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Don Lemon Tonight

Worse Is Expected In Ukraine; Russia Wants To Take Control Of Ukraine's Nuclear Plant; Russian People Blindfolded By The Truth; U.S. And NATO Don't Agree With No-Fly Zone In Ukraine; Russian Troops Targets Peaceful Villages; Media Confronted By Russian Forces. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired March 04, 2022 - 22:00   ET

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

[22:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST (on camera): Thank you so much for watching tonight, and for watching and caring about what is happening here. The news continues, let's turn things over now to DON LEMON TONIGHT. Don?

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Anderson, besides it appears to be no rules of engagement, at least the Russians aren't following it, I think everyone was struck by Arwa Damon's report and those children, and I know that you were moved by in particular. It is, I think as you said, it is just awful, itis just terrible to watch. And for what? For what? Why on earth is this happening?

COOPER: Yes. You know, it's hard to watch and it's terrible to watch and at the same time, I think it's important to watch because if we -- if people aren't watching what is happening here, it's going to get even worse. You know, we saw Aleppo and Grozny, but there weren't a lot of reporters there.

I was scared to go to Grozny as a young reporter and Aleppo terrified me and horrible things happened there and at least there are people here, at least the world is watching what happens happening here and people aren't dying in silence.

LEMON: Yes.

COOPER: Because that's one of the things that is always, I think makes it even worse, dying in silence and no one paying attention.

LEMON: Yes. Well, Anderson, keep doing what you're doing there and we'll continue to bring it to the world. We appreciate it. Be safe and I'll talk to you soon.

This is DON LEMON TONIGHT.

And this is our breaking news. The U.S. and NATO believe Russia is poised to, quote, "bombard cities into submission in the Ukraine," which could inflict many more civilian casualties.

A senior western intelligence official telling CNN that his experience with Russian leadership and Vladimir Putin leads him to believe, and I quote here, "they have a completely different standard when it comes to respect for human life."

And the U.S. official tells CNN that Russia is planning to deploy up to 1,000 mercenaries in the near future. The Pentagon is saying that Russia has already rained down more than 500 missiles on Ukraine in a week and a half since this invasion began.

And this is what those missiles are doing to the cities and towns of Ukraine. Look at this. On the out skirts of Kyiv, a residential neighborhood attacked. A woman watching, just watching as her house burns. In western Kyiv, a business center just destroyed.

And we have tragic news and a story we first brought you last night. The missile attack on an apartment block in Borodyanka -- Borodyanka, leaving the building just hallowed out. Look at that. Ukrainian officials tell CNN 100 people may still be trapped in the wreckage but they can't get to them because shelling is continuing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The terrible expectation is that the suffering we've already seen is likely to get worse before it gets better. For as long as Russia pursues these methods.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON (on camera): The suffering is getting worse. The lucky ones, the millions fleeing the only homes that they've ever known, like this little boy, saying goodbye to his father. We've also got this incredible moment. ITV News correspondent, John Irvine and his crew confronted by Russian tanks as they tried to leave Mariupol.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN IRVINE, CORRESPONDENT, ITV NEWS: We filmed the Russians as surreptitiously as possible. I can count four Russian tanks. Thankfully the crews of the minute appear to be quite relaxed.

[22:05:06]

Somebody from our lead vehicle has gone to have a chat to convince them that we are who we say we are, an innocent convoy leaving Mariupol for safety. You can see the zed on one side of one of the tanks. I can, anyway. But definitely Russians.

At one point, the tank turret turned our way. We were staring down the barrel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON (on camera): We've got more to come on their story, but we want to get right to it now. CNN's Sam Kiley is in Nepro, that's in Ukraine and Kaitlan Collins at the White House for us this evening.

