he was one of the best people i've ever known i do not understand maybe it's for the want to have to happen. the russian premier league football referee. just one of the forty four killed monday night one three four carrying fifty two people from moscow to northwestern russia crashed on this road missing the runway by a kilometer twenty four hours later the crash claimed another victim when one of the survivors a young boy died in hospital. when i heard the little boy at the hospital died i was shocked it's awful my late husband was a pilot he had landed planes at this airport many times it's very personal to me. the site of the crash has been cleaned up the roads have been reopened the wreckage of the plane completely removed but there are still career marks evidence like this chorus that reminds people of the tragedy that struck on monday night and for those who have been here to witness the rest they say that those memories are unlikely to

go away. i didn't sleep for two days i couldn't even fall asleep i can't recall and people screaming and pulling away from the plane. you'd get me was one of the first that the scene his house only metres away from where the plane came down. and i heard the explosion and ran outside the lights went out i ran to the site and we started rescuing people. two women and the pilot. the firemen arrived and we helped them the man we dragged away called his wife and he asked me to get his phone from his pocket he still alive but still in the hospital. while all the bodies have been recovered the relatives of the victims still have the tough task of identifying their loved ones investigators say all possible scenarios are being looked into but initial reports suggest bad weather and pilot error are the likely causes of the crash a suggestion that didn't sit well with some locals. it's easy to blame the

pilot because he's dead i think the airport itself is to blame. family and friends are waiting for answers but all they can do now. he was only thirty eight. only thirty eight is remembered those lost. yes are celia r t russia scale your region. reports suggest seven a special forces officers have been killed and at least sixteen others wounded during an anti terror operation in russia's volatile north caucasus a fierce fighting began when over a dozen militants hiding in woods broke through a group of russian federal forces moving in on the archies you got a piece going off as more. this operation is still continuing it's been going on for two days it's all happening in the troubled republic of the big east down in the caucasus in a forest area so perhaps the bats complicating the operation for the special forces

is started with the authorities surrounding a group of militants but they try to break through and that's reportedly one some of the police officers were killed the authorities have also deployed havey old artillery including tanks and helicopters to assist them in this operation unfortunately the north caucuses it is called the cradle of terrorism. and president an economy that is if it's been saying many times it's one of the key goals of his administration to strengthen security in the caucasus authorities have been able to hold some successful operations in that region including the republic of the just last week we found and destroyed an underground weapons factory with numerous homemade explosive devices with remote controls also last week before a limited personal been will be have been searching for since last knew he was

plotting terrorist attacks in moscow all the other new year's eve and all that just shows how important it is to strengthen security in that region because it really does affect security in the entire country. reporting there now coming up a firsthand account from the libyan frontline. we hear from a journalist who was in the region only a few days ago and who says it all is not what it seems. u.s. president obama is expected to shortly do confirm his decision to pull thirty three thousand troops out of afghanistan by the end of two thousand and twelve as part of barack obama's efforts to restore public trust at home where the war running for nearly a decade now has become increasingly unpopular the decision it comes after intelligence gathered for most. bin laden's house in pakistan showed that is terror network had been rendered incapable of putting any major plans into action reports say that u.s. military commander in afghanistan and future cia chief general david petraeus wanted

a slower withdrawal warning if that progress in the campaign was fragile and reversible afghan war veteran turned peace activist gilberto thinks nato should overhaul its approach if it really wants to bring peace and prosperity to the country. the longer that the u.s. stays and nato stays inside of afghanistan the more enemies we create because what happens in war unintentional consequences innocent people get killed more people join the insurgency that normally wouldn't not having troops there doesn't allow the insurgency to grow we've seen every year the longer troops stay the insurgency grows and anti-american anti western anti european sentiment grows so that's why we should leave more importantly the not fee of money we've invested has largely gone to waste and it will continue going to waste by any nation that continues to support what we can do is provide financial support for n.g.o.s and

non-governmental institutions that where the money actually hits the ground where the people are at where schools are being built and roads are being built by n.g.o.s if we can to do that it would be good for the afghans if we continue to give money to the central bank in kabul that's bad because that's work karzai and his cronies will steal it to greece now where the prime minister has won a crucial parliamentary vote of confidence in his newly reshuffle government he must now navigate the nation through a series of tough spending cuts and sales of national assets in order to secure a new e.u. bailout and avoid a default but as our sara first reports for the millions of anxious greeks who feel their voices are going on heard the future has never looked so bleak. it's considered by many to be the best place in democracy to increase now going to be the gap between me and the people and the government is preaching explain.

