it much worse before it gets better. today, russian president vladimir putin said that peace talks have hit a dead end, and he insisted that his forces will succeed. what would a russian victory look alike? would it include chemical weapons? well, that is the question tonight in the port city of mario poll, reports of a strange poison have not been confirmed, but ukrainian president zalinski is warning a new stage of terror. is about to begin. i bring gov and berlin. this is the day. ah, there are extremely consenting reports out of your highness. we know that there are reports of the use of chemical weapons in relation to the use of chemical weapons by russia. we have not been able to verify those ourselves, but these are a pulling weapons if they are confer. president putin should know that all possible

options on the table in terms of how the west my response also coming up inflation at the supermarket. food prices are soaring around the world. one reason the war in ukraine endav sudden shortage of farmers are actually cubicle. most of the men volunteered to fight locally in many were drafted to it is all on the men over 60. stayed behind with businesses. we're now looking to them to drive tractors and operate other machinery to look cubic if such that we have a serious labor shortage chena that, that needs to not wrap that up. now combine the last name of lamar. it scrambled us with but to our viewers watching on p b. s in the united states into all of you around the world. welcome that we begin the day with claims of a chemical attack in ukraine. there are unconfirmed reports that in forces used

chemical weapons in the port city of mario pole. now the claims come from ukraine's as av battalion. that is a military unit with for right allegiances. russia has denied using chemical weapons, but it's important to note that we cannot verify these claims. and that is because of what you see here. mario poll is a city in ruins. it has been pounded by russian strikes for weeks. the mer says up to 20000 residents, have died. the u. s. the u. k. and australia today said that they are investigating the claim of a possible chemical weapon in mario poll. ukrainian, president zalinski added that moscow has made it clear. russian forces are now preparing to launch the next stage of terror in ukraine. coaching i had that to seattle, i would like to remind world leaders that the possible use of chemical weapons by russia has already been discussed. it was agreed that the reaction to this

aggression had to be much more severe and faster source kesha issue. it's just, it is time to ramp up sanction so that russia will not utter a single word about weapons of mass destruction and an oil embargo against russia. is now obligatory, we'll just call them o my 1st gifts to night to susan morton, she's a senior lecturer in the war studies department at kings college london. much of her work focuses on chemical biological and nuclear weapons. it's good to have you on the program. let me just get your take on these claims that came out late last night that russian forces may have used a poisonous substance in mario poll. so i know it very difficult to evaluate from the distance whether the effects reported are from the chemical often or from something else. it's important to emphasize that so finding ease of chemical weapons has not been confirmed. obviously there was a statement made by

a spokesman for russian back separatist group that rushes, shit, use, chemical weapons, and mario pole. and that heightened concern. but there is not yet any clear evidence of chemical use and ukraine's deputy defense minister suggested earlier today that it's more likely that it was a pass for mission that was used in. what would that mean? this foster phosphorus emissions then that obviously means we're not talking about chemical weapons. is that correct? right, so way, phosphorus is a smoke weapon, which is used by military is around the world to mark targets or to screen the movement of friendly forces. and it's, it's not illegal to use white phosphorus. and in war, however, it's use against civilians would violate the law of armed conflict as just the use

of any weapon against noncombatants. miss martin, let me ask you, we heard today from the united states, the u. k. and australia. all 3 of them said that they are investigating this report of a possible chemical weapons. you know, we're not able to verify this because of the fighting the bombing, the shelling that's still going on in more your poll. how are these countries? how are they going to be able to establish whether or not a chemical attack took place? well, it's not clear that they will be able to, for certain, i mean, obviously draw on as much information as you can. so this includes what you see on the ground, and the u. s. is reported that it has no information that supports the movement of chemical agents and in your ukraine. you also look at the reports and evidence of symptoms from incident and how that corresponds to the expected effects of the chemical attack. you look at any video, the incident that's available. it could involve possible intercept of community

indications among russian troops. there have been instances where you've had the military's discussing the use of chemical agents that has been and that's been intercepted and used as evidence for really conclusive proof that a chemical up and was east you would want environmental and medical samples as well as recovery munitions and as you already elite it, 2 cases, this incident due to the siege conditions, is unlikely that any of that material would make it out to o. p. c, w, designated lab for analysis. and we also know that the russians used chemical weapons in syria on earlier this week we, we got the report that vladimir putin is putting a general, a new general in charge of the campaign in eastern ukraine. and he was in charge of the campaign in syria. if we put $2.00 and $2.00 together here,

