it's tuesday, march 1st. a massive russian convoy of military vehicles headed for kyiv stretches for miles this morning dedetails what's ahead and how president putin and growing more agitated. >>ur allison barber is live along the ukraine border where around 700,000 evacys have crossed into poland. >> growing concern and growing sanctions are hitting home with increasing susarty president biden will be

delivering a highly consequential state of the union address tonight. we have a preview. we have information on an expanded recalling involving one of the most popular baby formulas a busy start to march. "early today" starts right now good morning and thanks for joining us >> good to have you with us. we begin with fierce battle in ukraine which has now entered its sixth day. russia's assault on its neighbor appears to have escalated. sharing video of what they say a russian air strike that hit the kharkiv regional state administration building. current and former u.s. officials grieve briefed on the matter say putin lashed out ipanger at his underlings and grown increasely frustrated by military setbacks. this as the russian economy is hit by unprecedented global

sanctions and the value of the ruble plunges. >> russian forces are continuing their push towards ukraine's capital. satellite images captured monday appear to show a russian convoy just north of kyiv that is about 40 miles long. an estimate from there the pentagon puts russian forces about 16 miles from kyiv nbc's richard engel kicks off our coverage >> reporter: many u.s. intelligence officials predicted the ukrainian military would have collapsed by s intensifying so is ukrainian resistance ukraine's military claims this drone video shows it taking a convoy of russian forces while ukraine president zelenskyy denied putin's to sever ties with the west the u.n. now says at least seven children have been killed in the

russian onslaught. officials in kyiv say among them is a fourth grader peace talks along the border have concluded for now russia saying progress has been made ukraine agreeing to more talks but with low expectations. as putin denounced the west as an empire of lies after earlier raising alarms saying he was ordering russia's nubeler defenses on higher alert although a senior american defense official says the u.s. has seen no movement of russia's nuclear forces and that 75% of troops along ukraine's border. one of their main targets the city of kharkiv. russia attacked the city with what looked like indiscriminate fire the mayor says russian troops took over the city but even then people didn't give up, protesters confronting the russian troops and heckling

them, shouting but russian forces seem to have a bigger plan in mind. this convoy of russian equipment and troops reportedly stretches for 17 miles outside of kyiv but russia's advance has been plagued by logistics failures. some russian vehicles literally running out of gas a ukrainian man pulling alongside this armored vehicle broken down, he asks the diesel is out, the soldier says i can only tow you back to russia the ukrainian says and the soldier loofs. in kyiv the residents are preparing for street to street fighting mixing molotov cocktails fighting for freedom >> we'll stand to the end. >> reporter: we followed volunteers who brought the fire bombs in wheelbarrows to nearby checkpoints, manned by ukrainian veterans and anyone else with a gun and who's trusted in the

neighborhood >> i'm living here this is my home. all people in this district we are staying. >> reporter: many ukrainerenes are staying determined to die fighting rather than lose their nation >> our thanks to richard engel for that report. >> the refugee crisis is growing dire as hundreds of thousands of ukrainians flee the country some waiting over 30 hours to cross the border joining us now is correspondent elson bord, and you were at the border crossing and been speaking to the refugees how is the situation there now >> reporter: the average wait time to get across this border from ukraine is 24 hours you can see people who have crossed right over here most of them only have one, maybe two s suitcases. medical workers, please offering them blankets. many of them come often with their very young children, and they're making their way over to

this orange tent these tents are setup as just a quick moment of relief for all of these people to go inside and try to get warm while they wait for someone to pick them up or figure out where they should go to next. when you look at all of these people, their parents, you can get this sense for them they're relieved to be in pole nld, relieved to be somewhere safe, but you can see and feel all the trauma, all the emotion, all the bad things they've been here to get here and at times you can hear it from the children, too you see the balloon the one woman is holding, the little boy nearby this is the image we keep seeing at any border crossing we have been to. it is mothers with young children who are crossing because for many of them their partners, their husbands, they've stayed behind to fight we spoke to one woman right as she made it across the gate here

with her 3-year-old toddler. she'd come from a city in eastern ukraine. she told us it took her three days to get here they had to stop twice to hide in bomb shelters listen >> reporter: at least 520,000 people have fled ukraine so far.

