andrew harding, bbc news, in voznesensk, southern ukraine.ring, much of the focus of the current fighting is in the south of the country where cities of key strategic importance lie along the coastline. 0ur security correspondent gordon corera has this assessment of russia's military tactics, almost one month on from the invasion. russia invaded ukraine from a number of directions, but it's the south where the fighting has been fiercest and which looks to be strategically most important. russian forces entered through crimea, which they had already seized in 2014. we've just seen details of some of the fighting around voznesensk. it is one of a number of places where russia has met much tougher resistance than it expected. this is a strategically important place. the reason is, if russia seized it it would offer them a land route towards the historic city of 0desa. the port of 0desa has already been preparing its defences. 0ne western official today said it remains a prime military objective for moscow. there has been concern there could even

andrew harding, bbc news, in voznesensk, southern ukraine.port city of mariupol is a key strategic target for the russian military. many have fled but around 300,000 people are believed to be trapped there, with food and water running out. 0ur correspondent wyre davies sent this report from zaporizhzhia, where some people from mariupol have managed to flee. after170 miles, mined roads and 15 russian army checkpoints — freedom. their ordeal is by no means over, but for these families who have escaped from mariupol in a motley convoy of bomb—damaged vehicles, the last month has been as close to hell as any human should ever get. it was bombing every ten, five minutes and we haven't any central heating, gas, electricity, food or water, nothing. before leaving, katya grabbed her obstinate dog jesse, but this isn't the first time she's fled war. i passed through war in 2014. i'm from donetsk. but it was light variant, really. and now it's my second war, but it is harder. this van, filled with 25 people, also made it through today. all occupants of

andrew harding, bbc news, in voznesensk, southern ukraine.ity of mariupol is a key strategic target for russia. many have fled but around 300,000 people are believed to be trapped there, with food and water running out. 0ur correspondent wyre davies sent this report from zaporizhzhia, where some people from mariupol have managed to flee. after 170 miles, mined roads and 15 russian army checkpoints — freedom. their ordeal is by no means over, but for these families who have escaped from mariupol in a motley convoy of bomb—damaged vehicles, the last month has been as close to hell as any human should ever get. it was bombing every ten, five minutes and we haven't any central heating, gas, electricity, food or water, nothing. before leaving, katya grabbed her obstinate dog jesse, but this isn't the first time she's fled war. i passed through war in 2014. i'm from donetsk. but it was light variant, really. and now it's my second war but it is harder. this van, filled with 25 people, also made it through today. all occupants of the same bunker in

andrew harding, bbc news, in voznesensk, southern ukraine.st, russian naval forces have started shelling the outskirts of the port city of 0desa, as part of efforts to cut ukrainians off from the black sea. there are fears the russian fleet is getting ready for a larger scale attack. 0ur security correspondent gordon corera has this assessment of russia's military strategy. russia invaded ukraine from a number of directions but it's the south where the fighting has been fiercest and which looks to be strategically most important. russian forces entered through crimea which they had already seized in 2014. we have just seen details of some of the fighting around voznesensk. it is one of a number of places where russia has met much tougher resistance than it expected. this is a strategically important place. the reason is, if russia seized it it would offer them a land route towards the historic city of 0desa. the port of 0desa has already been preparing its defences. 0ne western official today said it remains a prime military objective for mos

andrew harding, bbc news, in voznesensk, southern ukraine.'ve been hearing, much of the focus of the current fighting is in the south of the country, where cities of key strategic importance lie along the coastline. 0ur security correspondent, gordon corera, has this assessment of russia's military tactics, almost one month on from the invasion. russia invaded ukraine from a number of directions, but it's the south where the fighting has been fiercest and which looks to be strategically most important. russian forces entered through crimea, which they had already seized in 2014. we've just seen details of some of the fighting around voznesensk. it is one of a number of places where russia has met much tougher resistance than it expected. this is a strategically important place. the reason is, if russia seized it it would offer them a land route towards the historic city of 0desa. the port of 0desa has already been preparing its defences. 0ne western official today said it remains a prime military objective for moscow. there has been concern t

