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Russian Attacks Move Further West; Russia Requesting Military Aid from China; Russian Strikes Hit Ukrainian Base Near NATO Border; Nearly 2.7 Million Refugees Fleeing Ukraine; Russian Artists Abroad Face Pressure to Condemn Putin; Sanctions Hit High-Profile Russian Oligarch Roman Abramovich. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired March 14, 2022 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
[00:00:27]
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR: Hello, welcome to our viewers, around the world and in the United States this hour. I'm Hala Gorani, live in Lviv, Ukraine.
Russia us asking China for economic and military assistance in Ukraine, including drones, according to a U.S. official. But a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington says they knew nothing about the matter.
Meantime, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan will meet his Chinese counterpart in Rome in the coming hours. Sullivan says China was aware that President Vladimir Putin was planning something before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But they may not have understood the full extent of the plan.
He added that Beijing will face consequences if it helps Moscow evade sanctions over the war in Ukraine, without detailing what those consequences might be.
We're also expecting another round of talks between Ukraine and Russia in the hours ahead, even as Moscow continues to expand its assault and invasion on its neighbor.
And the secretary of state of the United States, Antony Blinken, spoke about ongoing diplomatic efforts with Ukraine's foreign minister while the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, spoke with Ukraine's president.
Now, despite the relentless assault from Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country remains determined and defiant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Russia also lost thousands of units of military weaponry. Seventy-four planes, 86 helicopters. We understand they've got more, but we also know that they shall continue defending ourselves. Ukraine does not surrender. The army does not surrender. The people do not surrender. The whole of Ukraine is fighting heroically.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, meantime, Russia's offensive is spreading very much into Western Ukraine, where missiles hit a military base near our live shot position here, the city of Lviv and extremely close to the border with Poland, a NATO member.
A local official says at least 35 people were killed, and the White House national adviser -- excuse me, national security advisor, is warning that any attack on NATO territory will trigger a full response by the alliance.
CNN's Sam Kiley is on the ground in Kyiv with the latest from the Ukrainian capital.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There has been a limited respite for the people of Kyiv over the last 24 hours, notwithstanding the murder of American journalist Brent Renaud. There has been a reduction, overall, in the levels of airstrikes and bombardments here in the capital.
That is because military analysts in the United States and United Kingdom believe that there is a consolidation and reorganization going on within Russian forces, possibly with reinforcements from their combat units further East for a push in against the capital city from the East as part of their ongoing attempts to try to encircle and perhaps, ultimately, besiege Kyiv.
The road to the South is the main supply route for goods and services coming in and out of the city. And cutting that route would be disastrous for the capital.
This coming as the Russians have also increased, with particular precision, the use of long-range missiles against against a location 11 miles just from the border with Poland, attacking a Ukrainian military training facility there, killing at least 35 people and wounding over 100.
They're using long-range ballistic missiles. These sorts of missiles we've seen used across the country. But nothing like the volume of the dumb bombs that they've been dropping, particularly in the North here of Kyiv, where bomb disposal experts have been disarming what look like old-style, Second World War-type dumb bombs. A very disastrous weapon to be using in built-up areas, clearly indicating an intent to bomb civilians, with no regard for targeting. Simply a decision to try to kill as many people as possible.
Elsewhere in the country, Mariupol continues to be under bombardment. Yet again, attempts to relieve that have fallen flat, as a consequence of the Russians not allowing aid convoy in, or, indeed, evacuation of refugees out.
There's been limited evacuations from other cities around the country. But there has been no significant movement forward by Russian forces who still are being held up by the Ukrainian defiance.
[00:05:06]
Sam Kiley, CNN, in Kyiv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: All right. Thanks to Sam for that.
Now, for more on Russia's request for aid, economic and military aid from China, I'm joined by CNN's Steven Jiang in Beijing.
We briefly told our viewers what Beijing's response was, through its ambassador in the United States. That it wasn't necessarily aware of a specific request. But is China likely to come to the aid of Russia here, when it asks for it?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN'S BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Hala, we have just asked the Chinese foreign ministry for comment, as well. So far, they have not responded.
But when they do their daily briefing in about three hours, I expect officials to stick to their usual talking points. To stress their supposed impartiality in this conflict. And actually, likely, denounced the U.S. effort to, quote unquote, "smear China" and probably, again, pointing a finger at the U.S. and NATO's eastward expansion as the root cause for this conflict which, of course, is really a key Kremlin talking point, as well.
