the ah, top headlines right now here went off into national unrolling, breaking news coverage, which russia defense minister orders safe exit routes for ukrainian soldiers willing to surrender. an ongoing military and coach. and it's after the russian president ordered a special military operation. thing the aim is to defend the people of the don boss from what he calls, genocide by the ukrainian military. let him put in his stress. russia has no plans for occupation. meantime, kia, cut off diplomatic ties with russia and urges the west to build an anti hooting coalition for the us and its allies and slammed the criminal operation as a bob barrick attack, vowing the harshness of sun shoes

. the world today is witnessing history in the making, what's been called a massive russian invasion of ukraine by european and american officials is still playing out reputed now facing a barrel of criticism. we continue our special coverage here on asi international. it's good to have you with us. so russia is not waging that of a military operation, which it says is aimed at defending the don bass from so called ukrainian aggression. a kia along with western powers are describing it as an invasion. things cities across ukraine are under attack. although russia's defense ministry denies that saying no civilian areas are being targeted that the strikes are aimed only at military infrastructure. and also the safe exit roots for ukrainian soldiers are being arranged. a putin is also calling for ukrainian soldiers to be treated with respect that we obtain this exclusive video from our russian war reporter in the don bass. he claims it shows ukrainian troops surrendering to donate the republic forces. the reporter says,

there are soldiers who have voluntarily laid down their arms. now, authorities in don't yet have shed pictures of one of the soldiers. apparently wounded. he has been provided with 1st aid are going to bring your scenes now of what people are calling panic and ukraine's capital key. ever though people seem pretty common. these pictures are right now. long traffic jobs are forming as people are trying to head out of the city, many to the west of the country, over the local officials, urging residents to stay home and not block up the roads will summon here, but taking shelter and the underground. i believe these are pictures for you right now. that is the underground old, a metro system. authorities have been telling people to use the stations as bomb shelters. as we on the found, the trains be on the ground trains of temporarily stop running for now. but we all day, here at auto international, we've engaging reaction from people in many different regions of ukraine from the north, to the south, the east and the west. now some comments from the chaos potentially in key f,

which i hear it. it's somewhere in kiev sirens can be heard. they are bombing about really, you know, when we landed in the airports, we heard some bangs. it was unclear what they were. we didn't see any damage to the we heard the bank while in a taxi. nobody knew what it was, but people started leaving packing their cars into a huge traffic jam. everything was crowded, but most people stayed home. my friends and i hope things will be ok. we hope that kia will not be bombs, will still, there are huge keys perpetual stations on the roads. several hours long. it's impossible to refill. it's good that i had a full tank, but i still have to refuel some last. we've been leaving for 4 hours already. got a quick update from southern ukraine now, where authorities in hudson say that part of the region is no longer under the control of the ukrainian government. they are saying that russian military vehicles

are there on the ground and checkpoints have been set up. the accredited president says fighting in that province is still ongoing. well, a very short time ago here at r t i spoke with our senior correspondent bud gazda. if he remains on location reporting from the newcomer republic, things have quieted down a bit in the city of la guns. that is. so we, we, on seeing many exclusions in the city or any at all these last few hours. for the 1st time in days. the fighting has moved on further north behind me. that is where you, cranium, positions straight have stretched the 7 years operations that as it will liberate the territories of the gods good than yes, people's republics are being carried out with the local manpower. so volunteers are called scripts who have, who had been drafted for military service during mobilization of the past few weeks, after incessant incessant bombardment of the breakaway republics by ukrainian

troops. there have been reports that are certain ukrainian troops formations have surrendered, that they have been those that have come up. but among those that haven't been any nationalists, we have heard that these them nationalists and near nazi battalions such as adult battalion that had putting up the stiffest resistance here in east and you create another positive in other parts of the ukraine tube. the russian ministry of defense has come out and that as the russian minister of defense has issued a wrap up of what has happened over the past 12 hours, according to hamilton, 70 as sites that are critical to ukrainian military infrastructure have been targeted and the short ab well, bearing in mind here is that the minister also said that even when our russian jets will miss aust precision strikes as they call them target ukrainian bases, they made an effort not to target. for example,

houses that house officers. they have been targeting again, as i say military infrastructure, anti add to fed sites as well as ad feels 11 airfields have been taken out of action according to the russian side. more than a dozen. as 300 anti air defense i complexes which are see, which was seen as, as a threat in the, in the months preceding lease by many analysts. as one helicopter, one helicopter was shot down according to the russians. and also for by dr. t. b 2, t b 2, drones supplied by turkey. obviously we have no idea what the civilian or what the military death toll has been so far in the wide range of things with post. huh. so i thought myself, my thought mazata, this video was feel my, one of our crews in the, in the region of the front line that donates republican. so whereas we understand,

