ah ah ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin, ukraine warrens that russia plans to expand its war across europe. president below to mere zalinski says neighboring. moldova is in russia sites after a senior russian commander and did that extending control right across southern ukraine. and whatever russia's true ambitions there are increasing questions about its military capability. d. w. visit the scene of destruction were retreating. russian forces suffered a defeat, and the threat of war follows ukraine's internal refugees as they seek shelter

in other cities. d. w. meet some of those who skate to the western city, olivia, and the final countdown is on to francis presidential election on sunday incumbent emanuel mac cole and his challenge are marine, the pen, have made their final pitch to voters. but many are unhappy with both candidates. ah, i'm nick spicer. welcome to the program. ukraine has warned that russia plans to attack more countries and expand its war president vladimir lensky said, ukraine's neighbour. moldova should be concerned about russia's latest military strategy, while dover is home to trans nice drea, a breakaway pro russian region which borders ukraine on friday, the deputy commander of russia. central military district. that is,

forces want to expand their control of territory westwards. the official told state media control over the south of ukraine is another way to trans nissan area, where there is also evidence that the russian speaking population is being oppressed. president lensky focused on the commander's comments in his nightly address. sure, said kinky. well, this only confirms what i have said many times the russian invasion of ukraine was intended only as a starter. they then want to capture other countries. of course, we will defend ourselves as long as necessary against law. these ambition of the russian federation, you know, but all nations that like us, believe in the victory of life over death, must fight with us. they have to help us because we are the 1st on this path and who is next steps. not so mostly after done and moldova has also reacted with

concern it some and moscow's ambassador to demand russia respect its neutrality. but even as russia discusses, capturing more territory, western analysts said it had failed to make significant gains in recent days. g. w, correspond mathias billing or joined a ukrainian press trip to a region where russian forces suffered defeat. this is what the russian army left behind you, the village of territory isca, about 70 kilometers northeast of cave is one of the places where the russian invasion came to a halt. bars, as he calls himself, took part in the bottom of the sea army a dish. russia has a bigger army in terms of numbers and equipment. i'm not talking about the quality of the equipment, but it is a lot that means for us that we have to be better prepared and to plan more thoroughly says seniors of, on the line. experts say it wasn't just a clash of 2 armies,

but also of military doctrines. heavy technology versus mobile equipment along the roads in this area. it is not unusual to find whole columns of burnt. i'd tanks taken on by modern western anti tank missiles, bottles it's have to call you just get on a peacock with a javelins and, and lows and drive to the place where you expect them to come hid them. yeah. and then you're able to leave the sink quickly, think they would as a choice move, it's still put the chair right. oh, in the forest the rhine territory. if sca you can still see the bodies of russian soldiers, russian losses are believed have been extremely high. ukrainian soldiers describe their attacks as on coordinated, but very destructive. this school was hit by a rocket symbol. thank there were tanks, there was mobile artillery, it was evolution. they sent everything they had over was all and that he no care that much of this did not land on target. it was chaotic fire shelling without any

plan hoping they were horn. miss, principally called dish newborn ukraine accuses russia of systematic war crimes shelling of civilians. they say these villages lie behind the lines and were bombed from the air house after house destroyed, possibly to demoralize the ukrainians. but as the next big battle begins in the east, the commander of this unit thinks that russia's actions have made ukrainians even more determined. obama boy ali we're ready is up on and if the west accent quickly gives us the military aid that we need more military equipment and technology than i think the victory will be ours. and it might come soon already. we will move, but a more will do for mommy to just, it was a school his optimism is not shared by most expense, most expect a long war of attrition. so how is russia's military campaign going

over all? earlier i spoke to justin crump, a british military veteran and risk analyst from the company sibling. i started by asking how seriously we should take the comments by the russian military official about trying to reach trans history in moldova. yeah, and the deputy commander of the central military district until cas today. so it's not come from the very top, but he's a particularly senior commander in russian hierarchy. so it's comment you have to take seriously the stop this invasion. there was a russian baton in touch group in transition, i think slated to take part in the occupation ukraine. and we thought that would probably move when russian forces got close to odessa. and now that was stored. if you remember by the defense of nicolette, the city that came is the marrow and that car towed fence nicholas few weeks ago and that stop time bishop, that way i think rush is always lead towards this plan. and so it's,

i mean it's been taken seriously for a long time, but this is the 1st statement that's really pointed towards that from a senior military figure. and the focus right now, and just to look at the war as a whole, and the constant request from president to lensky for weaponry, are the ukranian forces getting everything they need. and if not, what's missing. interesting, listening to the segment just now. and the discussion of stag massage and rockets, which is, which is true or useful indeed in slowing down the rush nom advances, but when you really look, this has been an artillery conflict. so the, the missiles we use to stop the russian movement, whether by blocking the road or just the confusing cause, when a vehicle exploded suddenly and throws everyone else into disarray. it was all temporary, far landing off so that the scattered russian forces and stopped an attack that broke up the formation and, and did the real damage. and that's been the case was so though it's not been as

