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Biden Blasts Putin, Says "This Man Cannot Remain In Power;" Russian Missiles Hit Lviv As Biden Visits Neighboring Poland; Biden Warns That A Russian Cyberattack Is Coming. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired March 26, 2022 - 22:00   ET

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

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[22:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. We have a busy hour ahead this Saturday night, including my exclusive interview with the nation's top cybersecurity official on the expanding threat of Russian cyberterror.

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Looking forward to that, Pamela. I'm Don Lemon live in Lviv, Ukraine, where it is about 5:00 in the morning now, and we have seen some expanding threats of our own here on the ground. And we're going to take you through what we saw for ourselves after a Russian missile attack here in Lviv, hit Lviv. We're going to do that in just a moment.

And just hours after President Biden's fiery speech in Warsaw with his strongest language yet toward Vladimir Putin, we now hearing a new speech from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, one in which he pleads for just 1 percent of NATO's arsenal, especially tanks and planes, as this country continues to defy the odds against Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Ukraine cannot shoot down Russian missiles using shotguns, machine guns, which are too much in supplies. It is impossible to unblock Mariupol without a sufficient number of tanks, other armored vehicles and, of course, aircraft.

All defenders of Ukraine know that. All defenders of Mariupol know that. Thousands of people know that, citizens, civilians who are dying there in the blockade. The United States knows that. All European politicians know. We told everyone. And this should be known as soon as possible by as many people on earth as possible so that everyone understands who and why were simply afraid to prevent this tragedy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Here is what officials in Ukraine are now saying, that at least 136 children had died in this country since the war began, nearly half of them in Kyiv alone. Just this week, Russian shelling killed a 9- year-old and 11-year-old and a 13-year-old.

And tonight, the White House is trying to defuse comments made by President Biden in Poland earlier today, comments that sent shockwaves throughout Europe, an apparent call for regime change in Russia. U.S. officials scrambled to add nuance to the president's words but they came from a man who has clearly seen enough from Vladimir Putin's war on the innocent people of Ukraine.

Phil Mattingly in Warsaw for us. Phil?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUS CORRESPONDENT: Pamela and Don, White House officials made clear that the president had a message he wanted to deliver at the end of this European trip. It was a message that would be delivered to the Ukrainians, certainly that message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but more importantly than anything else, it was a message to western democracy sees about the importance of unity and the inflection point he now sees the world in, a message he absolutely delivered in a very forceful manner, including an adlib line that went a little further than most White House officials wanted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power.

MATTINGLY (voice over): Tonight, President Biden delivering a forceful and dramatic condemnation of Vladimir Putin.

BIDEN: A dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never erase the people's love for liberty.

MATTINGLY: The White House later clarifying Biden was not call for regime change but an unmistakable message.

BIDEN: Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia.

MATTINGLY: As Biden delivered a clarion call to western democracies at the moment of the highest stakes, drawing parallels to Eastern Europe's emergence from Soviet rule.

BIDEN: It was a long, painful slog, fought over not days and months but years and decades. But we emerged anew in the great battle for freedom, a battle between democracy and autocracy, between liberty and oppression.

MATTINGLY: His speech a capstone of a European swing defined by unity in the face of searing images of disaster just a border away.

BIDEN: Ukraine and its people are on the frontlines fighting to save their nation. And their brave resistance is part of a larger fight for essential democrat principles that unite all free people.

MATTINGLY: Biden's remarks coming hours after new Russian strikes in Lviv, just 40 miles from the Polish border, and as Biden's caustic view of the Russian president grows even darker.

[22:05:01]

REPORTER: You are dealing every day with Vladimir Putin. Look at what he has done to these people. What does it make you think?

BIDEN: He is a butcher.

MATTINGLY: And his warnings to the Russian leader of NATO's commitment grows even sharper.

BIDEN: Don't even think about moving on one single inches of NATO territory. We have sacred obligations. We have a sacred obligation under article five to defend each and every inch of NATO territory with the full force of our collective power.

