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Russia Unleashes Military Assault on Ukraine; Over 1,700 Detained At Anti-War Protests In Russia; Subway Stations In Ukraine Used As Bomb Shelters; Heavy New Explosions in and Around Ukrainian Capital; E.U. Announces New Maximum Impact Sanctions on Russia; Global Show of Support for Ukraine and its People. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired February 25, 2022 - 01:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:01:02]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone and welcome to CNN. I'm Michael Holmes coming to you live in Lviv, Ukraine with our breaking news.

Russian forces moving deeper into Ukraine and appear to have their sights set on the capital Kyiv, with heavy explosions from cruise or ballistic missiles reported in just the past few hours.

Now a Ukrainian official says this video shows an anti-missile system shooting a Russian missile out of the sky. Ukraine and the U.S. say the Russians do plan to encircle the city go after the government and could inflict widespread human rights abuses.

Now the Ukrainian foreign minister condemned the quote horrific rocket strikes on Kyiv saying the last time that happened was in 1941 when Kyiv was attacked by Nazi Germany.

Meanwhile, Russian forces have been pounding airfields and military bases all across the country. The British intelligence reporting at least 18 strikes since the fighting began. A U.S. source says Russia has launched more than 160 missiles.

Heavy fighting reported in North Eastern Ukraine as well. Video posted on Twitter claims to show a military academy on fire.

Now CNN has witnessed heavy artillery fire in Ukraine second largest city Kharkiv. Ukraine's president says at least 137 soldiers have been killed since this invasion began. And he believes the Russians are coming after him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): According to our information, the enemy has marked me as target number one. My family is target number two. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state. We have information that enemy sabotage groups have entered Kyiv.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now the Russian President Vladimir Putin he spoke with his Iranian counterpart on Thursday, blaming NATO and the West for the invasion. According to Tehran, Mr. Putin called it a legitimate response to efforts to undermine Russia's security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Everything that is happening as a desperate measure. They left us no other option. They've created such security risks that we couldn't react differently.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now the U.S. President Joe Biden has unveiled sweeping new sanctions on Russia, although he admits that it will take some time before Moscow feels the effects. He also says he's still considering direct sanctions on Vladimir Putin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he in his country will bear the consequences. America stands up to bullies. We stand up for freedom. This is who we are. Make no mistake, freedom will prevail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: All right, CNN White House reporter Kevin Liptak is standing by in Washington but we begin with our national security editor, Nick Paton Walsh in Kherson in Ukraine, and Nick reports of fighting where you are, tell us what you're saying.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Yes, described yesterday by President Zelenskyy as the severest fighting in Ukraine at the moment it seems to be while we saw it occurring around a bridge where we're standing in Kherson.

The geography here is really important, Michael. This is the kind of land link up to mainland Ukraine from Russian illegally held Crimea, the peninsula that they took in 2014. Now this is the main town that you'd have to go through in order to move up north.

Yesterday we arrived here and saw heavy fighting for the bridge that helps you get from the side wherever we know Russian forces have got to the riverbank to this side still held by Ukrainian forces.

[01:05:04]

It appeared yesterday that Russian forces had in fact got over the bridge and crossed onto this side. And we heard gunfire on this side of the river. In fact, we heard bit more small arms fire after dark last night. It is unclear where those Russian forces have gone reports they may have had west or east, that's essentially Odessa or the separatists areas depending on what direction they've taken.

But overnight, we heard persistent low flying jets here three, four times, destined airstrikes, and then another low flying jet again this morning. So it's clear it seems the fighting is still continuing to some degree for this vital River.

It's important, Michael, obviously, you know, because Dnieper River runs from the Black Sea through mainland Ukraine, essentially, kind of splitting its eastern its west with Kyiv in the middle. And so control of the bridges across this Dnieper River is obviously vitally important for Ukraine would say the defense of that Western northern part of the country and possibly Kyiv as well.