then the international community would you agree, is right to expect that the use of chemical weapons could now be on the agenda for russia and ukraine. so as high as i am aware, there is no clear evidence that russia itself used chemical weapons in syria. it maintained its alliances, syria, and continue to support syria, while syria used chemical weapons. that itself did not engage in chemical weapons. use the science, i'm aware. i think there is reason to be concerned about the possible use of chemical weapons. we've seen a lot of misinformation in propaganda from russia about involving chemical and biological weapons in ukraine. that in itself though, does not mean that chemical weapons will be used. for example,

you can go all the way back to the korean war where the communist ledge, that the u. s. is biological weapons in korea, those were false allegations and those false allegations were simply for propaganda purposes. they were not to set up a false flag attack on the if i could to ask you before you went on a time, let me ask you about about this all ties in with also the possible use of maybe tactical nuclear weapons. when this invasion began, vladimir putin spokesperson, you said, in an interview that if there is an existential threat to russia, the use of nuclear weapons is certainly a possibility. when we're looking at, if you will, at the hierarchy of, of weapons that are being used. are we right in assuming that we can move from conventional the chemical weapons? and then from there, the nuclear option is the next step. i mean, is that the logic that we could use on vladimir putin?

so i, i don't, i don't think it's necessarily that clear of a hierarchy of nuclear deterrence work. so the extent that it does, because there's nuclear, as long as nuclear weapons exist, there's a possibility that they will be used. there's a possibility of inadvertent escalation of things just getting out of hand. i don't think it would make sense for russia to deliberately use chemical weapons and the conflict as it's it's going on. now. i think all that would accomplish would be to unify the world against it because it's not in any nation's interest for the use of nuclear weapons to be normalized. so i don't think that this is something that's on the table, but whenever you have a nuclear power fighting a war, especially when it's, you know, allies against it, even if not active militarily or the nuclear power is that the specter of nuclear

war is there and is going to influence the conflict and i'm sure there are lots of people around the world hoping that that level of escalation is not reached in this conflict. susan martin with keys college in london. we appreciate your time and your insights tonight. thank you. thank you. well, the russian takeover of mario pole is considered key to vladimir boots plans for eastern ukraine military experts say that once mario pole is under russian or kremlin control russian forces, it will be free to turn north and attempt to encircled the bulk of ukraine's army. in the dawn bass region, now that would be a crushing blow from which cave might never recover. poon today insisted that his military campaign in ukraine will continue until all its goals have been met. speaking, after talks with his ally, the belushi president, alexander lucas shanker, he said that those goals are, quote, no bull ticklish,

no zulu, the goals of the special military operation are clear and noble. i remind you, i said from the beginning in my very 1st public statement, addressing the nation and the armed forces i set or objectives. clearly the goal is to help the people of don bus away. when ukraine says it is bracing for the coming russian offensive in the dawn bass, the port city of odessa in the west appears to also be high on vladimir putin's new list of military targets. it's been hit repeatedly by russian missiles in recent days. earlier i spoke to our correspondent rebecca ritter, she's in the city of, of even i asked her what she is hearing from odessa over in odessa is a city that's been preparing for an attack since the very beginning of this war. so far though, it has largely escaped the worst of the fighting. as you've been reporting, we are seeing slight intensification. and definitely it is

a key strategic key city that the russians want to take. as russia now moves its attention and focuses on that south eastern region, the re, to the dumbass and the southern regions where a desiree situated on the black sea, we can definitely expect odessa are expecting that those attacks will intensify on friday. for example, russian reported that it destroyed a center that was set up for foreign and mercenaries there and, and, and other attacks as well. but ukraine said today that they haven't seen any preparations for a landing operation from the black sea as yet. although they also did say yesterday that they were worried about a potential attack coming from western territory. and moldova country, situated just on the border with ukraine right near odessa. there is a small area in there called trans mystery, and that's actually been under russian controls in the ninety's has about 1500

russian soldiers in the ukrainians are worried that they may try and use though. so does mobilize them to try and in circle troops that would be there protecting odessa. let me ask you a little bit about another port city and that is more your pulled up today. there were reports, allegations may that are chemical weapon may have been used in the city. what more do we know about that to die? that's right. actually, those reports are coming in late last night that there was potential chemical weapons used. there are 3 soldiers of what's known as the as of battalion, the ukrainian battalion, that a defending that city at 3 soldiers were reportedly had reportedly had symptoms of a chemical attack. those reports to night still remain unconfirmed. it would be a definite escalation in the war. hearing you crying now, it's really difficult to get real time information out of that city of mary paul communication has been kept there for more than 4 weeks. we do know that it's been

