a leash on mileage and re imagine these teachings or elements to ah, gandhi's legacy starts january 28th on b, w. ah ah, this is deed of you, news live from berlin. air raid sirens sound in chief after a barrage of explosions hit the ukrainian capital on the battlefield. russia claims to have taken control of a key town in the east ukraine, however, denies that sold our has fallen. also coming up,

germany's defense minister may be on her way out. media report suggest, christina lam hushed is ready to quit. pressure has been building on her for months . ah, i'm nick spicer, welcome to the program. ukraine says a series of explosions have hit the capital. keep ah, air raid sirens blaring across the city saturday morning and residents were urged to take shelter. officials se missiles have struck key infrastructure. meanwhile, russia clans is forces have taken the town of solid, are an eastern ukraine. if true, it would mark a rare victory for moscow after months of battlefield setbacks, ukrainian officials dispute the claim. they say the fight isn't over yet. ah, in freezing winter conditions,

ukrainian soldiers in sally dark face a bleak battle against russia's constant attacks. the fight here is bloody and brutal ah. russia is determined to take control of this small soft mining town in the eastern region of de next, a rare push forward after numerous military setbacks. its forces are already claiming victory was the only never complete control. so it makes it possible to cut off the supply line. printer forces located in on the southwest back on vent law can enclose the ukrainian units located there, 1 o'clock and run a julian ukraine swiftly rejected the claim that us valid. now the terrorist state in its propaganda, so trying to pretend that our city of solid are almost completely destroyed by the occupy as is some kind of achievement for russia cities. but they're already

presenting this as a success to their society in order to support the military mobilization and give hope to those who want aggression. but the fighting continues. the nets front we is holding the lives in love at him on the loss of sally dark would be a blow for ukraine. after months of hard one successes retaking towns and territories, but the fighting comes at a high cost. it's close gone, but we have gunshots. yeah, we have for grenades, shrapnel wounds and so on. so this kind of wounds in increased rush i claims to was killed hundreds of ukrainian soldiers in the battle for sali darn. but there is no confirmed death toil, more than $550.00 civilians are reportedly still living in the town in horrific

conditions without running water or electricity damage hila sagger mo. so is a security expert and senior lecture at kings college london. thank you for joining us. plateauing please. it is concerned that confirm rather that russia has taken solider. it'd be the 1st victory for a long time. but what would it mean for ukraine? yes, i think it is. it is quite significant from that sort of point of view of russia moran because they finally, after so many months and so many casualties. and so much sort of artillery and use of times they, they finally managed. it seems to take control of the city. i think it is important in terms of oh so that the low cost of tactic are gone. mention because if gun fit actin, i'm not only potentially eventually then start in mind of the city of mac mode, which is for the south. but also the connection that line the road settling back mode to severe disc further to the north, north east. so i think that to are,

you know, from the ukrainian pointer fuel and, you know, it is, it is an issue of concern out, of course, if we look at the entire map of ukraine i, it is not a major advance from their rushing point of view but we do, if we look at the theater of warning, this area, you know, it could start sort of challenging other, you bring in positions around of course, by moved by potentially, or so towards love yon scott, could i, my thoughts which are sort of very important sort of military base is full the ukrainians, but that you bring us up into i think, very effective defensive line. so i don't think this when the domains, there are lots of ukrainian lines and ukraine's western allies just looking forward are promising armored vehicles and training for ukrainian soldiers over the next few months. and if all of those mooted promises of weapons come through, how will that change things?

i think that is the most significant question. none, i'm glad you raised it because here that the key point is how much support you are . ukraine is going to go on whether potentially it will eventually get a famous r, let parts of which are the tanks that are originally producing germany. so germany has a very po, done sort of decision there to make, to allow other countries to re exploit a, you know, they let been said they apply from germany. but oh, so for example, there are that british are probably seeing other challenges. food almond vehicles, which aren't quite effective. so i think that if i ukrainians receive addition of the old odd to carry out offensive operations. and that includes not only tanks, but also asked support, which is often not addressed very much under is very little information, much as support or ukraine might get in terms of aircraft and training. i think then we can see a significant change on if i may,

i don't know what is interesting is address note we're seeing vent a western countries you know, tend to provide additional support to ukraine when there are losses when they're raised on a particular difficulty. when ukraine is supposed to be treat or when it's massively bombarded, as is happening now, i mean, at the moment in a finding other c, this is that it seems a wise sort of thoughts on i'm provocative, necessarily. perfect. thank you. i miss sagger most. i'm sorry, we have to leave it there just for time. reasons. thank you so much for your inside go and and here in germany, media report suggest the defense minister is planning to resign. christina law much has come under scrutiny for a number of blunders. most recently an unofficial new year's message that critics found distasteful. she allowed her son also to fly with her on official business on a government helicopter. glen brushed a member of chancellor ola shields his social democrats, has taken heat for failing to reform. germany's fast enough