we've just seen details of some of the fighting around voznesensk.places where russia has met much tougher resistance than it expected. this is a strategically important place. the reason is, if russia seized it it would offer them a land route towards the historic city of 0desa. the port of 0desa has already been preparing its defences. 0ne western official today said it remains a prime military objective for moscow. there has been concern there could even be an amphibious assault from the sea where russia has assembled dozens of vessels but an attack from the sea would be hard, unless there was also a move from land towards the city. so let's look at the south—east now. we have heard a lot about mariupol. you can see the importance of the city because it would give russia a land bridge between the east and crimea if they were able to seize it. russian forces, seen here in red, have encircled the city and have started to go in. and the devastation has been pretty terrible, with some estimates putting up to 90% of mariupol destroyed. so the russian a

andrew harding, bbc news, in voznesensk, southern ukraine. port city of mariupol, ukraine says the intensity of russia's bombing is preventing rescue workers reaching the theatre where it's feared hundreds of people are trapped six days after it was bombed. there are growing fears for those stuck in the city, which is running out of food and water. wyre davies sent this report from zaporizhzhia, where some people from mariupol have fled to. after 170 miles, mined roads and 15 russian army checkpoints, freedom. their ordeal is by no means over but for these families who have escaped from mariupol in a motley convoy of bomb damaged vehicles, the last month has been as close to hell as any human should ever get. it was bombing the last three days, it was bombing every ten, five minutes, and we haven't any central heating, gas, electricity, food or water, nothing. before leaving, katya grabbed her obstinate dog jesse. but this isn't the first time she's fled war. i passed through war in 2014. i'm from donetsk. but it was light variant, really. no

andrew harding, bbc news, in voznesensk, southern ukraine.a has continued its bombardment of several ukrainian cities, advances have ground to a halt in many areas with ukrainian forces also launching counter—attacks. matthew sussex is a senior fellow at the australian defence college, specialising in russian security policy. hejoins me from canberra. good afternoon to you in australia. at the start of the invasion, when you looked at the numbers, russia is a bigger country, more money on guns, more troops, it seemed like a foregone conclusion. but that has not been the case. what is it that stalled this russian advance? it it that stalled this russian advance?— advance? it has been a combination _ advance? it has been a combination of - advance? it has been a combination of things. | advance? it has been a | combination of things. i advance? it has been a - combination of things. i think for starters, the russian armed forces have overestimated their own ability to advance very swiftly into ukraine. the plan that they went with was a sort of

we have just seen details of some of the fighting around voznesensk.ould offer them a land route towards the historic city of odesa. the port of odesa has already been preparing its defences. one western official today said it remains a prime military objective for moscow. so let's look at the south—east now. we have heard a lot about mariupol. you can see the importance of the city because it would give russia a land bridge between the east and crimea if they were able to seize it. the russian forces seen here in red have encircled the city and have started to go in. and the devastation has been pretty terrible, with some estimates putting up to 90% of mariupol destroyed. so the russian ambition may be to seize the whole of the south, leaving ukraine landlocked. that would impose economic as well as military costs. but russia has faced fierce resistance, its forces are spread thin, and it's not always been able to keep territory it has taken, so that may be an ambition to far. as we've been reporting, the focus of diplomatic efforts this week will be

a refrigerated railcar in voznesensk, some still teenagers. perhaps, like so many, they didn't even know they were going off to war. the russian military won't even acknowledge they exist, says this scout, goad named ghost. russia is treating their own soldiers like meat, leaving them to rot, he says. when they came to voznesensk, the russians were armed to the teeth with heavy artillery and helicopters o occupying and looting homes across the river. local ukrainian fighters were outnumbered, outgunned but not outsmarted. just on the other side of this bridge a russian tank was pointing its canon directly at the town but in an act of self-sacrifice, the military blew up the bridge to keep them from crossing. the mayor walks me through the land minus. if the tanks had gotten past this point, he says, they could have captured yet another nuclear power plant or cut off ukraine's bigles navel port, odesa, if it were not for their brave military and volunteers like sushenko, a retired man. what did you do. >> i jumped and shot with my own rifle. my

