about our complex relationship with animals, global. i think i will live long enough to witness the factory farming the great debate this week on d. w or ah ah, this is d, w. news live from berlin. the battle for bach mood intensifies us military intelligence sources say ukrainian forces are under increasing pressure from russia in the fight for the front line city. also coming up thousands of demonstrators

rally in the tunisian capital against the rising cost of living. and the government's cracked down on the opposition. ah. i married evans dean, welcome. there are signs that russian forces are making progress in a key battle in the eastern ukraine. fighting continues to rage around the frontline city of boot. russia is determined to seize the now destroyed city as part of its wider aim of capturing the entire dynette screech and the 2 sides had been stuck in the bloody stalemate over the city since august of last year. burnt rooms. that's how ukrainian president flow to me as a lensky described back loot in december for months, the small city in eastern ukraine has been the center of the most protracted bottle of rushes year long war both sides of port troops and other resources into

a savage fight the exact number of casualties is unknown, but western officials say hundreds of russian and ukrainian forces were killed and wounded. on the worse days. military analysts say its capture would have little strategic value. so why have russia and ukraine been so invested in winning the battle for back? moot for russia became a political imperative to show some success on the battlefield after ukraine recaptured large parts of the car, he region and the port city of cas sonata, we good. i think the want and big picture for some sort of victor, any victory that that, that they can get. i don't think it's a strategic victory. i think the, they want to show something,

some progress on the ground. the capture of box moot would be ukraine's biggest military loss and months. it could also set up russian forces for a sold some bigger cities that they would still have to get past the heavily fortified ukrainian defense of line to full of bach. mood would also be a success for the paramilitary russian wagner group. on its leader, you have gained pre, goshen potentially strengthening his position compared to rivals within the russian military. zalinski visited the front lines in the city just before his trip to washington in december. the brought them know that this is not just black moot, it's a symbol, the buck, moot fortress. we do not want to rush and flags on the ruins of fortresses. you remember the loss of box moot would be a serious symbolic and psychological blow. but ukraine could have made a grim calculation by forcing russia to expand enormous resources in the battle for

the city. meaning a russian victory will be hollow, considering the manpower and equipment lost. oh, we can now speak to letting them it on a defense analyst at king's college london, and she joins us now from munich. so we're hearing from british intelligence sources that ukrainian forces are indeed under severe pressure defending, baffled. what else can you tell us about the situation? oh, thank you for having me. certainly, we have heard from all sides. i believe the russians are saying it. you can. you promotion, went on telegram and challenge lensky saying that he's about to close the lead to the bottom of the cold run and calling him to withdraw his forces. we have also heard that lieutenant general sarah sky from the korean side has visited buck

mood and has left buck mood. so there are, there are kind of accounts that the russians are very close to taking buck mood. and the key here is, was, the ukraine will indeed give up more or sand reinforcements because some new from chess of yard, which is next to move to the force of the ukrainian forces, waiting for elite ukrainian troops to arrive and to help them to defend. but from the russian forces, however, the situation is unclear, it would suggest that the russians are very, very close to taking the city, making it at very kind of costly victory for both sides and costly defeat for the korean side. well, as all of this is happening, the united states announced a new military aid package for ukraine worth $400000000.00. and we understand that part of that package includes tactical bridges. can you explain their significance?

well, tactical bridges i important in conjunction with what has been given to ukraine so far and i'm talking about main battle tangs such as the challenge to such a lack for so those tactical bridges would increase some ability of the ukrainian forces because the infrastructure is being destroyed many bridges have been destroyed, and we have seen 2 days that you bring in forces have destroyed many bridges, and the russians of targeting bridges. and it is a key component in order for the koreans to be able to cross rivers using those tanks. so it is not an insignificant aid for the ukranian forces. once all of the tanks arrive and they might be even too heavy for the present bridges that ukraine has. therefore, it's necessary for the ukrainian forces to be able to cross rivers and to be able to, to increase their maneuverability. we also know that the german armies maker,

ryan natal, is currently negotiating the construction of a tank factory and ukraine just quickly what effect my bat have in the course of the war. it is an interesting decision to construct a factory and from what i knows as factory would be manufacturing the latest generation of main battle pangs chaos and her. so placing that factory in ukraine kind of has a symbolic value to show driven support to ukraine and ukraine. would be the 1st country to get those advanced tanks. they don't exist as of yet. they have been shown in june on, in paris. they have been that field. however, it would be also very dangerous because there is always about possibilities that

