>> ian pannell leading the way with our reporting again tonight. ian, thank you. >>> and just before we came on the air this evening, we asked secretary of state antony blinken why the u.s. hasn't sanctioned putin directly. what they're seeing just outside kyiv right now. and is there a chance that vladimir putin goes beyond ukraine? secretary blinken, thank you for coming on again tonight. we heard the president list these new sanctions today against several russian banks, among other steps being taken. the president also said direct sanctions against vladimir putin himself are still on the table here. you've got putin invading ukraine from the north, the east, the south. ignores all calls from the u.s. to stop. so, why is the u.s. not sanctions him right now? >> well, we've taken, not just us, in coordination with european partners and allies, are going to have severe consequences on russia. some immediately, some that play out over time. we've taken ten largest financial institutions, holding about 80% of russia's banking assets, can't do transac

ian pannell with us again tonight from kyiv. and ian, as you just reported, u.s. officials have now warned president zelenskyy to leave the capital. i know authorities are concerned about eastern ukraine, russian troops in those two separatists regioned are expected, but there's also concern about kyiv, as well? >> reporter: yeah, i think that's right. we know that zelenskyy has spoken with president biden and other world leaders and they're all pretty much giving the same message. i think it's unlikely that he's going to heed the warnings to leave, because to do so would create the very thing he's been trying to avoid, which is, of course, spread panic in the country. but nevertheless, the united states is convinced that the capital is going to be attacked and it could very quickly become unstable and dangerous. but it's hard to imagine that either zelenskyy is going to leave or that the ukrainian people will give up kyiv without a significant fight. david? >> and ian, we should point out after putin declared the two regions independent, there appeared to be a ch

>> ian pannell leading us off again tonight from ukraine. ian, thank you. >>> and of course, president biden imposing those first sanctions last night after putin announced he was recognizing those two separatist regions in ukraine as independent. and then today, tough new sanctions. the president declaring putin has now begun an invasion of ukraine, targeting russian banks and russian oligarchs, wealthy russians in these sanctions. and president biden today said he could target putin himself, he's said that in recent weeks, that there could be stricter sanctions, but so far, we know that has not happened. i want to bring in our chief white house correspondent cecilia vega tonight, and cecilia, a lot of questions, i know people are at home are likely asking, what triggers sanctions for putin and tougher sanctions overall? and we know president biden has ruled out sending american troops into ukraine. so, what's the president's next move, if sanctions aren't effective here in halting putin? >> reporter: yeah, david, these are the tough questio

ian pannell joining us tonight from western ukraine. ian, the president saying he believes putin has made his decision to invade now, but we also know secretary of state blin blinken and lavrov agreed to meet next week. president biden made it clear if there's any military action, obviously that meeting is off. but then the president remained hopeful there could still be some sort of a diplomatic solution here. >> reporter: that's right, david. the two things don't seem to sit quite so easily together. looks like a last gasp for diplomacy, but the gulf between the two side remains as wide as ever. if the president is right an invasion is going to happen any way in the next few days, it could be all too late. david? >> ian pannell with us tonight from ukraine. ian, thank you. as you heard in ian's piece, president biden was definitive, saying he believes president putin has made this decision to invade. i want to get to mary bruce live at the white house tonight. on two fronts. first, i'm curious what your sources are telling you. the new

>> ian pannell leading us off on this monday night. ian, thank you. >>> president biden meeting with his national security team twice in the past 24 hours. what we are seeing unfold in russia and ukraine precisely what the administration had been warning of, this declaration of independence for these regions in eastern ukraine, and now putin has done just that. our chief white house correspondent cecilia vega live at the white house tonight. and cecilia, i know the white house today issuing some limited sanctions so far in response to russia's decision to recognize these separatist regions, but what happens now if russian troops actually enter the country, enter ukraine? what are your sources telling you about how the u.s. would respond to that? >> reporter: yeah, david, we just heard the u.s. will likely administer more sanctions tomorrow, this next round potentially targeting russia. we know administration officials are actively assessing and observing exactly what russia is doing at this hour. officials still very much, and this is i