again, i keep saying it but i think it's hard to grasp how vulnerable the people are coming here i mean, they are very, very young children dealing with so much and then having to survive in really difficult weather conditions it is very, very cold here the u.n. has said they expect the number of refugees to rise exponentially. they're preparing for up to 4 million refugees, but people here hoping things get better because they want to go back home >> there's the relief certainly to follow but then explaining it to all those children, young children some russians are becoming increasingly concerned about the war and the global sanctions rippling through the economy fears are growing, rather, that the country's stock market could crash as the ruble's value drops. keir simmons is in moskow with

more >> reporter: protests are growing and so are signs of panic amongst some middle class russians crowds lining up at banks, many hoping to withdraw dollars or euros. the russian ruble fallen to a low. in a mall we find more lines at atms and meet two musicians >> my husband was trying to buy foreign currency yesterday he didn't get a chance to do that >> couldn't get any? >> no. >> reporter: now they fear they could be banned from europe, a new iron curtain between russia and the west >> we don't want war >> reporter: but there are few signs president putin is listening. though putin does have support including a thumbs up from this man. putin is a world leader, he says others openly questioning the russian leader's reasoning

>> no war from ukraine >> reporter: and what do you feel about president putin's nuclear threats over the weekend? >> i think he can because i think he's crazy now >> reporter: but president biden and the west left a carve out in these sanctions that likely still benefits president putin oil and gas is still allowed to flow out of russia, a trade worth hundreds of millions of dollars a day. keir simmons, nbc news, moskow president biden will deliver his first "state of the union" address tonight. the speech is a chance for a reset and restore faith into his administration mr. biden heads into his address with lower approval ratings than any of his recent predecessors brie, what can we expect tonight? >> reporter: good morning, francis. well, the "state of the union" address is usually an optimistic look forward, but russia's siege on ukraine has forced the president to pivot and with the violent invasion stakes for the prime time address could not be higher.

>> this is probably going to be the most important speech we've heard from an american president for the world to see not just the united states but since the end of the cold war. >> the "state of the union" speech is an opportunity for him to pivot, and i hope he does because every decision this president has made over the last year has been to turn to the left instead of turning to public ends across the aisle to form solutions >> foreign policy will form tonight's speech it will also be an opportunity for a presidential reset at home with a focus on the economy president biden will highlight low unemployment he's also expected to address record inflation head on, and highlight his plans to stem surging prices at the pump and at stores. administration officials say the president will also urge congress to passkey pieces of his build back better

legislation like improofbing child care and lowering drug costs. crews have installed fencing around the perimeter and hundreds of national guard troops will patrol the streets the president will also deliver the speech without a mask as cdc lifts covid restrictions across the country. back to you, francis >> there's so much at stake here at home and globally, too. you can watch the "state of the union" here on nbc at 9:00 p.m. eastern. let's turn now to today's weather with nbc meteorologist bill karins. >> we've been getting drenched with this storm. an atmosphering river, just a pool of moisture is flowing right into the northwest and especially the pointen s areas lots of problems with river flooding and that's going to continue late today you see how widespread it is in

areas of the northwest as we go through the day today this cold front slowly lingers onshore. we'll continue to see wet areas and then finally by the time we get to wednesday afternoon we get a little dryer and a few spots in washington state but it's still a very wet pattern so enjoy march where it's nd south eventually down to eugene and medford. that march outlook is coming up, and march is that month where things change quickly so we'll give you those details >> that sounds like a change with a positive. after the break, new it tails on a horrific church shooting in sacramento

>> and parents with infants. a new development in the baby formula recall we're back in just one minute. you just grab and squeeze. platinum's upgraded, more powerful formula breaks down and removes grease 4 times faster. nice! no flip, no mess. platinum is also a go-to grease cleaner for your sink, your countertops, and to pre-treat stains on laundry. faster. easier. new dawn platinum ez-squeeze. flip the way you clean dishes. ♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ it's spring! claritin provides non-drowsy symptom relief from over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens, day after day. feel the clarity— and make today the most wonderful time of the year. live claritin clear. these are the faces of listerine. the face of millions of germs zapped in seconds. the face of clean. the face of whoa! some are of intensity, others joy. all are of... various: ahhh... listerine. feel the whoa!