MATTINGLY: In the final day of an urgent and hastily arranged trip to Europe that brought Biden face-to-face with dozens of western leaders, he sat down with Polish President Duda pledging close ties for a NATO country housing 10,500 U.S. troops.

BIDEN: We do acknowledge that Poland has taken on a significant responsibility that I don't think should just be Poland, it should be the whole world, all of NATO's responsibility.

MATTINGLY: And more than 2 million Ukrainian refugees, Biden meeting some firsthand.

BIDEN: Oh, you're so big. You all are brave, brave, brave.

MATTINGLY: And just hours after a surprise meeting with the Ukrainian foreign and defense ministers --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The good thing is that since the beginning of the war, I learned how to sleep under any conditions.

MATTINGLY: -- a face-to-face sit-down where Biden pledged even more U.S. support, a welcome commitment for a country under siege and the western democracies facing a challenge now reshaping European power dynamics.

BIDEN: It will not be easy. There will be costs. But it's a price we have to pay.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY (on camera): And the president is now aboard Air Force 1 flying back to the U.S. But just because the European trip is complete doesn't mean this issue is complete or dissipating in any way. White House officials are very clear, they know it's a long road ahead.

It was really the genesis of the president's decision to make the remarks in Warsaw, to underscore that the western unity that we have seen over the course of the last four months, it can't be just a one- time thing or one-month thing, it has to be sustained, not for days, week or months, but for years, maybe longer, as the world, at least according to the president, has entered a very clear and very real inflection point. Pamela, Don?

LEMON: Phil Mattingly in Warsaw, thank you for that. The mayor here in Lviv is also begging for air support after missile attacks today. We heard the attacks for ourselves, from our roof top position. And then we saw their destruction. Take a listen.

We didn't realize how close those missiles came until we went to look for ourselves. This was a scene just about a ten-minute drive from here, a fuel depot hit by one of at least two missiles that slammed into Lviv, at least five people were hurt. Amazingly, no one killed. The mayor says military infrastructure was also hit. But these flames burned right next to a residential neighborhood. And this is how I described the scene to my colleague, John Berman, earlier.

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LEMON: But right now, you can see the firefighters and the rescue people racing in, and now to where this fire that, really, the center of this fire to try to get a hold on it. But, yes, it is chaos. We're in a situation obviously not in the United States. Communications aren't great. We're in the middle of the war zone. So, there are some communication issues and technical issues but this is what you are seeing here.

And I just really want to you hear the roar of these chemical flames. And as I said earlier, John, you could smell the -- the smell of chemicals and smoke in the air.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The mayor says these are the second attacks on Lviv this week. And, Pamela, he adds that the shock of the blast also damaged a kindergarten.

BROWN: But as you said, I mean, it's amazing that no one was killed in that. And you know, Don, I'm just glad you're okay, that you're safe. We just hope you stay safe in Lviv. It's scary, that was just a 10- minute drive from where you are right now. Thank you.

LEMON: Yes, not far. Yes.

BROWN: All right. We'll be back with you soon, Don.

Well, Ukrainian a pop star is fighting for his country in more ways than one. Taras Topolia and his band mates posted a video on TikTok with a plea to musician Ed Sheeran asking to play remotely with him and other stars in a charity concert.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TARAS TOPOLIA, UKRAINIAN POP STAR: We are not afraid to play under the bombs. Through music, we want to show the world that Ukraine is strong and undeterred. We will fight and sing for victory in front of the whole world that support us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[22:10:00] BROWN: That video that now has almost a million likes at this point got the attention of Ed. He has sent a message of support to the band on Instagram. And the organizers of the event, however, rejected the band's proposal.

All right, So, Taras is here. He joins me now from Kyiv. Hi, thank you for waking up early for us to be on the show.

First of all, you are a musician. Did you ever imagine a month ago that you would be fighting for your country against a Russian invasion?