>> ian pannell leading us off again tonight. in, thank you. >>> secretary of state antony blinken, who has been at the center of u.s. efforts to try to find a diplomatic solution to this escalating crisis, just 24 hours ago, calling off a meeting with his russian counterpart that was planned for this week, saying any meeting does not make sense, given what's now unfolding. well tonight, with the u.s. warning a full-scale invasion could be imminent, we spoke with secondary blinken just before we came on. secretary blinken, thank you for joining us here tonight. i want to get right to what was reported late today from russian state news, reports that those russian separatists in those two regions inside ukraine that vladimir putin declared as independent, that those separatists have now made a formal appeal to vladimir putin for military help in, quote, repulsing ukrainian aggression, accusing ukraine of genocide. this was announced in the middle of the night in moscow. and you've been saying all along, the u.s. has been predictin

ian pannell in kyiv. cecilia vega at the white house, where president biden is now planning to sanction vladimir putin directly. and matt gutman tonight overseas, on the humanitarian disaster unfolding right now. the u.n. saying hundreds of thousands already leaving, trying to get to safety, families and children. and what our team has already witnessed. >>> the major news here at home tonight, the history made. the president fulfilling a campaign promise made two years ago today -- nominating judge ketanji brown jackson to become the first black woman to serve on the supreme court. judge jackson saying her faith got her here, saying she's humbled by this extraordinary honor. she is a 51-year-old mother and wife. her message to her daughters, one of them in the room. mary bruce tonight on history made. rachel scott on where this nomination goes from here. and what the nominee will face on capitol hill. >>> and tonight, the developing headline on masks across this country. the cdc now changing its guidance

let's get right to abc's senior foreign correspondent ian pannell on the ground in kyiv. n, thank you so much for joining us. we could hear when those explosions went off behind you there in the capital city. what's the latest there now? >> reporter: yeah, that's right, byron. i think within minutes of vladimir putin finishing this speech, essentially declaring war on ukraine, we heard the sound of explosions here in kyiv. first of all, three large, distinct explosions in the distance. not possible to say exactly what the target is. there are unconfirmed reports, potentially the airport being struck, of other sites. but we're still really working to find out. in the last hour or so, we've heard probably about five or six other explosions. i've seen a large flash in the distance over there. again, followed by a boom some minutes later, suggesting it's not inside the city. but certainly on the outskirts. and that's what people here in kyiv are waking up to this morning. and it's not just kyiv, the capital. it's a number of eastern cities like dnipro, kharkiv, closest to the

ian pannell with us from the ukrainian capital again tonight. ian, i know president zelenskyy urging the u.s. and nato to impose a no-fly zone over significant parts of the country. the white house late today saying that's not going to happen and explaining why. >> reporter: yeah, that's right. their answer is no, because of course a no-fly zone would mean deploying u.s. military to enforce it. and it would run the possibility of direct contact with russia, which no one wants. >> ian, thank you. >>> the refugee crisis is ripples across nkrocross europe. mothers and young children and those tearful good-byes. fathers left behind to fight the russians. men 18 to 60 are noll being allowed to leave ukraine. abc's matt gutman in lviv ukraine tonight. leavingth hind. fleeing in cramped cars and bus for dozens of miles. tens of thousands on foot, dragging bags, clutching their children. the hub of the biggest, fastest displacement of people since world war ii was lviv. we were at the station this morning as that train to poland clanked in. thousands pac

>> ian pannell tonight. ian, thank you. >>> back here at home tonight, and a former student at virginia's bridgewater college has now been charged in the fatal shooting of two campus officers there. students and faculty mourning the shocking loss. officers john painter and j.j. jefferson, done as the dynamic duo on campus. they were the best of friends. and tonight here, video as the suspect was taken down. pierre thomas in virginia. >> keep walking! >> reporter: this is the dramatic moment when police track down and arrest the man they say killed two of their own. >> slowly turn around. >> reporter: guns drawn, police demand alexander campbell to surrender. this photograph capturing just before he's handcuffed, stretched out and on the ground shirtless. campbell arrested after a brief manhunt following a nightmarish day for bridgewater college. >> two officers did succumb to their injuries on campus. >> reporter: around 1:20 p.m. a day ago, a report of a suspicious man on bridgewater's campus. campus police

