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Russian Ground Assault On Kyiv Halted; Russian General: "First Stage" Over, Focus Now On Eastern Ukraine; NATO Rejects Zelenskyy's Request For No-Fly Zone; Ukrainian Refugees Face Tough Visa Process In U.K.; Russia Expands Laws Criminalizing "Fake News"; Officials Estimate 600 Survived Mariupol Theater Attack, 300 Died; North Korea Ballistic Missile Launch Condemned By 15 Countries; Pope Leads Prayer For Peace Between Ukraine And Russia. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired March 26, 2022 - 05:00   ET

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

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade. I want to get straight to our breaking news.

Ukraine isn't winning the war against Russia but it isn't losing, either. And that could be pivotal in the days and weeks ahead.

In the face of fierce resistance, the U.S. said Russia has stopped advancing on the capital of Kyiv. Videos near Kyiv showed Russian- damaged tanks and vehicles after Russian troops were allegedly rerouted. The U.S. says Russia is bringing in reinforcements from Georgia, which Russia invaded in 2008.

A top Russian general claims everything is going according to Moscow's battle plan and that the military focus will now turn to Eastern Ukraine. The general said some 1,300 Russian troops have died in the fighting, the first casualty update in weeks.

But Ukrainian and NATO officials believe Russia's casualties are far higher than the Kremlin will admit. On Friday, the Ukrainian leader had a blunt message to pro-Russian separatists fighting in Eastern Ukraine.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I want to warn all the traitors in Ukraine, who sided with the enemy in Crimea years ago.

You switched sides because you thought you would live better, right?

Not because you want to repeat the tragic fate of your colleagues, who died on those ships or somewhere else on land or at the sea in Ukraine; 16,000 Russian service men have already died. For what?

What did it give?

And to whom?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, new video from Mariupol shows the immediate aftermath of a Russian airstrike on a crowded theater 10 days ago. About 1,000 people are believed to be sheltering inside. Local officials now estimate that 600 people survived but 300 were killed.

Well, U.S. President Joe Biden wraps up his visit to Poland later today. Before he leaves, he's expected to deliver what is being billed as a major speech on the war in Ukraine.

Earlier, during a summit with allies in Brussels, he announced a new push to deny Russia some of its cash flow it needs for the invasion. He said the U.S. and the E.U. will work to wean Europe from its dependence on Russian oil and gas and prevent Moscow from reaping profits.

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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First, we're coming together to reduce your dependence on Russian energy. Putin has issued Russia's energy resources to coerce and manipulate its neighbors. That's how he's used it. He's using the profits to drive his war machine.

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KINKADE: After the Brussels summit, Mr. Biden flew to Poland, meeting U.S. troops stationed there. He said the pushback against Russia is about far more than Ukraine alone.

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BIDEN: What's at stake is not just what we're doing here in Ukraine, to try to help the Ukrainian people and keep the massacre from continuing.

But beyond that, what's at stake is what are your kids and grandkids going to look like, in terms of their freedom?

What you're engaged in is much more than just whether or not you can alleviate the pain and suffering of the people of Ukraine. We're in a new phase, your generation. We're at an inflection point.

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KINKADE: In addition to his speech today, Mr. Biden is also set to talk to the Polish president, Andrzej Duda, and meet with Ukrainian refugees in Poland. For more on these developments, we have Kevin Liptak in Warsaw, Poland, traveling with the president and our Phil Black in Lviv, Ukraine. I want to go with Phil.

Phil, there's been a major shift in what we're hearing from Russia in talking about the so-called military operation, as they call it. The general, Russian general, now claiming that the first stage of this operation is complete. And now they're going to move their focus to the east.

Why the change in narrative?

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a good question, Lynda. These comments from the Russian general seem designed to recast the world's understanding of what's taking place on Ukraine's battlefields.

It seems to suggest almost everything from Russia so far has been a deliberate diversion and distraction designed to divide and weaken Ukraine's forces. This general says that Russia is encircling Ukraine cities, entirely or at least partially, not because it necessarily wants to take them.

