[000:00:00;00] ah ah, this is dw news coming to you live from berlin. moscow sent thousands of troops to attack ukraine's industrial heartland as part of its new offensive in eastern ukraine. the kremlin says capturing don bass is now its main objective. also coming up, germany's foreign minister kicks off her tour of the baltic states with a clear message from moscow bowing nato will protect every corner of its territory to defend freedom and growing fears. in lithuania, over russian aggression. as many worry,

their country could be moscow's next target. some are now preparing for the worst case scenario. ah. hello, i'm terry martin. good to have you with us. world leaders have condemned russia's latest offensive in eastern ukraine. the kremlin is seeking to make up for recent military losses around the capital, kia by seizing control of ukraine's industrial heartland. those areas in blue on your map are already under russian control. a new front line shown in red stretches along nearly 500 kilometers. moscow says securing the don bass region is now the main goal of its so called special military operation. i should warn you that our next report contains images you may find distressing. more ukrainian civilians

killed by russian shalaya or in a residential apartment block in hot give a man recognizes his neighbor. oh the forgotten security nearby little every day he went to get food every day in the shell and began and we fled as alice. when we came back, the old man was already dead. close little the front lines and commodore ask more victims of russian bombardment. the increased shelling has not only added to the numbers of dead. it has also forced ukraine to suspend evacuation efforts for the living. to the south, only one thought of mario pool still remains in ukrainian hands. the eyes of stole metal walks. the ass off battalion who are holding out against russian forces shed dis footage of civilians hiding from the bonds in a bunker below the metals e. if the re, to those who are responsible for this war unleashed this war against our solution. but i,

i wish they would have to go through all this pain themselves and their children to can, you can leave the sensory to, oh, by the, this defense is on its last legs 2 than us. we appeal to the world, and it could be the last appeal of our lives. these could be our last days, if not hours. we appeal in plato all will lead us to help us to moscow and keep, have now and negotiated an escape caught a door out of mud you upon. if the preliminary agreement hoist this time, you crean hopes to evacuate powers and sold women, children and elderly people out of the besieged city. we're joined now by helena basil tanker. she's a member of the ukrainian parliament. thanks for taking time to speak with us. was fossil jenko in our report, we'd heard of ukrainian commander and maria poll issuing a desperate plea for help. what kind of support can he expect to get at this point?

and thank you for invitation. first of all, of course, to and leave desert seat of my old pal ukraine need have, is open and, and this is our appeal to different governments of european union and all over the world that we really need help. we have is urban, and the 2nd sink where is different in international governments can how is it any com t can be like m mediator between ukraine and russia in is the process of humidity, humanitarian and skipping corridors. because russians are lying 1st to say and agree for these corridors. and when civilians, women and children try to get out from money per say, i say i just kill him, sam, and say,

a just shall in all the cars are bosses. whereas this is williams. and i'm trying could to get out in this a humanitarian code. of course, i do want to ask you about that deploy diplomatic track in just a moment, but 1st a back to the what's happening in the east of your country. russia has launched a major offensive there with the aim of controlling the entire east of your country . ukrainian forces were putting tooth and nail, of course to prevent that, but should russia succeed in don bass? what will that mean for the future of your country? we hogs in russia will never succeed in the east because you see how bravely our armed forces are defending our country and how all our people in ukraine i united and everyone in the country is and doing everything he can he or she can to help our armed forces, everyone, both in, in the government and all people,

and they are working a part that is so difficult to see it. difficult sinks are not like in the east. in the days they are working at. and they are works and it's a nice building during they are helping to. * our forces, peace talks between keith and moscow are currently stalled. do you see any chance of reviving them off? of course we are hoping and we hope that as some piece talks will help. but as you see, all that russia is saying it all, all the time. they are lying and it is difficult, for instance, for ukraine to adopt such things as they want. in this piece talks, for instance, our desire to become

a member of nato and your p l. a members european union affix in our constitution and only you crank can tell, was that to be in a to or not to be to whether you want to be there or not. not any other com to because it, we are an independent state and it always choice it choice of follow people. do you think that this war can end without ukraine giving president putin of russia at least part of what he wants? and i think that 14 will never get what he wants from ukraine, because what he wants from ukraine, he just want to destroy all the country and to you as more people, as soon as he will desire. but all the world has seen