Now, the timing of this leak from Washington is very interesting. The U.S. security -- national security adviser, Jake Sullivan is actually going to meet his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, who is not only the country's top foreign policy official but also a key adviser to President Xi Jinping, in the coming hours, in Rome.
The Chinese have been framing this meeting as long planned. Not -- as not something hastily arranged because of the situation in Ukraine. But Ukraine likely going to be on top of their agenda.
And because of this meeting, and probably in anticipating of Washington exerting more -- (AUDIO GAP) state media really pushing back at this, warning the U.S. not to try to sow division between Russia and China.
But they have also acknowledged it's a positive sign that the U.S. and China are still keeping their communication channels open, especially at such a high level in this time of crisis.
Now as you know, almost since the beginning of this war, the Chinese have been trying to strike this almost impossible balance: standing behind Russia, especially when it comes to parroting their propaganda and, some would say, disinformation, but also trying to say the right things in terms of calling for peace talks and stressing the importance of national sovereignty.
But of course, also trying to minimize their own companies' exposure to Western sanctions. And in recent days, some analysts have pointed to some subtle signs of changes.
For example, Beijing is now providing some small-scale humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. And also, there are some companies here, based here, with large exposure to the West, indicating their willingness to comply with Western sanctions. So Hala, at the end of the day, a lot off experts say China's strategy
seems to be saying everything but doing almost nothing. Because they are very pragmatic. They're trying to wait things out, trying to have this crisis clarify, before they make their decisions, make their moves, and cut deals.
Because no matter how things go on the battlefield, a weakened or bitter Russia would probably have no choice but to move ever closer into China's orbit, as a junior partner in this so-called no-limits partnership. That's why a lot of people are quite skeptical that Beijing's willing to get directly involved in this conflict at this stage, especially by providing arms to Russia -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. Steven Jiang, thanks very much, live in Beijing.
Well, we now have more on that deadly missile strike in Western Ukraine. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're on the road here that leads to one of Ukraine's largest military bases. We've been trying to gain access, of course, but even the roads -- these roads are generally public roads -- that lead to that base, and have been shut down.
There's a sense of tension after more than 30 missiles struck that military base -- It's called The International Peace and Security Center -- in the early hours of Sunday morning, killing more than 30 people, wounding more than 130 others. And really shaking and terrifying the villages that surround this massive military complex.
This has huge consequences for the Ukrainian military. We're very close to the Polish border, so this space was considered a safe forward, operating unit, since the start of the Russian invasion. We were just about ten miles from the Polish border. That gave this area, a sense of security, a sense of safety. Of course, all of that now shattered.
And the concern is, how does Ukraine continue to work with allied militaries in the coming weeks and days? It's in the past years that NATO allies have come to this space, again, have come to this huge military complex to provide education, support, training.
Even U.S. troops as early as last fall were here, performing joint exercises with Ukrainian military.
[00:10:03]
So, this strike, at the heart of the Ukrainian military, deals yet another blow to Ukraine, as the Russian invasion expands, widens, and intensifies.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, just outside a military base in Lviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, joining me now to discuss the latest developments is Malcolm Davis. He's a senior analyst in defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Thanks for being with us.
What's your reaction to the fact that Russia is bombing that military training facility? So close to the Polish border. Several risks there. There's a risk of misfire. And there's also the risk if they might kill foreign military training staff. It's extremely, extremely dangerous. A dangerous move, on Putin's part, don't you think?
MALCOLM DAVIS, SENIOR ANALYST IN DEFENSE STRATEGY AND CAPABILITY, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: Yes, it is. And I think, when you see this attack, and you place it in the context of the warning by the Russian government earlier about treating Western arms shipments into Ukraine as a hostile act, and the willingness on the part of the Russians to intercept, or frustrate those shipments, I think, this attack on that base near Poland, I think, it falls into place.
Clearly, the Russians are trying to send a message that they will extend military operations across into Western Ukraine, both to attack the Ukrainian government forces, but also, potentially, to attack any shipments of military supplies from NATO into Ukraine.
GORANI: Yes. What about Russia's request to China for more military and economic aid?
China is obviously playing it quite cool. But China is -- can't be happy about what's happening right now. It planned on this year being its post-COVID recovery year. This is really, really messing with its economic recovery, because commodity prices are going through the roof. How do you see the Russia-China relationship going forward?