TOPOLIA: Hello, everybody. Of course, not. Of course, not. A month ago, I was living my peaceful life with my family. We were gathering in stadiums during our tours and creating the music. So, yes, of course, we were preparing for the Russian escalation but we didn't imagine that it will be in that way like it goes now, with a lot of dying of Ukrainian people with attacks on the cities, and totally fire everywhere.

BROWN: Yes. And I want to get more to your music and this experience. But just on that note, tell us a little bit more about what it has been like for you as someone who is there fighting on the ground in the capital city.

TOPOLIA: So, me with my band, with my friends, with my friends, we are serving in territorial defense forces. So, our main task is to evacuate the injured soldiers from the battlefield. So, we are medical allocation command and give first aid for them and transport the injured soldiers to the hospital. So, we are like saving a life but if it needs, we can shoot, of course, because we are wearing body armors and helmets and holding guns, holding weapons in our hand.

BROWN: Yes.

TOPOLIA: In our arms.

BROWN: And we saw some of your gear in that viral video that we played earlier in show. You posted another video saying that the organizers of the Birmingham Concert said no to the proposal to play remotely in the concert. What reason did they give you and how does that make you feel?

TOPOLIA: Well, a little bit -- it was a little bit upset for us. So, they said that we cannot -- cannot take part in this event because this event have like humanitarian purpose. But we are wearing helmets and holding our weapons in our arms. So, we are like not in context of this event. So, we attempt. They answer. We cannot -- we cannot do anything there to change their decision.

BROWN: Yes. But I imagine you have received so many messages from people who have seen the video. Tell us about that, the kinds of things that people are saying to you.

TOPOLIA: You know, it's sad for us. Plus after we post the video, apply to Ed Sheeran, and he replied to us and he respond to us, the thousands of people wrote to us by the social network. And they were telling us about -- that we will wait for this concert and we will watch this. So, they will wait our performance.

And the main thing is that it's like -- that will be fundraising for Ukrainian refugee, for Ukrainian people who are struggling because of war. So, I believe that if we can take a part in this event, much more funds can be collected, can be provided for Ukrainian people.

So, it is the main thing why we are a little bit sad because -- because of answer of organizers for this concert. Because I believe if we can take a part, much more funds can be provided for Ukrainian people.

BROWN: All right. Well, Taras, listen, thank you for all that you're doing on the ground.

[22:15:03]

I can't imagine what the last month has been like for you. But we hope you will stay in touch with the show and keep us updated on how things go.

TOPOLIA: Thank you. If possible I want to say something at the end. Can I?

BROWN: Yes. if you could, yes.

TOPOLIA: So, yes, I want to say thank you for all the people from America to helping Ukrainians. It's very important for us. And special -- I want to say that part of my family lives in America, a lot of time. And now my wife and my three kids are in America in safe place with my relatives. So one -- so my oldest son, he is American. He was born in America.

And for me, it's very important that American people helping Ukraine believe we will never forget this. We will always remember what the America do to Ukraine and Ukrainian people. And it's very symbolic for us. So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you everyone for watching us. It is very helpful to us. Thank you.

BROWN: Well, that is such a moving message. And, you know, I know a lot of people maybe watching us right now feel like they want to be doing more, are not doing enough. And it's just good to hear that from someone on the ground. Thank you very much, again, Taras, and please stay in touch.

TOPOLIA: Thank you. Thank you, goodbye.

BROWN: Goodbye.

Well the Academy Awards are tomorrow night. Ukrainian-born Actress Mila Kunis is set to present and is expected to honor the country. But will the Oscars leave it at that? Academy Award Winner Sean Penn spoke to Poland from CNN this afternoon and said this about what he will do if Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is not invited to speak.

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SEAN PENN, ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR, FILMMAKER, CO-FOUNDER OF CORE: I would encourage everyone involved to know that though it may be their moment, and I understand that, to celebrate their films, it is so much more importantly their moment to shine and protest and to boycott that Academy Awards, and I myself, if it comes back to it, when I return, I will smelt mine in public. I pray that's not what's happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: No word yet from the Academy on an invitation to President Zelenskyy or Sean Penn's talk ever boycott.

