[000:00:00;00] a mm hm. mm hm. with breaking news on our t multiple miss style strike hit the ukrainian capital kiev and several other major cities around the country. also ahead this, our minsk reports that both the presidents of belarus and russia have agreed to deploy. i joined regional military contingent and also in developments from ukraine with another city reportedly hit here, didn't that, but oh,

put through all along with the port city of odessa on, hamilton need ski in western ukraine on monday morning, hit 2 with missiles strikes and ukraine's president zalinski confirms critical infrastructure hit in a number of cities, including the major at western hub lavolle, where a thermal power station was a part of the target with just after mid day in moscow. this monday i'm you know, neil, this is the global use run up on r t. we begin with breaking news from ukraine, where multiple missiles strikes on key f and other major cities around the country have been reported with. well, this is some of the latest footage we've received to. as of right now, the extent of damage is unclear. but as you can see,

several vehicles have been at destroyed, big explosions, large plumes of smoke going up into the sky as well. an adviser to president zelinski reports that the strikes were close to the presidential office and ukraine security services offices in the capitol. he of metro has at been stopped with stations being turned into shelters. according to the murs office. local officials say 8 people are dead and dozens more wounded in kiev on social media, locals helping, churning, footage of the strikes they witnessed. ah, colon, bbc correspondent was live on air when the strikes hit. the printing capital, the report which was devoted to the attack on the crimean bridge over the weekend, purportedly by ukrainian forces, was interrupted by one of the incoming shells. of the fear that this could trigger

a very strong rush response was. so yesterday that a residential area of the city of zeppelin asia, a major city, the south of the country very close to the front lines. oh with okay, he does, reports are now coming. another thermo power station in kiev has been hit with as you can clearly see their large plumes of smoke billowing out of that facility. also in the major western city of laval, near the polish border, the reports of a strike of power. there's there 2 local media essays that's sitting no longer has electricity, our hot water following the took the eastern city of that put up, put through all kinds reportedly come under attack to the yeah,

that was filmed in an appropriate frost earlier. a number of other major cities in ukraine, including odessa than hamilton. the sky, reportedly came under fire as well. earlier towns been dick 3rd across all ukraine . and in this foot, as you can see, the aftermath of a massive and missile attack on t of infrastructure fires and significant destruction was caused by the strikes. sirens can be heard across the city with casualties visible and firefighters trying to contain numerous blazes brought about by blasts of images appear on line. locals are reporting strikes indeed, all over you crane in city, some of which we've mentioned, including harcourt at laval for death with president lensky saying the country has been facing a massive attack on critical infrastructure. yeah, a lot of developments are rapidly escalating as well as more and more information

comes in to us. we speak to ortiz, eager shut down the for more on water is emergent. hi, they're eager. bring us up to date. just summarize exactly what seems to be unfolding this monday morning on kiev and other ukrainian cities. well, the 1st, the 1st comments as to what the aftermath is looking like after rushes missile strikes of on ukraine, or rather just the 1st wave of rushes missile strikes on ukraine are coming in apparently, according to ukraine, at least 1111 critical infrastructure facilities have been hit and badly damaged and well close to destroyed within this 1st wave. again, this is the assessment of k of. so are the number 11 should be treated as the lowest point and it could be even higher. and that's happened according to ukraine

all across 8 regions. of the country now russia has been targeting, are mostly the critical energy infrastructure power plans right now, ukraine's main energy mit a ministry has basically the main energy company. i should say. the energy jain doctrinaire guy has already warned and has already advised that ukrainians charge their phones charge their power banks. and basically we'll just get isn't as much electricity as they can are because there will be outages all across the country. right out of the city of revolving, the west of ukraine stands completely cut off from energy supply and water supply. hardcopy as well, the rod disruptions and cave, and basically in every single major city of ukraine, the situation is the same. it is the, well, it is getting close to catastrophic for ukraine's energy sector. now, of course, it will take much more missiles than this to completely take out ukraine's energy infrastructure. but well again,

we are getting more reports that that was just the 1st wave and that the missiles of the 2nd waves are only beginning or to hit that targets. excuse me. now basically when it comes when it comes to the after martha now, the ukranian side has already revealed out that people have died and have been wounded in this because even a ski of knew about the this attack knew about this attack being prepared. and this is something that we've heard, that the british intelligence had warned key of, well, key of failed to warn its own population. so people were going around minding their business just going around their daily routine than this is. so basically the strikes caught them of god, because cave and other major cities of ukraine haven't seen an attack of this scale, at least since the 24th of february and the big, the 1st weeks of rushes, special operational rushes war on ukraine. and so this is, this is basically going back to that stage,

