a complex relationship with animals. with the great debate this week on d. w or ah ah, this is dw news lie from berlin. ukraine acknowledges russian gains near box lute ukrainian commanders describe the battle field situation as extremely tense. crushing forces including soldiers from the wagner group are said to be making progress, and they're pushed to encircle the frontline city. also coming up and is really

american man is killed in a drive by shooting in the west bank, the latest victim and a surge of violence in the region. and turkey's president recham. ty burton won asks for forgiveness for his government's low response to its earthquake disaster and promises to rebuild devastated regions within a year. ah, i'm sarah kelly. welcome to the program. ukrainian forces say that the situation in the eastern city of buck mode is extremely tense. as russian troops step up their assault. they say russia is trying to cut ukrainian supply lines to the city and force them to, to wender or withdraw. now the fiercely contested area has become a symbol of ukrainian resistance, rushes relief,

plus the taxes back moot have reduced the city to rumble. there are a few signs of life on the ground. and from above, the scale of the damage is overwhelming. now moscow has a further and teams to fight its shelling ukrainian soldiers a fighting bag as hard as they can over we are hitting them with whatever we have, we are holding on against their infantry. they are not sparing people on the whole area is filled with their dead bodies and the date of loss of lucy and also for russian troops. have full month's, tried to capture the city whether emma and both sides have suffered high casualties with the white noise when when we're the brazil breakfast, my medicals worked practically nonstop. or for the full scale invasion, we have $50.00 to $60.00 wounded in a 9 month rotation of war. now sometimes we have more than that in one day.

so there's a lot of work. but these soldiers are the best back loop holds limited strategic importance, but taking it would be a major symbolic victory for russia. ukraine's president admitted things were not going well. which can avenue of the situation is constantly becoming more difficult . the enemy is constantly destroying everything that can be used to protect our positions for fortification and defense. our soldiers defending in the back move direction. there are real heroes, was priority level. as russia ramps up its attacks, it could be on the verge of claiming the city ending the longest battle so far of its invasion of ukraine and dw correspondent nick connelly and joins us from cave. what's behind these increasingly urgent, ukrainian pronouncements about bachman? nick was the real centralink here that this is the government here,

getting people ready for a potential withdrawal from before. this has been going for weeks and months and it had seemed time time again that this was closed. but i think this time around, it really does seem like the time of ukrainian moves for this. for now in backward might be about come to an end. it seems like there's only one route in and out left and ukrainian control up to reasoning. there were 2 russian forces making gains significant if small gains from most directions and of c to avoid being in circle. they're the most rational thing would be to leave. but given we've had a president he talking about, but what is the credit fortress? that would be a blow. the city has been in the headlines, we know for more than a year and a half. now, what would it mean if russia were to take it? i think it's definitely a wind that the kremlin wants to bags weekly as possible. they've had months of setbacks losing cities like kind of song parts of the hot give region. and they really haven't had very much to show for huge losses in terms of soldiers on the

ground and equipment. so they're desperate to get anything they can sell, at least to their domestic audience as progress, as for the kind of impact it has on the course, the war, i don't think it's hugely significant. this is not a crucial strategic place. there are no factories, there's no transport infrastructure there that would really allow russia to push forward those kind of cities in that part of the country are from a tossed and sloppy. else there still doesn't go away from the front lines and safely under ukrainian control. but this is about the optics and about the russians desperate for some kind of success. and i think now the, the basic calculation for the ukrainians is that it is no longer worth investing ukrainian lives in ukraine equipment in binding. the russians than that right now, it's probably looks like it's better to cut their losses. is it getting harder for ukrainian forces to maintain their momentum? and i think it's important to say that ukraine isn't throwing everything. it has a buffer mode. they are building up reserves for the expected counter offensive as

the spring comes closer. so this is not everything they've got in their ammunition as it were, but certainly austria is getting more difficult economically. ukraine is going to be dependent on help from outside and is now increasingly having to kind of remind western partners to really make sure sections work. the russia comes under pressure and isn't able to produce new weapons. we've had just the last few hours reports of seeming a ukrainian drones attacking wolf to the class and other bits of instruction on russian churches. there's a real desire to take the battle to russia by the front lines. nick connelly and keith, thank you. as the war grinds on, the casualty, numbers are mounting on both sides. tens of thousands of soldiers have died with some estimates. putting that number much higher in our next report, we need an orthodox priest. you has been laying ukrainian soldiers to rest every day. this is father tad us, michel, i shook a military chaplain preparing for his daily duty at the v cathedral. and these are

