find more on our website, dw, dot com. ah, ah, the world stories is once again focused on the war and ukraine this week. deadly mine's a safe haven for displays. children. we begin in southern ukraine where thousands of civilians are dying from russian bonds in your pulse because punish of escaped and has returned to save others. ah, yeah, but the most i understood that the city is under siege. i understood that nobody's driving dead now. but my employees were there, and i just promised them i would company and my friends, and i would willing money to buy this bus. i am on the road. i hope all will be

fine and i will get there. it would stop lying in cuz i was all study how people. and then when i drove past the last ukrainian checkpoint in iraq, i encountered the water. the mines, the burned out tongues, or the horrors drunk. a part of the need to say will be to bibles here and to hear none the less you were still there. but i drew your how much? well, i had a business in mary. oh paul, it was a club. most of the space was in the basement, it had concrete ceiling, so we transformed it into a bump shelter. there was a grill, so we could cook food and water. we would joke that this is a 5 star bomb shelters. really all and we did come under fire at everything that came to us. missed was something

hit here and here here a run down here with with a car drove by that moment in that car, grandma died. no rush to see the children makes me cry. they're so scared screaming, i hope god will save them. it's horrific. just horrific. we try our best, both with you and so it's horrible. the memories are coming back. director was one of the 1st opportunity we left. we took children pregnant women and mothers with children did wanna look on my passengers. all hello

wave into the camera. oh gosh. it was terrifying. we came across mines and tanks. there were lots of mannequins here. i mean, dead people. when we told them they were mannequins, but in fact there were bodies, right, right. o, as in us, another bus has joined us. we are becoming more and more robust global again, i was not on my 1st trip. i was the only one product and on my 3rd trip i would already be standing in the queue at the checkpoints for 40 minutes. there were so many people who wanted to help and get people out here to lose volunteers had brought thousands out of the city in their own cause in utah and many did not return that. have so many to mind. you could put some came into crossfire while driving at night. these are regular ukrainians. regular people

russian troops may have withdrawn from northern ukraine, but they have also like mind behind in their place. it will take years to clear them out a broken leg, an injured spine. well, let me have a how you barely survived a landline explosion. what you see you need time. much needed comfort from his wife, while at amier was on assignment, restoring electricity in the key fridge and when it happened, just when were you home? when we were driving in the car with my colleagues, there were 3 of us, the driver image, myself of and my boss. so are going to, we were talking about our plans for the next day. and then i don't remember anything from the, from a blue. that's when the car drove overland. mine value only survived because he was

in the middle seat. he's colleague sitting next to him. died demining teams like this one work against a clock here in the churn have region. sometimes they're able to remove about 40 explosives per day. it's not nearly enough. it's like a pigeon. lights at the amount of work is huge and now because the grass is growing and everything is blossoming, it makes it impossible to work faster than that. it's harder for instance, to see booby trap was to rydner was darker. booby traps are banned by international law. the teams task today, a controlled explosion of this hurricane rocket full of cluster munitions, indiscriminate weapons that can cause many fatalities before the war. people came

here to walk. now even that has become risky. after we throw all of russian forces, it will likely take yours to the mine ukraine. as the war ages on me, how yellow explains velocity sticky. one month of war equals one year of the mining civilians get blown up by these tramps was those who have nothing to do with any of this and never wanted to be part of this war in the 1st place wasn't brother park one of them here. physical injuries were, he'll say, but he must go with the mental impacts to go with the bouquets. what can i say when you speak to a person who's and a minute or 2 later, you understand that this person is not alive anymore. this is very heart difficult, but someone needs to know the child or woman. mothers comes with 2 of oh, despite the hidden danger of minds and other explosives, he wants to continue this dangerous job and bring electricity back to the people.