DAVIS: Well, look, as you say, I think Beijing is going to treat this very carefully. They won't want to rush in and become enmeshed in Putin's war and then be, essentially, hit with a similar sort of sanctions to what Russia is being suddenly hit with.
Because if they do supply military assistance to Russia, than they are deliberately, breaking the international sanctions regime, providing armed assistance to the aggressor. So that would completely undermine their international posture.
So I am struggling to see where the Chinese would actually again from doing this, beyond having Putin in their debt. And that might be a potential inducement. But you know, in terms of the costs versus the risks, this is the benefits. I think there's more cost versus benefit here.
GORANI: When you look at the Russian military advance, where do you think it stands? What is the battlefield assessment of how Russia's invasion is going, from the perspective of the invader, Vladimir Putin?
DAVIS: I think that they have obviously changed their tactics. They're no longer doing rather foolish rapid attacks that are leaving their forces U.N. -- exposed to ambush.
In this state, they're making fairly slow, steady progress, in terms of incremental advances in the West. Sorry, in the East, and in the North. In the South now, making more rapid advances.
And the key question, I think, coming up this week is about Odesa. Are the Russians going to do an imperious assault on Odesa. They deployed their naval forces away from the Black Sea coast earlier, but now, those forces are back.
And certainly, the Russians are trying to extend their ground force campaign campaign closer to Odesa in the South. Certainly, in the East, around Donetsk and Luhansk and towards Kharkiv, the Russians are slowly inching forward. And they're trying to encircle and envelop Kyiv.
But it's going incredibly slowly for them, and they're taking heavy losses. And, you know, this is -- it's not going well for them as they would have hoped.
GORANI: And what about from Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians' perspective? What options do they have to now just slow the Russian advance, but to -- but to stop it? What are their options?
DAVIS: Well, the best the Ukrainians can hope for, I think, is to keep on ambushing the Russians' supply lines, keep on hitting exposed forces and increasing casualties. And I think that the best they can do is slow up this steady Russian advance that is incremental in nature. To try and stall it and drive up the potential political cost for Putin in continuing this war.
[00:15:10]
But it may be that they have to focus very much on defending Kyiv, and maybe Kharkiv in the East, rather than controlling the South. Because it's becoming more and more difficult, and I think, for Ukrainians, to control the South.
GORANI: Malcolm Davis, thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate it.
And we told you there, a few minutes ago about that U.S. journalist among those killed Sunday by Russia's war in Ukraine. Brent Renaud was hit by gunfire in northern Ukraine near the capital.
His friend and fellow journalist, Juan Arredondo, was wounded. Arredondo described from a hospital what happened to them. Apparently, at the time, he did not know that his friend had been killed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me, please, what is your name? JUAN ARREDONDO, JOURNALIST: Juan.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE Juan?
ARREDONDO: Juan.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where are you from?
ARREDONDO: The U.S.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The U.S. What happened to you?
ARREDONDO: We were -- we crossed the first bridge in Irpin. We were going to film all the refugees leaving. And we got into a car. Somebody offered to take us to the other bridge, and to cross a checkpoint. And they started shooting at us.
So, the driver turned around, and they kept shooting. There's two of us. My friend is Brent Renaud. And he's been shot and left behind.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And how is he?
ARREDONDO: I don't know. I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don't know what happened to him?
ARREDONDO: I don't. I saw him being shot in the neck. And we got split, and I got brought to the --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And who brought you here?
ARREDONDO: An ambulance. I don't know.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Juan Arredondo, who came under attack alongside Brent Renaud.
Christ of Putzel was friends with Renaud and his brother Craig. They are pictured here on your screen. He say Renaud was working on a documentary about refugees when the crisis in Ukraine began.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOF PUTZEL, FRIEND OF BRENT RENAUD: Brent had this ability to go anywhere, get any story, listen and communicate what was happening to people that otherwise wouldn't -- wouldn't otherwise see it. And it is a devastating loss to journalism today.
The only thing bigger than Brent's balls are his heart. And I stand by that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right. And condolences to the Renaud family, Brent Renaud family, obviously, during this difficult time, and all of those who have lost their lives in this senseless conflict. Coming up on CNN, waves of refugees from Ukraine are crossing into
Poland, still. A report from one border town to give you a sense of what's going on there, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:21:33[
GORANI: Refugees fleeing the violence in Ukraine are braving brutal weather conditions in their journey to safety. The temperatures are well below freezing as the hundreds of refugees, including the elderly, wait in long lines to cross the Ukrainian border into Moldova.
