meaning civilians craft at the as of stall steel plant to safety. they haven't seen sunlight or had access to enough food and water for 2 months. survivors say those stuck under ground aren't even aware. the city around them has been reduced to rubble. variable has faced the most destructive siege in putin's war on ukraine. it's capture would let russia claim total control of the strategic port city. just the kind of victory it's believed put in once before. monday is victory day celebrations. i'm claire richardson in berlin. this is the day. aah! laura, luke grady since was in small rough proceedings by mentions and limitless in its potential for global harm. forward 2 and a half months, the russian army has committed numerous crimes against humanity circulate their raping as it ready to go for story. some of the bill allows it,

must hold those in russia unleash, perpetrated and ordered the war crimes committed in ukraine to account. they won't agree goes down, but the only thing that will break it break down into an is russia also on the day for the 1st time in northern ireland history, a nationalist is likely to become 1st minister, shin fain looks at to win the most seats in elections, bringing the possibility of a united ireland closer. the journey towards irish unity is unstoppable. i think we will see a referendum within the stack kid. i think we will see that referendum for unity being one. hello and thanks for joining us. dozens of civilians have been bused to safety after being evacuated from a besieged seal plant in mario pole. you cray. the survivors have been brought to

russia. occupied territory, bought there, accompanied by members of an international rescue efforts. united nations says around 500 civilians have been evacuated from russia, controlled areas around mario poll this week, displaced ukrainians, q for 8. that fled from regions occupied by russian forces including besieged mario pole. while they have made us out, others remain trapped in the as of styled steel plant ukraine's last stand in the port city. there is a risky off to the lease currently, russian shelling and the assault of as a stall does not stop civilian, but civilians still need to be taken out. a women children, many children are still there. just imagine this held them more than 2 months of constant shelling, bombing constant death was you nearby okey board. this video released by the as of

regiment shows heavy shelling of the steel plant. the remaining ukrainian soldiers have vowed to defend it until the end. russia says it's a grade to a ceasefire to allow humanitarian corridor out of the plant that ukrainian fighters claim. otherwise isn't the rental boiled water for the 3rd day? the enemy has broken through the territory of the as a stall plant where heavy, bloody fighting continues. luciana pollution itself, once again, the russians violated the promise of a truce, did not allow the evacuation of civilians who continued to hide from shelling. and as a star plants basement the u. n and the red cross were able to evacuate hundreds of people during a brief ceasefire on wednesday. we are accompanied by 11 buses, filled of civilians are women, children, and elderly, who wants who are seeking safe haven outside the steel plant. mary paul is largely

under russian occupation and clean up efforts have begun in preparation for may 9th, when russia celebrates the soviet union's victory day in world war 2. analysts say moscow is eager to gain full control of the strategic port city in time for one of russia's most important holidays. let's bring in dmitri kornberg. he's an expert on security issues in the former soviet union and on russian foreign policy. and the russian military is now with a c and a, a non profit research and analysis organization in arlington, virginia, a very warm welcome to the day our russian forces are still unable to secure full control of the hours of stall works in mario, paul, how indicative is that of the whole offensive? well, it's part of a general record of poor performance by the russian military. but other style is a particularly difficult environment for them to, to, to capture because of the reinforcement of the tunnels and the bunkers and so forth

. so it's, it's quite a, it's, it's quite difficult to, to fully take it over. so it is remarkable that there are ukrainians holding out at this point. i'm, do you think that russia has now settled on the capture of the dumbass and a land of bridget to crimea as it's final war? and i think for now, yes, i wouldn't be surprised if they are successful in that aim, which is not necessarily, you know, it could be certain that they could revisit and expand the aims later on. but for now that's, that's what they're aiming for. yes. and have you been surprised by the way things have been going for russia in this conflict? i was surprised initially. i thought that they would perform better in the early days of the 1st couple weeks of the war since then. i think it's just been more of

the same. so i'm, i haven't been surprised that they have been less successful with the, the, the sort of the face to don bos, offensive than, than, than they expected that that's kind of more or less in line with their performance in the 1st, in the 1st space. now the west is pouring increasingly potent, military aid and cash into ukraine at what happens here if the war drags on well, i can go support is going to continue. and one thing that we're potentially tracking is that as the russian trip forces become exhausted and the and ukrainian forces in the meantime get more modern, more western weaponry, we could see more calendar offensives, perhaps in the summer if the war continues. yeah. if we are looking at a protracted conflict, do you really think that the west will be able to keep up the pressure?

