glass ceiling, women in architecture, ah dismiss, has to be really, really good. start september 30th on d, w. ah, [000:00:00;00] ah, this is dw news live from berlin annexation votes begin, and russian held regions of you cried. western powers of cold referendums, a sham. they say russia will fix the, i've come to justify their illegal occupation of ukrainian territory. plus

a city liberated both in ruins, ukraine's army recently pushed russian forces out of co, ganske. we report on how people there are coping with the aftermath. ah, i'm pablo follies. welcome to the program. they're being called sham referendums. russian installed authorities in ukraine's east are due to begin holding votes today on joining russia. the so called referendums are being held in areas that make up 15 percent of ukrainian territory. but they're also taking place in the middle of a war zone, a strike outside one polling station and russian occupied donetta over night. left, 6 people debt programmed, and separatists blamed ukrainian forces that the voting is expected to last several

days and result in the regions annexation by moscow. ukraine and western men say they won't recognize the outcome. 6 o russian residents of done yet, sc. celebrate in mid february after russia recognized the ukranian region as an independent state. days before russia began its war. people here thought the declaration would bring peace. that the orgy sealer would. it's very important for all of us that peace will finally come to our republic and to low hands. we just want peace and call me that you close that neither because easy and risky. but conflict escalated after russian president vladimir putin, he signed up to support the separatists and used their claims of oppression as grounds for an invasion. now moscow, back to officials in 4 regions as seeking not just recognition, but annexation votes on whether to join russia will take place in occupied her son zap or asia,

lou haskell and don. yet sc pots of which have been held by separatists since 2014, when crimea was seized by russia following a so called referendum, kremlin installed leaders in the regions raced to announce their ballots days off. the ukrainian troops recaptured sways of eastern territory. they've been preparing for months signing up residence as russian citizens in lou hans cuz some see the vote as a way out of war and deprivation. love that. yeah. well ma'am, i think the referendum will be for the best even worthy of that. that yeah. that there will be water and electricity get the people will feel like they are on the native land. do you boy don't submittals, to what mattered no jim leah, but for those who fled to ukrainian held pots of zappa asia. the votes are a sham. what?

but though it's a violation of international law, it's a fake task to show that occupied territories want to join the russian federation, which is a total lie the ballot papers are printed, but there's no question that the outcome will entrench the conflict. or i will let speak now with russia unless constantine edgar, who joins us from the lithuanian capital, vilnius constantine, go to see you. so what is russia hoping to achieve with these so called referendums? pablo the amesbury, claire is actually to a next these territories. and then claim that ukrainians are attacking russian territory. that would be our 1st and foremost of all, a propaganda pretext, or to be fed to the russian population at home. and of course, i'm sure that britain's going to play top that internationally,

but frankly speaking, i do not think that anyone will recognize it. so it is very much a propaganda thing and i would add one detail. i think it is also important for booting to see if he's all eyes that he's expanding, the russian territory expending the so called rosky me of the russian world. constantine, tell us what is russia doing to make these votes appear legitimate? frankly speaking, nothing are compared to the so called crimean, so called referendum a mean that referendum is like a symbol of legality compared to what's being done. now these are plebiscites were announced just a few days ago. there is no preparation. there's war going on. it's for an occupation forces that are around it is really and there is no campaign,

frankly speaking, a sustained campaign of uh, basically promoting this referendums. nothing like that happening now. so i think pretty much it's nothing. it's a very clear and naked land. land grab nothing else. konstantin, now we touch on a little bit before it we, we know that ukraine and western governments are not actually going to recognize the results. but are russia likely to garner any kind of international recognition for what's happening there? i don't think so. i don't think that even rushes closest allies like bell lucinda. well, maybe bella was frankly speaking that maybe alexander lucas shrank. i will have to say that it was legal, but let me remind you, she never recognized the occupation ah, incorporation all the crime in peninsula into russia. i don't think china will do it. i do not think that even those who notionally support the kremlin will recognize it because that's very,

very risky. and that risk sanctions and that risks problems for, for these companies who are, which frequently have territorial disputes of their own. so no, this is a pure propaganda attempt by putting to justify what he's doing. and of course, it's not going to be recognized by anyone sane. thank you. constantine constantine, eggers in vilnius. thank you. well, let's get the view from ukraine. our deed of you correspondent ne conley is in the northeastern city of car keith. nick a great to see. so how do people you've spoken to think of these referendums were here in had given you crank up control territory. it isn't really much of a topic. people here are basically resigned to this being a foregone conclusion. they don't see it really change anything. they're definitely not going to see their government changing its behavior and somehow leaving off trying to regain these areas. just because russia claims that this is now russian held. tertiary,

we've even heard some russian leaders kind of talking about the numbers that they expect to happen. the seemingly hinting at what the result is going to be. even before people go to the polls, asked people on the ground in rockford, ukraine, we can't get there. we basically not be able to get lessons 2014 since russia stoked though separatist campaigns in the east there. so what we can see on social media is not a huge amount in the way of enthusiasm. not a lot of discussion of these votes this plebiscites, as for what people on the ground of saying why he is not a lot of incentive people that are actually asked typical questions of dusso and public. so you do occasion his people talking about the hope that this is going to mean an end to fighting around them, but a lot, but that doesn't really seem like this is something that is really occupying people's minds right now. rights are difficult conditions for the people there. so now you've been to recently liberated areas. howard the residents coping. they're really depends. thank you. region is huge,

