♪ this is "nightline." >> tonight, on the front lines. ukraine's forces staring down fears of a possible russian invasion. we're with them in the trenches. >> they heard the sound of gunfire coming from the rebel positions. they said they're going to open fire more. >> fighting for their country and for democracy. >> ready to fight? >> ready to fight, yeah. >> ready to die? >> yeah. >> why the u.s. is backing ukraine's cause. plus reimagining art. >> it makes you feel like a kid again! >> seriously, this is a playground. >> from the minds that brought you some of the biggest performances ever, bringing you inside the interactive art. >> it's a creative way of flowing something out there that is very meaningful, but at the

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♪ good evening. thank you for joining us.

high-stakes diplomacy is under way between the u.s. and russia over the fate of ukraine. president biden today saying u.s. troops won't be sent there but is warning there will be consequences if russia decides to invade. ukraine forces say they are ready for the tens of thousands of russian troops that could be on their way. abc's senior foreign correspondent ian pannell is on the front lines. >> reporter: in eastern ukraine, winter is coming. driving through the rolling hills of adeevka, we're vetted at multiple checkpoints. heading to the front lines of what could potentially be a major military conflict. you see up in the windows, they've been bomb damaged. it shows you how close you are to the front line here. this is where ukrainian forces have been fighting against russian-backed separatists for almost eight years now. today, renewed tension. the latest chapter in ukraine's struggle to maintain its independence from russia and to determine its own future.

what we're doing now is moving through this whole series of factory buildings. they've cut holes into the walls. that allows the troops to move backwards and forwards without being seen. this is a place abandoned to soldiers. the ukrainian military is escorting us today. we've got to really keep our voices down here, because this is the area where the russian-backed separatist forces fire on their troops. if they can hear us, the risk is they open fire. this building used to be a factory. now riddled with bullets and shrapnel. the scars of battle everywhere. it's a haunting reminder that in this part of ukraine, alive. we've juseen told we've got th trenches. they heard the sound of gunfire coming from the rebel positions. they said they're going to open fire more and the area's become too dangerous to stay here.

and some fear it may be escalating. for weeks, russia's been amassing troops along the eastern ukrainian border. u.s. intelligence officials say that as many as 175,000 could be there by january. every few minutes, another gunshot there. you hear the sound of rapid automatic gunfire there. they're telling us to go. those watching are concerned that russia, with troops now poised within striking distance of the border, may have plans to invade ukraine. the kremlin concerned this former soviet republic is becoming too allied with the west, with nato, and america, which becomes ukraine. >> there is this historical cultural attraction about ukraine that the russians feel. russians cannot understand why ukrainians don't want to be part of the great russian empire. and ukrainians don't want to be part of the great russian

empire, they want to maintain their independence and sovereignty. that's what this is all about. >> reporter: the kremlin denies it's planning to invade. but for ukrainians living through this nightmare, the threat of conflict looms over them every day. have you had this conversation? what will you do as a family if, god forbid, the russians cross the border and come here? >> it's really difficult to plan, because you don't know what to expect. >> reporter: svetlana is a librarian. she and husband alexei show us posters plastered on the library walls, pictures of mines, tips for children how to identify land mines and grenades, what to do if shelling starts. after almost eight years, the potential danger of invasion now, just a part of their everyday reality. do people talk about the russians being on the border? are people concerned? >> i would say no. >> reporter: yesterday on a secure video call with vladimir putin, president biden

expressing deep concerns about russia's escalation of forces around ukraine, promising action if russian troops were to invade. >> it was polite, but i made it very clear. if, in fact, he invades ukraine, there will be severe consequences. severe consequences. economic consequences like none he's ever seen or ever has been seen. >> the support that president biden has from the congress, which has been bipartisan, for ukraine and for pushing back against the russians, i think gives him the confidence to take those hard steps. >> reporter: the last major crisis was in 2014 when the country deposed its pro-russia president. abc was there at the time in the capital, kiev, when it became the scene of an uprising known as "the revolution of dignity." >> we are not terrorists, we are free people that want to live in a free -- in a good country

