the war zone to give a powerful performance deep in the heart of texas. announcer: this is nbc nightly news with lester holt good evening, everyone stalemate. that s how american officials describe the slow and deadly slog that the war in ukraine has become tonight the rubble of a shopping mall in kyiv providing more evidence of russia s scorched earth assault on ukraine s cities and its people its armored military advance on the capital barely closer than it was a week ago russia s superior aerial reach, however, striking and destroying dozens of buildings with devastating results. but it is the city of mariupol that has become the symbol of this war and wanton destruction. russia demanding the city surrender the answer from kyiv, no today, ukraine s president rallying his people while many are simply escaping the country, others, as you re to be see, are boldly standing their ground against the invaders