[05:05:00]

BLACK: Although he says that still may happen, he said the purpose here is to tie down Ukraine's forces so that Russia can focus on what it really cares about, which is, he says, the Eastern Donbas region, where Russia has formally recognized the independence of two so-called breakaway people's republics.

Now all of this is really different from what much of the world, governments, experts have been saying and do believe Russia is trying to achieve here on the battlefield.

The general analysis is that Russia thought it could move in very quickly, swiftly conquering Ukraine, overwhelming Ukraine's defenders and overtaking key cities, like Kyiv and Kharkiv. Now that certainly hasn't happened and for much of the invasion, Russia's efforts have been described generally as stalled.

In the last week, we've seen Ukrainian forces going on the counterattack, to begin to push back Russian forces, notably around the capital.

So what do these comments mean?

It is not entirely, certainly not immediately clear. It could just be for messaging for domestic Russian audience. They could yet be another distraction for Ukraine and its allies.

Or it is possible, perhaps, that they do signal Russia is reassessing what is possible in this country, given what can possibly be achieved, given that they are yet to clearly achieve any notable or noticeable military goals -- Lynda.

KINKADE: Phil Black, our thanks to you in Lviv, Ukraine, for breaking that down to us. I want to go now to Kevin Liptak, traveling with the president in Poland.

The president, of course, due to give what the White House is calling a major address in the coming hours.

What can we expect, Kevin?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think this will be his opportunity to recap his trip here. Lynda.

I do want you to know, in addition to the president's schedule, we do expect him to meet within this hour with some Ukrainian officials, who are going to drop by a meeting that his secretary of state and his Defense Secretary are holding with their Ukrainian counterparts, the foreign minister and defense minister.

This is significant because, of course, the president's entire trip to Europe has been focused on the Ukraine issue. But this will be his first opportunity to hear, in person, face-to-face, with Ukrainian officials about what's going on the grounds there.

While the NATO summit and G7 summit in Brussels did hear personally from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, no Ukrainian officials actually attended those summits in person. So we are expecting to see that in the hour or so.

And we are getting some reaction from Ukraine about what occurred at NATO. And this could be something that the president hears from these Ukrainian officials. Zelenskyy's chief of staff told an American think tank in a live interview that they had expected more bravery from these summits, they expected more bold decisions.

We heard from a member of Ukrainian parliament today on CNN, who said she was listening to the NATO summit. And her takeaway was that the West wasn't going to essentially do anything in Ukraine until the potential for chemical weapons use.

So there is some disappointment in Ukraine about what is coming out of the summits in Europe this week. It's something that the president could hear from these Ukrainian officials later today.

Of course, after that, the president will sit down with the Polish president, Andrzej Duda. He's also expected to meet with refugees who are here in Warsaw, who have fled the violence in Ukraine; 2.2 million refugees have left Ukraine to come here to Poland as this war rages.

And then as the day ends, the president will deliver what is kind of the capstone moment of this trip, his speech laying out the goals for his trip to Europe. And also, he'll talk about what is ahead, the next phase of the war for Ukraine.

One thing that I think you'll expect to hear from the president is the frame that he's used for his foreign policy for months and months, the question of autocracy versus democracy. That's something he talks about all the time and it has never felt more relevant than right now.

KINKADE: Thank you, Kevin Liptak, and also Phil Black in Lviv. Inna Sovsun is a member of the Ukrainian parliament and joins us from Kyiv.

Good to have you with us.

So one month -- over one month, into this brutal Russian war on Ukraine, how are you doing?

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KINKADE: I think we're going to try and connect with you in a moment.

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KINKADE: We're obviously having some difficulty with our connection there. But we will try and get back with her shortly.

Well, many nations have opened their arms to the millions of people that have fled the war. But some refugees are running into a bureaucratic nightmare, as they try to make their way to the U.K. We'll have that story and more, when we come back.