Hello to both of you. Sam, I'm going to start with you in the region. U.S. officials are warning Russia is closing in on another nuclear reactor, another one. And we're getting new video from inside the nuclear plant as it was being attacked. What are you learning, Sam?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, let's take the first one, the nuclear power station that I am just about 70 miles north of. This is close to the town of Zaporizhzhia, it was attacked about day and a half ago, the Ukrainian authorities and there is video evidence for this say that it was hit by a missile, that missile ignited a fire in a training facility on the edge of the nuclear power station.

But I think what is really chilling, Don, and worth listening to, is the exchange, or rather the public address announcements being made from inside the control room by desperate scientists who are in charge of making sure that reactor does not melt down, does not poison the planet in the way the Chernobyl reactor did, as a consequence though, and this time, of being attacked by the Russians. This is part of that broadcast that they made by public address system.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (onscreen text): You are endangering the security of the entire world. Attention! Stop shooting at a nuclear hazardous facility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KILEY (on camera): Now, stop it, stop it. Extraordinary kind of lines to be thinking that you might be saying when you join a nuclear power industry, to try to prevent neighbor -- tanks of a neighboring nation from firing their main gun at you. That is the allegation being made by the Ukrainian authorities.

Now, simultaneously with that, the United States ambassador to the United Nations has said that Russian troops are also within about 20 miles of a nuclear reactor plant, with three nuclear reactors on it, nuclear power plant rather, about 200 miles west of where I am, north of the city of Kherson which of course, we know fell to Russian troops about a day and a half ago.

Now these are very worrying trends indeed. Under international law, the International Atomic Energy Authority has said attacks on nuclear power station are actually amount to a war crime. What is important also, tonight, Don, is that the teams working inside those nuclear power stations, particularly the one south of me here are being held at gunpoint and being made by the Russians to continue work.

They're not able, though, to change their crews, similar thing exists up in Chernobyl which was captured more than a week ago now, the Ukrainians in charge of that defunct nuclear power station that melted down nearly with utterly catastrophic results already poisoning back in the mid-80s Europe, as far as the British Isles and across Russia, they have teams there working to keep the defunct power station under control. They are also being held at gunpoint.

Of course, the Ukrainian government are saying that their people are being held hostage. The Russians, in a weird twist that we're now used to, are suggesting that they actually occupied this nuclear, the latest nuclear power station in a bit of preventing it falling into the hands or continuing to be in the hands of a government they say is a government of terrorists and neo-Nazis. Headed, as we all know, by a Jew. Don.

LEMON: Kaitlan, you know, this is escalating out of control as feared. What is the White House saying about the dangerous situation that these nuclear power plants in Ukraine?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They say it's the height of irresponsibility and that it is reckless, it is dangerous, and they're calling on the Russian to cease operations here. Of course, as Sam noted, they have taken control of it, they do have the operators held at gunpoint, according to the spokesman there.

And so, it's a major concern for the White House which last night was, are there elevated levels of radiation happening? They talked to their counterparts, they don't believe that's happened so far, but the idea they have maintained control of this, maybe they want to shut off power is the suggestion the White House has made.

[22:10:06]

That's still obviously of concern to them given it's the biggest nuclear power plant in all of Europe and has a fifth of the power to Ukraine. And so that is a major concern for the White House, on top of what Sam said about the U.N. ambassador warning tonight that they're headed for the second largest one, the second largest capacity producing one.

And so, it's a major concern for the White House. One thing, though, Don, that they're having some disagreement over is whether or not this constitutes a war crime, this attack by Russia on this nuclear power complex which you saw the U.S. embassy in Kyiv tweeted that they do believe it's a war crime, saying that Putin was taking his reign of terror one step further.

The White House, though, was not ready to go that far today. And the State Department actually sent out a message telling people if they had retweeted that message to un-retweet it, because it's basically saying this is not the official position of the United States government at this time.

LEMON: Stand by, both of you, thank you very much. We'll get back to you as warranted throughout this broadcast. We're going to continue to cover other breaking news coming out of Ukraine in the Russia region.