According to the U.N., nearly 2.7 million people have now fled Ukraine, and some are revealing horrific stories of living -- living through Russian bombing attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We are bombarded. Houses were blown up. People have no place to live. We're scared.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have friends in Kyiv. They stay underground by three, four days. They did not see the sky. They don't see the sun. I can't imagine what they feel. But, for me, it was enough to feel one time the vibration in the house from the bomb.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, CNN's Ed Lavandera is at the Polish border town with more on the plight of these refugees.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the pathway that is bringing thousands of Ukrainian refugees to safety and also to a life of uncertainty.
Many of these people have been traveling from the interior of the country. We spoke with one family that had come from Kryvyi Rih, which as fate would have it, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown, who obviously has become such a beloved figure among the Ukrainian people.
They told us they have been traveling since 7 a.m. in the morning on Sunday. And it was just after midnight when they finally arrived to this border checkpoint in the cold, here in Poland.
And the uncertainty now comes from the fact that, as these families begin to board these buses, what happens to them next is still very much up in the air.
They will be taken to a temporary shelter in a nearby town here on the Polish border, and they will be able to figure out what to do next, where to go next. And that is the question that so many of them are now facing. Because
many of them, when you speak to these refugees, they talk about their homes in the past tense. So they don't know if they're going home in the coming weeks, or even months, or if ever.
And this is an operation here in this -- in the border city of Medyka, Poland, that is running 24 hours per day, as thousands of refugees continue to come across the border.
And this is a scene that, even here, in the late hours, continues to unfold, as thousands of refugees continue to arrive at the border here in Western Ukraine.
A great deal of uncertainty about what happens next. A great deal of emotion, watching what so many of these people and the journey they've been through. And this is a scene that just continues to play out, around the clock here in Poland.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Medyka, Poland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, Ukrainian leaders and citizens, obviously, alike, are desperate to find a peaceful end to the war in their country and this Russian invasion.
They also remain determined to defend their land until the attacks stop. Kyiv's mayor and his brother spoke to CNN earlier about their countries united front.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WLADIMIR KITSCHKO, KYIV BRIGADE OF UKRAINIAN DEFENSE FORCE: The whole country is highly motivated to stop Russian aggression and the war. There is nothing that is -- possibly can break the will of our women and men. We all stand together, and we're highly motivated to defend our country, because this is our home.
[00:25:16]
That's where our children were going to school. That's where our relatives buried in the ground. This is our home, and there is no other way that we're going to leave. And why? Because this is our home. So we will defend the country until our last drop of the blood.
VITALI KITSCHKO, KYIV, UKRAINE MAYOR: And regarding how much time we have, we have a lot of time. We never lose the fight for our homes, for our future. Because the whole population, against Russian aggressors. And the whole population, everyone. And we never give up, and why -- that's why we continue this war.
But the key which can stop this war is the unity of all world. We have to make pressure. Political pressure. Sanction pressure. And please, weapons deliveries delivering to Ukraine. We need it to fight. Not just for our city, not just for our country. We're fighting for
exactly the same values, for same principles. It's -- this war can touch anyone, everyone. Everyone in the European Union, in Europe, and can touch everyone in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: And that was a mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Kitschko, along with his twin brother there, speaking to CNN a little bit earlier about not just staying in the city of Kyiv but fighting to defend it.
Still ahead, Russia expands its attack on Western Ukraine with a deadly airstrike on a military base. Our breaking news coverage continues after this. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:30:43]
GORANI: More on our top story this hour. Russia and Ukraine are expected to hold another round of diplomatic talks in the coming hours. Officials on both sides have signaled that they are making progress. Not clear exactly what that means.
So far, negotiations haven't yielded any major breakthroughs. So we'll continue, obviously, to monitor those discussions.
In Ukraine, though, and on the ground, the fighting rages on. Video from the besieged city of Mariupol shows Russian tanks firing inside the city. And there you have that video.
Also learning that Russia has asked for military and economic assistance from China, according to a senior U.S. official. It comes as the White House national security adviser prepares to meet with his Chinese counterpart in the coming hours in Europe.
Meanwhile, Russia has expanded its offensive, deep into Western Ukraine, carrying out a deadly strike on a military base just 25 kilometers from Poland's border, a NATO ally. This happened yesterday, just about a little more than 24 hours ago.
