ah ah ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin, the toll of the fearsome battle waged for ukraine's dom boss, region thousands have died as full size poor in more firepower. as the warden years, the one year mark our corresponded tears from an exhausted ukrainian soldier on the

front lines carrying on for his family and for his last comrade. friend, guy, will they die for you, craig? right? so now it's my, the youtube to fight you. you create a built do you crate. also coming up u. s. president joe biden, wrapping up his trip to ukraine and poland, promising solidarity with nato's eastern plank club at the berlin international film festival. and you're in it's high point. the competition is strong as the berlin ella enters its final weekend. we will look at some of the final entries buying for the golden and the silver barriers. ah, i'm sarah kelly. welcome to the program. we begin in ukraine where one year ago as the russian asian loomed, we met

a military veteran in keith who told us about his fears of being sent to fight. anton column bats had already seen action in dumb boss in 2014. when pro russian separatists annexed part of the region, he was not looking forward to fighting again. now one year on t w's funny. the char and her team found him back in uniform. this time in a town in the don't ask region, you know, the front line we are near the don units frontline and heading closer. just 15 kilometers from the russians. well, be the range of the artillery. it's a very dangerous road to take. we are like now in a combat zone. so there olds, you know, roads are like venus was blot of war and everyone understand that's and that's why her old saw always on there some surveillance and of course shelling if i will

get wounded again. healed. so i couldn't drive any more, you're just drawn away from the car. antoinette, his unit are here to defend these people. the last, once still so close to the russians, they are bracing for the russian offensive. was still hoping for the fighting to stop here like yet. meta jake, but do everyone wants peace living with these explosions? it's so loud. you don't know where it's coming from, where it will land when at all you might be over. you could really cute the treatment of surgical inch. it's those name whitfield. they should start negotiations because spilling blood is a big sin before god, and people need to realize the sooner the better. who do those no dumont's chambers . st. image. oh, go far ways. anton has set up a makeshift headquarters in an abundant home. from here, he coordinates his unit and tries to recruit new soldiers for the fraud. but it's all getting harder. people just tight. we are fighting almost all year

without any stop or we, we don't have any rotations, we don't have any locations. so actually the only the only chance to get rest for a month or a do is to get wounded, which is full. 2 days before rushes full skinny invasion, we met antonette home in keith beg. then he was working in veteran affairs, a devoted husband, and father to a 2 year old. anton worried, the army might call him up if russia really invaded my wife, actually we're in narrow, narrow about that and she is a freight. i understand that actually, i'm also afraid. mostly i may be, i'm afraid, moreland, sure. i remember, but he was also ready to leave and defend ukraine if necessary. right? the rock, what choice do i have actually to give my son leave under slavery or fractions?

well, i'm not saying that they will and slave him, but i understand that he will live in different country and i won't if it will happen. so he knows that his father made everything everything. so that won't happen. he's only seen his family for 3 days since then. o ache reminds me why we are fighting for us to fall. so, but of course it is very emotional. you fully understand that every day actually can be a last day, or he preferred not to tell us how many of his comrades have had their last days. many, he says, my friends, for example, died for something. so they died for ukraine. so now it's my duty to leave also for them and to be for, to fight for new ukraine and to build new ukraine. high. anton tells us not to stay with him for long. shelling can started any time, basically when it geo,

when it tanks, when it went on, when it's her airplanes, when it, everything actually and so right now he'll on the on bus. we are by in time, by life's we leave until in the wars don't we're time and lives are starting to run short and dw correspondent, funny for char, filed that report. i asked her earlier what it was like to meet and ton again, one year later. difficult to actually fall of us because we remember on the research consensus, we have met him a year ago with his family here in key for region. and now obviously him looking at this picture as images himself and trying to hold back tears not be emotionally in front of the camera, obviously because he wants to make sure the people who see this video also see that he remains strong. just like the comrades that he's fighting with on that frontline in the don bus region. but certainly he story represents the story of so many

people here. millions that have went through. i've gone through major change here over the course of the past year. millions of lies have been just strictly changed and appended, as this war has begun here, fabri 24th last year. and what i found quite interesting, apart from the fact that you really meet a man who was a family man. basically, he was a devoted husband and, and, and just enjoy doing administrative work basically in key a free janasia that you also see the sense of urgency that much different, of course, at the front line compared to so many parts of the world where there's a still this and negotiations on a diplomatic level and, and on a political level domestically many parts of europe trying to make up minds just what kind of weapons to send, how soon are those weapons are going to deliver, but delivered and so on. what i found quite striking, however, as well that local civilians there more often than just a few months ago when i was here in this country, said there must be some sort of

