War in Ukraine: Seven days that changed the world - BBC News

uh [Music] [Applause] [Music] ukraine wakes after a night of explosions this is the capital city kiev people are on high alert tension is high but it's eerily quiet then you recognize the whole of the hanskin danietz which represents uh a much bigger land grab we've just heard a siren go off for the first time we haven't heard that before this is a very worrying morning uh for people uh in the capital city and beyond this is what the fear had been all along after weeks of uncertainty russia's president vladimir putin addressed the nation around 6am moscow time we will strive for the demilitarization and denatification of ukraine russia cannot feel safe develop and exist with a constant threat emanating from the territory of modern ukraine vladimir putin declares war on ukraine over the next 20 minutes we'll look back at a week that changed history with bbc journalists on the ground across ukraine and russia all lagering was in ukraine's capital as it came under siege a day has changed everything for ukraine and for security in europe ukrainians were not safe in their own homes here at the aftermath of a strike on a block of flats in harkiv ukraine's second city missile fragments now on display in the playground like many here natalia is trying to comprehend what has befallen ukraine trying to work out how to protect her two-year-old karina move the show we are afraid for our children for our families as russian attacks grow in intensity western leaders impose sanctions and condemn the violence putin is the aggressor putin chose this war and now he and his country will bear the consequences it's vital for the safety of every nation the putin's squad adventure should ultimately fail and be seen to fail the un security council held a surreal emergency session to discuss the actions of one of its own don't ask me questions when you are speaking the current council president a russian as the secretary general called for peace president putin stop your troops from attacking the ukraine give peace a chance too many people have already died while leaders discussed armed convoys rolled across ukraine sirens quickly became the norm for many here in this year 2022 the most advanced of intelligence the worst of warnings the most intensive of diplomacy couldn't make president putin blink international norms are being shattered the architecture of all our lives and a siren to remind you that war has come to kiev in a european capital in a city that is going right round the world in moscow hundreds took to the streets no to war they chanted determined to make their voices heard but they were silenced many were arrested overnight brought no respite more attacks before dawn as ukrainian anti-aircraft batteries intercept a missile over the capital as the assault closes in on kiev two and a half million civilians are suddenly on the front line russia says it's not targeting civilians but this is what happens when you fire missiles at a capital city paul adams walked among the empty streets of kiev in 24 hours these streets have almost completely emptied it is increasingly dangerous to go out the ukrainians have warned that russian soldiers could be operating inside the city perhaps even in stolen ukrainian vehicles pressure on the government is mounting all the time most people here believe the russians simply want to get rid of it for ukraine's president speaking again to his people this is a lonely fight this morning we are alone in defending our country just like yesterday the most powerful forces in the world watch from afar have yesterday sanctions persuaded russia we see in our skies and feel on the ground that they are not enough many residents have taken cover underground [Music] now we have come to the building where the bomb shelter is and we're trying to stay here it's pretty crowded people get their dogs and cats and kids and we're hearing the news about possible attacks in this district attacks are spreading across the country in mariupol in the southeast destruction in sumi in the northeast battles rage here in the capital horror as a tank drives over a car incredibly the driver survived the outbreak of war means that once unthinkable is suddenly normal ukraine's president vladimir zelinski sends a rallying cry as everyday ukrainians take to the battle line we are all here our soldiers are here the citizens are here and we are here we defend our independence that's how it will go glory to our defenders both male and female glory to ukraine but many also try to flee thousands flood train stations like this one in kiev a warning shot sounds out as people desperately tried to escape the conflict via any means possible [Music] be it by car foot or by train people head for the borders fergal keane was in levive here people run for the train station as the sirens ring out they look for shelter and for a means of escape [Music] platforms overflowing with people wanting to get out [Music] this is hard to credit to believe in the europe of 2022 people are just crushing all around me trying to get onto these trains a woman a young mother with a baby they're screaming because everyone's getting crushed their hope is that the train would help them avoid this the line of cars