it's 9:00, two weeks since president putin invaded ukraine and the war has been possibly the most significant atrocity yet, a maternity hospital in mariupol bombed by russian forces. ukraine authorities say three people including a child were killed. the armed forces military tells me it was a war crime, it comes after the ukrainian president reiterated his call for a no-fly zone over the country.

the 10th of march. >> goodness. beyond atrocity, ukraine says three people are dead, after a russian attack on a hospital in mariupol. the armed forces called it a war crime. president zelenskyy has told everyone the world must act now before it is too late and stop the bombing. >> you'll see, they were close this time, but we will lose millions of people. >> the ukrainian government says more than a thousand people have been killed in mariupol. since russia's invasion began. there were more air strikes overnight. local officials say two more hospitals were hit. 90 miles west of kyiv. but the armed forces minister

had a warning for any u.k. citizens thinking of fighting in ukraine. >> people will think they can go through a couple of week, take some selfies, take some instagram shots and go home, and that's not the way ukrainians will fight. >> the ukrainian foreign minister arriving in turkey for the highest level talks so far during the conflict. >> also ahead on the program for you in the last hour, we will be speak can to the exiled belarusian military leader who says the belarus military is under kremlin control. the animal rescue charity in ukraine which is also helping to deliver supplies to hospitals, more on that to come in this hour. hi, everyone.

the armed forces minister has told this program that the bombing of the ukrainian maternity hospital by russia constitutes a war crime. it comes after ukrainian authorities said three people including a child were killed in the strike. the ukrainian president told sky news that the world must act now before it's too late. also this morning, strongly warning that any british soldiers heading to ukraine to joint the front line would be breaking the law. more on that in just a moment. first a look at the latest developments from ukraine. in the last hour, confirmed that three people, including a child, died in yesterday's attack on the maternity hospital in mariupol. russia has dismissed the attack as fake news. the u.k.'s minister of defense says there has been a notable decrease in russian military air activity, in recent days due to the unexpected effectiveness of the ukrainian defense. officials in poland say over 1.4 million refugees have entered

from ukraine in just two weeks. the evacuations from besieged cities are expected to continue today. and ukrainian and russian foreign ministers arrived for talks in turkey, president zelenskyy has said ukraine alone cannot end this war. i asked about the latest pictures from mariupol and whether or not he thought russia's claim that the incident is fake news, here's what he told me. >> the west is watching. and russian commanders needs to remember that war crimes are not just committed by those at the very top of the russian government, they are committed all the way down the chain of command, by all involved. >> does britain want this latest incident in mariupol to be investigated as a war crime. >> yes, absolutely. what you see on your tv screens is a war crime. now clearly there is evidence to be gathered in which to prove it is a war crime and western

countries are working together to make sure that that evidence is gathered in the best way so that people can be held to account. but let's be clear. what putin is doing is not a war waged between two militaries. right now, he is besieged the number of ukrainian city, and waged a war adwans ukrainian civilians -- against ukrainian civilians. >> we know the ukrainians and the russians are meeting in turkey to try to come up with some sort of deal. is now the time for compromise? is now the time for us to speak to ukrainian colleagues and urge them to come to some sort of compromise in russia? >> what compromise would you suggest is acceptable? if four weeks ago ukraine was a sovereign country, living peacefully, without threatening its neighbors within its own borders, i don't know, should we turn around to president zelgz and say it is time to --

zelenskyy, and say it is time to reward putin, having basically booted him out of donbas and write off the crimea? if president zelenskyy were to choose to do that, as a sovereign leader of ukraine, that's the decision for him, but i think he's made very clear he is unwilling to accept that and i don't know that the international community should be willing to trade away ukrainian sovereignty as part of any negotiation. >> what is going to happen to military personnel who deserted their post to go to fight in ukraine? they will be in an awful lot of trouble. let me be clear. the army has put out a statement saying, to say this. it is, a british service person to go absent without leave in the first place and to go absent without leave to fight in a foreign war is simply unacceptable and frankly risks the united kingdom being, long

claimed at russia to be -- so i think service people who might think that they are doing the right thing should reflect that this is not the correct thing to do, and i'll go further, it is not just that very small number of soldiers that have gone awol, apparently and want to go fight in ukraine, i would say it is the wider veterans community. i know, because i have stood in the room where you accept the military liability of your country, to stand up for what's right in the world, but there is a thing deep inside you as a soldier who makes you see tv images like the ones you're showing and fight to go make things right but no good comes from service people or veterans going to ukraine on this. the ukrainians have a huge amount of army, the ukrainian nation has rallied to take up

