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Outgunned Ukrainians Repel Russian Invaders for a Fourth Day; Ukraine Digs in as Russian Onslaught Slows; Interview with Representative Victoria Spartz (R-IN) about the Russian Invasion of Ukraine; Ukraine PM Agrees to Talks as Putin Raises Nuclear Alert; Interview with Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) about Russian Invasion of Ukraine; Ukrainian American Group Working to Help Ukrainian Refugees; States Call for Russian Vodka Boycott with Mixed Results. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired February 27, 2022 - 20:00   ET

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

[20:01:08]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: I'm Pamela Brown in Washington, you are live in CNN NEWSROOM on this Sunday. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world.

The news out of Ukraine developing at break-neck speed this weekend. Right now satellite images showing a massive Russian militarily convoy stretching more than three miles long on the roadway to Kyiv. We are working on more details on that.

Also tonight, there are reports that Russians now have taken control of a southern Ukrainian town, population 100,000 people, and home to a small naval base. Meantime, Ukraine is claiming to have carried out successful drone strikes against Russian invaders. The Ukrainian armed forces just released this footage apparently showing the destruction of Russian military vehicles about 16 miles northwest of the capital city.

The United Nations Security Council votes to hold a special emergency session tomorrow on this escalating situation. Meantime, Vladimir Putin upping the psychological ante by saying he's putting his country's deterrent forces including nuclear weapons on high alert as his forces continue to battle across Ukraine.

And Ukraine's President Zelensky agrees to meet for talks with Russia at the Belarusian border on Monday, but emphasizes he has no interest in surrender, only peace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINE (through translator): I will say this frankly, as always I don't really believe in the result of this meeting. But let them try. So then later on no citizen of Ukraine would have any doubt that I, the president, did not try to stop the war when I had a chance. Small as it was.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP) BROWN: It's worth noting that four days into this invasion, Russian forces have not captured any of Ukraine's major cities, but casualties are mounting. Ukraine's Interior Ministry reports that since Russia launched its unprovoked attack on Thursday, 352 civilians including at least 14 children have been killed, nearly 1700 civilians injured, 116 of them children. And the U.N. estimates at least 150,000 Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALED CHEKROUN, UKRAINIAN REFUGEE: From suffering, I think of the kids because there were so many little kids and it was freezing outside. I had to stay all night outside so just they can pass from first border to the second border, third border.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Fierce resistance by Ukrainian forces and armed civilians have stopped at least one attempt by Russian troops to advance into a major city today.

CNN's Alex Marquardt has more on that -- Alex.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Pam, the Ukrainians are defying expectations in this fight, so far keeping the Russians at bay from the major cities with the success that is frankly surprising everyone. Not only are the Russians coming at this city, the capital Kyiv, from all different sides but they are also targeting the second biggest city in this country, Kharkiv, and we have just seen and verified new video that shows the kind of stiff resistance from the Ukrainians that the Russians are running into.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT (voice-over): A Russian unit moves cautiously through the outskirts of Kharkiv. Their goal to seize a nearby military airfield and factory. Their slow progress makes them an inviting target for Ukrainian defenders hiding nearby.

Suddenly an ambush. The Russians fall back, their soldiers trying to shelter behind their Humvee-type vehicles. Their chaotic retreat seen here from another angle, one more example of the stiff resistance the Russians are encountering from mobile Ukrainian units who know the lay of the land.

But the Russians can't escape. They run into further trouble apparently surrounded. At least one of their trucks is disabled. A resident telling a Reuters journalist one of the Russians was killed in the firefight.

[20:05:08]

YEVGENIY, KHARKIV RESIDENT (through translator): After we'd killed this one, the others run away. There were some 12 to 15 people. That's it. We will win. They won't take Kharkiv. They have run back to where they came from. MARQUARDT: Ukrainian soldiers surround the abandoned vehicles,

celebrating a small victory in a conflict where they should have no chance of holding off the enemy. Off camera one of them says, "And that's how we meet the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Russian army."