without corruption, with good laws. with good standards of living. >> reporter: the president was accused of corruption and trying to turn the country closer to putin's russia. ukraine, a former nuclear power that was part of the soviet union until 1991, was torn between protesters who said they wanted to follow in the footsteps of europe and america as a democracy, and the pro-russian security forces, leading to months of violent clashes that left over 100 people dead and the president ousted. >> we have only one finish. we must win and we must build our new country, which will be part of the civilized world. >> reporter: but russia respond. the revolution was not without consequence. in the aftermath, the kremlin invaded and then annexed the crimean peninsula from ukraine and backed separatists in the east who had been engaging ukrainian troops in active

conflict ever since. in 2014, i saw firsthand just how forceful the russians can be. watching as a russian military vehicle broke through the walls of a ukrainian military base in crimea. heavily armed russian forces sprinting past our camera. the incident remarkably resulted in just one injury here, but russia got what it came for that day -- ukrainian troops in crimea surrendered. at that time, ukraine was caught off guard, largely unable to resist. they were left to sing their national anthem as russian troops took control of the base. ♪ >> the first line of their national anthem says, ukraine is not dead yet. and this reflects what they've been through. mr. putin with that invasion unified ukraine in a way that it's never been unified before.

>> reporter: as the world watches to see ruia's nex move, the u.s. already taking proactive measures to support ukrainian troops. this morning we got exclusive access with ukrainian forces showing us these american-supplied weapons. evidence, putin says, of america crossing a red line and the expansion of u.s. and nato forces into ukraine. it's support that putin sees as a provocation and may not accept any more. the question tonight, will he use force to end it? >> ukrainian people will fight fiercely. their military is much better than it was in 2014. but even beyond that, there's a core of combat veterans, and they will come back in, take up arms, and they will fight the russians on every street. >> reporter: however this crisis unfolds, the ukrainian soldiers on the ground stand prepared.

are you worried that russian forces, they have tens and tens of thousands of soldiers and tanks now on the russian border. >> we are ready. >> you're ready? >> we are ready. >> ready to fight? >> ready to fight, yeah. >> ready to die? >> yeah. >> ready? >> yeah. >> why? >> it's our ground, our country. >> your ground, your country, yeah. >> reporter: ian pannell for "nightline" in ukraine. >> our thanks to ian. up next, inside the interactive experience, the art meant to immerse the viewer. does your plug-in fade too fast? try febreze fade defy plug. it has built-in technology to digitally control how much scent is released to smell first day fresh for 50 days. la la la la la.

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♪ artists have always tried to engage the viewer, but these creators are taking that concept to a whole new level. here's "nightline's" ashan singh. >> reporter: on this 80-degree day in sunny miami, something bizarre is floating around these warm waters. >> the iceberg throating in the caribbean. if we don't become conscious, that might end up happening. >> reporter: it's miami art week and this iceberg and giant traffic light spectacle surrounded by a caravan of water enthusiasts is the vision of jimena caminos, designed to bring attention to the climate crisis. >> using art to engage the community with a powerful message is a way moving forward

as society. >> what do you think people are reacting to when they're seeing this iceberg behind us right now? >> i think it's a very surreal image. and it's powerful. it's like a dream. it has the power of a dream. >> reporter: a dream. like so many curators around the world, her dream is to legitimize and popularize out-of-the-box art. immersive and interactive works that don't just engage the viewer but push the conversation forward. >> einstein said, before being a scientist, you they'd to be an artist. there's creative process in the solutions. >> reporter: all over the world, huge warehouses projecting instagramable moments are popping up, from a.a. murakami's "silent fall" in london to "borderless" in tokyo. and the star of two immerse of global shows, displays of mind-bending visuals combining artistry and algorithm. hundreds of engineers, architects, and coders are needed in putting these

mesmerizing displays together, reshaping the role of the modern artist. >> the artists that we choose and we represent make experiences rather than objects. >> reporter: molly dent brocklehurst is the ceo that opened in miami early this year, established by established immersive artists like james terrell. does the modern artist look different today? >> he was a sculptor, painter, architect, engineer, writer. i think these multi-faceted artists are coming back. >> reporter: unlike traditional museums, where paintings are surrounded by "no touching" signs, super glue encourages just that. the imagery in this room envelops you. waterfalls cascading around your hands. the wall is interacting with my touch. flowers blooming at your feet. >> i think that people want to feel that they have an accessibility to art, obviously that they have a great