arms, the role that the west is playing is provide them with the best weaponry that we can so that they can achieve their aims and we are supporting them in every way we can. this is not the time for people to be going there, and more importantly, as ukrainians have made clear, once you cross the border with the expectations to fight, you are in it for food. so people who think they can go there, do a couple of week, take some selfies, get some instagram shots and then come home, that is not the way the ukrainians are viewing, to go to fight for them, british people should not be doing it. >> >> we're seeing on reuters news agency a moment, added to the u.k. sanctions list, so that is huge news, of course, the russian oligarch, he has been in the u.k. for two decades, has

just put chelsea football club up for sale, can now have his assets frozen, so that include, of course, his company portfolio, we heard from chris bryant that he has put his house in london up for sale and reportedly other property, yachts and so on, the british government has added him to the sanctions list, so definitely potentially the football club. >>. i would like to say, we don't necessarily know at this stage but what might it mean for chelsea? some sort of charitable trust? >> we're waiting for the full details of what it will mean but we haven't had any big interest yet. and of course, the west with the proxy portfolio and other assets, built up over 20 years in london now up for grabs. and interesting that the government has done this because of course they will have to made sure that any case against him is legally water tight.

taking legal action in the past claims that he has strong links with vladimir putin and we don't know about the money during the collapse of the soviet union, was the governor of the province, in a far-away part of russia, and putin's first years as president before coming to london and ascribed in a high court case in 2012, somebody with close relations with putin and something he has disputed. >> i am asking questions you might not know the answer to, but does this mean that potentially the british government will own chelsea football club? >> i think that is to be determined. and a charitable trust, certainly, this is what is best known russian oligarch, and they must be pretty sure if they added him to the sanction list at this stage. and the way it is put to me in government so far, questions that why and he others have not

been sanctioned yet is we don't want anybody going to the court and appealing it and giving vladimir putin a propaganda victory. so they must be pretty sure that they can do this. parliament was told not just the football club but some of the properties have been put up for sale as well in anticipation of this happening and we understand that potentially other russian oligarchs will be added to that list today. >> and gain, this story just literally happened and fascinating stuff. can he stay in the u.k.? >> his assets will be frozen. and i've actually just seen an email of the government confirming that not just him, but another oligarch targeted with their sanctions hit. so they will be travel bound and sanctioned and transport sanctioned imposed.

so the business partner, at one stage, and you remember the yacht, and very well connected in politic, and so both of them -- >> in politics? >> yes, indeed. he runs the en plus energy group. also has several other individual, just seeing the names now, a chief executive of a big russian energy company, andre kostin, the chairman of one of the russia's biggest bank, and alexi miller, the head of the energy company, that we found out that nhs trusts, by their energy firm. another key figure of the russian-owned pipeline company, and dmitry, of the bank, boris johnson says no safe havens for those who have supported putin's vicious assault on ukraine. today sanctions are the latest step in u.k.'s unweavering support for the sune cranian --

for the ukrainian people. for the illegal occupation of sovereign allies. and boris johnson feels very confident in naming those individuals in conflict. >> and dmitry ledvedev, big names there, being sanctioned. >> and taking matters just a bit further, the british government, they say that was has happened this afternoon, with the maternity hospital, was a war crime, and they're going to report it as such. >> that's right. and making it very clear. it is a war crime, if it was targeted on purpose, it wasn't hit accidentally, when they were trying to target something else. the fact that they hit this hospital, and the patterns, the behavior of hitting schools and

hospitals and other civilians targets is something which the u.k. government considers to be a war crime. he says they will gather the evidence and send it to the icc, which we know has been happening already. but he also said that, that was a war crime, but as to the question of whether there is going to continue with the russians closing on the capital of kyiv, are they going to do more of this, he said that president zelenskyy, who had a 40-minute conversation with boris johnson last night, partly focused on the prospect for the peace talks in turkey, saying we don't know why vladimir putin should be rewarded for what he's done with any territory of ukraine, and therefore president zelenskyy and his people want to hold out and carry on fighting, and then that is what they should do. >> and the fact that people are fleeing the country, and we heard from poland, 1.4 million people have passed through just into poland in the last two weeks alone, some of them, not