check your cabinets because abbott nutrition is recalling one lot of the powdered infant forma similac pm 60/40 and investigating the death of a baby who died after consuming similac pm 60/40 i imed consumers should visit the website for more information five people are dead after a shooting in a church in sacramento, california a father shot and killed his three daughters and the person supervising their visit before turning the gun on himself the children were 9, 10, and 13 years old. the sacramento sheriff spoke of the tragedy. >> it's horrific and

unfortunately does happen. domestic violence is all too common this obviously rising to the level of killing innocent children is obviously beyond anyone's rational comprehension. >> in a tweet california governor gavin newsom called it another senseless act of gun violence in america. he offered condolences to the victims and their families multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating coming up this morning, movie theaters in russia won't beee sing any new disney films anytime soon because this is my secret. no really! i put it on once... because this stick actually works! secret had ph balancing minerals; and it helps eliminate odor, instead of just masking it. so no more t-rex waves or covering up stinky pits when you're not cold. pull it in close. just trust me. secret works.

psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff,... ...swollen, painful. emerge tremfyant®. tremfya® is approved to help reduce joint symptoms in adults with active psoriatic arthritis. some patients even felt less fatigued. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge tremfyant® with tremfya®... ask you doctor about tremfya® today. can you save water running a less-than-full dishwasher? you bet! we do it every night, like clockwork. cascade platinum in a certified dishwasher uses less than 4 gallons of water per cycle, while a running sink uses that every 2 minutes. so do it with cascade. 'cause even small loads save water. i'm 53, but in my mind i'm still 35. that's why i take osteo bi-flex, to keep me moving the way i was made to. it nourishes and strengthens my joints for the long term. osteo bi-flex. available at your local

retailer and club. where does your almondmilk come from? almond breeze starts here with our almond trees in our blue diamond orchard in california. my parents' job is to look after them. and it's my job to test the product. the best almonds make the best almondmilk. blue diamond almond breeze. nyquil severe gives you powerful relief for your worst cold and flu symptoms, the best almonds make the best almondmilk. on sunday night and every night. nyquil severe. the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, best sleep with a cold, medicine.

♪ we're not going to take it, n we ain't going to take it we're not going to take it anymore ♪ that song is taking a whole

new meaning now. the band's hit song is beingn u. he approves of ukrainian taking it as a rally song he added his grandfather was ukrainian. sanctions following the russian invasion of ukraine are beginning to be felt on the seas four super yachts owned by four russian oligarchs are on the move as the u.s. and allies prepare to further sanction their assets in the sports world russian president vladimir putin is losing a pair of honorary titles after the international judo federation moved to suspend his status as honorary president they strippeded the russian president of his honorary black belt fifa announced russia's national soccer team is getting the boot from world cup qualifying soccer's governing body as well as uefa said in a joint

statement all russian and national club teams are suspended from play. disney announced it is pausing all disney releases in russia the spokesperson said the company is working to provide aid to ukrainian refugees. the batman was set to be released later this week before the company announced it is pausing the premier of the film. ukraine's digital minister is thanking spacex ceo elon musk after a shipment of internet terminals arrived in the country. musk announced spacex star link service was up in ukrainian. up next our meteorologist y th the weather on the first daof march and the russian invasion in ukraine six days since the deadly siege began that's when we started using swiffer.

in just a few minutes, duster captures dust before it gets airborne. it traps and locks dust in one swipe. yes! for our floors, sweeper's heavy duty cloths easily trap dust, dirt and hair... locking it in. see ya, dust! and swiffer partners with the american lung association to support clean air. (both) [laughing] oh. (purina one mom) blue buffalo huh? (blue mom) yeah. purina one? (purina one mom) yeah. (blue mom) i used to feed purina one, but then i read the ingredients. (purina one mom) oh yeah. (blue mom) yeah, it's right there. (purina one mom) chicken. rice flour. corn gluten meal. whole grain corn. chicken by-product meal. what's in blue? (blue mom) deboned chicken. chicken meal. brown rice. barley. oatmeal. (purina one mom) yeah, but those ingredients cost a lot more. (blue mom) blue's about 40 cents more a day. that's not too much for my chester. ordinary tissues burn when theo blows. so puffs plus lotion rescued his nose. with up to 50% more lotion, puffs bring soothing relief.