But this Ukrainian platoon's day is not over. The enemy is still in the area. They dash forward to fire off RPGs. A ragtag army that, for now, is holding off a far superior force. But for civilians here, the Russian offensive is terrifying. This apartment block in Kharkiv hit by artillery fire on Saturday night. Thankfully most of the residents were sheltering in the basement. Authorities say one woman was killed.

Alexander Datsenko (PH) says all the apartments are damaged, it's very bad. Even as Ukraine resists, its people are still suffering.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT: As this Ukrainian resistance grows, so does the international support. The European Union tonight has just announced that they are sending another $500 million of lethal military aid to Ukraine that comes just days after the U.S. announced that it was sending $350 million worth. That aid, that weaponry is certainly welcome here in Ukraine, but at the end of the day they know that their forces are fighting alone against one of the biggest militaries in the world -- Pam.

BROWN: Certainly. Thanks so much to Alex Marquardt.

Air raid sirens are again piercing the night in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. CNN's Matthew Chance is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here in Kyiv, the air raid sirens have just this minute stopped, of course, as is their way, and I haven't heard any explosions that have followed them yet, but that doesn't mean that the city isn't potentially in for more strikes.

But we've seen fighting elsewhere of course, as well, and a Russian advance elsewhere. The southern town, the port city of Berdyansk which is on the Sea of Azov, which is a stretch of water between Ukraine and Russia. It's very strategic, very important, there's a naval base in that town and 100,000 people. That has now been moved into by Russian forces. The mayor of Berdyansk saying it was told by the Russian forces that moved in, the administrative buildings are now under Russian control so that's a significant development in the south of the country.

In the north, near the Russian border, the city of Kharkiv, you saw those pictures that show just how ferocious the Ukrainian resistance is. This is the second biggest city in Ukraine and Russian forces have been making a concerted effort to take it over but they have not succeeded at this stage. There is fierce fighting on the streets of that city as the two sides battle for control of Ukraine's second biggest cities. Then in Kyiv, of course, forces of Russia, all, you know, not all the

way around it but in significant places around it, and these appalling scenes that would come to us from the west of the city, the west of Kyiv, of a column of Russian armored vehicles absolutely devastated. There's no sign of any of the people who were inside these vehicles, the Russians who were inside, but all of them have been turned into twisted metal on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

One voice on the social media video that's come to us from there, saying you came to our country, I'm slightly paraphrasing it. You came to our country, now go to hell. And also swearing a lot as well. And so it just gives you a sense of how much resistance there is across the country to this Russian invasion.

Now, it's not necessarily, you know, going to be sustainable because tomorrow there are talks about what will happen next. Talks on the border between Ukraine and Belarus, between the Russians and the Ukrainians, are they peace talks? Is it an ultimatum that the Russians are going to be giving the Ukrainians? All I can say is that the fact is, is that the Russian invasion so far seems to have been somewhat underpowered.

It doesn't seem to have, you know, experienced or got achieved the strategic objectives that Moscow perhaps wanted to achieve in this timeframe. So is Putin going to back down or is he going to redouble his force to attack this country?

BROWN: Our thanks to Matthew Chance and those are the key questions that we're going to be asking our next guest. Joining me now to discuss all of these new developments is Republican Congresswoman Victoria Spartz of Indiana. She was born in Ukraine and travelled to her home country with a bipartisan group of lawmakers just last month.

[20:10:06]

Hi, Congresswoman. I know this is incredibly personal for you. First off, have you been in contact with family and friends in Ukraine and how are they doing?

REP. VICTORIA SPARTZ (R-IN): Well, thank you for having me. It's a very serious situation, you know. I called, actually just called my girlfriend from college and she told me, you know, she's right now with her kids in the western Ukraine, her husband, father, and brother, they all went back and, you know, planning to defend the city, building Molotov cocktails. She lives right on the outskirts of the city and a lot of fighting, they're shelling the city, trying to give, you know, get pretty much to the ground, you know, destroy the city. It's a very, very difficult situation. It's sad.