under heavy bombardment since the beginning of this war. there are a still more than a 100000 people trapped there without access to, to food, to electricity, to clean drinking water. more crucially, presidents lensky, put the, the figure of people who've been killed there in the 10s of thousands. now, it's hard to, to verify that yet without any access to the city. but some of the people i've been talking to who have managed to escape from mary, you pull the stories a so horrific. it's hard to imagine that those estimations are very far off. but should that chemical weapons attack be confirmed? it would be a definite escalation. i escalation in the record river to the williams to night from the western ukrainians for the up would be. rebecca, thank you. oh, whoa. the waved has been shown this spring, but what will happen this coming all them or what happened to the harvest from the

fields of ukraine? the fertile black soiled there is particularly suited for growing grey. normally the country supplies about 10 percent of the world's wheat exports, the biggest buyers, whether far away egypt, indonesia, pakistan, and bangladesh, as you see right there, but many parts of ukraine, they're under attack, large numbers of people are displaced. the humans, food and agricultural organization is warning of a wheat supply shortage. that could trigger famine, especially in africa, the winter wheat with sun last year, and it promises a good yield. andrea tank o an agricultural entrepreneur from them agro shows us how the soils worked and the weeds removed. but andre isn't quite sure how things will go this year. he seed company is changing its production from peace to war. time. the main issue was what ukraine itself needs to survive dark now. sure. you know,

just as the fighters are doing their job at the front front, we are doing ours with we'd cultivation. we realised that the war affects everything where we are growing more summer we'd be me. i'm speaking on behalf of my agricultural company here in a theory, and we are planting less, mays, williamson, and more lead with you. that's how we are strengthening our food security hits natasha. as a specialist natural, a puddle which will sparkle, crops such as mays, sunflowers, or rapes, seed are cultivated less. the focus now is on cereals. that's what the government wants. that's what the president wants. the military, on the other hand, doesn't want us to show where under his farm is, because there's an army based nearby. that's why we can only show the pigs outside . inside, we see the snails that andre exports to spain or france and the sacks of seas. it's

all labor intensive, that'll be i'm, we're number 3 us. we have $22.00 full time employees and about $150.00 seasonal workers for the 2 or 3 months during the production period is on the bus and, and then i need someone to, for cross breeding the plants that's a special job was to hold. she her for that will i have to hire someone else on cable to desired suit from yes, but to finish your loyalty, keith at about martha lou darian, they might a day in south cra, this center of the community. we meet only vaults ski, the mayor. he carries a hand gun and on his phone, he has pictures of himself training with a kalashnikov rifle. the war feels close inside. he shows as the remains of a russian missile that hit a few days ago. he fears that neighboring bella rues could enter the war, but 1st he has to win the battle. for the next harvest, we were to horrible. actual lugubrious la, most of the men volunteered to fight luca unit. mom any were drafted to it is all

one of the men over 60. he stayed behind it was a vicious it's we're now looking to them to drive tractors and operate other machinery from qc if such that we have a serious labor shortage. emma attacking some of the dr. us now combined. the last no problemo of scrambled us was along with russia. ukraine is the bread basket of the world. ukrainian farmers used to export more than $4000000.00 tons of their grain every month. but now it's just a few $100000.00 according to the government. that's mainly because of the occupied ports in the south, which means wheat is and cooking oil can no longer be exported. agricultural production itself could soon decline as well. the shock waves are already being felt around the world. food prices are rising, the u. n is warning of famine, especially in poor countries. tatyana heckman assesses the future, ah, excellent it with those choices. but if the situation remains, as it is now after volume the modem, then we will have no problem with food production in ukraine. i expect the wallace,

if you crane produces 100000000 tons of grain. oh, and half of it goes for export up to walla. the harvest could be bad twice as i've muslim, and still we would not go hungry level. but conversely, this means if you were exports to the world where many countries rely on ukraine surpluses. ukraine will manage to find ways to deliver their products overland via the e. u. but the question is, how much the country will be able to export to the rest of the world? no, this is what earlier we spoke with martin frick. he is b, germany, director of the you end world food program and with the world's breadbasket dragged into a warp. we asked him whether or not a new wave of hunger is now on its way. i think we already seen that, and it's important to note that the ukraine war is checked on additional stress on what has been extremely difficult to are now. here's prices sky rocketing beyond

