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Massive Strike Hits Kharkiv; Russia Warns of Strikes; Zelensky Accuses Russia of War Crimes; U.S. Intel to Understand Putin; Blinken Speaks at U.N.; Russia's Using Heavier Firepower. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired March 01, 2022 - 09:00   ET

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

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[09:00:36]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Putin bombed Kharkiv. A Russian missile strike destroys a government building in Ukraine's second largest city as the Ukrainian president accuses Vladimir Putin of war crimes.

Good morning. I'm Erica Hill in New York.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Jim Sciutto reporting from Lviv, Ukraine, where you might be able to hear in the background, we're just learning of an air raid siren here. We'll stay on top of that.

This just in to CNN, the Russian military is now warning it will carry out strikes against facilities inside and around the capital Kyiv, including what's known as the SBU, that's Ukraine's state security agency, as well as other targets. This coming direct from the Russian defense ministry in a statement.

It comes as U.S. officials tell me that the latest U.S. intelligence assessments have found that Russia more and more is resorting to using heavier firepower, more devastating weapons. This after recent setbacks in their invasion strategy. U.S. intelligence believes that Russian forces will be more and more willing to cause collateral damage. What does that mean? That means civilian casualties, including direct targeting of non-military targets, just as what we saw in Kharkiv this morning. And that expected to lead to more civilian deaths.

Again, that is more of a siren here we've heard it times in Lviv. Again, we will keep you up to date on this.

All of this as new satellite images show just a massive convoy of Russian forces closing in on the capital city of Kyiv. Officials say it's 40 miles long. It includes hundreds of armored vehicles, tanks, towed artillery. U.S. officials warn the intention here to surround and take over the capital Kyiv, the intent as well to topple what has been Ukraine's formidable resistance so far.

This morning, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, says that protecting the capital of Kyiv is his government's key priority.

It is just a shocking day here, a shocking time in this country, again, as we're hearing air raid sirens in Lviv this morning. We are covering every angle of this breaking story as only CNN can. Our reporters and correspondents on the ground throughout Ukraine, also in Russia and, of course, back home in the U.S.

Let's begin with CNN's Clarissa Ward, who is in Kyiv. Nick Paton Walsh in the south in Odessa, Ukraine.

First, as well, we have Dan Rivers. He's a correspondent for ITV News. He's in one of the most dangerous places in the country right now, that is Kharkiv. He visited the site of that devastating strike, Russian strike, on Freedom Square, as it's known this morning, where he captured that moment.

Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN RIVERS, CORRESPONDENT, ITV NEWS: You can see complete devastation here. The top of this building behind me has been completely taken out. Just rubble all over the streets. And people wandering around assessing the damage.

Clearly, we're not going to loiter here long. But it seems like Russia has switched tactics from trying to hit military targets at the beginning of this war, to now trying to take out symbols of the Ukrainian state. At the moment, though, the response from the Ukrainians has been one of complete defiance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Dan joins us now by phone.

And if you're just joining us, what you're hearing behind us is an air raid siren here. We've heard them from time to time. We'll find out how serious this one is.

Dan, great to have you on because you're at the scene of what has been really one of the most devastating attacks so far. And it shows what we were reporting earlier, which is that Vladimir Putin and his commanders more willing to hit inside city centers at non-military targets.

Tell us what you saw there in the aftermath this morning.

DAN RIVERS, CORRESPONDENT ITV NEWS (via telephone): Yes, well, I think you can -- you can see from some of the footage in the background of my report you just played how bad that air strike was. So it sort of seems to have hit the corner of this civil administration building, you know, taking out the entire sort of top of this building and caused a lot of damage down through the lower floors. Most of the windows seem to be blown out.

[09:05:00]

A lot of the floors had collapsed inside it. And a lot of masonry over the floor in Freedom Square itself.

What was remarkable was that people were already attempting to clear the road. I mean there were -- there were civilians there with -- literally with a broom, you know, trying to sweep away broken glass and rubble so that the -- the road could be passable again. But, clearly, there will have been a number of people killed. We don't know how many at the moment. But just the force of the impact would suggest that we've be looking at, you know, several people I would imagine would have been killed, depending on how many were in that building inside.

SCIUTTO: Yes, it's CNN's reporting that it's believed ten people were killed there. And if you -- if folks at home, you haven't watched the video, you can see a car pulling up to the corner in front of the building just before that strike hits there.

I was amazed, I have to say, Dan, given where what appeared to be a missile hit that it didn't cause more structural damage. Do you have any sense from what you saw on the ground there of what kind of weapon was used?

RIVERS: We didn't. No, we couldn't -- I mean we couldn't really stay very long there for obvious reasons. And, you know, concern that there might be another strike. So, we weren't able to really go and investigate into the building at all.