Still to come on this Saturday night, new information coming into CNN about the circumstances of rock drummer Taylor Hawkins' death.

Also ahead, part two of my exclusive interview with U.S. Cyberchief Jen Easterly. I asked her to explain how all Americans are vulnerable to Russian hackers.

And dark glasses, slow-mo walking and plenty of hysterical hugging, just another day in the hermit kingdom here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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BROWN: We are following breaking news this hour on the death of rock 'n roll hall of famer Taylor Hawkins. The longtime drummer for the Foo Fighters died Friday while on tour in south America. He was 50 years old.

CNN Entertainment Reporter Chloe Melas joins me now from New York. So, Chloe, the news tonight is coming from officials in Colombia. What are they saying?

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Pamela, so the Colombia attorney general's office has just released their preliminary toxicology report. They're calling it a forensic medical study. So, what they have done is a urine toxicology test that was carried out on Taylor. And they claim that ten substances were found, among them THC, tricylic, antidepressants, opioids and other substances.

Now, the attorney general office has said that they are going to continue to investigate his cause of death in a, quote, timely manner. And there are so many questions left unanswered. I've reached out to the family and to their publicist for comment. We haven't heard back. We just know that everyone is so distraught right now.

BROWN: Yes, so many people are, those who knew him well and those who didn't, those who were fans. What kind of reactions have celebrities had had to Hawkins' death.

MELAS: I don't think it's possible, right now, Pamela to go on Twitter or Instagram and not see something in your feed about Taylor Hawkins, whether you are a fan who saw the Foo Fighters concert, like myself, when they opened MSG in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic or whether they knew him personally. Miley Cyrus posting a photo on her Instagram stories, a black and white picture of Taylor writing, this is how I remember you. An she said that her show tonight in South America is dedicated to him.

Travis Barker, drummer from Blink 182, writing, I don't have the words, sad to write this, or to never see you again, adding, to say I miss you isn't enough. And he talked about how Taylor gave him the, you know, confidence to actually pursue his dreams as a professional drummer and go on and they ended up touring together, Blink 182 and Foo Fighters.

Mick Jagger writing, so incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Taylor Hawkins, my thoughts with the family and the band at this time. And Questlove writing, I'm so sad about this man, coolest dude ever. God bless and comfort his family, his band mates, his friends and all his loved ones.

Pamela, everyone is talking about how compassionate he was, how he was always happy, his kindness, and, of course, his unparalleled talent.

BROWN: Yes, and you mentioned his compassion. This sums it up this story, right, right before Hawkins death, he made a nine-year-old little girl's night. Tell us more about that.

MELAS: Oh, this is such a good story. So, Taylor Hawkins, he was in Paraguay recently for a music festival that ended up being cancelled due to really terrible weather. Miley Cyrus, her plane was like struck by lightning on the way. And it was this big music festival where all these celebrities in town to perform, like Machine Gun Kelly appear others.

And so he is in the hotel. The festival has been canceled. And this nine-year-old little girl Emma Sophia, she is a drummer.

[22:25:00]

And the Foo Fighters inspired her music career that's just budding. And she goes and she sets up her drum kit right in front of his hotel. And she is playing and she is playing Nirvana song. She's playing Foo Fighter songs. And if you remember, if you don't know this, David Grohl, the front man for the Foo Fighters, he was the drummer for Nirvana. So, that's why she was playing those songs.

And so after 30 minutes, Taylor, he heard the commotion, heard the people cheering and he came down and he made his way through the crowd and he found Emma Sophia. And he spoke to her. Her father spoke to CNN, telling us that it was the greatest night and day of her life and that she will never forget it. And he took a photo with her. So, needless to say, she is absolutely devastated that just a few days later, he tragically died.

