ah ah ah ah, i am and you keep his mckinnon a welcome to the program. you are watching d. w. news with special coverage, marking serving troops and families of those who have died in combat. it was a somber occasion marking a milestone and a war that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions for lensky address was one of appreciation of forces, but also a message of defiance. he had jago seemed dorm,

i thank everyone who persevered through that february duty say not a whole year and homemade ukraine, unbreakable, yet miss lobbyist, slobber. was she glory to everyone who's currently in combat? spring. and so m great glory to the korean armed forces or national guards was good, was but the intelligence services. lizzie's border guards, donegal, and everyone in the defense and security courses, cielo oberon, name he bras, back you a grinding war of attrition offensive. one year ago, russia attacked ukraine from 3 sides in the north. armored units came over the border from russia's ally, belarus. there were air and land attacks from russia itself in the east and from the south forces flowed from russia occupied crimea. russia's navy also attacked

from the black sea. o ukrainian soon showed that the russians had underestimated them. a massive column of russian tanks heading towards keith, was stopped in its tracks. the battle for keith was lost and it was clear. this wouldn't be the quick victory for moscow that many had expected. by april, russian troops had retreated from the north. they regrouped to focus their efforts on the east and the south. the strategic, southeastern port city of mary you pull, had been surrounded since the early days of the war. and in may, it finally fell to russian forces. the city that had been home to 450000 people, lay in ruins. but russian victories remained. few and far between. in september, ukraine's military surprised russia with a lightening offensive that reclaimed large sways of the harkey region. ukraine

then proceeded to liberate the city of hare san too, in a major humiliation for the russian army russian troop morale was said to be low. meanwhile, ukraine was benefiting from an increase flow of high tech western weapons, including the high mars multiple rocket launcher. this allowed keeps forces to hit far behind enemy lines, cutting off supply routes and hitting ammunition. depos no stated goals. so what's next? russia has poured hundreds of thousands of new conscripts into the fight. but the latest offensive pushing along the front line, and the don bass has so far yielded no major gains for russia. meanwhile, ukraine is also gearing up for a counter offensive. and is expecting deliveries of dozens of advanced battle tanks from germany, poland, britain, and the u. s ukrainian soldiers are also getting training from nato on

sophisticated military maneuvers that can help them punch through the russian lines and take back more territory. how far they can go is another question. it's clear that keith can only keep fighting as long as the weapons keep flowing from its western allies. speaking cross now sir, her son where dw correspond, nick only standing by fresh nick. we saw last year, the jubilation after her son's recapture from out in deals of hits since that return of ukrainian control. the city where people, when they go out, keep it short. they stick close to buildings anywhere where they can find some safety, some kind of protection. and which today people are really worried that russia is going to escalate the situation. and really, you know, make a point of making life difficult people here just the last few seconds i'm talking to, we're hearing artillery not very far away. the russian army is only couple come sway on the other bank of the nipper river. this is not by any means a city that has somehow be able to return to normal life. lots and lots of people

have taken opportunity in recent weeks to get out and move further away from from lunch. so i can hear the, i can hear the explains behind you, and obviously you need to leave you just here. you go for it. and can you give us a sense? they say life near the front line is, is there is no normality. i mean, how the low profile, lots of people, you will then they hear and found that persons will at least move into their flats, away from windows, away from glass into maybe the corridor. somebody have to walk between them and between themselves the outside world was he going down to the seller is normally the safest option. but if you have this kind of artillery around you day after day, lots people just, you know, say i can't lead my normal life. i need to have some kind of mileage. i need to do my job. i need to go about my chore. so i'm not going to go down to sell unless i really have to, but there is no place in the city that is fully safe from russian attack. it is all within range of rational tiller in these very cheap weapons. it's not a question of expensive or complicated cruise missiles. so there is

a sense here that now this is life, lived on a knife edge, me just seen in recent days, people being killed at a bus station at a bus stop. just a couple of comes from where i am now. oh, overnight we've had a tax on big cities heating system and also on a hospital. but amazingly power still works. mobile phone coverage is still here. so the infrastructure for the most, there is increased military activity where you are well, certainly there's a sense that russia is going to at least in some kind of sense, take revenge on you can, especially the city of hassan with all its symbolic importance is the only regional capital that russia was able to gain from this one then last again to ukraine in the autumn. so people are saying, particularly kind of being very careful to us is to prevent any kind of rush to attempt to regain the city. but let's you know, face it, let's kind of think about it. this is the city that russia claims as its own of those votes. those kind of roads were not recognized by anyone in just community. in the autumn, under duress, russia claims this as

