Label. These are troubling he looked ahead to next weeks. Fighting in the south of ukraine in the key port city of odessa which has avoided any violence up until now. The reports of as many as thirty people dead in a fire in the port area dozens of injuries there as well the situation remains volatile and ideas today for the first time Ukrainian Ministry forces moved against pro russia militias in the east is his heels of yet two minutes the helicopter went down to as there were a number of casualties. We will be going online. The reason for not to tell as kiev moves to restore its control in the contested areas. There are questions about by elections later this month and of International Diplomacy can pull this country back from them in a village near donetsk residents blocked the path of Ukrainian Army tanks. He demanded the soldiers turned back can go home. He has launched a major operation to re gain control that separate is held areas. But so far the effort as bogged down in resis
diplomatic staff and others, the u.s., u.k., germany, and now australia. the administration for its part conducted two classified briefings on ukraine today or congressional leadership aids and their staffs, more on that throughout the week. meanwhile the kremlin spokesperson dimitri prescott accused the u.s. of escalating tensions by putting troops on high alert telling reporters that moscow was watching the u.s. actions with great concern. this as western allies are moving to bulk up their military commitments in the baltic denmark ascending fighter jets to jets to lithuania and a frigate to the baltic sea, france offering to send troops to romania and spain sending a frigate to the black sea. russia announced a new series of military drills across its territory including, you guessed it, near ukraine and in annexed crimea. shannon? shannon: thank you very