we are a mix of people that have no political dollars and we are only together to say that we cannot be on the vice president we cannot hold. the measures taken on the measures that they take for us without us and we want to take our lives back demonstrations held on the central square now on a daily basis with some of the protests turning violent the trade has to stay the suffocating take as nothing can take the stage the measures that they fail strangling their economy the people are being refused very right to judge what policies are going to be implemented upon them and of course the greek government is an accomplice to this of popular sovereignty i mean we're not one of anymore in the proper sense a sovereign country when the i.m.f.

can dictate policy when the european when the severe and the european union and the i.m.f. the so-called troika can come and say listen these are these are the measures you're going to implement you're going to implement them whether you like it a lot we can say in a way we're facing a very peculiar form. by the european union the european central bank. or a finance chiefs a desperate not to see the first year raising something default and they're rising concerns about the crisis that trigger. i think very chance of a domino effect if if greece or. before this is their problem and this is the reason why the europeans are helping greece but in fact we are here pingers because they don't want just. because they want to pay for a very short of three. of the sixteen percent of the week what full sun employees western economic conditions here in green dream it seems is

a. favorable room. for people worse off as were before over people not there were uprising or there would be a lot of violence in the streets the people have said that when that turning out into the streets and then millions and the government continues to push ahead with the pace measures well then they deign to have democracy any more the government is trying to grab but the people refuse to be governed in this way every day that disconnect becomes more and more dangerous this very peaceful about the reef tops and really a world away from what's been happening on the streets recently the question a lot of people have been asking is just when will reach boiling point lenny when he was on the streets of athens to witness the violence that is already past that point the question a lot of people are now asking is really how much further does this guy.

and for more of inside into the problems in greece and online if you want to learn how peaceful protests turn hostile visit her blog on our website or t v dot com also for you there. it's all changing in the netherlands where the coin has been brought up to date in the hope of cashing in on the smartphone scanning craze find out how it works. italy has called for a suspension of hostilities in libya to allow. humanitarian aid to be brought to the war torn country it comes after two separate nato airstrikes killed in one thousand civilians including two babies however britain and france have already

rejected the call for a pause investigative journalist michelle cole on who was in the country just a couple days ago says nato won't be deflected by concern for civilians in its ultimate aim to conquer libya's resources they are skilled mall civilians that the losses from the initials problems diffuse most civilians the nato bombings so the real id is not protect civilians the deed is to achieve the economical structure as you call it interest off there of the west us in europe i mean. i mean the financial reserves of libya i remind the us is a bankrupt country and also preventing that kind of would be a sort of china to the i.m.f. some vying for african development the old idea is to make the public international opinion accept the idea that nato is a couple of the over the that nato has the right to make walls where they want to

revisit the people in hospitals and we saw victims and you did this in million population is attacked that must be very clear it has nothing to do with imminent terror and war syria has poured scorn on e.u. moves to impose sanctions saying it will simply forget europe is on the map a violent crackdown against anti-government activists in the country has left hundreds dead since the uprising began in march basil eastwood a former british ambassador to syria says the opposition wants the president to go but assad won't give up power now. there were great hopes that he would lead to a better future he still retains some of that popularity particularly with the urban populations in damascus and aleppo the second big city which have done relatively well out of his economic liberalization. but in the

countryside and amongst the intelligentsia i think there are now no hopes that he can bring about reforms but at the moment he sees himself in a battle with the forces dark forces of evil as he would see them and probably regards himself as having no other option. but one has to hope that he can be persuaded to see that has to be another way rolls in the way he is following at the moment with every day that passes with every drop of blood that is shared it gets more difficult because there is a long tradition in that part of the world of a vengeance. but so far the opposition activists are starting to talk about the need for. a political process what they said at a conference in turkey two weeks ago was that the president should step