obvious or as witnessed, it's been alternative. it's been vital to both sides and you had the mention of crushing russian 5 our place down without really g regard to targeting civilians or anything else just lay down in an area they thought they were being attacked from. so terry's been the key and that's why there's been so much focus this week on providing more artillery pieces to ukraine and much more artillery ammunition to ukraine, including nato systems that have come from a number of major countries. kind of has been very prominent. the u. s. s. and how it says as well, that training ukrainian forces and how to use those. but most importantly, the ammunition, i mean, the amount by mission that gets used in this sort of complex is huge. and will that artillery and these new weapons coming ukrainian way be decisive, where the, the big part of the fighting is, is occurring now in the east. it's too early to say, i hate that answer is novelist. but it really is a very finely balanced combat and the dumbass,

russia has concentrated more power that had started the war. conversely, ukraine's been able to meet some forces around it, threatens left the north, they protect you, but forces around call came to threaten the back of the russians of the russians advance. and they've had time to dig in positions to choose the ground that going to defend. so both sides of got advantages where they started to complet, besides book disadvantages. and the russians still didn't have an overwhelming material superiority on the, on the battlefield way. attack at $3.00 to $1.00. the russians probably a 2 to one amendment which is not a situation that's ideal, they can't really generate a lot more force in the don't bass. so i think this is one of the reasons that the boss, so it's very slow at the moment. also, the weather doesn't seem right now, and i think much is trying to find a way through the ukraine defenses solely and steadily. but it remains very much in the balance, especially with these additional weapon systems coming in to support ukraine. and hence is a little bit of a race against time, i think, for both sides to try and either stole the russian offense if need any insight from

the russians just to finally overwhelm ukrainian forces and achieve something. it looks like least the beginnings of a success by the city of levine in the west of ukraine has so far escaped much of the conflict. it's population has more than doubled as ukrainians flee the fighting while they may have found relative physical safety. their minds are still very much focused on the war. as d. w reporter, emanuel shouts found up life on the streets and in the cafes of living looks almost normal. residents are getting on with the everyday business as best as they can. dad determined not to let the world change that some are even thinking about the future is really important to continue to improve our economic. and i think that is very, very important to work. now it is short, but i was shocked with 1st 2 weeks at the war. then i came back to normal life.

does your job when your people asked me why i didn't use the bunker for protection? i say that i trust our army. levine has not been completely untouched by the war and the daily ever sirens are a reminder of the threat of russian airstrikes that it has become a relative safe haven for millions of intensity d space ukrainians. not a single door to sky i, villages or sky internet was bombed the day before yesterday. if i was i was to flee to the west. i don't know what else to say. says i to let you guys do this live? not only see the only some you don't have no family, only acquaintances. i came here from lou hands because of the escalation of the war . it's a very hard situation to say the least are just luscious, like we escaped mid march. a week later,

russia came in and they bombed everything. so we'll have nothing left soon that the rama he handed so low, has a helping out. lackey, redna who comes in the ve station every day. she says the city now has 2 faces. i'll this fashion and for example, example, it's like 2 different planets, because in santa rome it's the clyde l. cough her work in every scene is fine people valk and sir, nobody had learnt, knows that to the share of every day train. in the last 2 months, these population has almost tripled with new arrivals. that web, those locals and the intensity space people say is the experience of the war in their country. and we can cross over to a menu, a shares,

who is in the v for us. emmanuel, you filed this report and were able to talk to people who could escape the war. but as you know, thousands have been trapped in the port city of murray. old port for weeks now with only occasional humanitarian quarters, letting a trickle out. is there reason to hope for another deal soon? well, a hope is certainly are worth sir, sustains people who are trapped in mar, you bull. in. indeed, days it is believed that there is around a 1000 civilians who are trapped in d as or style as t planned to eat him. are you paul? and they are also sold, is there they are holding their position? they are not surrendering the ukrainian forces. i mean, and you know, i was reading a testimony of a ukrainian so the who is currently in the as of style as steel plans. and he was saying that his just, you know, a matter of hours of days are the best or until they run out of food or

drink apple water. and also he was saying that sold is there only have lights or artillery lights or records and that's a rush and dominates in every way. and there he also so voicing concerns about 500 people injured. so it is not clear whether it is a sold years, are civilians injured in doubt, steel plant, and they don't have any access to medicine any access to any humanitarian corridor . handful of people could leave or mar, you pulls a steel plant. a few days ago, birds, there were not enough buses and, and negotiations for humanitarian corridors didn't, didn't succeed. it was russia wanting as a prerequisite, that ukrainian sold is laid on their arms, which she is out of the question for them in mar, you ball and the 4 key. if it's a dramatic city in the port city from, from all we're able to hear and,

and we've come across a heard of images of mass graves there as well. what can you tell us? well, a does image is come from a u. s. a satellite from a privacy private us company, and indeed it looks like a mass grave or was doug near mar, you, paul dairies mounting evidence, according to united nations of war crimes committed by russians are they asked they advance within the country. so those are those images on the add up to and or to an already long list of possible war crimes, arbitrarily killings of civilians and mass graves being dug. we also have reports that are very difficult to verify, but we have reports of or more by kermit.