i think so, i think the certainly the u. s. and it's european allies have the resources, and i think that there is a belief in the capitals in the west. and certainly the native member states that if that, that russia needs to be stopped at this point or that there will be of further aggression down the line. and the political consequences for russia itself in a protracted war. the, well, the political conflict, consequences are a little bit uncertain because one thing we've seen is that bruton has become more popular domestically, even as he's been russia has become isolated for certainly from the west. them from a lot of key asian states as well. not china, obviously, so, so but,

but the others. and so i think that support for the war in russia is likely to continue. but the economic problems could be kind of an achilles heel for, for putin, as they really begin to bite. maybe later, later this year, early in $23.00, a vis monday rush will be celebrating victory day, a mark in the anniversary of the soviet union's role in the defeat of nazi germany . what are you expecting to hear from vladimir putin on this day? you know, i'm not expecting any a major changes. you know, i see i seen a report said, you know, there are the possibility that gooden could declare a general mobilization or something else along those lines. i don't think that's going to happen. i think that there will be most likely scenario is some kind of statement about the progress that's been made of, oh, perhaps. so,

you know, highlighting the advances in the don't boss and so forth. a minimizing any failures and, and kind of a declaration of the significance and, and justice from their point of view of, of the, of, of the aims of what they're calling the special operation. and you think that will include claiming a victory in mario paul specifically um, i think it will depend to some extent on the situation. ok, certainly most of the city, you know, 95 percent of the city is now under russian control. so. so i could certainly see some kind of demonstration along those lines. ah, but it's hard to actually declare victory when they're still on, you know, when there's obviously still fighting and, and bombing and so forth. going on of the area that's, that's being that the korean forces are, are still holding on to i touch on is briefly about putin are still enjoying strong

backing in russia for his war in ukraine. give any reason to believe that that will change. i don't think so. i don't not. and then not in the short term of the anyway, i think that there is a combination of a rally around the flag effect among a sizable part of the population. in part assisted bi limits on, on the kinds of information that russians get from the state controlled media. and also the departure of a lot of the more opposition oriented or more western oriented people to other countries. so you know, those there are several 100000 i think, who have lashed in just since the beginning of march. and so i think bess provided, oh putin with some, some kind of a breathing space in a way because the most, oh anti guten,

people have are leaving dmitri gordon park with sienna. i wanna thank you so much for taking the time to come on a day. really appreciate friendly ah, well, after initially hesitating to send heavy weapons to ukraine, the german government has now changed course. the 1st delivery of 7 self propelled artillery vehicles is in the works. ukraine's as the additional support will be critical in defending the dumbass region. the how it's are in action. according to the gym bundeswehr, it's one of the most modern artillery systems in the world. armed with $150.00 millimeter shells that have a range of up to 40 kilometers to how it so requires a crew of $3.00 to $5.00 soldiers. germany now wants to give 7 such how it says to the ukranian armed forces. as part of a german dutch deal, germany's defense minister announced to move during a visit to slovakia. just the yoga mines on together. we will now support

ukraine even further by ensuring that it will be able to fight was howard sir to thousands in the future. and so conduct kemp and kung, as we can get us up next of uh huh. therefore i was starting next week. there will be training in germany on this weapons. upon on this howitzer went and afterwards a total of 12, both 5 deco systems to 7 german systems. lodge low support ukraine and his courageous fight come on tested this pacific. how it says have just been repaired and therefore not currently being used by the german army. the bonus fair normally estimates about 40 days for training. in this case however, it could all go much faster. ah, and the british province of northern ireland is awaiting final election results set to mark a pivotal moment in the history of the territory. valid papers counted so far

suggest that the nationalist shin fein, will become the largest party that would leave its main candidate, michel o'neill as the most likely person to leave the next government. it would be the 1st time since the partition of ireland a century ago at the northern irish government would be led by a party that advocates the end of british rule. there, the main pro british party, the d u. p has seen its support drops and breaks it. although support for the union with britain remains strong in the province. i think union us are very concerned about what a shouldn't feared victory, and the selection would been in terms of a 3rd device with border poll plan. so why we put forward an effect of 5 point plan that we believe address all of the issues that matter to people right across northern are working to happen because you should use composition must be had the healthcare association must be on all the things didn't happen. now, but i said that word a decade of opportunity of that kind of opportunity to bring the right bus years. we work towards the am, please now bring in neil, o joker

