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Russian Attacks Indicate Shift in Focus; Russian Convoy Dispersed; Russia's Claims of Chemical Weapons; Russia Launches Multiple Attacks; Harris Speaks in Romania. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired March 11, 2022 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, major Ukrainian cities under attack as Russia expands its assault, taking significant fire. Dnipro, in the country's center, as well as multiple airfields in the west of Ukraine. Russian air strikes also hitting a kindergarten and an apartment building. The number of casualties that the hour still unclear.

Thank you for joining us again this morning. I'm Erica Hill in New York.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Jim Sciutto in Lviv, Ukraine.

We were awakened by air raid sirens last night here in the western part of the country. Those latest missile strikes further west than we've seen so far in Russia's air and bombardment campaign.

They could signal a potential shift in focus for Russia, perhaps targeting supply routes into the country, as Russian troops now approach the capital Kyiv from all directions. Just miles outside the city center of Kyiv.

On the outskirts, new satellite images show that 40-mile-long Russian convoy you may remember, well, now it has largely dispersed and redeployed. Some elements now taking cover in trees, behind homes.

And northwest, in Chernihiv, closer to the Belarusian border, images show the Russian onslaught has inflicted just devastating damage.

And take a look at this as well. Heart-stopping video shows the diffusing of a bomb from a downed Russian fighter jet as explosions ring out in the distance.

Vice President Kamala Harris and the Romanian president are set to speak at any moment now. This follows her visit to Poland. The United States showing solidarity with these eastern-facing NATO allies. They are concerned about Russia's next steps.

This as Romania welcomes thousands upon thousands of refugees fleeing the Russian invasion here, as so many neighboring countries have done.

CNN is following all the latest developments as this war now enters its third week.

Let's begin, though, with CNN's Sam Kiley. He is in Dnipro, which was a target of just a barrage of air strikes, coming down on the city in the early hours of today.

We're seeing the pictures, Sam, this morning of the destruction that followed. You were there, tell us what you saw.

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, the most visible destruction, Jim, was at a shoe factory on the western edge of the town. Significantly, it's the western edge, because that's the furthest away from any known Russian forces, which themselves are over 100 miles in terms of ground forces from here. So this was most definitely a long-range missile or a bomb dropped from an aircraft.

This missile killed the caretaker there at the shoe factory that was still ablaze when we were there midmorning. There was also damage done to a kindergarten by a missile or bomb that dropped about 200 or 300 meters away from that location. And eight flats in an apartment block were also badly damaged by a bomb that struck there.

So, no question at all about the fact that civilian areas have been hit by these missiles. It's conceivable, just, that these were misfires, that the -- or that these were dumb (ph) bombs being dropped with no regard for where they were going to end up. But there's no question really, if you look at the pattern of Russian attacks over the last week or so, there's been a very significant increase in the numbers of attacks and the type of weapons, profligate weapons, like multiple rocket launching systems, being used in Kharkiv especially.

And then we've had these two strikes against airfields in the west of the country, not that far from where you are, Jim, which clearly indicate, as you were saying in the intro there, a possibility, or I think, frankly, a certainty that the Russians are trying to interrupt the ability of the Ukrainians to resupply, firstly, and, secondly, to use airfields for military purposes. A lot of their air force, the Ukrainian air force, amazingly, is still able to fly and still involved in combat against the Russian invaders on a daily basis, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes, no question. Look where they fire to get a sense of their intentions, which, frankly, also applies to all the civilian areas they've hit.

Sam Kiley, thanks so much.

We are seeing this morning new satellite images that show that once 40-mile-long slow moving Russian convoy just north of the capital Kyiv has now largely dispersed, redeployed, even hiding it seems in the trees.

CNN's senior national security correspondent Alex Marquardt is in Lviv.

You know, we watched this convoy for days, really. Almost amazed and, you know, the various retired generals we talked to say, boy, that was bad planning. ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Right.

SCIUTTO: But now we're seeing it finally disperse.

MARQUARDT: So much fascination with this convoy because it was so big, because it was so long, because of the kind of weaponry in there. Lots of questions as to why it wasn't hit harder earlier on.

And I think what we're seeing now, again, the -- you know, the former officials and experts we talked to, that this is a good sign for the Ukrainians. They've managed to push back, they've managed to disperse this convoy. You can see some of that weaponry, some of those vehicles taking cover in the tree line.

The Ukrainian forces, with this stiff resistance, has managed to -- has managed to inflict some real damage on that convoy. However, we do know that the focus still very much is on Kyiv for these Russian forces that are not only coming in from the north, where that convoy is, from the west, but now also from the east.