they had a suddenly fleet to incoming shells, rushes defense ministry says ukrainian forces of firing at cities in don bass. we have not confirmed that other ukraine says russia has carried out more than 200 attacks since the start of the day in that region. now, a series of powerful explosions were reported across ukraine. just this morning. loud blast rocking several cities after russia launched this. so called special military operation to be branded by western officials as a full on invasion. as we understand though, the initial exposure this morning were caused by missiles stripes from russia's aerospace forces. now a short time ago, we got these pictures from medical. a thick smoke can be seen bellowing across the sky. you can see some damage to these are local radar beacons right now. the probably one of the older s 200 systems that was created some years ago when russia and ukraine were, of course, sharing the military hardware. throughout the day, the powerful explosions have been reported all throughout the country. let's bring up a map, a very important math, but don't you can look at the people's republic. it's crucial to let you understand

exactly what's going on here. the 2 republics, they did announce the independence from kiev, shortly after the 2014 my don qu. they have its claim be repeatedly shelled, ever since leading to numerous civilian casualties. now both republic say they will liberate that territory still on the key of control. up until now that only held about half of that area, president putin says russia recognizes these 2 states as defined by that map. how the russian president vladimir putin announced the decision in a nationally televised speech saying there's no intention to occupy neighboring ukraine. if you just get rejected with, according to the article, 51 in the 7th chapter of the un charter with the sanction of the federation council . according to the friendship and mutual help treaties with the nets and luc guns for the publics. i have decided to conduct a special military operation. the goal is to protect the people who for 8 years of

the bullying and genocide from the key of regime. and for this, we aim for the, the militarization and the next, if a cation of ukraine will bring to the court, those who committed multiple sanguinary crimes against civilians, including russian citizens. we do not plan to occupy ukrainian territories. when time ukraine is suffering, diplomatic ties with russia of what it called, a full scale invasion. your french president vladimir zalinski claims as country did not choose the path of war, but offered ways to restore peace. and he made some further accusations against russian forces in a tweet. the russian occupation forces are trying to see that your noble nuclear power plant or defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated reported this to the swedish prime minister. this is a declaration of war against the whole of europe. so how did we get to this point?

the minced agreements obliged both sides of the ukrainian conflict to withdraw weapons from the front line. a thousands of civilians live in the so called gray zone as essentially unwitting witnesses and victims of the ongoing conflict between raging now since 2014, the documentary has made a film about people who have been living in the zone for 7 years, which are the full version later in the program for meantime, but i should warn you a warning you might find some of the scenes rather disturbing. well exam really on tv is one of the great sounds most an option, a residence, and he's the only electrician still here after the civil war broke out in the settlement of alexandra for him. the frontline stopped just outside the gates of his own house. took i do think that i should go a while south or to play a yellow thought

a lot of it with even a record of what he did. alexander keeps a special note book when he records every one of his schools to repair power lines damaged by shelling in the last 7 years. it's become a real chronicle of an undeclared war. didn't like the auto to really only focus stream it with a bit deeper with a data push in you with shocked. b. a. with

a gutter, but there's no entry. and alexander's diary for january the 16th 2015 or that was the day his family was killed. by multiply reserve time day of room, i'm not sure how military officially come on. i wish process is so somewhere. parents who really room with she's was crucial. so yeah. is a ssl for it? of course. okay. it's a with her a. she doesn't, or this is jasmine sim voicing is with chris,

or you better a router for that. i let's so take this further. now here we're naughty international, there's dan cohen, u. s. john, listen a document producer joining us live on auto international. a very warm welcome to you. thanks for joining us with this are rolling breaking news coverage. the war has actually been raging for 8 years in the don bassett. it is a story that the media typically doesn't pay that much attention to, but the people who've been living beth under an economic blockade, essentially since 2014, have been dealing with a very stressful state of living. that now we have what's being called by western officials, a full on russian invasion of ukraine. don, how did we get to this point?