ukrainian soldiers carrying their fallen comrades their loved ones have turned out their fellow fighters to, to say good bye. ready the steady stream of funerals have taken a toll the manner sylvester sivitz thankful me personally. the distance between earthly life and the churn alive has shrunk to the bare minimum shortage. because quite often, i have to realised that we are really saying good bye. and praying to the defenders of ukraine who died defending our motherland. but that, that shamal spark. deborah, shame was him. alma says, oh, it's time to take the fallen to their final resting place and emotional last journey. and just one of many for father taught us yet the less sure that the course if i think i can't give you a clear number, but he can all be seen at the cemetery. obviously we're talking about hundreds of

funerals, certainly the more plus what you boycotting. so little tucker, it sometimes happens that we bury several of our heroes before lunch. and then after lunch, hold on, there could be 5 falling in a day, sir, to whom we said good bye to our chair. the final moments above ground before the earth swallows them up amid so much grief. father tad, us, says his job is also to keep up morale. sir, is it? no, it's not easy psychologically, but for now we're holding on on that as him with him not just given up and praying, molar was invalid. one last good bye. and then father taught us must ready himself to bury more soldiers. now finland's parliament is holding a final debate on a bill aimed at speeding up the country's application for nato membership. the debate coincides with a visit to helsinki from nato secretary general yen stilton burg. speaking

alongside finish prime minister santa marin creek, he said now is the time to allow both finland and sweden to join the alliance and felt that comment directed at to nato members. we will turkey and hungry who are still standing in the way as he to use terry shalt reports. turkey's opposition is causing the most concern side by side. that's how almost everyone presumed nordic neighbors, finland, and sweden would travel the path to nato when they submitted their applications in may. this is a good day or at the critical moment for our security. but turkish president, wretched tie, a bear to one, put the brakes on the 2 countries bids, due primarily to their perceived tolerance for kurdish groups. he considers enemies . the 3 countries made a deal at the nato summit in madrid to work out their differences. but only finland has succeeded in sweden where the officially designated kurdish terrorist

organization, the p k. k is more visible. activists have targeted air to one personally, and burned the qur'an stoking anchors animosity the garage. oh, we do not have relatively a major problem with respect to finland on that. we are always on the learning that sweden should take concrete steps as these. this has led to a distinct change in nato's emphasis that the nordics joined together. the main question is not whether the feminine sweden are rectified together. the main question is that they are both ratified as full members. as soon as possible, there's been a shift in helsinki to finish president sally mister says joining together is his preference, but our hands, sorry, no way tight. we have applied for membership should be no say that no, we cancel our obligation. know that because we'll be cleanser thinking more about their other neighboring now decades of opposition to nato membership,

evaporated after russia launched. warren crane will be very hard for decision makers to justify to the people war, i think, over 80 percent in favor of nato right now. and also we're seeing over 50 percent offends knowing they were going in in aid. so at this point, even if we have not read it by, the swedish prime minister of kristen has react angrily warning that leaving sweden outside nieto even temporarily would compromise both of their security. henry vaughan and disagrees. sweeter would be a nato invites each surrounded by nato members and have would have finland on eastern neighbor, nate, so i wouldn't say would be the worst possible scenario. i would say. see significant improvement at the moment. it's the most likely scenario with finland holding parliamentary elections in april. the current government would like to see a finished flag raised at nato under its watch. and there's still a sliver of possibility for a tandem. accession,

as stalled talks with turkey resume in march. and he w corresponded terry sholtes joins me now from brussel. so terry, where does the debate stand now in finland? debate is just getting underway in the finished parliament right now, sarah. and despite the overwhelming support by parliamentarians and the population for finland, going into nato now as quickly as possible. there are a few representatives who will want to state their views. still thinking that this is a bad idea. remember in finland, it was decades and decades of opposition to nato until russia invaded ukraine. this would not have happened the shift in public opinion. so there were still some people out there who aren't so sure, this is the safest way for finland to, to chart. it's future, but the bill will pass and finland will move ahead toward membership and finland apply it. of course, as we've been hearing from membership together with sweden they, they were expected that they would join at the same time. is this no straining ties

between the 2 neighbors? i understand behind the scenes that both sides assure each other, that of course, the long ties, the closest relationship that you could have between 2 countries will remain. but if you listen to public statements and you and i were both there in munich, where the leaders of both countries spoke, you can hear that there is some tension. the swedish, a prime minister said that it was dangerous to leave sweden alone, and he would very much like finland to say it will wait for sweden. and this also is as sense in the swedes part that this take some pressure off turkish present. adair to one, but nato's view is that it's better to get finland in. now if that's all they can do and then everyone can focus on getting the swedes across that line too. let's pick apart another statement on terry because the finish prime minister, santa marin also said that the delay in ratification by hungry and turkey. and i'm quoting here, strains the credibility of nato's open door policy doesn't. this was an