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KINKADE: I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us. We are, obviously, following this story closely, the war in Ukraine.

I want to welcome in Inna Sovsun, a member of the Ukrainian parliament. She joins us from Kyiv.

Good to have you with us.

This is a month since the brutal Russian war in Ukraine.

How are you doing?

How is your family?

INNA SOVSUN, UKRAINIAN MP: Well, as of right now, as we speak, I actually can hear the explosions from the distance. And we got the air raid alerts just seven minutes ago. And this is happening on a daily basis.

We're going through the day with five to six air raid alerts. And then the air defense system seems to be working. You never know if it will work the next time. The Russians are trying hit any building here in Kyiv.

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SOVSUN: We are getting more calm in reaction to those. Of course, that is extremely unpleasant. But to be honest, it's just scary. And even under those constant explosions but that is part of our life right now.

KINKADE: Yes. Unbelievably scary, no doubt. We heard from a Russian official, earlier today, saying that the first phase of the war is over, that advances in and around the capital seem to be stalling.

What are you hearing about Russians on the outskirts of the capital and any sort of movement?

SOVSUN: So apparently, the Ukrainian army is pushing them further from the city. They have pushed them rather far from the northeast side. They're about 50 to 70 kilometers away from the city center. On the northwest, it's different because they came close initially.

But the Ukrainian army seems to be gaining control over the city of Irpin. But there are major battles there and that is what we're hearing here because that is relatively close, 20 to 25 kilometers from here.

We can hear the sounds of the battle taking place there and it seems that the Ukrainian army is managing to push them further. But that takes time and that takes lots of effort.

KINKADE: Yes, it certainly does. I want to ask you about whether you've followed the diplomatic talks over the last few days, NATO, G7, the European Council, certainly plenty of talk.

We heard from the U.S. they're going to commit $1 billion in humanitarian aid. And these countries are going to work to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas. Earlier we from Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, saying that the world shouldn't be blackmailed by Russia when it comes to energy supplies.

What did you think came out of the summit that was positive?

Where else do you think the West could help?

SOVSUN: Well, first of all, we are grateful for the support we are getting from the West. It does help us to fight back. But it is not enough. Humanitarian aid is great but it does not get delivered to the people who most need it.

We do not have the means to deliver humanitarian aid to Mariupol right now. We can't continue to deliver aid to Kharkiv. And just yesterday, the Russians actually hit the place where people were getting the aid with a missile strike. Several people killed in that missile strike.

It's important to understand that the humanitarian aid is not a solution to the problem we have here. In order to fight back, we need heavy weaponry. And we have been getting many weapons from the West -- grenade launchers, the MANPADS.

But what we need are fighter jets, artillery, armored vehicles, equipment for reconnaissance and targeting. That will truly save live, not just easing the pain and slightly decreasing the numbers of those who are killed. So we want the let the West to know this is what it takes to win the

war and to defeat Putin and to make sure he doesn't advance any further in Eastern Europe. So we are, again, grateful for what we hear. We are slightly disappointed when we hear that the West will only step up in case Putin is using chemical weapons.

Look, it doesn't really matter in what way he kills hundreds of people. He did kill 300 people in a theater in Mariupol, as we now know. There was no chemical weapons. But still, 300 people killed in one single strike.

So we want the world to understand it doesn't matter the means by which he's killing now our children. We truly need help. And I'm sorry to say that. But humanitarian aid does not save lives. But the weapons does. So we're asking for more weapons to be able to save ourselves and the world.

KINKADE: Some of the pushback from the West about providing those sort of weapons, the fighter jets and the tanks, has been the concern of escalating the war.

Do you think that that is a valid fear?

SOVSUN: I would say that was the feeling, that was also there in the beginning of the World War II by some Western powers, who say they don't want to escalate. So they were trying to appease Hitler and see what came out of this. There is no way to appease a dictator like Putin, who is the Hitler of our times.