to the polish border so those people are moving on foot down towards the border with poland but it's another 20 kilometers from where we are at the moment we just need to move out of the way and let more people pass us here they're coming and constant procession of people however they arrive at the border this slow shuffle out of the lives they knew is what awaits despite russia's military might ukraine holds firm but the worry from of western officials is this if president putin of russia doesn't get the quick victory that many predicted and the one he wants then the worries that he might resort to more drastic measures to achieve his goal to quote one official he said for him this is no longer a war of choice but of necessity this is what kiev awoke to all of this disruption in a residential area authorities say it was a russian missile strike which killed two people the streets of kiev are empty a city braced for impact volody mizelensky appears on the city's deserted streets reassuring the nation i am here he says and we will not lay down our arms far from it we found ukrainians taking up arms forming volunteer brigades to defend the city alongside local police this volunteer who goes by the nickname malloy says i don't want to live in russia and my brothers in arms don't want that either we will defend this city or i will die across the country groups form to make homemade petrol bombs many unite in the face of continuing russian advance keen to defend their homeland it's just too dangerous above ground we've all had to come down the bbc team here uh to shelter underground it's been clear throughout the day that the increasing level of military ordnance going off quite a few miles away but getting closer and closer to our position here it's simply too dangerous to be above ground and i think what needs to be remembered is this is the experience now for millions of people across this country let's get into that a little bit more with our chief international correspondent lisa doucette this is a city kiev capital city just under 3 million people well over 40 million people across this country this is their experience of this war ukraine ukraine is now a subterranean world life is lived for millions of people across this country in basements like this in car parks in bomb shelters wherever they can find shelter the metro station has stopped working in kiev because it's now a 24 hour refuge and a curfew is in force not just a night curfew clive but a curfew which will last until 8 a.m on monday that was the first warning we had today that something was about to happen and in the last hour there's there's been electricity in the air the air raid sirens have sounded there's been explosions rattle of gunfire and an urgency to the warnings take to the shelters this comes after an order for moscow to its forces to advance in all directions against kiev there is no let up in fighting on the streets of harkiev a grim warning of what is to come if the conflict doesn't stop russian troops roll in but the ukrainian defense forces fight on putin takes his next move the world stops war in ukraine and now russia's nuclear forces on special alert [Music] russian state tv announced our submarines alone are capable of launching more than 500 nuclear warheads guaranteed to destroy america and all of nato so what is this brinkmanship something more or something less empty threats but i think after the dramatic events we've seen in recent days it would be unwise to dismiss these signals from the kremlin appointed message to the west don't push russia president putin summoned his military chiefs and gave them an order top officials of leading nato countries are making aggressive statements about our country therefore i'm ordering the minister of defense and the chief of the general staff to put the strategic nuclear forces on special alert would putin really use them he practiced a week ago overseeing exercises of russia's strategic deterrence forces typically unsubtle hints to america and nato not to stand in his way over ukraine this is now an age of wartime leaders a former ukrainian prime minister posts an online tutorial on how to make petrol bombs they only create small explosions across ukraine military powers are creating much bigger impacts nick beak looked on from the capital we're hearing the explosions get louder as the russians draw ever nearer seizing this european capital while the world looks on is for now president putin's prime objective and everyone living here simply has no idea just how much force he's prepared to use to do that and just how many people could die children in the capital play in an underground world mirroring the gruesome reality of what's unfolding above them [Applause] overnight and now upsettingly familiar crackle of gunfire for many in ukraine the reality of life in a country at war sounding throughout the night this is the quietest we've seen the centre of kiev and this is being replicated in cities across the country ukraine's defense has been both surprising and extraordinary but it is still the underdog and russia is still making gains at ahmedet hospital the largest pediatric center in ukraine staff are used to battling disease now they have to adjust to war doctors say they have enough