>> hello, and welcome to focus on europe. it's good to have you with us. the destruction of the nova kakhovka dam in ukraine's south early this month is being seen as yet another war crime in russia's war against ukraine. the water in the flooded areas is slowly receding. but rebuilding the infrastructure and removing the debris may take months. moreover, the collapse of the crucial dam has sparked fears of an ecological catastrophe. it is estimated that around one million people will have no access to fresh water. this situation is particularly

concerning for the older population and people with disabilities. for the people in the affected area, this is yet another disaster in a deadly war. populations on both sides of the dnipro river are facing the consequences. since this area is on the front lines of the conflict, there is an added danger of mine and explosive contamination as well. but even in the midst of this adversity, there are stories that have a happy end. like the rescue of maksim and his family, who were trapped in a flooded house. >> in peacetime, in a time of normalcy, this might not have been the very best ice cream masha and maksim had ever tasted. the two children and their mother are at home in kherson. for months, they hid from the russian occupiers in their weekend cottage on an island. they couldn't return to kherson .

the river in between had become the front line. 24 hours earlier, masha, maksim , and their mother were trapped in the flood on the russian-occupied side of the river. they were hungry and thirsty. then, a drone spotted them. that's maksim in the skylight, surrounded by floodwaters. >> we took a towel and waved it to signal, we're here, we're here. it stopped and hung about three meters above us. it looked and looked and flew away. 15 minutes later, it flew back, looked for three minutes and flew off again. we didn't know if it was russian or one of ours. >> the drones had always been a threat. they fired on people. the children knew that all too well. but now, this drone dropped a bottle of water for them. on the bottle was a message -- hang on! don't panic. evacuation is coming. signed santa.

santa is the code name for this ukrainian soldier. he controlled the drone. normally, he would've been dropping grenades. then he spotted the kids. >> it's hard to fly it over water because of the currents and the strong wind. it's pretty complicated to stablize the drone to where you can hit the window. >> i was most afraid of the drones because i thought they'd shoot at us. the russians weren't far away. >> the children and their mother were rescued. now, they're back in kherson and staying with friends. only about 20% of kherson's population remain. it's like a ghost town. how is this city now for children? >> it's very hard for them to grow up in conditions like these. >> he had to break off.

santa grew up in kherson himself. a few hundred meters from the water, from the front line, we meet up with mikhail, artur, and kirill. what do you do when you hear explosions? >> we throw ourselves on the ground and plug our ears. not long ago, one hit that building there. we were lying on the floor. >> so you always listen? >> yes, of course. >> mikhail is 11, the other two are 12. mikhail tells us how the children of kherson are living. >> living here is strange. even if it's quiet, you're afraid to go to sleep because you don't know if you'll wake up again. you're afraid to step on a rock because you don't know what's under it. it might be a mine, or shrapnel or something. there are lots of them here on the playground.

you never know when something's going to hit, and you have no time to hit the ground. you'll be sitting on the swing, and when they start shooting, you have no time to jump off the swing. that's how we live the whole time, in fear. >> have the grown-ups changed? >> yes, people have gotten , how to say it? better towards the children because they know what we're going through. >> war, death, and destruction -- mikhail and his friends try to be kids in the midst of it. and in kherson's empty streets, so do maksim and masha. when maksim and his family were caught on the island among the russian forces, their mother promised over and over, once we get back to kherson, i'll get you some ice cream, the very first day. now, they're back in kherson, their very first day.