and what to be have done as soon as is and during this approximately 2 months and, and how bravely i will repeat again. how brave the armed forces are the sandy in our country and all civilized in civilized. bork, a is really and now helping us to defend our brand use and the democracy. helena vasa jenko, a member of ukraine's parliament. thank you very much for talking with us. thank you. well, britain's military is reporting that russia is continuing its military build up for moral a spring and frank lit which here he is, a former military intelligence offering officer and they'll lectures and military capabilities and strategies at the university of portsmouth. thank you very much for being with the serve. first of all, frank,

what's your assessment of the progress that russia is making in its assault on eastern ukraine? well, terry, the 1st thing to be said is, this is an additional battle where russia may make small gains and indeed we're seeing knocks and nibbling away your credit lines in one or 2 of the more vulnerable areas. are you currently in the position that they're going to lose this battle? they have started this operation to early, no competent military force would have taken 2 weeks to try and research from a major defeated or the russians did, which indicates 2 things. first into political pressure, and secondly, the trying to out race, nato supplies to ukraine, the heavy weapons helene that was talking about russia face is huge problems and 30 percent casualty. so full, not enough mass. they really haven't experienced this kind of operation. so my assessment is they remain in serious trouble. so you doubt that russia will

ultimately take don barracks despite russia's military superiority, because it does have more firepower than ukraine. does it? not? that's all it. there are several aspects to military power helene, a very capably outlined, one of the major ones, which is the moral component. and i won't repeat what she said about the moral element. the fact that ukraine is defending its own country and so forth. but it's also the conceptual, which is the element of planning and material to conduct a successful attack of the size, the russians, or any size actually that the russians are trying to accomplish. you need to 3213 to one overbearing, all 3 to one superiority russians haven't anywhere near that. what they do have those artillery that's heavily dependent on logistics credits or talking math. and the russians have demonstrate that very poor elements. what if anything, frank, do you think could change the game for the ukranian forces would more heavy weapons

. more artillery be enough? yes. the russians say enough. i don't think it can never have enough firepower with the present to remember. but to answer question directly, what the russians don't have his reserves, what the russians are trying to do, the trainings are trying to generate or exactly that. and with assistance, they've had considerable assistance so far from the likes of poland from the u. s. less so from germany, from the u. k as well. they're trying to generate a will generate reinforcements in reserves. those reinforcements in reserves or what are likely to prevail if heavy weapons continue to flow that way likely to prevail in this war of attrition. ok, just one quick big picture question for you. if you don't mind, what do you see as the broader implications of this war for security in europe because it looks rather bleak at the moment. yes. matters will stabilize in due course. i think ford is whether it's war is going to go on for much of this. yeah,

but what it has achieved is extending nato's board with him from essentially austonia to the 1200 kilometers of finland, who are likely to join nato will be far stronger. tactical operational strategic levels and russia severely, militarily, i kind of speak to the military militarily, we can now for many years to come whatever the outcome in the dob. thank. thank you very much for talking with her that former intelligence, military intelligence officer, frank led rich in oxford well, ukrainians, forced to leave their homeland often endure hardship and danger before reaching safety and other countries. wallen, tears who bring in vital supplies and transport women and children, away from the fighting can also face hazardous journeys. these volunteers and keys are loading this old city bus with supplies and food for the

people of east ukraine. ralph coupon is from germany, he's the co founder of, i'm is an organization which transports people out of crisis zones. deblank design, we're planning to evacuate. this village. we have one contact person on location. it's very close to the fighting zone to come. so and we expect the fighting zone to expand and include this area. it's a 530 kilometer journey from keith to east ukraine. after a small breakdown and a 12 hour drive, they arrive in low silva, things have to go quick and the immediately start unloading at any moment the fighting could flare up again. the russian troops aren't far. if kenya is leaving her home town with a heavy heart, her parents want to stay you them with the thought, but i'm sure you were going because the children are suffering and crying and with the war planes flying overhead, their explosions led. it's hopeless. i'm worried about my parents shoes. thousands

as the let's give it's time to say good bye to the last remaining men. many women are already on their own. their partner's gone to flight for the ukrainian army. wallace. i had my doubts because i didn't want to leave my husband behind, which he is in the territorial defense forces are borrowing. of course, i'm worried about him. what do you sick when you, as i knew, i put it on my the people leaving can only take a few personal items and a small suitcase with them. they're deeply traumatized. the book and leaves a place like children and grandchildren have fled. they went to pull highly cologne . i was alone here. i am a school teacher, but now there are no more children to teach. so i'm leaving to show up except the ralph co von ready to head back. he says one reason he wants to help the people here is that he comes from art hall, an area in germany, which was recently heavily flooded, feminist get food, ken, when you've experienced losing everything you have from one day to the next on,