and d. w political correspond emily gordon has more on the story force so she's going or not going or we don't i not for sure. right for so far we've got to national newspapers that have reported on her resignation or the fact that she could potentially resign next week to georgia side to actually said that she's already spoken to a trans flush all from that you will make a public announcement about her resignation next week, until then it's all open and we don't know for sure. and so what exactly did she do wrong? what was the problem here? well, let's bring in this video that we just saw a couple minutes earlier, but some, because that was an important video, right? this is causing a lambaste on new year's eve. she gave a speech and a video that she loaded onto instagram and it's been widely criticized, been incredibly turned off, right. she, in this video, she talks about the war in ukraine needing to, quote, a lot of special experiences. and to missing a lot of and, and to, to,

and it led to a lot of special encounters. right. so that was very, it was just incredibly turned explosions behind are at briarwood. right? absolutely. and as well as the context as well, you know, versions and keep from different ways precisely. so widely criticized. but it was seen also as just the terry on top in the series of press one. so that is one side of christina lovelace problem. on the other side, you have the political issues, righteous and criticized for super slow picture procurement of weapons for the german army. she's also been accused of like an expert expertise, not knowing the difference between military machinery and mixing up ranks. so all and all that led to a pretty bad reputation on her side. and it gives of the impression that she is not up for the job. and not interested in the job. so making her liability for the government really, of course, and i focus internationally has been massively on germany because of the war on

ukraine, particularly as defense, policy perceived for dragging it will you tell me more. is this like lead to make things worse? you think for a, for germany's image abroad? well, it certainly have an uncertainty, right? i mean, germany currently faces this big decision of whether it will and then battle thanks to ukraine. and at the same time it's, it's just really unfortunate timing as well because next week on sunday depends masters are met, are set to meet and homes, times deliberate, further assistance to ukraine. and that obviously raises the question. is she gonna go, is she not going to go? so that needs to be decided. it leads to lot of uncertainty. at the same time, what we have to keep in mind is that the decision to send it in weapons to ukraine isn't made so by her. it is a decision that is made by chance level of shawls together with cold, with coalition was coalition partners together with allied partners. and that's not going to change. so, and with the best of you know, what, what the hope is also that a new person will be chosen for that post. that can be an improvement to the

situation. ok, t, w, corresponding emily gorgine. thanks point. let's have a look at some other stories making headlines around the world. china confirm nearly $60000.00 covey related deaths in just over a month. that's according to the 1st official figures released since b g made and about face on it's a 0 covert policy, relaxation was in response to protest and has helped fuel a wave of infections. perused president dina bolo, art a, has made a pet televised apology for dozens of death, carson protests in recent weeks. it says she will not resign. she asked us for in 3 new cabinet members after a string of resignation, cc supporters of ousted president pedro castillo, are demanding new elections, and the removal. vallarta ran says it has hang a british iranian national alley, razor at bari, a former top iranian defense,

official convicted of spying for the united kingdom at bori was also accused of involvement in the killing of iran's top nuclear scientists. in 2020 british prime minister rushes sooner condemned acura execution, calling it callous and cowardly. iran has one of the world's highest execution rates and join down the studio by cameron martin. he's a senior lecture on international politics at the university of sussex in england, and an expert on around thank you for being here. mr. martin, can you tell me? tell our viewers about the charges that are faced and why he face the death penalty . while the media outlets close to the r g c. and the judiciary of their on have claim that he was the top spine for the british intelligence that he has passed on extremely sensitive military and security intelligence to british intelligence

services, which has compromised. iran's external internal security was tried in a revolution court by a particular judge, judge about you who is notorious for having been close relations are g, c and, and the government itself. so many people in their own belief that these courts are illegal because this was a temporary measure at the start of the revolution and they should not be even in operation. they are g c. c, revolutionary guards. yes. ok. and mr bar, before his execution, suggested that it would be sure to take place which it did, and a sort of diplomatic revenge because because of britain stance on the recent protest, new sanctions and so on. does that make sense to you? there is definitely a foreign dimension to the execution, especially that the prescribing, the prescribing the gcs is on the act of concentration and in britain. but i think there is a much more important internal dimension to this execution. the mr act. barry was a deputy of form of defense minister was a close ally performance president ha,

to me, who was president during the late ninety's. and also he was an advisor to the secretary of supreme national council, secure and national security council. so it seems that factions within our g, c trying to eliminate people they deem close to their fullness faction. these are the ones advocate some sort of flexibility nuclear negotiations in order to kind of lift the sanctions. but this isn't not in the interest alive. you see, because they are actually benefiting from the sanctions. so this is a internal kind of patch, so to speak. just last quick question for me. does this relate in any way to the protest movement? is an attempt to intimidate people. does it have any effect? definitely it is in the continuum is, is it continues this campaign of intimidation which has started recently by executing the protesters. the government wants to intimidate, not just to protest this, but this is a society at large, but also it's a says, it kind of message to the social base of the government that following multiple

sabotage actions by the israeli. i'm is, i never claimed it, but everybody attributes, israel. so the government, you see, tries to claim that they have been able to deal with this internal kind of unique if you like, within the intelligence establishment of their own. ok. and matching, thanks so much for those. and thank you. coming up after a short break, doc film examines the missing link between 8 and humans. don't forget, you can get more news on our website. d, w dot com on the closer to watch. departure into the today this meets wanting to a foreign planet in the 16th century. it meant being a captain and setting sail.