well, the narrative being spine here in the united states, by political figures and media as well as that this war just started within the last 24 hours. that it's a pure act of aggression by russia. and that's absolutely false. as, as the documentary clips you just entered, showed, this has been an absolute horrific war waged by the ukrainian forces and orchestrated by the united states funded by american dollars on the people of the dunbar who have suffered immensely. who they've seen their, their homes, their schools hit by mortars indiscriminately and many civilians killed with really no ability to, to mount to proper defense despite locals in listing and militias. and so now we've seen basically repeated deceptions, lies, manipulations and refusals to abide by the main chords from basically the west from

the united states, nato and ukraine, that have basically provoked russia into going on this d nazi cation campaign, which is what president putin has called it and i think is, is absolutely accurate. i think it's interesting what you're, what you're saying here, actually flies right in the face of the mainstream media. when they look at this part of the world, it's essentially being rushes issue and rushes fault. and the very beginning, of course, it always takes 2 to tango and there are 2 way through every street. but there's been a whole range of reactions from the west of summer saying that putin must be feeling some pressure. now, there's been a lot of comments coming out from western officials and lead us calling him a dictator. calling this a bob barrack act, do you expect to see the global community unite against the russian president? well, so far there's a lot of hot air coming out of europe is what i see. and also from, from washington i, i mean, if nato were really this impenetrable strong alliance like we saw, i mean,

wouldn't like, like they say, wouldn't we see this immediate, a movement of troops in, into ukraine in order to defend. but the reality is, i think that the united states and nato have been bluffing in an attempt to provoke russia into making a bad move. and they've basically overestimated. they've overplayed their hands. and now they're seeing that russia is being very calculated in, in, in its military operation to basically pacify ukraine that is not attacking them civilians. it's being very careful with what military installations from everything i've seen. and so, you know, i just don't see any real sense of unity that nato has projected on and so diplomatically, you know, that i don't know what can happen going forward. but i think, you know,

russia has really put its cards on the table and is going and it appears to be that it will come out to victor here. well, yeah, you know, you said that russia has been provoked. there are certainly many that do believe that though, there are others that say that russia has, has basically implemented an act of aggression here and all out russian invasion. and that seems to be a big disconnect between between, for example, what the kremlin is saying. and what brussels or washington a saying at this point, how did we get here done? is this all a result of a, of a diplomatic failure, or is that more to it? well, i don't think the u. s. is really interested in diplomacy. it's only interested in the appearance of diplomacy, but at the same time it's sending weapons and training to ukrainian alter nationalist hit larry and nazi forces. we've seen actual swastika flag flying on the side of ukrainian military that has been attacking don bass region for the

last 7 plus years. and so there has to be some kind of recognition from brussels and from washington of what exactly it's doing. because the, the way that, you know, politicians and media are speaking here in the united states is the disconnect is with reality. and so the fact that, you know, i think if americans understood that our government, that my government is actually funding nazis in order to attack russia, then we'd have a very different view. but we have basically corporate propaganda and, and politicians that are bought and paid for by the military industrial complex. and the media is part of the exact same thing. so, you know, to see that russia is basically standing up and fighting back against this to me is, is a positive development and no one and no one should want war. but this is an absolute

provocation which we saw from the lensky indication that the munich security conference, that he is seeking nuclear weapons. if the united, if, if a foreign government was backing mexico or canada to obtain nuclear weapons and had, with the express intent of attacking the united states, i don't think the united states would, would stand idly by. and that's exactly what it's doing to russia. but then i'm running really low on time here. i'm going to go about 30 seconds for your next answer. and you mentioned neo nazi groups. there are some neo nazis sympathizing groups in the ukraine, but hopefully they're just a minority. perhaps just a few bad apples. how long is it's russian military, special operation going to go on for you? got about 20 seconds to answer please. i have no idea impossible to answer, but i think it's a necessary operation in order to remove these ultrafast dangerous elements that i think, i believe are a minority of the ukranian on forces. and i hope peace will prevail, as we all do a dan cohen, a us jonathan documentary producer, we are,

we are getting numbers here at the moment with it. with the latest a tally on the infrastructure that is being destroyed, we understand 77, see military sites have now been destroyed. 11 fields have also been destroyed. upwards of a dozen as 3 hundreds have been set up there as well. a don will be speaking to you very soon. we appreciate your time. thanks for joining us here. and i think you national well as the news continues to flow in here, or this channel president, putin is now meeting with the russian business leaders discussing the ongoing operation under economic impact. have a listen to this lease and tony xander who hopefully will report to bow oh, sure. his general ideas with us mister. couldn't do your colleagues in their current job. political situation is bringing us to the fact that russian. okay, well the nurse will have to come to conditions just getting the mind all kinds of restrictions with the mutation. but i would like to reiterate that not only this in

an economy, an overall proceed, learn to overcome crisis and brushing business to start from 2013, learn to adapt to crisis. and more than that, not just to adapt but to continue developing incidentally and dynamic. and the koby infection pandemic gave additional tools to and trip printer is to the government and we develop it together and rise it management down with managed to improve the sort lima route normally in fassman when you line. and we are perfectly aware of the fact that the new sanctions are going to be offered. then all the pri, this restrictions that off with a will show up on a lot of bus though, occurring in our logical that we're hoping annually will always attempts to issue minerals from which case supply chains could be broken.