a negotiation here. there must be a stop to the small. but when i asked them hold, should these negotiations really start? this is, this is really that, that the question that is difficult to answer to lot of people here because they want to really just how to start negotiations with a country with russia that just keeps bomb being this country. and as that fighting rate is funny, right? now in dumbass, anton has said that the ukrainians are buying time with lives. how dire is the situation on the front line we're speaking about a frontline is stretches over 1000 kilometers. so you can imagine, even though we do not have official numbers by the ukrainian government, just how many ukrainian forces have been killed in this, in this ongoing war. we do now at least president zalinski hinted at that that these resources are not limitless, not infinity. in particular, he pointed out, but when he comes to bow mood, that town, it's heavily embattled in the dorm bus region that yes,

ukraine a's going to defend it. but not at any price. we do not know about the dynamics. i had a what's going to happen now with a looming offensive by russia and whether ukraine can contract against that. what we do now that ukraine is bracing now for tomorrow, for the 1st anniversary of these horrible war funding for char and keith. thank you . you as president joe biden has wrapped up his trip to ukraine and poland, by meeting with leaders from the so called booker s 9. the countries along nato's eastern flank, they came together in response to russia's invasion of ukraine. a year ago. the country is worry that moscow could threaten their sovereignty if its war in ukraine succeeds. now, bite in reaffirmed washington commitment to defend every inch of nato territory. so how did nato allies in eastern europe receive biden's assurances? earlier?

we put that to d. w's, alexander phenomena in warsaw. the feeling here is that he has to deliver to what they wanted him to deliver. the polish president duda described to biden's visits to war so and to keep as a very powerful signal as a powerful message. i also had a chance to speak with the estonian president, and he told me that he was happy to hear biden reaffirm americas i run clad commitment to nato's mutual defense packed. because of course, we have to understand why it is so important for the leaders of central and eastern european countries that met here would by then all of her there are countries were dominated by most code during the cold war, some of them sure, a border with russia, they fear that the conflict could spill over, so they were very happy to hear what biden had to say. however,

you also have to say that they would have liked to see more concrete commitments, concrete announcements, they want to, you asked to strengthen their position to beef up their numbers of their troops in the region. and they probably talked about that behind closed doors. but there were no public announcements on that. and russia's president has tried to rally his people nearing the anniversary of a war which has not gone as originally planned. vladimir putin has urged russians to get behind the war in ukraine as the one year mark approaches. on friday, he called frontline russian troops, defenders of the fatherland and said that moscow is fighting for what he called its historical lands in ukraine. ah, he may be isolated on the international stage, but at home,

russia's precedent still speaks to roaring crowds. ah, when we are together, we have no equal the you for the unity of the russian people who are a tens of thousands gathered in moscow solution icky stadium to honor their soldiers fighting in ukraine. right here behind the patriotic fanfare. putin is a leader with little to cheer about one year in says invasion of ukraine. yeah. western intelligence estimates as many as 200000 russian troops had been killed or wounded in the year since invasion. an average of nearly $550.00 soldiers each day . his army once believed to be 2nd only to the u. s. s. is widely considered to be

on the ropes and the criminals crackdown and critics has made it difficult to gauge popular support for the war. but put in his bank and on bay ging to help change his fortunes. and on wednesday, china's top diplomat appear to be extending a helping head meeting in moscow. when g pledge to strengthen ties with russia gotten yet wondering who were willing to work with the russian side to maintain strategic stability. and deepened, political trust, taught actually to strength and strategic cooperation and expand all round practical cooperation. so as to maintain a greater role in safeguarding the legitimate rights of our 2 countries. so you visit a demonstration of defiance at a time when the 2 countries relations with the west are at their lowest points since a cold war number on the comprehensive strategic partnership. between russia and

china has never been directed against any 3rd party, and of course it will not be impacted by interference and provocation from any 3rd party group. we will not yield to any coercion by any 3rd party. tasha the meeting as lightly to further fuel fear to washington that bay jane could soon start providing lethal weapons to help moscow turned the tide on the battlefield. adding to the tension the kremlin on wednesday suspended a critical nuclear arms control treaty with the wes, leaving western leaders worried that the 2nd year the war could turn even uglier than the 1st. and as we have heard, a number of eastern european nations previously part of the communist eastern block fear their sovereignty is once again threatened by russian power. nato has ramped up security on its eastern flank to help reassure those countries. the alliance has