I want to turn now to Olexander Scherba, he is the former ambassador- at-large for Ukraine's foreign ministry. Ambassador, we appreciate having you on.

It is just -- it's horrific, it's heart wrenching to watch what is going on in the region. The video just outside of Kyiv shows a woman watching as her home burns down. Heartbreaking. Putin's forces are trying to turn your country into rubble. Did you ever think that this would or could happen?

OLEXANDER SCHERBA, FORMER AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR UKRAINE'S FOREIGN MINISTRY: No, we were warned about that this was a reality coming upon us, but to the last moment, I didn't believe, many, or most of us didn't believe for one simple reason -- this makes no sense. This is a senseless absolutely barbaric destruction, counterproductive war for Ukraine and for Russia.

LEMON: You know, I want to put up this photo, it's a photo that you flag said showing Ukrainian soldier carried an infant across a destroyed bridge on the outskirts of Kyiv. It is, there it is now, it is gut wrenching. You're in Ukraine's capitol right now. What is it like on the ground, Ambassador?

SCHERBA: Well, the city is very empty, very calm and at the same time, very tense, of course. There are mostly, if you see people on the street, it's mostly either military or people like me who stayed behind, but other than that, quite frankly, it's one of the most defining moments of my life, but also one of the proudest, because to see my nation so resilient and so strong in the face of an enemy like that, is just -- it's overwhelming.

And it feels -- it feels like David beating the Goliath right now. They cannot beat us face to face so they are resorting to these techniques they used in Aleppo and Grozny, but nevertheless, I'm sure that Ukraine will overcome.

LEMON: Western intelligence official telling CNN that U.S. and NATO officials now believe that Russia is changing strategy, they are poised now to bombard cities into submission. They expect more attacks and casualties. How does this end?

SCHERBA: This will end, this will only make Putin's sin and Putin's crime bigger, but he cannot -- he cannot conquer this country. This country doesn't want him. This country wants her freedom and her way of life. This country wants, you know, this Russian reality where two men sit in one room and say you know what, I will be the president next four years and he will be prime minister and then we'll change back, it's not for us.

We like to take down your government, we like to change your government, we want residents in the history of -- Ukraine's history manage to get reelected. He can't -- he can't win here. I mean, that's if he would come out of his bunker once in a while, he has not only yes men around him, he would understand this. So, it's a matter, he's going down but it's just a matter of blood -- just a matter of how much blood and how much suffering he will cause going down.

LEMON: I want you to respond to this. I want to show this video. It's of an unarmed Ukrainian -- of an unarmed Ukrainian civilian coming face to face with Russian troops. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: The Russian world has come to Novopskovsk. Novopskovsk is meeting the Russian world. You are not welcome here. You only bring war with you. Go away from here. The war and death follow you. Put on your stuff and leave. Ukraine is above all.

(CROWD CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[22:15:05]

LEMON (on camera): Listen. This is bolstering, it's backing up what you were saying about the Ukrainian people. How do you explain so many ordinary people, Ambassador, doing such extraordinary, heroic things to protect your country?

SCHERBA: It turns out we are an amazing nation. We were underestimated for so long. I mean, it's a discovery for me, quite frankly, these -- all these civilians. You remember this famous man on Tiananmen Square in China, we are this tank man. We are one.

I mean, yesterday, they have, Russians have only one of 21 big cities in Ukraine more or less under their control, Kherson. And yesterday they are offering humanitarian aid to the locals who (Inaudible) to them. And all they heard was Ukraine, Ukraine, and occupiers, go home.

I mean, women civilians just, you know, they have had cases where Russians, were shooting at the crowd, throwing grenades at the crowd. People are unbreakable. People stand in the way, civilians and military. It's amazing.

LEMON: Ambassador Scherba, thank you so much. Best of luck. Please be safe.

SCHERBA: Thank you.

