in the world, and he's trying to portray this invasion in this light. oh, i russia the savour. so to say, and lot of people here are also, i think quite am quite worried about what's happening and calling them for their relatives, their, their friends. and a lot of enemies don't you know? what makes this am on the strength of weeks because the rhetoric is going worse and worse with them every, every day and natalia. one more question. we've heard that the, the west stands united and preparing a package of massive sanctions. as they said, they said that these sanctions will be crippling to russia as the economy, industry technology. what are the concerns there in the kremlin? it doesn't seem that these have acted as a deterrence. so are there concerns about what might be coming from the west? well, according to the, to the official read regular say that the sanctions will come and that will prepare to this. but this is only part of the, the war,

all the west against russia that we are leading. and we've been preparing for this . and of course there were things as will come because this is, this is what's what we barrett for. but we are not willing to let russian government not willing to let and there people suffer and they are prepared for the sanction they say. but here in russia also some normal people of it i've been talking to, they say that they are actually shared economic consequences for themselves. and they've been this morning looking at them and the, and the russian rabble that hit the wrong button today. and i are actually asking what is going to happen to lower country soon? journal is natalia, small, and save us speaking to us from moscow. thanks so much for that update. well, we're trying to get an overview of what is happening on the ground right now. as russia has invaded ukraine, it's difficult to do so, but we have william bluecross back with us now to to help us get a better picture of what is happening. william. that's right. thanks very much. it

has been a shocking 2436 hours. although we've been seeing as many as 190000 russian troops building up on ukrainian borders for the last many months, actually still, let's see how things have developed. if we can show a map of ukraine here up on the wall behind me. there's been a number of developments they started will remember in the east, in this separatist held region that russia recognizes now, but the rest of the world does not this don bus region. that's where putin on monday said he was going to be sending forces to so called protect them from what he saw as ukrainian aggressions and the ukraine denied. but since then, what we're hearing out of ukraine has gone way beyond that with attacks around the country, including airstrikes in cave, the capital, also in major cities like car cave in the east. and we've been hearing about amphibious landings in strategic port cities like mara pole,

and also an advanced to odessa, very important access to the black sea for ukraine, 4 kinds of trade and imports these kinds of things. and then over to the west, in the view, this is a city that's considered a safer because it's further to the west, away from advancing russian troops where many diplomatic staff, western diplomatic staff have been going over the last few weeks and been actually encouraging ukrainian government officials, including the president zalinski to go there as well, which of course he's saying he's not going anywhere, not leaving the capital at this moment. and just as russia has been holding military drills in belarus as was feared, at least some of those troops that were, that were being used for drills have been now set across the order. so we've been hearing now it's important to remember in such chaotic and violent moments like this, it is very difficult to confirm a lot of these, a lot of these reports. but what we do and can say very broadly speaking,

is there is a massive operation underway. across all of ukraine, with russian forces advancing by land, by sea, and by air against ukrainian cities and ukrainian armed forces. and it is going to be a very, very volatile situation, a very dangerous situation over the next hours and days, possibly weeks to come right. thanks william for that update of the situation there on the ground for keeping an eye on that for us. an important description there. and we know that russia has indeed launched this full scale invasion of ukraine as we just heard. there have been attacks and targets across the country. he says, dozens of people have been killed, many have been injured. this is a large scale air and ground assault by russian forces. and russian president prudent says he is launching this military operation to quote, secure the future of russia as a sovereign nation. western leaders have vowed to impose crippling sanction. and let's go right to washington. now, our correspondent,

our washington bureau chief in his pole, is standing by 4th there high enough. you know, this invasion happening and taking place. of course, through the night there in the u. s. washington waking up as well to the news, although i'm sure nobody was sleeping in the white house, but still what reactions have you seen there in washington this morning? thus we're present. biden reacted actually immediately after to tune started his invasion by saying that the kremlin is fully accountable. so what we kind of expected today is that the president biden supported by the european leaders by the g 7, actually will in act a full scale of sanctions. sanctions that probably will come in waves sanctions that are meant to hit or the russian economy. but not only that sanctions also which are meant to hurt the all the gars and putting himself. and that is actually something new because that has not been done before. now this is the

moment that we know the u. s. administration and president biden's intelligence officers have been warning up since december that this invasion was eminent. and now president biden will be addressing the nation we understand to day. what do you think we can expect to hear from him? well, i'm sure that he will underline the clothes or closeness to the allies or how closely and how intensely he is working with his european partners with all the nato members. it's quite interesting. i have a chance to talk to a former general david put rayos yesterday, and he said, sir vladimir putin wanted to make russia great again. but what he actually did, he made nato great again by this invasion by this thread. so this will be something a president biden definitely will be talking about, then he will probably be laying out the further sanctions. but so me what he also

has to do, he really has to convince his fellow americans that the sanctions are necessary because we have to keep in wyatt in mines. ukraine is very far away from the united said states. and if you would ask like people on the streets where your grain is, they wouldn't be able to point out on the, a map where this country lies. so this will be a difficult task specially in a moment when this country, when the united states is facing really high, high inflations up to 17 percent in cities like washington. for example, energy costs are through the roof, gas prices are through the roof and with the sanctions, and that probably will worsen from the perspective of the average american. so this is also something president biden, or will be addressing and test to convince his fellow americans to know that all this is necessary for the beggar picture. that's an important point in as,

