Ukrainian control in Russia could be about to shrink

explosives from Russian drones practically rained down on this street last night in the town of katop in the sui region Northern Ukraine at least 14 people were Hur no one killed it's from this region that the ukrainians launched their offensive into Russia last month one of the biggest twists in the story of this war the Russian Ministry of Defense released these pictures this afternoon though reporting to show their efforts to retake a number of settlements in the area Western officials told us that Russian counterattacks have started something acknowledged by president seninsky today the Russians have begun counter offensive actions but this is what we had planned for after their surprise incursion into Russia's KK region at the start of August Ukraine says it's holding about 500 square miles of Russian territory although it looks like moscow's counter offensive has started it's on the Eastern Front though where Russian gains over the summer have come into particular Focus since June they've Advanced quickly in the direction of the key town of Bakr although that has slowed down in the last few weeks Vladimir Putin met with a senior Iranian security official today meeting comes as short range Iranian supplied missiles are expected to be used in Ukraine in the coming weeks that's added to the urgency of a flurry of diplomatic head-to heads for Ukraine's part it awaits permission from the US allowing them to use longrange Western supplied missiles to be fired deeper into Russia Anthony blinken's language today suggested an announcement on that could come soon I can tell you that uh as we go forward we will do exactly what we have already done which is we will adjust we'll adapt as necessary including with regard to the means that are at uh Ukraine's disposal to effectively defend against the Russian aggression and in the last couple of hours Vladimir Putin was asked about the same thing this will mean that NATO countries the United States and European countries are fighting against Russia and if this is so then bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created for us there are most of big diplomatic moments coming the UN General Assembly next week for one but the big question now is what form the punishment from Russia will come in against Ukraine and against the people fighting on its behalf AA por C Brian reporting well I'm now joined here in front of the r tack by H Yen simmerman he's a senior member of the Social Democratic party the SPD of the chancellor Olaf Charles thank you very much for joining us here good evening again Sim it's good to see you again um let's start with Ukraine uh this government is very very firmly in favor of helping Ukraine win this war at least not get defeated by Russia where does the German government stand on long range weapons that could be used inside Russia itself so the chancellor made it clear over and over again that we have a thin line of escalation and I fully understand that Ukraine is eager to get this weapons and to use them for their offensive but uh Chancellor Schultz is closely talking to President Biden and so there is this red line and I don't see that we leave that okay so just very briefly on this if P President Putin as he did today threatens that this war would escalate into a much wider War involving NATO involving Germany um would that make you think no we're not going to allow weapons German weapons to be used inside Russia so we don't listen to threats like that because I don't think it makes any sense contacts to Putin are completely gun I mean at the beginning of the war they had him on the phone constantly that has gone Far Far Away uh we don't listen to threats like that okay let's move on to the freedom of movement and the shenan agreement this is a sacred pillar of the European Union and your government is going to impose border controls at The Crossings into your nine Neighbors which some of them are very upset about is that literally just a political gesture to take this the wind out of the afd sales so first of all we have a lot of these controls for the whole summer we had the Olympics in Paris we had the European Champions in Germany so these controls are in place for months now and during that time we had like 30,000 people at the borders who were sent back and I have to make that point we had a tragedy in zingan a stabbing three death and this is um this is the case why we say we need these controls but the fact that you've announced it and made a big deal out of it now before the elections in Brandenburg that shows you that how scared this government is of the afd doesn't it I wouldn't say that we are scared but the people expect from this government and all parties that we deal with that threat it was the second stabbing um and we see isil is not dead um and we have to deal with that and uh these are appropriate measures there are also reports that this government is think about in introducing much harsher kind of Welcome packages for refugees coming in what the afd and you saw this in my report called you know a bed some bread and a piece of soap which is pretty reprehensible are you going to do the same no no no that's ridiculous and it is not on the agenda we have uh rules and regulations in Germany we love them and they also apply for refugees who are coming to our country we have over 1 million Ukrainian refugees taken into Germany we're taking good care of them and we will give shelter to everybody who can apply seeking asylum in Germany your party is Nationwide polling I don't know 14 15% in some of the Southern eastern states 5% 6% I mean this is terrible you're the party of vly brownon helmet Schmidt these were different times in during that times we only had like three parties in the bundes tag now we have seven or eight but um it is difficult times and especially in these two Eastern German states we were not performing well for the last 20 years but today there's a new poll in Brandenburg which sees us at 26% which is uh very promising but it shows it is neck in neck unfortunately with a far right with a populist R and um I'm very concerned about that that's for sure there are serious German political observers and academics who've been saying that what's happening in that building there the rice tack is reminiscent of the Vima Republic right is that overblowing it somewhat I mean as a German politician I'm extremely conscious about our history and unfortunately I have to agree um I have age with that I have to agree that the language of the populist the far right the far left it has sometimes they are using the same techniques but I'm convinced that the parties of the center won't do the same mistake that they did 100 years ago we'll be watching Yen simmeron thank you very much