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SOVSUN: I'm absolutely sure if the West reactions, with the sanctions we have now in 2014, when Putin annexed Crimea and started the war in Donbas, which, by 2022, killed 14,000 Ukrainians, if we had the sanctions that we have now, back in 2014, we wouldn't have had the war that we're having here today.

So unfortunately, Putin, when he hears we don't want to escalate, for him, that is the green light that he can go farther. And he won't stop.

KINKADE: You mentioned earlier the possibility that Russia could use chemical or biological weapons. Obviously, we've heard from U.S. intelligence it's a possibility, given what sort of reading they're getting.

What is being done to prepare for that threat, how real is that a possibility from where you sit?

SOVSUN: Well, we do consider that to be a real possibility. We are trying to prepare, to an extent possible, and starting to send people in the military in the health department about that.

We, as of now, in case Putin hits with a chemical weapon -- I'm sure, let's put it this way, we shall have multiple casualties. We do not have the means right now to protect ourselves from chemical attacks to the extent it is actually possible to prevent people from a chemical attack.

So that the (INAUDIBLE) but not the only one. Even without the chemical weapons, he's killing hundreds of us daily. But the chemical weapons -- and that is truly scary. We did hear President Biden saying there would be a tough reaction from the West.

But I have to be honest with you, I do not think that Putin will take that threat seriously, given the slow response of the West to do in the month or before. I think he understands that the West, in its unwillingness to intervene, will probably not react, even if the chemical weapons are used.

KINKADE: I hope that's not the case. Inna Sovsun, we appreciate your time and your perspective and we hope you stay safe. Thank you for joining us.

SOVSUN: Thank you for having me. Thank you.

KINKADE: The U.N. Refugee Agency says nearly a quarter of Ukraine's population is now displaced. Here's how it breaks down: 10 million people forced to run for their lives when Russia began bombing Ukraine.

Most are still in Ukraine but more than 3.5 million people fled to neighboring countries. That has put a strain on resources, which is why Germany has started what they are calling an air bridge to take refugees from Ukraine's struggling neighbors and place them across Europe.

The U.K. has just announced it will provide nearly $3 million worth of food supplies to cities around Ukraine encircled by Russian forces. The foreign secretary Liz Truss said they will act fast to get aid to those who need it.

Refugees hoping to get into the U.K. are feeling frustrated by the bureaucratic delays. Our Nada Bashir reports.

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NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): After an agonizing wait, Victoria and her mother have finally been reunited in London, life returning to what little normality is left after Russian forces closed in on their hometown of Donetsk.

Like many Ukrainian refugees, Victoria's parents fled first to Moldova and then Romania. But actually getting to the U.K., where Victoria has lived for more than a decade, proved to be one of the most difficult parts of their journey.

VICTORIA ANDRIY, UKRAINIAN BRITISH CITIZEN: I was the only source of information and I was guiding them through like, you know, step by step, what to do, helping with the applications. So it was all hectic. There were no instructions.

BASHIR (voice-over): Government data shows thousands of Ukrainians hoping to join relatives in the U.K. are still waiting for their applications to be processed. A separate scheme set up to allow U.K. citizens to open up their homes to refugees is also proving to be riddled with red tape.

Only in the fine print are applicants told they'll need to find someone to sponsor on their own.

ELSA DE JAGER, HOMES FOR UKRAINE: It feels, genuinely, every step of the way, as a deterrent to people applying. That's how it feels.

BASHIR (voice-over): Hoping to open up her London home to someone in need, Elsa connected with a support group helping Ukrainian refugees on Facebook.

It's here she connected with Yana, still in Ukraine with her 4-year- old daughter, desperately trying to make it across the border in the hope of reaching the U.K.

JAGER: I mean, it's so frustrating because our houses are sitting, not empty but the rooms are sitting empty. There's room for people today to come in.

BASHIR: This shouldn't be this kind of red tape when people are getting bombed every day.

Do you think that's intentional?