and we certainly know that president biden and natal have said there will be no troops on the ground. that much is clear, certainly that we're talking about economic and political sanctions. so how far can washington really go to stand behind ukraine? here mean is ukraine essentially and on its own as this invasion continues, i'm sure that many ukrainians feel like that. they were asking also, they are asking for a military help. and that's understandably from their perspective, because, i mean, they are facing at this strong strong russian army, but that, as you just said, to me will never happen. there won't be any nato troops, there won't be any american soldiers on the ground, but what is already happening. they get a lot of financial support. and they also do get a support from military equipment and what we heard throughout the day. also from our achieve political editor, michelle electric,

know that even in countries like germany, the mood is kind of changing and the necessity is more present that the you, that you grain really also needs help with military equipment. and he has one more question, give us an idea how much bipartisan support is there behind ukraine right now? it's hard to get a sense of that right at the moment it is quite interesting the moment a bite and really announced like strong har sanctions. he got applause from both sides because this is what republicans and democrats were asking for. and this is rare in this moment of history that both political kind of spectrum's are on the same page here. so for the moment i, he has the support from a, from the democrats and the republicans, but it's just a matter of time. and this will change our washington bureau chief in his poll. thank you in, as we'll talk to you later. let's go right to key of our correspondent,

funny for char, standing by forest. funny. bring us 1st of all, up to date on what you've been seeing and hearing there what's happening in the ukrainian capital just before i've been hearing once again, sirens blaring. we have heard that quite often today, in fact, for the very 1st time, shortly after the 1st explosion here here around 4 am or shortly after letting me put in declared, quote, a military operation against ukraine. now that military operation actually turns into a full scale invasion, a several rocketed various cities and invasion by land, by air, by sea. that is what is happening right on ukraine and people here and keep the ones who are staying out, hoping that maybe what we had experienced this morning, the explosions to sharing that maybe this is it a but if you ask me to be so many things happening over the course of the past days that nobody thought is likely and turned out to be real politic. for example,

the recognition of the 2 self proclaimed states in the dom bus region who has and don. yes, that have been a claim that have been a basically taken as a declared as, excuse me, as an independent region. and also of letting me put you saying the basically ukraine doesn't have the right to exist as a state. so that clearly signals that, unfortunately more likely more is to come even though this point things seem to be con. behind me we have seen a lot of ukrainian insecurity forces. we cannot independently verify actually water, those shelling. so what does explosions have hit? but there are reports that the military airport just 50 kilometers from here when also attacked as well as a building, which is supposedly the military intelligence headquarters. yeah, that's some of the information that we've seen coming here as well. funding can you

give us an idea? we mentioned that there are some reports of initial casualties. what can you tell us about that? i would be careful to talk about any numbers at this at this point, simply because we cannot verify them, but according to ukrainian, ukraine's official sources are they are seeing the several soldiers have been killed or they have been people have been injured. i do not know at this point about civilians, but unfortunately a regardless of the numbers to say. so already the shelling there in the don bus region was so heavy over the course of the past days that it's very likely or fortunately that we will have those numbers. and even those numbers increasing when it comes to casualty. so both among civilians and military grania military forces, people here actually kia, it's been really astonishing for me how they react and how differently they react

to the assault that are being carried out by russian forces. at this point, some people have been praying here in front of across others. again, we're trying to leave a lot of people are actually stuck in traffic right now because the way out from keith is really a difficult to take people. i've been lying up at gasoline stations filling up that gas tube be prepared. oh, if there's traffic, they have to go another way, whole to get out of the country to various scenarios here by people on the ground in terms of how to react. well, again, i've also met people who say they want to stay here. they want to defend their country. and in fact, president zalinski said everyone who just able to hold a gun should join and defend ukraine's sovereignty. yeah, funny. we have seen some of those remarkable images of that long convoy of cars, of people who are trying to leave ukraine indeed and, and get out if they can particularly cars leaving t. as you mentioned, the recreating president voter mr. lansky. tell us more about what he has been

saying and what the government is doing right now. we saw that pretty interesting speech from him last night where he spoke directly to the russian people to also appeal for peace. now he is a issued or implemented marshal law. and what is the government doing right now? it wants to present itself as being here and being present. in fact, president lensky is using social media twitter account to be as transparent as people maybe would like him to be because there was a lot of criticism that during the past days and over the course of last week, he wasn't actually directly talking to the ukrainian people but rather to either international media or international diplomats, but actually not people he, on the ground. some also have criticized him. he was not really strong enough to, to, to say that that ukraine is, is ready to fight. but rather at least the thought is really a might statements he and that he's not a strong statement to, to help through this crisis. now our president zelinski is making clear via social

media, for example, that the either of those people who are hearing those sirens assured a stay at home and stay poor. but the ones really are capable to fight are of a fighting age should join these cause the cause he cause in the meaning of a free country, a free ukraine. and of course is regularly posting all the support of the verbal solidarity. but also the military equipment and other a boast by international of forces, by nato allies that are supposed to arrive here in ukraine. he's trying to basically keep the other the ukrainians job today, but also sure don't panic. i'm here. the government is functioning while at the same time wanting people to stay at home. look for the close, a shelter. and once again, they hear those sirens blaring again. all right, funny, thank you for bringing a phillip there from here or speak to you down the road a little that fresh and.