you want to help others going through the same employ, stuck, so on dimensionality from civil and he brings the bus to safety out of east ukraine . it's a long drive, but tomorrow they'll be in poland. german chancellor, all of schultz is facing growing prostration over what his critics say is a lack of leadership on ukraine. some of the criticisms coming from his government's coalition partners who say his reluctance to send heavy weapons is leaving ukraine in the lurch. the chancellor giving hints, instead of answers. his government is sending money to ukraine, but still not supplying heavy weapons. you, i'm the lord. we've asked german arms manufacturers to tell us what equipment they can supply in the near future. not signal on ukraine has now made its selections from this list, and we're giving ukraine the money it needs to buy them. well. it's unclear what sort of military hardware ukraine will actually get shot suggests it would be

german made tanks, latoya as good as for such equipment, it's about operational systems that are immediately available if those that can be put to use, especially if they're already used in ukraine the chance of their stress that supplying weapons from current vendors where stocks would be virtually impossible because there would be limits to what could be delivered. and so the debate goes on among the coalition partners, the free democrats and the greens, the former, quick to respond on twitter rating that everyone's doing what germany is doing is not correct. we're still lagging too far behind criticism to from the greens. we have to, that seems to me the chancellor is still hesitating, namely because germany is the largest economy in the european union. and so we have to do much more than we're doing both in terms of arms deliveries and sanctions. we have to as return praise though for schultz from the socialist lat party in the

some i think it's at least right that we're no longer promoting this discussion about heavy weapons domestically. any one who believes that heavy weapons will end this war faster is wrong, and for 5, the debate over arms deliveries is becoming a bit of a stress test for germany's governing coalition. in the opposition cd, you see su. many conservatives are for the delivery of heavy weapons and they plan to put the issue to a vote in the pin to stack. schultz still under pressure, and his coalition minister still waiting for clear commitments. as the german chancellor faces criticism at home, his foreign minister analynn burbock is in the latvian capital, riga to day to meet with her counterparts from the baltic states in a press conference. her long side lat is foreign minister edgar's ring cabbage. she affirmed germany's commitment to the security of the 3 former soviet republics were now all you and member and nato member states. mind them then v o i to hear god all

to day. the 4 of us are sending a clear message to moscow. if we will defend peace, i sovereignty and freedom owns the natural nato will collectively defend its territory and protect you every corner of a mine's i'm city are political corresponded, hands blunt is covering this story. the hands, we've got the german foreign minister there asserting her country's commitment to defend europe, but berlin is not delivering heavier weapons to ukraine while it is under attack by russia. how we supposed to make sense of the well analynn, bad luck, the foreign minister and we have to add that cheese from the environmentalists green party. not from charlotte, says chancellor charles, the social democratic party. so there is a little emphasis shift and emphasis here. she was at pains to emphasize today that germany basically approves of the export of heavy weaponry to ukraine. it does not

plan to mentally oppose to that. but she said, germany simply does not have this equipment available. even its own army has not enough heavy weaponry. it appears to commit to fulfill its commitments within nato . and in fact, the german government is planning to spend 100000000000 euros in the next few years to re equip the german army. so the answer is, germany would love to export heavy weaponry to ukraine, but it can't. and as a result, it is doing other things that are committing some extra money, a 1000000000 euros for ukraine to purchase weapons. it is supplying some ammunition for heavy artillery and fabric was saying germany will help with training and with maintenance of equipment that is supplied by other countries. you mentioned a difference in emphasis between the german chancellor and foreign minister. hans, germany has

a fairly new untested coalition government. how much unity is there in chance which holds his government in its policy for dealing with the war in ukraine? well, there are 3 parties in this government. the largest are the social democrats of chancello charlotte's. and then the environmental screens and the market friendly, free democrats. the latter to the smaller partners in this correlation are both very much in favor of supporting ukraine as much as possible with all the equipment that is available. and while that is still quite a lot of difference within transfer, charlotte says own social democratic party that has had a long tradition of trying to keep dialogue open with russia. and it's a very reluctant to give that up. so it's really within his own party that charles has had but hard to stand the burst, most difficulty defending his thoughts. i think he is also on the side of supporting ukraine and of exporting such weapons hunt. thank you very much. our