And obviously, too, we've known part of the Russia maneuvers have been designed to push up from Crimea, creating extra pressure on the defense of the Capitol, and also potentially providing assistance off to the east.

HOLMES: All right, Nick Paton Walsh, there in Kherson, where fighting is going on. We will check back in with you a bit later. Thank you, Nick. Let's go to Kevin Liptak in Washington for more from there. And Kevin, you know, we're hearing the reports, of course that the Russians are coming up on the capital, Kyiv. What are you hearing there from the White House about that?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Something that American officials are monitoring very closely this evening. Earlier tonight, a U.S. lawmakers did receive a briefing from a top administration officials about the latest on the ground there. And one of the pieces of information that they were told was that Russian forces entering from Belarus were about 20 miles outside of Kyiv. And now that briefing took place about six and a half hours ago so that -- those numbers may have changed since then. But that was a startling piece of information to the senators and congressmen who heard it.

They also were told that these forces had the goal of encircling the city that they were under attack from the north, south and east of Kyiv. And so all this was sort of a stark illustration of something that the administration had actually been warning about for several weeks that this was one of the intentions of Vladimir Putin assault on Ukraine was to eventually get to the Capitol.

And now Secretary of State Antony Blinken in this briefing on one of the things he said that he was convinced that one of the goals of this invasion was to undermine the Ukrainian government essentially, decapitate the Ukrainian government, and then install some other type of force.

And so right now, President Zelenskyy is saying that he's remaining in Kyiv. The United States has discussed contingency plans within the past several weeks with him about what might happen. It's not clear how much he is engaged on that. But all of this is certainly playing out here in Washington as well.

HOLMES: All right, Kevin, appreciate the update. Kevin Liptak there in Washington. All right, now joining me now from Canberra in Australia, Malcolm Davis. He's a senior analyst in Defense Strategy and Capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Great to have you back again.

So when you look at what's going on, what tactics do you see a most likely to be employed by the Russians now, by and large taken out the initial targets they were after? Do you think we're going to see tanks, ground troops? And what do you see them doing?

MALCOLM DAVIS, SENIOR ANALYST, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: Well, certainly, those initial missile and air strikes were designed to take out strategic targets to weaken the Ukrainian air defenses. I think the Russians have been largely successful, although there are media reports of one Ukrainian fighter cut, which they're calling the ghost of Kyiv, which has taken down six Russian aircraft. So he's a fighter race now.

But I think that following on from those air and missile strikes that we're seeing continuing, you will see the Russians send in their ground forces. And you're already seeing that in fighting around Chernobyl, and other axes coming from the north, from Belarus, towards Kyiv.

And behind those initial thrusts are the Russian second and third echelon forces. And you've got to understand the way the Russians fight is a series of echelon forces. So the very fact that they haven't committed 50 percent of their deployed forces so far is significant because you've got a lot of forces in the rear, waiting to go.

HOLMES: When we talk about the capital Kyiv, can you imagine or visualize a tanks rolling into the capitol or do you think perhaps a strategy militarily could be surround the city and then kind of lay siege to it even perhaps cut off the power and so on? What are the potential options there?

DAVIS: I think the Russians are got a number of options. Certainly, if you look at their past use of ground forces, for example, in Grozny in 1994, they essentially bombarded the city with massed artillery and rocket fire. So potentially, they could do that with Kyiv, that will cause horrendous damage and civilian casualties.

The second option would be as you suggest surrounding Kyiv, and trying to isolate it. But that would be a long term siege. And I'm not sure that Putin has the willingness to last out that long in terms of a deployment.

So the third option is to force their way in fight street by street, that's going to be incredibly bloody for the Russians and the Ukrainians. They'll take both sides will take heavy losses. But I have a feeling that probably the Russians will choose that option, combined with special forces or Spetsnaz operations to try and seize or eliminate the leadership at the very top.

HOLMES: You mentioned Grozny and for those of us who remember what the Russians did there, I mean, the notion of tanks and troops going into the Capitol sort of defies belief. What could that look like, as you say, in terms of casualty potential?

