ah ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin will tonight be ukraine's last stand in mario poll . soldiers are defying a russian ultimatum to lay down. there are. this could be our last appeal of our lives. we may be facing our last days if not hours. the enemy out numbers is tend to wound the cities defenders vowing to fight to the end as battles rage across eastern ukraine. also coming up tonight,

german foreign minister annually to bear bach, announcing that germany will halt all russian oil imports. by the end of this year and the biggest tournament in tennis bands, russian and bell ruffian players over the war in ukraine, wimbleton organizers say the move is in response to an unjustified and unprecedented military aggression from russia. ah, i bring gov is good to have you with us on this wednesday and we start our coverage with the dire situation in the last ukrainian hold out in the besieged city of mario poll. defenders of the city are warning that it could fall within days if not hours. as russia presses it's offensive across eastern ukraine. ukrainian troops hold up in mario poll, have defied a russian deadline to surrender yet again. ukraine says efforts to open

humanitarian corridors to evacuate. civilians have been largely unsuccessful. on ukraine's eastern front. soldiers begin for the fight ahead that direction. russia has relaunched his offensive, hoping to take full control of the dumbass region. in the besieged port city of mario pole. the fight may be almost over let the voting of a few bases are appeal to the walls. when this could be our last appeal of our lives. we may be facing our last days, if not ours, the enemy out numbers as 10 to one. while a sense of normal life returns to the capital, keep in cities to the east. the wall rage is own

in then seen if the intensity of fire by russian troops in the hockey direction in dunbar and in the demure pro region has increased significantly. only basically consider ordinary housing infrastructure, normal targets for them anymore. jane in this wall in the russian army will for ever inscribe itself in world history as perhaps the most barbaric and inhuman on the world. she may be a shall article e nelly school address at these hospital in chrome a task. the injured continue to arrive wounded. one of them by the 2nd russian offensive. yeah. as you should, i sure now it seems yesterday rushes started a large scale advance in the area. they use artillery systems, heavy artillery drones and g r a d systems. or are they in hockey?

family say they last good bye to those who we killed in the fight. russia's invasion may have entered a so called new phase. but the pain of loss is a constant. in a wall that's far from over. i only get the latest now from our corresponded mathias burleigh go, he is in a keep getting the to you my tears. so rush, it appears to be closing in on the the last hold else there in mario, paul. and what are you hearing? what's the latest there? yeah, what we have heard today is that there was another green corridor that failed to humanitarian corridor, where people would have been able to evacuate to what we have heard from the ukrainian side. is that due to heavy shelling, people were not able to board the buses that were arriving for them

and they remain in this factory together with the lot of the soldiers that are still there in my teams, what do we know about the this new russian offensive across the don't boss eastern you. great. well it is, it seems to be very different from what we have seen in the 1st phase of the war. or russia has a master, a lot of heavy artillery and a lot of a soldiers there. and they are planning to they seem to be planning to a different tactic to move in with much more force with much more firepower and to advance may be slower than they had planned in the 1st phase that has failed, where they wanted to do to, to to, to advance as quickly as possible, and then they were taken out by the ukrainian forces because they hadn't, did not bring their back up and at etc, etc. so this looks like a much more,

much more heavy attack, a much slower and heavier attack, and that's something of course, um that might lead to a lot more casualties than, than we have seen so far on the military side. but also on the civilian side. a we have seen in mary upa that the russians have shelled the city indiscriminately, living quarters, hospitals, and many true positions of course as well. and the fear is that this blurb battle in don boss would be very bloody. we know there was a surprise visit to day and keep the european council president charles michelle. he met with the ukranian president zalinski b. we saw the press conference, the 2 very warm with each other. we know that zalinski wants more heavy artillery and weapons from the west, from the european. you can give us a sense of, of where we are right now. does ukraine feel like it's getting what it needs?

