that state. the fed raises interest rates, plus our cbs s carter evans takes a closer look tonight at inflation and why those already struggling financially are being hit the hardest. and america s opioid crisis. cbs s jeff pegues shows us why drug cartels are now pushing fentanyl that looks like candy. they re deliberately doing this to kill our children. this is the cbs evening news with norah o donnell, reporting from the nation s capital. duncan: good evening to our viewers in the west, and thank you for joining us tonight. i m jericka duncan in for norah. we begin tonight with the biggest escalation in the war in ukraine since the invasion itself. russia s vladimir putin is threatening nuclear war and warning the west he s not bluffing. it comes after humiliating defeats on the battlefield in ukraine and in a move not seen in russia since world war ii, putin is calling up hundreds of thousands of reservists. the announcement was met by intense anti-war protestors a
and we have seen who is the only one who wants war. reporter: this is why putin has raised the stakes. he s suffered humiliating losses on the battlefield. this is how far ukrainian soldiers have pushed back russian troops. the nearest russian border post just over two miles down this road, which is why we have to be quick, because even though this village is liberated, russian artillery can still strike here. both sides are losing men, today, russia s minister of defense said nearly 6,000 of their soldiers have been killed, but according to estimates from the u.s., russian casualties are closer to 80,000. putin s so desperate, he s been reduced to recruiting convicts, offering freedom in exchange for fighting on the front line. but it s not going down well at
captioning sponsored by cbs duncan: tonight, the new threat of nuclear war. vladimir putin declares he s not bluffing and will do anything to defend russia. anti-war protestors arrested in the streets of russia as putin mobilizes 300,000 more troops. cbs s debora patta is on the ground in ukraine. reporter: you have to be quick, because even though the village is liberated, russian atillery can still strike here. duncan: plus president biden rebukes putin at the united nations. donald trump sued for widespread fraud. it s the art of the steal. duncan: the bombshell lawsuit from the new york state attorney general. cbs s robert costa breaks down the accusations that could prevent the former first family from ever running a business in
effect, and we understand call- up papers will already being handed out. putin s back is against the wall and he is playing dirty, a sore loser, but a dangerous one, upping the ante by threatening to use nuclear weapons. we will use every means at our disposal to protect russia and our people, he said, adding, this is not a bluff. no one other than russia sought conflict. reporter: president biden making it clear at the u.n. that it was russia that declared war in the first place. this war is about extinguishing ukraine s right to exist as a state, plain and simple. reporter: speaking later in a recorded statement to world leaders at the same u.n. assembly, volodymyr zelenskyy. ukraine wants peace.enskyy. ukraine wants pea europe wants peace. the world wants peace.
ukraine and in a move not seen in russia since world war ii, putin is calling up hundreds of thousands of reservists. the announcement was met by intense anti-war protestors across russia with more than 1300 arrests. in another sign of just how unpopular the war has become, one-way flights leaving russia are selling out. prices are skyrocketing as people try to flee that country. president biden condemned putin in his speech before the united nations general assembly. he accused russia of violating the core principles of the u.n. we have a lot of news to get to tonight, and we begin with cbs s debora patta, who is on the front lines there in kharkiv where ukrainians are gaining more ground. good evening, debra. reporter: good evening. as many as 300,000 russians face the draft. those with medical expertise are being conscripted with immediate