DAVIS: It would be horrific. I mean, wherever the Russians choose to bombard, Kyiv, from a distance with mass artillery, and rocket fire or wherever they go in and fight street by street, it's going to be bloody either way. Certainly the Ukrainians are giving every indication they're simply not going to give up. So the Russians will pay for every meter of every advance. We have lives lost.

But the Ukrainians are also going to take very heavy losses as well, and how you evacuate civilians from the line of fire, I think it becomes a really critical issue, particularly when you've got the Russians advancing in the south much more rapidly than what they're advancing in the north.

So the consequences of the intervention into Kyiv, I think, would be horrendous. And it would place real pressure on NATO to do something more than simply sanctions, particularly if you start to see large numbers of civilians dying in the streets.

HOLMES: Well, you know, given what Putin said about anyone interfering intervention by NATO, meaning what?

DAVIS: Well, that's the key challenge here. Putin did make that threat and I believe we discussed this last night, where he was threatening a new type of military power of which the U.S. and its allies had never experienced before. There's some discussion that could mean escalation of tactical nuclear weapons, that would be an incredibly dangerous move by Putin.

The other possibility, I think, is very large cyber and counter space offenses, designed to take out the economic and informational infrastructure of the U.S. and its allies in Europe. So you had a cyberattack last year on U.S. energy systems. That should be a taste of what could happen on a much larger scale against banks, against telecommunications, against energy, and other critical information infrastructure. That could certainly be one option, rather than going straight to tactical nuclear weapons.

HOLMES: Terrifying, frankly, list of options that you outline and none of them good. Malcolm Davis in Canberra, always good to have your expertise. Appreciate it. Thanks so much.

DAVIS: Thank you.

HOLMES: All right. Coming up here on CNN Newsroom, not everyone in Russia is on board with the invasion and some even going to jail after protesting on the streets of Moscow.

Also, residents in Ukraine turn a subway station into a bomb shelter, how they're holding up all of that still to come.

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[01:18:27]

HOLMES: Now President Vladimir Putin, of course enjoys overwhelming support in Russia, but that hasn't stopped sporadic demonstrations in his own country against this invasion. According to independent media and local monitoring groups, more than 1,700 people have been detained in anti-war protests around the country. CNN's Nic Robertson reported on some of those arrests as they were happening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (on camera): Here's another man just be taken away and arrested here. This is happening literally by the minute and I'm looking at another one two people coming up behind Liliana (ph) cameraman handle woman. Two, three, four, five, six. At least six other people here. Let's see. Well, we've been talking here in the past couple of minutes, more than 10 people have been arrested.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now Russia bars demonstrations without a permit, but Russians can stage individual single person protests. White House press secretary Jen Psaki calling the protesters courageous and said their actions quote, show the world that despite the Kremlin's propaganda, there are Russian people who profoundly disagree with what Putin is doing in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, residents in Kharkiv, Ukraine have turned a subway station into a makeshift bomb shelter. CNN's chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward was there and spoke with frightened but determined Ukrainians seeking safety.

[01:20:02]

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kharkiv residents scrambled to find shelter as Russia's brutal assault unfolds. Deep underground scenes reminiscent of the Second World II, and the shock just sinking in, that what was unimaginable is now reality. As 36-year-old Darya tells us.

DARYA, KHARKIV RESIDENT: You wake up in a totally new reality at 5:00 am. And you find out that the world is no longer the safe place, you imagine. We are independent country of Ukraine, and we are totally not same as Russians. And we don't want to be a part of Russia, or any other country.

WARD (on camera): Yesterday, this was just an ordinary metro station full of people going to and from work. Today, it has become a de facto bomb shelter. And there are just hundreds and hundreds of people who have descended on this place, fearful for their lives, and uncertain of what the future will bring.