And, Jim, I spoke earlier today with the brother of the mayor of Kyiv, Wladimir Klitschko, who is also part of these territorial defenses. He says they are expecting what he calls a significant attack in the coming days.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO, MEMBER OF Kyiv TERRITORIAL DEFENSE: In the next upcoming days, we're expecting significant attack on the capital. They are regrouping. They're trying to find different strategies and trying to find the right way and the right timing. So every hour counts. And then we're expecting to have this attack on the capital at any moment, especially, as I said, in the next upcoming days. Their target is the capital.

We are standing strong. And we definitely need support. We're going to be taking care of ourselves. What we need, we need defensive, military equipment to stand and hold away the Russian army.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[09:05:05]

MARQUARDT: And, Jim, what we are seeing, not just in Kyiv, but across the country is, as Ukrainian forces make -- do some damage against those Russians on the ground, that the Russians are stepping up their attacks from the sky. And they can inflict some real damage there.

So, you heard there, that the brother of the mayor of Kyiv saying that they are going to stand and fight, but they certainly need help.

Let's not be mistaken, the Russians have not given up on their primary goal to encircle and to take the capital.

SCIUTTO: Remarkable to see it play out.

Alex Marquardt, thanks very much.

Erica.

HILL: Well, Jim, the U.N. Security Council is meeting later today -- this is at Russia's request -- about the alleged use of chemical weapons by the U.S. and Ukraine. Now, the U.S., of course, dismissing the Kremlin's claims as, quote, signature Russian propaganda. Russia is also accusing Ukraine of preparing a chemical attack. Here's how Ukrainian President Zelenskyy responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINE (through translator): They accuse us, again, us, that we are allegedly developing biological weapons, allegedly we are preparing a chemical attack? This makes me really worried because we've been repeatedly convinced, if you want to know Russia's plans, look at what Russia accuses others of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CNN's Barbara Starr joining me now live from the Pentagon.

So, Barbara, you know, (INAUDIBLE), does the U.S. share Zelenskyy's concern that you should look at what Russia is accusing other folks of, essentially saying it's Putin who's preparing a chemical attack?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I think it's very fair to say that's exactly what the U.S. is so concerned about right now, Erica. You know, Russia has a history of so-called false flag operations, blaming others for what it is already preparing to do or is doing. And so both in the chemical weapons and biological weapons arena, a lot of concern across the Biden administration about what the Russians may do next, worried that they could stage a chemical weapons attack, and worried about biological weapons.

In fact, we've had some briefings here at the Pentagon from experts in international biological weapons activities to lay it all out, to show in their -- in their view that Ukraine has five biological research facilities that have been devoted to things like vaccines and research across Ukraine. And, in fact, the U.S. has been assisting for years in the former Soviet bloc countries to help dismantle, stabilize and render safe any chemical or biological weapons material. This has been a program for many, many years, including in Ukraine, with what was left over by the Soviet Union.

So, trying to lay out all the facts in public, so if the Russians do engage in some activity, the U.S. will have a track record of what it says is the truth.

Erica.

HILL: Yes. Barbara, appreciate it. As always, thank you.

We also want to show you some new video that we have this morning. This is of an explosion on an airfield in Lutsk. It's in the west of the country. And, keep in mind, this is much further to the west than what we have seen so far in terms of Russia attacks in Ukraine. This is one of two airfields that were targeted in just the last 24 hours.

Joining us now is CNN military analyst, retired Colonel Cedric Leighton. He's going to walk us through what we're seeing here.

And specifically, Colonel, as we start with that, with these attacks on airfields, the bombardment in the west and then also in Dnipro, as we just heard about from Sam Kiley, what do you make of that strategy on the part of Russia?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Erica, good morning.

The big thing that the Russians are doing here is attacking airfields, Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk, that are really close to the Polish and Slovakian and Hungarian borders. What they're doing, in my view, is, in this part of their campaign is interdicting or getting ready to interdict as many supplies that come from the west into Ukraine. So, they're trying to stop the supplies that we're sending from the NATO countries into Ukraine. They're trying to stop them from getting to Ukrainian forces and the Ukrainian defenders.

What is happening in Dnipro, right here in the center, that Sam Kiley was reporting on, that is an area where they can basically cut the country in two. So, they -- I've always looked at Dnipro as being a place that is kind of an axis that they can turn on. So they can move forces from the south. They can move forces from the northeast. And they can move -- once they get Dnipro, they can then move those forces up the Dnipro river valley toward Kyiv. So, this is a critical juncture for them as well.