JAGER: I think it's absolutely intentional. It's in my mind a PR stunt to say we're going to open U.K. homes to refugees.

[05:25:00]

BASHIR (voice-over): The two are perfect strangers. But they've been required to share sensitive personal documents with one another as part of the application process. And Yana, in turn, left a trust in Elsa's generosity.

JAGER: If something happens to them whilst we're waiting for somebody behind a desk to put a stamp on it, on a visa for them. I mean, I don't know how it feels. But I'd be more than devastated.

BASHIR (voice-over): The government has said Ukrainians are welcome, asserting that its schemes will allow refugees to live and work in the U.K. for up to three years. But there is growing impatience about Britain's approach, which they see as more bureaucratic than some of Ukraine's neighbors.

LAURA KYRKE-SMITH, U.K. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE: But it still involves this lengthy process to apply for a visa and what a far better system would be is for visas to be waived all together. Every human being has the right to seek asylum under international law.

BASHIR (voice-over): The U.K. Home Office says it's streamlined its visa application process in order to help people as quickly as possible. But for so many, the experience has been far from straightforward. ANDRIY: If government is afraid that this people will stay here for longer term, I don't think that's the case because their families are still there. Men are still in Ukraine fighting. As soon as there is a chance, they will go back home.

BASHIR (voice-over): Despite the devastation at home, Victoria's mother, like so many, remains hopeful she will one day is able to return to a peaceful country, her life no longer in limbo -- Nada Bashir, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, thanks for watching. I'm Lynda Kinkade. For our international viewers, "LIVING GOLF" is up next.

For those in the United States, we'll be right back with more breaking news right after a short break.

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KINKADE: Well, U.S. President Joe Biden will close out his visit to Europe with what the White House calls a major address on the war in Ukraine. He'll make a speech in Poland, after talking with his Polish counterpart and meeting with Ukrainian refugees.

And in the next few minutes, Mr. Biden will meet with Ukraine's foreign minister and defense minister. It comes as Russia's advance on major cities stalls.

A senior Defense official says Russian forces around Kyiv are in defensive positions. And new ground movements toward the capital have stopped. And Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is making an appeal to energy-producing countries to help wean the world of Russian oil and gas. He spoke with the Doha Forum via video link a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKYY (through translator): The future of Europe rests with your efforts and it depends on your efforts. I ask you to increase output of energy to ensure that everyone in Russia understands that no country can use energy as a weapon and blackmail, to blackmail the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: CNN's Sam Kiley has more on Ukrainian forces battling to retake territory east of Kyiv.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Russian armor smashed in a Ukrainian assault, east of the capital.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

KILEY (voice-over): Ukraine now claims to have blocked Russia's offensive against Kyiv.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

KILEY (voice-over): He said, "We've been engaged in a counterattack to recapture Druzhkivka. The operation has been a complete success. We decisively repelled the enemy."

At times, it's been a ferocious infantry fight and it's taken several weeks. Ukraine has also relied heavily on modern drones, here, ambushing Russians from the air. Tank crews are sent running for cover.

Ukraine has claimed that badly-led Russian forces do have more manpower but that they are reeling under unexpected attacks and lack of supplies.

ZINA KHILKO, CIVILIAN VICTIM'S WIFE: (Speaking foreign language).

KILEY (voice-over): What they say may be true, according to Zina Khilko, who's tending to her wounded husband in the nearby Brovary hospital. Her village was overrun by Russians. And she described dealing with Russian soldiers, who were hungry, cold and out of control.

KHILKO: (Speaking foreign language).

KILEY (voice-over): She said, "They wore my women's hat, my coat, my boots. They wore our clothes. They took out bedding. I don't know what they've done with it. They slept. They ate. They wandered about. They stole our money."

KHILKO: (Speaking foreign language).

KILEY (voice-over): A Russian soldier, whom she said was drunk, blasted her husband's leg off with a stolen shotgun.

KHILKO: (Speaking foreign language).