Ukrainian officials say at least 35 people were killed in that, and more than 130 injured, and, Ukraine's president is warning Russian strikes could soon hit beyond Ukraine's borders, and he is renewing his call for a no-fly zone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): If you do not close our sky, it's only a matter of time before Russian missiles fall on your territory, NATO territory. On the homes of citizens of NATO countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, in the wake of that attack near Poland, one American lawmaker is calling on NATO allies to double down on military shipments to Ukraine. Congressman Gerry Connolly, who serves as president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, called the strikes a serious escalation, and he says NATO allies need to respond by setting clear boundaries for Russia. He also expressed little hope for a diplomatic solution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. GERRY CONNOLLY (D-VA): There's not a lot of evidence that Putin is listening or, frankly, is open to these kinds of importunings [SIC] by the European leaders. It's worth trying.
But I think Putin has made it verry clear, he intends to subjugate Ukraine. And if he needs to destroy Ukraine in order to it, he's more than willing to do that. In fact, he's doing it as we speak. And so we have to take that into account. There can't -- we cannot afford magical thinking about Vladimir Putin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Natalie Jaresko served as Ukraine's finance minister from 2014 to 2016, and she joins me now from San Juan.
So, what needs to be done now? The U.S. and its allies, NATO allies, are saying no-fly zone is a no starter. We'll send more weapons. Obviously, we will help Ukraine in any way we can, in that -- in that way. What do you think more -- what more needs to be done, in your opinion?
NATALIE JARESKO, FORMER UKRAINIAN FINANCE MINISTER: Thank you, Hala.
I think we need to do more urgently, the things that we're talking about. And we need to do them more completely. So when we talk about providing military support, frankly speaking, every day matters. Every hour matters.
And, the NATO countries, the United States, need to do this urgently and focus, primarily, on the air defense. Because if they're not going to provide a no-fly zone, then provide everything humanly possible to allow Ukrainians to close the sky.
On the sanctions, we need to finish what we started. We've been doling them out in tranches, and we need to be more complete. So rather than a couple selective banks, we need to fully sanction, fully adapt, fully blocking sanctions against all state banks. Remove all state banks from the SWIFT.
GORANI: Yes.
JARESKO: Sanction all the state energy companies, all the state-owned commodity companies and all the state-owned transportation companies. We need to be more complete and more urgent.
GORANI: But do you think that will have an impact? It seems as though Vladimir Putin has not been swayed, so far, by very, very severe sanctions that have already been put in place, that go beyond anything that's ever been implemented before.
[00:35:07]
Are you suggesting that the whole energy sector should be cut off? Germany, among other European countries, has expressed its opposition to that idea, because it relies so much on Russian energy.
JARESKO: I -- I understand that. It seems costly for Germany, for the Europeans to do this. But not winning this war right now, not defeating Putin, would be much more costly than what they're thinking about with energy.
GORANI: Mm-hmm. So let's talk a little bit about China, as well. Because Russia is asking China for assistance. I wonder, what do you think that says about where Vladimir Putin thinks his war effort stands right now?
JARESKO: I think it is good news and bad news.
The good news is, he's clearly -- he clearly needs help, whereas he thought this was going to take three days. He's unable to do this on his own.
GORANI: Yes.
JARESKO: On the other hand, I think it is symbolic of what this is all about. This is the fight of autocrats versus democracy. This is about freedom, and this is the fight for freedom.
And it's unfortunate if China chooses to join and to double down on this battle between autocracy and -- and freedom and democracy. P
GORANI: Right. I mean, it is an autocracy. So politically speaking, perhaps China would be more aligned.
But economically, China has a lot of exposure to Western commodities, and to commodity prices. It wanted this year to be its big recovery year, post-COVID. And this is really getting in the way of its plans.
I wonder how you think China is going to position itself, based on that fact?
JARESKO: I would hope that they see that the economic costs of assisting in this -- in this aggression would be very, very costly for their economy.
But that argument didn't work with President Putin. You said it yourself. He seems to not care, at least at this point, what the sanctions are, and what the effect are on his people.
So, I'm not going to to try and predict what the Chinese do, but I do hope that they take and look at the situation and understand that the unity of the democratic world could affect their economy in ways that they could never have had nightmares of.
GORANI: Mm-hmm. What about the talks, lastly? These talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations? I mean, we're hearing some updates coming from the Russian side overnight that perhaps there's progress. Do you have any faith in that track?