So, what they're doing here is moving this whole operation to the entire country, and they're trying to make it very hard for the Ukrainians to defend themselves.

SCIUTTO: Yes, those missile strikes in the west set off the air raid sirens here in Lviv overnight and again this morning.

Cedric, we just were speaking about those new satellite images of that stalled Russian convoy we've been following for a number of days.

[09:10:07]

Now it appears to have dispersed. Can you tell us what that means? Does that mean they were able to move it along or they're just hiding?

LEIGHTON: Well, first of all, it's a -- you know, Jim, this is a -- I think a place where they're hiding some things, but they may be hiding them to position things like multiple rocket launchers in residential areas. So this is a favorite Russian tactic in case they are attacked by somebody. What they're trying to do is they are trying to move their vehicles from a road type situation where they can -- where you can kind of see some of the vehicles on the roads, to a situation where they actually are hidden in the trees. And in this particular case, if you look very carefully, you can see that these vehicles are in place right in the tree line right here. It's not a good dispersal because, you know, from imagery we can tell that these vehicles and weapons systems are still there, but it is a movement away from the roads so that they're less vulnerable to attack, either from air attack or from drone attack. And that's -- that's the kind of thing that they're very much looking to do at this point, Jim.

HILL: You know, we've also had a really heavy focus on Mariupol, under heavy bombardment as we know this week. The situation there is dire. Officials say food, water running out.

Just walk us through once again, remind us why Russia is so interested in Mariupol. The strategic importance of this city.

LEIGHTON: Absolutely, Erica.

Mariupol is on the Sea of Azov right here. This is a body of water that is very important to the Russians. They, in essence, want to make this a lake. But there's a reason for it. It's not just because they like this lake. What they want is, they want to control Mariupol, which is right here, because that provides a land bridge between Crimea, which they've annexed, and the Donbas region, which is this area right here. And this area controlled by the separatists, this area controlled by the Russians, this area now with Russian troops in it, all of this is key to their plan to cut off Ukraine from the sea.

So, that's the eastern part of that plan. The western part is over here, where the city of Odessa is. That is another part of the plan. But for Mariupol, that's a key to making sure that they -- from their standpoint pacify this region and make it really completely Russian. That's what their goal is at this point.

SCIUTTO: NATO is, as you know, discussing now sending advanced air defense systems to Ukraine. No-fly zone really off the table. Even those jets from Poland off the table. But I've been told by senior military officials that these air defense systems are really what the Ukrainian military needs now.

Can you describe what kind of weapons we're talking about?

LEIGHTON: Sure. One of those weapons, Jim, is the S-400. This is a mobile surface-to-air missile. This is the one that people have been talking about when it comes to NATO countries like Turkey, for example, actually getting Russian equipment. The key thing about that, Jim, is that if the S-400 were employed by Turkey, it could potentially provide the Russians with information on U.S. aircraft signatures.

So, this is a particularly impressive weapons system because what it does is it has a range of up to 400 kilometers, basically 250 miles. It has two battalions. The Russians have two battalions of S-400s in Belarus. So that goes back to the idea of, they are controlling the air space in and around Ukraine.

Now, if the Ukrainians were to get S-400s, which is also a possibility, they could use those to make sure that Russian aircraft don't target them as freely as they've been able to target them, and especially their cities right now. So the S-400 is a road mobile weapons system that is very modern, and it is also capable of going potentially after stealth aircraft. So, any country that has this has a very potent weapon in its arsenal.

SCIUTTO: So, Cedric, you're saying that NATO is thinking of sending a Russian antiaircraft system to the Ukrainian military?

LEIGHTON: There is a possibility of that. Some of the NATO countries do have these air defense systems in their arsenals. And that is one possibility to get this Russian system into Ukraine and use it against the Russians in this scenario.

SCIUTTO: Interesting.

Colonel Cedric Leighton, thanks for walking us all through it.

LEIGHTON: Absolutely, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Coming up next, the mayor of Mykolaiv, Ukraine, says the Russians raining cluster bombs on to his city. He's going to join me live in moments. You're going to want to hear it.

HILL: Plus, President Biden expected to announce next hour that Russia will lose its status as a most favored nation for trade.

[09:15:03]

We're going to walk through what that actually means.

And a bit later, the World Health Organization is now warning Ukraine's public labs they should destroy any high threat pathogens. What has the WHO so worried? We'll take a look.

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SCIUTTO: This morning, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says that he is worried that a ramped up Russian disinformation campaign accusing his country falsely of having biological and chemical weapons could be a pretext for Russia to use those weapons.

Stand by.

We have new pictures coming in of the Vice President speaking now in Romania.