many, but some want to come to the u.k. >> indeed. and they're finding it very, very difficult. there's this u.k. visa center that's been set up on the polish ukrainian border where people are stuck outside in freezing temperatures. >> for three hours. >> for three hours. and people with a u.k. link can come to the u.k. to have a family member here and we now know military personnel are going out there to try to speed things up. the reason this is so slow is because the u.k. is insisting for bio metric checks for anybody who comes to the u.k. and it has to be in person. and a long and complicated form. and labor is critical to the government. and there should be more of the centers to get through it more quickly and that's what the message is this morning. >> you can do on the spot security checks of people, checking against the watch list, and you can get bio metric information, which is important information for the people

arriving in the country, this can be done literally on the spot, we should have emergency centers at every entry point, of every potential entry point, train station, et cetera, and this is absolutely doable. >> i know that you have been listening -- >> he was doubting any prospects for any type of cease-fire and he didn't know why president zelenskyy would want to give up any territory or any more rights to vladimir putin's regime in the east of the country, and that they were going to fight on. but his message was very much that although the ukrainians may succeed eventually, and putin may be marginalized internationally, this sort of violence is going to carry on and it's going to be absolutely devastating and something that the whole world needs to be involved in.

this is what a seasoned diplomat told us. >> this is russia attacking norms and values of every civilized country in the world. and russia ought to be a pariah state around the world for having conducted these sorts of indiscriminate attacks on civilians across ukraine. and i don't think we can stop it in short term. but we can make sure russia pays a terrible price for this in years to come. >> more on the oligarchs in just a second. bear with me, because i think alex is up in ukraine for us. there she is. hi, alex. you're in kyiv, aren't you? and yet today, you've got a british tv exclusive with the president, he looked like a determined but exhausted man to me. >> i mean, yes, he is obviously tired, he is existing on four hours of sleep a night, maybe not even that. but you know, following on what

you were saying, very much a feeling of digging in, in the president's office, and amongst his security, not only physically, in terms of sound biting the place, and probably the most fortified office in the world right now, as he's the man most wanted by the russian troops, but also mentally and emotionally, the very determined president zelenskyy saying that they're not prepared to give up any territory, and his chief of staff, who they called the vice president, because he's so close to zelenskyy, the two of them are planning this whole war effort together. and also, reiterating they will not give up any territory. so when i asked president zelenskyy whether he's ready to compromise, could he do a deal with the russians, he said well, yes, he's always ready to talk, but it takes two to tango. it takes two presidents, two people, two countries, to agree to something, to stop this war. and he says we're dealing with a

man, putin and what he wanted to emphasize and you got to remember he said this in english specifically to get across to not only the world leaders, who are english speaking but the people of the various countries who are english speaking, who are looking on, he wanted to say, you're not doing enough, if you think this is going to stop at ukraine, is his message, you're very, very wrong. and while he's put up these red flags for some time now, he says, they have been ignored. and if you keep on delaying, making a decision over closing the skies, for instance, providing ammunition, giving them extra, the jets that we've been talking about, a place in poland was offering to have a place in a nato country and the americans don't seem to want to go that far, you're just delaying what he sees as the inevitable, which is getting physically actively involved. and he predicts within time,

with this dlarks and talking about what happened with the bombing of mariupol maternity hospital, he very much believes that's a war crime and he wants to see those responsible for all of these war crimes, as he sees it, held to account, sometime in the future. listen to what he said. >> to be in prison. i don't want to see how they, how people do that, we have normal people, they have to be in the prison, and top bombing. that's it. -- stop bombing. that's it. >> alex, from where we're sitting, and as opposed to where you are in a war zone on the top of a building, it feels like it is a bit calmer where you are and the russians are not managing to make inroads as much as they would want to. what is happening? >> well, you have to remember we are right in the center of the capital, and the capital is quite big, it's a sprawling

spread of a city, and our section here, having been on the edges of kyiv, the russian troops are making advances, they are getting closer, roads which we were able to walk down a few days ago, you can't. this is on the edge of the capital. which is a couple of kilometers away. they are advancing. yes, they are right on the edge of the kyiv region. and there was a lot of shelling, a lot of firing, and a lot of injuries. we saw a number of soldiers coming in to the hospital which is right on the front line, we saw hospitals which had been shot at, you know, we saw civilian houses which had been shelled. just they appear to be very random, and indiscriminate attacks. all of which constitute international law, against attacking civilian targets such as residential areas and

