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TV Tower in Kyiv Hit by Russian Airstrike; Blinken: Russian "Crimes" in Ukraine Mounting by the Hour; Russian Military Warns It Will Strike Kyiv. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired March 01, 2022 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. We begin with the breaking news on the war in Ukraine.

A Russian airstrike destroying a government building in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, and happening in broad daylight. At least 10 people were killed in that and dozens more hurt in the city's historic Freedom Square.

Ukraine's president accusing Vladimir Putin of committing war crimes for targeting civilians. At this hour, there's growing concern for Ukraine's capital as well. The Russian military issued a public warning that it'll carry out airstrikes on government buildings in Kyiv, calling on civilians near specific sites they are targeting to leave and get out of the way.

And also, Russian airstrikes have just hit-- you'll see this -- the area near a massive TV tower in Kyiv, knocking out broadcasts to the Ukrainian people.

Also these new satellite images show a massive 40-mile long Russian convoy reaching the outskirts of the capital city. This morning, President Zelensky renewed his call for Ukraine to be admitted to the European Union in the face of all of this, demanding the E.U. prove it's committed to Ukraine's safety. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We have proven our strength, we have proven that, as, at a minimum, we are exactly the same as you are. So do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you indeed are European. And then love will win over death and light will win over darkness. Glory be to Ukraine.

(APPLAUSE)

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BOLDUAN: This raised a standing ovation, that emotional response, in stark contrast to what happened to Russia's foreign minister in Geneva.

European diplomats standing, turning their backs and walking out as he began his speech at a U.N. conference. Let's get to all of this. We have correspondents from all over the region this hour. Clarissa Ward live in Kyiv with the breaking details.

Clarissa, what is the very latest?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kate, just before we came to air five minutes ago, we heard another loud blast. This one coming from that direction. We could see a plume of smoke. We saw some tracer fire in the air. We don't know yet exactly what the target was there but we are working to find that out.

About an hour earlier, there had been a very loud explosion. We now know what that was, that was targeting a major TV tower broadcasting hub. That's about three miles in that direction. Again, you could see huge plumes of thick smoke.

The TV tower still appearing to be standing. However, Ukrainian authorities releasing a message, saying that channels will not be working now as a result of the damage incurred by that strike and that they are basically trying now to get back-up broadcasting channels up and running.

But this is very much in line with what we had expected to see tonight. We knew that there was going to be a major uptick in bombardment here in the central part of the capital. Earlier, we heard the Russian defense ministry warn particularly about SBU facilities -- SBU is the acronym for Ukraine security services.

And also they had warned people who live near, quote, "relay nodes" to leave their homes. The term "relay nodes" translated from Russian is a broad term but we understand it means communications towers, basically.

[11:05:00]

WARD: So it makes sense in that regard that we would see this television tower being targeted and also, of course, does not portend well for what might come tonight.

A lot of fear here in the capital. We've heard the air raid sirens several times throughout the day and coming into the night. It's just dusk here; it got dark about 15, 20 minutes ago and I think there's a strong sense for many people that this could be a very long night, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Clarissa, I mean, people in Kyiv and throughout Ukraine have been living in fear now for six days.

But have really noticed, you've been in and out of safety, up and down throughout the day, because of the air raids sirens that have been going off.

Does it feel different tonight?

WARD: It does feel different, partly because of what we have seen taking place in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city; 1.4 million people live there. We were there a few days ago when this invasion actually began.

And by now, of course, everyone has seen this extraordinary, horrifying video of the moment when a missile struck the administrative building in Freedom Square right across, actually, from the hotel where we were staying, causing enormous damage.

At least 10 people, we're told, were killed, although it's difficult to get an exact figure on that. And also, we see the sort of signals, if you like, coming from Moscow.

Russia's defense minister warning earlier today that the Ukrainian military is using civilian areas and civilian structures to try to hide or launch or use Ukrainian military hardware from.

And that is a propaganda line that we have heard many times before from Russian authorities and is usually, unfortunately, a precursor to them striking civilian targets with impunity. And, you know, this is the sort of excuse that they offer for doing that, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Clarissa, thank you so much. We'll be sticking close to you.

Let's go to Moscow right now. That is where our Nic Robertson is standing by.

Nic, you have been reporting about this warning going out from Russian officials, about airstrikes coming to buildings in Kyiv. But also I remember very distinctly, you had early reporting about this propaganda that Clarissa was just talking about coming from Ukraine, coming from Russia.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes. Russia has been using this narrative that the propaganda coming out of Ukraine is anti-Russian and it's dangerous to Russia.

That's the narrative the defense ministry used, the need to attack a television station to take it off the air because somehow that was dangerous to Russia. And we heard that from Russia's top diplomat today, Sergey Lavrov, speaking by video link to the U.N. in Geneva, diplomats literally got out of their chairs and left the room when he was speaking.

