ah, ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin, ukraine warrens that russia plans to expand its war across europe. president vladimir lensky says neighboring mold is in moscow sites after a senior russian commander hinted at extending control right across southern ukraine. whatever rushes true ambitions there are increasing questions about its military capability. d. w is the scene of destruction where retreating russian forces suffered 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 escape to the western city of libya. and the final countdown is on to francis presidential election on sunday. and company menu and back home at his challenger, marine le pen have made their final pitch to voters. many are unhappy with both candidates. ah, next by cert, welcome to the program. ukraine has warned that russia plans to attack more countries and expand its war for as it in below to mere zalinski said, ukraine's neighbour. moldova should be concerned about russia's latest military strategy. moldova is home to treads nice, trio, a break away pro russian region which borders ukraine. on friday, the deputy commander of russia central mila harry district,

said its 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 knee strip where there is also evidence that the russian speaking population is being oppressed. president zalinski focused on the commander's comments in his nightly address should sit guilty. 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 or against law. these ambition of the russian federation. 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. moldova has

also reacted with concern is 7 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. dw correspond mathias bellinger jointed, ukrainian government press trip to a region where russian forces suffered defeat. this is what the russian army left behind in the village of terrifica about 70 kilometers. ne of give is one of the places where the russian invasion came to a halt. bars as he calls himself, took part in the battle to see army a leash, 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 to 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 odd tanks taken out by modern western anti tank missiles. was it 50 cottages, get on a peak out with a javelins and, and lows and drive to the place where you expect them to come eat them and then you're able to leave the sing quickly. they feel as a choice. no, it's still pretty chill. right? oh, in the forest the rhine territory of sca you can still see the bodies of russian soldiers . russian losses are believed to have been extremely high. ukrainian soldiers describe their attacks as on coordinated but very destructive. this school was hit by a rocket. sybil, thank there were tanks, it was mirabelle artillery. it was every ation they sent everything they had over was all and the did not 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 fish, 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 bottle begins in the east, the commander of this unit thinks that russia's actions have made ukrainians even more determined. bama, hopefully we already up and if the west accent quickly gives us the military aid that we need more military equipment out acknowledges than i think the victory will be ours. and it might come soon already. but a morbid phenomenon just interest interest. his optimism is not shared by most expense, most expect a long war of attrition. so how is russia's military campaign going?

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 comments by the russian military official about trying to reach trans mistrial in moldova. yeah. the deputy commander of the central military district and talk yesterday. 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 of the start of this invasion. there was a russian baton and tactical group in trans history. i think slated to take part in the occupation ukraine, and we thought that would probably move. why and russian forces got close to a desa. now that was stalled. remember by the defense of mc left the city that that came as the marrow and that car to fence mac lab few weeks ago. and that stop time patients that way. but i think rushes always lead towards this plan. so it's

something that'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 at the focus right now. and just to look at the war as a whole. and the constant requests from president the lensky for weaponry or the ukrainian forces getting everything they need. and if not, what's missing. interesting. listening to the segment just now and the discussion demand tank missiles and rockets, which is, which is true that ever used for indeed in slowing down the rush nom advances. but when you really look, this has been artillery conflicts. so the, the missiles we use to stop the russian movement, whether by blocking the road or just the confusing cause, when a vehicle explodes 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 there, it's not been as obvious was witnessed. it's been artillery that's been vital to

both sides and you had mentioned crushing, rushing fire power 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, and 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 of ammunition 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 or is occurring now in the east. it's still any to say, i hate that answer as an analyst, but it really is a very finely balanced combat and the don't bass. russia has concentrated more

power that and had it started to walk. conversely, ukraine's been able to meet some forces around 6 russians left the north and they put it forces around call cave to threaten the back of the russians. the russians advance. 2 and they've had time to dig in positions to choose the ground again to defend. so both sides of got advantages where they started to conflict, both sides with disadvantages. and the russians still don't have an overwhelming imperial superiority on the, on the battlefield attack at $3.00 to $1.00. the russians probably 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 box i was very slow at the moment. also the weather doesn't seem right now, and i think rush is trying to find a way through the ukrainian defenses, sodium 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 russian offensive, new credit,

insight, or from the russians just to finally overwhelm you, cranium, forces, and achieve something that looks like at least the beginnings of success but that was just an crump of british military analyst and c. e. o. siblings. speaking to me earlier, the city of levine is in the west of ukraine and so far has escaped much of the conflict. it's population has more than doubled as ukranian fleet. the fighting while they may have found relative physical safety, their minds are still very much focused on the war. as the w correspondent, emanuel shas found out life on the streets and in the cafes of living looks almost normal. residents are getting on with their everyday business as best as they can. dad determined not to lead toward change that some are even thinking about the future is really important to continue to improve our economic. and i think it is very, very important to work. now. it is short boot,

but i was shocked at 1st 2 weeks at the war. then i came back to normal life georgia. when have you been 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 air raid sirens. our reminder of the threat of russian air strikes that it has become a relative safe haven for millions of internally displaced ukrainians left. a civil dorski available to poor sky in donetta was bombed the day before yesterday. if i was, i was to flee to the west. and i don't know what else to say. hey, to let you brandy and his live. now, do you see the warning? sim, you don't know. i have no family. only acquaintances. i came here from lou hands because of the escalation of the wall. it's

a very hard situation to say the least are just luscious lug. we escaped mid march . a week later, russia came in and they bombed everything, so we'll have nothing left soon. that's mama katy hundreds of logos are helping out lucky rena, who comes in the ve station every day. she says the city now has 2 faces. i'll the station and for example, at san fran, it's like 2 different planets, because in central it's sir clyde l car for war. keon, the ellison is fine. people valk and so no by didn't 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 internally displaced people share the experience of the war in

their country. for it was filed by the w correspondence, emanuel shars. and earlier i asked her if there was any hope for the many residence . still trapped in the port city of mary or paul hope is certainly what sir sustains. people who are trapped in mar, you pull in, indeed days it is believed that there is a round, a 1000 civilians who are trapped in d as of fowl as to your plan to eat em. are you, paul? and they are also sold is there they are holding their position, they are not surrendering the ukraine and the forces. i mean, and you know, i was reading a testimony of a ukrainian soul. the who is currently in the hours of style as steel plans. and he was saying that his just, you know, a matter of hours of days are the best until they run out of food or drink a bull water. and also he was saying that sold is there only have lights or

artillery lights or weapons 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, you are civilians injured in doubt, see the plans and they don't have any access to medicine any access to any humanitarian corridor. handful of people could leave a mar, you polls or steel plant. a few days ago, birds, there were not enough buses and their negotiations are for humanitarian corridors. didn't, didn't succeed. it was russia a 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 forgive, it's a dramatic city in the port city from, from all we're able to hear and, and um,

we've come across a heard of images of mass graves there as well. what can you tell us? well, a does images come from a u. s. or satellite from a privacy private u. s. company, and indeed it looks like a mass grave or was dug in near mar you ball. and there is mon seeing evidence, according to united nations of war crimes committed by russians, are they asked they advance or within the country. so those are those images only add up to an or to an already long list of possible war crimes are 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 a crematorium used by a russian cell these 2 to we raise the evidence of those crimes. so this is a very r.