(voice-over): And the thing you hear over and over again from people is where can we go? Where is it safe now to go in Ukraine? And I want to be clear about something. This is not a frontline city in Ukraine's eight-year war with Russia. This is a thriving metropolis of 1.4 million people who have never experienced anything like this in their entire lives. And now they're being forced to literally camp out with their families, their pets, their loved ones. They grabbed whatever they could from their homes, and they brought it here. And they don't know what's next for them. They don't know what the new Ukraine will look like, and what place they will have it.

Many we approach our two overcome to speak.

(on camera): I'm asking them if they're afraid. They're very nervous. Look at the situation around you, this woman says. I'm so sorry. It's a terrible, terrible situation.

(voice-over): There's no doubt here about who is responsible for this conflict. But few can understand why.

(on camera): So it's interesting. I just asked them, what do they think of President Putin? Do they think he's crazy? They said he's not crazy. He's sick. He's sick. We just want to live peacefully.

DARYA: I just hope that some people in Russia (INAUDIBLE).

WARD (voice-over): A simple plea for mercy that has so far fallen on deaf ears.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HOLMES: All right, let's turn now to Lesia Vasylenko. And she's a member of Ukrainian parliament. And she joins me now live from Kyiv. And I thank you for doing so. I saw you quoted saying that, you know, this is surreal that obviously you never thought you would be living through the nightmare that your grandmother lived through during World War II. How are you feeling right now as you watch this happened to your country?

LESIA VASYLENKO, UKRANIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: I stand by the quote that you just mentioned it. It is surreal. I guess by now there's also tiredness which is seeping in. Because we hardly get any time to sleep, because of the strikes, because of the information coming in from all over the country. And because of the aftershock that we are all in.

HOLMES: What are you doing day to day, hour to hour? What are you doing?

VASYLENKO: Well, my personal story is that I'm very much involved with the international community and with international parliamentarians. And I just tried to get their attention to help Ukraine because, again, if this continues at the level, it's happening now, if these airstrikes happening, if the tanks rolling in, Ukraine will not be able to stand for long against such a massive Russian aggression, and we need assistance. We need help. We need help from all the partners that we have, from all those countries that call themselves apartness.

Political statements are great. We are thankful for those as ever, but we need concrete action. We need the sanctions to be in place. We need more weapons inside of Ukraine. And at the end of the day, we need a closure of our airspace. And that can be done only with the help of the U.S. and the UK. And we need UN peacekeepers or whatever other troops on the ground here in Ukraine countering Russian attacks.

[01:25:03]

HOLMES: Yes, sadly, none of that seems particularly likely. You know, when you talked about the surreal nature of this, I think back to Vladimir Putin when he spoke, he spoke of close cultural and familial ties between Russia and Ukraine. And yet, of course, an invasion, like the one underway could cause thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of deaths of people in Ukraine, related to people in Russia. That must just boggle your mind.

VASYLENKO: I'm sorry. Yes. So it just doesn't speak out of my window. And there's like -- there's planes flying into, because I'm on the outskirts of Kyiv right now. I'm sorry. Yes, sorry for that. So, because every time we get this, it's disturbances every single time like that.

So I'm on the outskirts of Kyiv right now. And just as we spoke, there were several planes flying in, in the direction of the city. And we know from the president's address, just several minutes ago that air strikes are to begin, well, right about now. Hopefully, our anti- airstrike system is going to be able to withstand that.

But as we speak, and this is what I say that we are all exhausted from this, because we have helicopters, we have airplanes, fighter jets, flying all around all the time. And every time we hear a noise, it's like looking out of the window, where is it going? Is it going to hit it? Or is it going to miss?

HOLMES: I can't imagine how unsettling how terrifying this is for you and everyone in Kyiv as well. What is your greatest fear about what's going to happen? I mean, clearly Putin wants to overthrow the government, at a very minimum, that if he's troops and tanks come into the city, it could become a very bloody situation.