He was doubling down in diplomatic diatribe in a way I don't think we've really heard him before. And I think when we hear Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, speak in this way, he's channeling President Putin. There's no one else to channel. What he was saying, again, he was laying the blame on Ukraine for

being a threat to Russia. He was laying the blame on Europe and NATO and the United States for putting Ukraine up to this, for being a danger and a threat to Russia.

And I don't think we should overlook just -- not just that standing ovation that Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president got from the European Union parliament today but also, there was a massive standing ovation when the president of that European Union parliament spoke and spoke in solidarity for Ukraine and spoke about the reason and the need to support.

And we know there are various European nations who donated fighter aircraft to give to the Ukrainian air force in the past 24 hours. Russia is going to be reading all of that. President Putin is going to be reading all of that.

And in the current context, to him, that's all going to sound like an increasing threat coming from the West.

So I think we're going to hear a lot more from the military about the threats they perceive and the targets that they are going after. There's more military, Russian military present. And it seems we're looking at an escalation of force significantly by Russia at this time.

BOLDUAN: Nic, thank you for that.

Also just happening this morning, secretary of state Tony Blinken hammering Russia's war on Ukraine. In a speech to the United Nations Human Rights Council today, he said Putin has created a full-on human rights and humanitarian crisis now. CNN's Kylie Atwood is live at the September with much more on it at this hour.

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BOLDUAN: What else did Blinken say?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The secretary of state very clear in condemning Russia for killing civilians in Ukraine and saying that their strikes had hit schools, hospitals and residential buildings in Ukraine; talking specifically about one strike on an apartment building in Kharkiv, which is where Clarissa is located, that did kill civilians as well.

He said the human rights abuses are mounting by the hour in Ukraine. And one thing he specifically noted is that, if Russia succeeds in toppling the democratically elected Ukrainian government, these human rights abuses in the country are only going to grow.

He pointed to extrajudicial killings that have occurred in Crimea after Russia took over that region and essentially quashing of any dissent in Crimea and increasingly so in Russia, particularly as this crisis has unfolded.

The other thing that the secretary floated was the idea of kicking Russia off of the Human Rights Council.

Now what he said, it is reasonable to ask why Russia is a member of this council when they are a country who is going after another U.N. member nation and committing these tremendous human rights assaults along the way -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Kylie, thank you for that.

Let's go to the White House, where the president is preparing for his first State of the Union address tonight. But already we know the war in Ukraine, the war on Ukraine will now be a major focus. CNN's John Harwood live at the White House for us.

John, what are you hearing about this big moment tonight?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Kate, think about what we expected from the State of the Union just a month or so ago.

It was an opportunity for President Biden to try to regain the high ground of the discussion about the American economy; talk about successes and job creation and growth; talk about steps the administration has taken, is taking, to try to get on top of the inflation problem, which has so alarmed many Americans.

That remains an urgent priority for a president and a party struggling in the polls, in the run-up to a midterm election. But all of a sudden, there's an entirely new context for this speech and that is the dramatic life and death struggle of Ukrainians to save their country against this brutal Russian assault.

The president will talk about the efforts that he's been leading, effectively, in the view of Democratic and Republican foreign policy experts alike, to try to punish Russia with economic sanctions, assist Ukraine with military assistance.

There are obvious limits to that assistance because the United States and NATO have agreed not to send troops on the ground.

But at a minimum, what this does is demonstrate the stakes, which the president will talk about tonight, in this long-running theme of democracy versus autocracy, that he's talked about since the beginning of his presidency.

His political team does not expect a big rise in his approval tonight. State of the Unions don't have the capacity to move people like that. But this is one of the largest audiences that presidents ever get and it's a big opportunity for President Biden to make his case, Kate.

BOLDUAN: John, great to see you. Thank you so much.

Coming up still for us, Russia threatening new strikes on Ukraine's capital. A massive convoy of Russian military vehicles advancing toward Kyiv. What this all means in this new phase of this fight.

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[11:15:00]

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BOLDUAN: Continue to follow the breaking news, air raid sirens screaming throughout Ukraine's capital after the Russian military issued a public warning that it will be carrying out airstrikes in Kyiv, targeting government buildings and also warning Ukraine civilians to get out of the way.

Russian airstrikes also just hit a massive TV tower in Kyiv, knocking out broadcasts to the Ukrainian people. And the Russian warning now, all the more terrifying after this. A Russian rocket destroying a government building in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv. At least 10 people killed in that attack, dozens more hurt.

Joining me now for important perspective on this, CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger, a correspondent with the "The New York Times" and also retired Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt.

