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The Lead with Jake Tapper

U.S. Ambassador To U.N.: World "Narrowly Averted" Nuclear Catastrophe; EU: Russian Forces "Bombing And Shelling Everything" In Ukraine; Russia Escalates Assaults On Ukrainian Cities; Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) Is Interviewed About The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired March 04, 2022 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:05]

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VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER starts right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper.

We start today with breaking news. The world has narrowly avoided a nuclear catastrophe -- that was the message from the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations today -- after Russian forces fired upon, fired upon Europe's largest nuclear power plant as they moved to capture it.

Video shows bursts of gunfire erupting outside the nuclear plant in Enerhodar, Ukrainian, early this morning. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that Russian tanks also fired on the plant, potentially putting millions of lives in danger. Fortunately, global nuclear experts say there is no indication of increased radiation levels at that site, at least for now.

Today, we're also getting a sobering look at the impact of Vladimir Putin's war on innocent Ukrainian civilians. This new video shows the aftermath of a Russian strike on the Ukrainian town of Chernihiv, where local officials say a residential apartment building was hit by Russian ammunition, killing at least 33 Ukrainians. The individual who recorded this stumbles upon a number of dead bodies moments later. We're not going to show you that video.

And this is what is left of a village outside the capital of Kyiv. Ukraine's state emergency services say a Russian strike hit several residential homes there, killing at least five people, including three Ukrainian children. We do not know how many innocent Ukrainian civilians have been killed since Russia began this unprovoked war on its neighboring sovereign nation. More than two days ago, the government of Ukrainian said Russian

forces have killed more than 2,000 Ukrainian civilians, not including members of the Ukrainian military. More than 2,000.

Our team of reporters is spread out across Ukraine, covering this story as only CNN can.

We're going to start with CNN's Clarissa Ward who is live in the capital of Kyiv.

And, Clarissa, there have been large explosions on the outskirts of Kyiv today. What is the latest in the fight for northern Ukraine?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Jake. We have been hearing a large of bombardment today, more than we had on previous days. Unclear if that's because the weather has cleared up, the skies are clearer, making it easier for bombing campaigns to take place. We heard one particularly large one to the west of the city.

Most of the fighting now concentrated in the west and the northwest of the city. The worst images that we're seeing near Kyiv are coming from a town called Borodyanka, just outside of Kyiv, and truly, horrifying images showing dramatic aftermath of some kind of aerial bombardment. What appears to be aerial bombardment, an entire apartment building has just been completely decimated, gutted, hollowed out.

And we are now learning from Ukrainian emergency authorities that they believe up to 100 people may be trapped in the rubble of that apartment building. What they're saying though, Jake, is that it is impossible to get a precise number because emergency services cannot get proper access to Borodyanka because there continues to be such heavy shelling in and around that neighborhood. We also heard something a little different today, which was a village to the southwest of Kyiv, coming under fire.

Now, this is interesting and strategically important because it is the first time that we've heard concerted bombardment to the southwest of the city. And, of course, we know the Russians have been largely pushing down from the north. But this might indicate that they are trying to push further to fully encircle the city.

The last thing I wanted to mention as well, you showed that video of the extraordinary devastation, the aftermath and the moments after that massive strike on the down of Chernihiv. And what you can hear in that video, a man screams, which means it was a pharmacy. It was just a drugstore. And then you can hear a woman shrieking over and over again, it means children, children. Just giving you a sense that civilians are absolutely being killed in much larger numbers than we had previously seen in this conflict.

[16:05:02]

And when you see those apartment buildings, and you know who lives in normal apartment buildings like that, and you can hear that woman shrieking. I mean, it's truly bone-chilling, haunting sound, you realize that toll that this is taking on civilians. We don't have exact numbers, Jake, as you mention, but certainly, it's a very grim picture and getting uglier every day.

And the fear is that as President Vladimir Putin feels that his campaign is not going as perhaps they would have liked, not moving as quickly, that there may be then more indiscriminate targeting, more targeting of civilian infrastructure, Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Clarissa Ward, please stay safe.

Let's go further south in Ukraine now to CNN's Sam Kiley, who is following the latest developments at this nuclear power plant that was attacked by the Russians.