political correspondent, husband there. well, so we've got the german in baltic. foreign ministers are taking, meeting in latvia next door to that in lithuania, fears or growing that that country could become moscow's next target of particular concern as a narrow stretch of land known as the su walkie gap bordering lithuania, and the russian exclaim of collin gra, many lithuanians fear that moscow could someday attempt to cut this passage to its western nato partners. so some are trying to assure their well prepared. oh, loosely, scalouse gas is straining for the worst case scenario. is a member of the lithuanian rifleman union, a state backed barrow military group that has been growing ever since russia annexed. grant mia in 2014. 0, oh, sales propaganda,

old born russian stayed propaganda. targeted lithuania for us. it meant we could be the next ones with especially if you live here in the saw called swanky gap, lethal any us only land connection with its western natal. pardon us. this stretch of land is crucial for the transport of goods and military equipment. these to walter gap is just 65 kilometers wide. it's located exactly here between the russian exclaim of callian grat on the one site and thrush us l. a bela rose on the, on the site. in lithuania, man, if he has at russia, might try to cut to this land breached of the west. tensions with moscow has been rising. lithuania has been a member of nato since 2004. but since the start of the boy and ukraine, politicians and normal citizens have grown more determined, i would say we owe you more about drugs, which should defend your freedom and so on. it's like understanding of is

a fundamental things we have to a few here of to prepare ourselves. that's why we need, ah, more natal presence in our region as a very credible that of deterrence against russia. this is also the aim of an unusual art exhibition in the capital videos. this strain from moscow stops twice a day here on its way to the russian exclaim of calling and grat. russian passengers are not allowed to get off, but they are confronted with photos of war outside of their windows. when polio was least caused gus is not training for battle, he takes off his rifle, manny uniform to work as a lawyer. he believes that the kremlin and not ordinary russian citizens are

responsible for the war in the ukraine. 3rd globe. oh, so i have russian clients that i keep in touch with. i don't feel any personal hatred towards them, but rather towards the russian state and russian state propaganda. that was the wrong again. many here would agree with him. lithuanians have been called to between a constant state of vigilance and resilience. but with the onset audited, warned ukraine. people living in the swanky gap, i looking to the future with even more concern is like it's world headlines away from the war in ukraine, yemen, his sworn in a new presidential council. the internationally recognized body was appointed this month after a former president hottie stepped aside. the move was meant to unify the fragmented anti who the camp amid ongoing efforts to bring yelman's long running civil war to

an end. authorities in brazil have arrested 7 people in connection with efforts to dismantle and international drug smuggling ring. their suspected of transporting thousands of kilos of cocaine to portugal lease or looking for another 40 individuals in connection with the seizures. and brazilian football legend pele has been hospitalized in san paolo. the 81 year old is receiving treatment for colon cancer. his clinical condition is being described as good and stable. last year, police spent a month in hospital with this time. doctors expect him to be discharged in a matter of days. now to south africa were catastrophic floods have left over 400 people dead in tens of thousands more homeless. the country's military is deployed 10000 troops to help with search and rescue and relief efforts. millions are still without water. more than a week after a deadly storms pounded the region. south africa's government is calling it the

worst natural disaster and living memory. well over 400 people have lost the lives in the floods. dozens are still missing. around 40000 people have been left homeless, the president says it's a humanitarian catastrophe and has declared a state of emergency. it is going to take a massive effort, drawing on the resources and capabilities of the entire nation. to recover from this disaster. as government, we will make financial resources available to meet this challenge. it is estimated that economic loss is caused by the flooding will run into the hundreds of millions of years. but that's only the financial cost. the human hall has been catastrophic . people continue to search for their loved ones in many places in the east and quite zulu natal province. la. if we're looking for our neighbor who has swept away by the river, we're sure that she was shocked to re by the river because we found her son's body

that we haven't found her from george. meanwhile, the heavy rainfalls have east, but the cleanup will probably take months. you are watching d. w. news from berlin coming up next. it's made in germany looking at the female economic a factor. i'm sorry, market thanks for watching with

with a little tougher. so stronger. and it's so brave a why most women fight their way through the well, the word and how much better do they have to perform a gender equality check made in germany and d,

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in the gmc around the world. more than 300000000 people are seeking refuge. we ask why? because no one should have to flee. make up your own mind. d. w for mines. ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, women are supposedly harder on themselves than men. are women under sell their qualifications and are shy about asking for