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Villages Tumble As Russia Exposes Ukraine's Vulnerable Defenses; House Republicans, Critical Of Aid To Ukraine, Warn Speaker Johnson About Putting Foreign Aid Bill On Floor; First Over-The- Counter Birth Control Pill In U.S. Ships To Retailers; Caitlin Clark Breaks All-Time NCAA Division 1 Scoring Record. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired March 04, 2024 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Jason Carroll, reporting from Boston, thank you so much.

Ukraine's frontlines are right now under siege. Ukrainian soldiers are speaking to CNN's team on the ground and warning about diminishing morale and the urgent need for supplies as Moscow's forces appear to be gaining momentum.

We'll be back in just moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Russian forces are on the move again in Ukraine, part of a new blistering and intensifying assault in that war-torn nation.

[14:35:03]

Over the weekend, Russian strikes in the eastern Donetsk region left a trail of damage.

Concerns are now growing about Russia's forceful push on the battlefront as Ukrainian troops are dealing with fatigue and diminishing supplies.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has more from the frontlines in eastern Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The death toll in Odessa continues to rise.

And it's worth just pausing a moment and naming the children killed by what some officials suggests made a debris from drones being taken out of the sky, but it's still the consequent or the relentless drone and aerial strikes against civilian targets in Ukraine that seemed to happen almost every single night.

Tymofiy (ph) was four months old. Mark would have been three Sunday had he lived to see that moment. And were now hearing of a 10-year-old also killed during these attacks.

Now, all of this, the backdrop to an urgent situation here on the eastern frontlines. We've been seeing ourselves the intensity of the fighting around some of these frontline towns.

Remember, this all started with a Ukrainian decision to pull out of Avdiivka weekends ago. That said, it was planned, but it appears that their departure and the defensive lines were less well planned from what we're hearing.

Too early to tell right now, but things are absolutely not what Ukraine hoped they would be on the battlefield. They're certainly not what they hoped there would be in terms of supply and assistance from the West.

And it begins to feel as though Russia has the capacity to move forwards. Videos of their assault show them exceptionally callous about the use of their troops, very blunt and clumsy in their tactics but still relentless and apparently moving forward even though it's meter by meter.

So a troubling time we're seeing here certainly. And I think a feeling amongst the Ukrainian frontlines that things are really not good. And it's not quite clear how long they can keep the status quo as it is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Our thanks to Nick Paton Walsh for that update.

Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Well, Boris, let's get more now on where the war stands today with CNN military analyst, retired Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling.

General, what is your assessment of how Russia is making its advance after taking the strategically important city of Avdiivka and how Ukraine is able or not to stop it?

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: What, Brianna, we've been talking about, the different sides since the beginning of this conflict, Let's roll down some of the things that are happening on the Russian side.

Massive number of mobilized forces, but still poorly trained. Indicators are between 47,000 Russian soldiers were killed and 1,000 armored vehicles were destroyed during that a couple of months in Avdiivka.

But Russia has more artillery and ammo supplies coming from North Korea, drones coming from Iran. They have transitioned from the defense to the offense, as Nick just said.

They are starting to try and use some counterattacks against Ukraine, but they have decreasing numbers of air support. Ukraine has been very effective in terms of knocking down not only their fighter aircraft, but also some of their command-and-control aircraft.

Switching over to the Ukrainian side, yes, they're second line of defense is not as well prepared as they're first line of defense was as they were fighting the Russians. That's typical. In an army, you don't pay as much attention to your fallback positions, but it's unfortunate.

They have a shorter frontage because they are collapsing their lines, but they are also extremely low on ammunition because of the pause in the supply chain.

But they still maintain effective intelligence and Special Operations activity as well as increasing their -- both their air and their naval drone capability.

So, yes, the next couple of weeks, I'm interested to see what's going to happen. Ukraine is certainly being pushed back because of that breakage of almost four months in their supply chains.