a much more difficult and dangerous situation for the europe and for the united states. >> our ian pannell continues to report on the ground from ukraine, and ian, the kremlin responding, we know, in writing late today to the u.s. we know the u.s. had made no such promise that ukraine would never join nato and now russia's response? >> reporter: yeah, that's right. state department confirming they've got this written response from russia in their hands. it's their response to america's security proposals over ukraine. we don't know the contents of the letter, but what we do know is that secretary of state blinken is speaking with russian foreign minister lavrov tomorrow and you have to imagine this is going to be the main topic of conversation. david? >> certainly learn more about this in the next 24 hours. ian, thank you, again. >>> back here at home tonight and to this political battle now brewing over the next supreme court justice. president biden, of course, promising to nominate the first black woman to the court. some republicans now calling that offensive, the promise. and tonight,

david in. >> ian pannell leading us off again tonight. we thank you and the team. please stay safe. >>> the breaking development from the white house. president biden planning to impose new sanctions on vladimir putin himself and on russian foreign minister sergey lavrov. let's get right to cecelia vega. she's live at the white house tonight. cecilia, what have you learned? >> reporter: we know the president made this decision just within the last 24 hours, that he's doing this along with eu partners, really a show of force and being united against what the kremlin is doing are there in the uk. the press secretary telling me it's meant to send a clear message about the allies and their opposition to russia. the experts we've talked to say this is largely a symbolic move to sanction putin personally. it's going to include a travel ban, banning him from coming into the country. that wasn't on the agenda any time soon. as for his money, he's notoriously private about that. the white house says they have more sanctions on the table. as we say every night, this crisis i

ian pannell joins us now from ukraine tonight. ian, what more are you learning about the crucial call between president biden and the president of ukraine? >> reporter: yeah, interesting, i mean, zelensky thanked joe biden for his support, but he also invited him to visit ukraine. saying he's convinced if he arrived in kyiv in the coming days, it would be crucial to help stabilize the situation, send a powerful signal, and also help towards de-escalation. i think it's highly unlikely to happen, but it shows you the mood in the ukrainian presidential palace tonight. >> ian, thanks so much. >>> we move now to super bowl lvi. once again, covid concerns hang over the game this year. the hometown l.a. rams facing off against the cincinnati bengals at sofi stadium. fans are required to wear masks. and there is heavy security presence. including the lapd's entire mounted unit. kayna whitworth is there. >> reporter: tight security around sofi stadium tonight as the super bowl kicks off. this is the first of three metal detectors that fans

ian pannell has more from kyiv. >> reporter: more russian troops advancing into ukraine, facing fierce resistance, as vladimir putin raises the stakes even higher. the russian president ordering his nuclear defense forces onto heightened alert, claiming his country's under threat from nato, a claim refuted by the united states. a massive fire lighting up the night sky. a russian missile striking an oil refinery near the capital. but the heaviest fighting reported in the country's second-largest city, kharkiv, close to the russian border. videos posted to social media capturing street skirmishes. the ukrainian government releasing these images, claiming to show a russian convoy entering the city. then, an apparent victory. russian vehicles left burning. ukrainian defense forces with their yellow arm bands picking through the debris. a pentagon official saying the ukrainian resistance has been quite creative in finding ways to attack columns but also warning russia has a significant amount of combat power still available in and out of the country. new satellite images showing a massive c

abc's senior foreign correspondent ian pannell is in kyiv for us tonight. >> reporter: in some partseir lives. in others, they do it just for fun. on a wintry sunday morning in kyiv, only the hardy and healthy venture outdoors. it's a tough slog over snow and ice, but for mariska and her husband yego, it's manna for the body and the soul. >> there's a good time to relax, to somehow think about each other and about sport. >> reporter: a news anchor and a former member of the parliament with big plans to run the vienna half marathon in springtime. they still hope to make it. but for now, tomorrow is on hold in ukraine. so for today, they laugh, celebrate, and enjoy the moments they have together. because this is what else yego was doing this weekend. training for war. with 130th territorial defense battalion, a volunteer force of regular citizens. some, including yego, having to train with fake guns. >> former premier putin, every time makes us stronger and more responsible citizens. because we are all the time in danger. >> reporter: the call to duty has become increasingly urgent. as