But, you know, looking at the footage that you've shown, I mean it does appear to be something possibly similar to a Kalibr cruise missile, which is the kind of thing we've seen fired before, but we don't know that for certain.

But one of the other things that sort of struck me was, you know, the -- as we approach the scene, there was a car and it may well have been the car that you see in that footage that was -- that was at the side of the road with the -- with the windscreen -- the windshield wipers still going. I don't know what happened to the people that were in that car. But it was really quite arresting to see that car there, that, you know, must have just passed across the front of that building a few seconds before the blast hit.

SCIUTTO: Well, folks, Dan, I'm glad you're safe and smart to get out of there quickly because if it was targeted once, the chances of it being targeted again, significant.

Dan Rivers, ITV News correspondent there at the site of just a devastating strike.

I do want to get to Clarissa Ward now in Kyiv because, Clarissa, the Russian defense ministry issued quite a sobering warning that it plans to strike facilities in Kyiv. Do we know how many and where exactly they are? Are they in civilian areas?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, we know of at least two. The warning that they're going to strike several SBU facilities. The Ukrainian SBU, Jim, are the security services here. We believe we've located one of those buildings. And there's a secondary building that I think is a little bit further out. It's difficult to say without sort of standing there on the ground what civilian exposure there is to those buildings. But, obviously, this is a densely populated city center. And so the minute you start bombing city centers, there is a huge risk of civilians being killed.

The Russians did say in this statement from the defense ministry given to task that they are going to be using precision weapons, though, you know, it's arguable what that actually means or what kind of a guarantee that is, if any at all. And they also called on residents living near relay nodes to leave their homes. Relay nodes we understand to mean sort of communications towers. So large antennas, things of that nature.

So, certainly an ominous warning of things to come. This is not a surprise in the sense that people here have been bracing themselves for an uptick in the Russian onslaught. Up until now, most attacks have really been targeting the outskirts of the city. But now it appears that things will move to the center of the capital as so many had feared.

We also, of course, Jim, are keeping our eyes on that massive Russian convoy of tanks, armory, weaponry, that is making its way closer to the capital, miles long. And so the question becomes, what is the plan here? What is the strategy? Is the plan for those ground troops to try to surround the city and circle it, lay siege to it, stop food supplies, humanitarian aid from moving in and out while you see some kind of an air assault campaign to try to soften targets and then potentially those Russian troops would try to move into the city?

SCIUTTO: Yes.

WARD: Honestly, we just don't know at this stage.

[09:10:00]

But one thing is obviously very clear, and that is that the situation in Kyiv is about to get much worse and it's going to be a very long night for the 2.9 million people who live here, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes. According to the U.S. intelligence assessment, that's exactly the Russian plan, surround, cut off, and take it over and, as I was told this morning, with less and less concern about civilian casualties.

Clarissa, please be safe. It is going to be deeply, deeply dangerous in that city in the coming hours.

Nick Paton Walsh joining us as well.

Nick, as you know, a Russian-backed separatist leader said this morning that he expects his own forces are going to be able to surround the southeastern city of Mariupol today, part of what is a strategy, right, to surround and take over major cities in the east, the west, the south. What are you learning about the progress of the Russian assault there?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Yes, I mean, Mariupol in the Sea of Azov possibly less strategic to Russian goals than the Black Sea coast, where I'm standing in the port city of Odessa. The third biggest city in Ukraine. Sirens too here, Jim, just in the last half hour or so. And a real sense of edginess on the streets, blocked off by barricades, locals sharing pictures of how the last time they saw barricades in front of the stunning opera house here was in 1941, when they -- Soviets were bracing for a Nazi attack. Just pause a moment to think about that imagery.

But it comes in a day of intense Russian moves across the Black Sea coast here. The town of Kherson, which we were in about four days ago, watching an intense battle for a bridge on its eastern outskirts, that now has Russian troops on its streets. For some time there we've been wondering when we were there whether the Russian military would try and go into these population centers. Not of a massive, strategic use, frankly, if they have a broader goal of decapitating the government.

The answer came today. Videos showing troops on the streets. Significant shelling apparently in that town we heard too and concerns amongst residents who heard reports of males being arrested, moving around, increased pressure, about 30 minutes' drive from where I'm standing of reports of shelling and small arms fire in a town just outside of Odessa. So real concerns I think that the noose is slowly trying to tighten on this city of Odessa.

Frankly, without control of which you can't begin to imagine you control Ukraine's economy. Fears here for days ahead, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes. The noose is a telling analogy there, Nick, because that seems to be the strategy, surround, choke off, kill, really, and take over.

