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Officials Prioritize The Exit of Women & Children At Lviv Train Station; Ukrainian Navy: Defenders Of Snake Island Are "Alive And Well;" Global Protests Show Support For Ukrainians, Protesters In Russia Arrested; U.S. Defense Official Warns Russian Forces Could Take "More Aggressive Approach" Toward Kyiv. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired February 28, 2022 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[13:34:42]
ANDERSON COOPER, HOST: I'm Anderson Cooper in Lviv, Ukraine.
Thousands of people are desperately trying to flee the country and the violence of the Russian invasion.
CNN's correspondent, Scott McLean, was at the Lviv train station in the middle of the chaotic exodus today.
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SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Let me describe the situation to you. We just saw this baby was just pulled up from these stairs. They are trying to pull children -- Mark, if you can look down there.
[13:35:09]
They're trying to pull children out through the groove, women and children up, to try to get on the platform where there's a train leaving to Poland.
You can see there's some young babies. I'm spotting babies that are as young as 2, 3 years old.
And they're trying to pull the bags up, trying to get -- they are prioritizing women and children. But it's obviously quite a chaotic situation.
And there's a lot of angry people who are going to be disappointed that they're not going to be able to be on this train to Poland. You can understand the desperation of people.
We've known this train is leaving from this platform for about two hours. And they basically are trying to let people onto the platform as orderly as they can.
If you can just show there are people starting to get on the train. There's military assisting. There's police assisting as well. Just trying to do this in an orderly fashion to try to avoid some of the scenes of chaos we've seen before.
But this is very emotional. People -- they are trying to get their kids out.
I just spoke with one woman who had a 2-year-old kid that she managed to pull up and she was in tears just totally overwhelmed. I've seen children crying, just totally overwhelmed in this situation.
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COOPER: Scott McLean at the train station here in Lviv.
We crossed over earlier today from Poland and the scene at the border is very similar. Women and children, exhausted, tired.
They have been through a lot just to get to the border. Then they have to get through the border and figure out where they can go from there.
Coming up, right now, they fought off two attacks by Russian forces. They went toe-to-toe with a Russian warship to defend a tiny island in the Black Sea.
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UNIDENTIFIED RUSSIAN SOLDIER: I am repeating I am Russia Military ship. Propose to put down arms or you will be hit.
UNIDENTIFIED UKRAINIAN GUARD: Russia warship, go (EXPLETIVE DELETED) yourself.
(END AUDIO FEED)
COOPER: Ukrainian forces on that island telling the Russian warship what they could do or where they could go.
Those were supposed to be the last known words heard from the island. There were fears the Ukrainians, the soldiers on that island, had been killed.
But the Ukrainian Navy says the defenders of Snake Island, also known as Zmiinyi Island, are alive and well.
CNN international security editor, Nick Paton Walsh, joins us from Odessa, Ukraine.
What have you learned about the status of the Snake Island defenders?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Yes, it has been an extraordinary story, almost of legend, even in this exceptionally brief conflict so far.
President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested they had all died after telling that Russian warship where it could go.
Then they appeared on Russian state media seemingly alive. But it was kind of unclear because of the propaganda nature of that appearance. Now it seems, according to the Ukrainian Navy, they all 82 of them
surrendered when they ran out of ammunition. They are alive.
And that somehow keeps this extraordinary legend, which has sort of changed in context as the information has as well, a real example of what people call the fog of war here into a whole new level as well.
But this is part of the story of what's happening here on the Black Sea coast, Anderson.
I'm in Odessa. There's a blackout, a curfew. Intense concerns about a Russian bombardment. Fears of Russian warships off the coast.
We've been along the coast all of the last four days. And in Kherson, where we've been. I spoke to residents there. They are now seeing Russian vehicles on the streets of Kherson.
Unclear who is in control But it seems the Russians have freedom of movement within the populated areas there.
The mayor in another city has called the men of the city to the defense of it. He called them out on Sunday. That was a false alarm.
But they're now seeing what they say is 100-plus strong convoy on the outskirts of that town. Deep concerns there as well because of the violence we saw inflicted on civilian areas there with heavy weaponry.
And now over here, Odessa on high alert. Barricades across the streets here. Utter silence in this third-largest city of Ukraine.
It's a strategic port. You can't really run the country without controlling this economic lever to it. Real concerns here.
And I think what we're seeing, the Russian movement stall up north, they have moved up from Crimea and appear to be having more motion. Unclear if that's permanent progress -- Anderson?
COOPER: Nick Paton Walsh, we'll continue to check in with you throughout the hours ahead.
[13:39:56]
Worldwide condemnation from Russia and support for Ukraine is growing. That is next.
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ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Standing up and speaking up. People are gathering in cities all around the world voicing their solidarity with Ukraine and anger with Russia's aggression.
[13:45:01]
And some of these protests are actually happening in Russia itself. Authorities have detained nearly 6,000 people for participating in what they're calling unsanctioned anti-war protests across that country since this invasion.