Sam, what is the happening at the plant now? What are the biggest concerns moving forward?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, I'm in Dnipro, which is about 100 miles away from the main town close to that nuclear power station that was captured yesterday by Russian forces. Russian forces who were accused by the Ukrainian government, and there is some video evidence to support the claims. It was attacked with heavy weapons. Not just small arms during an assault but heavy weapons, possibly even a rocket or tanks they claim the Ukrainians as part of the Russian effort to take over the largest nuclear power plant in the whole of Europe.

The area that came under attack, Jake, was not directly part of the plant itself. It was a training area, but experts have pointed out, this is an extremely dangerous area in and of itself, because, of course, not only are there are a number of reactors there, but there's also storage of disused, not only used rods that are highly radioactive. Now, this has caused consternation at the United Nations with the U.S. ambassador bitterly criticizing the Russians. The Russian ambassador arguing back the plan had been seized to protect it from Ukrainian terrorists, a quite extraordinary claim in the context.

And this, Jake, has also resulted in what anecdotally would appear to be a serious exodus of people. Not only from Zaporizhzhia, which is very close to the nuclear power station, but here in Dnipro. We were driving in today and there were enormous columns of cars, just vast numbers of people hitting the road, a completely empty road heading east. It is almost the width of this country twice. I've not seen that of this scale before. The idea that could you attack a nuclear power station is deeply resonant in this country that already endured Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Now, in Chernobyl and in nuclear power station near Zaporizhzhia, the Russians are in control. They are saying they're keeping the workers there. But they're not allowing the workers there to change shifts. So you've now got exhausted nuclear engineers trying to keep the lid on a major nuclear power plant.

It's one thing in Chernobyl where they are managing the maintenance of the post disaster in Chernobyl. This is a massive active power generating nuclear power plant. The Russians claim they're bringing in experts. But the Ukrainians are saying no new experts have been brought in and they're essentially being held hostage while they continue to maintain the plant. Extremely worrying and this has caused consternation right across the world, Jake.

TAPPER: Worrying indeed. Sam Kiley in Dnipro, Ukraine, thank you so much.

Let's talk about this with the nuclear reactor. Joining us now is Jill Hruby. She's the United States undersecretary for nuclear security at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Thank you so much for joining us. Can you explain to our viewers who might not be fully verse in nuclear energy what is the importance of a nuclear power plant of this size?

JILL HRUBY, UNDER SECRETARY FOR NUCLEAR SECURITY: Well, this power plan is the largest power plant in Europe and provides a significant amount of the electricity to the Ukrainian people.

TAPPER: So Ukraine's foreign minister warned, if this plant blows up, and certainly people were worried about that while it was being, it was under attack by the Russians, including by Russian tanks, according to the prime minister. If it blows up, it will be ten times larger than the Chernobyl disaster, which also took place in what is now known as Ukraine.

Is that a fair comparison? Is that still a risk at this point?

HRUBY: Let me say two things about this.

[16:10:00]

It's not -- it's not necessarily a fair comparison in that it would depend on what was -- what happened exactly at the plant. Last night, there was never a threat of a meltdown of the power plant. These power plants are designed to withstand significant, you know, a jet flying into them.

So while we saw last night was Russian forces using small arms, as far as we could tell, to take over the plant, and creating a fire at one point in an administrative building. But never a threat to a radiation leak of any type. And our radiation sensors there, the Ukrainian sensors there were reporting background level radiation at all times during the emergency situation last night.

TAPPER: Well, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas- Greenfield, said the world averted a nuclear disaster. Do you disagree?

HRUBY: Well, look. It is a very bad idea to militarily take over a nuclear power plant. And we strongly condemn Russia for fighting near a nuclear power plant. But in this particular situation, there was never a threat of a nuclear disaster. But clearly, things could get out of hand quick will and I agree with the ambassador that things like this should not be during and we strongly condemn them I also want to say, we were never near the point of a nuclear catastrophe last night.

TAPPER: Let's talk about going forward. How much leverage does Russia, does Putin have over other countries in Europe right now? Given that it controls this nuclear power plant that provides electricity to millions of people?

HRUBY: Yeah. We -- this power plant is providing, has provided electricity to a lot of people in Ukraine. Not significant outside of Ukraine. And I'm happy to report, it looks like while they took three reactors were down, you know, before the takeover of the plant. Two of the three remaining reactors, two were brought down by the Ukrainian operators, which was a very good move on their part. And one was decreased in power to maintain stability.

At this point, it looks like the Ukrainians are bringing back one of the reactors to restore more power generation to the Ukrainian people. So it appears at this point that the reactors, that there is enough stability that they feel like they can bring another reactor back up.