>> what is the definition of a family? italy is having to deal with this question lately. prime minister giorgia meloni's right wing government is making it difficult for same sex couples to be recognized as parents. meloni had already pledged to oppose surrogacy and adoption by gay couples in her election campaign. cristiano and giorgio are outraged by this. they live in rome with their twin daughters and are now worried for their family. ♪ >> it's time for pride in rome, and preparations are underway. ginevra and emanuele, and their dads, cristiano and giogio. they've been a family for eight years now, and for eight years, they've visited the parade together. >> make sure our t-shirts are in! >> cristiano and giorgio have been a couple for 20 years. after much deliberation, they became parents in 2014, thanks

to a surrogate mother in the us. the legal recognition of such families is complicated in italy. only the biological father , in this case cristiano, has parental rights at first. >> the only way for the other parent to become official is to apply to adopt the child. but that takes a long time and it's expensive. >> they went through the process and giorgio is now officially the father of the children too. but it wasn't easy for him before. >> once i took the children to the doctor to be vaccinated and he refused to give them the vaccination because i wasn't the biological father. according to the law, i didn't have parental rights. the adoption hadn't gone through yet, so the state considered me a stranger. >> the situation has worsened since prime minister giorgia

meloni and her far-right party "brothers of italy" came to power. previously, some cities allowed the names of two mothers or two fathers to be entered on birth certificates. but meloni's new interior minister has banned this practice. so this years' parade is all the more important for the family. >> we want to show the world we're not that different to other families. we're two fathers, with two children, that's the reality. pride is important because right now, when many families are in trouble, we need to show our solidarity and be close to them. >> and there's another danger to the lgbtq+ community in italy, whose parliament is debating a law that would prevent rainbow families from being created in the first place. there's already a ban on surrogacy in italy, but finding surrogates abroad may soon be banned as well.

meloni's ally, carolina varchi, introduced the bill. >> surrogacy is a deviant practice. women are turned into slaves, objects that can be bought. it's the slavery of the third millennium. we're certain the ban is working. that's why we want to extend the criminal liability, so even those who go abroad are punished as soon as they return to italy. >> we will not give up. we will always fight for the rights of our children. >> the president of the rainbow families association says the government is just trying to stir up sentiment against same-sex couples. >> in an interview just before she became prime minister, giorgia meloni said that rainbow families should not be considered families at all. if someone is gay, they have to live with the consequences and forgo having children.

she's telling us not to become parents and doing everything she can to deny us the option. >> now there's a culture war going on in italy about what a family is and what it should look like. cristiano and giorgio don't want to hide they're proud of their family. and they're happy to talk about it publicly with the media. >> the kids love the parade, it's like a big party for them. they're still young. and sure, they don't understand everything yet. but they've noticed some people saying we're not a family at all and that annoys them so they say , "we are a family!" >> and recent polls show that a majority of italians agree. but still, the conservative nationalist coalition wants to push the anti-surrogacy law through this summer. and it has a majority in parliament. the culture war over what family means is far from over.

♪ >> reducing the consumption of oil and gas and moving in the direction of renewables is a challenge that most european countries are facing right now. but people in iceland don't have to face this problem. they live on the largest volcanic island in the world. there is no dearth of geothermal heat here and hot water is in abundance. farmers like knutur rafn aumanns also benefit from this natural treasure. the tomato farmer has got his supply of hot water right on his doorstep. >> the earth itself is seething around knútur rafn ármann's greenhouses. geo-thermal heat fuels hot springs just a few steps away. for a fee, icelandic farmers can tap into this volcanic island's natural energy resources. >> we are getting out of this place about 68 litres per second of 90 degrees hot water for the green houses and for

the houses, the summer houses, the farms here and around. >> a network of pipes carry the hot water through knútur's greenhouses, maintaining a constant mild temperature for his tomatoes. the tomato farmer also draws upon natural sources to irrigate the plants. >> what kind of water we are giving to the plant is a key thing because tomatoes are 92% water so i believe you need to give a good quality water to get a good quality tomatoes and in iceland, we have really good quality water coming from our mountains, so i can water my plants with the same good quality water that we are drinking in our houses. >> knútur is quite proud of his ecological greenhouse. he even gets the power for the grow-lights from renewable energy sources. more and more international guests are coming to look around his greenhouse and learn from his presentations how the icelanders utilize their energy resources. and they can sample the produce

in the farm's own restaurant, surrounded by the tomato plants. his neighbor just a few hundred meters farther on grows strawberries. geothermal heat can be harnessed to create optimal conditions for them to grow year round. hólmfríur geirsdóttir's operation, too, is all natural. >> we are not spraying the plants at all, no chemicals. we are using bio-defenders on the plants to take care if there will be some pests. >> fresh fruit and vegetables on an island with long, cold, dark winters comes at a cost. but the strawberry farmer's hoping that, in future, even more will be grown in iceland's greenhouses. >> not all people are willing to buy icelandic ones because they are more expensive. but we are always talking about health and how good icelandic strawberries and vegetables are.