JARESKO: Well, I'm always hopeful. Because all I care about is having the war end as soon as possible. But I don't have a lot of hope. I don't believe that President Putin wants peace. I believe he wants to wipe out the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian state.
I look at this as an attempt at genocide against the Ukrainian people, and not the first one in our history, unfortunately.
GORANI: Yes.
JARESKO: I think that the promises that he could make for us are promises that he's broken already. Remember, Russia is a signatory of the Budapest Memorandum, promising security assurances to Ukraine, which, obviously, he hasn't respected.
GORANI: Mm-hmm. Thank you, Natalie Jaresko, the former Ukrainian finance minister, speaking to us this morning, our time. It is past midnight, your time, so thanks staying up late to join us.
In another troubling development, the staff of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant are so tired that they've stopped carrying out repairs and maintenance of safety equipment, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. That's not what you want to hear.
The IAEA says the physical and psychological fatigue of working nonstop for nearly three weeks is partly to blame for this. The agency's director general has proposed a plan to deliver assistance, but it must be approved by Ukrainian and Russian authorities before it is implemented.
All right. That's going to do it for me. I'll see you at the top of the hour with more from Western Ukraine, but for now, Paula Newton, back to you in Atlanta.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Hala. I'll take it from here.
Still to come for us here on CNN, an argument is raging between the head of Russia's space agency and one of NASA's most famous and accomplished astronauts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:43:18]
NEWTON: More than 850 people were detained in anti-war protests across Russia on Sunday. Now, that's according to an independent human rights group.
It says Russian security forces are no longer detaining just protesters. In fact, it says they're also trying to identify, quote, "unreliable people" in the places where demonstrations were announced.
Now, overall, the group says nearly 15,000 anti-war protestors have been detained in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began.
Now, the war is having repercussions in the art world. That's according to reports in "The New York Times." And it's raising complicated questions without any easy answers.
"The Times" reports that, as global condemnation of Russia's actions grows, cultural institutions are pressuring Russian artists to take a stand. In fact, Anna Netrebko, shown here at New York's Metropolitan Opera, will not perform with the company after this season. She issued a statement against the war but did not distance herself from Mr. Putin.
Meantime, Valery Gergiev has been fired as chief conductor of Germany's Munich Philharmonic. He's been friends with the Russian president for decades.
Now, I spoke with the author of the article, Javier Hernandez, about how punitive some of these measures have been and how these decisions were made.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAVIER HERNANDEZ, REPORTER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES" Well, I think, in many cases, actually, there hasn't been much of a clear decision- making process. I think a lot of arts institutions have been caught off-guard by the pressure to distance themselves from Russian artists, and they're kind of making it up as they go along.
You know, some are demanding that -- that artists just denounce Putin and the invasion before they can perform. Others are kind of combing through social media posts to kind of figure out where do they draw the line. But I think for many, it's sort of an arbitrary process right now.
[00:45:0]
NEWTON: Yes. Arbitrary doesn't seem where we should be at this point in 2022, when it comes to these very complicated issues. You know, Russians in many spheres have not really been given the option of keeping silent. Right? You know that some people have been been saying that silence is complicity. And yet, even speaking out seems to have not been enough.
And the case of the piano virtuoso, Alexander Malofeev, was stark. You point out, his Canadian performances were canceled, even though he denounced the war. He wrote, himself, a message on social media saying, "Why has the world -- the whole world rolled back into a state of where every person has a choice between fear or hatred?"
I mean, in that post -- and let's keep in mind, he's a young man. He's only 20 years old. What is he getting at there?
HERNANDEZ: Well, I think there is a sort of frustration among many artists about these -- these rules, about these expectations now. A lot of them say that, you know, to thrive in Russia, for example, you need to have some sort of involvement with the state. It's an almost essential part of having a career there. And if they were to speak out, they might face reprisals.
So, I think there's a sort of frustration among many artists that has kind of spread across the industry. And -- and they're beginning to speak up more and more about these requirements and expressing their opposition to them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Meantime, retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is in a Twitter battle with the head of Russia's space agency.
Now, it began when Kelly criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He then criticizing the Russian space official over a video he tweeted. Kelly says the video seemed to suggest that an American astronaut who's on the International Space Station with two Russian cosmonauts, would be abandoned in space by the Russians.
Now, the Russian space official wound up calling Kelly a, quote, "moron." And at one point in the spat, and then blocked him from Twitter.