VASYLENKO: Let's hope that doesn't happen. I have faith in the Ukrainian army, and then the Ukrainian people. We now have a huge lines piling in to sign up to the territorial defense units. People here are brave and are not up to giving up the country. We do not want to live under somebody's rule, whoever it is. We are free people. We have fallen for our freedom. Our men and women have died for this freedom in the recent years, and also in the decades and centuries before that.

Ukrainians value their freedom the most. And we want our children to live in a free and independent country and to democracy. And this is what we are fighting for. And this is what we will be standing for. And hopefully, the military experts from the U.S., from the UK and from within Ukraine are right in saying that, you know, our goal is to withstand this blitzkrieg, which is happening now. And lighting up all of Ukraine in every single region.

And we will stand it until the end of the weekend, then we will have at least a bit of a breather because then Putin will need to think of some of the creative plan how to destroy and dismember Ukraine. HOLMES: Again, I can't imagine what you're going through and our hearts go out to you and everyone in Kyiv at the moment and our thoughts are with you. Lesia Vasylenko, thanks so much. We'll keep checking in with you. Appreciate that.

VASYLENKO: Thank you. Thank you.

HOLMES: Just heartbreaking to hear. Now, we do have this report into us here at CNN. Ukraine's Deputy Interior Minister says a Ukrainian fighter jet has been shot down over Kyiv. Photos tweeted by the Ukrainian emergency forces appear to show a fire at a private two- storey house. This is after fragments of the plane fell on it apparently. It's unclear if those are the remnants of the same jet. We will however bring you more details as we get them.

Now before we go to break, I want to bring you more reaction from Ukraine. CNN talk to residents here in Lviv where I are to get their thoughts on the Russian invasion. Have a listen and we'll be right back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, something bad is happening but there is no need to panic. We just need to take some action, some precautions and try to keep alert and mindful and stay kind of clear mind that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel angry, you know. I don't feel helpless but I feel angry. And I feel like we need an international support, a strong support.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And actually my mother who's 71, told she is going to stay here and fight for Kyiv.

[01:29:38]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone. I'm Michael Holmes, live in Lviv, Ukraine as Russia storms ahead with its invasion. And I can tell you that in the last hour or so we have twice had the air raid sirens going off here where we are again. Which of course is incredibly worrying for people. Nothing has happened but -- it's incredibly worrying and then it's followed by an announcement.

And just got the translation of the announcement. It's a pretty routine warning announcement. It's from the Department of Civil Defense here in Lviv.

[01:34:50]

HOLMES: It's telling people turn off the lights, gas, put off the fire in the stove. Take your individual protection equipment, personal documents, food and water. Alert your neighbors and help those who are ill or elderly to get outside of the building as soon as possible. Go to the shelter or take cover.

Imagine hearing that in your home as you wake up with the sirens blaring. Here in the hotel where we are, earlier when this was happening we saw guests going down to the shelter downstairs.

Just put yourself in that position you get some sort of a sense of what it's like for Ukrainians now under invasion.

And to that point the Ukrainian capital, it's come under further bombardment. Air raid sirens going off there too not long ago. At least six new explosions rattling the capital in recent hours. Ukraine's foreign minister calling the strikes the worst in Kyiv since 1941. That's when Nazi Germany attacked. The Ukrainian government says the dramatic video you see there shows one of its anti missile systems shooting a Russian rocket out of the sky.

Now, We're also hearing that Ukrainian troops blew up a bridge to keep a column of Russian troops from advancing on the capitol. This was a bridge just on the outskirts of the city.

The Defense Ministry announcing that it has inflicted some 800 casualties on Russian forces. It's not clear if that means deaths or injuries including in the figure. And of course we can't independently confirm it.

Ukraine also says it has destroyed more than 30 Russian tanks, and has lost 137 of its own troops. Again, we cannot confirm those numbers independently.

Meanwhile Russia has been targeting numerous cities and military facilities since this invasion began with forces still pushing across the border as we speak.

We are told some units are moving towards Kyiv, the goal -- surrounding it at least initially, perhaps going in after that. We just don't know.

