conor: hello, and welcome to “focus on europe.” russia's war of aggression on ukraine means that, for ukrainians, not a day or night goes by without heavy fighting, human suffering, and indescribable destruction. the war is raging ever more fiercely, especially in the major cities of eastern ukraine, where russian troops are also attacking residential areas. as the civilian casualties increase, along with the suffering of the local populations, the ukrainian army is continuing to resist the invasion.

to assist in ukraine's defense, volunteer fighters from all around the world are heading to ukraine. like anatoli from finland, whose name we have changed to protect his identity. ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky had issued an appeal for volunteers like anatoli, and at this point, thousands of these foreign fighters have reportedly made the journey. the volunteers are traveling to ukraine from all directions, including from przemysl in eastern poland, which is also where, every single day, a steady stream of refugees arrives from the other direction. reporter: they've fled a brutal war in ukraine. every day, more than 30,000 women and children arrive at the train station of this small polish border town of przemysl. they're exhausted and traumatized by their experiences. >> we didn't want to go away. we didn't want to leave our homes. we only left to save our lives.

reporter: but anatoli, which is not his real name, wants to go to this war, precisely because he finds it brutal and unjust. he comes from finland. we met him at the platform, loaded with gear, waiting for his train to the front. anatoli: for me, it was the right thing to do as a human being. like, part of the solidarity movement. i strongly feel that i can contribute by going. reporter: he stresses that he is not a risk-taker or a war tourist. in finland, anatoli studies graphic design. but before that, he spent five years working as a finnish army instructor. he wants to share his expertise with the ukrainian national guard. anatoli: they do have the manpower. what they need, in my opinion, is instructors, team leaders, to get people through the

pipeline, the training pipeline, and especially with the western weapon systems, how to use them effectively. reporter: in the station, we speak with other foreign fighters, most of whom don't want to be filmed. they come from all over the world, and for very different reasons. they are adventurers, idealists, mercenaries, and former soldiers. we also meet ayik. he tells us that he was a child soldier in sudan, but is now living in australia. in ukraine, he tells us, he wants to help defend western values. ayik: i was just thinking, watching the news, and all of a sudden, i heard the president asking for foreigners to come and help fight. and then i said to myself, you know, i'm a boy soldier. i went through a war myself. i've been a refugee. i just wanted to help. reporter: in the chaos of the station, the foreign fighters barely stand out. they go unnoticed by the

refugees who have fled, and are worrying about the men who are not allowed to leave ukraine because they have no choice but to fight. >> all our troops are standing up to putin. he is a criminal. he is the problem. his army used tanks to shell my grandmother's house. we begged god to get us out of there safely. my child was crying all the time because people were dying. >> listen, i just want this war to end. i want peace. please give us peace. and i want the bombing to stop. stop bombing the children. reporter: we're not allowed to show his face, but nicolas tells us the same. the financial advisor from france actually wanted to go on vacation to mexico.

now, he is here to fight instead. he couldn't bear to see russia bombing civilians and europe's hesitation to respond. nicolas: i saw children dying on tv and we were doing nothing. so, i had to go. reporter: do you have any experience in fighting? nicolas: no, i don't have any combat experience at all. i only have a pilot's license. that might be helpful over there. if not, we will have two weeks of training and then we will fight alongside the ukrainians. anatoli: i would say this is kind of the wrong place to learn how to be a soldier for, like, inexperienced foreigners. but then again, everyone makes their own decisions. reporter: in the passport control line, nicolas strikes up a conversation with denis from kyiv. together they watch new video footage of the fighting. just outside kyiv, russian tanks were ambushed by ukrainians.