down and that the vice president should hold the ring pending new elections on the basis of a revised constitution now that is the start of of a political discussion if anybody wanted to take it up but there is obviously no sign whatever of anybody in the regime wanting to take up that sort of idea at the moment. former soviet countries have been commemorating those who died in defense of the u.s.s.r. in world war two marking seventy years after the nazi invasion ceremonies have been held across several states to remember the heroism and huge sacrifices made in the fight against fascism russian leaders including president dmitri medvedev and prime minister vladimir putin laid a wreath tomb of the unknown soldier and by the crumb all the ceremony marking the importance of preserving the memory of the bravery sacrifice and heroism of the time another and remember those who were the first to face the nazis on soviet soil

at the brest fortress. talk to some witness to the historic battle. but. like any careless child i had plans that even if i wasn't afraid when they started shelling i only remember that something exploded and my bed was thrown into another corner of the room. not only four year old canady was unaware of the water was happening his father an experienced red army officer was also caught flatfooted that night seventy years ago this summer but i was at his house with my mother my father who was delayed to defend the breast fortress this was our window on the first floor my father was sure there could be no war this is what the party gets saying he thought it was an earthquake he grabbed his accordion and ran outside my mom stopped and told me this is war. the war for which

the nazi military the very marked had come up with a name for long before blitzkrieg but his seach they'd planned would last just hours instead was to go on for weeks in a fierce battle with those who defended to the death there was no warning when the nazis invaded us on the night of the twenty second of june one thousand nine hundred forty one the bombardment. the garrison by surprise that army officers was brought out and passed on from there i mean nation but even this didn't stop them to funding the fourth and fifth battles until the last survivor stories of the heroic resistance quickly reached different fronts soldier me gloss of received the news far away in the republic of course in northwest russia it was a deep grief silent pain for all people trapped here everyone knew that the german army was much stronger every day we receive reports that the enemy marched another

hundred kilometers deeper into our homeland the nazis were in a hurry at the gateway to vast country they bore him to the breast fortress with devastating intensity up to sixty six min cells a second archive footage from the time shows the fortress silhouetted in heavy smoke hundreds were killed in their sleep during the first minutes of the attack among them small children some survived the night only to be buried alive later this is my second mother when the nazis rounded up refugees scattered in villages nearby this woman saved me the germans dug a mass grave into which they were about to throw women and children and this woman pushed me and my mom under her skirt when the germans slaughtered everyone around and left this woman took me out from under her skirt crossed me and said i just did what god told me to. after nine days of fierce fighting hitler's forces captured

most of the fortress but their losses amounted to almost nine thousand there were reports that isolated defenders remain resisting the nazis as late as august one hitler and mussolini personally visited the site of the battle it's claimed that a stone hitler picked up from the remains of the fortress was found in his office after the war. i'm often asked why. it was the biggest award for you the one most valued from that was the most precious award for me was that i stayed alive everyone was fighting like true heroes but few survived but what could i understand of four years of age nothing it's only now that i'm a father and grandfather myself that i realize what a life is worth now i'm a fierce pacifist i hate war i don't understand how one human being can do violence to another i've lived my life never doing any harm to anybody.

and up next artie's a lore and it talks to british historian dr michael jones who's written extensively about world war two he shared his knowledge about why hitler invaded the u.s.s.r. and how the soviet people managed to win the war. today marks the seventieth anniversary of the start of operation barbarossa hitler's code name for germany's invasion of the save the union it became the largest ever military operation both in terms of sheer resources deployed and also