going back to mass mess l attacks on ukraine's infrastructure objects. except now russia is taking out well, mostly the energy, the, the energy sector. now, russian authorities are still to comment as to whether or not this is indeed a major shift in how russia treats the special operation, how it will basically its approach to, to fighting ukraine. rushes president vladimir putin has recently a while. i made a televised address, but he completely emitted anything regarding this latest escalation. and again, we are expecting the russian president to sit down to talk to russia security council. and this is when we are expecting for something to come out for a common to come out as to if there's a change in, again, russia's approach to waging war and ukraine. now here, here, the general understanding in the dumbass that this is the long awaited hair

retaliation moscow's retaliation for. well, plenty of things for ukraine, shelling rushes border, towns for ukraine. shelling the dumbasses, shelling dynette relentlessly and viciously shelling a civilian town with no military infrastructure whatsoever. within the city limits and like i just overnight, there were, shall, residential buildings and so on and so forth. like for example, the city of dynette is without stable water supply a has been without stable water supply for months. if not years, due to ukraine, taking out a pumping station ah, in the city to so here people, well i have to say they are, they are a beat. of course nobody wants civilian casualties, but they people here are cornered, essentially they don't see any other option as to how this war can be. one. again, this is just the opinion of an average joe here in now, lou ganske for instance. and so they are seeing this latest escalation of retaliation are, for example,

are many believe that the red line that ukraine had crossed was the attack on the crimea and of the on the crimea bridge of russia. because of course, that was not just an attack on the infrastructure. and by the way, overnight, just last night, president putin revealed that he and he basically made a statement saying that according to the intelligence information that he has at his disposal, the crimean bridger was blown up by key of and by the kiva, by the key of agents of somebody working on behalf of ukraine during, during their bidding. so many here believed that that was the red line. and that was that, that would basically prompted vladimir putin to escalate. because of course, the crimean bridge is not just an, a, an infrastructure facility and infrastructural object, but rather it's a symbol of crimea being well tethered to russia and being part of russia and not of ukraine. but again, we are to hear from vladimir putin and a well,

every one is hopeful and, and his in is, isn't in anticipation over the address of the statement. and as people would like to really find out as to whether or not this is a one time thing, if this is a warning shot over a massive scale, or if that is some that will be now a systemic saying basically russia's routine in while waging war ukraine. yeah, that's one of the points i'm going to put to our guest speaker in just a moment. thanks very much for taking us throughout our teeth. eager and out of yeah, as we mentioned, we've got a lot guest. busy this coming up, just to save though in another, at profitably very important development today, bella, russian leader, alexander lucas, shank o has said his country is employ a joint group of military forces with russia. mister lucas shanker said he was provided with information that keith had planned to attack bella russian territory

. he went on to say that ukraine would face quote, a nightmare of consequences if it's there to do so. so some big news coming out of that meeting, we'll try and get through a little bit more detail later. but for now, as i say, live reaction on what our correspondent i'm at the today's developments what we've been going through. let's speak to a former deputy foreign minister of new zealand mob. rob and mr. robson. you're most welcome to the program. we do appreciate your time today. your initial reaction to developments today. significant missile attacks hitting several ukrainian cities including t at was this expected, or indeed the size of what appears to be a russian reaction. the scale of it. well, i believe that those countries in the world which haven't allowed themselves to be fooled by the constant digression that's linked to this situation now from later

building up building up, building up, trying to provoke russia, hitting the don bass areas with russia. clearly having pulled in punches for very good reasons and human, it's very reasons. so paradoxically, it's, it's, it's a, it's a, it's a very worrying situation for everybody in the world that the intensity now or what is happening. but on the other side of it, i believe the lie is that have been told that it's been russian regression. we're rather, it's now becoming clear that the whole patent of aggression over decade snell, aimed at weakling russian attractive russia allowing it to kill its own citizens, ukrainian citizens, since 2014 will become apparent to the world. but it's taking a terrible toll. of course, on all the people,

russian citizens as well to people of ukraine and the worrying aspect of the war, widening so, paradoxically, terrible as it is. i believe it's going to force many of the western european countries, north americans, and even my own country, new zealand to realize that they're being fed law is about this conflict. and that it has been russia that's been restrained. but it can no longer do that. if the ukrainian kiev regime is encouraged as it was when former prime minister from the u . k. bars, johnson went so many times to wish the care of government not to go to widen the war of the american congress pouring more and more weapons into the conflict to fuel it. so my hope, my hope is the scales and stop to drop from the eyes of so many people,

