I'm standing on a rooftop looking out on Levive on day 43 of Russia's brutal invasion

of Ukraine and Jake Tapper and welcome to this special broadcast of the lead live from

Western Ukraine a warning today from the Ukrainian foreign minister that the fight for the

Donbass region in southeastern Ukraine could be reminiscent of World War II. Demetro

Kuleba saying today that the heaviest fighting is yet to come predicting thousands of tanks,

armored vehicles, planes, fighting in major formations for control of the region.

Mr. Kuleba in Brussels today also made this plea to NATO nations including the United States.

Either you help us now and I'm speaking about days, not weeks or you help will come to late

and many people will die, many civilians will lose their homes, many villages will be destroyed.

One of the many cities already destroyed Meriopoul which has been under siege for

40 days. The mayor there now estimates at least 5,000 people have been killed in his city alone

including he says more than 200 children. A Ukrainian military commander still there it's

all seen in that Russian military forces are trying to wipe Meriopoul quote off the face of the

earth. This was the scene on the ground in eastern Ukraine earlier today. CNN's Ivan Watson

witnessing crowds rushing to board an evacuation train heading from there to here to Laviv

where I am right now. Ukrainian government officials are also warning civilians across

eastern Ukraine from the Donbass region to North to Harkiv that the Russians are advancing.

In New York today a largely symbolic but also necessary move the United Nations voting

to suspend Russia from the human rights council. The council does not have any legal authority

and indeed includes other countries that regularly violate human rights including China but

the panel is conducting its own investigation into alleged Russian war crimes.

CNN chief international anchor Christiana Mapore joins me in our live from Kiev and Christiane.

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