But, again, this was the kind of man that Taylor Hawkins was. And he leaves behind children of his own and his wife and many, many people that are grappling with this new reality. You know, they were supposed to play at the Grammys next weekend, Pamela. That was just announced. So, it's incredibly tough time and more information is going to be coming out as to what happened.

BROWN: Yes. And I know you'll be bringing us the latest, Chloe, so sad. Thank you. Don?

LEMON: Yes, you're right, very sad. Thank you very much.

A dictator and a butcher, strong words to describe Vladimir Putin by President Joe Biden today. But did he go too far in saying Russia's leader, quote, cannot remain in power? I'm going to discuss with Senator Ben Cardin of the Foreign Relations Committee. That's next.

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[22:30:00]

LEMON: A butcher, a murderous thug -- a pure thug, a murderous dictator, a war criminal. President Joe Biden has called Vladimir Putin all of that. But what he said today really caught the attention of a lot of people, especially some people in Russia.

So, with me now Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, he joins me from Washington. He sits on the foreign relations committee. Senator, thank you -- from Baltimore, as a matter of fact. Thank you so much for joining us. I really appreciate it.

I want to get right to President Biden's message on Vladimir Putin. This man cannot remain in power. Those are the words people were paying attention to. The White House insists that he wasn't calling for regime change. What do you think -- What did you think when you heard him say that?

SEN. BEN CARDIN (D-MD): Well, Don, it's good to be with you. Mr. Putin should be at The Hague being tried as a war criminal for the atrocities that he is personally responsible for. It's clearly up to the people of Russia as to who their leader will be -- will be or should be. But, clearly, Mr. Putin needs to be held personally accountable for what he has done.

He has just crossed so many lines in his actions, including the unprovoked attack. But the manner of targeting civilians, what he has done with -- with bombing shelters, he does need to be held accountable as a war criminal.

LEMON: The administration or the White House has said that the president wasn't talking about regime change. But just going there with that -- with that language, what kind of a message is that sending? Are people interpreting that wrong? What do you think?

CARDIN: No. I think what the president was saying is that we believe that the people of Russia will determine their own leaders, that we don't determine who the leader will be for another country. But the reality is that Mr. Putin has brought this upon the people of Ukraine. He has diminished the ability of his own country and the quality of life for the people within Russia. He is personally responsible for all of that. He has lost legitimacy. No question about it. And he needs to be held accountable.

LEMON: When you hear the president warn Putin not to move a single inch into NATO territory, that sounds like a clear red line. But how concerned are you that a mistake rather than a deliberate attack on NATO -- on NATO land could trigger the U.S. to jump into this war directly?

CARDIN: Well, there is no question. We've already seen, of course, attacks very close to the Polish border. So we know that there is a high risk factor here. But we have treaty responsibilities. Our troops are positioned in order to protect the integrity of all of our NATO partners and we'll do that that.

Obviously, we don't want to escalate this war. We want Mr. Putin to leave Ukraine. We don't want to see it expanded. But we have to recognize that Mr. Putin cannot challenge the sovereignty of a NATO country. We have a treaty obligation to defend them.

LEMON: As you know, Republican Rand Paul blocked the Senate from quickly revoking Russia's trade status this weekend. He wants changes to parts of the bill that he thinks are too broad and could impact human rights. Is there a danger in trying to get sanctions through quickly?

CARDIN: I was on the floor during that time. I was the one that was trying to get Senator Paul to move forward on both the trade issues and the human rights issues, the global Magnitsky. We're going to get that done.

I think Senator Schumer, if necessary, will have a full vote on that. We have overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress to remove Russia from normal trade with the United States and to make sure that our individual sanction law, the Magnitsky sanction law, doesn't expire. I'm confident we'll get both done.

LEMON: The president by some, has been said -- some people are comparing his speech today to as calling it Reagan-esque, the kind that Ronald Reagan delivered to Gorbachev. What do you make of that? Do you think it was that high on the soaring rhetoric meter and the message that this is sending to Vladimir Putin?