KILEY (voice-over): "So then, we were two days in the basement," she said.

"We started stopping the blood flow and giving first aid. We've got two medics. I'm a midwife. And there was a nurse with us."

KHILKO: (Speaking foreign language).

KILEY (voice-over): She said that two Russian officers later admitted that they didn't support Putin's invasion. And others helped her evacuate her husband, Vasyl, to Ukrainian lines. Maxim, a professional Ukrainian soldier, was shot in the shin during a firefight a few miles from the hospital. He shares Zina's contempt for Russian forces.

MAXIM, UKRAINIAN SOLDIER: (Speaking foreign language).

KILEY (voice-over): "Their commanders are sending their soldiers to the slaughter," he said. "These bastards, they're just sent to their deaths. The officers don't pity them. They don't even count their losses."

Civilians here, do. Andriy Mulyar, arrived at the hospital, when we were there. He'd been helping his brother, Dmitry, a beekeeper, attend his hives, when Russian shells fell among them, three hours earlier.

Mortally wounded Dmitry was dead on arrival. He leaves a wife and three kids.

ANDRIY MULYAR, DMITRY'S BROTHER: (Speaking foreign language).

KILEY (voice-over): He said, "These aren't people. They aren't even animals. I don't know what to call them" -- Sam Kiley, CNN, Brovary.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Russian president Vladimir Putin has accused Western nations of trying to cancel Russian culture. In a televised meeting, Mr. Putin complained that Russian cultural events around the world had been cancelled in the recent weeks. And he called such actions Nazi-like.

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VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): The proverbial cancel culture has turned into a canceled culture. Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff are excluded from concert posters and Russian writers and their books are banned.

The last time such a massive campaign to destroy unfavorable literature was carried out was by the Nazis in Germany almost 90 years ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:35:00]

KINKADE: And Putin also compared the treatment of Russian culture to the backlash against Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling over her opinions on transgender issues.

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PUTIN (through translator): Children's book author J.K. Rowling was recently canceled because she, the author of books that spread far and wide and hundreds of millions of copies, did not please the fans of the so-called gender freedoms. Today, they are trying to cancel a whole 1,000-year-old country, our people. I'm talking about the increasing discrimination of everything related to Russia, about this trend which is unfolding in a number of Western states.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, for her part, Rowling pushed back against being brought into the discussion, tweeting, quote, "Critiques of Western cancel culture are possibly not best made by those currently slaughtering civilians for the crime of resistance or who jail and poison their critics."

A top Russian general claims that the first stage of the invasion is complete. And its efforts will now focus on Eastern Ukraine. Journalist Atika Shubert is following this and joins us now from Valencia, Spain.

Good to have you with us, Atika.

What are we putting down to, this change in narrative that we're seeing from Russia?

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is definitely a significant public messaging shift. And it's delivered by the first deputy chief of the Russian general staff. So it's a significant voice.

By saying that the main goals, the liberation of Donbas, those were his words, this is the disputed Eastern Ukraine region that has been partially controlled by Russian-backed separatists for years now, since 2014, he's also signaling that this has been a military success.

Now that's very different from what will we have heard before, certainly from Russian president Vladimir Putin. He previously said that Ukraine shouldn't exist at all as a state and should be demilitarized and denazify denazified. It's unclear what he means by that.

But it would have meant some form of regime change, which has not been effective by Russia. It's failed to capture any major cities, least of all Kyiv, where Russian troops have been beaten back recently.

And it's hard to call this a military success in any way, especially when, by Russia's own admission yesterday, more than 1,300 military personnel have died in the war so far. The Ukrainian officials put that number much, much higher. And NATO and U.S. Defense officials believe at least 7,000 Russian troops have been killed, including several high-ranking commanding officers.

Why then do we see this messaging of changing the goals and painting this as a successful military operation?

I think this could be a possible way to find a face-saving, tenable position at the negotiating table. Remember that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly said the only way forward, the only way to solve this, is direct talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

So what we could see now is the Russian military signaling that it's changing its goals, changing the narrative, in order to walk it back to the negotiating table.