the video displays the causalities and destruction. denis: i'm happy that foreigners are coming to help us. it puts a smile on our faces. and it makes us stronger in our fight against the aggressors. reporter: while the volunteer fighters are traveling onwards to enlist in lviv, refugees are boarding trains to leave in the opposite direction. the two groups have just one thing in common -- both are heading into an uncertain future. conor: get out, and the sooner the better. that's all that alena wanted, too. but the young translator didn't flee from embattled ukraine -- she fled from russia. she's one of the growing number of russians who have already left their country. they are opposed to vladimir putin's war and no longer believe they have a future in russia. since the war began, thousands

of russians have made the over-300-kilometer journey from st. petersburg to helsinki, finland. reporter: another train pulls into the station, bringing people to safety. most passengers are russians, not ukrainians. the train from st. petersburg to helsinki takes about 3.5 hours. it's been booked out for days. flights between russia and western europe have been suspended. most of the arrivals here want nothg more tn to observe political and economic developments in russia from a safe distance. >> if things go worse, i will make the decision to find a country where i can stay for more time. reporter: only russian passengers with a valid visa or residency permit can enter the european union.

alena, who is a translator, left russia the day after russia began its assault on ukraine. she's staying with friends in helsinki. but her visa expires in three mont, and it'sncertain whether she will be able to remain in finland. she's deeply shocked by what has happened. alena: i am crying and not sleeping since it all started. that's how i feel. i feel -- i am pretty sure that i'm not going back. i am not sure that i will be able to live with this fear. reporter: in russia, criticizing the war can land you in jail. which is why more and more russians are leaving the country. finland has welcomed them with open arms. more and more people here have come to see russian

president vladimir putin as a threat to finland, too. finland shares a 1300-kilometer border with russia. before, finland was proud of its neutrality. now, for the first time ever, a majority of finns support joining nato. >> what's the alternative? why not? >> i think it's important to try d avoid panic. but we also need to realize that are new parameters that we may have to deal with now. reporter: the finnish government does not want to cause alarm, but the country has gone on high alert. this film reminds the public to be ready for any eventuality. this memorial is dedicated to those who died in what is remembered as the winter war of 1939. tiny finland fought back against the soviet union. despite heavy losses, finland

managed to ward off a soviet occupation. but that was long ago. international relations experts here now say the ukraine war shows that finland should join nato. chly: the longer we see that while countries send weans to ukraine, no one will come and fight with ukraine. the more it will put pressure on the finnish nato debate, to see, yes, the finnish military is strong, arguably much stronger and more capable than ukraine's was at the beginning of this war, but isn't the whole point to avoid war? reporter: joining natoould act as a deterrent. but russia has threatened political and military consequences. finland has not yet applied for nato membership, but there are signs that it's under consideration. finland's foreign minister is a guest at nato summits. here in helsinki, alena feels safe from what is happening in russia, for now.

but she worries about the fufuture. alena: even though i feel quite anxious about my future, i think it's understandable. and i am not sure if i will be able to stay, but i will try. but i am getting so much support here, not only from my russian friends who are now residents in finland, but also from my finish friends. reporter: the st. petersburg to helsinki train is one of the few routes left connecting russia with western europe. due to high demand, finland state-run operators have decided to run additional trains on the route. conor: getting out of russia and living abroad -- this was long a matter of course for russian oligarchs. they bought yachts and villas, mainly where it was quiet and beautiful, like in the luxurious french riviera and the seaside community of beaulieu-sur-mer.

but now, that is coming to an end. after the european union imposed sanctions on extremely wealthy russians in response to putin's war, the french government has begun seizing their yachts, luxury estates, and other assets. but not all the locals are thrilled about that. reporter: luxurious villas, hidden behind walls. some of them belong to russian oligarchs, many of whom have links to president vladimir putin. due to recent sanctions, french authorities now have their sights set on these properties. in the past, many real estate agents in the french riviera have profited from rich russian clients. these days, the inquiries are coming from elsewhere. natalia: there are ukrainians coming to the agency -- despite the fact that i'm russian -- asking for advice or looking for an apartment. unfortunately, we don't have

anything left to rent. everything is occupied. repoer: eva sinibaldi is worried about the future of the real estate agency. she's angry with french government and says it's wrong to seize homes. eva: a large portion of the residents here today are russian. thanks to them, we have work and a living. i think we will all suffer because of this. i don't think sanctioning the russians is the best way of slowing down vladimir putin and his assault on ukraine. reporter: this villa with its view of the mediterranean also probably belongs to a russian family. and construction is ongoing, under the supervision of a russian architect. two russian stores sell vodka and caviar in beaulieu. but the area doesn't just attract the super-rich. about two dozen russian families also live here throughout the year.