CARDIN: I certainly do. Look, President Zelenskyy has been an inspirational leader to all of us. What he has been -- he has been able to motivate Ukrainian people, the bravery of the Ukrainian people. And I think what President Biden was saying on behalf of the free world, that we stand with the people of Ukraine and that we will be with the people of Ukraine.

[22:35:02]

And we're going to make sure they have everything they need to defend themselves.

So, yes, I thought it was a clear message of that good versus evil and that we're on the side of what's right and we urge other countries that maybe thinking of helping Russia recognize this is a moment in history you have to stand for principles, stand with the people of Ukraine.

LEMON: Senator Ben Cardin, we appreciate your time, thank you so much.

CARDIN: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Pamela?

BROWN: All right. Thanks so much, Don. We'll be back with you soon.

The top U.S. cybersecurity official puts in stark terms what a Russian cyberattack could do to our daily lives.

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JEN EASTERLY, DIRECTOR, CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY: This is a critical infrastructure that runs our schools, our hospitals, our electric grids, how we get our finances, how we get our water.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: What she wants you to know to protect yourself from a cyberattack, next.

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LEMON: Here are some of the other headlines from here in Ukraine and around the world tonight. Russian shelling damaged a Holocaust memorial near Kharkiv. This menorah honors the memory of more than 15,000 Jews murdered by the Nazis. Russian airstrikes also hit a Holocaust memorial site in Kyiv earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian counterattack that began Friday east of Kharkiv led to the recapture of several villages, that is according to a local official. And look at this. A Ukrainian refugee with her new born baby girl delivered in New York City. The mother's family and friends threw a surprise baby shower for her in Kyiv just hours before she had to escape the first bombings.

[22:40:06]

She hid with her sister and dog in a bomb shelter four days before making it to Poland. Our friends suggest that she go to the U.S. with her visa valid to give birth. Mom and baby are doing well.

Good news, good news, Pam.

BROWN: You know, we could use a little bit of good news like that. What a precious little baby. Thanks for bringing that to us, Don.

LEMON: Amen.

BROWN: Amen to that.

Well, now back to sobering news, a warning from President Biden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: My administration has issued new warnings that, based on evolving intelligence, Russia may be planning a cyberattack against us. As I said, the magnitude of Russia's cyber capacity is fairly consequential and it's coming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Just Thursday, the Justice Department indicted four Russian government officials for hacking critical U.S. infrastructure between 2012 to 2018.

More now from my exclusive interview with Jen Easterly, she is the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. And she says she is -- even private citizens need to be on the alert for malicious Russian cyberattacks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EASTERLY: All businesses, all critical infrastructure owners and operators need to assume that disruptive cyberactivity is something that the Russians are thinking about, that are preparing for, that are exploring options, as the president said, and that they should consider themselves vulnerable and at risk.

BROWN: But is your concern now that the intent is there because the Russians are feeling the squeeze from the sanctions? Is that what makes this moment different.

EASTERLY: I think what makes the moment different is just seeing what the Russians have done with this unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and then understanding there could be some very real consequences of that in cyberspace, particularly because malicious cyber activity is part of the Russian playbook.

And so there could be unintended, cascading consequences from Russian attacks, cyberattacks in Ukraine in Europe. There could be an uptick in ransomware activity and there could deliberate, retaliatory attack for the severe, very punitive sanctions that the U.S. and our allies have come together as a community to levy on Russia. And Russian -- the Russian government may feel like they can use these capabilities, in preparatory activity, the exploration for potential cyberattacks to have a real impact on the American people.

BROWN: Just, again, for the everyday American watching this, and a company trying to understand the threat landscape, how do you explain what the tactical goals would be for the Russians to unleash a punishing cyberattack on the U.S. right now?