a part of its own territory and could see discussed on to be a ukrainian occupy part of russia. there's certainly no sense that russia, any way can given up those claims and that it might near in the weeks or months come, try to once again raise that russian flag above hudson net. thanks so much as d. w. 's nick connelly reporting from her son in southern ukraine. and we had joined now by retired us general ben hodges, former commander of the united states army in europe. welcome to d, w. so can i start by asking their ukranian soldiers and cranium? people have superior will, but the key is, can the wes delivered to ukraine the logistics, the weapons that they need to defeat russia? i believe the answers. yes. which brings me very nicely on to my next question. the punish. prime minister is in team. he's announced the arrival in ukraine of javin made left the 2 tanks. tell us how can these tang and other western supplied weapons be used by ukraine most effectively?

so i think they built up logistics, but of to go into a direction that would have a decisive outcome that would help isolate crimea, because crimea really is the decisive part of this war. so i think they'll continue supporting the troops that are in the, in the around bach mood, for example, where the russians are so focused to continue to hold them back. but saving their newest armored forces, which will include of, eventually these, the german that lay apart, the french air mix vehicles, the german martyrs, the american bradley's and others. after they have gone through truck, the russians have, which is mass, infantry precision weapons can take out the russian artillery headquarters, their ammunition, storage, and transportation. you've been observing, commenting on this conflict from the very start. can you tell us how it has evolved from the very 1st days of hostilities to campaigns such as the ones that we've seen

and back move all validity. thank you, bob. a probably 3 different things that it is he volved that i did not anticipate 1st that the russians would use what is in effect strategic bombing going after civilian populations and civilian infrastructure. exactly. as your journalist, your reporter nick just said, i did not anticipate that they would do such a brazen commit war crimes. so brazenly, fortunately, these are not having the intended effect that the criminal warrants, but nonetheless, it is still innocent, people that are being killed. secondly, the russian will to continue this fight, i think actually is decreasing. we don't, we'll never know for sure. you can't trust any poll that comes out of out of russia, but i would not mistake stadium full of people, even russian flags. well as strong support. i mean, the best indicator of actual support was when half

a 1000000 russian military age males left the country last fall rather than continue to than rather than risk mobilize getting mobilized. the 3rd thing is so impressive that the west has stuck together for all this time. i'm sure the kremlin never anticipated this. i just wish we've done so much. i just wish that my president and the bonus cancer would say, we want you crate to win. not just survive and we're going to do everything necessary that's. that's the thing that's missing. so we've talked about involving being able to adapt must be one of the most important abilities on the modern bass, a fate battlefield. how good had russian and ukrainian troops being adapting an excellent question. clearly russia, the general staff, other officer core, they're not, they're not stupid, but they do not have a culture that allows critical self reflection. and if you want to improve,

especially in a short amount of time, you have to be honest about what went wrong. why did it go wrong? how do we fix it? and that is that, that's just not part of how they operate. instead what you see is a goes like for goshen publicly blaming the general staff for not supporting him more. and so even after 9 years, they still have not figured out a coherent command structure that gives all other advantages into the fight at the same time. on the other hand, the ukrainians who started off with every disadvantage except for the fact that they're defending their own country, have a much more western approach to this adapting to new technologies. i've never seen soldiers learn new equipment as fast as you bringing retired u. s. general ben hodges, thank he so much and left behind by the russian occupation. human rights acts, but say it's a war cream, a war crime scene with evidence of summary executions, torture and enforced disappearances. he

w. special correspondent abraham met one of their cheer resident, who is on a quest to find justice for his family. oh that alexander check mary of ever wanted was to keep his family safe. he brought them to boucher after rushing back forces attacked her home town in eastern ukraine in 2014 the check mary of spotty house and made it out much than we lydia. so it was said that we could escape the war here, but we did not put in found us even in butcher was stolen. afy you hooton's, full scale warren ukraine. february 2022 brought russian troops to alexander's doorstep. his children could no longer take the sound of shelling. their father brought them here, a shelter under their home and planned their 2nd escape. while the chick marianne left one early morning in their car with their neighbor, a wife shout my,