hospitals. so i think they may be moving slowly but the russian troops are definitely moving closer to the capital. and if you look at the city, say you've got the capital like this, they're enclosed around the northwest and east, there's a little gap on the south, which leads down to odesa and they appear to be moving up, they've really got that gap of the country before they encircle the capital. now the president, the president's office, and the people of the capital are digging in and every time you go out here, and it is calm right now, you can't hear anything, we're right in the center, but all around the edges, the concentric circles as you get closer to the center, they are blockades, they have built barricades, they built trenches, they tried to protect the city as much as possible, and every day, they're strengthening and building more, so they are preparing to hunker down and

they are preparing for a fight. because frankly, so many have told us, they have no choice. >> and alex, we know that there are talks between the ukrainians and the russians, foreign minister in turkey, as we speak and we're expecting a news conference from the russian foreign minister any time now, actually, so you will forgive me if we have to break away. but we wonder where you are, how hopeful they are about what might happen here? >> not much hope at all. not even in the president's office. they don't think anything, it is incredible to think that several rounds of these talks already, and there were several rounds, during the shelling of civilians coming out of a number of different cities, and you are hearing at mariupol, but we saw it happening on the northwest border of kyiv. civilians coming under attack. we saw it, we heard it, we filmed it. we spoke to the witnesses who

talked about running from shooting and running from russian tanks. so mariupol is clearly a horrendous situation. but this is happening in a number of cities and towns. and while that is going on, and a foreign force is advancing into another country, it's very difficult to see how you can have peace talks or reach a compromise. and if you are talking about territory, which is what the russian government, the russian troops seem to be trying to grab, and ukrainians, including the ukrainian president, the ukrainian people are determined they won't give up any, it is very difficult to see where the two sides meet and president zelenskyy says they can occupy us, they can overwhelm us with their much bigger, much superior much stronger military but they will never win, because we don't want to be russian. so very difficult to see where the two sides meet at this

point. >> and you got to remember, sorry to interrupt. sorry, you got to remember, the ukrainians don't want, they don't feel they've got, why do they feel they have to compromise, that's their point, why did they have to compromise. they're the ones that they feel are being invaded. >> and indeed, in the meantime, alex, right in the thick of it for us covering news on sky choose and that interview, exclusive tv broadcast interview with the president of ukraine. i know you are continuing to broadcast for us but we will let you go for now. thanks a lot, alex. and nick has more for us this morning. i know you have traveled with ukrainians who wanted to get into the area. >> it just goes to show how difficult it is, and the spirit

of ukrainians. we are seeing it every day. i saw it myself yesterday. remember, millions of people have fled this country and a lot of it has happened on the old soviet trains across the border to a place like poland and yesterday i boarded the train and i was expecting it to be quiet and what we found, it was full of fighting spirit, and a lot of it was women, i have to say, and we met a woman called marcia, who's husband and 6-year-old son are about 800 miles from here. she's got no chance of getting to them but she wanted to come back into ukraine to volunteer for the war effort and i also spoke to a lady, who was a teacher and a painter, and she left ukraine a month ago and heading back in, her country is now invaded, she said she is not scared of vladimir putin, or of russia or anyone where else and

she is heading to the southern port of odesa, her hometown which she knows is in the sights of vladimir putin and the bravery of the people on the train, out -- men, women children and beyond. and a lot of people want it come back because they have family and children and they have lives here and for some, they just can't leave. and more broadly, they are doing this, under the context of this huge bombardment that's occurring in their country. look at what happened in the port city of mariupol. that maternity hospital that was hit by the air, women in the rubble, children in the rubble. the russian military says it is only trying to suppress ukrainian forces, but it's hard to see that, when you see pictures like that. they have called the attack barbaric, and the u.s. defense department is saying there is evidence to suggest that the

russians aren't making as much progress. they say in the last 24 hours, no new ground has been gained. but of course, it can be a very different story on the ground. but at the same time, all of this, that millions of people are now wanting to get oust country, but many, many, want to stay. and i think that just speaks to the bravery and the spirit of the ukrainian people who are feeling the wait of this war on their shoulders now. >> nick, thanks so much indeed. and updating us on what is happening with sanctions against russian oligarchs in just a moment or two. before that, though, we want to continue on with the human cost of this war, in ukraine, and something like 2.4 million people have headed out of the country to try to avoid those bomb, we saw a maternity hospital bombed just yesterday, and three people dead including a young children. we have more on the border