The Ukrainian president says Russian operatives are already inside the Capitol. Volodymyr Zelensky, he issued a new video message criticizing allies including the U.S., suggesting that they are merely looking on from a distance. And earlier, lamenting not getting more support from NATO.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Today I asked the 27 leaders of Europe, whether Ukraine will be in NATO, I asked directly. Everyone is afraid, does not answer.

And we are not afraid. We are not afraid of anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Meanwhile, the Russian president defending the aggression. Telling members of Moscow's business community that he had no choice but to invade.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR Putin, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I want to underline, that was such a desperate measure. They could have created such risks that no one knows how the country was to exist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: But the U.S. President says Vladimir Putin chose this war, and must therefore bear the consequences imposing the harshest sanctions yet on Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Putin's aggression against Ukraine will end up costing Russia dearly economically and strategically. We will make sure of that.

Putin will be a pariah on the international stage. Any nation that countenance Russia's naked aggression against Ukraine will be stained by association.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: CNN's Matthew Chance and his crew traveled to an airfield outside Kyiv on Thursday and ended up witnessing a major confrontation. Russian special forces deployed to the area by helicopter and exchanging fire with Ukrainian troops.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Inside, in here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How can I (INAUDIBLE).

Run that way?

Let's move down this way against the wall. It's ok it's ok. Keep still.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, have a listen to Matthew's account of what happened as he explained it to CNN's Erin Burnett.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We didn't even know they were Russian forces at first because we had gone to the airbase that made that journey by car. We were told by Ukrainian officials there had been a fight there for control a bit. But the Ukrainians were in control.

And so we approached the gates, and we were stopped by these troops. And I said look, can we do a live shot here. They were like no it's too dangerous. Remember I'm speaking in broken Russian with them.

And I said look who's in charge? You know, is it the Ukrainians or is it the Russians? Who is in control of this region? And they said it's the Russians who are in control. I thought that was odd, because I said well where are the Russians then? They said we are the Russians.

[01:40:00]

CHANCE: And it was only at that moment that we all understood that we had encountered and come face to face with those Russian special forces that have been choppered in under heavy fire at that airbase just hours before and had battled off Ukrainian security forces, Ukrainian military, to take control of that region.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Much more from Ukraine ahead of this hour, but first let's bring in John Vause at CNN's World Headquarters in Atlanta, John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Michael, thank you. We will take a short break but when we come back more U.S. troops on the way to Europe heading to NATO's eastern flank. We'll go live to the Pentagon in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:44:49]

VAUSE: At an emergency summit in Brussels Thursday, EU leaders have remained united in opposition to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine agreeing to sweeping new sanctions on Russia's financial, energy and transport sectors which officials say will have a maximum impact on the Russian economy and among the harshest ever implemented.

The sanctions will deny Russia access to European financial markets. Significantly raising borrowing costs. European Commission president stressed Vladimir Putin must and will fail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: The European Union stands united. Tonight, European leaders were fully aligned in condemning the atrocious and unprovoked attacks. Now we have to meet the moment. We will hold the Kremlin accountable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And French President Emmanuel Macron, spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin on Thursday, at the request of Ukraine's president who Putin has refused to talk to in recent days. Macron now offering to act as a mediator.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): I think it is my responsibility, first of all, to take such initiatives when they're requested by Ukraine. And then, while condemning, while sanctioning, while continuing to decide and act, to leave this path open so that the day when the conditions can be met we can obtain this secession of hostilities for Ukrainian people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: 7,000 more U.S. troops are heading to Europe. That's on top of 8,500 others placed on alert last month. Some U.S. forces currently stationed in Europe are being sent to NATO's eastern flank, including Latvia. F-35 fighter jets and assault helicopters also being moved to eastern Ukraine.

CNN's Katie Bo Lillis is standing by at the Pentagon for more on this. Katie, this deployment brings the number of U.S. troops in Europe to about 100,000. Is it a question of when, not if, more troops will be sent?