voznesensk, knowing that she had moved here, nikolaev, she did not know such a fatal coincidence.entally saw him in the hall, grabbed a knife, and the knife turned out to be lozetsky's knife, well, then you know it's capable. i am very glad that the investigation was carried out as soon as possible and the criminal was detained. thank you, comrade captain personally and the entire department as a whole can be free. and what is the criminal doing with his victim? you same in the monkey house should sit flushed, or what? the police the slingshots were laughing so hard at me and they took her even as a keepsake, not as a keepsake. and this seizure of the means of crime is called the difference. the most important thing is to be forgiven and released for these sausages. i paid the stash. i had to climb in, they said there would be another court, but there was no more than a fine. here, that is, for a year or two, but to work on your homeland. mihailovich for sure all right . damn, you forgot the world. further snow heat, it's not a banana years somewhere behind, what's ahead? how is l

a refrigerated railcar in voznesensk. some, still teenagers.ke so many, they didn't even know they were going off to war. "the russian military won't even acknowledge they exist," says this scout, code-named ghost. "russia is treating their own soldiers like meat, leaving them to rot," he says. when they came to voznesensk, the russians were armed to the teeth with heavy artillery and helicopters, occupying and looting homes across the river. local ukrainian fighters were outnumbered, and outgunned, but not outsmarted. just on the other side of this bridge, a russian tank was pointing its canon directly at the town. but in an act of self-sacrifice, the military blew up the bridge to keep them from crossing. thoi, thould ks me through the n have captuye nur powernt, or cff ukraine's biggest naival port, odesa, were it not for their brave military, and even the most unlikely of volunteers, like 66-year-old sushenko nikolay semenovich, a retired mine-sweeper in th soviet army. what did you do, when the russians were attacking? "i jumped out and sh

volunteers and troops in the town of voznesensk destroyed an armoured convoy and pushed back russianrussia, ukrainian forces are trying to recapture territory. but the port city of mariupol is still under intense russian bombardement. president zelensky says around 100,000 civilians are trapped without food, water or heat. the bbc�*s james waterhouse in kyiv reports now on the day's developments. this war was always russia's invasion, but it's also become a story of ukraine's resistance and today fight back. carre, live to the west of kyiv, has reportedly been retaken. the regional chief of police there posted this patriotic video, complete with dramatic music. russia isn't stopping, though — it continues to bombard nikolayev, where tamara is in labour. translation: it's scary, but not as much as on february 24th, when the russians began to shell alive from all sides. over time, every day you get used to it more and more, especially when the explosions are somewhere far away. it seems that they're in another state. and then yesterday, here near the hospital, just 500 meters opposite

in the tiny but crucial south—western town of voznesensk, residents and ukraine's military push backnly a few weeks old, and the russians will almost certainly be back. but in the besieged city of mariupol, stories of children dying because of food and water shortages. the war pushes millions of traumatised refugees across borders. the un secretary general says the war makes no military sense.

volunteers and troops in the southern town of voznesensk destroyed a russian armoured convoy and pushedtill under intense russian bombardement. president zelensky says around 100,000 civilians are now trapped there without food, water or power. 0ur correspondent wyre davies has been speaking to a survivor of the attack on the city�*s theatre, where hundreds of civilians including children had been taking shelter. maria walked for four days to escape mariupol. without money, a car orfamily, she has nothing. she�*s the first known survivor of the mariupol theatre attack to speak about what happened. translation: the theatre - was completely packed with people. there was no space to lie down people were just sitting. it was clear that this was a shelter, people knew this. also that there was massive signs saying children that were made on both sides of the theatre. where were you at the exact time of the attack? we were getting our breakfast and by breakfast i mean we were getting some boiled water. someone brought me some pieces of fish, i think to feed the dogs. when they finished eating

they lost a battalion crew, that's hundreds of men, in voznesensk. it comes to the point from the pentagon today seeing what looks like russian naval forces going towards odesa. it's an extremely complex operation and you see the russians talking about already 7,000 dead. you see them redeploying from places like armenia or going to foreign countries like syria. entire battalions have been dissolved and they're trying to reorient them. two weapons we really got to focus on that the biden administration said they're going to plus up, the javelin over to the left. you can see it in some of the videos, troops going out. this is a top down, fire and forget weapon that is devastating russian armor convoys. for the russian aircraft flying too low, you've got the stinger missiles. they have do remarkably well destroying aircraft. president zelenskyy said how do they go after aircraft and things like cruise missiles. that's that s-300 system we were talking about from slovakia. this is a weapon designed to intercept those cruise missiles. most of what you're