between ukraine and poland where so many have headed. and i can see from your demeanor, it is absolutely freezing again there today, and so lots of these refugees, including little people, who have walked such a long way, and they're absolutely freezing. and they don't know what happens next. looking at the temperature here, it's minus 7, with a wind chill factor of minus 12. so you know, that gives you an idea of how bitterly cold it is. it is snowing most of the time. it is not currently but it is much of the day. and as you said, most of them, they are fleeing on foot. they can't bring vehicles. many leaving much behind, leaving the vehicles with their husbands to get around ukraine and join the war effort. and many are not able to drive across the country. it is miserable, it is a long frightening journey out of ukraine and a very, very cold one indeed. but, you know, when they do get here, when they get across the

border, they are received very warmly indeed by whether it is the polish, slovakians moldovans, romanians, and what breaks down, that reception, when those are applying for visas to come to the u.k. we were at a temporary immigration center about an hour and a half from the border in a polish town, in the outskirts of the town, random housing, and all of the people who were queueing there, to try to get visas to come to the u.k., because for the most part they have family in the u.k. already, they were really struggling with the bureaucracy of the british system, and one of the people i talked to had been to the embassy at warsaw, and they got here, five, six hour drive and they got here and perhaps they should go back to warsaw and even then if they manage to get through the system they then need to get a visa and have to wait to be approved and it can take some time. it is all appointment only. you got to get your appointment

online. the next available appointment, a british official told me 24th of march, two weeks away. and so you can imagine the frustration, their exasperation, and the utter confusion as well of the system when they get here. so it does contrast. i have seen all signs of it now, and the reception that they have been received by the eastern european countries, whether or not they want to stay here or move on, the reception is quite extraordinary. and quite uplifting, actually. the display of humanity. but unfortunately, those who want to come to britain as i say, when they hit that kind of sort of quote-unquote border, it's not the same. it's proving quite difficult for them. >> thank you very much indeed of the british government would say, they are in the process of sending several hundred military personnel to the polish border

to try to process some of those u.k. visas and others have managed to make their way through europe, and we have more, wondering why this pop-up visa processing center is not running so far, what you can tell us so far, good morning. >> hi, kay. that's a good question. and certainly speaking to ukrainians yesterday, i think that is exactly what they would assume, they made these long journeys from ukraine, and arrived here and close to the u.k. here in calasi and they have to go to brussels and paris they were told, and many of them were making appointments in paris, spin spitting out the forms with the bio metrics and saying you got to go back because you have a five day wait so the temporary visa center here, which is a twin city of kharkiv in ukraine and you can't just make appointment ors turn up and these are for ukrainians

who are eligible, the most vulnerable and they will be referred there. don't ask me how that works, who decides who is vulnerable, when bear in mind everyone has made these long difficult journeys but certainly people were bussed from calais to the surrounding areas here, and we imagine they will be going to the center at some point today but there is a growing frustration the length of time all of this is happening and obviously people have to go to paris and now waiting, it is difficult, people who have been arriving over the last few days, we spoke to someone yesterday, and he had made the journey from the slovakia border, so going by drain, slew slovakia, austria, germany, france and he can't remember how many trains he's taken and thought it would be easy to get to the u.k. and realized it wasn't and made it to paris by turning up there and he said to me and i think the key point that everyone is making, i understand the rules, he said, kay, but why is it taking so long? it should be so much faster. and i think that reflects the

overall frustration in people who have already made these days and days of travel, these huge journeys to find this massive wall when it comes to getting hold of the british visas that they're eligible for. >> thanks very much. let's bring in the belarusian opposition leader, hello, thanks for joining us on the program. and this morning, you are seeing what has been happening in ukraine over the last couple of days, not the least what happened with the maternity hospital over the last 12 hours or so. is that a war crime? >> we are shocked that this happened by the military regime, to this war against ukraine. those are people who don't want this war. there are people who caused,

these are people who have not caused this war. and there is lukashenko loyalists who don't want to be a part of putin's army. >> there are those who have refused to cross the board zwler are there belarusian troops in ukraine this morning? >> according to our insight, those troops did not cross the border into ukraine. but who knows, maybe knowing they are part of the kremlin, he could give this order, and our task is to persuade soldiers not to participate in this war against ukraine. >> has alexander lukashenko ceded control to your country, of your country to the kremlin, do you think? >> i doubt that he's controlling the situation in our country. the only thing he is controlling

is repression against the people, and we see that he is closing our sovereignty, our independence, they are the threat at the moment. >> why do you think that bell russia has not come out more, belarus has not come out more in support of ukraine given what may happen next. >> the belarusian people are supporting ukraine. for years, they have already, our country, we have huge repression of people, in the country, but despite of this, they are willing to go straight to ukraine to fight shoulder to shoulder with the ukrainian order. our volunteers, with the ukrainian refugees, helping with other countries. and there are rules against the war, despite the people who are exhibiting the fear.