Nick Paton Walsh, like I keep saying on this broadcast, stay safe, you and your team.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a defiant speech to the European parliament this morning, accusing Russia of war crimes now for directly targeting civilians here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Yesterday, 16 children were killed. Again, and again, President Putin is going to say that is some kind of operation and we are hitting a military infrastructure. Where are our children? What kind of military factors do they work at?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: It's a fact. We've seen evidence of children killed here. Zelenskyy pleading with the European Union to grant Ukraine immediate

membership in the union amid the ongoing fighting.

CNN White House reporter Natasha Bertrand, she's been in Brussels, Belgium, which is, of course, the headquarters of NATO.

Natasha, are European leaders responding? Is this a realistic option at this point?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, the message here today has broadly been one of complete solidarity with Ukraine. But the question of European Union membership for Ukraine is a completely different one, right. This is something that they have signaled that they are open to, the members of the European Union. But it's a very long and complex process. It is not something that Ukraine can do overnight.

Now, Ukraine has been saying that they want some kind of expedited track that will allow them to join more quickly. But some members are questioning whether that is even possible at this moment, especially considering Russia -- or Ukraine is in the middle of a war with Russia and there are separatist territories in the east that could complicate this even further.

But, broadly, the European Union and the president of the European Commission, they have said that they do consider Ukraine to be a part of Europe, to be one of us, in her words. And so they do see the possibility of opening negotiations with Ukraine to join the bloc. And, in fact, about eight member states, European member states, including Poland, signed an open letter last night calling for these negotiations to begin, for Ukraine's candidacy in the EU to begin.

But, you know, Zelenskyy is basically saying, we don't have time here. And he was pleading with the members of the European parliament today to essentially prove that they are European, that they are, in that sense, committed to democracy and freedom in the way that he is right now.

[09:15:12]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We are exactly the same as you are. So, do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us (INAUDIBLE). Do prove that you indeed are Europeans and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness.

Glory be to Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERTRAND: So he is saying essentially, we have proven ourselves. And now it is your turn to prove that you are dedicated to helping us in this fight against Russia. Now, this is, again, not something that is going to happen imminently.

It is a long process. But, so far, the bloc seems to -- has seeming to signal that it is open to begin those negotiations soon.

Jim.

SCIUTTO: Natasha Bertrand, in Brussels, thanks so much.

More new reporting in to CNN this morning. This on how the U.S. intelligence community has made evaluating Vladimir Putin's state of mind a top priority now.

CNN reporter Katie Bo Lillis, part of the team that broke this story.

And, Katie Bo, I think it's important for folks to understand, this is not so much about determining whether Vladimir Putin is somehow crazy, more his decision-making, his tight circle, state of mind and what's motivating him. Is that right?

KATIE BO LILLIS, CNN REPORTER: Yes, precisely so, Jim.

Ever since last week when Putin gave this uncharacteristically emotional speech where he laid out this kind of crazy revisionist history that was sort of backing up his justification for launching this invasion of Ukraine. U.S. officials have been asking the intelligence community if they can provide -- if they can provide as much insight as possible into sort of the way that Putin is reacting to the stress of a military campaign that isn't going exactly as planned, into, you know, how he is responding to this sort of sustained pressure that he's getting from the west. You know, essentially whether or not he's in a heightened emotional state that might change the way he's making decisions.

But the challenge is exactly as you say, Jim. You know, the United States intelligence community has been studying Putin, decoding Putin, watching Putin, trying to understand Putin for over two decades now. The guy has been in office for basically over 20 years, almost contiguously. You know, they know this guy. But as U.S. officials will be very frank about, they have a notoriously poor picture into Putin's day to day decision-making. You know, U.S. intelligence officials will call Russia a hard target for intelligence gathering.

And so I want to -- I want to read to you what one of the sources familiar with this kind of latest effort said to us at CNN that I think really kind of gets at the challenge of this dynamic. This official said to us that everything that the U.S. has in term of Putin's mental state is in the realm of conjecture because Putin's decisions and statements don't seem to be making sense. For years, decades, Putin has acted according to a pretty specific template.

So, you know, Jim, I think this -- I think what this source is really getting at is the -- is t he challenge that intelligence officials have in trying to sort of get inside Putin's brain and figure out whether or not this is the same old Putin that they have known, just operating under different emotional stressors, is this some kind of new version of the president, or is this a President Putin essentially embracing the mad man theory and trying to convince, you know, trying to convince the west and the United States that he is capable of anything?

SCIUTTO: Yes. And I'm sure they're conscience as well, it's not the first time -- in fact, it's one in a long line of invasions that he has ordered and some of them using some of the most brutal weapons in his arsenal.

Katie Bo Lillis, thanks so much.

LILLIS: Thanks so much.