interesting thing for us on a martin to say this morning with secretary journalists oldenburg standing next to her. because nato countries have primarily said, this is for those 3 countries to solve themselves. and they haven't wanted to be seen as putting pressure on turkey. son, martin put some pressure on nato today saying this looks bad for all of you if we don't get in. so we'll see how that plays out and made a secretary general still to bring has invited turkey, finland and sweden to nato headquarters next week to see if he can try to work out the final obstacles in d. w. correspond and terry schultz and brussels. thank you. and harris from other stories making headlines around the world. supporters of prominent russian opposition figure boris, and himself had memory to the 8th anniversary of his murder. the 55 year old was assassinated at this spot near the kremlin. even though 5 men were convicted in connection with the killing mister themselves allies, soule describe the case as

a cover of china has criticized a u. s. deadline giving federal employees 30 days to remove the popular chinese owned app, tick tock from government devices. beijing says the u. s. is abusing national security powers to suppress foreign companies. the u. s. bad was sparked by fears the up could be used for spying by the chinese government. british prime minister vis you soon, i is in northern ireland to win support for his deal with the e over post rugs that trailed. the windsor framework is designed to ease the flow of goods between britain and northern ireland, sumac and european commission. president ursula underline her claimed a new chapter in you who k relations as they adopted the path to welcome more of your life. she lay is deploying troops to its borders with peru and bolivia. its latest attempt to control the number of migrants which the government says is increasing. military units will be able to detain anyone attempting to cross and

hand them over to local police. in the middle east, there has been more violence in the occupied westbank. this time near the city of jericho and israeli man and his really american man has been killed in his car during a drive by shooting. is really forces say that palestinian gunmen targeted several vehicles before fleeing the scene. the incident comes a day after 2 israelis were killed by a palestinian in the west bank town of how warren. now israeli settlers responded by attacking palestinian homes and property in the area, killing one palestinian man. our correspondent rebecca readers filed this report and now the stand off on the streets of horror just as we arrive. so does this is riley settler, who gets out of his car to confront a group of palestinians surrounded by the foreign press,

israeli soldiers intervene. painting the still really high hearing who are always standing at the entrance to the county with increased military presence. this is one of them. i thought hitler trying to get from the settlement of it to jerusalem. anna, using it. you can see the cars honking every time a car come through. he threw his provocation. really, it feels like anything could happen. on sunday, a palestinian gunmen shot dead to his riley brothers in this town, which led to a revenge attack by israeli settlers and rampage through the streets, torching cars and houses. one palestinian was shot dead in the violence for others badly injured. and my loss of shirt, i left the shop to pick up one of my employees and i saw a coal 100 settlers setting fire to it. and they burned the container, but the warehouses burnt,

the storehouse for electrical appliances and destroyed the house. and of that sort of old door didn't leave anything for book has tensions escalate. israel security minister has urged, citizen restraint brought her back to me. i want to comment on what happened in john hora. but how long are i understand? the hard feelings for this isn't the way we can't take the law into our own hands. look him at the whole clara die. instead, he said it should be israel's government and security forces who quote, crush the enemy. fresh report serve now emerged from jericho. also in the occupied west bank, a suspected palestinian gunmen shot dead. another is riley, all this turmoil erupting on the heels of an emergency summit in jordan, where his riley and palestinian officials agreed on measures to try to cool things down. but the ongoing violence, putting any efforts of de escalation on shaky ground, and

d. w, corresponded to rebecca readers who filed that report, told me earlier, how she experienced situation in hora. well, the situation there is sarah, as you can see in that report, is nothing short of tense attentions, very high after sunday's attack, following are the shooting of those 2 israeli brothers. and then the palestinians call for venice or the, the settler call for vengeance. and the going into that town and attacking homes and cars and palestinians on sunday night we've seen we saw an increased military presence in the town, as i mentioned in the pace. it's a, it's a town. it's a thoroughfare that settlers used to get from jerusalem to some of the settlements on the other side, and so that they come into contact with palestinians in the village. there was a lot of provocation while we were there. although the settlers, as they drove through honking horns and creating provocations and,

and more tension. and we saw the palestinians calling back and, and this back and forth. now who are ease a hot spot, as i say, that thoroughfare towns, so as set low violence, was it like clashes isn't uncommon, but the extent to what we saw on sunday isn't very common summer saying it's unprecedented. or at least since it seems from the end of the and father in the early 2, thousands detention very high, but not just there as we were leaving the town the, the reports were coming out about that shooting in jericho. jericho's not normally considered one of the major hotspots, but you can see these things popping up all across. the west bank has tensions flare, so things not looking at feeling certainly like they are going to settle down anytime soon. sarah would efforts are being made to reduce the risk of further escalation or, of course, seen all the international calls for com. or we've seen even calls from come from,