experience, that they're inspired, they're provoked. >> that's pretty unbelievable. >> reporter: molly walked us through a room full of soapy clouds. >> it makes you feel like a kid again. >> seriously, this is it, a playground. >> reporter: the masses of bubbles representing life, death, and rebirth. and this trippy mirror maze called "forest of us" represents the relationship between humans and nature. created by the artist whose work includes beyonce's "formation" tour and the weekend super bowl halftime show. the room is shaped like lungs. what do the mirrors represent? >> the mirrors represent our art, our reflection, ourself, our experience with nature, our experience in the world, a visual journey. >> reporter: that message may take a back seat in the space that screams social media. but molly thinks that's a win

too. >> i think instagram is a really important tool to get people to come, get people to feel like they see an image, they want to do it themselves. it gets them in here. >> are you seeing people appreciate art who you otherwise normally wouldn't? >> 100%. people who caome, we call them experience eaters, they come from everywhere. families, couples, it's really exciting. >> reporter: places like super glue are looking to take their experiences to all corners of the globe. >> that is the idea with the financial model, when artists start making a revenue share, when the works have been around a little bit and they travel and all the production is paid back on them. >> reporter: it's expensive. unlike traditional galleries, super glue's artists receive profits from ticket sales on top of commission fees. we're across the street from the museum, $15 entry there. upwards of $57 to get in here, see all the exhibits on display. why is it so step? >> the production costs on each

of those artworks is insane. it's insane. so, you know, we are -- we're charging what we need to charge in order to be able to make the business run. >> reporter: this interactive art world is even attracting artists who are exclusively online. like dan kneel cassell, aka cool man coffee dan. >> this is what the inside of my brain looks like, characters floating around. >> reporter: best known for 2d animations he posts to instagram and tiktok followers, danny is selling plushies, coffee beans, coffee priced at $1,000. >> $1,000, why? >> on the actual cup, live in front of you, i'll draw that one-on-one piece of art that can't be replicated elsewhere. i attach your vibe, i get your story talking to you. >> what's the most famous thing about staten island? >> pete davidson now. >> most people can't afford a

$1,000 cup of coffee. >> totally. >> who is this for? >> for whoever wants to collect art, be a part of this moment. but there is something for everybody. i've been saying, the vibes are free. come in, walk around, enjoy the music, enjoy the people, enjoy the atmosphere, look the my art. i did want to make sure there was something for everybody. >> reporter: this type of immersive art experience is his way of visualizing his unusual transition from the digital to physical space. >> in a weird way, my whole story and progression of art happened totally flipped compared to most people today. a lot of physical artists are figuring out how to turn digital. and it's a little bit of a mad dash. but with me, i've been digital my whole life. it wasn't until quarantine when i was really bored and i thought, hey, why not get some canvas, pass the time, figure out how to do physical art? >> reporter: no matter what form the experience comes in, there seems to be consensus that immersive and interactive

exhibitions make art more accessible to all. do you see this as the future of the industry? >> 100%. the experience is something you do with other people, and that's really important. >> art is much more than something hanging on a wall. art can be anything that has a creative process attached to it. science can be art. a lot of things can be art. >> our thanks to ashan. up next, michael strahan and the blue origin crew. they're all ready to go. what is... an overpass? come on! question, is that an “s” or a “5”? think it's a 5... i thought so. argh! frustration...loading. [sfx: laser sounds] nobody wants more robot tests. but we could all use more ways to save. chai latte, for “rob ott.” for “rob ott.” error human. [sfx: laser sounds] switch to geico for more ways to save.

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♪ finally tonight, abc's michael strahan and the blue origin crew have been training hard for their upcoming trip to space. the six soon to be astronauts headed out to the launch pad where they practiced their safety protocols, got used to the accommodations for their flight, and practiced the tradition of ringing the bell. one thing they have to master still, hah to roll out of their seats in zero gravity. >> you just think you're going to get in, strap up, go up, only come down. but there's so much you learn.

it's fantastic, it puts you at ease. we're all excited and we've bonded as a team here in van horn, texas. >> that's "nightline" for this evening. catch our full episodes on hulu. see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for the company, america. good night.