ah, the russian more of aggression has forced almost 2 thirds of ukraine's children to flee. some of them are finding refuge in the western part of the country, but they still long for home. ah, it takes a village to raise a child and more times i'm no exception. human, even though frankie's in western ukraine locos, have mobilized resources and manpower to keep young displaced children a safe haven, martin, some friends, 2nd is safe space. was the support of antonio mexico when the worst started to we really wanted to make a bigger contribution. and i was saw so many people who are new to our cd. it with the families and, and we also saw there was a big need in taking care of the kids while parents to trying to figure out their

life here in our city and to together with my friend who is a in education area. ah, we are open to the school camp. disco camp brings a semblance of normality back to the lives of these children. to all of them miss home may, could i young? we play dr. and hairdresser, with my friends. going. i want to go home. i'm from key la. my name's my name's sophia, i'm from genevieve. i miss my friends that always if despite coming from very different places and not unless sharing the same language or cultural background, children here quickly adapt religion when kids from different parts of ukraine talk to each other. it's very good junior, as they share experiences, isabel lots from eastern and central ukraine speak russian, but now they're trying to speak ukrainian sometimes with a funny accent, but it's good. they're trying beyond us the linings. the children are still

experiencing the trauma fall. something educators also try to address children need to talk by themselves about this. and for this particular reason, we have every week, art therapy sessions was now recertified psychologists and that they worked with them through therapy, through art, through therapy for them to express themselves across ukraine. similar initiatives are tackling children's needs while they alleviate to plato for them. they cannot replace the safety of their homes, they have lost ah, finan avoided entering into a military alliance for decades. now the country is looking to nato for protection against russia, the historic turning point war

games to secure the peace. more than 3000 finished troops and 700 vehicles took part in the arrow 22 military exercises in west and finland. the exercises were conducted to with nature as planned. last autumn armed forces from 5 countries are taken part of this military exercises the host. finland is not a later member yet, but that could change soon. for the 1st time in their history, the majority of fence wanted to join nato. a turning point in history, keenly felt by people in law, pandora, on the border with russia. for decades that they have benefited from living in peace within the boss. welcoming a steady stream of russian tourists from nearby st. petersburg says social worker, linda brant. up, in my opinion, i never saw russia as a threat, but now i'm constantly thinking about our common border. it's over

a 1000 kilometers. this nearby border crossing is seeing little traffic from either side at the moment. this is partly due to corona virus or late that restrictions, but it's also a direct consequence of russia's invasion of ukraine. the war has dramatically changed to the fence attitude towards joining nato in just a few weeks. my, i got a mil at 1st. i thought we shouldn't get involved and military alliances, but i am. but now i think we should have made the decision a long time ago. my eyes have been opened and i no longer see nato as some kind of war association. but as a defense alliance, roughly that of on for with defense through deterrence has been that principle behind to meet us reinforcement of its easton flank in recent months. the idea being a strong defense who not to be attacked. this good boy bonnet,

mentally. that those who are met, formulate their lives. i hope that we'll join nato as soon as possible. or kron asa . so buffalo fall and that the war in ukraine will end soon and that europe will live in peace and stability. i thought my little buckle my lie offer for you. know you. she says that that now at beasts will and stay briefing lump is only possible as an they to member ah her i'm skill that i work. that's hard and in the end is a me, you are not a lot us to you and more we will send you back. are you familiar with this with

this movies were lions of the what's your story. ready he wasn't, i was women, especially a victims of violence in a labs and take part and send us your story. we are trying always to understand this new culture. so you are not a visitor, not the guests. you want to become a citizen. in phil migrants, your platform for reliable information he made it out in the south bay, mother was going to spend the rest of her life behind bars for murdering her 3 dot . oh, i see the site's down, postpartum psychosis is an awful illness. mothers

nightmare starts june 4th on d w. ah, ah. in the balkans being openly gay, lesbian by or transgender is still dangerous. i received, i don't know how many death threats normal to cheer the city, but you can't just kiss your boy frontiers if you will. the risk of getting be to not seen a little the way the balkans deals with queer people with those who don't identify, as heterosexual, reveals much about the regions mentality these days is in the influence of nation and religion is now shoot down. so queer people in the arts community are now taking a stand and fighting for their rights stuff. i've changed millions