but if you go closer with the 4 lines where we were city of co pounced it we had believed going into this trip that actually the ukrainians controlled more church around the town than it actually turned out to be the case. and people there who previously actually had basically been kind of slightly off the radar in a place where there was not a fighting. now in the midst of fighting without gas, without electricity, without power. and in a pretty difficult situation with constant chilling. let's have a look at what life is like in coupons. russia is here to stay. that was the slogan . just a matter of weeks ago, hearing kapinsky, as russian officials handed out passports in the end, the russian flag came down faster than any one could have imagined. but the russian army hasn't gone far. in fact, you can hear its artillery every few minutes. a few kilometers away, even before the shelling stumps, graham prosecute is a fine coming. what remains of this police station where russian troops had their base looking for evidence of potential war crimes. love which of those all at nist up on you. but i, it's a right now we're collecting evidence,

brought the up more law. some of the things we're looking for can be lost over time . that i'm of them go heard that i am worried that keep what we're looking for. dna traces mothers fingerprints diligence and also documents. second one law. i am left . she'll. she'll be home. the thought that the russian departure was so hasty investigator tells us, many of the soldiers left everything behind even their passports. that's on the streets. ukraine troops up number the locals. many residents took the 1st opportunity to evacuate once ukrainian forces returned. those that remain, keep a low profile. tell us fighting seems to be getting worse. come on, come up with the helicopter. we hope ahead was no ukrainian, as everyone around us. it assumed it was russian. ah, who had to come in now in a hurry, move away from windows or anything that could be destroyed could explode and allow

it to see what's happening. this is the route to here on foot lines. this is cartoon is controlled by ukraine, but there is still cancelled threat of rationalization, and there's no cynthia that life was returning to normal in any sense to what many locals life is actually getting harder and practical terms. recent shelling, this scene lose 1st power than running water. and now guess you know we've nowhere to go. our parents are gone and the situation isn't much better where my sister is and har keeps her. as long as our apartment block is still standing, it will stay, but it's not heating over to the people here miss most. it's mobile phone coverage . hottest thing ludmilla tells us is not being able to check up on family. come on, that is correct this year. some time service comes back long enough to say a couple of words to each other. like if a virtue end up crying together, more than actually speaking. yeah. what is up fox? my husband has 2 kids and i have we have no idea how they're doing. a

fiddle with ukrainian officials promised phone service me back in a matter of days, although they called promised though is anything resembling life, as it was before february 24th. and the russian invasion, a few hours of to relieve coupons. news comes through a 4 adults and a teenager wounded. and yet more shelling really dire conditions. derrick neck am. i'm. we've seen that the fighting is continuing. how is the actual ukrainian counter offensive progressing? what is making progress will be at a slower pace than we saw in recent weeks. i think ukraine took out the weakest parts of russia's frontline defenses and is, are facing more professional, better supplied units. but it is trying to make progress towards low hans or, or blast region to as, as t of some of the nets where you saw russia making gains in the summer at a huge cost in terms of equipment, but also mainly in the lives. and

a sense now that ukraine is trying to kind of get around the russian defenses by are kind of coming in from an unexpected direction from the north. tis real worry if you look at russian social media from the kind of pro war speakers that ukraine could actually push home. it's advanced now before rush mobilization really kicks in before it's able to get more in the way of troops to these front lines, let alone train those people up and a sense here that now the clock is really sticking ahead of the winter to really make some progress because during which time fighting is going to be very, very difficult. any gains are going to be minimal. so you crank trying to take as much search as it can before russia re supplies and for the winter near stops the front lines and kind of fix them where they are. thanks for your reporting, nick, nick conley and clark. if iran's president has vowed to investigate the death of a young woman in police custody massa, i mean he died after she was arrested for allegedly not wearing a headscarf property. the case was or has ignited

a wave of violent anti government protests in iran. with state television reporting, the death toll could be as high as 17. ah, d, an unprecedented emitted it onion 15th, inconspicuous death. despite the use of force by police, people continued to come out onto the streets. the debt of martha amin sparked, distorted women, and the at the thief dictating a strict just goat back. now the cause has become bigger. many men have joined. do they want the good and dieter ship to go? defeat is fighting back cut. did our reports of security forces fighting, metal pellets and deer guests? many have been killed in the clash of the italian leadership attempt to quote anger, had so far been unsuccessfully travelling force that i contacted her family,

the family of the deceased at the very 1st opportunity. and i showed them personally that we will continue to investigate the incident. did our reports up instagram, and what's that out? it is an attempt to discourage people from organizing protests deputy that has been caused by martha. i mean, you step is shaking the heart line. it onion state. you're up to date up next is business news with rob, what's on? remember, you can get use round the clock on our website. that's d w dot com and of course follows on our social media accounts. i'm pablo foliage from me on the team here. berlin, thanks for watching. and i'll see you again at the top of the next hour. take care for again, that is my work not tied into a meeting. you are not allowed to see any more. we will send you back. are you