LEMON: Thank you. President Volodomyr Zelenskyy blasting NATO for ruling out a no-fly zone, but would that risk a full-on war?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Today, the alliance's leadership gave the green light for further bombing of Ukrainian towns and villages, refusing to make a no-fly zone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[22:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON (on camera): So, this is breaking tonight, the U.S. flying B-52 bombers over NATO's eastern flank, exercising with German and Romanian militaries. It is a sign of unity as Russian -- the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its second weekend. That as Ukraine's President Zelenskyy condemns NATO's decision to rule out a no-fly zone over his country.

Let's discuss now, the former Defense Secretary William Cohen is here. And boy, do we have a lot to discuss, Secretary. Good evening. Thank you for joining us.

So, you heard President Zelenskyy, he is clearly frustrated but Secretary Tony Blinken is saying that a no-fly zone could lead to a full-fledged war, what is the most the U.S. can do to help Ukraine? Where is the line here?

WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, we can continue to do what we're doing today but accelerate it and make it even more expensive for the Russian military to combat it, more antiaircraft, more Stingers, more Javelins, everything we can to inflict as much pain and suffering upon the Russian military as possible.

But I think the most that we can should do, and do as quickly as possible, is take all of those images, all of these stories and get them to the Russian people. They are being blocked now from seeing what is really taking place.

I think the most effective thing we can do is to make the Russian people rise up in anger at their own government, meaning President Putin. I don't know how democracies can continue to do business with Putin after this. I don't know how so many remain silent. We just celebrated Black History Month and it was Dr. King who said we will not long remember the words of our enemies, but we'll remember the silence of our friends.

And the silence of the friends here have been unwilling to come forward, not only to talk about condemning Russia but to take action, to cut off their relationship, to downgrade their relationship, to make Russia feel the pain. Not as great as what the Ukrainians are suffering now, to be sure, feel the pain in their lives. They no longer have their freedom of thought or speech.

The fact that they will say it's a military, it's a war, put you in jail for 15 years? The fact that you criticize your military? Fifteen years? Now that's cancel culture. When people in this country talk about cancel culture, that's real cancel culture.

So, what he's doing is shutting down the ability of people to know the truth, and what we can do, the most effective thing we can do in addition to providing all of this equipment to help them take on this war is to get the information war into the Russian people, into the all of Russia, see the people rise up.

LEMON: Let me talk -- let me jump in and talk to you about some of that, because you're right, I mean, this puts it into perspective, that is real cancel culture, but let's talk about some of the things that the U.S. is doing. The U.S. has supplied antiaircraft Stingers, tank-busting Javelins.

CNN is reporting the U.S. is sharing intel with the Ukraine -- with Ukraine on troop positioning, intercept the communications, detailing Russian military planning, in some cases sharing information with Kyiv, within a half hour of receiving it. How important is that on the battle field?

COHEN: It's critical. Information is power. Information tells the Ukrainians where the Russians are moving at any given point, making an assessment of what the capability of that Russian column might be. So, information is critical, we have to continue to provide it. And I think that's one of the reasons why they have been so successful today as they're relying upon western information getting to them.

We need to continue that and make sure we stay with it as long as we possibly can. But really, where is the end in all of this? And my own view is more pessimistic because I don't think Putin stops with Ukraine, to the extent he can ever suppress it. He will next say I asked you to get out of these countries that were once mine. And that's when we're going to have to really face the music with him, to say no, NATO is here to stay, we're not reducing. You're not going back.

And then if he threatens nuclear weapons or some other kind of major attack upon the United States, we have to face it, face on, so it may not be now, but it might come later.

[22:25:01]

LEMON: Are you surprised that over a week into this invasion, Russia still does not have full control over airspace over Ukraine?

COHEN: Well, it's been talked about at length. The Russians may have overestimated their ability and they underestimated the ability of the Ukrainians to resist, but it certainly doesn't look like a three- dimensional chess as we constantly refer to Putin playing three- dimensional chess. He's not doing very well at the chess game.