Anastasia Edel is a Russian-born writer in that region. She authored the book, "Putin's Playground.".
Great to have you here with us.
I imagine how intense this must be for you and your loved ones.
I want to get your reaction to these protests we're seeing in Russia and people really putting their lives on the line here.
ANASTASIA EDEL, AUTHOR: I think this is really incredible. And really what we're witnessing are acts of individual civil courage, protesting in Russia is a dangerous thing.
People are facing real prison terms. Still, they come into the streets.
What we must also understand that this -- only yesterday I believe, 2,000 people were detained, which means that the number of protesters are larger in reality.
But there's not the point where we can consider them mass protests that we have seen, for instance, in 1991, during the anti-Democratic, anti-Gorbachev coup in Moscow.
So that is something to consider.
CABRERA: When you think about 6,000 people detained in these protests, what kind of punishment could they face?
EDEL: You know, it is awful. and what we have seen in the protests last year during -- when the opposition leader, Navalny, was imprisoned was really bad.
People were held without access to lawyers. They were taken outside of cities and held basically held hostage.
So it is probably going to be the same playbook that is going to be used against these protesters. It is very dangerous thing to protest in Russia.
CABRERA: Putin's been in power since the late 1990s. Is there a sense, even in Russia, that Putin has changed or that he's overplayed his hand this time?
EDEL: You know, it is hard to say. But what I hear from my Russian family and friends that are back there's really the sense of shock and despair.
And also shame. You know, this is a tragedy for both nations. This is a tragedy for Ukraine.
But for the Russian people, this is really a moral catastrophe. We're hearing Russian language that's always the connective tissue between our languages. The language used in combat. By now, the whole world knows Russian profanities with which Ukrainian
defenders are basically deflecting Russian -- meeting Russian aggression.
This is a really dark, dark hour for the Russian nation.
CABRERA: Just knowing so many Russians are not on board with what's happening and not in support, I do wonder if there's anything Ukrainians could do to get Russian soldiers to surrender.
What's your sense?
EDEL: Well, you know, this is an absurd war. You hear this people talking to each other in combat. They are using the same cultural trope. They invoke the same cultural metaphors. They all studied the same -- watch the same movies and same shows.
This is a brother going against a brother. But there's no moral equivalence there. Russian troops are attacking Ukrainian.
But the sense is from some of the footage that I have seen is that there are plenty of Russian soldiers who do not understand why they are in this war.
Some of them didn't understand that this is war. That this was practice for them.
So the connection between the two nations is very strong, so it is hard for me to -- that Russian soldiers are killing Ukrainian soldiers who are their ethnically the closest nation to their own.
CABRERA: Anastasia Edel, thank you very much for taking the time to share your sights and with us. Appreciate it.
EDEL: Thank you.
CABRERA: Definitely wishing best for your whole family in the region. Praying everybody stays safe.
[13:49:58]
It is now 8:49 in Kyiv. Right now, the city you could see is dark as people keep their lights off.
A senior defense official is now warning Russians could make a more aggressive approach toward the capital city. We'll have more on that just ahead.
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CABRERA: A senior Pentagon official says Russia may step up the efforts to capture Ukraine's capital.
I want to get to CNN's Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, with more on this.
What are you hearing, Barbara?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Ana, even as we watch the video live, coming from Kyiv, it is a race against time for the Ukrainian resistance against the advance.
[13:55:00]
The advance has been slower than expected, but very much the case, the U.S. believes Vladimir Putin wants to take the capital, wants to encircle the city with his forces and take control.
So the question now, how long -- as we hear the air raid sirens go off -- can the resistance hold out against the Russians?
There's deep concern today that the Russians may advance further. They're about 15 miles outside of the city.
And deep concern that Putin may be so angry, so frustrated at the slow pace of his military advance, he could unleash bombing attacks, long- range missiles, long-range artillery. It could get more deadly, more aggressive.
A real challenge right now. And how long can the Ukrainians hold out -- Ana?
CABRERA: Still such a dynamic situation.
Barbara Starr, thank you for your reporting.
Earlier today, Russian claims it's armed forces don't threaten civilians and do not strike civilian objects.
We know that is a lie. We have seen the damaged homes and buildings. We have seen the injures and the dead.
And we know it is a lie because, yesterday, an A.P. journalist and photographer were at a hospital in southern Ukraine when one of the most recent victims was brought in.
And I want to warn you, the pictures you are about to see are shocking and disturbing.
Behind this sobbing woman, inside an ambulance, is her 6-year-old daughter. The A.P. reports the two were at a market when the girl was hit by Russian shelling.
Doctors and nurses rushed the girl inside, they forced oxygen into her tiny lungs and they used a defibrillator in an attempt to revive her.
According to the A.P. journalist who was there, the doctors knew the photos were being taken. And one looked directly into the camera and angrily said, "Show this to Putin. The eyes of this child and crying doctors."
That 6-year-old, whose name we do not know, couldn't be saved.
Our breaking news coverage continues right after a quick break.
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