t w's. alexandra norman reports a chick point on the outskirts of flute skin, north western ukraine, sasha, by rhoda, is one of the local fighters who have joined ukraine's defense forces. he tells me that morale among the troops remains high. despite the dire situation in the country, little speed remembered about the moment. it is calm here, a syllable, we are preparing the defense of looks on the region with everything we have horrible were employed at the same time, were helping those who volunteer to join the army. i'm deployed to the front in the east and to defend our ukraine, your father, aboard uncomfortable where you live still seems to go on here in western ukraine despite the heavy fighting that it's taking place in other parts of the country. and yet residents tell us they want to be ready for whatever might come next at the beginning of its invasion, russia targeted and url field, not far from the city, from the military airport in loads with one of the 1st facilities hit by russian matthias in ukraine. since stan, it's been relatively quiet here in the region, but peop

a 2nd to ukraine, then enjoying the date of these alexandra fall. norman, who's in the viv and the west of the country. welcome alexandra m. let's start with the intensification of fighting and shelling in and around the capitol. what are you hearing? so what we know is that heavy fighting is taking place on the outskirts of keys and according to ukraine officials, the ukrainian forces there. and this is quite interesting, have started their own counter offensive or their counter attacks on russian troops . there at the goal is not so much sure to win back territory, but the goal is apparently to inflict mass casualties on the russian army. and so when we talk about the city itself, it is under curfew that was announced a yesterday. so with the it's may or calling all residents to seek shelter. we know that there were explosions in the city center. there are reports that an apartment building was hit by russian missiles are which people trapped there with apartments on fire and 1st responders. oh, who rushed to the building to get the people out this morning? i'm your there in the viva

has become a massive bottleneck, the only direction to flee being west dw, correspondent, alexandra for. norman met up with some of the refugees. we are here at the railway station in the leaf. and you can see how busy it is here with long lines of people trying to get on a train to the polish border. mothers with a small kids, women with their pads, with hastily packed suit, cases and plastic bags. many of them seem to be traumatized. many of them are worried sick about the loved ones that they left behind. when we started cover, we're from clack, of and the city has gone lower than yet. but for all swimming. yeah. come with and i just have one question. what was it all for? who benefits from destroying such a beautiful city? we once had a wonderful mayor, he is now turning over in his grave. you can't look at that's left of the city without cried. i was born there. i grew up there, i spent my whole life there. really isn't live number sheila, when you would do, you brought the people there now have been left for dead up there. hiding in basement hook up with them. i can't even think about it