Kelly says this is the first Twitter argument he's ever had, but he insists the American-Russian partnership in space is, in fact, vital, and they don't want to see a trend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT KELLY, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: The space station has a -- the program for the last 20-plus years has transcended what goes on politically on planet Earth. And I think it is worth saving. Because it is our connection with a country that, you know, we're sometimes, you know, not too friendly with.
But it allows us to work cooperatively and peacefully together on something that's important to us. And I think, if we lose this, then there's really nothing left that keeps us connected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Interesting. That was former NASA astronaut, Scott Kelly, there. His twin brother, just a reminder, Mark, is also an astronaut and is currently serving as a U.S. Senator.
OK. Still to come for us, his retirement sure didn't last long, did it? Tom Brady announcing, yes, that he's coming back for his 23rd NFL season. What led to his change of heart? We'll try and get to the bottom of that.
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[00:52:07]
NEWTON: Now, within the past few hours, Australia announced sanctions against 33 Russian oligarchs, business people, and their family members. And that includes Roman Abramovich, now, the billionaire owner of the Chelsea football club. Australia, is adding to a growing list of countries now sanctioning
Abramovich and others believed to be close to President Vladimir Putin. And that's, of course, in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Now, the British government also sanctioned Abramovich last week and halted any potential sale of Chelsea, at least for now.
Now, Chelsea, of course, has a long and storied history. And the club's success on the pitch has made Roman Abramovich one of Russia's most high-profile elites.
CNN's Randi Kaye has a look at his uncertain future.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That's Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, celebrating a win by the British football club, Chelsea, a team he bought in 2003 for what amounts to about $233 million.
MAX BERGMANN, FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: It's about time that the West really look at where is this money coming from?
KAYE: But the welcome mat in the U.K. is now gone. Abramovich is one of many oligarchs sanctioned for their alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
BERGMANN: Someone at any time can essentially get a meeting with Putin and is very close to him.
KAYE: In Abramovich's case, the British government has banned him from its shores and frozen all his assets in the U.K.
One day before he was sanctioned, Abramovich announced plans to sell the Chelsea football club, and was, also reportedly trying to unload at least some of his homes in London, which include a 15-room mansion on what's known locally as Billionaire's Row.
BERGMANN: Russian oligarchs, when they get their money, oftentimes through very underhanded and corrupt means, want to park that money in the West, want to gain respectability. They buy real estate, whether that's in the United Kingdom, whether that's an apartment in New York, which Roman Abramovich has. They buy yachts.
This was a way of Roman Abramovich (UNINTELLIGIBLE) his money, growing his wealth.
KAYE: The British government called Abramovich one of Russia's wealthiest and most influential oligarchs, saying he's being sanctioned because his wealth and connections are closely associated with the Kremlin.
Abramovich's representative did not respond to CNN's request for comment. "Forbes" estimates, as of this year, Abramovich is worth $14.5
billion. But now, he's in jeopardy of losing many of his high-priced toys. Super yachts, luxury helicopters, super cars, and mansions.
Abramovich accumulated much of his wealth when the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s and Russian state assets were divided up.
BERGMANN: You had all these state-owned companies that suddenly got privatized. And Roman Abramovich was there and was able to buy up and be part of buying up a number of these companies and became incredibly wealthy. And this is sort of the classic era of gangster capitalism of the 1990s.
[00:55:12]
KAYE: Abramovich bought an oil company from the Soviet Union for $200 million and later sold it for nearly $12 billion.
With some of his remaining assets being seized by foreign governments, Roman Abramovich's future is suddenly uncertain.
BERGMANN: This is absolutely devastating for him, for his family, many of whom are -- remain in the West. This is costing the oligarch class tens of billions of dollars. And I can think Abramovich, personally, it's, you know, in the billions.
KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN, Palm Beach, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: OK. A departure for us here. We're going to tell you something that many did not see coming, at least not me. It turns out, retirement not sitting well with Tom Brady.
The 44-year-old legendary quarterback says he will now return for his 23rd season in the National Football League.
Now, it was, in fact, just last month -- in fact, it seems like yesterday -- that Brady said he was retiring after his second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On Sunday, though, he said this on Twitter: "These past two months, I've realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come, but it's not now."
OK. Buckle up for that NFL season.
That does it for this hour. I'm Paula Newton. Our breaking news coverage out of Ukraine continues after a quick break.
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