particularly in western europe and will be forcing their governments to back off the question that they've been the part that they've been taken. but it's a very worrying situation, of course. a number of days ago there was an expulsion on the crimean bridge at 3 people were killed. do you see mr robson? today's developments as a, as a direct reaction to that or, or just part of what appears to be a rushing reaction to an escalation against new regions. don boss, regions which were recently incorporated into russian to other areas as well. is this a direct reaction to somebody's events? yes. what the logic is that the russia has had to widen its response. and that's understandable. the bombing of the, the attack on the, on the crime in bridges. but one aspect,

the build up and the constant flow of arms and weapons, and training and intelligence by the united states and sell eyes to consciously try and widen the war. i can see myself look at the no choice, but hopefully, hopefully out of this determined response that's coming from russia. and i think it's obviously welcomed by those who need the protection of the russian forces that it's going to have the reaction outside of the coin in the rest of the, the world. so it's not just the bridge, it's the whole escalation that's been fostered by the united states and nato. this borders to this particular stage, you have touched on it, but i suppose the issue people watching this would would want to take on board is

whether this is simply and i use my words carefully and response to recent events as part of rushes, military operation, as they moscow called it or whether this has not moved into a further, perhaps a direct conflict even to use the words at war that this does this appear to be no larger than what it was? oh yes, definitely. because up until now, the world was looking at what seemed to be a contained conflict with the where the russian forces were operating ukrainian forces. but where we are sitting in a country like zealand, which only gets the house in the b, b, c was dr. health care, which is good because all we get is lies for the fed, about the conflict about the thing that i want from the journalist to be endangered

. but the reality will now strike home that when you continue to up the n t, as later in the air has stung and try. i mean, it's clearly the conscious policy to try and widen the conflict. russia has no choice if it is going to depend both its own to true and the territories, the devoted to russia as, as the protection of the failure of the undermining of the men's agreements. which of course so far behind us now could had led to peace if that had been the, the wish of the western government clearly wasn't they, they undermine that. so now yes, we are faced with a frightening prospect of much, much wider conflict. but i still hold to the hope that the one thought was going to happen is that the scales will drop from the eyes of people in western europe and even penetrate into north america. that they have

being lit up the garden path into a conflict, which is not the making of the president or russia, but is a deliberate plan strategy from from western governments. my own included, i'm sorry to say i'm very sorry to say because i was a minister at a time when we had a very different policy. not taking part in this type of mesh nations. and had moved away from that. and we've now moved back into that situation, but hopefully al people to, they can think for themselves. we'll stop to see that we shouldn't be part of this war, carry a lead by the united states and later on, very here and see if i could just what you believe the west response should be. but what you think the immediate one will be from the west to this?

well, i think it'll give pause to the governments. i mean, they can do 2 things. they can say, right, let's just keep going and, and make it worse. but they do have to respond to their own public opinions as well. and there's a considerable growing body of opinion in the western european countries and in north america, which is stating that there has to be negotiations. the has to be repetition of the position that the russian government has taken consistently. and now the, the for territory is that are joined with russia. but of course, i don't sit in those counsels, but i think i think those governments are going to find it difficult to continue to lie to the people i've seen that happen in my lifetime with the war and be at them up and continue to escalate an escalated and then the people in our own country

started to react. and i think, and i hope that that's what's going to happen. they form the public opinion, particularly with the newer in north america. certainly doing l best in our country to get government to end. it's foolish attachment to this war, chariot of nato, i suppose, just to give another point of view is that people will say escalation will only lead to escalation on today's developments will perhaps re, to reaction of more western norms being pumped in to ukraine on its ukrainian people people into a boss which are going to feel the direct hit of this. what do you say to something that's done? well, the reporters and people are closer to the, the philly until the conflict. but i can see that even in the part of the ukraine,

dominated by the government, the ukrainians are uneasy about what's happening. there's been protests about the the continued suppression of freedom of speech inside the ukraine. there's been demonstrations now in number of european countries against the sanctions policy against the wide things. there's a growing number of people in the united states. certainly often starting in academic circles and intellectuals, but growing amongst the population lead can see that the billions, billions being poured into destruction in the ukraine while at home. the people go without necessarily investment in their infrastructure educational but yes, the policy makers may take the gamble,

but they couldn't win the smaller they keep talking about. but the reality, i believe the russian responses, the only one that they could have tragic as it is. but even now, it seems that the russian policy makers aiming at the infrastructure not deliberately trying this, despite the picture being portrayed by western media. the russians don't, russian government doesn't care about who it is. that's been very strategic. and even now strategic. just to get your points out. on a final note here and reading that ukraine's president lensky has issued a national address, telling everyone to quote, to cover, but no military sponsor has yet been announced. do you think mr. rumson, that is ukraine waiting for the attacks to end or for perhaps a policy decision by western allies. or is it coming up with a plan?