EASTERLY: Well, think about it from the historical perspective and what we have seen from malicious cyberactivity. Again, the goal would be to get into a network, to exploit a -- what we call a vulnerability, which is really a glitch in code, to get into there, and they could do several things. We know that they may steal data. We know that they could disrupt data. And we know they could destroy data. So, think about that. This is a critical infrastructure that runs our schools, our hospitals, our electric grids, how we get our finances, how we get our water. These are all these systems that underpin our lives. If you had a massive cyberattack that could affect how we get our water, how we get our power, how we get money, that could really impact our daily lives.

What I want to make sure is that we are not stoking panic in the homeland at the end of the day. And this is why we've been very focused on preparation, not panic. But I think we need to be eyes wide open on the seriousness of the threat. As we have said several times, it's part of the Russian playbook. You saw it from the unsealed indictments yesterday, the statement that Russian malicious cyberactivity is persistent, severe, and as the attorney general said, that's why it's critical clear we all need to harden cyber-defenses and have our shields up to vigilance.

And that's why we are trying to make the basics, what we call cyber hygiene, also a kitchen table issue, the basics on keeping your software updated when you get the little annoying notifications. You must update to the next level of software and nobody wants to do that but you have to.

[22:45:00]

That's why we say, don't write down your passwords on a sticky and put it underneath your keyboard, actually have complex unique passwords, and get a password keeper. That's why we say, be careful about suspicious links. Why? because over 93 percent of successful cyberattacks come from a phishing email. A phishing email is the suspicious emails that bad actors are trying to get you to click on so they could steal data, so they can get into your bank account, so they can fundamentally take over your way of life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Jen also talked extensively about the Shields-Up Program on the CISA website. It has tips for business owners and managers of key infrastructure, as well as advice for every day citizens on how to be cybersafe. Go to cisa.com/shields-up for more.

Well, tomorrow night, more from Jen Easterly and why she says no American is immune from malicious Russian cyberattacks.

It's a video that might be funny if it weren't so scary. North Korea's dictator putting out a flashy propaganda video of a missile launch. Why some experts say the threat is no joke.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PROF. FREDERICK K. LAMB, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS: We cannot be assured that our missile defense system would prevent the deaths of millions of Americans.

LAURA GREGOR, STANTON NUCLEAR SECURITY FELLOW, MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: It's been described as hitting a bullet with a bullet, trying to hit a warhead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: North Korean officials confirming this weekend that they launched an intercontinental ballistic missile a few days ago, their first long-range missile test in more than four years.

[22:50:08]

The ICBM landed off the western coast of Japan prompting condemnation from the international community.

CNN's Will Ripley is in Taipei. And, Will, this was a new type of ICBM. And the fear is that this could mark a new era of confrontation with North Korea. What kind of new threat are we talking about here?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Pam. Yes, they have really ratcheted tensions to the highest level we've seen since the fire and fury days five years ago with former President Trump, who was threatening to go to war with North Korea. That, of course, was followed by a period of diplomacy that has now failed. And here we are with North Korea launching their biggest intercontinental ballistic missile ever.

Now, one thing that the former president used to say is that if North Korea ever attacked, the U.S. could shoot it down. But I have found after speaking to some of America's top physicists that that may not be the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, ignition.

RIPLEY (voice over): America's missile defense system, the best and perhaps only line of defense from a North Korean nuclear missile aimed at the U.S. Now, a stunning warning from some of America's leading expert.

LAMB: If North Korea were to fire nuclear-armed ICBMs at the United States, we could not be sure that our missile system would prevent the deaths of millions of Americans.

RIPLEY: Kim Jong-un's most powerful test in almost five years, an intercontinental ballistic missile, a warning to President Biden and America, as North Korea sharpens its nuclear sword. For years, U.S. Leaders have reassured the public --

MIKE PENCE, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Missile defense begins here.

RIPLEY: -- and America's allies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- should be very confident.

RIPLEY: Missile defense systems can keep them safe. DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Easily shoot them out of the sky.

RIPLEY: Senior defense officials project confidence. The U.S. could also shoot down a North Korean ICBM. These experts say the odds of success are very low.