a nose in need deserves puffs indeed. america's #1 lotion tissue. ♪♪ [ sneezing ] are your sneezes putting your friends in awkward positions? stick with zyrtec. zyrtec starts working hard at hour one... ...and works twice as hard when you take it again the next day. zyrtec. muddle no more. king c. gillette is a complete lineup of tools and facial hair care products. this is the style master. designed to style your stubble in one stroke, a pivoting metal head that defines every edge, and three comb lengths for added versatility. one tool that helps you choose, change, and master your style. king c. gillette want more restful sleep? nature's bounty gives you more with sleep3. the first ever triple action sleep supplement with 3 unique nighttime benefits to help you get a great night's sleep and wake feeling refreshed. live bountifully. nature's bounty. give every morning a fresh start and wake feeling refreshed. with a jimmy dean delights breakfast. they're chock-full of protein and ingredients you want. from wraps to bowls. to sandwiches.

you'll never have the same old, same old again. we're delighted and hope you will try. new vicks convenience pack. dayquil severe for you... and daily vicks super c for me. vicks super c is a daily supplement with vitamin c and b vitamins to help energize and replenish. dayquil severe is a max strength daytime, coughing, power through your day, medicine. new from vicks. welcome back to "early today. here's your march outlook and we're already starting the month very mild throughout the middle of the country and looks like that's going to shift to the east coast especially the second week of march. overall for the month the best chance of warmer than normal temperatures for the eastern half of the country, cooler than possible in the northwest. as far as wet weather goes you can even get some snow and ice this year that looks like they're going to be in for a stormy weather pattern >> quick break and we're live

along the ukinrae border with jay gray with the latest on the hundreds of thousands of ukrainian refugees align contains a quality probiotic to naturally help soothe digestive upsets 24/7. try align, the pros in digestive health. and join the align healthy gut team up and learn what millions of align users already know. how great a healthy gut can feel. sign up at alignprobiotics.com also try align dualbiotics gummies to help support digestive health. ♪ got my hair ♪ ♪ got my head ♪ ♪ got my brains ♪ ♪ got my ears ♪ ♪ got my heart ♪ ♪ got my soul ♪ ♪ got my mouth ♪ ♪ i got life ♪ do you struggle with occasional nerve aches in your hands or feet? try nervivenerve relief from the world's #1 selling nerve care company. nervive contains alpha lipoic acid to relieve occasional nerve aches, weakness and discomfort.

try nervivenerve relief. it has been nearly one full week since russia began its assault on ukraine, and the fighting appears to be growing more intensech the heavy shelling is forcing thousands more ukrainians to flee their homeland in search of safety nbc's jay gray joins us now live from ukraine jay, tell us what it's like there. >> reporter: hey, there. i want to give you an idea what's going on here we're about a mile from the border at this point for what is for lack of a better term an entry station.

and everyone here has just made the escape from ukraine, and now they're being moved to other areas across poland where they can spend some time, try and figure out exactly what comes next overnight the desperate rush to escape ukraine continues to this point more than 500,000, many too young to fully understand, leaving their lives and often loved ones behind. >> i'm so scared about my husband. i don't want to say good-bye >> but not nearly as dangerous as staying home. a senior u.s. defense official saying 75% of russia's troops along the border are flow fully engaged in the fight the primary target, kyiv satellite images city, a line that overnight reportedly grew t long. the buildup of russian troops

building the resolve of ukraine fighters, officials posting drone video they say shows the ukraine military taking out a russian strike team. still, less than a week after the invasion there are growing signs of the toll this war is taking on their homeland >> we are on the verge of a large humane tarrian crisis. >> a crisis define by communities burned out and ripped apart, andthe faces of those forced to run. now a live look as another bus has come from the border to this entry station. you can see families leaving the bus, and here's basically what happens here these families are moved inside to an area where they can get a shower, they can take a rest, they can spend a few days here if necessary there's also medical attention here so this is the next step in the

pros process after escaping the war zone >> it really is incredible to see those images of people >> the relief when they get to the border but also so much uncertainty and fear of what's to come.

it's a war on everyone. >> breaking at 4:30, a desperate plea for help overseas. the refugee crisis is worsening by the hour. the powerful message people seeking help are sending out this morning. >> plus, a tragedy at a church in sacramento. a father takes the lives of his three young children. what we're learning as investigators attempt to piece together the troubling details. >> and we are moving you forward this morning. the new mask mandate the state is ready to roll out, most places, anyway, including classrooms. ahead, the reason your