well as far as i understood, or michel to day and others is it, is that it's not there yet. the europeans are still discussing among themselves. but michelle has announced that they will deliver more weapons to ukraine. more worth a lot more money than their he has pledged so far. the u. u has pledged so far. it is very clear what ukraine ones ukraine wants. tanks, heavy artillery to counter this offensive that we expect in the, in the don barza that has already started in and on bus from what we are seeing. and yet the signals from michelle, we're positive, but i think there are so discussions ongoing in the european union. a correspondent, he is really good with the late tonight from keith, but he has thank you rushes. defense ministry says that it have successfully completed a test launch of its new intercontinental ballistic missile. the ministry saying

that the watch was carried out close to the border with finland. the sar mots is a heavy missile, which russian officials say is capable of evading and penetrating all missile defense systems. russia president who didn't says that this should make any one threatening russia, and i'm quoting here, think twice or it was good now to our corresponded in russia analyst konstantin, eager to talk about this. so we got some tough talk coming from vladimir putin today. that's normal for him, konstantin. but why do you think we're seeing this demonstration of force now? well, i think it is a sign of desperation, or at least uncertainty about the ability to, to win on that conventional battle ground from a brook. i don't think that luncheon at a ballistic missile,

this circumstance was called for in terms of any kind of military necessity. also it to launch as the, as the russian said. so basically that means that probably quite a bit of real testing has to be, has to be done. and we've seen a lot of russian defense staff, the russian military, bragging about the progress of a rushman, the technology. well, so far it wasn't something you didn't something that will really, charlie can this in the proven on the battle ground. i think it is a p r. sounds. it is an attempt to, to, to, to threats and to scare. but frankly speaking, i do not know who the west will not be scared of ukrainians, probably think, and probably rightly that's how much is not going to be used against them. and then, you know, at the same time the kremlin today saying that it made a concrete creed proposal to the ukrainians regarding

a peace deal. do we know what's inside that? that paper? no, i think about this. this is an awesome book made by prospects for me to be discussed in a phone, go with the press and what are these proposal? we do not know whether they really exist. we also do not know to me a good that may be true, but it loops as if it is just a kind of a p r and a p r. addition, if you wish to this decisive battle, who knew stage of operation that has essentially we've seen it already for weeks. on the one hand you have a 10 say you have showing up civilian areas. you have lots of things going on, which, which was shocked. the world, on the other hand, all this kind of token piece, and i think to large extent it is an attempt to convince the domestic audience that so russia is not watching war. we will roll about piece where every piece will,

is just the landscape was stubborn. the ukrainians were stubborn and who do not want peace? i think it's give for now more over p r. stone. unless we learn something dramatic in a different country. what about the possibility that, that the criminal is trying to create an off ramp for itself that, that it can say come victory day in may. that there is a tangible victory here that we can show either a p still, or they one territory in the don't bass. well, how many? how many times we've heard about this necessity to see the gremlins connect the face. i think if you're talking about the day which, which is an important you know, something that, ah, i think it's more about announcing, for example, control of the whole of did when the ask in the hands of loss of that probably isn't the part when the specially in the russian forces take my to you,

but i do not think that you can clinch a piece the literally your sincere about that which i don't think the government is in such a short time. so i think i would still think about it. and this kind of propaganda flyer, which account is a brutal minute. konstantin anger is always constantly. we appreciate your analysis . thank you. thank you. but your machines are all up sholtes. he is facing growing frustration over what his critics say is a lack of leadership over you crate. some of that criticism is coming from his government 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 not, we've asked german arms manufacturers to tell us what equipment they can supply in the near future. not think morton ukraine has now made it 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, the thought 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 chancellor stressed 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, writing that everyone's doing what germany's doing is not correct. we're still lagging too far behind criticism to from the greens he up to the 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 one has written praise though, for schultz from the socialist last party in the some i think it's at least to write that we're no longer promoting this discussion about heavy weapons domestically. anyone 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 far the delivery of heavy weapons and they plan to pay the issue to vote in the pin to stack, shall stell, under pressure. and his coalition minister still waiting for clear commitments. when germany has vowed to stop all imports of russian oil, by the end of this year, german foreign minister idling a bear book, made that announcement to day after meeting with her counterpart from a stony. at lafayette and lithuania, burbock also sent an unequivocal message of support saying that nato allies can