>> it's fine, we've got lots of russian friends. >> my daughter goes to school in beaulieu. she's has russian friends. she hasn't said anything yet. she goes to their homes to do her homework. reporter: but pressure is growing. french authorities recently seized a russian oligarch's luxury yacht in the port of la ciotat. as a result of moves like this, many russians have started moving their yachts to places like turkey. but they can't move their villas at cap ferrat. it's a tricky situation for the mayor, whose municipality has high revenues thanks to the russians. roger: the pressure being placed on the oligarchs right now, whether it's by seizing a boat or a property, are some of the tools that states are using to press putin to negotiate.

reporter: so you approve? roger: i didn't say that, either. as an elected official, it's not my place to discuss decisions made by our state in this tense situation. reporter: ukrainian flags are a rare display of solidarity here. gerard cecconi knows that his house will lose value if rich russians leave, but he supports the sanctions, so long as they target the right people. gerard: the sanctions are a very good idea. so long as they target rich russians who've earned money illegally. let's be realistic, is it possible to make such a fortune honestly? reporter: real estate agent natalia vinogradova is against sanctioning her clients. after all, many russians are against the war.

natalia: i'm afraid the sanctions won't help much. because the people who have real estate in france don't all know putin, they're not necessarily close to the kremlin. often, they're businesspeople, doctors, scientists, actors, singers. reporter: the villa owners could go to court if their properties are seized. meanwhile, the french authorities seem determined to implement the sanctions imposed by the eu. conor: the war in ukraine is having many effects, and one of them is a rise in the price of natural gas on the world market. in britain, gas prices have been soaring, leaving people like diane skidmore quite literally in the cold. as a pensioner, she now can hardly afford to heat her home, and she's not alone. most homes in the u.k. rely on gas heating.

and yes, only a fraction of that gas comes from russia. but as prices continue to rise regardless of where the gas comes from, the u.k. is feeling the heat of what is a homegrown problem. diane: i stand here while the kettle boils, because it's nice. keeps me warm. reporter: it's quite cold in diane skidmore's home. her monthly budget for gas and electricity is the equivalent of about 50 euros, and she never has anything left over. in recent weeks, energy prices have soared. diane: it's costing 50% more, and i can only just manage to pay that. if i turn the heating , i use the timer, i set it for half an hour, it goes off, and i turn the heating off again. and that kind of sees me through. meanwhile, if i need to, i've got jumpers, i've got a cardigan, a heavy cardigan. and i hold it like that.

so, hugging the radiator. reporter: she's not complaining and can make do. even though she now can hardly get any visitors. she turns on the heat for 30 minutes, a bit of comfort. diane: i've got a temperature thing here. 16 degrees. i mean, outside it's 10 degrees today, quite warm. so this is ok, 16 is ok. so it will go down to 12 by the time it gets to nighttime. could be even less. reporter: it's getting more expensive to stay warm in britain because the price of gas is so high. and almost everyone has gas heating. and it's only going to get worse for about 22 million households. energy costs are expected to rise again in april. the country has not prepared adequately for this crisis.

though there are gas and oil reserves here, off the coast of scotland, it imports more than half its oil and gas from abroad, often at short notice. ross dornan, who represents the industry, admits that this drives up the prices. ross: i think in recent years, the case for gas storage investment, gas storage in the u.k. hasn't been particularly strong, but i think if we had more gas storage in the u.k. at times of high demand, and constrained supply from elsewhere, it could really help to smooth the profile a bit. reporter: many homes here are older and drafty. they're said to be among the most poorly insulated in western europe. heat escapes through walls, windows, and doors. which drives energy bills up, too. david raedeker, who has british and german roots, just bought one such house for his family. and it is drafty. david: we basically spend pretty much only upstairs all our time because it was warmer there