supplies but the world health organization warns if the situation gets worse oxygen supplies could run out outside ill children wait with their worried mothers to be transferred to poland for cancer treatment no longer available here archeon is facing a risky journey with his mother since i'll be frank it's i i'm scared but i i can see another way to escape so we have to do this [Music] every day sirens sound and ukrainians run underground or for shelter car parks basements and bunkers become home to millions across the country sarah rainsford saw firsthand the reality of conditions people face this bomb shelter this bunker was built beneath a factory in the soviet union it was supposed to be used in the event of a nuclear attack and now it's being used in modern day ukraine to keep people safe when the sirens while again there has been no attack on nipro yet but suddenly the danger feels close eileena and yuri spent last night here we're just hiding now we didn't need their protection people in areas like this are now spending their nights in bomb shelters the fighting hasn't come here yet but people are extremely worried already back in kiev the air raid sirens are wailing again there have been reports about foreign students not being allowed on trains in these hard times i just hope it doesn't matter who's indian who's pakistani russian ukrainian we all are just people we have certain human rights so i guess in these hard times we should just help each other and cooperativeness and that's all already there are cues for food some wondering how long it will be until supplies start to run out day five of the invasion and ukraine still resists but there are fears kiev could be put under siege one more russian missile strike brings terror to the streets of kiev the target kiev's tv tower emergency services say five people were killed and more firepower is closing in more uncertainty for a city already under intense strain aerial photography reveals a convoy around 40 miles long headed for the capital whether people have been taking shelter below ground or taking up weapons above it they will have all seen the pictures from other locations in this vast country of what is happening [Music] volunteers from all walks of life continue to come forward to defend their country not entirely sure of what they're signing up for igor a lawyer now mans a lookout post yeah so a week ago i was representing my cases in a courtroom and now it's difficult to grasp but if you don't think about it and simply do what you have to do it it actually feels pretty already normal i mean have you ever held a gun in your hands before uh at school we've trained uh to deal with this sort of things but i have never dared to sit and never even shot a gun or a pistol the new architecture of kiev tank traps and barricades made from whatever is at hand a city watching on as ukraine's second city harkief comes under fire [Music] a strike right at the heart of the city russia says it's not targeting civilians here it says it's using precision missiles it claims it's liberating ukraine from nazis but russia has invaded its neighbor and it is killing civilians ukraine's president calls it the price for freedom it's tangible just how enormous that price is we're fighting just for our land and for our freedom the show of solidarity from the european parliament a standing ovation then the president was off to lead the defense of his country [Applause] below ground in our bomb shelter the adrenaline has run out people are visibly tired visibly upset from everything that's going on and when you come up it's this empty and you can feel the tension moscow has urged people living here to leave as it lists new targets but for so many people that's not an option in broad daylight danger just outside the window this is the town of bologianca about 25 miles from kiev as russians advance towards the city they live a trail of destruction they know nothing about our capital about our history but they have an order to erase our history to erase our country to erase us all west of kiev in the town of jotomir the target may have been an air base nearby but family homes have been destroyed oleg rivak stands calmly in the rubble but he has lost his wife she was the light of my life he says she was the best thing that's happened to me but i'm trying to keep myself together because of one reason i still have parents and a daughter they're telling people to stay inside shooting in the air you hear the sounds a glimpse of street to street fighting in hurston on the black sea russia appears to have captured the port city in the capital seven days on from the start of war sirens wail they echo the fear and dread many in kiev feel people wait nervous for the future a week that has changed the world forever nothing is certain in the days weeks or months ahead the people of ukraine wait as the world watches on [Music] [Music] you

Channel: BBC News

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Keywords: bbc, bbc news, news, Zelensky, Zelensky news, president Zelensky, putin, vladimir Putin, president putin, russia, russian news, ukraine, ukraine news, documentary, full documentary

Id: BzR_K2tEXSo

Length: 22min 55sec (1375 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 06 2022