she broke and her complaint all this changes, russian companies will not work harder and more efficiently and can provide on the route to where i go with their enterprises without allowing us to lose job to lose employees and to another prices. and we always avoid that. but we'll have to implement the strategy of substitution at the look or a new partners in the countries that are ready to continue grading and nobody's in a lot advance. obviously on the time lee, on the 2nd down select tv by the camera and not only talking about daily in the sky . how jing, the reason minimizing the consequences of sanctions, or development of the country to a tech on free from the us action packages. but we should also try to continue

developing and we shouldn't think only about the whole address, but jumping in very quickly and interrupting that conversation with the russian president vladimir putin. that was speaking with various russian business officials discussing what is potentially that the economic fall out from this so called special military operation in ukraine. we can learn more right now and speak with maria as a hot over the russian foreign ministry spokesman joining. i see a during breaking news coverage on auto international. very good evening to you, maria. it's very good to see you today under obviously rather stressful circumstances. the western reaction has been blistering regarding today's military special operation. russia has started the operation as you, as you well know. it started in the early morning hours. the west is condemning what it calls an invasion. are you surprised by the reaction so far from russia's professional partners in the west? we are pretty look, look good to mo, mo, but he would go store up. so we're used to,

it was up with we are used to the fact that our western partners are a game being played out. their g a front looks like they want to negotiate or something, but actually they have, there are, as regards the international arena and are switching on trade shift, we've been reassured, time and time again that they want to build friendly size with russia or used us off not fulfilling obligation. and in the recent years later on, the anglo saxon countries have been behaving in that area. a lot of the things that we were supposedly

not able to do are going to do. so they kept saying that we are going to invade ukraine. we're going to see a craze when they refuse to negotiate international global security to discuss our proposal with them. they said, you know, come back to the group to put a blog. the grey says in the contact group i was responsible for fulfilling the agreement and ukraine wasn't given to participating in a shop or why there's not a lot yesterday with terry. and i work for that that the us not going to negotiate with russia. he or anyway and asked for a new plastic area and he said they wanted to be

a mediator and a pc. keep her sell me for a doctor. the same for the piano, french foreign ministry, but not that they were only actually to negotiate as okay job really sure. the oxygen that were scheduled for you today and tomorrow and where can i go to by france and speak with miss weiss? this was done a few hours were for the russian delegation to leave for july and paris lisa, regardless when they informed us, really a lot of go she, asians, that were barely happening. yes. been, are locked guy on western partners. i'm sure there were no other option you left as we understand it. the west has never taken the idea of

negotiations. it is interesting, maria. the comments were making here, do fly in contrast to what yen. the seldom burger the nato chief said just earlier today when he was addressing the press you installed a bug, said that russia closed the door to diplomatic conversations. months ago, when it came to the hot spot of the, of the breakaway republics, you're saying it's quite the opposite. that putin has always been trying to discuss all this. of course, it goes back 8 years. it goes back 8 years to that of the minsk protocol. agreements but maria, please, please, please stand by. i just have a very, very important question for you. if i may. is this true as we understand that the, the ukranian president zalinski has said that ukraine did not choose the path of war and, and the reportedly he offered peace? is that true? yeah, thanks. i'll be sure us both studies all. now. i'd like to say this one more time this month and yesterday on february the 23rd. despite the lack of this national

holiday in russia, a delegation was supposed to be for geneva and going to negotiate with a plan to get to what i both parties. i suggested to mission whole negotiations in a different european country with us asked to help them in that lima. and we agreed with a few hours before our delegation was to leave us a very detailed integration message from the state secretary, who said they were not going to submit in any kind of a shuttle somewhere around to go. the native to be said today

that russia was the one who canceled the class. these are lice a for the mid year agreement. you were one of the main, then you have written wire meds for them to be observed. it was for a key of new contact with the representatives together they were supposed to discuss a measures enshrined in the agreements and implemented a bed in the agreements. it is, i know this was agreed on by the international cannot even norman, i a and this was the way to resolve the ukrainian crisis in all of 8 years. not the want to see that it's a lot of times the good ok in years. so he went in near la la la mckee, a very young then yes, come,

hasn't got really been in contact with daniel johnson representing that as one freshman salons, you came to power groups. you wait, you know, he himself had the key ministers in his own government id, foreign minister, defense minister intelligence, i believe they all said the same claim. the agreements were not going to be implemented or they will no longer relevant us. i did not reflect the situation on the ground. they were not good. i'll talk to don nancy and the hans groceries on it . if you don't believe that i'm a party to any kind of talks or new initiations, zebra, i knew i knew you were over. they also said you time and time again, lee and she said he, when you watching all in agreements.