the imported produce in the stores is still cheaper. if not for the relatively low-cost geo-thermal energy, fruit-and-vegetable farming here would not be profitable. icelanders have long known the value of their hot springs and geysers, but they didn't always know what to do with them. >> people didn't like it much because it was just open. the animals could go into it, and they died, so it was not a good place. but then, around 1925 or 1926 -- but then, around 1925 or 1926 the farmers decided to catch the water, that is why they build concrete around it and that is why they can use the water. are you ready? >> even if iceland's geothermal energy seems inexpensive and inexhaustible, experts warn against taking too much hot water from the springs. they're fed mainly by

groundwater. and it could take decades to fill up again. >> the thought of living in a european city sounds like a dream for many. especially a city that is so popular that everyone wants to visit it at least once in a lifetime. but for those who actually live there, like els iping, who we met in amsterdam, the popularity of her city has turned out to be a nightmare. millions of tourists come to amsterdam every year. party tourism has become such a problem in the city that special signboards have been put up to ensure that tourists do not drink and disturb the local population especially at night. amsterdam isn't alone. many major european cities are having to deal with this problem. and amsterdam seems to have found some solutions, but not to everyone's liking. >> it's 10:00 p.m. on a friday night in amsterdam's red light district. els iping wants to speak to

anybody misbehaving. she's a local and she can't stand the masses of tourists any more. >> this is a normal weekend night. the later it gets, the more noisy the people get. >> she comes across a group of tourists blocking the entrace to a building. >> would you please find a place to sit? thank you. >> she wants fewer tourists, less nightlife, more calm, and more rules in the red light district. >> it's the medieval center of amsterdam. it's the most beautiful part of the city, and it's disneyland . but disneyland with naked women behind windows and drug tourists. we can't stand it. >> the city has already introduced some measures to get excessive party tourism under control. it's launched a campaign targetting british people in

particular, asking them to "stay away." it's also said bars and brothels have to close earlier, and banned the smoking of cannabis in the red light district. what do tourists say? >> yeah, it's crowded. i bet you can't even open the windows because it's too loud and smells of weed. >> for me, it's not a big deal but i think it is for most people. >> if you're young and come to amsterdam, it's not good if they close earlier. if there are still a few shops where you can smoke, it's fine. >> it's hard to miss the signs in the district. it's clear the city is trying to calm things down. but for those who make a living from nightlife, it's getting harder. this sex worker wants to remain anonymous. she says it's a problem that brothels are closing three hours earlier than before.

>> we've lost a large part of our income and to compensate , there are more girls going out on the street to find customers and bringing them home. it's really dangerous. a few years ago, a sex worker was so badly beaten up that she's still in a coma. >> she says brothels are safer. and it is is too busy on fridays -- and it is too busy on fridays and saturdays. but that mass tourism is not only a problem for amsterdam, and these bans will only help certain locals. >> the measures were introduced so that residents can sleep better, but we know that because of them, people who are just carrying out their work legally are in more danger. can they still sleep so well? >> what might more sustainable measures against mass tourism look like? freek wallagh is the night mayor of amsterdam. he represents different

nightlife communities and mediates with residents. he thinks the city has chosen the wrong path by introducing small bans, and is shying away from obvious measures that are necessary. >> we have to specifically tackle the tourism industry, things like cheap flights. that would make sense for the environment too. then we wouldn't have to hack away at amsterdam's traditions and legacy, like liberal cannabis policies and sex work. >> back to the busy friday night. els iping used to be a member of the council, so many people know her here, and her opinions. >> the public cost of this kind of tourism is too high. >> she's interrupted by a woman who says she has a bar here. >> we don't complain because you make your business out of it, you make your living out of it.