deployed extra troops to the baltic states of estonia, latvia and lithuania, as well as poland. now to the vakio, romania and not a needle member, moldova are also nervous about moscow's intentions. increasing defense spending ramping up ammunition production, putting hundreds of thousands of troops on high hello nato is not a warring part in ukraine, but the conflict has led to a dramatic change in its strategy. the alliance is going back to its roots assess defense expert ian lisa is reinforced a shift in nato strategy away from thinking about expeditionary warfare, which has been in crisis management, which has been dominating for the last decades prior to thinking again about territorial defense in a very serious way nuclear strategy is discussed in a very serious way again. so all of these things that we hadn't really focused on

for decades are now at the core of debates inside native since the start of rushes invasion, nato allies have continuously increased our support for ukraine, starting with simple anti tank weapons and missiles, and then gradually deploying more advanced weapons, but with ukraine burning through artillery shells and other ammunition much faster than the west can produce them. it is becoming difficult for nato countries to match the war time demand. these problems are not surprising, says richard sheriff, a retired british army general and natal for my deputy supreme allied commander, europe towards the end of the day. if you want to fight, protect yourself, protect your country, protect ground and seize ground back. you need the heavy metal of armored forces, including time, solid infantry on out are to re on the light. and there's been lack of investment in that, as there has been a complete and frankly scandalous,

lack of investment in the sinews of war. the ammunition logistic sustainability require nato has already doubled its forces on the eastern flank. in addition to 4 already existing battle groups in the baltic states and in poland, the alliance has established for more in south eastern europe. the plan is to strengthen ear and missile defense systems and to feather of beef up the number of troops there. i think we should be talking about divisions not we're doing insignificant, really significant numbers. a band of steel along nature's eastern flank to demonstrate other quickly to russia of nature, is ready and prepared to defend itself. so far, allies have reminded united in their commitment to support ukraine and with the former neutral countries of sweden and finland now poise to join the alliance. nato has become even more relevant, says unders folk rasmussen,

former nato secretary general and now adviser to the government in keith. it's very clear that pu chin has achieved the opposite of what he wanted. he wanted less nato. he has court more ne show, but the longer the war drinks on, the greater the risk of an uncontrollable escalation for all its new found strength and purpose. the conflict in ukraine remains a balancing act for nato and harris. mother stories making headlines. un secretary general, antonio good heritage has told an emergency session of the un general assembly that rush as recent threats to use nuclear weapons, are unacceptable who ted edge was referencing moscow's implicit threat to you so called tactical nuclear weapons and ukraine. the un was meeting to mark the upcoming one year anniversary of moscow's invasion. cctv footed captured the moment that claimed 4 lives and left 49 missing after sections of

a huge open pit coal mine in northern china collapsed. rescue operations were suspended on thursday after a further landslide inside the mine in the inner mongolia region. china relies heavily on coal for energy generation and mines have been urged to increase. production is really aircraft attacked targets in the gaza strip. on thursday, after rockets launched by palestinian militants from garza had struck targets in israel, the exchange of attacks follows and is rarely rayed in the city of nautilus. in the occupied west bank on wednesday, which left 11 dead and lead to violent st protest. germany is expelling to iranian diplomats after t, ron sentence and iranian german national to death. josh should sharma at was convicted over the bombing of a mosque in 2008 supporters alleged that he was abducted while abroad and forcibly

taken to iran. this is jumps she'd sharman during his 1st court hearing at the terran revolutionary court, which on tuesday sentenced him to death. iran claims the dual iranian german citizen is the leader of an outlaw pro monarch. his group accused of carrying out the deadly bombing of a mosque in 2008. his family and human rights groups reject the accusations. germany as government has strongly criticized the verdict. in a tweet, chancellor or left shot said the iran regime is battling its own people in every imaginable way. and is this regarding human rights, the death sentence against jam sheet shar maud is unacceptable. we condemn it in the strongest terms and call on the wrong regime to overturn the ruling. foreign minister on elena burbock also expressed her dismay. denominator ausa. the

news from iran is shocking to sentence somebody to death in a trial that doesn't comply with the rule of law goes against international law. it violates human rights dimensionally the german foreign ministry says it's working to provide consular supports to shar mod. iran has so far denied access to him as it doesn't recognize dual nationality for iranians. german opposition leader for the big meds who is sponsoring him as part of a german parliament program called 1st stronger measures. before the people in this week, you called on the german government to tele ron clearly and unambiguously that this ruling must have consequences, consequence. and if it's carried out diplomatic relations with iran must be broken off. you downgraded to a mission with a charge. the fair and the iranian ambassador must be expelled from germany or stuart sean osgood. recently at most, the verdict can be appealed. shy,