TAPPER: I want to ask you one more follow-up. It does seem that and you the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations have different views of what happened this morning when the Russians took control of this nuclear power plant. I mean, she didn't just say that a nuclear disaster could happen in the future, depending on what the Russians do with it. She said that the world averted nuclear disaster.

And you seem to be suggesting that was hyperbole by the ambassador to the United Nations. Why are you seemingly not on the same page?

HRUBY: Look, like I said, I don't disagree with fighting around a nuclear power plant could cause a nuclear catastrophe. The particular event that took place last night, our time, was -- the worst thing that happened was the takeover of the plant and a fire in an administrative building.

Escalation can occur very quickly and again it is a bad idea to put it mildly to fight around a nuclear power plant. So I agree that we should strongly condemn any military takeover of nuclear power plants because things could get out of control very quickly.

I just also want to say that what we watched closely last night that we did not get to the brink last night of a nuclear meltdown in any of these reactors.

[16:15:05]

TAPPER: Okay. Thank you for clarifying that point. I appreciate it.

The undersecretary for nuclear security at the Department of Energy, Jill Hruby, thank you so much your time. I appreciate it.

HRUBY: You bet.

TAPPER: He's the youngest member of Ukrainian's parliament. Now a 26 years old is taking up arms and taking to the streets of Ukraine to help stop Russia from invading his country. He's going to joining us live next.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Continuing with the world lead and a small victory for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion of their country. A senior pentagon official tells CNN today that Ukrainians have been able to at least stall that 40-mile long Russian convoy that was advancing towards the capital of Kyiv, direct attacks on the convoy have helped. Ukrainians also blew up a bridge on Russia's path.

The U.S. says that has kept the convoy about 15 miles north of the capital city for the time being.

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And it's not just the Ukrainian military taking up arm against Russia.

I want to bring in Sviatoslav Yurash, 26 years old. He is Ukraine's youngest member of parliament and he is one of many young Ukrainians in the streets lately fighting for his country.

Thank you so much for joining us, sir.

So, Russia's convoy stalled outside your city. That's good news. But that convoy is still coming closer to your city. How much longer do you think Ukrainians, that you and your cohorts can keep that convoy out of Kyiv?

SVIATOSLAV YURASH, MEMBER, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT: Kyiv is a city of millions. So trying to take it is not an easy job for any convoy. And again, convoy being as long as it is, is still not enough to take over all the defenses, all the weaponry, all the defiance that we have here in Kyiv. The fact that the president is here, the leadership of the company is here shows that we won't give up the capital that easily. And again, we've been using this time on our defenses so we have plenty to throw at Russians going to the city.

TAPPER: On your level, the ground level, what more do you and other Ukrainian fighters need in terms of supplies?

YURASH: Everything and anything. The reality is nothing is enough. When fighting one of the world's biggest armies, nothing is enough because basically, the reality is everything has been upside down.

There's medicine that people need. There's food that people need. There's various munitions that soldiers require, that is weaponry that the newly formed battalions deployed defense ask for. And nothing is enough and I don't -- my soldiering is rudimentary. So I spend a good chunk of my time trying to bring supplies and resources to various parts of the defense force.

TAPPER: The U.S. government says Russia's military has launched more than 500 missiles at Ukraine since the invasion started just a week ago. We've seen strikes hit clearly residential areas, including an apartment building yesterday. Are Ukrainians still able to find cover at this point? Is it too dangerous to leave at this point if somebody wanted to flee the country?

YURASH: Well, the reality is it is our country. So no matter how many missiles Russia throws at us, how many soldiers they keep sending. We will fight because we have nowhere to go. It is our country.

So, the reality is those rockets that hit all over the country, it is not just a part of the country or the chunk of the border. No. It is the entire country. It shows the reality that we need to bring more to the table. The Russians can finally feel that no matter how much they throw in, we will still keep fighting.

TAPPER: Sviatoslav, you've been posting photographs of yourself armed, ready to help your country's fight. What has that fight been like for you? What have you encountered? Have you fired that gun?

YURASH: Well, the skirmishes in the city which I was a part of. There was plenty of incursions. The Russians started into the town at the beginning of the invasion. Every single one of them reports, every one of them pushed back and basically, now the city is under martial law and there are check points everywhere to stop Russian diversion groups entering the city as they have time and time again. And the point is we have finally taken control of the situation in defense of the city.