SCIUTTO: Just minutes from now, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will speak to the U.N. Human Rights Council about the escalating attacks in Ukraine. We're going to bring those comments to you live as they happen.

Plus, I'm going to speak with a member of the Ukrainian parliament here. What she says they need now from the west to defend themselves and defeat Russia.

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[09:23:57]

HILL: Moments from now, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken set to speak at a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting about Russia's escalating and deadly attacks on Ukraine. The regular session comes as world leaders accuse Russia of committing war crimes and amid warnings Russian forces could soon ramp up attacks on civilian targets.

SCIUTTO: That's what U.S. officials are telling me this morning.

CNN's Kylie Atwood joins us now from the State Department.

So, Kylie, tell us about the significance of this session. Sad fact in the U.N. Human Rights Council, a lot of complaints are made there and then there are objections from other countries guilty of the same crimes. What's the goal here and what's the timing?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, it's a good point, Jim. But I think that the Biden Administration would say that even though sometimes the voices and the messages in the United Nations, in the United Nations Human Rights Council, don't necessarily go headed by those who are obstructing what is happening here.

They do think it's just as important to make sure that the Biden Administration that the rest of the world voices their opposition in a clear way to those, of course in this case Russia, who are obstructing human rights.

[09:25:11]

I think we can expect that the Secretary of State is going to implore the rest of the world to take collective action to hold Russia accountable for what it is doing here for this unprovoked assault on Ukraine.

And I think we can also expect him to touch on what we've already seen in terms of the human rights abuses that have been carried out up until this point. Of course, with civilians who have died in Ukraine because of Russia's assault. And, of course, the fact of the matter is that there have been hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who have tried to flee the country, of course, creating a refugee crisis.

So, the secretary of state will talk about how the rest of the world needs to really band together and support the refugees who are coming out of this country, and of course, condemn what Russia is doing here.

It's also significant to note that this speech is coming at a time when U.S.-Russia diplomatic relations are probably at one of their lowest points we have ever seen them. Just yesterday, even though the United States says it's unrelated to this crisis in Ukraine, the United States expelled 12 Russians who are based in New York at the U.N. mission there saying that they were here in the United States doing things that they weren't allowed to do, carrying out espionage, spying. And so that is just another small piece of this puzzle when it comes to the diplomatic angle here.

Jim.

SCIUTTO: Kylie Atwood at the State Department, thanks so much.

Joining us now to discuss the ongoing war here in Ukraine is CNN national security analyst James Clapper. He's the former Director of National Intelligence.

Director Clapper, thanks for joining us this morning.

JAMES CLAPPER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Thanks, Jim. And Thanks for your great reporting. Stay safe out there.

SCIUTTO: I want to ask you about what we're seeing play out here, and that is a greater Russian willingness, frankly it seems deliberate, to target civilians. They're now surrounding cities here. They're dropping very powerful weapons close to and perhaps deliberately targeted at civilians. Is that deliberate, in your view, and should we expect any restraint from Vladimir Putin as we watch this play out?

CLAPPER: Yes, and no. It's quite expectable. I think this has been the prediction all along that the Russians will bring to bear whatever firepower they feel they need to suppress the population. And they will do it with disregard for human rights and humane treatment of civilians. It's really despicable when -- and, unfortunately, this is exactly what I think everyone's anticipated.

The key center of gravity to use the military phrase all along has been Kyiv and to seize it, surround it, cut it off, seize government buildings and decapitate the government and install puppets who will be compliant with Moscow's wishes. And that's what they're doing now.

HILL: As we're seeing all this play out, new reporting from Jim. CNN is learning that U.S. intelligence officials are really trying to get a sense of Putin's state of mind. And, again, not necessarily what's going on in that mind, but more the decision making process and what is influencing some of these decisions he's making?

I found it really interesting yesterday, Director Clapper, when you said, you don't see a face-saving off ramp for Putin at this point. How much is that element, do you think, influencing the decisions for Vladimir Putin? Because we know ego is very important to him.

CLAPPER: Well, first, I think it's quite right to point out the pitfall of overanalyzing. And certainly I've got to be careful about that myself. And I'm sure the intelligence community is as well. You know, determining what's in the dark, deep recesses of Vladimir Putin's mind is, well, (INAUDIBLE) to impossible. And we've been watching him for 20 plus years.

He is -- I t's clear that he's committed, very committed, to taking all of Ukraine or attempting control of all of it. So, as this goes on, he employs more weaponry, more firepower, more military resources. I think it's harder and harder for him to off-ramp. And certainly for us to suggest an off-ramp. And, again, I guess is really gets to his state of mind because there's -- there is only one key decision maker in Russia.

[09:30:00]

SCIUTTO: Yes.

The U.S., the west, Europe, are now effectively isolating the Russian economy to some degree.