That doesn't mean that we're going to see less fighting on the ground. In fact, we could see an intensification, certainly around the disputed areas like Mariupol, right in the Donetsk -- Lynda.

KINKADE: Atika Shubert, great to have you with us. Thank you.

Some U.S. military experts take the Russian strategy with a grain of salt. That's partly because Moscow declared the first phase of the war over, only after the ground offensive hit the war. It has not taken what was thought to be among the main target, the capital, the city of Kyiv. CNN's Ben Wedeman has the details.

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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Russian forces continue to be pushed back from the capital, Kyiv, although they continue to fire long-range missiles and artillery in the city.

U.S. Defense officials say Russian forces around Kyiv are beginning to take up defensive positions. Friday, the Russian ministry of defense acknowledged that 1,351 members of its armed forces have been killed in this war.

That contrasts starkly with what we're hearing from NATO officials, who estimate that somewhere between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian forces have been killed.

[05:40:00]

WEDEMAN (voice-over): New video and details are beginning to emerge about the strike on the theater in Mariupol 1.5 weeks ago, a theater that was clearly marked "children" outside. An adviser to the city's mayor said 300 people were killed in that attack; 600 people survived.

Mariupol is a city of about -- was a city of about 450,000 people before the war began. There are less than 100,000 souls left there now. The Russian forces have cut off gas, water and electricity to Mariupol.

On Friday, there was a cruise missile strike on the air force command for west central Ukraine in the city of Vinnytsia. According to the Ukraine ministry of defense, there was, quote, "significant damage" to the infrastructure there.

Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defence says that the Russian advance on the Black Sea port city of Odessa has been stalled, largely as a result of logistical problems among Russian forces as well as stiff resistance by the Ukrainians.

Now of course, Odessa is Ukraine's largest port; losing it would be a major blow -- I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Odessa on the Black Sea.

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KINKADE: Well, the situation is so bad in some parts, people are resorting to burying the dead in their back yards. Take a look at this video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE (voice-over): You can see wooden crosses marking a grave next to an apartment building in Mariupol. One woman who buried her stepfather near a playground is sharing their story. He died after the car he was in was bombed while a doctor was trying to get him to the hospital.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): When the doctor was taking our stepfather to the hospital, we found the doctor in the nearby building. And this guy took a seat in the car instead of me. And they blew him up in this car. It could have been me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.

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[05:45:00]

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KINKADE: Welcome back.

Fifteen countries have condemned's North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE (voice-over): Its statement following a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday, where the U.S. argued that the launch poses a threat to the entire international community. CNN's Richard Roth has the details.

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RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: The United States' ambassador to the U.N. led a pack of U.N. member countries to stand in front of the U.N. Security Council Friday evening, following a day of discussions about North Korea's latest missile launch, an ICBM test. However, Russia and China were not among the group. They oppose U.S.

and Western approaches diplomatically regarding North Korea and its ongoing missile tests.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council at the formal meeting on Friday that the U.S. was going to propose a new resolution updating and strengthening existing sanctions by the council on North Korea. The ambassador also told her fellow colleagues that the time to act is now.

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LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: This launch violated multiple Security Council resolutions and poses a threat to not only the region but to the entire international community.

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ROTH: China and Russia have their own U.N. Security Council resolution prepared. But imminent action is not expected.

The Chinese ambassador told the Security Council in the formal meeting that the U.S. needs to engage in direct political talks with North Korea. The Chinese ambassador, noting the Ukraine situation, said it's time for action on the Korean Peninsula.

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ZHANG JUN, CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. (through translator): Right now, all is not quiet on the international front. No party should take any action that would lead to greater tensions and the peninsula cannot afford the risk of any dramatic change, much less a reversal of the situation with dire consequences.

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ROTH: The Security Council deadlock on Ukraine is likely to repeat itself on North Korea, with the big powers disagreeing on whether new sanctions are needed -- Richard Roth, CNN, United Nations.