General, thank you for being here. This warning, that strikes are coming on the security agency buildings in Kyiv and now we see this strike on a TV tower, what does it say to you?

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMETT, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Well, what it tells me is that, short of some sort of diplomatic breakthrough, that the Russians intend in both in Kharkiv and Kyiv to conduct a siege and a lot of urban combat, which is not promising and it's going to be a tough fight on both sides if that bears out.

BOLDUAN: David, what do you think of this?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: You know, I think tonight's going to be a pretty long night. You're going to see the president giving a State of the Union address while, sort of on split screen, although it will be early morning, very early hours of the morning in Kyiv, we are likely to be seeing a full-on attack of the kind that Europe has not seen since the end of World War II.

And the president's going to have to go navigate the question of how we both rally the world in this case but not get into a direct conflict with a nuclear power. And that's going to be pretty tricky.

On the other hand, it may give him the unifying theme that he needs because, obviously, he's going into this speech, thinking it was going to be all about COVID and the economy.

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SANGER: As you heard from John before, now realizing it's about America's role in a post-Cold War world.

BOLDUAN: General Kimmitt, we have satellite images of this massive Russian convoy headed to Kyiv, it's slowly moving there. It's 40 miles long now. What does this mean to you when you see these satellite images?

What is going to happen and why can't it be stopped?

KIMMITT: Well, on the latter question first, it's because the Russians enjoy air superiority. If the Ukrainian air force had any ability to go after it, it is a -- what we call a target-rich environment. It's extraordinarily vulnerable, it will be very, very important to whatever types of operations that the Russians want to carry out.

And it is a shame that their helicopters and their aircraft can't get at it. But the length of it and the quantity of vehicles I'm seeing indicates to me they're getting their logistics up, more troops up because they intend to continue this operation in a very straightforward way.

The Russians are not sophisticated; think of them as a bulldozer. It ain't pretty. It's not very fast but it is effective.

BOLDUAN: General, is the precursor to what you're talking about taking out the broadcast tower?

Does that seem -- is that something you would expect?

KIMMITT: I think so. This is an understanding on the part of the Russians that they want to stop propaganda and announcing to the public about what's coming and also, building up and rallying the people of Ukraine to get ready for this fight and to be prepared for this fight.

I don't think they're just going after that tower; I think we'll see a lot of cyber attacks. The Russians will do what they can to try to break up any kind of communications and media so that they can get in there under a cloak of silence.

BOLDUAN: That's ominous and terrifying.

David, the Russian strategy seems to have shifted or moved into a new phase, is probably way to think about it. This strike in Freedom Square in Kharkiv, it seems clear Putin no longer cares about civilian casualties.

What does it tell you about how far Putin is willing to take this?

SANGER: Well, it's a really fascinating question, Kate and I'm afraid a tragic one. The attack on the building, obviously, in the middle of the day, with people walking around, tells you there isn't a whole lot of interest anymore with civilian casualties at all.

We believe -- and it will probably be months or maybe years before we know for sure -- that the Russians thought this was going to be a much easier operation. It didn't turn out that way.

And so now they're going back to what they did in Chechnya, what they've done in other cases, as General Kimmitt suggested. And basically they seem to be on the pathway to laying siege to, if not leveling, the city.

It was fascinating that they waited until today to take out that television tower and that we've still seen the internet and cell phones up and running. This is why we're getting all of these images here.

We thought that was going to be in the early hours of the operation last week. Instead, I think the Russians have now realized that the world saw the brutality of this. They saw the unprovoked nature of this.

And only now, a week later, are they turning to the question of trying to silence that. I also thought it was remarkable, Kate, that foreign minister Lavrov, speaking to a U.N. conference in Geneva today, repeated the charge that the Ukrainians had been trying to build a nuclear weapon and that's why they went and did this.

There is no evidence for this at all and tells you how desperate they are to come up with an expo facto explanation for what they're doing.

BOLDUAN: That's a good point. David, thank you so much.

General, it's always a pleasure to have you on. Thank you for your help.

KIMMITT: Sure.

BOLDUAN: Coming up for us, President Biden preparing for his first State of the Union address tonight. As David was just talking about, now the focus shifts of that speech to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A preview of his message to the country and the world. That's next.

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BOLDUAN: As the war in Ukraine intensifies by the hour, President Biden is getting ready for his first State of the Union address tonight, always an important marker for any president.

But for this president, he has the war in Ukraine hanging overhead and it's not the only crisis facing Americans today. An exhausted nation weary from the coronavirus pandemic, an economy still fighting its way back and still being dragged down by stubborn inflation.

Let me bring in CNN's chief political correspondent, co-anchor of CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION," Dana Bash.

Dana, we know the speech has changed in the past week, we'll say.

How much do you think has changed though? How much has the focus shifted?