because warm air goes up, and in the kitchen it was freezing so we sometimes had jackets on, or we were standing right next to an electric heater. reporter: their energy bill averages 3000 euros per year. so he is using architects to renovate the house to reduce consumption. bob: yeah, you can feel it with your hand. so, these windows are contributing to probably a third of your heat loss in a house like this. reporter: new windows and insulation will be expensive. and there aren't enough financial incentives to encourage homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient. david: i think i can just manage it financially. it's a no-brainer because we want to renovate anyway, and not to do it would almost be economically stupid. reporter: soaring energy costs are a burden for many here. the government responded by introducing a discount on energy bills and a tax rebate voucher, which has to be paid

back. rishi: without government action, this would be incredibly tough for millions of hardworking families. so the government is going to step in to directly help people manage these extra costs. reporter: but diane skidmore will have to cover those extra costs herself. she won't have enough money to pay back a discount later. diane: it's not right. we shouldn't be in the cold. this is a modern country, this is the u.k. we're a rich country, we're a wealthy country, you could say. so why aren't the people on the ground being looked after properly? reporter: with no answer to that question, her home will stay cold. conor: gas is also a key issue in turkey. and now, with russia waging war against ukraine, that explains why turkey, which is a member of nato, has taken care not to offend moscow. but the country's dependence on russian gas is not the only

reason why turkish president erdogan is trying to act as mediator between putin and the west. for turkey, russia's war in ukraine has extremely high stakes. reporter: the hagia sophia is one of istanbul's most important tourist attractions. for now, russian vacationers are still visiting the city. last year, some 4.5 million russian tourists came to turkey, more than from any other country. but turkish hotel and restaurant owners expect that will change in the coming months, largely due to the economic sanctions imposed on russia. ismail: the russians keep our country going, around the aegean sea and in istanbul. they fill up our hotels. if they don't come, people will have a hard time. reporter: economists agree that the number of russian tourists will decline. that will be a bitter blow for turkey, which is already struggling economically. mustafa:

with the value of the ruble falling, russians will find it expensive to travel abroad because they need more rubles to buy foreign currency. and there will be a significant loss of wealth, so some russians will no longer travel. reporter: putin's war of aggression against ukraine is putting pressure on recep tayyip erdogan. as the president of a nato country, he must comply with nato policies. but at the same time, he doesn't want to alienate putin. so far, turkey has not imposed any sanctions against russia. in early february, russian warships sailed through the dardanelles and bosporus straits into the black sea. erdogan has now stopped such passages, citing a 1936 agreement reached in the city of montreux. erdogan is known for his sharp tongue. now he's looking to take a more diplomatic stance.

pres. erdogan: to help prevent further escalation of the crisis, we are applying the montreux convention that regulates shipping in the straits. we will not sacrifice our national interests, but neither will we neglect the regional and global balance. we will not turn our backs on ukraine or on russia. reporter: erdogan bought the billion-dollar s-400 ground-to-air missile defense system from russia, prompting harsh criticism from nato. at the same time, he sold combat drones to ukraine, which have delayed the advance of russian troops. along with germany, turkey is one of the biggest importers of russian natural gas. the turkstream pipeline was laid through the black sea s.

it went into operation in 2020 russia is one of the leading foreign markets for turkish construction companies. it's a business worth billions. and turkey exports peppers, citrus, and other fruits and vegetables to russia on a large scale. erdogan is trying to sustain all of this despite the war in ukraine. mustafa: the export of agricultural products could become difficult, because russia is going to have to tighten its belt. they will suspend the import of some products. this will have a negative impact on turkish export volumes. reporter: russia's war of aggression is affecting people in europe and beyond, but the full extent of the consequences is impossible to foresee. conor: and unfortunately, neither is an end to the war. next week, we'll look again at a continent in a state of emergency. for today, goodbye from me and the rest of the “focus on europe” team here at dw. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its

caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

>> this is dw news, live from berlin. more evidence comes to light of the devastation left behind by russian troops after their withdrawal from northern ukraine. the small town saw intense fighting between russian and ukrainian forces. nick finally spoke to residents about the ordeal under russian occupation. a bond hospital in variable and --