let's turn around. we didn't and managed to get away. you see that other parts of this shooting begun at my car, caught fire with his audience. so alexander was wounded, but when he looked back, his wife and children were dead looking. so stood only, this is the end of his story. this story of my life and my children. the sidewalk is still charged from when alexander's car caught fire, marking the exact spot where he last saw his family alive. alexander story is sadly that of so many here in boucher, their reports of torture, rape, an extra judicial killings were. i'm standing right now. this actually used to be the sight of a mass grave of civilians. they all had to be has set up a web page where anyone can report a legit war crimes committed by russian forces. authorities have received almost 70000 cases. a number that goes up every day in the key of region alone,

which includes boucher, that numbers 10000. a prosecutor for the jurisdiction tells me really the whole list of who the us. we are identifying the names of russian soldiers investigating repairing charges and bring them to coach was upon approaching a well no one, the hug through the foot of william such as limitations, does not apply to will crimes or for working non stop principle. so far, nationwide, 25 russian troops have been convicted for war crimes. the international criminal court, and the one have also opened up their own investigations. but justice can be slow, often taking years to examine crimes committed in minutes, minutes. that will stay with alexander forever. he spoken to both ukrainian and international investigators, hoping it might help with the pain rhythm,

the worship. i want to look this people in the i us. that's when i will know god, they have been punished. thus, i am sure i will feel much better law when there are results and not just legal procedures, but the thought ends people. it's not always easy being surrounded by reminders of the life he's lost. but until alexander finds justice for his family, that is all he's got here in berlin. activists have parked the wreck of a russian tank in front of the russian embassy. the t 72 tank was destroyed during fighting near boot in ukraine in march last year. campaign, a se, the tank will stay outside the russian embassy over the weekend. a berlin court gave the go about the ukraine war. beijing has sought to position itself as neutral

in the war, even though it maintains close ties with russia. now, basing has presented a proposal to end the conflict urging ukraine and russia to agree a ceasefire and hold peace. talk as soon as possible. at 12 point document was time to coincide with the anniversary of the war. and for more on this, we can break in under a small now he's a senior trans atlantic fellow with the german marshall funds asia program and an expert on sino russian relations. welcome, andrew. i'd like to start off by guessing your reaction to the potations that the word for this. and it was still somewhat disappointing. it was essentially just the recycling of pretty boiler play chinese positions on all of these issues. and it's certainly not a plan. and it doesn't do anything to, to, to advance piece. it was consulted with the ukrainian side. so i think some analysts will perhaps looking for that to be some interesting twists, some new angle,

something that it did that might be slightly different from what we've heard from china on these things before. but essentially, it's a reiteration of various general principles, including things like as reflect that, that, that chinese leadership maintains that it is a neutral party to this war. at the same time is calling for a cease fire. and western intelligence says that china is possibly planning to supply russia with leaf lethal weapons to, to fight ukraine. so. so how can we sort of analyze this position if it was cold by some people pray, rushing neutrality, the position that china took, but the neutrality element is becoming weaker and weaker. i think in recent weeks, not only have we had the reports of considerations on the chinese side, about lethal supplies from the, from the tiny site, including the, the story overnight specifically about trends. the low material that's come out on

the julian goods. the chinese been providing whether it's semiconductors that have been showing up in russia, weapons, commercial tribes, but lots of kind of areas in which they've been least applying russia with spare parts and, and, and other things. so you've, you've got, i think, a context now in which the growing concern is that china is providing a backdrop of material support for, for russia in this war. and the concern is that this could get worse. and in the weeks and months ahead. so i think it's become hard to maintain the position of neutrality, whatever the political and diplomatic language they using on this. and of course, china's top diplomat met with president peterson and in moscow on wednesday in the chinese president is expected to been there is as we flew from the joint statement a year ago, shortly before the outbreak of war, a sudden ideological dimension to the relationship, particularly in the mindset that teaching thing passed around this, but i think the critical part of that is the, from china's perspective,