much family and the german government still hope that his death sentence can be overturned. and here are some other stories making headlines around the world. nigeria is presidential candidates, have signed a piece, pledge, promising to seek redress with the courts for any grievances. the move aims to quote fears that a close whole may trigger violence. saturday's vote is to be the country's most credible elections since military rule ended. in 1999, the james web space telescope has discovered what appears to be 6 massive galaxies, dating back to the early days of the universe. astronomers say that discovery could offend theories of cosmetology because the galaxies are far more massive than what had been presumed possible. so soon after the big bang. mexican president, under his manuel lopez over door has offered asylum to opponents of his nicaraguan

counterpart. daniel ortega, he said, mexico stores were open to all of those who wanted to be there or take a has cracked down on dissent in recent years. berlin's international film festival, the berlin allah is nearing its end. but there are still a handful of competition films to be screened. the latest offerings making a bid for the golden and silver bears are from germany, mexico and spain. in a fire from german filmmaker, christian pixels uptight author lay and finds himself sharing a holiday house with more people than he bargained for. as local forest fires to a closer and lay on struggles to finish his book. with tensions between the unlikely foursome stop together in the woods reach, boiling point. the psychological tragic comedy is the 2nd in

a trilogy. focusing on the elements, water and earth. it comes 3 years after pet sold, brought undine to the berlin. allah. also starring paola bear. it's a direct his 6th time in competition. but how much does the story of the struggling writer echo his own life has come? it wasn't a totally conscious choice. but the main character leon builds a stage on which he plays the role of a writer who has to work all the time. who can never join in. he doesn't go in the water. he doesn't cook because he has to work so much. but actually he's always falling asleep. that's something that i've experienced myself and was able to pass on to the adults. so i took it i think another film in which nature plays a supporting role is $20000.00 species of these. the w feature from bask director, se balance order solar solar gordon centers on an 8 year old going through

a gender identity crisis during a summer holiday with her be keeping grandmother under solar. good and solid direction, newcomer sophia, or tad, or turns in an impressive subtle performance. as the youngster, with a boy's name, who wants to be called lucia mexican competition entry totem also puts the child center stage. the family drama is set over the course of a single day and almost entirely inside the chaotic home of an extended family artist toenail seriously ill. and his family is preparing a surprise birthday party that might be his last. as siblings bicker and board kids misbehave, torn as young daughter sole, tries to make sense of it. all. saul is impressively played by now he may same tis the ensemble piece with a documentary feel is an impressive 2nd feature from lela aviles.

ah, did of years anna chavez at the berlin allah and told us more about the film earlier. this film is one of 2 competition films this year that stars a child as the main protagonist. and let me tell you about this girl. her name is sophia terrel and she is incredible. her performance is so genuine, so raw and so touching. so she completely blew me away in that film. and as you mentioned before, and she placed that a 8 year old child dead kind of feels not right in this world. she, she feels she doesn't belong. and you're over the course of the film we find out why that is. so the child is spending some time in the countryside with family over summertime, and there the child really spent a lot of time with her aunt, who is a beekeeper, and also with friends. and in dialogues more and more, she opens up about her transgender identity. so she was born in the body of a boy, but she identifies as a girl, and eventually she even chooses

a new name. she calls herself lucille and the film follows her journey, but also the journey of the family who has different levels of acceptance. with that topic and that was also what i'm the director. she told us that at the press conference was particularly interested in. she wanted to bring together different points of view that are very far apart. and she thinks that film in general, it's a really great bridge to talk about topics like that. and that's what's happening at the berlin ally, you're up to date on the w news. i'm sorry, kelly and berlin. thank you for watching. ah ah ah,

ah. with theirs is the story of many ukrainians before russia's invasion, marta and siri had trained as volunteers for emergencies since

the beginning of the war, they have been in combat even fighting directly at the front focus on europe. next on d. w. conflict. the war in ukraine got a powerful international squat life this past week. i level politicians method community conference to discuss more and the 8th grade. my guess this week is a ukrainian and b elect a gun to ranko who's for that policy to feel promising. international support, country and more powerful weapons with 60 minutes about with being fought in real time on social media and safety standards and,

and the people shaping public opinion. the key word share is the word fate. where are the right battle lines being drawn? the propaganda war for ukraine. russia's war in ukraine one year since the invasion began to take a look back and into the future in the new millenium. slowly in february on d. w. ah . hello, and welcome to focus on europe. it's good to have you with us. it's been a years and sasha launched a full scale invasion into ukraine. bonnie.