t a professor of political science and says geology at the university of galway in the republic of ireland. he is also the author of deniable contact back channel negotiation in the northern ireland conflict. now it's nearly a quarter of a century since the good friday agreement set up a framework for the peace process to start in northern ireland. so i'd like to begin by asking you, what would shin feigns victory, signify in this context? a it signifies a very deep shift in the politics of northern ireland and a long term change. and the relationship between the 2 jurisdictions in ireland, that's not to say that the reunification of ireland is going to happen. and in the next 5 years or even in the next 10 years. but certainly the relationship between the 2 parts of ireland is undergoing ongoing change. and the emergence of sinn fein is the largest party with around 30 percent of the votes and well ahead of the next

largest party. the d u. p is hugely symbolic. northern ireland was established in the 1st place as a state for northern irish protestants who wished to identify with britain and stay in the united kingdom. and that lasted for around a 100 years. unionists supplied every prime minister for every government and northern ireland and for the 1st time that will not be the case. there will not be a unionist 1st minister, very are looking at a historic 1st a what has caused the loss of support for the d. u. p, their supporters call in 2 directions, one to a right wing union as challenger, who wants them to be even more hired line and more opposed to nationalism. and to the compromise that the united kingdom made with the european union in the withdrawal agreement. so they lost some votes in that direction, but they all unionists also lost vote to the moderate alliance party which is

neither nationalist nor unionist. so there are many liberal unionists who in recent years have been abandoning the 2 main union as parties. partly because those parties have ended up on the wrong side of so many debates. most importantly, the debate around the european union, many in the union community, actually voted to remain and the u. r. support of maintaining good relations with the you are not attracted by the very negative approach, especially of the largest union party, the d u p to the european union. and how is the union as a community likely to react to action, feigns 1st minister. it remains to be seen, but i think there will be huge pressure on the democratic unionist party to go into government which and feign and to acceptation fame 1st minister sion fain. after all has been willing to go into government with the d. u. p. as deputy 1st minister

in successive administrations for the d u p to refuse then to take up the deputy 1st minister role and going to government which insane would be an extraordinary. busy rejection of a system that they have accepted for many years. a rejection primarily on the basis that they didn't want to national store or republican 1st minister. although the de piece formal reason for not going back into government immediately is they want to see aspects of the withdrawal agreement between the you and the united kingdom. changed that agreement and sure that there will be a soft border in ireland. but that has led to the introduction of some controls on goods between great britain and northern ireland. so the d p is saying that until that agreement is changed. they won't go to government, but i think they will be pressured into government relatively quickly because all of the other significant parties want government to get back up and running and are

willing to accept ation. fane. first minister. tell us more about the fact that as post breaks it rules, i'm imposing border checks between or their ireland and the rest of the u. k. i'm how significant have a factor that has been it was very important in mobilizing a union, a space to, to trying changes. but the issue has developed in a very curious way. initially, unionist leaders were indicating that they could live with this with the protocol that they could accept these limited controls. because he claim it actually puts northern ireland in a very privileged position. it can trade into the u as though it's in the you and it can trade into great britain because it's still part of the might neither king of freely. so actually some union could see the great benefits of this arrangement . but then partly because the british government and you know, backed resistance to this protocol or, you know, showed that it was willing to,

to post this protocol and really pushed unionists in the direction of becoming much more strongly opposed to it. so that became this big touchstone issue for unionists . and the main unit party, the democratic union party adopted this as a central issue partly because they were afraid of losing a lot of their supporters to this right wing challenger within unionism. they've touched on this just briefly, but i want to ask you if she fain emerges with the largest number of seats in the republic of ireland and the next elections in 2 years. how quickly do you think we would see moves toward a united ireland? well the 1st step in any process of that kind is to have a referendum and that would take place in northern ireland and in the republic of ireland. but the british secretary of state for northern ireland is the only person who can call that referendum, who can make the decision. and they will only do it on the basis that they believe

such a referendum would pass. so we might be some years away from that yet. and even if shes paying comes into government in the republic of ireland, they will obviously then be able to increase the pressure for such a move. but the british government has the ultimate sale. whether referendum is called or not now support for ice unification in the north is running at, you know, most polls showed it as a kind of $40.00 to $60.00 breakdown around 60 percent or a little less saying they would vote to stay in the u. k. to more around 40 percent saying they would join united ireland. but there is in all of these polls a big pool of don't knows. and you can see the chin fane is now orienting itself to and to winning over a substantial number of these. don't know it over the next 5 years, 5 years or so. and the tone of their president very lu mcdonald when she spoke

