical situation at people here where packing up trying to leave a buy car from the hotel where we are at this point. also we are hearing that they are lot of people lined up at gasoline stations trying to fill up on gas trying to leave 2 neighboring countries. slovakia, poland towards the west. but you also here at this point you're trying to leave keith. it's in fact, almost impossible to go to both the west so much tracking traffic has built up. again, the also people who are just staying poor and dod trying to inform themselves, actually worse than you are shelter when those sirens are going to a go off again lightly as they did this morning. siren warning, or in fact telling people this is the time that you should look for you closest shelter. and these are similar reports that were getting funny from our other correspondence in the country. also from family and friends. personal messages i

been getting from said a different parts of the country, central part of the country, and in the pool, for example, waking up to these explosions. could you tell us, the ukranian president announced he was introducing martial law. what does that entail? martial law is usually introduced in times of crisis that could be could be a natural disaster situation of conflict or i was so what is happening is basically the natural way of things as they proceed in any democratic country to say. so to implement martial law by that also implying to the citizens here, that this is not the time that they should venture out, but they should actually stay with stay at home, stay inside, look for the closest shelter position and just remain also calm because this is actually the concern here that people will start to panic even more. and then what, how you, how can you secure critical infrastructure that is needed to protect actually

citizens and to protect people from may a, from a increasing escalation. so military law martial law, a rather is implemented because it can no longer be maintained or guaranteed that the civilian government law that is in place normally can guarantee the security of citizens. this is when the military takes over, usually setting up checkpoints, we haven't seen it just yet in the city center, but it's likely to happen military. it's checkpoints checking exit, exiting a street from a key f checking people who are on the street. what documents do they carry? are they actually supposed to be on the street? is also a law by which the government can sort of make sure and impose that people do not gather or that they really stay put and say at home. exactly, and not be on the move. i was asked this morning about an 84 year old man. how do

we get him out of ukraine? the problem is, at the moment moving and to stay put is the safest option. as you say, tell us what else? zalinski has been saying today. so, lensky made clear what he believes is, and not just a military operation as a russian president vladimir putin announced early this morning. but he says he expects, basically, the russia wants to destroy ukraine. now these, of course, a very strong words and people here are whooping on the ground, that is not going to go as far as, as far as a full scale, full fledged invasion of the entire country. ukraine's president zelinski wants to maintain self confidence. in fact, the spokesperson of his presidency also made clear. there is no panic in the presidency. speaking to people on the ground, they wonder when somebody says there is no panic. whether that actually means there's going to be panic. but overall, what ukraine tries to maintain,

as they did also over the course of the past days, as the escalation started to and to a new level, to maintain that this is a democratic independent sovereign country. and they're not going to give up on any land. they will not have any foreign entity to take over here and a rule this country. now they are not so far yet, but there is of course, concern here on the ground, especially because so many things have happened over the course of the past couple of days that were highly unlikely that at this point everything is likely funny. thank you very much. for your reporting uh the, the story itself is moving so fast. let's have a listen in now to what the ukranian president has been saying, showing you from a general grain should do ukrainians. this morning, president putin announced a special military operation in the don bus. russia carried out strikes are now military infrastructure on our border gods. explosions were heard in many cities in ukraine. we are introducing martial law throughout the state. i have had

a conversation with president leitner from the u. s. is gathering, is national support. my solution is i don't want to give us what you would want in is not road will be today. we need each of you would need each of you to become if possible. stay at home please. we are working. the army is working. the entire security and defense sector of ukraine is working and i, at the national security and defense council. the government will be in touch with you soon. i will be in touch again. at a little, don't panicking, we are strong. we are ready for everything and we will defeat any one because we are ukraine glory to ukraine. me. she was bowie. so green, slow train, ukrainian president trying to keep the calm there. a funny back to you and tell us more about the developments happening there in the mood there in the capital supermarkets are being closed. in fact,

everything that is normally considered essential is closed except gasoline stations that clearly indicates for you that mo, unfortunately may come. and those people who decided to leave today, they do not want to just wait here and see what else to can they really want to flee towards the west. a neighboring countries like slovakia, poland are expecting an influx of refugees actually from ukraine. really, as i'm saying, they all of this, even me, i didn't sing just a week ago, it's going to happen this fast. it's here in the capital city. if people are going to have to make this decision about to stay or leave, now you have to know that the board of the barrow rose, it's just the last 200 kilometers from here. ukraine said that the explosions. in fact, those of you have heard this morning that was initiated from bella. ruth, for dollar rou, said he never participated in any military support with regard or assault

and support of russian troops. this is a problem at this point. a lot of things are blurry in terms of who were things originate from what we can see, of course, that the aggression from russian troops is going beyond the region of don't boss i way beyond with the board of don't boss. and the question really is just how find how intense this is, what's being called an invasion is going to continue and what that will trigger in terms of ukrainian or panicking and what that panic actually means for security here on the ground. what it sounds like there is the development of information for the sewing of mistrust and confusion. thank you very much for your report again. from and correspondent economy has arrived in the east and town of that notion of that ukraine. second biggest city hockey nic. what's happening where you

are, we've got nick on the line. well, this is the region, but it's very close to about coming from capital. we can help so much from a job. busy decide to go from exposing today and secondly i go to doing breaking. and so people just day even days in confusion i believe in after weeks and months along on the real. busy and then within a few hours, you should be kind of getting the heads around when you're trying to react. people started on the outside, the banks trying to get cash out. cash for the same goes for essential stations you've got is a big issue. you pay military hardware problems through some things. busy michelle stations basically, slides out so i was,

i spoke to people from to service and to find the day to be done by stuffing veterans themselves. but i guess some engagement that they've never really gave them to have and it sounds like a similar reaction to what funny was just reporting from the capital. but of course you also much close to where a great deal of the action is, nick. i guess the mood there is a one of much more urgency well, i mean small towns people often min financial to go anyway, the more likely than connections abroad and sometimes options to leave the country. people told me that they were just going to try to

fix people. they don't have to go to, they maybe have a fellow but somebody they run the risk of having the. busy school on top of them. so that was kind of stoic except to ation. people telling me they were, they hadn't stopped up on cash to be recommended in previous weeks, but. busy people trying to, trying to get, moving back to the country as being 3 more for 8 years, especially in the country that is close to that. don't much reason is it not something people say yes, it's on a scale. it's coming from all different directions, going to be the biggest problem to deal with. those are coming from the or is coming from russia north of the manic. although i do questions

about their boats coming and how much that is actually rushing information more attempt to intimidate the stakes. it's really difficult to try and verify that we're seeing online to actually be sure that the limitations are being given me hours of extra stress in your brain, but no sign, but average, you need to be heads. nick, we've been reporting on the build up of troops along the borders over the past days and weeks. and now we're hearing reports this morning of these explosions and incursion in various spots in the south, in the east, where you are also in central parts of the country and in the capital. can you give us more of an idea of exactly what's going on? and get some information to me online and verify. it does seem like there's a big offense going on in don't region.