And it's very difficult for them to continue with their fighting as they have over the last two years.

KEILAR: Yes. We just heard Nick Paton Walsh reporting there. He's been talking to Ukrainian forces.

And they're lamenting that very thing you're talking about, which is the lack of ammo, the weapons they do not have that they need, and the fact that Russia does have them.

So as they need that, and there's this debate going on in Congress here in the U.S., how long, ultimately, if that is supplied, would it even take to get to them? And what is that going to do to the fight?

HERTLING: Yes. It's a good question, Brianna. And I can't answer it.

President Zelenskyy, just yesterday, changed his chief of logistics, a general officer in charge of this. So they are looking at anticipating someday getting more supplies from both the United States and the West.

But once you have a supply chain breakage -- and I've experienced this in combat - you -- it's exponentially more difficult to establish all the momentum in logistics support. That's what Ukraine is going to face.

[14:40:06]

I'm now hearing the GOP saying, hey, they're putting a plan together that they may vote on at the end of March or early April. And my response to that is you've got to be kidding me.

This is criminal what the GOP is doing in terms of delaying arms to one of our partners.

And it's only going to increase the deaths and the potential for civilian deaths due to President Putin's continued criminal activities and commission of war crimes.

KEILAR: That's really interesting what you said about the break in supply and how it's just not easily recoverable.

And for so long in this war, we've been marveling at the resolve of the Ukrainian soldiers as they are fighting for their homeland.

When they're facing those tough circumstances, what does that do to morale which is already taking a hit because of what they're enduring here?

HERTLING: Yes, what two things on the morale point, Brianna, and that's important that you mentioned it.

Russia has been replacing their frontline troops with what I've said are ill-trained, but a hugely mobilized effort. So they have fresh troops coming into the frontline.

Ukraine is debating on how they're going to mobilize more soldiers because their soldiers who have been fighting on the frontlines have been there for months. They're tired, they're hungry. They've been battle fatigued.

So you combine that with the fact that there are hearing about the lack of support from their key supporter, the United States, and that -- I've got to tell you, from a frontline soldier's perspective, that will only further diminish the morale.

And we've counted on morale of Ukraine since the very beginning of this -- this war, their will to fight and the will of the people to support them.

But when they are experiencing these kinds of things on the frontline and also seeing in their reports what they're not getting and how they desperately need ammunition and arms, and it's not coming for a long time, it certainly deteriorates their morale.

So we are certainly at fault for some of this, and it's really, really unfortunate because Ukrainian forces have put up a tremendous fight since the beginning of this conflict.

KEILAR: Yes, it's amazing what hope can do. It's terrifying what hopelessness can do.

General Hertling, thanks so much for being with us.

And for the first time ever, an over-the-counter birth control pill will be available in U.S. stores. We're going to tell you when and how much it will cost, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:47:06]

SANCHEZ: Starting today, shipments of the first over-the-counter birth control pill in the United States, called Opill, are being sent to retailers.

Perrigo, the company behind the pills, says the product is going to be available on shelves nationwide and online later this month.

Let's bring in CNN health reporter, Jacqueline Howard, to get the latest details.

So, Jacqueline, how much is Opill going to cost and what else can you tell us about it?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Yes. Well, Boris, what we know, Opill has the manufacturer's suggested retail price costing about $19.99 for a one-month supply, a three-month pack costs around $49.99, and then a six-month pack cost about $89.99.

What we know about Opill, it is a mini pill. It uses progestin only to prevent pregnancy. And when it's used as instructed, so when it's taken around the same time every day, it's up to 98 percent effective.

And, Boris really, at this time, in the nation's history when there's been a lot of debate and concern and conversations around women having access to reproductive health services, the rollout of Opill been the nation's first FDA-approved over-the-counter birth control pill that you can get without a prescription, this moment of the rollout is a milestone in the nation's history -- Boris?

