the omega world who's behind the benefits and why are they a threat to whistle peak wolves this week on d, w? mm. ah ah, this is d, w. news lie from berlin. ukraine says its forces are still holding on the eastern city of savannah than that region is the focus of heavy russian shelling and intense street fighting. also on the show could chance are all of sholtes soon to be on his way to ukraine. the german newspaper report that

a joint visit is planned with the leaders of france and italy before the end of the month. plus missing in the amazon. the search for british journalists and his brazilian calling, who disappeared while on a reporting trip, or he can go ah, a marina evans dean. thanks for joining me. ukraine says it remains in control of a chemical plant and the eastern city of savanna done that square. hundreds of civilians are sheltering. better to nets has become the epicenter of the battle in eastern ukraine. both this city and the nearby town of lucy chance have been a target of heavy russians shelling rock ukrainian soldiers enlisted chanced under fire from russian artillery. though they managed to evacuate

a wounded civilian horse. another barrage forces them to take cover again. this a chance is the twin city to see ever odin yeske, which remains the focus of russia's offensive in the dawn. bus. russian and separatist forces have so far struggled to fully claim the city sever denette is not completely all 100 percent liberated. while kiva reports that ukrainian forces us still holding out, let's see what the enemy conducts, a sold operations in the city of several inevitable, but without success. there might with street fighting, still raging across the city. most of ukraine's forces are hold up in the adult chemical plant, along with an unknown number of civilians. the fist fighting has made evacuating the city impossible. but in this war of attrition,

the don bus is not russia's only target. the russian ministry of defense has released this footage of strikes against what it claims a ukrainian strongholds. a russian news agency is also reporting claims that a large stock pile of us and european supplied weapons in west and ukraine was destroyed. the loss of these supplies would be a major blow for ukrainian forces, with some troops warning they are running low on ammunition. the west has promised to send additional weapons and for ukrainian troops in the don bus. these can't come soon enough. heatedly is, rebecca writers is monitoring the war from t f. i asked her for an update on the situation instead of the next well, as you said, marianna, quite rightly server. the net has been at the center of the battle for don basses. it's been called for some weeks now and it continues to be so russia is managing

very slowly, however, to push forward. then i'll control around about 90 percent of that city. but fighting continues and is now centered in this localized area underneath this chemical plant. and that is where the russian troops are and now fight a fighting ukrainian forces there. and we're seeing st. reminiscent of matter you, paul and the as of style plant are also hearing about 800 civilians, 200 workers, 600 or family members and various civilians. also taking cover there underneath that steel, we're sorry that a chemical plant. but what, what is concerning is that ukraine has said that, that city may well fall in the next day or 2. and then russia will advance and to onto the next is to city this chance. and then they will have captured all of the loo hunt region, which is part of what they're trying to do to capture that on bass. will rebecca, we should also remember that as this intense fighting goes on,

there are still many civilians there who are trying to get out. do these people have any way of leaving the area where all this fighting is going on? well, at the moment, it's just too dangerous to really attempt any evacuations from several the net people in the law half region have been warned since early april to leave that region and many people have but in several de next there is still around about $10.00 to $15000.00 people believe to be taking shelter there. we're seeing people evacuated from some surrounding towns and villages still mainly in the don at region. but it, but definitely people and several donetta really struggling there. the ground italian situation is very dire. as you can imagine. there's no electricity or running water and humanitarian aid is impossible to get in. so running out of food as well, being completely bombarded and living on the ground with no way of getting out at this stage. when rebecca just yesterday and the european union chief or sla underline was in t f. and she promised that by the end of the week,

there would be an official response to ukraine's request for membership status on their bid to join the you. we know that president zalinski talked about that in his latest video address. i'd like to listen to part of it now and then get your reaction. just for a moment, i am sure that we will soon receive an answer on the candidate status for ukraine. also. i am convinced that this decision can strengthen, not only our country yours, but the entire european union. she'll milestones what else needs to happen in europe to make it clear to skeptics that the very fact of keeping ukraine outside of the european union works against europe. you are to evil was the last key sounding very determined. but we have heard from some e leaders like the french president and man on la cron and others saying it's going to take years or maybe even decades for ukraine to join the european union. so rebecca, why is this membership bid so important to zalinski right now,

if it's not going to happen in the foreseeable future? well, marianna zalinski has been pushing to this for some time, but it was a the formal application to join me a you came to 4 days after russia invaded ukraine. i mean, the urgency is perhaps obvious they're, they really looking for security assurances from the a you. but as for president micron of france has stated and as we've seen from other a u. s. session processes eighty's a very long process. and this is something that is not going to happen overnight. that's something that isn't on the line. the european commission shape will have been at pains to get across to president salenti and i'm sure president zalinski also understands that. but this is a very important 1st step, and it is looking like the commission will rec men that they be granted candidacy status and then it needs to go and be voted on by 27 members before, amid therefore triggering a very, very lengthy process that could take indeed years or decades,