in casualties dr michael jones's new book tells the story of the red told me during the second world war dr james thank you for talking to r.t. today let's start from the beginning of operation barbarossa why did decide to invade the u.s.s.r. always wanted to invade the soviet union the reason he gave out was that the soviet union would actually attack germany underneath that justification to his military with two main factors the first was hitler's hatred of communism both of us and but underneath the real truth about this war was race hatred and if one reads mind hitler's book it's clear that you always want to carve out a living space in the east and do so the expense of the people he regarded as racially inferior he he thought in terms of a war of survival. it was going to be the survival of the fittest and it didn't

take time to realize the consequences and of course the red army was caught deeply unprepared in nine hundred forty one your book is about the human story behind the red army but how did it develop militarily during the conflict. it's only the beginning and nine hundred forty one the red army was hunted. by the autumn of nine hundred forty one the last between two and three million tons of killed in this thing and should. i think few of them is in the world could sustain that level of punishment and still carried on fighting and it was not from. this high come on to believe that about point the soviet union. and what was it that kept the rats on the fighting that's the sixty four thousand dollar question an extraordinary mix of. brutal leadership tough leadership from stalin but it was also has

a profound treaties and what was at stake was not just the communist system but russia as a country and it really did become a culture of it will certainly by the end astonishing drug that that to try and i'm better equipped and i believe that if it was just the science or the technical side germany could very well have won it either in one nine hundred forty one nine hundred forty two but it was the love of the model and it was this extraordinary determination to carry on fighting that the germans underestimated him he wants to . quit campaign was crucial but it didn't work out like that's a toll that well the germans blame the weather although again you could just pop seen that one coming but they were caught by surprise and then they said the weather rolled them but in fact i think the weather was part of the story and the other part that was much harder for them to acknowledge was the didn't seem

defeated demoralized and lost in a matter of weeks and five days turned itself around and started fighting and resisting with stupendous power on the first turning point was outside more scary the germans expected to take the copper so they would later than they thought but they still thought that would on the war on. it was the strength and determination of resistance that cooled by surprise what were the consequences of the ultimate failure of operation. well it destroyed the german army it destroyed the value that throughout the war the majority of germany's resources were concentrated on the front and even off to d.-day more free for which is this division its military divisions were fighting on the eastern front so it was where the biggest brothels took place take these casualties took place under. the red star and more casualties in the german secret was the place as cow shit suspects so it

became a war of attrition and ultimately it was going to be germany that would lose that war and that mocked which had behaved with a deal of decorum on the western front behaved in a completely different way in the east didn't it what do you put that down to well off to the war the german claimed it was fighting a clean war and it was it was the units behind the army and it was the us that were doing all the on pleasant stuff that was not true that some soldiers on the eastern front with decent behave decently but many were infected by the race propaganda tools the smallest tools the jews and the german army by the participate in atrocitus atrocities against the jews against the russian civilian population or certainly knew they were going on and justified i mean the justification was we

were fighting a brutal war with survival. bit but war with darker than any other war in the twentieth century indeed possibly in human history the role played by the union defeating hitler is vastly under appreciated in the west why is that. one and. it's the legacy of the cold war that surprisingly history is normally written they say by the victors is that view of this part of our history is very strongly determined by the germans so there was an underestimation or i'm willing to recognize the soviet union but i think the other reason is the scale is so small i mean we're talking about twenty seven million in terms of civilian and military casualties i think the other is some it's simply it's so big the people who struggle to really comprehend it that's michael james thank you very much thank you.

central. to the beach.

with us. forces moving.

now on. to those who still remember. union which took place in the city of bread. brest fortress today it's on the territory of the sovereign republic of belarus formerly the soviet republic of belarus a fortress was once the westernmost outpost of the soviet empire each day schoolchildren in the town of brest take part in a ceremony by

a local monument to commemorate what happened there. on june twenty second one hundred forty one german fascist forces invaded the soviet union without a declaration of war the defenders of the breast fortress found themselves in a dead end situation it is here that the myth about the invincibility of the german army was broken after the end of the war and the rest fortress as a name became synonymous to perseverance courage and belief in victory for years to come. the early hours of june twenty second nineteen forty one german artillery unleashes a massive barrage from the breast garrisoned. german warplanes some ultimately dropped hundreds of bombs on the fortress soon after infantry assault.