the russians might get their hands on such a tank. and therefore, they might also be targeting the factory. so there are a lot of risks associated with it. and i think as a war is going on right now may be the idea of students that might not be of good. all right, that was the defense analysts, letting them down from king's college london. thank you so much for your insights. thank you. now to some of the other stories making use this, our, china's annual meeting of parliament has kicked off in beijing with a largely ceremonial political advisory session. the meeting comes on the eve of the national people's congress, which begins sunday parliament, rubber stamps decisions already made behind closed doors by leadership ping and the communist party leadership. rescuers of the site of greece is worst. train crash are in the final hours of their search operations. at least 57 passengers were killed in the head on collision with a freight train last tuesday. the disaster has triggered protests over lack safety

standards across the railway system. at least 15 people have been killed and dozens injured after a fire broke out overnight at a fuel storage depot in jakarta. the fuel depot is owned by indonesia, national energy company, part amina, and is near a densely populated area, north of the capitol. all thousands of people have rallied in the tunisian capital tunis against an ongoing economic crisis and a government crackdown on the opposition. the protest was organized by the countries labor union. demonstrators are angry at president case i each who has ruled by decrease since suspending parliament and 2021 in a paragraph. and in recent weeks, anger over the rising cost of living has boiled over into unrest. it was a sure force by tennessee as powerful workers union thousands on the street in each

city's last month said up with the rising cost of milk, bread and other staples, and a wave of arrests which threatened the country's fragile democracy. for mr. dick in trade unionists are being targeted if putting trade union in jail falsified cases, arrests and similar actions. it's just the authorities of seeking to silence the changes in general labor union. i know thought that they hadn't received a solo from her during a recent walk about at a market president key. saheed saw close some of the frustration underpinning the protest. but he insisted those arrested where behind the deepening crisis, not him. her a mcdonald. lun, doctor of the state won't stand idle in the face of those who have fueled men, and those who seek to fuel the social situation by raising prices on it and

stockpiling goods. if you are, you bit dorothea ford, i saw what be that seen the other than the minister journalist to have been protesting after police arrested the head of a radio station which had been critical of the president you, especially, authorities, are resorting to security forces and the judiciary, to harass and intimidate journalists. this is the message they want to send to the media sector. i live until recently, janasia was seen as the arab springs last success story. but many fear hard one, freedoms are now being routed. and for more, we're joined by elisia fulton, she's a journalist based in tunis. welcome. can you explain why the tunisian labor union called today's protest i the b u t.

a. and what we see a chain, a major need is all the national so so you t t t now, all of the major force that could really push back. and i'm sorry i was systematic to consolidate. eliminate position. so he's trying to pretty much here with that order today. and then are there any checks and balances left in the country if he's arresting anyone who would dare to oppose him? no, it's actually that nobody can criticize

a car. so there are no balances. previously under the venture, there were separate sheet i saw with paragraph and then like a consolidated with she, she has a executive, a powerful leader to come and well we shouldn't forget that tunisia is of course in deep economic turmoil and needs. and i am f bailout. so with all this international criticism of sides repression. how does that impact the government's position in forging a deal? what the fishing has already been taking for the armor, just like the problem actually just mentioned the regional

or the rich the. janine and stuff like that she treat in paro for the final also would be instability, your things that slow down. and i'm a rather big political decision market decision because it's increasing what the, the bailout stabilize her and prevent the company completely crushing. but at the same time, we need to organize in order to do that or not that it's not comfortable. there was journalist, at least in full, on speaking to us from to nice many thanks. indeed. you're watching the w news. a quick reminder of our top story,

british military intelligence reports say ukrainian forces are coming under increasingly strong pressure from russia in the battle for the eastern city. they say that 2 key bridges have been destroyed, limiting ukraine's resupply routes out of the city. you're up to date on the w news, a marion evans teen. i'll be back at the top of the hour with more headlines for you up next is shift living in the digital age for me and the entire news team in berlin. thanks for watching and jeremy has had 1111 north single woman. mission is to send the 1st female jam and i still has space the gender gap in space.