KATIE BO LILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, I think there's certainly growing concern here in Washington tonight, that more U.S. presence in the region is going to be, you know, necessary both as a reassurance to allies and as a potential deterrent.

You know, we certainly know that we've seen senior members of the Biden administration being asked very pointed questions today about concerns that this conflict could spill over beyond the borders of Ukraine. But certainly here in the Pentagon tonight and in the intelligence community broadly here in Washington, all eyes are on Kyiv right now.

Really growing concern in Washington tonight that the Ukrainian capital is in real danger of falling in the coming days, that its fate hangs in the balance here.

A senior Biden administration officials briefed Capitol Hill lawmakers tonight telling them that Russian forces that had entered into Ukraine from the north, from Belarus, are now just 20 kilometers from Kyiv, the nation's capital.

And of course, that briefing was quite a few hours ago. So it's possible even that those forces have advanced even since then.

You know, even as western officials, I should add, say that, you know, that the Ukrainians have put up stiff resistance against the Russians, U.S. Defense and intelligence officials have been fairly straightforward from the beginning that they don't believe that the Ukrainians essentially are massively outgunned, outmanned by the Russians.

And, you know, it's a question of how much pain they're able to extract from Russian forces attempting to enter into Ukraine, rather than a question of expectation that they'll be able to fully repel this invasion.

VAUSE: Katie, thank you. We appreciate the update. Katie Bo Lillis there at the Pentagon.

After the break, we'll head back to Michael Holmes live in Lviv, with more on Russia's military offensive on Ukraine, including a brazen act of defiance by 13 Ukrainian soldiers in the moment before they died, defending a small, strategic island from a Russian warship.

[01:48:34]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Hello, everyone. I'm Michael Holmes coming to you live from Lviv in Ukraine as Russia forges ahead with its invasion of this country.

A Ukrainian government advisor says the capital Kyiv was hit with ballistic or cruise missiles over the past several hours. CNN crews have heard multiple loud explosions there.

A Ukrainian government video showing an apartment building on fire. It's unclear what caused the blaze. The explosions came after Ukraine said it had inflicted 800 casualties among Russian forces. CNN couldn't independently verify that claim.

Meanwhile, an audiotape has reportedly captured some of the last words from Ukrainian troops who died defending an island in the Black Sea. Snake Island was overrun by Russian forces on Thursday, according to Ukraine's border guard.

But the recording caught a purported exchange between a Russian warship and the Ukrainian defenders before the assault. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am repeating. I am Russian military ship. Propose to put down arms or you will be hit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Russian warship, go (EXPLETIVE DELETED) yourself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, President Zelensky meanwhile, says all of those defenders were killed after the island was pummeled with aerial and artillery fire that he says -- but he says they will be posthumously awarded the title of Heroes of Ukraine.

Now in a show of solidarity, thousands around the world denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

We're going to show you the scene there in central Paris on Thursday. Hundreds gathered, waving flags and holding signs of support for Ukraine.

Similar demonstration in London. Chants of "U.K. supports Ukraine" there. Also, "Stop Putin. Stop the war," rang out in the streets.

And numerous protests across the United States on Thursday. We're going to show you the scene there in Times Square in New York. A giant Ukrainian flag unveiled, as protesters chanted, "Stop Russia now" and "Hands off Ukraine". [01:55:00]

HOLMES: A similar scene of solidarity in Italy on Thursday night. You can see Rome's historic coliseum lit up in the blue and yellow colors of Ukraine's flag. A show of support for the country and its people.

Now, if you would like to help people in Ukraine who might be in need of shelter, food and water, just go to CNN.com/impact. You'll find several ways there you can help, if you would like.

Live from Ukraine, I'm Michael Holmes. Our breaking news coverage continues after the break.

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[02:00:02]

HOLMES: Hello everyone. I'm Michael Holmes, coming to you live from Lviv in Ukraine with the breaking news.