and last sunday 1,000 there, with 800 being taken routine. and they have to show that they are against this war. $. e against this war. $ >> >> and in terms of you, the people of belarus are very much supporting the kremlin in this war, and that troops from belarus will fight shoulder to shoulder with russian troops against ukraine? >> i really doubt this. there's no support of russian troops. and people who want to support this war. >> i don't know if you have spoken to president zelenskyy, actually, of late, if you have, what has he been able to say to you? >> i will say that i'm so grateful to ukrainian people,

and to president zelenskyy, i would say to him, so courageously, i would like to say to him, it is very important to divide the lukashenko regime and the russian people, the russian people are on the side of free ukraine, and also we understand the fate of ukraine and fate of us are deeply connected. and we want to keep on fighting against the war. >> how much do you see in belarus, do you see where you are in a position to be able to return and make a difference? >> no, i will be able to return to belarus when the regime will be destroyed because of course, i will be in the prison as soon as i cross the border, but i know that there are people who are supporting changes in our country, who want new elections, and lukashenko loses trust of

the people, he is illegal in the eyes of the people, so they want to choose a future by themselves. >> and to remind our viewers, i can do it, but it is much better coming from you, what happened to your husband? >> my husband was detained on the 29th of may, 2020, because he dared to oppose, and now he is in prison, he was sentenced to 18 years of jail, and i'm sure he will not spend so long time behind the bars, because we are going to fight against this regime. and have to release not only my husband, but thousands of people who have been detained since 2020. >> what would you like the west to do, what would you suggest that the west does to try to support the people of ukraine in their hour of need?

>> i wish democracy to be brave and to show it. i understand lukashenko and putin are one way, and i ask to impose the strongest sanctions on lukashenko as well because he shares all of the responsibilities for this invasion. i asked to look forward to sanctions, and use them to avoid sanctions. and to close the air space. and provide ukraine help, and to close the air space will help to stop attacks, and most important, i ask the international society to distinguish people and the regimes. >> what do you think that president putin is capable of? what do you think his end game

is? >> i think the aim of the kremlin is to return all of the countries of the soviet union again in the sphere of influence of russia. but all of the countries that gained their independence, they want to choose their future by themselves, not to be ruled by a huger country. so i really don't know what's in the head of the people who launched, or started this war, but i believe that democracy, that liberty, that freedom will win in this fight. >> you're not there at the moment, but i'm sure that you have many countrymen and women that you care deeply about. i wanted if i could ask you about the nuclear sites that potentially are targets for the russian military, how concerned are you about those being targets and the proximity to

your country? >> a week ago, those so-called referendum, when the constitution was adopted by the regime, and looking at the neutral status of our country, it was deleted from the constitution, it means that our territory is going to be used for nuclear weapons, russian nuclear weapons, and it is so concerning to see how nuclear sites in ukraine are occupied. i still remember the chernobyl catastrophe and i really don't want this threat, this threat to spread throughout europe. >> and before i let you go, a thought for the terrified but brave women of ukraine, who are being bombed, as they're about to give birth and who are

guiding their children and their elderly relatives along what should be humanitarian corridors but are being bombed while it is happening and leaving everything behind to try to stay alive, what would you say to them? >> i would wish them only courage, and for the international society to support people, support women, to support children, to give them an opportunity to leave the country, leave ukraine at the moment, and give them asylum in european countries. it's so important to see the future generation of ukraine. >> thank you so much for joining us on the program. thank you. and please keep safe and keep well. the opposition leader to belarus. thank you. >> thank you. we've been checking up on

breaking news as far as sanctions are concerned against russian oligarchs. >> the government has happened roman abrammovich, a russian oligarch, a billionaire of the chelsea football club to the sanctions list this morning along with six other names including the former business partner. so what does this mean? we've seen a series of tweets from the culture secretary, setting out exactly what it means for the football club, and indeed, saying today's sanctions obviously have a direct impact on chelsea and its fans, we've been working hard to ensure the club and the national game are not unnecessarily harmed by the important sanctions, to ensure the club can continue to compete and operate. we are issuing a special license that will allow people to be paid and existing ticket holders to attend matches while crucially depriving abramovich from benefitting from his ownership of the club.