this russia is able to operate as a pretty full spectrum partner in what they see if they're white, a struggle with the united states and to a certain extent with, with us allies in the us alarm system more generally. so even when they're disappointed or concerned, the actions that russia has taken, i think they took the rush will be far more successful than it than it has been with its invasion. i think nonetheless this, this is a part, but in the widest strategic landscape in which china operating still provides and all sorts of useful things advertising. now whether it's the huge ups, edge in trade and energy ties that we've seen over the last year, over the military maneuvers, we've seen prompts from the 2 sides in this broader context of the us china relationship, russia loki pies. and we've got a minute left, but i do just want to ask you to put in the invasion, came as she him paying was said to be eyeing similar moves regarding taiwan. what

lessons can she ping take from a putin's war in ukraine? i think kind of learning some military lessons about going 1st and hardest. they do go ahead with an invasion. and i think they think that russia was taking message from the relative failures of russia, the early stages of the conflict, the training themselves, more sanctions resilient. we see the measures that taking in in that regard as well . i think i'd be surprised at the relatives and resilience not just ukraine, but of the west and response economically. and militarily, i think it's in produce, perhaps a note of caution, but we'll be trying to internalize military lessons. everything from long range missile strikes, to the information environment that they've been digesting over the last year under a small from the german marshall funds asia program. thank you so much for that analysis. you sat down with ukrainian member of parliament, alexey gone to ranko himself, a veteran of the fighting that will be coming up next. and of course, as always,

more for you on d, w dot com. and on d, w. 's social media channels. the handle in need that is at d. w means i'm on the kips mckinnon. thanks so much for watching. and i'll see you very soon. fast the aid to ukraine and to try to cement their unity and commitment to the countries victory. my guest this week is a ukrainian empty alexei grown sharon cove who's fort tirelessly to secure promises of international support for his country and more powerful weapons that hope that the decisions will be made. and ukraine will receive everything we need and we will finish it quicker. verse the whole world is suffering, not just your brain. did he get what he came for? ah, lexia, grandchildren co welcome to cumbersome. thank you very much for invitation. you got a lot of promises, but the music security conference, what were they?

promises weaponry, promises for very long support, as long as it takes how it was said. no, by the way it is very, i understand the importance of the fight. and that is important. also for people of the free world to explains that it can last long, but for ukrainians it sounds disturbing regards the every day is very painful for us and we don't want on the war but want to finish it quickly and we know that we can do this, that is what we definitely know. that's why i appreciate that it was said as long as it takes, but i hope that the decisions will be made and ukraine will receive everything we need and we will finish it quicker. there's the whole world is suffering, not just ukraine insulation crisis, food crisis, fuel crisis, refugee crisis, all of them worse than every day because of what's going on in ukraine. one of the

most important issues for you did you see any movement in the red lines governing what the western alliance will give you in terms of weapons, those red lines that you've spoken a lot about in the past? did they move? they move. i see that they move definitely 10 clare parts hot us probably the most important today. also he answered my question on the main stage about their training of your grade in pilots. and he said that they start the process. now that is very important. and also after i had a possibility to speak with him a little bit in private. so that is a good signal. i see that the red lines are moving, but still there are some red lines in the heads and, and the main red line is that many people here. they want ukraine to win the war. but at the same time, they're afraid of freshman, of russia to lose. i want to get into that in a moment. but what exactly was your was on your shop list when you came here. one

of your colleagues has spoken about trust the munitions cluster, munitions banned under a convention, but more than 100 countries of science. that's something you want to know the most important when you asked the westphal customer. ah, yes, we asked it's previously there and i just say it's similar right of the convention . that's all we are not killing us with this every day. so we have all the right, all the moral right to use it because we are defending ourselves and we're using it, not like them against civilians, but just against army. we never tech to a russian civilian objects. so we have all the right to use them. we are not signatories, so we have a jury to go right to this. and in the united, that's very controversial. these weapons that very controversial. you know, i think when you are saying this, you just don't realize that every day ukrainians accused by russians on our own soil in our own homes, our women and children were controversial. it can be,

we have all moral right to defend ourselves with everything we can, if you will be just on the street by somebody. and if you will have a stone lying on the just under your legs, will you take it and use it to save your life? and oh, it's controversial to you stolen on the street. i think it's after it's at families on our land, and rush is committed, genocide against ukrainians and our occupied territories that were sad. kamala harris yesterday said about thousands of ukrainian children, which are taken from their families and sent to russia to make from your.