a success in weekly coping 19 special every thursday on d w. ah ah, this is d w. news line from berlin, russia stages annexation votes in occupied reasons of ukraine. western powers slammed the so called referendums as a shout. they say russia will fix the outcome to justify swallowing up 15 percent of ukraine's territory. also coming up in the program, not far from the front lines, a city liberated but in ruins. ukraine's army recently pushed washing forces out of

coping yards. but as our correspondent reports life, there is still far from normal and thousands of reigning states pro government protest after nearly a week of anger and unrest parked by the death of a young woman the least custody. ah. until welcome to the program. authorities installed by moscow and occupied areas of ukraine are holding what they call referendum to on joining russia. pulling has begun despite world wide condemnation. aladin is taking place in the regions of care sun. asia will hunt in the next, making up our on 15 percent of ukraine as voting continues. key of says it has recaptured more ground in its counter offensive. voting is expect its last several

days and lead to russia annexing regions. ukraine and western government say they will reject reject the outcome vote organizers and danielle making house calls, bringing the ballot boxes straight to the people. amid the backdrop of war, residents are being asked to vote on joining the russian federation. i. e. and it, of course, it's important. we were wondering when we would join russia, life will be comma a, the so called referendums are being held over 5 days. russian news outlets say most of the voting will take place door to door kremlin installed leaders in the regions have been preparing for months signing up residence as russian citizens in lou hans some see the vote as a way out of war and deprivation. moon that will yeah. we'll live. i think the

referendum will be for the best looking worthy of that. yeah. that there will be water and electricity get the when people will feel like they are on the native land to the woods submittals, to what mattered noisy maria. but for those who fled to ukrainian held parts of upper regia, the votes are a sham. well, but the, 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 once the so called referendums are completed, moscow could then claim that its own territory is under attack with weapons provided by the west. earlier dw spoke with petra pato shinkel, who was president of ukraine from 2014 to 20. 19. we asked him what he would say to people in the eastern regions who might want to see the vote as a way to get out of the war full. this is definitely not ready for there is no one

single vote of the any people because it's impossible to organize referendum like that within 48 hours. if random normally random, please see the disc experience of the sweets alarmed it's preparing for several months. so yes. second, i'm confident that the constitutional court of ukraine, exactly the same, like we do under my president in here, 1014 about the crimea. this is definitely any and constitution. and point number 3, this is the russian drake, how to legitimize their presence of their troops. and even more to have an attack, including the possible nuclear weapons attack from that territory which was grabbed by putting on this fake no friend the so called referendums, now under way, were announced after ukrainian forces liberated will

a large part of territory formerly held by russian forces one of the places retaken in that counter offensive was cuban janski's in how to keep in the how to keep region. d. w correspondent conley visited the town and sent us this report. russia is here to day. that was the slogan, just a matter of weeks ago, hearing coupons, as russian officials handed out passports in the end, the russian flag came down faster than any one could have imagined. the russian army hasn't gone far. in fact, you can hear it's artillery every few minutes. just a few kilometers away. even before the shilling stops, graham prosecutors a fine coming. what remains of this police station, where russian troops had their base looking for evidence of potential war crimes love, which i thought to look this up with. what i was right now, we're collecting evidence brought the more law. some of the things we're looking for can be lost over time, that i'm with them go there that i'm worried that k, but we're looking for dna traces madison fingerprints diligence and also document

2nd law. and let me show you home, the thought that the russian departure was so hasty investigator tells us, many of the soldiers left everything behind even their passports. out on the streets, ukraine troops up number the locals. many residents took the 1st opportunity to evacuate. let's ukrainian forces returned those that remain. keep a low profile. tell us the fighting seems to be getting worse. on come on with the helicopter. we hope ahead was not ukrainian, as everyone around us 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 way to see what's happening. this is the route to here for lines. this is, terry is controlled by ukraine, but they still cancelled threat of russian creation. and there's no cincy of that

life was returning to normal in any sense the word from any locals life is actually getting harder in practical terms. recent shelling the scene lose 1st power than running water. now guess you know we've nowhere to go. our parents are gone and the situation isn't much better why my sister is in a far keeps group. as long as our apartment block is still standing will stay. but it's not heating or water. 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. sometimes service comes back long enough to say a couple of words to each other. pick it up, but you end up crying together. little bit more than ashley speaking. yeah. what is up fox? my husband has 2 kids in high have. we have no idea how they're doing. good. okay. good. ukrainian officials promised phone service we back in a matter of days, although they called promised though is anything resembling