>> ian pannell in ukraine for us again tonight. >>> back here at home this evening and to the january investigation tonight. we have new reporting here on former president trump and his alleged efforts to seize voting machines in several states after joe biden won, asking the justice department for help. and the reported plan that could have allowed the pentagon to seize the machines. jon karl is here tonight. >> reporter: the january 6th committee is zeroing in on president trump's attempt to seize state voting machines in an effort to overturn the presidential election, trying to use the most powerful agencies of the federal government. trump first went to the justice department, but the-attorney general barr refused, according to sources familiar with trump's demand. next her turned to the department of homeland security. abc news has confirmed a "new york times" report that trump instructed to rudy giuliani to talk to a top dhs official. and as i first reported in my book "betrayal," top trump aide johnny mcentee personally called the acting secretary of homeland security chad wol

ian pannell back with us again from ukraine. ian, president biden says he's convinced russia will invade in the coming days. but we heard from world leaders today hopeful diplomacy is still on the table. >> reporter: that's right. there does still seem to be some glimmer of hope for diplomacy, but certainly time is running out. we know that president macron of france is going to talk with vladimir putin on sunday. we also know secretary of state blinken is going to talk with his russian counterpart midweek next week. however that only takes place if there is no russian invasion and as you said, the administration thinks it's coming. whit? >> our thanks to you and your team. please stay safe. >>> as tensions escalate in ukraine, the biden administration with another urgent warning here at home. let's bring in abc's white house correspondent maryalice parks. they're now telling american businesses to be on high alert. >> reporter: yeah, whit, the concern here is that alongside my military attack against ukraine, russia could also

ian pannell lads us off tonight from ukraine. >> reporter: tonight, another new warning. u.s. officials telling abc news they believe russian tactical commanders have been told to be ready for orders to invade. >> everything we're seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion. >> reporter: "the new york times" reporting that u.s. intelligence officials learned the kremlin gave the order to attack last week, which prompted president biden to say he's convinced that putin made the decision to invade. >> the u.s. believes that putin has told his tactical commanders to be prepared, to move into position ready to conduct an attack. that's very different from putin making the actual decision and saying you will attack. >> reporter: today, president biden, convening an urgent meeting with his national security team in the situation room, many just back from europe, where they were reassuring allies and doubling down on the consequences for putin if he attacks. >> we are talking about the real possibility of war in europe. >> reporter: more than 15

ian pannell and james longman report from ukraine and russia tonight. >>> also, chaos and heartbreak as the refugee crisis dramatically escalates. the biden administration pushing to provide billions in emergency aid. we are at this train station at the border, witnessing ukrainians' desperate attempts to flee. a father saying good-bye to his wife and children as he stays behind to fight. the u.n. now says more than 422,000 ukrainian refugees have now crossed into neighboring countries. and we follow a family arriving in poland with nowhere to go. the polish people jumping in to help in a time of need. showing humanity's best during some of its worst. >>> the boycott against russia growing in both scope and scale, from international sports competitions to liquor shelves. >>> and members of the ukrainian diaspora coming together in prayer and protest. >>> good evening, everyone. thanks so much for joining us on another busy sunday. i'm linsey davis. we begin with breaking news, the u.s. embassy in moscow is now urging u.s. citizens to depart russia while they can still get a commercia

>> ian pannell back with us tonight. ian, thank you. >>> now, to the pandemic here at home and tonight, hospitalizations across this country down 24% in just two weeks. and scientists on this question -- why do some people not get covid, even as others around them do? some of the theories tonight. and here's whit johnson. >> reporter: tonight, a dramatic drop in hospitalizations, down 24% in the last two weeks. this chart showing infections in the u.s. now nearly halfway down the other side of omicron's peak. >> i'm hoping this is going to be the last surge we have to deal with, we don't know. >> reporter: the debate over masks in schools heating up. from protests in new york to virginia. in loudoun county, officials suspending 29 students who came to class without masks. >> how can a little superintendant feel that they can supercede an executive order? >> reporter: seven virginia school districts defying an executive order from governor glenn youngkin that allows parents to opt out of mask m mandates. but tasha nelson

let's go to our senior foreign correspondent ian pannell in kyiv. ng, george. right now russian forces are in parts of this city. the head of ukraine's armed forces relaxing all restrictions on joining the military including age restrictions amid reports that guns are being handed out to civilians. today the city is more on edge than we've ever seen before. there have been fire fight overnight as russian forces closing in on the capital. explosions rocking the city. this morning ukrainian military police in full combat gear. we've seen them running across the street to try to mount this defense of the city. videos on social media from inside ukraine showing these attacks unfolding as the military here tries to mount this stiff defense, but the russian onslaught is pretty widespread across the country. the ukrainian president saying 137 ukrainians have died so far. that number likely to rise but the ukrainian people are now in the fight of their life and the risk to civilians is growing. subway stations being used as makeshift bomb shelters and russia