[09:20:00]

Let's listen in.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I also want to recognize and thank Prime Minister Citu for the conversation that we had last week.

If I may, Mr. President, I'd like to speak directly to the Romanian people for one moment, to thank you on behalf of the United States. Under the leadership of President Iohannis, Romania has been extraordinary in the generosity and the courage that you have shown in this moment. Around the world we have watched as you have received refugees. Around the world, and I will speak for the United States, we know of the particular challenges that you face geographically, yet you have shown so much courage.

The meeting that the president and I had today was a very productive meeting to reaffirm the strength of the relationship and friendship between the United States and Romania. I've said many times, including this afternoon with the president, and the president's leadership, but around the world, and I will say it here, America's commitment to Article Five is iron clad. We take very seriously our role and the relationships that we have within the NATO alliance. We take seriously and are prepared to act on the words we speak when we say, an attack against one is an attack against all. We are firm in our commitment, when I say and we say over and over again, President Joe Biden says, we will defend every inch of NATO territory.

So, I am present in Romania today to reaffirm that commitment, in addition to thanking the president, your leadership, and the people of Romania.

The strength of our alliance has endured and is now bigger and stronger than ever. The strength of our alliance includes our mutual commitment to stand on the principles that we hold dear and share, that include the defense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of independent states and, in this case, Ukraine.

We are clear that the work that is to be done in response to Putin's war includes standing strong within the alliance to support the needs of our partners. To that end, and to demonstrate our commitment as the United States, in recent weeks we sent a 1,000 member striker squadron that creates a total force of 2,000 American troops who are prepared to stand in defense of our commitment to the NATO alliance and the eastern flank.

We have reinforced our recent commitments, all with the mention and with the meaning of strengthening our deterrence and our collective defense. I want to thank you, President Iohannis, for your leadership on NATO's eastern flank. I want to thank you for -- in addition to doing all that you have been doing in your role of leadership to modernizing, and to increasing the resources that are available. You and I talked about the importance of running a government in a way that we modernize and are efficient and effective with the resources we have. You have been a model in that regard, and I thank you.

In terms of our mutual support for the people of Ukraine, in Washington, in the United States Congress, we have taken recent action, including a commitment of $13.6 billion for Ukraine and the region in terms of security assistance and humanitarian assistance. The president, Iohannis, and I talked extensively and I was very moved, Mr. President, by the stories you shared with me of the time you spent with refugees. And the heart wrenching experience that they are having. So, we stand together, Romania and the United States, in ensuring that we will do all that is required to put resources into the humanitarian piece of this, understanding that the needs are significant and immediate.

[09:25:15]

To the extent that we are offering humanitarian assistance, in addition to the $13.6 billion package from the United States Congress, $4 billion of that will be directly committed to humanitarian assistance. That is on top of the $53 million that I announced yesterday that through the U.N., the United States will give to the World Food Program.

But I must say, when we are talking about humanitarian assistance, Romania has been a hub of humanitarian assistance. And that is yet another reason that we are here to thank the president and the people of this great country for what you are doing based on the needs of this region. You have been welcoming tens of thousands of refugees, and doing it with such compassion and such grace.

So I'll conclude my remarks by saying that this is a strong and enduring relationship. It is an important relationship. And the importance of this relationship is being highlighted at this very moment. But it is a relationship that will continue over the years. And, again, I thank you, Mr. President, and the people of this beautiful country for all you do and all you represent.

Thank you.

PRESIDENT KLAUS IOHANNIS, ROMANIA: Thank you so much, Madam Vice President.

SCIUTTO: We've been listening to Vice President Kamala Harris there speaking in the Romanian capital Bucharest alongside the Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis. For the second time in two days, we heard her, Erica, express what she described as the iron clad NATO commitment to mutual defense, saying, once again, the exact words she uttered yesterday from Poland, an attack on one is an attack on all. And that message clearly pointed inward to Romania, Poland, the other NATO allies, but also outward to Russia, to make clear that if Putin does not stop at Ukraine, attacks a NATO ally, NATO goes to war.

HILL: Yes, the vice president also using that language, Jim, saying, once again, that they would defend every inch of NATO territory, which as you point out, is what we heard in Poland yesterday.

And talking again about which is part of, we know, why she is there, it's not just to send that message home, but also to talk about what the U.S. is doing, talking about this $13.6 billion for Ukraine and the region and what else is happening in terms of troops on the ground to protect the eastern flank there.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

HILL: We'll continue to follow all of these developments.

We're going to take a quick break here.

When we return, the latest from Ukraine. Stay with us.

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