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KINKADE: U.S. officials canceled planned talks with the Taliban over the decision to bar Afghan girls above the sixth grade from returning to school. The State Department called it "a potential turning point in our engagement."

The Taliban originally said that schools would open for all students in March on the condition that boys and girls were educated separately. A State Department spokesperson urged the Taliban to live up to their commitments.

Well, the U.S. could soon be adding a new COVID-19 vaccine to an arsenal of booster options. The vaccine is made by Novavax and is under evaluation as a booster dose for currently approved vaccines. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is testing

it now for safety and immune response. The Novavax shot is a protein based vaccine and already has emergency use authorization from the World Health Organization.

Well, new research shows the critical importance of contract tracing when COVID-19 vaccines were just becoming available. The new study indicates that contact tracing prevented more than 1.1 million COVID- 19 cases in the U.S. between late November 2020 and late January of 2021.

Researchers also found contact tracing reduced U.S. hospitalizations between 17 percent and 21 percent during that time. The study was published Friday in the journal, "JAMA Network."

Still to come on CNN NEWSROOM, the pope led a prayer for peace for Russia and Ukraine on Friday but it came with some controversy. We'll have those details, next.

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KINKADE (voice-over): The Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra performing Friday for the first time since Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

In the foreground, you can see boxes of medical supplies for Ukrainians in need. The orchestra invited musicians, who had fled from other parts of Ukraine, to join the performance. And at one point, an air raid siren forced the musicians to leave the stage for a shelter. But they eventually returned.

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KINKADE: Earlier, you heard my guest, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, talk about the battles on the outskirts of Kyiv. Moments ago, the city's mayor announced a new curfew in the capital. It begins until Saturday 8:00 pm local time and will last until 7:00 am Monday.

Vitaly Klitschko said only vehicles with special permits can operate and residents can only go out when an alarm sound. It's conditions like this that have led Pope Francis to offer a special prayer.

During a service at St. Peter's Basilica, he joined with bishops around the world. But as Delia Gallagher says, some Catholics question the choice.

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DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Pope Francis offered a unique questioned somewhat controversial prayer for Russia and Ukraine on Friday evening from St. Peter's Basilica. It's based on a 1917 prophesy, in which the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared in front of Fatima of Portugal and spoke about war, devastation and Russia.

Mary is said to have asked for this prayer in particular, called the Consecration to the Immaculate Part of Mary, to be said for Russia and promised that a period of world peace would follow.

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GALLAGHER: It's something of a surprise that Pope Francis would choose this political prayer, given its historical and political overtones. But Francis, like many Catholics, is devoted to the figure of Mary. And Orthodox Christians, who make up the majority of Russians and Ukrainians, also venerate Mary.

So the pope is clearly seeing this as a unifying factor in the prayer. During the prayer service, the pope said this is not a magical formula but it is a spiritual act. And he included the whole of humanity, in addition to Russia and Ukraine, in his prayer for peace -- Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.

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KINKADE: A Ukrainian dance school in Chicago is giving children of a special kind a virtual class.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).

KINKADE (voice-over): This girl is providing free lessons via video link to kids ages 6 to 10 in their home country.

ALEXANDRA GORODISKI, DANCE TEACHER: We're just going to take them through those basic steps, something that they would see in traditionally Ukrainian Hopak and also traditionally Ukrainian mutul (ph) style, which typically you'll see Ukrainian dances with their hands up here.

And that's really hard for the Western side in Ukraine. Freedom for them is something that they want to know. And that these 45 minutes is that, it's a freedom of expression. It's a freedom to express their culture, which is something that Russia is trying to eradicate.

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KINKADE: The instructor says the real purpose of teaching the children these traditional dances is to show them the beauty in their culture.

Well, that wraps up this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Our breaking news coverage of the war in Ukraine continues next on "NEW DAY." You're watching CNN. Stay with us.