The Russians can't just enter the town easily. So, those skirmishes are going further away. And the big battle, its time is coming, it seems.

TAPPER: Sviatoslav Yurash, thank you so much. We wish you all the best. Please stay in touch. We would love to talk to you more and more, although I do hope that there will be a quick peace.

YURASH: Thank you very much.

TAPPER: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukrainian, asked for their help. Now other countries are answering the call, showing up to fight for Ukraine, even if they don't have any military training. That's ahead.

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TAPPER: We're back with the world lead. There are growing fears at any moment Russia could launch an amphibious assault on crucial Ukrainian port cities, in other words, using the ships it already has to deliver Russian forces into the country for an attack.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports from the port city of Odessa, Ukraine, now where even the youngest residents are doing their part to try to prepare for the resistance. We want to warn you, some of the images we're about to show you are rather graphic.

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NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice-over): What they once felt between their toes, now they want between them and the Russians. Sand from a yacht club's beach through the human chains sent to barricade Odessa center. In times past, this fun spot would have pleasured rich Russians, too. Now even if you're aged 11, you know to keep them out. I expect, she says, we will defend Odessa and everything will be okay.

Then a siren again. Off the coast, two Ukrainian naval ships pacing worriedly. At any time the Russian amphibious landing could hit.

They clear out fast, although sure to strike a pose.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

WALSH: Soon the alert clears and the church bells begin to sound friendly again as people thin out underground. But the youngest are the last to leave, and for Kyra, age 3, these up and down days in the dark are too much. Nastier is bouncier.

I've lost my train toys, she says. Oh, wait. It's over there.

Parents who can only hope this happens so rarely, they never think of it as normal.

Out east here, the new Russian fake world that wants to envelope theirs is unfolding.

These videos showing apparently aid trucks in the center of Russian occupied Kherson. Ukrainian officials warning they are part of a movie scene being concocted in which Russia will hand out aid to fix a crisis of its own making. Although at first contact, the PR operation doesn't appear to be going that well.

The night before, locals filmed this civilian convoy arriving in town, possibly the fake locals intended to provide public support for Russia's occupation, theater we've seen before in Crimea and Donbas.

In one village around Kherson, a taste of how the future may look for Russian units out alone. These soldiers hunted, locals said, by actual local huntsmen. Now their radios, uniforms, map, call signs, vehicles, even, are in the hands of people who know the land and have shown they can prosecute their grievances.

Russia's wars are ugly but here in remote hamlets that won't back down, it is going to get uglier still.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH (on camera): A day of intermittent, not the worst news for Ukrainian forces, you saw how the Russian pr operation in Kherson appeared to meet with hostile responses from the very people who were supposed to show we're on the side of the Russian occupation. Also too in Mykolaiv, the significant port city along the Black Sea coast as well, a local official there has said they've had a tunnel of success pushing Russian troops out from that city center, now fighting is on the outskirts. There were fears it might fall at some point.

But it is here at Odessa nerves are extremely fraught of what might occur, the notion of an amphibious landing here, something that has been a daily threat for a week or so. People talk about it persistently, it could cause extraordinary loss. The city is barricading itself in, Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Nick Paton Walsh in Odessa, Ukraine, thank you so much.

Our next guest was a U.S. Air Force pilot and now he's one of only two members of the entire coming, pushing for a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Congressman Adam Kinzinger, Republican of Illinois, joins us next.

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TAPPER: In our world lead, Secretary of State Antony Blinken this afternoon said the United States regrets the tens of millions of Russian people are suffering because of the decisions made by Russian President Vladimir Putin. But Blinken added that had unless the Kremlin changes course, Russia will continue down the road of isolation and economic pain.

With us now is Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. He's a veteran of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Congressman, thank you so much for joining us.

So, members of Congress have been getting briefings from the Biden administration, obviously without divulging any classified information, what is your assessment of the situation in Ukraine now more than a week into the war?

REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): Well, I think it's going, you know, better for the Ukrainians than initially expected. I think President Zelenskyy with his decision to stay and fight has made a lot -- has made a lot to basically give the morale for the Ukrainians to fight. The Russian troops don't have morale right now.

But this is going to be a long slog. This is going to be really intense obviously against civilians, as we've seen.