But again, he has, he's proudly going to inflict far more damage than he has. He's going to create a wasteland of, for Ukraine. And the danger is he's going to hopefully not provoke us into creating a wasteland on a much wider basis.

But this is what the American people have to understand, we have to really start being willing to sacrifice here at home. Those people are dying. We're going to see higher prices, higher gas prices, higher inflation, but we have to be willing to bear that because Putin is not just coming for Ukraine, he is a danger to freedom as we know it, to democracy.

This is a war against democracy, so the democracies of the world have to be willing to stand up now and say that we'll do whatever we can, commercial, cut off, absolutely. We have to be willing to bear the burden of having tough times, economic times, if we hope to stop what he's doing.

But I don't know how any country can look at Putin in the future and not see war criminal across the brow. Because that's what he is doing. He is committing, in my judgment, war crimes, even though the United States doesn't want to get there yet, but when you shell children's hospitals, the parents of those kids who are suffering from cancer now have to be concerned how do they get on a subway or in a bomb shelter to deal with their children?

And if that's not a war crime, then attacking a nuclear power plant certainly qualifies as that. So that's the danger that we face, and the world has to speak up. And I don't know how we deal with Putin in the future.

He's lied about not being willing to attack, he's lied about he wouldn't target civilian areas. He's lead about everything. So, I don't know how you deal with him in the future. I think the only way, ultimately, the world is going to be safe, is he's no longer in power and that depends upon the Russian people rising up.

LEMON: Listen, there's no doubt that what is coming out of Ukraine is horrific. I mean, the stories, the children, the, you know, people watching their homes just be obliterated and their lives be up ended and their losing friends and loved ones, family, and neighbors. And you said it's going to have to be sacrifices made.

Now, you know you hear people here in the United States and I'm speaking for the people at home, many people who are watching, they understand what's happening, a lot of them understand that there will have to be sacrifices, but there are others, quite frankly, Secretary, who will say there's war and unrest at any given point all over the world every single day. Why is the U.S. there? Why this sacrifice, why sacrifice for this and not for others?

COHEN: Because Putin is not going to stop with Ukraine. He is an enemy of freedom. The Ukrainians have done nothing but wish for democracy and freedom and prosperity and he can't stand that near his country. So, he is an enemy of freedom.

And if the people in this country don't understand what's taking place, when those photos continue to run all of that film, get it into Russia in particular, and then call upon the major countries to say yes, we know you got interests in Russia, but are you willing to risk this war spreading to other nations?

And the fact that a nuclear power plant could go down, you think the damage is going to be confined to Ukraine? We've done studies on this to see what happens if you target a chemical weapons facility. What happens in terms of the weather conditions, how high is the plume? How much radiation would be spread all over that part of Europe and possibly into Russia?

So, this is not simply saying the war is over there, that's their problem. No, no. It's our problem. It's the world's problem and you're dealing with a man who is capable of this cruelty and this barbarity.

LEMON: We appreciate you bringing perspective to this right on, Secretary. Thank you very much. We'll talk to you soon. Be well.

COHEN: Thank you. Good to be with you, Don.

LEMON: Home -- you as well. Homes turned to rubble. Gardens obliterated. The death toll still not known. We have got an in-depth look at a Ukrainian village shelled beyond existence. That's next.

[22:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON (on camera): You're about to watch a story that is tough to watch, and, but you should watch it. It's going to be graphic, and I just want you to pay attention to this. Because tonight, tonight the U.N. is reporting at least 331 civilian deaths in Ukraine since Russia's brutal assault began last week.

More innocent people dying each day as the campaign of mass destruction only gets worse, Russian forces showing no mercy, leveling a small village in eastern Ukraine, that's where people are fleeing the shelling in Kharkiv took refuge.