about the election results earlier today was very much at aimed at this middle ground and, and thinking of irish reading cation as a project that could, you know, bring people together. right? well i thank you very much, neil. oh, daugherty for taking the time to come on the show. really appreciate your advice there. thank you. ah. of 4 crew members from the international space station have returned safely to her . their capital splashed down off the coast of florida almost a day after it left the orbiting lab. germany's mathias mara was among the returning astronauts who were part of a 6 month nasa science mission off to $175.00 days in orbit. it was a war to return to earth among those floating in the gulf of mexico, the 12th german to make it into space almost 24 hours earlier. mathias malika bid

farewell to the i says it's been like 6 outstanding months up here in the space station. thanks to the my crew. my it's, it's been so beautiful. the thanks to all to people on the ground that supported us . it serve the end of a 6 months mission. but i think the space stream lives on morrow spent his time in space, like all the astronauts aboard, carrying out scientific experiments. and maintaining the decades old station, he also became only the 4th german to leave the i assess and conduct a space, walk the very last of his ether. now that way it back on earth. mara and his nasa kali's capsule was dragged aboard a space. ex recovery ship outside for those inside, it was the end of an almost day long journey. yet the astronauts made their exits with smiles and waves. if not on their feet coverage after so long without

gravity, it was stretches for every one. ah. and before we let you go check out this racing rivalry between china and taiwan, whose cars go faster after some big talk on social media from a chinese racer. a taiwanese driver responded to the challenge. here's the adobe, zachary lea, with the fast and the furious. im and i want to say your mail is not quite does taiwan province even have any foss cause you go on to like you? smaller ah, just video by chinese influence a young early this year, claiming that taiwan has no fast cause field. public anger in taiwan. i guess they deleted us by saying that we don't have any such cause. it feels like where poor and no great order is not okay to cool tiwana province. we're a country. i was a, you know, and it sounds like you think you're the best one, but the world is big and new horizons are not broad enough. the video also attracted the attention of taiwanese racing. dr. early else is she in noticed high

ones, godfather of racing, lee, i decided to stand up for taiwan. wasn't easily able to nadia. this is not a light nor war between taiwan and china. so it is just racing and i'm professionally of collateral gym. so i threw down the gauntlet builder that you found out with my agent in china told me not to do it because relations between taiwan and china, a tense. i wish that yang saved you, not a fast causal collar look like. of course we do da da, the old server, mikaela you, josie, atlanta, ah, what a policy chinese influence. it took up the challenge and gave leanne 2 months to prepare. the, i'll spread tens of thousands of dollars on modifying a car. the rivalry mobilized nationalism here in taiwan and fed antique china sentiment some media even dubbed at an online war. they had me a gathering of m a chair, racing jive with here in taiwan. this people have been watching closely, la rivalry between now and the chinese car raised influencer. and they are now

showing this approach to go about breaking speed record is not just for prisoner achievement by no. so in a way about they being phase for taiwan. all right, the dangers of picking fights on line. that was the day as ever the conversation continues online. you can find us on twitter at deed of units. and of course there's more use and analysis on our website that's t w dot com. i'm claire richardson in berlin for me and the team working behind the scenes. thanks much for joining us. for ah,

with ego india, a woman embodying change? sub driver liter, buying her electric taxi is making a drastic cut to carbon emissions. and see is breaking down gender stereotypes while helping other women at the same time equal india next on d w. when making the headlines and what's behind them,

dw news africa, the show that the issues have been the continent. life is slowly getting back to normally on the street to give you enough reports on the inside of our cars, funds, and was on the ground reporting from across the continent. all the trends doesn't matter to you in 60 minutes on a d, w. o. student today and transformed into an orgy of hate and violence. the history of the ku klux klan, the oldest terrorist organization in the united states, its members fight for a racist state, ruled by white supremacy. what we're talking about here is not only disorganized

violence, it's not only terrorism. it's politics. founded over 150 years ago. it's repeatedly died out, but always been resurrected. the ku klux klan starts may 11th on d w. ah. in modern life, we're always on the move, whether they're getting around or shipping goods across the globe. a modes of transportation, a convenient, much damaging the environment. how can we make mobility more sustainable? that's what we've talked about today. hello and welcome to eco, india. i'm son with that a rick shows have.