I think the administration has done a lot, frankly, to make sure we're supplying, to make sure that we're uniting Europe. But this is just the beginning, I fear, of a really bad war.

TAPPER: As far as we know, you are the only member of the House and one of only two in the entire Congress, along with Senator, I think, Wicker, advocating for NATO and the U.S. to enforce a no-fly zone over the skies of Ukraine.

[16:40:07]

You're a former Air Force pilot. You know better than I do how much that could bring the United States into direct conflict with Russia.

Given how focused Putin has been on this mission and how brazen he's been, why wouldn't a no-fly zone cause World War III?

KINZINGER: Look, I think it's a good question. I think we have to first off recognize that, you know, we've been used to, as Americans, we've been blessed to always have a risk-free choice. We don't have risk-free choices right now in this, I mean, even with what we saw with the scare with the nuclear plant. We came frankly close to a huge tragedy.

So that said, I see as this develops, as it gets worse, as the situation continues to decline, I fear that we will have to take broader military action, particularly if there is some massive tragedy and after we see more and more pictures come out.

Look, I know that it's frightening, the idea of a no-fly zone. And I do recognize there's risk with it, and I think short of it, we need to continue to send stinger missiles and everything else.

But that said, if Vladimir Putin really is going to use nuclear weapons against the West and NATO -- keep in mind, this was the old Soviet Union playbook to always threaten it, and it also shows if Vladimir Putin to threaten it, it's the one thing he fears. But if he's really going to do that, he would use them against Ukraine.

I mean, the reality is I think we're going to be forced to intervene sooner or later. I hope not. I think this is the cleanest and easiest thing to save Ukrainian lives and send a message to push Russia back further and deny that air space to them.

TAPPER: Why do you think other staunch advocates for Ukraine, such as Congresswoman Liz Cheney or Senator Marco Rubio aren't with you on this call for a no-fly zone?

KINZINGER: Look, it's a tough decision. It's a tough call. I mean, and again, there is always a recollection of escalation. But the difference is, I fear that risk of escalation is happening regardless. It is going to continue to get bigger and bigger.

And so, look, you know, I was also the first member of Congress to call for bombing ISIS. And I was told that was certainly going to start another large Iraqi war. Six months later, we're bombing ISIS.

So I hope I'm wrong, especially if we end up not doing a no-fly zone. But I do fear that I'm not. And so, we -- in the short of that, I think whether sending drones, giving Ukraine drones to use, as the Turkish drones have been used so effectively, more stinger missiles, that should be done in the near term, for sure.

TAPPER: NATO says that Russia forces are using cluster bombs. The Russians attacked with military force, a nuclear power plant overnight. Russia continues to target civilian apartments. There have been too many civilians who have died for this to be an errant missile. There are global calls for the International Criminal Court to pursue

Vladimir Putin for war crimes. Do you think that should happen? And would that make a difference?

KINZINGER: Yeah, absolutely, it has to happen. I mean, we have to have these standards. And there is no doubt that Putin is a war criminal.

I'm not sure he necessarily fears that threat. I think he's, you know, content right now being isolated in the middle of Russia. Obviously, he has not traveled in a while. We don't understand his mental state.

But I think for the sake of humanity and for the sake of standards, we have to pursue this. There's no doubt.

And again, I fear, Jake, that as time goes on, as everyday that goes on, we're going to see more and more war crimes occur ordered by Vladimir Putin, and I certainly hope that doesn't include thermo baric bombs, et cetera.

TAPPER: You're also on the January 6th Select House Committee. So, I want to ask but that court filing this week from the committee indicating that former President Trump in your committee's view may have been part of a criminal conspiracy.

Obviously, you don't have the powers to charge the president. Is the committee going to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department?

KINZINGER: Well, I can't answer that, but what I can say is, we were asked if there is a fraud and crime exemption to the attorney-client privilege between --

TAPPER: We lost congressman Kinzinger there in the era of Zoom.

Congressman Kinzinger, thank you so much. We'll have you back soon.

Coming up, they are barely equipped and they do not really have a plan. But that's not stopping some foreign fighters from going to Ukrainian to help them against the Russians.

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Stay with us.

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TAPPER: Continuing with our world lead, the global reaction to Vladimir Putin's outrageous and deadly invasion of Ukrainian does not just involve condemnation from diplomats and international leaders. Some people -- regular people are literally taking matters into their own hands.

[16:50:01]

They're flying to Ukraine to join the fight.