here's our senior foreign correspondent ian pannell from ukraine. >> reporter: tonight, as more u.s.itary aid arrives in ukraine, russian president vladimir putin accusing america and the west of ignoring its security concerns. the russian leader saying the response to their three key demands, especially the expansion of nato eastward, is inadequate. putin complaining, "they said one thing and did another. as the people say, they played us, simply lied." the u.s. rejecting this. calling these concerns an attempt to bully ukraine. ukraine's defense minister tweeting about the new military supplies, "sixth bird from our friends from the u.s. 84 tons of ammunition arrived." earlier, secretary of state blinken speaking with russian foreign minister lavrov, saying it was time for russia to start withdrawing its troops from the border. no breakthrough, but the two agreeing to talk again. >> the door to diplomacy remains open. we don't know what decision president putin will make, while we've seen the buildup of troops on the border. >> reporter: david, for now, democracy seems very much al

ian pannell from kyiv tonight. martha raddatz in ukraine. cecilia vega at the white ho

let's go back to our ian pannell who's on the ground in ukraine. radual ramping up of shelling in the east of the country over the last few days, and that's what has got everybody worried, because many people feel that is the part of the country where an invasion could start. a flurry of diplomatic activity by president macron of france and perhaps a small glimmer of hope this morning. overnight, a potential diplomatic breakthrough in the ukraine crisis. president biden agreeing in principle to meet with president putin if an invasion doesn't happen. u.s. officials telling abc news they believe russian tactical commanders have been told to be ready for orders to invade. >> everything we're seeing suggests that this is dead serious, that we are on the brink of an invasion. >> reporter: u.s. officials raising the alarms further, f ey invade, rucould target ukrainians for assassination or prison camps, saying these targets include those who oppose russian actions, journalists, and anti-corruption activists and vulnerable populations, ethnic and religio

ian pannell is in kyiv, ukraine. good morning, ian. >> reporter: good morning, george.eeping mission but it's likely to be nothing of the sort. i think the fear this morning is that this is just a first move in a much larger devastating invasion of ukraine. so he gave this long bizarre and angry speech, putin denouncing ukraine as a puppet to the west and as you say has been speaking this morning essentially denying he has imperial ambitions to try to restore the soviet union or russian empire but there's almost universal condemnation of his move. the white house, europeans, others signaling tough sanctions but the kremlin is brushing it off as, quote, predictable. what we're talking about here, these two breakaway areas in the east have essentially been controlled by russia since 2014 when this vicious war broke out in the region. even today some fighting is going on and over the last few days the number of incidents there has risen dramatically. but with 150,000 or so russian troops gathered around ukraine's borders, this could just be the opening salvo of a much bigg

ian pannell on the ground in ukraine tonight. >>> the covid concerns at the super bowl.of thousands of fans are packing sofi stadium from all corners of the country. tonight, the stepped-up security and covid protocols in place to stop the potential spread. and the news about pfizer on the delay of shots for children under 5. >>> winter weather whiplash. bitter cold temperatures are

we begin with senior foreign correspondent ian pannell in kyiv. good morning, ian. >> reporter: good morning, george. we're in kyiv. this city is in a total war footing. we've been hearing the sounds of battle here, but attention is focussed on the country's second largest city where it appears an attempt by russia to enter the city has been rappelled. i think what we're witnessing now isn't just a ukrainian crisis, but a global one. this was the week the world changed. the post cold war order shaken to its core and the full-scale conflict erupting in europe 75 years after we swore never again. russian tanks and troops are pummelling kyiv as they lay siege to the city. roal, kyiv. there's been a lull in the fighting for the last couple hours. the fears are the russians are resupplying and ready to mount a real attack inside the city. four days ago president zelenskyy said he didn't think russia was planning a large-scale invasion. today the former actor and comedian has become commander in chief. today he's leading his country saying our arms are o