>> that's why you don't complain because you don't bleep on the plate you're eating off. >> residents against local business people. the conflict can even get personal. what is els iping's conclusion? >> the aggressiveness towards me and maybe the others as well is growing by the entrepreneurs. i can see it as a compliment because we are a threat but it's not nice. >> amsterdam expects over 18 million tourists this year. a nightmare for some. a goldmine for others. for the city, a dilemma. one that's not likely to be solved any time soon. >> no one learns effectively on an empty stomach. but in germany, some children attend school without having

eaten breakfast. the good news is that senior citizens in the country have joined hands to change that. these three ladies in germany's dresden are putting a smile on the faces of children every morning by making sure that they start their day with a good meal. >> martina, monika, and gerlinde are up at the crack of dawn. for them, the school day starts at 6:00. they need to get to work in plenty of time before the children arrive because they're making breakfast for them. >> it's very rewarding. >> in what way? >> because you see the gratitude in the children's eyes when they leave. they'll say that it was a nice breakfast and look at you in such a way. it's really touching. >> they are just three of the many volunteers who work for the brotzeit association that was set up 15 years ago to give breakfast to children who come to school on an empty stomach,

which is detrimental to their learning. they are shocked that the demand has gone up from year to year. >> sometimes, we feel like a drop in the bucket. the way things are going is a bit scary, because we can't actually launch in as many schools as would be necessary considering the demand. >> the food is served as a buffet. and children are encouraged to try as much as possible because they might not know certain foods. they're also taught how to use a knife and fork if need be, and to put the right amount on their plate. >> here you are. enjoy! which one would you like? strawberry? >> the volunteers play an important role.

>> it does get to us. we've got this little boy at the moment, who has a difficult background. he's a tiny little thing. but we've seen the development and the way he likes coming to us. at first, we had to show him everything, spread the bread for him, but he does it himself now. that's progress. >> brotzeit is active in over 300 schools in germany, helping about 14,000 children start the day with a healthy breakfast. children who otherwise would be hungry in class. brotzeit has been helping out at this special educational needs school in dresden for almost three years now. >> it's fun and everything's good. and you have more energy for the day. >> my mom sends me here for breakfast sometimes, because there's more here than we have at home, like drinks, cucumber, and bread. >> we can chat here with friends and eat together.

>> healthy breakfasts help children learn better, it's a proven fact. it's something the principal has noticed, too. >> we have a number of children with psychological issues. and something we've really noticed is that a good start to the day makes all the difference. on the one hand, having a full belly, and on the other, that the children arrive in their own time. the lessons are calmer, with more concentration, the children learn better. >> in the beginning, about 30 children came to breakfast every morning. now, that number has doubled. a trend seen in schools across germany. and the children like their breakfast helpers more than anything. >> because they're so nice to us. >> because they give us the food we need, so that we don't have to go to class hungry.

>> the brotzeit association is funded mainly by donations from a discount store. only a few german states give financial support. but it needs more helpers like martina, monika, and gerlinde. still, they want to stay on as long as possible. >> it's a good way to start the day. it's not too much work, not exhausting. it's just lovely. and seeing the gratitude in the children's eyes, it's the best way to start your day. >> i say to my husband, 'i made 51 children happy again today'. and that makes us both happy too. >> and when the children have happily made their way to class, the three women go home to their own breakfasts. an early start to the day, but a wholesome one. >> around 2000 senior citizens are doing this good deed in lots of schools across the country. that's it for this week. we'll be back next week. until then, goodbye and take care.

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♪ brent: this is dw news, live from berlin. mercenary mystery, where is the russian wagner bus prigozhin. -- boss prigozhin. the leader of belarus said he is probably in russia. coming up, a russian rocket strike kills at least five people. the mayor saying it's the biggest attack on the infrastructure of the city since the invasion began.