GREGO: It's been described as hitting a bullet with a bullet trying to hit a warhead.

RIPLEY: For the first study of its kind in ten years commissioned by the American Physical Society, their conclusion despite more than six decades of missile defense efforts and $350 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars, no missile defense system has been shown to be effective against realistic ICBM threats.

Why is it so hard to shoot one down an ICBM?

LAMB: The warhead would undoubtedly be accompanied by decoys, by things to fool the defense or overwhelm the defense.

RIPLEY: A fundamental problem.

PROF. JAMES D. WELLS, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: We do not see in the next 15 years an effective defense can be mounted against ICBMs.

RIPLEY: The current system has only been tested 19 times since 1999.

GREGO: And in those tests, they have been scripted for success. But even so, the tests have only succeeded around half the time.

RIPLEY: But what about all those successful intercepts in the Middle East? What about the iron dome?

WELLS: ICBMs are a qualitatively different threat than many of the missiles that we have read about in the news and traveling significantly higher and having potential penetration aids and countermeasures.

RIPLEY: CNN reached out to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. When asked about the report's findings, a spokesman cited this defense report from January. It says, the missile defense system has demonstrated a measure of capability to defend the United States, deploy forces and allies from a rogue nation's missile attack and that its most advanced radar will be able to separate the warhead from a cloud of decoys.

U.S. think tank CSIS says these images show an undeclared North Korean missile base just miles from the Chinese border, a potential launch site for ICBMs.

JOSEPH YUN, FORMER U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY TO NORTH KOREA: We need to understand there is no military solution.

RIPLEY: This former U.S. Ambassador and Special Envoy to North Korea Joseph Yun believes the only option is for President Biden to take a page from the playbook of former President Trump and reach out directly to Kim Jong-un. YUN: The longer this situation continues, more serious will the provocations be.

RIPLEY: He says diplomacy may be the only way to keep the missiles from flying, to keep America safe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY (on camera): I will say, Pam, that in all of my conversations, all my trips to North Korea, they have always given me the impression that these nuclear weapons are for deterrence purposes, much like the United States and Russia and China have huge arsenals to deter each other from attacking. North Korea feels these nuclear weapons are the only way to protect their national sovereignty.

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They don't want to use them, they say.

However, if Kim Jong-un were to feel backed into a corner, if there were some sort of misunderstanding or miscommunication, there is always a chance, a very dangerous chance that missiles could go flying and they might hit their target is what these physicists are saying. We can't be a hundred percent sure missile defenses would be able to shoot even a few warheads down.

So, is that a wager that the American public would want to make or would they encourage the Biden administration to reach out and try again, just like President Trump did, but perhaps a bit differently, but try again to talk to the North Koreans to start diplomacy, to kick-start the conversation that could defuse all of these escalating tensions, Pam.

BROWN: That is just horrifying, what you laid out there. And I learned a lot watching it, Will. And just that analogy that the one expert put it, it is like hitting a bullet with a bullet. These defense systems against ICBM, it really puts it into perspective. Thank you so much, Will, for bringing that story to us, so important. And I definitely will not sleep well tonight. Thank you, Will.

And, Don, you're there in Ukraine. Thank you so much for spending time with us. We're going to be back tomorrow night, right? This is like your old shift, right? You used to do weekend nights.

LEMON: Yes, and it's always a pleasure. You're so gracious to sharing your program with me and I always enjoy working with you, the professionalism. And listening to Will and your conversation, it just reminds me of what the president of Ukraine has been saying, what the mayor, everyone who comes on our air. They want air defense here. They want air defense in this country.

The president of the United States and allies have been loath to do that but we will see what happens in the future and we know what happened today. So, let's hope we are all safe overnight and it doesn't happen again. Pamela, thank you so much for joining us from Washington. I'm Don Lemon live in Lviv, Ukraine. We're going to see you again tomorrow night.

Our coverage of Russia's war on Ukraine continues, next.

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