of course abramovich announced he would put chelsea up for sale but he hasn't yet and he remains the older and if he sold it he would be giving the money, worth to be 2.4 billion pounds to charity to help he says those affected by the war in ukraine. and so whether that can still go ahead, he now cannot benefit from the sale of it himself, and basically is asset-free in the u.k., and his properties, we know he has one multimillion pound property in london's kensington and all of those will be frozing and he cannot sell them and he cannot benefit from any of those, potentially his yachts as well. why the u.k. government is doing, they have a case built up against him and associated with someone and that is vladimir

putin who is involved in destabilizing ukraine and undermining its territory integrity. and contracts for his company and contracts with the 2018 world cup. >> a lot of people tweeting as result, many of them say about time, why didn't the government do this before, they've been given plenty of notice to get the funds out of the country but one says, does this mean that chelsea will be nationalized? >> no, it doesn't. the company can't seize the chelsea football club, it remains in his hands but he can't benefit financially from it. it does not become our property. sadly. but so that's not quite how it works but there will be a special license under which the players can still play there, ticket holders can still go and watch them, so this hasn't been done before, but the governments are hoping to specialize and keep things running and six other individuals are sanctioned

today. and one has been sanctioned in the u.s. the most famous for taking a yacht in 2008, very well connected politically. also an energy tycoon. close to vladimir putin and five other names including chairman of a big russian bank, he will be travel bound and asset freezes and this is government hit list they promised, we're finally seeing some of the very big fish that they have been going after. they must feel confident that the cases, the legal cases there are water tight, kay because they do not want to, as everyone has stressed in the last few weeks in government, when you go further, they don't want to see anyone successfully appealing in courts. >> and what happens as far as, i'm sure this is what people are asking at home, what happens to the oligarchs, because we've seen yachts being seized in france and indeed in spain, as well, and russian oligarchs.

>> yachts seized. >> and planes seized now. the oligarch's planes, at a farm, at an airfield in hampshire. and as far as these sanctions go, any assets they have will be frozen, and we're now seeing the list of the u.k. sanctions, the u.s. sanction, and the european sanctions, start to match up. so it's all of the individuals end up being sanctioned, there will not be many place force them to leave their money to in europe or the u.s. >> thanks very much indeed. and we are also waiting for a news conference that is due to be hosted by the russian foreign minister. it is taking place in turkey. holding talks with the ukrainian counterpart really, the ukrainian foreign minister with those talks, and we have been chatting for an hour or so, and

that is certainly what happened, and what is scheduled and we are expecting to hear from the russian foreign minister very shortly indeed. any hope at all of moving on to try to prevent further bloodshed in ukraine. we'll hear what the russian foreign minister sergei lavrov has to say in a few moments. keeping an eye on that for you. but while we do, i also want to bring in a story about animals in ukraine. and despite threats of those advancing troops, tom, who is a founder of the charity, bringing change is in the country working to help save those animals and he's with us now. hi. >> hi, good morning, how are you? >> i am okay. what's going on where you are? >> okay, so basically, we're in ukraine at the moment, at the

heart of ukraine, and resupplying shelters who have no food and extracting dead animals and those who have needed food to maintain themselves and get them safe out of the country. >> what sort of animals are we talking about? >> dog, cats, rabbits, any animals that we can help and assist, and mainly companion animals, because of due to size of farm ables we haven't got the infrastructure to move them unfortunately. >> and people who are animal lovers underestimate, don't they, just how important it is for people to be able to take their pets with them. >> yes, they do. yeah, the thing that people need to understand is a lot of people in ukraine, they have lost loved ones and lost their homes and they have lost their livelihoods and having to move out of the country, and they have been forced to leave their animals behind, which in many cases is the only thing that they have left in their life, so by reuniting those animals to those individuals, it gives them that comfort, and it gives them, it