abc's ian pannell joins us live from kyiv. good morning to you, ian. >> reporter: good morning, eva. good morning, guys. this is a city, a country almost on total war footing now. there's been a 39-hour curfew in place overnight throughout the day into monday morning. there's nothing out on the streets. almost no noise apart from the sound of battle. there's real anticipation here in kyiv about what's to come. in kharkiv, the country's second largest city, the russians have launched an all-out offensive. this morning intense battles reported in ukraine's second largest city, kharkiv, as russian forces enter the city. the ukrainian troops mounting what appears to be a strong defense. heavy overnight bombardment was followed by what the ukrainian defense ministry says is two armed units pushing into kharkiv today. one appears to have been disabled amid social media videos of street fighting. at least 240 civilian casualties reported including 64 dead. although the true number is likely higher. the russian attacks also focusing on

abc's senior foreign correspondent ian pannell is on the ground in kyiv. >> reporter: president bidenonight unveiling a major package of financial sanctions against russian financial institutions, as well as business elites and their families. the european union, the 27 member states, also unanimously agreeing to a package of financial sanctions, as did the uk. interestingly, germany went ahead and froze this crucial natural gas pipeline known as nordstream 2 that runs from western siberia into germany, that will have a big impact on russia. the question is will it make any difference to vladimir putin, will it alter his thinking, will it alter his behavior? on current evidence the answer is, probably no. if he goes further, the threat is going to be more sanctions ahead. >> our thanks to ian. putin remains defiant in the face of global condemnation. it's a trait that's helped him remain in power nearly 25 years now. what does putin want? critics say the answer is simple, more power. tonight, much of the world continues to watch and wait and worry about what happens next in ukraine. p

abc's ian pannell is in kyiv with more on what now seems to be, ian, inevitable. >> reporter: yes. certainly the view of the u.s. administration interestingly, there is an organization called the osce, the number of attacks, it has seen in the last 24 hours, a fivefold increase in the number of shellings, the number of breaches of the cease-fire that's supposed to be in place on this eastern part of ukraine over the last 24 hours. this as more efforts are under way to try and restore some sense of a diplomatic solution. this morning, renewed tensions in ukraine amid new unsubstantiated claims by russian-backed rebels they've been attacked by ukrainian paratroopers. the u.s. fears these claims could be used to justify a russian invasion, protecting the russian-speaking population in the east of the country as president biden is set to meet with the national security council later today to discuss the deteriorating situation. vice president harris speaking in germany this morning. >> we are talking about the real possibility of war in europe. it is in the best interests of all that t

ian pannell from kyiv tonight. martha raddatz in ukraine. cecilia vega at the white house.s on gas prices and the effe

but we begin with mary bruce at the white house and ian pannell in kyiv. good morning to you, ian. >> reporter: yeah, good morning, martha. that's right. so what we're seeing on the ground is more of these unsubstantiated claims of ukrainian attacks in the east of the country. this is a pattern we've seen over the last few days and now seeing attacks by ukrainian paratroopers, but also increased shelling on this potential flashpoint in the east of the country. the osce, organization for security and cooperation in europe, recalling a more than fivefold increase in cease-fire violations over the last day compared to the average day in 2021. meanwhile, we're seeing the rebels mobilizing fighting-aged men, and they're evacuated women, children and elderly in advance of what they say is going to be this all-out ukrainian assault. of course, they've provided no evidence, but this is about placating and playing to domestic opinion, not just in rebel held east but also in moscow. putin falsely claiming russian speakers in the east are facing genocide, but this is

abc's senior foreign correspondent ian pannell is on the ground there. >> reporter: byron what we'ven really over the last day is that russian forces advancing in three directions. from the north, from the east, and also from the south, trying to push closer to the capital, kyiv, but also stepping up their assaults on other critical cities. we've noticed a change in the mood in the capital. people have gone from believing that this wouldn't happen, to having to reckon with living in a time of war. we've seen thousands of people flee the city. i think for many people, they're now seeing families being split up. real hardship. facing the reality that tomorrow will not look like today. byron? >> our thanks to ian. those still in ukraine are facing difficult decisions. many choosing to stay and possibly fight. others deciding to leave. >> we start to get gas even though we have like 300 kilometers to go. i say i want to come back, but i don't know if i want to come back it's really [ bleep ]ed. just so many things, you know? we were starting a life here, a home. now we are running. >> re