BROWN: It's very sad. But at the same time, you must feel so much pride to see how much resolve the Ukrainians have shown in the face of the Russian military. And we know that in the morning, just hours from now, actually, in the Belarusian border, a Ukrainian official confirmed that Ukrainian and Russian delegations will be meeting for talks.

Do you think that Vladimir Putin is actually serious about diplomacy? Do you expect anything to come out of this?

SPARTZ: I think diplomacy will be tough at this point. You know, actually, I grew up in the city of Chernihiv right on the border that heroically has been able to deter Russian army, where it's getting shelled nonstop from Belorussia and from Russian direction. You know, so I think, you know, people, and when I talk to my friend, she said, Victoria, we will never be Soviet Union. There is no way. There is no chance.

People are going to be fighting there. A lot of blood already was, you know, from both sides, but from Ukrainian side, you know, they have had war for eight years so a lot of kids, young kids were killed so it's very difficult to have but now, when they have, you know, the full invasion of the country, killing civilians, shelling them with ballistic rockets where civilians have to stand up in front of tanks, where they see that, you know, they have an aggression, to try to destroy their citizens, family, and the country, very difficult to have talks. Very difficult to have diplomacy.

But we need to have a diplomacy chance. We need to at least have some conversation because they can have cease fire and have a discussion because this can escalate in a very, very significant crisis.

BROWN: Yes, it certainly can. And we know the President Zelensky who has shown so much courage in the face of this, he has said he is not going to surrender to the Russians even though these talks are going to happen just hours from now. But viewers have been writing in, wanting to know your thoughts on whether you think Ukraine should concede anything to spare more bloodshed.

SPARTZ: Well, I think, you know, Ukrainian people are going to be fighting for their freedoms. Too many lives lost, and, you know, that is wrong when you have an aggressor, putting gun to your head, and saying they want to negotiate and concede. I mean that's extorsion. That's not diplomacy and negotiation. So if the Russians thinks and some concerns that Russia has, then they need to be sitting at the table not having tanks, you know, and guns by your head and say let's negotiate.

Then they need to pull out and have a discussion. If the Russian, the legitimate concerns that they have, they all could be addressed but unfortunately I don't believe, I don't believe that President Putin had an intent to real diplomacy. He is obsessed. He is obsessed with, you know, former Soviet Union and he's obsessed that Ukrainians became pro-American, and want to be free and that's danger to his dictatorship because he didn't do anything good for Russian people.

He gave Siberia to China, give big areas to Chechnya which true lawlessness of people put a lot of bandits into his government, people are not living good life, it's very poor, the economy is getting worse. So if he wants to distract what's happening in his country and unfortunately, he's suppressed people. People are afraid of him. And he was shocked to see when Ukrainians can stand up and say, I'm so tired of the socialist communist dictatorship. We're free people and we're willing to die and fight for our freedoms. It's dangerous to people like him and he's willing to kill a lot of them just for that reason, no other reason.

BROWN: Yes, we've seen him historically show that behavior that he doesn't value human life at all but we're seeing it in Ukraine.

[20:15:02]

We're also seeing these protests in Russia which is significant because we know how Russia cracks down on dissidents. Still thousands are going to the streets there to protest this. I want to ask you about the United Nations saying that there are now at least 360,000 refugees from the Russian war on Ukraine. What obligation do you think the United States has to help these Ukrainians who are fleeing?

SPARTZ: Well, I think, you know, the whole world needs to help. This is an issue, and I hope tomorrow, the world will be much better in some of the countries like China that abstained are really going to step up and understand they need to be on the right side of history, too, and put pressure on Russia, too. They cannot just be behind the scene planning all of this, you know, strategy with Russia. You know, and not really help the world to keep peace.

So I think we need to keep pressure and I hope you and the organizations were created for a reason, you know, not to have wars like we just -- it's less than in 80 years since the last war ended. And I think, you know, it was created for that reason. To keep the peace and stability so they need to step and really help Ukraine. Not just the United States, but Europe needs to help Ukraine, the United Nations help Ukraine with refugees in dealing with situation but also help to bring peace to this continent.