SANCHEZ: Yes, important context there.

Jacqueline, what stores is it being shipped to? Where can people find it?

HOWARD: So the shipments going out right now are heading to major retail pharmacies, like CVS and Walgreens. It also is available online at Opill.com. And there are some other online retailers that we will carry Opill.

But what the shipments going to stores, keep in mind, the rollout starting just today. So the shipments will take some days and weeks to arrive at your local pharmacy.

But once it does arrive in stores, some customers can find it in the family planning section. And again, you can access it over-the-counter without a prescription.

So this is the first over-the-counter birth control pill that will be available both in stores and online across the country -- Boris?

SANCHEZ: It is a really big deal.

Jacqueline Howard, thanks so much for the update.

[14:49:21]

So over the weekend, we saw history on the hardwood. Iowa hoops legend, Caitlin Clark, officially in a class all by herself, becoming the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division One basketball history. Where is she setting her sights on now, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:54:03]

SANCHEZ: "Big baller, shot-caller" --

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: -- that's how the writers of this show are asking me to refer to Iowa hoop superstar, Caitlin Clark, who is a legend, by all accounts, after she sank the bucket to become the NCAA's all-time leading scorer.

KEILAR: And that's in women's and men's college basketball, both.

CNN sports anchor, Coy Wire, is here with more on what is an amazing feat, Coy?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTER ANCHOR: Yes. This girl grew up in Iowa playing in a boy's league because there wasn't one for girls. And in some of the opposing boy's teams' parents were saying, hold up now, she shouldn't be allowed to play in this league, because that's how good Caitlin Clark was.

Still shining. Senior day in Iowa city, Clark was signing autographs for the next generation ahead of her final regular season home game, 18 points shy of breaking Pete Maravich all-time mark.

And Caitlin put on a show like she always does. She's known for these three-point shots from way downtown, but the moment came just before half.

[14:55:04]

And fittingly, Caitlin Clark found yourself all alone. All eyes seen her push past Pistol Pete's mark with a pair of free throws.

The sell-out crowd, they knew it, everyone knew it, except for maybe Caitlin Clark.

Here's what she had to say about the moment at halftime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAITLIN CLARK, IOWA HAWKEYES GUARD: Not really, but then when they announce it and everybody screams, that's when I knew, but pretty cool.

A good half for us. I think we can do a little better job on defense and clean it up a little bit. But I'm proud of my girls. We're fighting and they're a really good team. They're going to get us everything they got.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Looking at that, putting the focus back on team.

Clark finishing with 35 points. Here number-six Hawkeyes upsetting number-two Ohio State, 93-83, Caitlin cementing her status as a hoops legend.

And afterwards, she shows owed of that selfless attitude. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLARK: Everything that's gone on in the past couple of weeks and even the past couple of months, I feel like I'm so focused on helping his team win and be so great that it's hard for me to wrap my head around everything that's going on.

I think I'm just trying to soak in the moment. A record is a record. I don't want that to be the reason people remember me.

I hope people remember me for the way I played with a smile on my face, my competitive fire. Sure. They can remember the wins, but also just like the fun me and my teammates had together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: All right. LeBron James, fresh off of his own milestone, posting a bunch of buckets, giving his congrats.

And how about President Joe Biden calling Caitlin Clark the GOAT in his pose, the greatest of all time.

Hall of Fame pitcher, Nolan Ryan, was in attendance. Superstar Rapper Travis Scott witnessing the history.

A packed-house standing-room only. Tickets going for about 430 bucks just to get a glimpse of history in the making.

SANCHEZ: I love the fact that that her setting the record completely overshadowed LeBron hitting 40,000 points.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Not a small feat in itself.

Coy Wire, always great to see you, my friend.

WIRE: You got it. Thanks

SANCHEZ: So we are following the Supreme Court's major ruling today that the 14th Amendment does not allow states to bar former President Trump from the ballot. We have more on that in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)