of people's minds about homosexuals in the book. we should we hide away the guy at all. just is quite able to neil. i only surround myself with love. i haven't got time for anything around that usually . oh the army and the church i held in highest regard in serbia yet the capital of this very conservative country is also home to one of the most important medical centers for transgendered people. world wide,

many sex reassignment operations are performed here undergoing such a procedure was the most significant event in helena vacovich, his life. and to put her to tyler dorothy operation last at 500 pounds, and i lost a lot of the lie or municipal when i woke up, i was exhausted, but the 1st thing i said was, give me my fell into their lives. and i took the se and posted it was the caption, hello world. in osler's, fall, helena vacovich is probably the most famous trans person in the balkans. helena served as an officer in the serb army, fighting for her country in wartime, and privately against her own identity. they'll all call me to pieces. i was born a boy, but honestly, i never felt like it was on national, even at the age of 5. when my 1st memories date from i thought it was normal to put on red lipstick so that it made me look nicer. that would have to said be left. she

at 19 vacovich married his high school sweetheart. it was true love and she knew his secret. then he joined the military. monica villa told him, i wanted to kill dominique. good. what better way to do that than to go to military school as it was you to become more masculine, to be a real man. yeah. but no matter how hard you try to be, you can't change your nature national. i was just for in this way. yes. about the storage. the story of the officer who transitioned then became a woman made headlines in serbia after newsweek interviewed her. that vacovich had served her country made people sympathetic to her case when young way appearing to loose on, on a tree nest on it was a warm human interest during the top of your 250000 freight hobbles were distributed, and serbia was obama's and he stores that story completely changed attitude on tarka. suddenly chance people were glued differently. i just heard from you

a sticker transfer possible but the battle for acceptance hasn't been won yet. belgrade is the economic, political, and religious center of the western balkans. but here queers can only really be themselves within their own 4 walls. most serbs believe homosexuality has no place in public life. the pride info center is the only place in serbia where the rainbow flag is always flying. i gotta do it is active here. she's been fighting against discrimination for over 2 decades and been through some terrible times. ologist say that i grew up feeling all alone that i was the only person, the world who was on the algae b t i q persons at home my. my parents were extremely violent. the school was also shell because i was constantly bullied and i abused. but this whole social climate

was that homosexuality or transgender is and so on was something that is sick, something against god, something against the serbian, or to dogs, identity. she says, soviet is still in the grips of a culture of violence. fostered by the yugoslav was by hooligans, politicians, and also the church, serbia, was and still is an extremely a tree. our coal society with very straight gender roles. and the, if you step, you know, out of your gender role, that could be a, you know, sanctioned and cause you violence. in serbia. physical violence is something that it was even incurred in 2001 i gotta helped organize bell grades 1st prize parade, which found a terrible and hooligans and neo nazis who'd been egged on by priests and

politicians, attacked the participants was really literally wars on the streets of belgrade and the police didn't protect us. i remember imploring bagging and some of my colleagues police to react, but then they would say, how, why should we, we protect faggots and dykes and trannies or whatever. i'll guitar still received threats, but she and her organization gettin continue to fight for the rights of trans people in serbia, for protection from discrimination and violence, and the recognition of same sex marriage queer people in serbia still live dangerously. that's why most of them haven't come out in the public. says film producer and journalist pray drug as deckervidge neg, the missing they thought vice no dark bits important that were visible. it's the

only way that an over time will reach a point where other people at least say so what it makes no difference in order. sure. pray drug as deckervidge also believes coach you can help. so he founded the milenko festival. the event is a showcase for queer films, but it's also more than that. yet it worked avila pippin yesterday. eat. emma, to me fair, that it's also about relationships are to get people the chance to meet some one nice or but never can. i find love for not just sags for a night. ah, the guy that's why we found it the film festival checks yonkers bad thought altamont. the chava nip in film, tv, music, and literature role models are solely needed in the fight for equal rights in the balkans minimum on the, on the blood donor actor has come out here in the yes and that that more people will come out and fight for their rights up and then that will treat where people