And to that continent and the world, because this can escalate in a very significant situation so it's really a test to U.N. Is the organization really meaningful or not? And if they're not a meaningful organization, we have a big problem. So I hope to see much more deliberation on this issue in some countries that are afraid to challenge Russia, willing to challenge and to say the whole world is watching you. It's unacceptable what you are doing, and help us to really deescalate the situation and bring peace.

BROWN: Congresswoman Victora Spartz, thank you so much for making time for us tonight and best of luck to your friends and family in Ukraine.

SPARTZ: Thank you.

BROWN: And we all have questions about this unfolding situation in Ukraine. Send me yours through Twitter or Instagram and I'll try to pose them to the experts joining me tonight.

And when we come back on this Sunday, more breaking news coverage on the huge Russian military convoy measuring more than three miles long, spotted on a highway that leads to the Ukrainian capital. And, we'll get the view from Russia from Jill Dougherty, CNN's former Moscow bureau chief. Is Putin really serious about diplomatic talks?

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:21:56]

BROWN: Anti-war protests took place in St. Petersburg, Russia today. Police dragged protesters away. And this is just one of many cities seeing protesters taking to the streets showing their opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Across Russia nearly 6,000 protesters have been detained.

Joining me now, CNN contributor Jill Dougherty in Moscow. First, before we get to all those protesters, I first want to get a sense from you from Moscow about these talks with the Ukrainian delegation tomorrow. Is Putin serious about diplomacy in your view?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know, nobody really knows. These are -- they're important because they're happening, but I don't think that there's a lot of realistic expectation at this point that they will lead to something. The delegations, it's not the presidents, it's not Zelensky or Putin, it's lower level, but they are meeting.

However, I'd say, you know, at this point, not a lot of hope that this is really going to solve it. You never know, but that's about the state of play.

BROWN: Yes, you never know and you never know what exactly Putin is thinking is the bottom line.

I want to get to this viewer question. We saw the video there of the police dragging the protesters away. This viewer wants to know, how does an average Russian feel about this? Do they accept, support their leaders' reasons for invading Ukraine? How will they feel, react of Russian soldiers starting to come home in body bags?

DOUGHERTY: Yes, well, there are kind of two different questions but, you know, overall, to generalize about Russians is very hard. So I would say people who are a little bit older, who watch TV and TV is controlled for the most part, you know, by the government, they're getting the propaganda version and the propaganda version is Russians are in trouble. They are being threatened by Ukrainians. And so Russia has to do something to protect itself.

So in that sense, I think the older people, the more conservative, people who are watching TV do tend to support this military action, and in fact, a poll that CNN in fact had is taken before the troops went in, is about 50 percent thought that Russia should be allowed to take military action to keep Ukraine out of NATO. But then you get the younger people and that's some of what you're seeing on the streets there in St. Petersburg.

There are quite a few of them who don't agree with this. They're not watching TV. They're on the internet. They have a lot of different sources. They're very much tuned into social media, and they're the ones who are on the streets. There are other people as you can see, but a lot who are young and they actually have this "net voyne," which means no to war theme that they're talking about. And they're being arrested or at least they're being detained so you have to be pretty brave to do it.

BROWN: Yes, you do. I'm just watching this video play out, what looks like an older woman just being dragged by the police officers for protesting this unprovoked war,

[20:20:06]

Jill Dougherty, thank you very much.

The NATO secretary-general calls Putin's decision to put his nuclear forces on high alert dangerous rhetoric. We're going to have more on that ahead, with Congressman Seth Moulton from the Armed Services Committee. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): And John McCain was right. He said he looked into Vladimir Putin's eyes and saw the KGB, and that's what we're seeing, a small, evil, feral-eyed man who is trying to shape the world in the image where once again Russia would be an empire and that's not going to happen.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: That was Republican Senator Mitt Romney this morning. He went on to call for the U.S. to implement more sanctions and referred to Putin's Russia as an evil regime.

[20:30:02]

Let's bring in Massachusetts congressman, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Seth Moulton.

Hi, Congressman.

REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): Hi, Pamela.