rely on germany 100 percent. mind them then he always did he act at 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 defendant's territory and protect you every corner of a mine's, i'm city i've a morning i'm joined by a political correspondence. i mean, younger me to you. so i mean to, let's talk about what the foreign minister said today at this press conference. she said that germany will stop russian oil imports by the end of the year. how feasible, how realistic is there? well bred fisher is going to be very tough indeed, because around 35 percent of germany's oil imports come from russia. and we seen how sensitive the, the energy market saw with the prices the price of energy commodity shooting up

just on the announcement that putin was going to invade ukraine and the prices have stayed high. even though, of course, at the moment still the oil and the and the gas is still flowing if it goes on like that. or indeed, if the supplies reduce that could push prices even higher. that'll cause paying for german industry and for german old re, german citizens. they've been shopping around for other places to get it well from they've done some deals. supply deals with the other supplies, for instance, the states in, in the gulf. but you know, none of that can be changed very quickly. so it's an ambitious target. having said that, if they could do it, it really could be effective because this is the money that is financing, puccini war. and of course, if you end that war quick, well that in the end would be good for german business, which is one of the key concerns. when you're looking at this situation from berlin's perspective, it was interesting,

today's so i mean that the german foreign minister said again, what we heard yesterday from the chancellor that there are 100 percent support for nato also for ukraine. did she say that? because she really means it or was there also the fact that maybe she feels like she has to convince native members that it's true. well, of course, there's been these concerns about whether berlin is fully committed and whether it's doing enough, whether it's, you know, doing only can on reducing russian energy and ports, whether it's doing all it can in the provision of military hardware at the ukraine . but of course, today she was speaking in the baltic countries, speaking to those 3 particularly who, you know, obviously concerned they want maximum support from other nato partners, such as germany,

germany leads the nato and how it's full with presence battalion in lithuania. and it seen some of the other countries as well. so i think the statements that, you know, germany is fully backing that effort and defending nato territory is absolutely key to keep that alliance together. are so young tonight with the latest from here in berlin is always, i mean, thank you. were despite those messages of support from germany's foreign minister in the country of lafayette, people next door, in lithuania, they fear that their country could be moscow. next target of particular concern is a narrow stretch of land which is known as the sea walkie gap bordering lithuania. and the russian enclave of colon and gra. many lithuanians fear that moscow could some day attempt to cut this passage to its western nato partners. so some are

trying to ensure that they are prepared now loosely, scalouse gus is training for the worst case scenario. is a member of the lithuanian rifleman union, a state backed paramilitary group that has been growing ever since russia annexed. grant mia in 2014 i o sales put a bug on the old one. russian state 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 length connection with its western nato. 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 rows on

the, on the site. in lithuania, man, if he has that russia might try to cut this land breached of the west dentures. 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 your, which should defend your freedom and so on. it's like understanding of is the fundamental things we have to 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 class. 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 around was no longer going many here would agree with him. lithuanians have been called to between a constant state of vigilance and resilience. but with the onset all the goin ukraine, people living in the so while gap i looking to the future with even more concern

that was d. w. 's re rachada reported there. in the 1st weeks of invasion, russia seized control of the chernobyl nuclear power plant. the side of the world's worst nuclear disaster. and it was also the 1st time that soldiers have occupied a nuclear power plant as part of a war weeks after moscow's forces. left reports continue to emerge of the reckless and extremely dangerous actions that they took while they were there. this is one of the most radioactive places in the world. yet the more than a month, russian soldiers lived here. digging deep into the contaminated soil of the chernobyl exclusions own ukrainian officials say that bunking down in the zone so called red forest manned up costing some of the troops, their lives would be a little deleted. there shifted