like they do in the west. mom, especially in the cartridge saturday to 40. who are the artists who dare to live openly as quiz. the balkans biggest pop star comes from neighboring bulgaria. he provokes taking the identity game to the stream. oh, i welcome to sylvia. the bulgarian capital is poor, but sexy, grungy yet hip flamboyant and square residents say that sooner or later you fall in love with sophia. it's attractions include the national palace of culture, hand the alexander never sky cathedral as is, is openly oh to new roma and his country's biggest pope stuff. he's also a panelist on the popular tv show,

the mosque singer. oh oh, i was when i was by told my mother, you'll see i'll be famous one day my crew. she was a pole family. but his prophecy came true. as this is mix of cloth and folk law has won him millions of fans. yet his appearance is a provocation for religious and conservative. bo gary us. he used to perform in drag. now he's the sensitive muscle man. what does it say not to be honest, at some point, i found it down to dress up as a woman. she because i didn't want to have to spend 3 hours preparing for a performance, and he just at the capital. now i just put on jeans and a t shirt. and i'm good to go, or somebody, mr. j. o, as is supports

a campaign ain't giving homosexual young people the courage to come out. the images are being shot by a steady, crusty, of a much sought after fashion photographer, in bulgaria, a monster with vital to just saying gay, still is certainly not self evident in small towns of bulgaria, thought he perfect. so for the campaign that we wanted to get as many v, i p some board as possible. as he knows what it's like to grow up gay in a country who's values are defined by the orthodox church and a deeply ingrained macho. co jo got michael posters, in my case, my mother brought me to a urologist. he examined my painters and declared everything's fine when he's no gale. brought them is cause tough to me. ha. is as a kid and as i use, i was terrified of being exposed little to me that us, i'm gay, romaneli and my skins darker than other people's reman. that's

a problem every what hassled segan in us is says in bulgaria, it's now easier to say i'm gay than i'm roma. this is dusty. luckily, i've managed to change millions of people's opinions about homosexuals in a neatly dean, but i haven't been able to change any one's about roman. for austell, racism is still a very wide spread in bulgaria. doke was people make fun of how gypsies torkel chips is due for funding. and incidentally, i consciously say the word gypsy because i'm not afraid of it in a minute. i use it as often as i won't go until she is the way as is present himself in public isn't just to show. it's also a political statement. one that's helping him change views about quiz across the balcony. it still takes quite a bit of courage to live as openly as, as is does in e, u, members, state bulgaria, same sex marriage has yet to be legalized. here. still the quick community is

fighting for recognition within the country. thing. when yas in school rosky sits down at his canvas, he forgets everything around him. he's a drag queen and a d. j, as well as an internationally renowned painter and illustrator. a gina is a thing my off to read. this picture is a self portrait intergalactic julia to collect is my 2nd self. she's a drug personality. that's not your typical drug screening, but more of a takes on a different personality. each time all go up it. yes, and the paintings and drawings are bursting with humor you either of you and in

a beauty his queer art pears fishnet stockings with moustaches. a cat's weigh the figures in my paintings and sketches all have something of me with my buyer to buy the mood, a joy and love. the beauty and the magic i can see with justin has been active in sophia club scene since the collapse of communism in bulgaria, in 1989 here. everyone knows him and his alter ego julietta intergalactic. the last reg personalities are important for the queer community that changing the german st strains, your self confidence and aren't afraid to show the true selves and public. all of these images are from drag shows in

sophia, in the 1990s back then a completely new club call just to bring up here virtually overnight a everyone went to the 1st clubs and they had the 1st drug, queens and google boys. there were lavish and extravagant shows. the drag queens did more than just entertain. they aim to provoke and attract attention and use humor to question traditional gender roles. this made them politic. these 19 videos belong to a new archive documenting the history of dragon bulgaria that yas and is now curating. and i know me a story, but it was like a kind of loud and all that which was festive, then clubs to day. and people put a lot of effort into there and here it was all been big party but then suddenly it was all over says dunham.