BROWN: So Putin is now saying he is putting Russia's deterrent forces including nuclear weapons ahead of tomorrow's meeting with Ukraine on high alert. You are attending this classified House briefing on Capitol Hill tomorrow regarding the situation in Ukraine. What do you want to hear? What questions do you plan to ask?

MOULTON: Well, the biggest question I have is what is the long-term plan here. I mean, we're all following the news hour to hour, for how Russian forces are advancing on Kyiv, on the capital. This reckless decision today to put Russian nuclear forces on high alert, of course, adds tension to the situation. We're going to want to understand that in more detail.

But the biggest question that I've had all along is what happens next? Where does this go? And are we prepared for what happens if Ukraine falls? Are we prepared to strengthen NATO so that we can ensure that Putin stops here? These are the most important questions that we all have to be asking today. BROWN: And how confident are you in terms of how prepared we are for

that?

MOULTON: Well, it's a good question. I mean, when I went to Ukraine in December, I came back and said, look, we're just not moving quickly enough. We have to have a sanctioned regime prepped and ready to go, lined up so that Putin knows the second he invades it will be put into place. We should have been sending weapons to the Ukrainians yesterday. Those were my observations in December.

Since then I think the administration has really picked up the pace, but when I was at the Munich Security Conference with world leaders last weekend, or the weekend before, I sat down with Secretary Blinken and this was my question to him. What happens next? Are we thinking two or three months ahead? Because frankly the administration has been doing all the right things but I think they could be doing them sooner. I want to make sure we get ahead of the game. We need to be thinking two steps ahead of Vladimir Putin.

BROWN: You had mentioned that the nuclear weapons and how that's going to part of your questioning tomorrow. Senator Marco Rubio the other night said I wish I could share more but for now I can say it's pretty obvious to many that something is off with Putin. He has always been a killer. But his problem now is different and significant. It would be a mistake to assume this. Putin would react the same way he would have five years ago.

Congressman, how concerned should we be that this is the man in charge of Russia's nuclear weapons? Do you think the U.S. should change its posture?

MOULTON: Look, we absolutely have to be concerned. Changing our posture would ratchet up tensions further so that's a very careful decision that we have to make. But I've heard a lot of Putin analysts in the last few days say this man has always been vicious. He's always been an ego maniac. He's always been more interested in his legacy than the Russian people. But he's also been pragmatic and the decisions that he's been making lately are not pragmatic.

A lot of the things that -- a lot of the trouble he's running to in Ukraine was predicted by a lot of military analysts, a lot of people who should have been giving the president of Russia good advice, and he seems to ignore all of it. So a lot of people are concerned about Putin's mindset right now, and that, of course, has to factor in to all the calculations that the United States makes about the next steps we take.

BROWN: Yes, and this is a man who is increasingly in isolation, presumably not getting honest feedback from his advisers. President Zelensky of Ukraine, the Ukrainians have repeatedly urged NATO to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine, effectively asking for NATO aircraft to block Russia from using its air force in support of this invasion. This morning the United States U.N. ambassador rejected that idea. Let's listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: The president has made clear that we're not going to put boots on the ground. We're not going to put American troops in danger so that means we're not going to put American troops in the air as well, but we will work with the Ukrainians to give them the ability to defend themselves.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Do you think a no-fly zone should be on the table?

MOULTON: Look, I would love to see that sort of just as a Marine veteran and someone who wants to put a stop to Russia's advance here and very much wants to support the Ukrainian people but the president has been clear that Ukraine is not part of NATO and we will not have Russian forces fighting American forces, and that applies both on the ground and in the air.

So I agree with the ambassador here, it's not the right step to take, but I don't think having these ideas floating out there is bad at all. I think Putin needs to know that NATO is very serious here and the fact that multiple NATO allies are talking about this, it's not just the United States threatening Russia, it's our alliance holding together, united, strong, against what Russia and specifically, what Putin is trying to do. That's a great message to keep sending to Russia.

[20:35:10]

BROWN: There's all this talk, though, about how Ukraine isn't part of NATO. But we have seen NATO coalitions implement no-fly zones in non- NATO countries, Libya comes to mind, I think Kuwait as well. But I want to ask you, given what you just said, was it a mistake for President Biden to rule out U.S. troops on the ground instead of trying to use strategic ambiguity to deter Vladimir Putin from invading?