the old time i for food prices and the war in grain. as we have just heard, as basically directly a factor, 12 percent of the globally traded calories this and another shock wave and poorest countries and wars families are the victims of their behalf. so many food insecure countries that are depending on import from ukraine and also russia, particularly in the middle east, north africa region, but also in sub saharan africa and in southern africa among the countries that are most dependent on for example, lebanon, or egypt or livia. but also our operations as the world food program a heavier, effected with disorder and prices, mauritania, synagogue, kini sierra leone, gun nigeria. they depend sometimes to 7080 percent of foreign imports. now

these countries, as anyone else in the world are coming out of 2 years of and then the, the world has spent the staggering $26.00 trillion dollars on the damage. which means that countries are even more in depth than they will where additional their exchange rates are melting away. and in this situation, you will have globally storing prices for staple foods and a very strong dollar in simple terms. they just cannot afford anymore to buy the most basic foods, and that is affecting the countries that cannot afford. and it's affecting the poor family that often spend already 7080 percent of the family income for break. that was martin frick, the germany director of the u. ends world food program more

than 2 years into the corona virus pandemic, china is now battling with its worst outbreak ever. hardest hit is the country's largest city, shanghai 26000000 people are under locked down. now this is china's 0 coven policy. at work in the human cause are melting fabi encroachment reports tonight. for weeks, the streets of shanghai has been empty. supermarkets shut delivery workers that wouldn't normally be leaving their way through the city and nowhere to be seen. social media is put up, cries for help, and complaints about a lack of food. some videos, show unrest, neighborhoods where people are desperate to find food. and in one unverified video, people even seen looting a supermarket authorities scrambling to deliver supplies. but they are huge,

probably know if i'm in for delivering vegetables, some of getting their food early, some are getting late. it has a big impact on people's lives. cindy and les, it's a tomato farmer works on the outskirts of the city. he's doing his part to try and help. he's moved out of his home and into a dorm at the industrial greenhouses. whereas company growth tomatoes. this is the video he shot on his phone of the room. he's saying in general, were understaffed at the moment and need to ensure we keep up production. so he start work early and work over time for about 2 hours a day. but reports say the biggest hurdle and the delivery of goods is at the last mile. many delivery workers and other supply personnel remain under lockdown themselves. the challenge is in getting food from markets and warehouses to people's home. the local government is now trying to mobilize delivery workers to get back to work. as long as there aren't any positive cases within that residential compound, the bottlenecks could pose

a serious problem to the government. frank spy is c o and founder of china crossroads and a risk specialist. he's a resident of shanghai and has been under locked on himself for over a week. when you induce food insecurity to a country whose purpose is to modernize and make people live better. i think it adds a certain twist that, that, you know, people here are the leadership here are not, are not so comfortable with for the past 2 years. china is touted its approach towards containing the virus and pointed towards its ramp and spread in the west as a mock of its superiority. this could break the narrative that china system is better at doing as especially, but really slow the next few weeks. so we could be at quite an inflection point in how cobra balls and, and how the world comes to see tries performance on co. it. but how its own people see it is what met us. the most. and authorities will need to get

a handle on the situation quickly to prevent people's frustration from spiraling any further. and finally, tonight, happy birthday wishes to a viewer and a mother in california named weight. her son wrote to us and says she watches us every night. so way i want to say thank you and wish you a happy birthday. now the day's almost done, but the conversation continues online to find us on twitter. either dw news, you can follow me on twitter at brent golf tv. and remember whatever happens between now and then tomorrow is another day we'll see then ah,

with ah, this is instead of the event is back in a roll be what told a 14000000 unknown accounts have been blacklisted. and for those people, they're at risk of even not getting financial services at all. and so question today is, is it fair to look out, people from money knowing full well they might not have any other options. people have run away from the houses. people have done so many bad things because of that goes off with the 77 percent on dw,

freedom and security are essential to their way of life. how is that affected by their proximity to russia? let been verified as the happiest people in the world. most of them believe in peace, but with that change of their own rank neighbor is feeling for them to eat. in 60 minutes on d w. ah, please listen carefully. don't know how you miss to be a girl. ah feel the magic

discovery of the world around you. ah, subscriber to d. w documentary on youtube. hello and welcome to another edition of the 77 percent. this is where we unpack the issues that are important to young africans. my name is michael o t. i to there's sure it's all about debt dwindling, revenues following the covered 19 pandemic hub force many young people to take hard lawrence, the lenders range from banks to lawn apps and the dreaded loan sharks. while some i west indies, lawns in babel businesses. i've used them.