inspires them to move forward and it means the world to them. >> just looking at pictures actually, as we're chatting to you, obviously we're not using your last name for reasons to keep you and your team safe, how do you get funded, and how can people help? >> okay, so basically, one of the things that you said a minute ago, it is incorrect, we're a media company that is the sole premise is to raise awareness of the necked and abused animals -- neglected and abused animals and around the world we're a complete team of veterans and out on the ground here, we're working alongside charities and overall organizations around the world, and from our records, as veterans, of the army, we have obviously a huge skill set, that can aid these animals in this conflict. >> as the armed forces minister,

he was very anxious that veterans and military personnel should not go to ukraine. what would you say? >> okay, so i would say service personnel, 100%, you shouldn't, because that is obviously sends the wrong message to the russian, and a veteran is a civilian so if they want to add to the humanitarian aid, they have the right to do that. and i'm humanitarian aid, and helping animals and civilians and helping children, and we're just using our skill set, in a war zone, in a way to operate, like a lot of people can't, to get into those locations, to rescue the animals and the people are desperately in need. >> okay, well it's goods to talk to you. thank you very much indeed for joining us on the program. keep safe, keep well. thank you.

>> we are talking about the suggestions that not only serving military personnel, but also veterans should not be heading to ukraine at this time. this is what he said. >> it is inappropriate for a british service person, to go absent without leave in the first place but to go absent without leave in order to fight in a foreign war is simply unacceptable. and frankly risks the united kingdom being long claimed by russia to be involved in this and for service people who might think they are doing the right thing, should 100%, it is not the correct thing to do. >> peace talks in turkey. here's the ukrainian foreign minister. >> okay. so we are trying to to sort that

out for you. this is the ukraine foreign minister. >> difficult, because i did my best to at least find a diplomatic solution to the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in, on the battle ground ground and in the besieged cities. the most tragic situation is currently now in the city of mariupol. the city is being bombarded from the air, it's being hit by artillery fire, and i came here with a humanitarian purpose. to walk out from the meeting with a decision to arrange a

humanitarian corridor from mariupol. from mariupol for civilians who want to flee this area of here and struggle, of fear and struggle and a humanitarian corridor to bring in mariupol humanitarian aid. unfortunately, minister lavrov was not in a position to commit himself to it. but he will correspond with respective authorities on this issue. we also raised the issue of a cease-fire, 24-hour cease-fire, to resolve the most pressing humanitarian issues. we did not make progress on this

since it seems that there are other decision makers for this matter in russia. we agreed to continue efforts to seek a solution to the humanitarian issues on the ground. i will meet again in this format if there are prospects for a substantial discussion, and for seeking solutions. i believe when two foreign ministers meet, they have by definition the mandate to negotiate issues of peace, security, the mandate entrusted in them by their leaders, by their parliaments, and i'm ready to continue this engagement with the purpose of ending the war in

ukraine, stopping the suffering of ukrainian civilians, and libertying our territories from -- liberating our territories from the russian occupying force. i will say a couple of words in ukrainian for the ukrainian commerce. >> translator: good afternoon, good morning, we've had -- trying to prox mate the position of both sides, i came to this negotiations with two tasks. the first one is to organize a

humanitarian corridor from and to mariupol. this is the most difficult location at the moment in terms of humanitarian situation, and the second task is to agree on at least a 24-hour cease-fire, in order to resolve all emergency issues and needs of people who are caught by this war. as far as the first task, i sincerely hope that mr. lavrov will communicate with those in russia who make decisions, and the humanitarian corridor will nevertheless operate, and i still have called the russian federation, from humanitarian

reasons, from empathy, human empathy, to those who are suffering, in mariupol, and will allow to evacuate babies, who suffer in mariupol, because of the lack of medications, the russian authorities will allow for the humanitarian corridor from mariupol, the same way as humanitarian corridor was operating for example from sumy to poltova. we would stop the war if the country started the aggression, the attack, and there is no willingness to do that. and today -- >> you are listening to the

ukrainian foreign minister, who had a meeting with the rush foreign minister lavrov. let's have a listen. we're seeing images of sergei lavrov's russia's foreign minister talking at the same time as his ukrainian counterpart, the first high level talks between russia and ukraine since the conflict began two weeks ago. they are in istanbul. we will be keeping an eye on that. and these negotiations come amid more scenes of devastation, particularly in ukraine, particularly after ukraine attacked a maternity hospital. images of pregnant women being carried out on stretchers, flying debris, and craters some 30 feet deep. utter devastation all arn. ukraine's president again u