a little corporal in the red forest where russians dug trenches, ally, they lived here only breathe in dust here. usual cooked their food and set fire here, a hoodie la for a while and thought so gross was burnt for them and they inhaled burnt substances you with the holy, which hang a 3rd of course it will damage the healthily fix. it will kill some of them. slowly, but toggling on, some of them will be, will die quickly, are big, which with go with it but rushes occupation of this site, but more than lives of its soldiers in danger. for a time, the d commission plant was cut off from the power grid and force to rely on diesel generators to keep critical safety systems running, sparking phase of immune you could a disaster reaching well beyond ukraine. when russian troops hurt left at the end of march, they looted offices some report li even stole highly radioactive materials, possibly to sell ukrainian authorities still unable to monitor radiation levels at

the site off to soldiers also stole the systems. main server to noble was never ready for a military occupation with the russians gone for now. and the anniversary of the 1986 disaster approaching authorities are working to make sure it will be more prepared in the future. for here are some of the other headlines that are making headlines. this our a court in london has issued an order to extradite wiki leaks, founder julie de songs to the united states to face trial for releasing classified information. if the final appeals fail on the u. k interior minister, pretty patel will decide his fate to signs could face a life sentence if found guilty in the us. authorities in brazil have arrested 7 people in connection with efforts to dismantle and international drug smuggling, read their suspected of transporting thousands of kilos of cocaine to portugal. the leaves are looking for another 40 individuals in connection with the seizures. the

brazilian football legend tell a has been hospitalized in south palo. the 81 year old is receiving treatment for colon. cancer is clinical condition is being described as good and stable. last year, kelly spent a month in the hospital, but this time doctors expect him to be discharged. in a matter of days, wimbleton organizers have banned russian and bell ruffian tennis players from this year's tournament because of the war in ukraine. the band will prevent a number of top rank players from competing in june's grand slam event. the kremlin has called it unacceptable, and it's been criticized as discriminatory by both the men's and women's tennis associations. the green, green grass of wimbledon, part of what makes it, arguably the most well known tennis tournaments in the world. but this year, no russians are better. ruffians will grace the hallow tough organize is taking the

decision because quote, it would be unacceptable for the russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of rational bella roosting players with the championships. the ban means big name players like the needle medford of the russian world. number 2 and battery says arena isabella anchor, who reached the wimbledon semifinals last year. won't be allowed to take part. in february, the international olympic committee called on sports bodies to pan russian embarrassing athletes. but wimbledon is going against the grain in tennis at regular tournaments, players from russia and batteries can take parties, neutrals, others in the sport, believing it's unfair to punish individuals for a regimes, actions. when bowden though, closing its gates to russia and belarus, the possibility of someone from those countries lifting the famous trophy and the resulting propaganda boost back home too much for organizes to bath.

this is dw, these coming up next is conflict zone. i will be back at the top of the hour with more will news followed by the day i have to see that ah ah ah ah ah ah

ah ah. with who into the conflict zone with tim, sebastian. russian forces have begun to the 2nd phase of the war in ukraine, but ukrainian officials said they were confident they could hold off the offensive

as the war goes on. she believes the dangers arising. he's mean, of course java, great granddaughter of the former soviet lead in nikita khrushchev conflict zone on d. w. o. in what secrets lie behind these will discover new adventures in 360 degrees and explore fascinating world heritage sites d w world heritage 360 getting out now several dead and right wing extremists, women's rights. mcgrath and again wild mommy and couple of late and burned in south africa. people with disabilities more likely to leave their jobs independent, make black lives matter, protest shine a spotlight on racially motivated police violence. same sex marriage is being

legalized in more and more countries, discrimination and inequality are part of everyday life. for many, we ask why? because life is diversity. to make up your own mind. d. w. need for mines. russian forces have begun the 2nd phase of their war in ukraine with unexpected push in the eastern don bath region. but ukrainian officials said they were confident they could hold off the offensive till now neither side as offered any hint of compromise. in fact, positions in both moscow and kia seem to pardon my guest this week of the unique perspective. he's nina cruz, java, great granddaughter of the former soviet leader nikita khrushchev. and she joins me this week from new york.