you know, certain israeli politicians, benjamin netanyahu sang, don't take matters into your own hands and all the ministers echoing that. but we have seen some ministers from the far right from the security minister. been a to my bent vs party court, you know, concerning the violence in fact supporting it. so, you know, tensions are being a regardless, and i think, you know, we are saying calls for calm we saw a couple of weeks ago as tensions were flaring again, a few weeks ago after another raid in the northern west bank. we saw it timed with the u. s. secretary of state here and he was calling for com. we did see a momentary law intentions, but even given things like the summit that was held in jordan on sunday. and out of that summit, they were assurances from the israeli side saying that they would hold settlement expansion at least for a few months to try and calm things ahead of the ramadan, islamic ramadan holy month coming up. and everyone worried about things barling out

of control, but it is hard to see with, with, you know, out of that meeting benjamin netanyahu said no, we're not going to hold these settlement expansion. so definitely a lot of tit for tat going on. it's very hard to kind of know where it's going, but it certainly doesn't feel like it's going in the right direction. dw correspondent rebecca readers. thank you. early results in nigeria is general election show bowler to knew of the ruling. all progressives, congress and the lead to replace outgoing president mohammed will hoary but half the country states have still to report their results and to news 17 rivals in this race are holding on nigeria titus collection since the end of military rule. in 1999 has been marred by violence, delays, and allegations of fraud 3, frontrunner loads and all 3 se they're winning nigerians election. but with delays and disruptions and saturday,

the result is far from clear. people are getting impatient and increasingly voted. some of us did it i week till late night wouldn't. i wouldn't use it up. we bri on hood. our job better. we're because when the selection will break is not that it might, it's would bring it. but if we go to major, this is considered the tightest presidential race in nigeria since it ended military rule in 1999. but experts observing the election set, boating over the weekend was affected by pool organization was portal nafrica. late arrival of colin officials, 14 materials and in some cases the delivery over all the materials at foreign stations across the country. does i go there has also been violence in several states. in one case on sunday in lagos,

a group of men pretended to be electoral officials. i did and stormed into the voting center and attacked twice. i meant the chaos. there have been a few reports of ballots matching, and many complains of the electronic voting system. that nigeria is using for the 1st time political leaders have urged the electron commission to declare results soon to feel that for the delays will dampen public trust and incite or more violence. we do not want this. we want peace in our country. we want the, you know, a credible election. we want us all to come together as niger is a, make this thing what the security challenges will have to be tackled by the new president. once nigerians know who that will be in football, little messy, has one fif as male player of the year award for the 7th time. last year,

he guided argentina to the world cup title and helped paris sanisha mon, when the french league barcelona, is alexia with de us. took home the 2022 women's award. the ceremony in paris followed a vote by fans and football personalities. ah, lynn, a messy has gone from winning this famous trophy for the very 1st time to receiving a 7th fifo world's best male player, a war for now. no good about me were here was crazy for me me. so i achieved my dream that i had been hoping for for so long. is it did? he faltered competition from his petty sang jermanti maids and friends for would killing him. poppy, as well as rail madrid's champions league women carrying bends. emma argentina's

wilco when also meant linelle. stallone was named best men's coach while england's triumph and the women's european championship. the 1st major honor landed serena vague. men, the female coach award, the best best women's player, went to spain's alexia protests for the 2nd straight year. alex yeah. who they us, her bus alone aside when every league game last season, polish and beauty football, matching alexi also won best go a flurry of awards after a busy year of football. and yet again, it's leah, no messy. taking home the big prize. and finally, now the northern lights have made a rare any dazzling display much further south than usual over the weekend. the aurora borealis, as they are also known, lit up the skies above ireland, the netherlands,

and much of the united kingdom and germany. the phenomenon is caused by solar winds, interacting with the earth's atmosphere, and is normally limited to areas closer to the arctic circle. absolutely beautiful. now up next on dw news, it is the documentary close up looking at the commercialization of outer space. so do you stay with us if you can for that? in the meantime, i'm sarah kelly in berlin. thank you so much for joining us. take care with

you. what happened to the infinite beyond those days are in the today, private companies are conquering space. what about money into it,

and control and profit. and what are the consequences? new space, the new revolution. close up next on d w. o ah, it's avalanche. my welcome to my podcast, love matter. by and by celebrities influences and experts to talk about all playing . loved effect from day to day. nothing less because all these things and more and then you will see them off the pot. come make sure to tune and wherever you get your path and join the conversation because you know it who love matter. mm oh, you become a criminal. ah franklin mayo already know who's

with hackers and paralyzing the tire societies. computers that out were you and governments that go crazy for your data. we explain how these technologies work, how they can go in for, and that's how they can also go terribly. watch it now on youtube. a on february 6th, 2018. the balcony heavy rock. it took off on its maiden flight.