the human catastrophe that is happening in ukraine. >> leading off our discussion tonight, nbc news correspondent, cal perry, and lviv, ukraine. also, retired lieutenant general, ben hodges, former commanding general of the united states army, in europe. cal, let me begin with you, in the situation there tonight. >> i think that there is a number of indications we can now point to on the ground. as evidence that this military operation is planned. so, the first witnesses brutal assault on the civilian population in these hours. the lifelines for civilians, who are maybe behind, specifically, the food supply, and the medical supplies. in the city of mariupol, you have russian troops inside of a ukrainian hospital, using patients there as human shields, as a way to avoid being shot at, and a way to deny the enemy medical treatment happening, in an urban setting. in the city of kharkiv, we have