abc's ian pannell is there. >> there is no sense of panic here, but people are certainly planning andparing in case the worst happens. >> reporter: despite the feeling on the ground, the state department taking no chances. ordering all u.s. citizens to get out of ukraine while they still can. and canada announcing it's closing its embassy in kyiv today with australia joining dozens of other nations asking its residents to leave. mona? >> thank you. >>> police in albuquerque are investigating a stabbing spree, 11 people were injured. authorities say the suspect, who is in custody, was riding a bike and stabbed people at seven different locations. two victims are in critical condition. no word on a motive. >>> breaking overnight, a new uackdown on truckers protesti crossing finally reopening. just in time for the workweek. >> reporter: this morning, a vital trade route between canada and the u.s. finally reopened. [ horns honking ] police clearing this blockade of truckers allowing traffic between ontario and detroit to flow again after a nearly wee-long protest against covid restrictio

senior foreign correspondent ian pannell is in ukraine tonight and brings us a look at how we got here>> we have reason to believe the russian forces are planning to and intend to attack ukraine in the coming week, the coming days. >> reporter: for months, speculation of an invasion has grown since russia began amassing more and more troops by its border with ukraine. more than 150,000 russian troops estimated to be positioned along the borders. >> we're calling out russia's plans loudly and repeatedly. not because we want a conflict, but because we're doing everything in our power to remove any reason that russia may give to justify invading ukraine and prevent them from moving. >> reporter: some say putin's threatened by ukraine's move to embrace western europe and nato. others think he wants to rebuild and restore the glory and power of the former soviet union with ukraine central to his dream. it's been a simmering conflict for almost a decade. in 2014, ukraine ousted its pro-russia president in a violent uprising known as the revolution of dignity or the mydan revolution. proteste

ian pannell in ukraine tonight. what they're prepari f

ian pannell in ukraine tonight. what they're preparing for this evening and tomorrow.n moscow. cecilia vega at the

abc's ian pannell is in ukraine. >> reporter: disclosing this kind of intelligence is rare, but the aim is to stop russia from carrying out a potential fake attack or to make it harder to spread disinformation afterwards if it does, but it speaks to how serious this crisis really is. >> meanwhile, this morning the first of 1,700 american paratroopers will arrive in europe to bolster nato's presence in the region. >>> and we are learning more about the u.s. military raid in syria that resulted in the death of isis leader hajji aballah. there are conflicting reports of how many were killed during the raid. abc's ike ejiochi is here with the very latest. ike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, president biden is calling this mission a success, and now he's getting praise from some republican lawmakers. this morning a successful counterterrorism mission in northwest syria. one of the secret hideouts of hajji aballah is destroyed. the known terrorist dead after the pentagon says he blew himself up along with his wife and children before u.s. forces could capture him. >> they're leaderl

ian pannell with volunteers. >> we feel our devotion and obligation to do that. >> president volodymyr zelenskyy standing ready to fight with his countrymen. with this rallying cry we withstood and are successfully repelling the enemy's attacks and the fighting goes on in many cities of our state and we know we are defending our country, our land and our children's futures. according to a u.s. official the russian military has launched more than 250 missiles into ukraine. social media video showing the moment a missile or rocket strikes this apartment building within city limits. its unclear which side fired. >> tatiana and her faily were inside that building. >> my kids' room is just a hole. if she'd been in there shieldn't have survived. remarkably, no one was killed, but the human toll is growing. nearly 200 ukrainians have died so far, over a thousand wounded including children. this unexploded rocket landing near a kindergarten in the middle of a playground, that as ukraine's neighborhoods become battlefields. this family of 15 forced to flee their home after it was damaged by she

our senior foreign correspondent ian pannell is on the ground in ukraine for us. ning, ian. >> reporter: good morning, cecilia. that's right, lots going on. more diplomacy and talks but interestingly it's vladimir putin and xi jinping together as russia and china strengthen their ties not only in trade, but also security as this crisis in ukraine still shows no sign of easing. president putin landing in beijing for the start of the olympics and one-on-one talks with president xi. both have strained relations with america. the kremlin claiming china agrees with its security demands though beijing hasn't quite put it like that as the first of 1,700 american paratroopers landing in europe as part of president biden's order to send 3,000 u.s. troops to bolster nato's eastern flank as tensions remain over the russian troop buildup on ukraine's border. meanwhile the biden administration claims the kremlin's plotting a false flag operation to justify an invasion of ukraine. >> one option is the russian government, we think, is planning to stage a fake attack, by ukrainian