dw rebecca readers for us in key of rebecca, thank you so much. all right, let's take a look at some other developments in the war. russian forces occupying southern ukraine have begun handing out passports. 23 locals, including the new moscow and stone governor of credit san have accepted russian citizenship. russia has also opened a passport office and many topple in origins still partly held by ukraine. foreign mcdonald's restaurants in russia have reopened under a new name and logo delicious full stop. but not all russians are happy about. the change in opening ceremony in moscow was disrupted by a protester holding up his hind, demanding the return of the big knack burger. mcdonald's closed, it's $850.00 russian outlets in response to the kremlin invasion of ukraine. will a german media outlet is reporting that chance are all of shoulds plans to travel

to ukraine's capital. here before the end of june. the bid newspaper says the chancellor will visit together with the french president, am alma cron, and italian prime minister mario dragging. this would mark the 1st time that shoals has visited the ukrainian capital since the war began. the german government has so far declined to comment on this report. while i spoke earlier to the w correspondent, benjamin of r as gruber, for more details on this story coding to this media reports. berlin in paris has been in told for a long time now to plan this visit. it was the idea of french president macro to invite italian counterpart, italian prime minister maria drive that they would wait for the trip for the parliamentary elections that are taking place now in france. they want to send the sign of unity in support of ukraine, and that would go to case before the 70 to some of that will take place at the end

of june in bavarian german. well, we do have to remember that the german chancellor has been widely criticized for being indecisive in his reaction to this war. and also in particular for not sending ukraine enough military support. so how significant to what a visit to key of b, especially now more than 3 months into the war. it is highly significant in as you just pointed out, the has the criticism not only from the position but also by a government party by the probations, f t p party by the greens and also within the social democratic party to tell shows that it's important for him to go there to give a sign in to actually also say not just was not just promises that will many have been demanding by the german chancellor. but as schwartz himself pointed out, he does not want to be one of those who go into craig pretty quickly for in photo

for trinity and that elite again. so he needs to have something in his suitcase with him within this delegation, i could be 2 things on one side having showing german support for a possible membership for the european union. 2, are you crazy? you just mentioned it with rebecca that a european commission president was on the phone. the line was, dan said that they want to show the support and want to have this final assessment that will present next week on one. so it could be that, and on the other side, it could be these heavy weapons that ukraine is heavily relying on, especially now that, that mission is going out is the ukraine, ukraine's defense ministry has stated so. it's not just going there, but also having something in the suitcase this my what many are wondering and asking the german chancellor tentatively is benjamin as grover. thanks so much benjamin. let's shift our attention now to some other world. news loading is underway in france. his parliamentary elections,

the outcome of the vote could be critical to the success of president monochrome. second term agenda. the centrist presidents, absolute majority, is at stake with opinion polls predicting a strong challenge from the left wing alliance. that opposes many of the cross policies. police in the western us state of idaho have arrest of 31 men, suspected of planning to stage a riot near and l g b t q. pride event. police say the suspects are members of a white nationalist group. authorities were tipped off by a call from a local resident who reported seeing what looked like quote, a little army. well, a week has now passed since a journalist and his researcher went missing in brazil. yesterday, investigators raised the prospect that human remains found near a river might hold a clue to the men's whereabouts. but to day reuters news agencies reporting that federal police are skeptical of that british journalist and dom phillips and his associate bruno para, who previously led the government's indigenous agency,

had been reporting on issues in the amazon, including deforestation, and the encroachment of business interests on to indigenous, the search continues. british journalist, dorm phillips and brazilian indigenous sex bird bruno betty eta were last seen on june 5th. the 2 had received chats as they conducted research in brazil, jo, what he rally afforded region, which has seen a surge in illegal fishing logging, mining and drug trafficking. police have arrested one man so far suspected of tailing, the missing men. a spot of blood was found on his boat. lucas have joined in on the search too, but there is still no sign of the missing men. the lad, we haven't found anything. we came all the way on the river, and there is nothing. i don't need them in them. brazilian authorities,

including the president, said they are taking action bellagio pre middle mail from the moment they went missing. our armed forces and federal police have been unstoppable in the tireless search for these people. follow grey to god that they all sound alive. you fears you encounter. i was going to hear this, but pressures mounting while the bull sonata government, which has faced accusations that did not scale up the so much fast enough. oh the the disappearances. i don't have flexion of a state policy of complete disregard for the environmental cause for protected ages, for the public servants, for state solven's, fulfilling their function and for the indigenous themselves in their own data to v . o u. the far right president has also been criticized for allowing a surge in default a station in the amazon and pushing to open protected indigenous lands to mining

subjects. the 2 missing men were looking into and before we go, a quick look at our top story. ukraine says its forces are still holding out in part of the eastern city of severe the nancy for hundreds of civilians have found shelter. the city and surrounding area are witness thing consistent and 10 street fighting and heavy russian shelling or up to date on the w. news of next is sports life. a marion evans dean. i'll be back with another news update for you at the top of the hour. thanks a bunch with where all the good to going to be on.