how did you foresee the reaction this the latter are in the government is not a an independent government. president zalinski has shown that his, he's a pop up on the, he tries to pull the strings himself about, he's a small that she's being directed from western governments. and they, they have to, despite whatever rhetoric they, they, they put out. they also have to listen to their realistic governments in the military planners who most likely be telling them if you can't rely on this escalates, it can no longer be a war for by the ukrainian forces that you've been using. as kevin father, in this conflict, quite deliberately, quite cynically. you've got to be faced with looking at putting your own troops in the escalating your own forces. and that means of the war. and the reality there

will is going to come home more and more directly to the peoples of western europe and north america. if, if that is the policy that particularly london and washington follow. and i believe that also the other allies in the later camp will be very nervous at this escalation, which could, of course, spill over into their own territory. started the making of the russian government, not at all. but because of the nature of a conflict like this, so it's not all one way traffic in the sense that the hawks in london and washington wish to go for else. they also have to consider the reality of what the steps may result in not robson, former deputy former minister of new zealand. thank you so much for your time and

your thoughts that we do appreciate it, sir. good to be on our tea. you know what mr. robson, indeed our other guests were going through there. it all comes for ukraine's secret services. carried out a terrorist attack by bombing the crimea in bridge an assault which killed 3 people . that is, according to the head of russia's investigative committee, who has brief president putting on the case. well, this is logan and there is just, this was undoubtedly an act of terrorism. all our data from the initial stage of the investigation allows us to draw a clear conclusion. this was a terrorist attack that was prepared by ukrainian special services with the purpose of destroying a large object of civilian infrastructure, which is very important for russia. and especially for crimea, ross's chief investigator said that basically they spoke to eye witnesses. they examined everything on the ground that conducted the forensic investigation. and

they now know who did it, how they did it. what's interesting is that there were not only russian citizens involved in this, but also foreign citizens, and they even know they brutes that the truck took. let's listen to what he said about the roots and particular. still should we have already established the root of the truck. it went from bulgaria to georgia to our medium, to rush us north to city and onto the crescent. our region is the people who took part in the organisation of the trucks route have been identified. this terror attack was orchestrated and carried out by ukrainians. special services with assistance from russians and some other foreign citizens. go well with me that the bridge was the targets we had the ukrainian officials saying that themselves, that as soon as the found an opportunity to target the bridge they would do so. and this is, i guess they found the opportunity and managed to do it. ease and russian citizens and foreign citizens as well, according to russia,

chief investigator there. and now ukraine's a former prime minister used encouraging for terrorist attacks, such as what we saw on the crime in bridge to happen in places like moscow. i would be delighted if those who committed these kind of right food, i would say, act of sabotage. ah, they will do the same in russia. i mean, in the moscow, if a terrorist attack happens in any other country, not russia, such statements would be condemned. there wouldn't be applaud the wouldn't be encouraged, but here we see novice, no reaction in response to statements like these 3 people were killed. and they're not saying anything about bad for their good nor and but ukraine in the specials are congratulated and saying what a great achievement this is that they destroy the critical civilian infrastructure

. no words really well as marina just mentioned, it comes the u. s. congress is sent to discuss legislation and whether to officially label russia a state sponsor of terrorism. moscow said that it would be a point of no return in relations with washington. human rights lawyer. dunn coble exceeds its advantages for the us to support ukraine. under turned a blind di to the atrocities committed by q. it is profitable to some very powerful interest in the united states, and that is why the u. s. continues to support ukraine and why they are turning a blind to various acts of terrorism and human rights. abuses by the military, it is profitable to some defense contractors in the u. s. and that's very important to the leaders in washington. i think it's also profitable to the oil and

natural gas industry that now wants to sell their wares to europe, trying to displace russia. so i'd go back to operation paperclip, you know, after world war 2, the u. s. brought over 1100 nazi side to scale the u. s. and the war against the cold war against the soviet union. and the u. s. has been supporting nazis and ukraine for decades. so, i mean, this is nothing new. and this is not surprising. the us again, you can't even say there indifferent to nazis in ukraine. the fact is, the u. s. supports not done collect for the bridge attack through immediate praise from western media while the fire still burned. many headline said that the infrastructure was of utmost importance to russia, and let's also label the terrorist attack as moscow now calls it. an important action for t of the deadly incident was also celebrated n t f. as people took pictures in front of