the southern town of voznesensk has already seen off an attack by the russian army.ian bombing raids have turned the city into "ashes". 0ur correspondent james waterhouse has this report from kyiv. this war was always russia's invasion, but it's also become a story of ukraine's resistance. a story of ukraine's resistance, and today, fight back. makariv, to the west of kyiv, has reportedly been retaken. the regional chief of police there posted this patriotic video, complete with dramatic music. russia isn't stopping, though. it continues to bombard mykolaiv, where tamara is in labour. translation: it's scary, - but not as much as on february 24, when the russians began to shell mykolaiv from all sides. over time, every day, you get used to it, more and more. you get used to it, more and more, especially when the explosions are somewhere far away. it seems like they're in another state. and then yesterday, here, near the hospital, just 500 metres opposite the maternity hospital, it became scary again. doctors say there's been a new wave births here, caused by women go

yesterday, we told you about how the southern town of voznesensk had seen off an attack by the russiane _ three weeks ago to be in capital. to be here. because it's _ three weeks ago to be in capital. to be here. because it's the _ three weeks ago to be in capital. to be here. because it's the heart - three weeks ago to be in capital. to be here. because it's the heart of. be here. because it's the heart of the countrx — be here. because it's the heart of the country. and _ be here. because it's the heart of the country. and a _ be here. because it's the heart of the country. and a lot— be here. because it's the heart of the country. and a lot of- be here. because it's the heart of the country. and a lot of attack. the country. and a lot of attack from _ the country. and a lot of attack from north— the country. and a lot of attack from north and _ the country. and a lot of attack from north and east _ the country. and a lot of attack from north and east right - the country. and a lot of attack from north and east right now. the country. and a lot of attack. from north and east right no

this is the town of voznesensk. the russians were determined to seize it.has refused to rule out using nuclear weapons. the pentagon called those remarks dangerous. and with further sanctions imminent, the ukrainians hope that, step—by—step, the russians will be urged towards peace. judith moritz, bbc news. let's speak now to our correspondent in kyiv, james waterhouse. james, what's the latest from overnight? you have a blend of small arms fire, automatic fire, and then the quite quick thudding of artillery fire further out. you can see a slight haze, a slight mist, that is being created by that intense fighting. nevertheless, if you take a step away here from the capital, we are getting more reports of ukrainians fighting back, as you havejust seen, about 30 kilometres from here to the west. the authorities there say they have retaken it, in their words the ukrainian flag flies once more. and i think this is part of us entering this static chapter of this conflict. no less deadly, as you can hear, but this is a symptom of both sides are starting to dig in

this is the town of voznesensk. the russians were determined to seize it.e this, the ukrainians are moving from defence to attack. we have seen indications that the ukrainians are going a bit more on the offense now, and they have been defending very smartly, very nimbly, very creatively, in places that they believe are the right places to defend. and we have seen them now in places, particularly in the south, near kherson, they have tried to regain territory. the ukrainians say that each day they fight, they buy themselves a better position at the negotiating table. the diplomacy continues, but so too does the war of words. russia has refused to rule out using nuclear weapons. the pentagon called those remarks dangerous. and with further sanctions imminent, the ukrainians hope that, step—by—step, the russians will be urged towards peace. judith moritz, bbc news. plenty more from ukraine, of course. and — a quick pointer — we'll be taking your questions on the war in ukraine, this friday at 11:30. we'll have guests able to answer a range of aspects of the w

russians lost in voznesensk. they tried to advance an entire tactical group major devastation like you've seen seen. ukrainian defense forces, citizens of the town, defending the forces and stopping it if the russians cannot advance this direction, they will fail in the south to achieve the bigger goal. which is to move around here and cut off ukraine. i'm not sure they can ever do this at this point across the entire country, they have a major logistical disaster on their hands, trying to resupply in up to four or five different corridors. they're failing at each of those in terms of the resupply. >> clint, stay with us i want to go through some of this, john, from your fantastic reporting. the army is shrinking, possibly by over 10%. they're having nightmare problems with logistics. generals are getting killed left and right. then, you know, russian soldiers going home with frostbite. we heard that's what happened with the germans we heard that's what happened to the french when napoleon went into russia. they'