houses to take people whom they never saw in their life. it means that the west is alive. this, him, humanity, in the west. this idea of this civilization is alive. and that is the strength of the civilization. politicians can make mistakes, but the values they're really here, it's not about consumer is know this about humans. and that's why i believe in free won't and i don't have any residual ceiling. let me take you back to february the 24th. when the invasion started, you, you joined the civil defense unit? yes. you in case you had a gun. yes. you are prepared to use it. yes. what was morale like? on that day? it was very difficult day. i hope it will never repeat in my life. my wife called me, it was 5 o'clock she was in odessa with our children. i wasn't here if she called me and said that she heard explosions, that the invasion started. we've all just for marcia law in the parliament and then

they, i realized that i have only 2 options. the 1st option is to run away from you. the 2nd option, prognosis for were the worst that you will fail in $34.00 days. and i came to defend you if it meant that maybe in $34.00 days that will be that. but so that towards the end of the choice which hundreds of thousands of ukrainians made, they said we will not runaway. after that day, what did you find out about yourself and about your country that we have very strong that you have values and that we will definitely when have you allowed yourself to think ahead to what it might be like to live in a peaceful country again, do you allow yourself to think about why the war raging? you know, i can tell, i can see you. many people have these trauma and i will try my ties. so ukrainians definitely. but many people are saying how you and you,

what is. but the question is, you need to do something all the time. there was a moment in one month after start of invasion, when i had an almost free day. and that was the, the worst today during the all the time. why? because all these, all these emotions images, all this thoughts and motions, they came to me that was very difficult. and i couldn't just stay in my apartment. i just came out on the street and i was just working like several hours just one just just working. and that is the answer all ukrainians we're doing today. everything we can to win. and when you are working 247, you don't have much time to things to regret. and we don't have time even to cry or tears. we will do it later. when peace does eventually come, there are so many people who've been vital to your society who won't be there. yes,

they've gone. yes. we're talking about doctors, teachers. not without sounds. i believe that. yeah, we are paying huge price. but we should do this because 100 years ago, ukrainian ukraine lost its independence, also against russia. and after this, russia organized genocide of ukraine followed them a lot more than that awful. second world war, blood lands, the salvation survey. everything. i mean, like millions of people died. so yesterday we're losing thousands. but we're losing thousands not to lose millions. you've put a lot of emphasis on postwar justice. what is the sense to leave without hope? and it's not just about hope. it's not just about justice for you grain. why this trip? you know, so needed is to prevent such things to happen in other parts of the planet. everybody should know and should have

a lesson. you couldn't act like this. that's the aim. that's why we're pushing. it's so hot and you think you'll get results. i'm sure about this. i'm sure i don't know about putting himself well. he be sentenced by history or by tribunal. but i am sure that many biggest part of his anti rush will be on the bench in the courts, and they will weigh that price. as you know, your president followed him as a lead. skids become something of a hero in the west. in october, you told the king of post that he was bearing his responsibilities as commander in chief with dignity. but that didn't mean you had no questions for him, only the questions would wait until after the war. exactly. sounds like the moment the guns stopped firing, the politics will begin again. christie, the political battles, because we are democracy and political battles use iraq like crush shows off political battles in democracies as his responsibilities. we how dignity and he's

great as a commander in chief from february 24, but have a many questions about how we got to february 24th. and how we have prepared for february 24. and all these questions i will raise after our victory look, say go to the guts, be good having you uncovered. so thank you very much irritates. ah ah ah ah

ah, ah, ah, i man you gives mckinnon. welcome to the program. you're watching dw news and our special coverage marking a year since russia began its full scale invasion of ukraine ceremonies had been taking place commemorating the day and keep ukrainian president vladimir zalinski honoured members of the military. he presented metals to serving troops and families of those who have died in combat. there was a sombre occasion mocking a milestone in a war that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions. cholenski,

the dress was one of appreciation of forces, but it was also a message of defiance. he had jago assumed dawn, i thank an islamist slobber, was she lori to everyone who's currently in combat? vernon, so i'm again glory to the korean armed forces are the national guards was but the intelligence serviceability border guards, donegal, and everyone in the defense and security courses, salem, oberon, m e bras, back you now grinding war of attrition has sat in on a 1000 kilometer frontline, let's take a look now at how moscow's initial plan faltered, what the next steps might look like as it ramps up a new offensive. one year ago, russia are attacks 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 occupy crimea. russia's navy also attacked from the black c o ukrainian soon so that the russians had underestimated them. a massive column of russian tanks heading towards key. it was stopped in its tracks. the battle the key was lost and it was clear that wouldn't be the quick victory, the moscow that many expected by april and in may, it finally fell to russian forces. the city that had been home to 450000 people, lay in ruins. but russian victories remain few and far between. in september, ukraine's military surprised russia with a lightning offensive that reclaimed large sways of the heart of region. ukraine then proceeded to liberate the city of her son too, in a major humiliation for the russian army russian troop morale was said to be low.

meanwhile, ukraine was benefiting from an increasing flow of high tech western weapons, including the high mars multiple rocket launcher. this allowed key of forces to hit far behind enemy lines, cutting off supply routes and hitting ammunition depos. since re taking har give and her son, the front line has been mainly stable with russia focused on capturing the city of bar malt. this is part of an effort to take the entirety of the done yet scan. the hands province is one of rushes are pushing along. the front line in the dorm bus 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 written and the u. s. ukrainian soldiers are also getting training from nato on sophisticated military maneuvers that could help them punch through the russian

lines and take back more territory. how far they can go is another question. it's clear that key of can only keep fighting as long as the weapons keep flowing from its western allies. the debris correspond, nick connelly is in her son where there was jubilation after the ukrainian cities recapture from russian occupation late last year. i asked him earlier, what conditions are like in house on now? i certainly a very different picture here in some streets you can policy by me are empty. the cupboard building behind me which solving the villages zalinski rather coming to celebrate the return of hasanti grand control has been largely destroyed in jails 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 re wide. 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 you. we're hearing artillery not very far away. the russian army is only a cup of comes away on the other bank of the nipper river. this is not by any means, a city that has somehow failed to return to normal life. lots and lots people have taken opportunity in recent weeks to get out and move further away from frontline. so i can hear that i can hear the names behind you, and obviously if 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, no malice. i mean, how do people spend their days they keep a very, very low profile, lots of people. you will then say here and lottery 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 knowledge i need to do my job. i need to go about my chore. so i'm not going to go down to cellar 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 tillery and is very cheap weapons. it's

not a question of expensive or complicated cruise missiles. so there is a sense here that you know, 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. i, but amazingly power still works. mobile phone coverage is still here. so the infrastructure for the most part is holding up be increasingly fewer people who are willing to take the risks. and well, certainly there is 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 against ukraine in the autumn. so people are saying, particularly kind of being very careful today and staying home for the most part. as for the kind of military activity in that let's you know, face it, let's kind of think about this is the city that russia claims as its own of those

votes, those kind of roads were not recognized genuine interest committee. in the autumn, under duress, russia claimed this as a part of its own territory and could see discussed on to be the ukrainian occupy part of russia. they certainly know, said that russia anyway and given up those claims and that it might near in the weeks or months come, try to what's can raise that russian flag above san. net. thanks so much dusty. dolly's nick connelly reporting from her son in southern ukraine. now retired us general. ben hodges is the former commander of the u. s. army in year.