a life, as it was before february 24th. and the russian invasion, a few hours of to relieve coupons. news comes through a for adults and a teenager wounded in yet more. shelling is a quick look now at some other stories making headlines. at this hour. in frederick, an official inquiry by the un has confirmed russian war crimes and ukraine experts documented execution torture and sexual violence. the victims range in age from 4 to 82 years old investigation focused on the initial phase of russia's invasion. the bodies of some of the migrants who died when their boat sank off the coast of syria had been returned to lebanon. syrian authority say at least $77.00 people drowned, but the actual told could be much higher. the boat was carrying syrians, lebanese, and hosting's you were trying to reach europe. a bomb has killed at least 10 people near mosque in the african capital. kabul worshippers

were leaving the afternoon. prayers on the device went off at the latest in a series of blast, targeting mosques for people have been confirmed dead after an outbreak of the highly contagious abolla virus. in uganda, the government there declared an outbreak earlier this week. the 1st in 3 years, 1900 more people suspected of contracting the virus or receiving medical treatment . thousands of iranians rallied and supported their government after a week of deadly unrest. nationwide anti government protest erupted after a young woman died in the custody of the countries religious beliefs. ron's president has promised an investigation active say at least 50 anti government protesters have been killed by iranian security forces. anger among iranian women is still reaching the burning the head scarves and defines that is unprecedented in this law, mac republic. it began with the custodial death of masa, meaning a 22 year old,

goodish woman, arrested by iran, so called morality police. dozens, i believe, to have been killed in the unrest brought us have spread to cities around the world . i see you're in brussels. iranian women are calling for change in their home country. now the ve men of iraq, they are not victim under industry to say me, never been victim. they try to make us as a victim. they try to control our body as an object of sex. they try to control or sexuality or bodies for dare, ideology for a jack to your critique regime, the art to say the are against kill critique regime, need john 20 of to regime me want to overthrow this regime. maslow's become

a symbol of the oppression that women have been facing in her on for 43 years. it's different this time because the country is united and they're all saying together, no more islamic republic of iran. it's this law make republic versus iran. and we're here to support them to do everything we can to be there. megaphone to be there, echo chamber back there on the regime is organizing its own demonstrations. all the protesters and rioters that took to the streets are not ordinary people in law . there are trained groups that have entered our country to destroy the ruling system. okay. we definitely won't allow this to happen and it doesn't matter what came up. we'll step. but there are few that the states response to go beyond. going to put us here on street justice, gone for security forces to respond to any for the anti government protests with force taurus up every far as a researcher in the middle east department of human rights watch. here's her take

on the current protests and wrong. so unfortunately, it seems like the iranian authorities are reverting to derek to go tactic when they see they're faced with wind. sprint calls for changing course, which is cracking down on protesters. we're getting reports of sophisticated internet shut downs and restrictions on as says to social media applications. we're getting reports of arrested political activists and human rights defenders. doors will remain out of where outside prison because we had seen an escalation of crackdown over the past year. and we are seeing very worrying accounts and videos of excessive use of force and, and reports of death even to produce are increasing. so it seems like a authorities to go back is to come down with an iron fist, but i had never seen criticism against compulsory the job loss, so widespread. and so divers within the iranian society and inside the country. so

um, i think regardless of how these protest proceed, and unfortunately we're seeing warring signs of escalation of craft on that that should be called out and it should be put on notice for not not cracking down on protests. the conversation on compulsory to job has moved forward and, and the growing demand is not something that iranian authorities can easily brush away the prize winning british author, hillary mantell has died at age 70. she'd been ill for many years. mel mantell was best known for historical fiction, including the acclaimed wolfe hall series. critics admired her as one of the greatest writers of her generation. like few right does before or since. her re mantell combined the best of popular and literary fiction. her books, particularly her historical novels,

that rings eben figures from england's past. would that rare beast best sellers that were also literary masterpieces. her groundbreaking, both hall trilogy, ending with the mirror and the light was a fixture account of 16th century statesman. thomas cromwell: that's all more than 5000000 copies and was translated into 41 languages. mantel was a social worker before taking up writing full time. her work combined, exacting historical research and insight with an evocative language and a gentle humor all her own. she twice, one the a clean book, apprise for wolfol, and it's equal, bring up the bodies nodding that the subjects and the style of her books changed as she got older. i don't think i could have written these books when i was young and no more could i

write my french revolution book nowadays. the woman considered one of the greatest english language right. does on the century while died peacefully at her home, surrounded by family and friends, to ride you're up to date, but to stick around after the break, rob wants will be here with all your leaders business news and i'll closer look at the plunging british pound and remember, you can always get all the latest news around the clock on our website, that student dot com. and you can also follow social media where handle is at the to be news. i'm here until in berlin. thanks for watching. hold. so i'm just kinda, i think that's hard and in the end is a, me, you, i'm not a lot of to you anymore. we will send you back. are you familiar with this.