[22:35:05]

ITV News reporter Dan Rivers is there and again, a warning, some of the video is graphic. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN RIVERS, CORRESPONDENT, ITV NEWS: At first glance, it appears a peaceful sanctuary which is why those bombed out of Kharkiv sought refuge here, but a closer look shows the village of Yakivlivka was anything but safe, it was devastated by what locals say were four Russian air strikes and this was the result.

The body of Victor (Ph) lies in front of the home where he perished. As fireman search for that of his wife Oxana (Ph) still buried under its ruins. What we're seeing here is the true face of this Russian invasion.

President Putin doesn't seem to care whether civilians are caught by his shells and rockets. He's not liberating this country, he's destroying it. There is no hearse for the bodies. One week on and this war has already robbed the dead of their dignity and left the living seething with fury.

"Putin, you should die," he says.

In Natasha's garden, they're sifting the rubble for anything worth salvaging. She was sheltering nine people in her home, including several young children. Their car had been shot as they ran the gauntlet from the city.

And two children were here?

She shows me where they were sleeping when the first missile hit. The shockwave ripped through every room, lacerating them all with glass. The children escaped without major injury.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNKNOWN (onscreen text): It's so scary. War is very scary, and there are all those mothers who don't understand who don't have information in Russia about what is happening here. Their children are being killed. They are being used as cannon fodder. They are cannon fodder. We are cannon fodder. We have to have peace. People have to be ablet to live and I have to clear in all this mess after the shelling. Where can we live? How can we live? It's very scary.

RIVERS: Across the street, a garden hewn apart by the impact, the blast so powerful, it overturned cars, the crater so deep, you could bury one inside it. People are left sifting through what's left without the support of any aid agencies, wondering what will come next.

As the shelling continues to echo across this shattered community. There is no obvious military targets here, just a village which tried to offer shelter to those in need.

Dan Rivers, News at 10, eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON (on camera): I mean, it is, thank you, Dan, it is unbelievable to watch those images and that -- those are the things that have been discovered. There will be more. There's more yet to come.

So, the question is what is Russia's strategy? Why are they demolishing peaceful villages and what will people have to do to defend their families and their friends and to protect their own land, really? We'll talk about all of that, next.

[22:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON (on camera): The U.S. and NATO officials saying tonight that Russia is poised to, quote, "bombard cities into submission," that source telling CNN there could be significant civilian casualties.

So, joining me now is Colonel John Spencer. John Spencer is a member of the California State Guard and an urban warfare expert. So glad to have you back on, Colonel. Thank you so much.

We've seen how bad this is getting, entire apartment buildings destroyed, firefights around nuclear plants, convoys with trucks capable of deploying thermobaric weapons have been spotted and now this warning from the U.S. and NATO, I hate to ask you this, but how much worse can this get?

JOHN SPENCER, MEMBER, CALIFORNIA STATE GUARD: Unfortunately, I think it will and can and will get much, much worse. We've only unfortunately seen the beginning of this. He's going to continue to bomb cities and attempt to bomb them into submission even before he gets to the surrounding Kyiv.

LEMON: You say that there are ways to do precision strikes on individual targets in a building without taking out the entire building. Why do you think Russia isn't using those capabilities?

SPENCER: One, I don't think it's their strategy, just not in them, and two, they haven't invested in that. They don't care about the loss of civilian lives and hopefully they're investigated very rapidly for war crimes. I mean, using cluster mutations, come on. I mean that's -- that's crazy. Or even the thermobaric, I mean, I know you know, that's crazy.

LEMON: It is crazy, listen. Something, when we last spoke, something you said stuck with me, this is just a few days ago. You said that the urban warfare for Russia would be their worst nightmare and that Ukrainians have a strong advantage here. Has what we've seen over the last few days changed your thinking here at all or you still believe that?

[22:45:00]

SPENCER: No, absolutely not. What I've seen so far is unfortunately, what I would have predicted. It's the strategy that Russia has to go forward with. I mean, that's their strategy. They bomb the city heavily before entering it.