CNN's Sara Sidner is along the Polish-Ukrainian border and spoke with some of those heading into harm's way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the Przemysl, Poland train station, where the world's newest refugees are flooding in, we spot several men dressed in military gear, walking with purpose out into the cold while almost everyone else is trying to come in.

We wondered who these men are who can only speak English and are itching to get to the border with Ukraine. They agreed to talk to us but first names only. And they ask us for help finding a ride to the border 20 minutes drive away.

Can you tell me what you're doing here in Poland very close to the border with Ukraine?

MIKE, U.S. CITIZEN HEADING TO FIGHT IN UKRAIE: Trying to help. Protect freedom. As simple as that.

SIDNER: One of your biggest concerns, you're also here. What is your biggest concern and where are you going?

A.J., U.S. CITIZEN HEADING TO FIGHT IN UKRAINE: We don't really know right now.

SIDNER: There are six men total. They are strangers who met here in Poland. Mike is from Clearwater, Florida. A.J. is from South Dakota. Matt is from Nottingham, England.

What does this remind you of, this time in history?

MATT, BRITISH CITIZEN HEADING TO FIGHT IN UKRAINE: 1936, when fascist rose in Spain, a lot of people went over but not enough. If we could have crushed fascism in 1936, we could (INAUDIBLE) 1939, that's what this feels like. If we don't stop it now, it's going to be our kids fighting this fight.

SIDNER: They all came for one purpose, to fight for Ukraine.

Most of these men say they're veterans of war but Matt makes it clear. He has no military experience.

But they say they all left once they saw the brutal attack on Ukrainian citizens. Jumping into action a day before President Zelenskyy called for more foreign fighters to join him in the fight for Russia.

PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINE (translated): Ukraine is already greeting foreign volunteers who are going to our country. The first sixteen thousand are already on their way to protect freedom and life for us and for all.

SIDNER: You're going in without a plan. Why?

MIKE: Those people also have family and friends. And somebody has to stand up for them. And it's not just the U.S. not just Britain. It's the whole world is coming together.

SIDNER: It is 3:00 a.m. no one to pick them up on the Ukrainian side of the border. Some don't even have a jacket in below freezing temperatures. They disappear into the night. They weren't the only ones. This French Canadian who goes by the name Wally says he received a call from a friend asking for help in Ukraine.

WALLY, FRENCH CANADIAN HEADING TO FIGHT IN UKRAINE: I'm a veteran but I'm programming, right? So last Friday, my friend who's in the Jeep, he called me and said, okay, we really need you because you're an ex- sniper and can you join? I said, yeah, okay, I'll do it.

SIDNER: They and the other foreign men all heading into war without the might of their country's military to back them up.

I mean, you guys are going into war without a huge plan. What is your worry?

MATT: Not getting there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER (on camera): Their biggest worry is not being able to get into the war. The biggest worry for thousands and thousands of people is not being able to get away from the war -- Jake.

TAPPER: Sara Sidner near the Polish-Ukrainian border, thank you so much for that report.

They opened their doors to give a safe place to escape the Russian attack. Then their village was leveled by Russian strikes. A horrifying look at the human devastation Putin is causing. That's next.

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[16:58:29]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

TAPPER: Welcome back to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's gruesome war on Ukraine continues into its ninth day. More than 500 Russian missiles have been launched into Ukraine since last week, according to a senior Pentagon official. Thousands of civilians, innocent Ukrainian civilians have been killed, according to the Ukrainian government, now, Russian forces are occupying Europe's largest nuclear power plant after reports of a Russian military attack emerged early this morning, and a fire broke out.

At one point, the company that runs the nuclear plant said the workers were operating the facility at gunpoint. Thankfully, experts say, no security or safety systems have been compromised. The U.S. embassy in Ukraine called the attack a war crime on Twitter. But CNN is learning the State Department does not want other U.S. embassies in Europe to retweet that message.

Now, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging European leaders to, quote, wake up now, as more video shows the horrific aftermath of Russian strikes on key Ukrainian cities -- strikes murdering, slaughtering Ukrainian civilians.

Let's get right to CNN's Matthew Chance. He's live in the capital of Kyiv.

Matthew, Ukrainian officials say a Russian strike hit several homes in a village outside Kyiv. At least five people were killed, including children.

What can you tell us?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, three of those five people with children. The interesting thing is that this village is to the southwest of Kyiv.