MOULTON: Well, it's a great question, Pamela, because I sat down with the German ambassador to the United States for a long session, actually two different sessions over the last couple months. She actually spent some time in Moscow, knows Putin, and she really feels that having ambiguity out there is very helpful to our cause. So I think President Biden was fundamentally right to say that United States troops will not be fighting Russia.

But I wish he hadn't said it that early. I wish he hadn't just thrown that out there. I wish it was something that we kept in reserve. I think that would have been a better way to approach it.

BROWN: Congressman Seth Moulton, nice to hear your perspective. Thank you so much.

MOULTON: Pamela, always a pleasure. Thanks .

BROWN: Well, for Ukrainians all around the world, this is deeply personal. Many communities in the U.S. are showing their support. When we come back, I'll speak to the Ukrainian Congress Committee President of Illinois.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:41:12]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. J.B. PRITZKER, (D-IL): And screw Vladimir Putin. I wanted to recognize the extraordinary bravery and resilience of the Ukrainian people. They inspire us and the world, and Illinois is taking a stand against the bloodthirsty Russian invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: That was Illinois's governor J.B. Pritzker himself the great grandson of a Ukrainian refugee. He along with Chicago Mayor Lorie Lightfoot attended a pro-Ukraine rally today and this is just one of several pro-Ukrainian rallies held across the greater Chicago area this weekend.

I want to bring in Dan Diaczun. He is with the Illinois Chapter of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.

Hi, Dan. Your group in actively seeking support for Ukrainians fleeing their own country. What is their most urgent need right now?

DAN DIACZUN, PRESIDENT, UKRAINIAN CONGRESS COMMITTEE OF AMERICA ILLINOIS CHAPTER: Well, there's a number of things. First of all, thank you for having me on this evening. You know, we are facing a -- certainly a humanitarian crisis so, you know, by last count, there's 300 plus thousand people who are trying to flee the central part of the country, the eastern part of the country, making their way to the western part of Ukraine, and over the border to countries that are accepting them. Poland, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic.

You know, that's the one thing. The other thing is the need again for more arms. So far, the Ukrainian army have been extremely successful in repelling the Russian invasion. Putin didn't think that the army was going to be as tough on them as they were. We're hearing all sorts of reports that Russian soldiers are, didn't know that they were coming into Ukraine to attack Ukrainians. They thought they were going on training missions.

They're throwing down their arms, they're leaving, they're deserting, you know, they've captured soldiers. So again, the Russians have successfully bombarded using cruise missiles and various other missiles, military installations. They have basically, almost completely nullified the air defense system, although there are more jets that were still able to fly, you know, that becomes difficult to transport the equipment that is needed so we need also a corridor from Europe through Poland into Ukraine, so we can get arms, military supplies, again, humanitarian supplies to the areas where it's most needed.

BROWN: Right, that has been a big question, how will the supplies get in, right, because you do have the Russians encircling Ukraine, but here we are, day four, and the Russians so far have not taken control of any major cities in Ukraine. So clearly, that is an incredible reflection on the Ukrainians and the fight that they have been put up.

What is it like for you to be a Ukrainian American right now, watching this from your perch?

DIACZUN: Well, you know, it is an extremely emotional time. Not just for me, but for everybody that either has of Ukrainian heritage, immigrants that have immigrated in the last, say, 30 years to America, you know, our heart bleeds because most of us have family. I have cousins that live in western Ukraine. I reached out to them, they said, you know, we're doing OK. But they're doing OK. The worst is the people in cities like Kyiv, Kharkiv, you know, the east that are having to flee.

[20:45:05]

It is just, you know, we're seeing crimes against humanity being committed. We've all seen the video of the tank overrunning a car and then backing up over it, and you know, by God's good grace, the gentlemen was alive. You know, what is being committed are just atrocities. You know, when you're shelling kindergartens, schools, you know, they shelled, of all things, a children's cancer hospital.