I mean, they only, Don, they only lost 2,000 soldiers in Grozny but up to bomb 30,000 artillery rounds a day. They killed civilians over 25, I believe 50,000 civilians after they're only lost 20 -- no, I think, unfortunately, what I predicted is what I -- this is urban warfare, you bomb it before you get there, you surround it. You bombed it until -- hoping that they'll just give up which hopefully the Ukrainians don't, and then you expose your troops to the hell that is urban combat.

LEMON: But didn't you tell me, Colonel, that in an urban fight, that you need five times the troops to get to one defender but we're already seeing the Russian army encircling cities in Ukraine, potentially cutting them off from vital supplies. Does that make it harder for Ukrainians to defend their cities?

SPENCER: It does, depending on which cities, like I told you, I still believe Kyiv is the city that matters, I mean, of course the killing of civilians is, it's unlawful, it's wrong and no matter -- he has to isolate the cities to, also to use them, to project power towards Kyiv.

But great for Ukrainians, if he does capture a city, that means he needs manpower to hold it. Whatever you clear you have to hold, so that's less and less that he needs -- he's going to have to do the main operation. If, for some reason, that convoy ever gets up and going, that's what it's for. It's for Kyiv.

LEMON: But tactically, tactically, if the Russians are making all these gains in the south, blocking off access to Black Sea, how does this impact Ukrainians fighting in the rest of the country? I mean, because the Black Sea, that's really important.

SPENCER: Yes. So, we know what the plan in the east is, to cut off the eastern Ukrainian army from being able to get to Kyiv, and that's pretty basic strategy if you know you have to take terrain, you cut it off from the possibility of resupply which luckily is not yet, and you cut it off for any possibility of reinforcement.

Some, in history, if you do that, sometimes the city will just give up because there's no hope left. That's not going to happen here, of course, but that's the strategy. Cut off the whole eastern flank, seize the port so you can project power in rapidly. We have this saying that amateurs talk tactics and professionals talk logistics, clearly the Russian military is not professional because they can't do logistics at all.

Luckily, the routes to resupply an amazing support that Ukrainians are getting are staying open, especially along the west. That's going to help them survive, and like I told you last time, every day they survive, Russia is losing.

LEMON: Colonel Spencer, thank you. We'll see you soon.

SPENCER: Thanks, Don.

LEMON: Cities across Ukraine bracing for attack, we're going to go to Odessa next, that's where our reporters even see kids helping to build defensive infrastructure. Stay with us.

[22:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON (on camera): Ukraine's key southern port city is Odessa and they are bracing tonight for an expected amphibious attack by Russian forces from the Black Sea. But as we are seeing in other parts of Ukraine people in Odessa and other southern cities will not go down without fighting.

More tonight from CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR 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 these human chains sent to barricade Odessa's center. In times past this fun spot would have pleasured rich Russians, too. Now even if you're age 11 you know to keep them out.

"I expect, she says, we will defend Odessa and everything will be OK." 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 of defiance.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNKNOWN: Thank you. Thank you.

WALSH: Soon, the alert clears and the church bells begin to sound friendly again as people thin out on the ground. But the youngest are the last to leave. And for Kira, age 3, these up-and-down days in the dark are too much. Nastya is bouncier. "I've lost my train toy," she says. "Wait. It's over there.'

Parents who can only hope this happens so rarely they never think of it as normal. Out east of here, the new Russian fake world that wants to envelope theirs is unfolding. These videos showing apparent 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.

[22:54:59]

Although at first contact the P.R. 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.

But 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, maps, 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, is where they'll get uglier still.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Odessa, Ukraine.

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LEMON (on camera): Nick Paton Walsh, thank you very much for that. We are live on the ground in Ukraine and at the White House right after this. Plus, what happened when reporters came face to face with Russian troops. That's all next.

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