This is not the act of, you know, trying to fight the military. This is now attacking humans, you know, just the civilians that are basically blameless in all of this. You know, it's a very difficult time for us to view these things, you know, and with today's technology, we're seeing this live, basically. You know, we're all glued to CNN and watching, you know, the information come over the airwaves, and it's, you know, for a lot of us it's just horrifying to watch.

BROWN: Yes. I mean, it's coming in so fast. You're seeing this play out in real time.

Dan Diaczun, thank you for coming on. Thank you to your group for trying to help the Ukrainians who are fleeing this unprovoked war in their homeland. Thank you.

DIACZUN: Thank you.

BROWN: Well, the Russian backlash is under way. Some governors asking liquor stores to stop selling Russian vodka. That story ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:51:15]

BROWN: Just moments ago, First Lady Jill Biden tweeted about the anxiety that so many of us are feeling right now as we watch this war unfold in Ukraine. And here's what she said in her tweet. "I imagine many of us are feeling the weight of what is happening in Ukraine over recent days. Parents are sitting in front of the television with their children, explaining reports from thousands of miles away. Teachers are standing in front of classrooms answering questions of why and what is going to happen next.

"Our military families are acutely aware that events taking place in Europe may have a rippling effect on the future of their loved ones in uniform. In this difficult time, there are no easy answers. And that may cause a feeling of uncertainty. It is OK to ask for help. If you or a loved one is looking for someone to talk to, I encourage you to turn to @mentalhealthgov. For active duty, National Guard reservists, military families and survivors @militaryonesource offers resources. Veterans, service members and their families can access counseling at their Department Vet Affairs centers.

"Joe and I continue to pray for the brave and proud people of Ukraine. Our hearts are with our troops and our military families including those who are stationed throughout Europe demonstrating solidarity with our allies. We are profoundly grateful for your service."

I think she speaks for so many of us with that message, as we all grapple with this uncertainty and the anxiety that comes with it.

Well, Russia appears to be sending reinforcements. New satellite images showing a three-mile-long military convoy heading towards Kyiv. Our breaking news coverage continues right after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:57:38]

BROWN: Well, here in the U.S., governors in some states are showing solidarity with Ukraine by asking liquor stores to pull Russian vodka from their shelves. But as CNN's Nadia Romero reports, those good intentions haven't exactly gone to plan -- Nadia.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pam, throughout the weekend we've seen governors from different states, either in executive orders or requesting that their liquor stores stop selling Russian-made, Russian-branded products all in solidarity with Ukraine and to take a stance against Russia.

Take a look at this tweet released Saturday tweeted by the governor of New Hampshire. He says, "This morning I signed an executive order instructing NH liquor wine outlets to begin removing Russian-made and Russian branded spirits from our liquor and wine outlets until further notice. New Hampshire stands with the people of Ukraine in their fight for freedom."

And we're seeing people really across social media, as they stand with Ukraine, pouring out vodka that they associate with Russia. But when you dig deeper, let's take a look at Smirnoff. That's a very popular brand that people associate with Russia. It definitely has roots in Russia but it is owned by a British company and it's manufactured here in the U.S., in Illinois. Stoli vodka is another vodka that people tie to Russia but the company is headquartered in Luxembourg.

And this was the statement released to CNN Business from the Stoli Group. A spokesperson says, "For decades Stoli Group has supported the marginalized and those at risk of unwarranted aggression. We stand now with all Ukrainians and Russians calling for peace."

That's an important note there. Russian standard and green mark brands that are tied to Russia, are based in Russia. Really the bottom line here is that less than 1 percent of the vodka consumed in the U.S. is actually from Russia. But the message, the symbolism is still there -- Pam.

BROWN: Nadia Romero, thank you so much. And the next hour starts now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There hasn't really been any let up in this sort of booms and blasts that we hear every evening here.

OKSANA MARKAROVA, UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: We are not ready to surrender, and we will defend our country and the movement.

CHANCE: You work in an office but now you're defending your city?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct. I didn't think I would join this unit just two days ago.

[21:00:00]