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Explosion Rocks Ukrainian Capital Of Kyiv; War Disrupts U.S. Mom's Adoption Of Ukrainian Child; NYT Photojournalist Describes Horrors, Images Of War; Interview With Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) About President Biden's Remarks In Poland And Russian Propaganda; Head Of U.S. Cybersecurity Says Russian Threat Is Real; What To Watch For At Tonight's Oscars. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired March 27, 2022 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:25]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is nowhere in this large country that is truly safe from Russia's firepower.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody is trying to defend our land. United we are and we will win this war no doubt for me. Just the only question is what will be the price for that?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The parking lot of this Ukrainian superstore has become an unofficial gateway for evacuees fleeing the combat zone.

JOSE ANDRES, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN: We are doing around 280,000, 290,000 meals a day.

SEN. JIM RISCH (R-ID): Something is going to have to be done and it's going to have to be significant. One would pray that the Russians would not make what would be a catastrophic mistake.

OKSANA MARKAROVA, UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES: Since Putin is increasing on the ground, since Putin is increasing order that is on the ground, human innocent civilians, we all together have to do more. We have to stop him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Breaking news from Ukraine this hour where sirens are going off after a blast in the capital city. This is our continuing special coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I'm Pamela Brown in Washington.

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: And I'm Don Lemon live here in Lviv, Ukraine.

CNN teams on the ground in the Ukrainian capital say that they heard a loud explosion just a short time ago followed by sirens. Now this latest blast in Kyiv comes as the war seems to be entering a new phase with Ukrainian forces pushing Vladimir Putin's troops back on several fronts. Russian forces are increasingly turning to missile strikes here in Lviv, to Mykolaiv in the south.

In areas north and west of the capital city the Russians are digging in but no longer trying to advance in areas where Ukrainian troops have established a delicate hold. But things in the besieged city of Mariupol are just getting worse. In an interview with the independent Russian journalists, Ukrainian president Vladimir Putin -- excuse me, Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the dire situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE (through translator): the reality is this, a city is blocked by the Russian military. All entrances and exits from the city of Mariupol are blocked, the port is mined, a humanitarian catastrophe inside the city is unequivocal because it is impossible to go there with food, medicine and water.

The Russian military is shelling humanitarian convoys, drivers are being killed. What happens to these cargoes, I can't tell you. Many of them were taken back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: President Zelenskyy claims Russian forces have taken 2,000 children out of Mariupol and into Russia. Ukrainian officials say it's part of a wave of civilian deportations.

CNN's Ed Lavandera joins me now.

Ed, good evening. Thank you so much for joining us here from the region. You are just back from the Polish border. There's a lot going on but I want to talk to you about that. But let's talk about that blast in Kyiv. What do you know?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's not a lot of information just now. Just after the midnight -- after 1:00 in the morning here in Ukraine. Our team is in Kyiv, heard the loud explosion. So now we're trying to scramble to figure out exactly, you know, what location was targeted, are there any casualties and obviously the suburban areas there around Kyiv have been an area of an intense focus over the last few weeks.

So, you know, a great deal of scrambling to kind of figure out exactly what was the target of the strike, and if there are any injured and hopefully not anybody who was killed in this attack but significant, you know, happening here in the overnight hours. There's a curfew in place. So presumably, you know, the vast majority of people not on the streets of anywhere really in Ukraine at this hour or so. We are working as fast as we can to figure out what's going on.

LEMON: Yes, it's really interesting. Since they're having these blasts and they had the blasts here yesterday, just the day before a Russian official had said that the first phase of this war they believed it was accomplished so that they were going to downsize, so to speak, but that does not seem to be happening. And you're right, that the Ukrainian officials like to get the information out first, like to get the information to the media before we start reporting on it so again, you're right. We do have to figure out what's going on and then we'll bring it to you.

I want to ask you, Ed, because you have been -- I have been watching your reports from Poland and the refugee crisis and Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying that the Russian people have taken people out of certain cities to -- I think 200,000. This crisis is not -- people keep going across the border. There are more and more displaced people. I'm wondering, are there any -- if there are any mechanisms in place to take care of all these people. I don't think this is anything that anyone anticipated especially here in Europe.

[18:05:08]

LAVANDERA: No, it's been decades since we've seen a refugee crisis I think of this magnitude in Europe. And as we've sat there and reported from the border, the numbers of refugees crossing aren't -- daily aren't as intense as they were several weeks ago but you are still seeing a solid, steady stream. The mayor of Przemysl, which is the city there at the train station you're looking at there, they're getting still about 1,000 people a day.

That's just at the train station. The border crossing where people are either walking across or driving up to, there are several more thousand. So if you think about that it's just a constant, constant --

LEMON: How are they dealing with the resources? Do they have enough resources? Do they know?

LAVANDERA: Well, it's fascinating to watch. You know, there's now been plenty of time for these aid organizations to kind of get there. There seems to be a good protocol in place in terms of moving these people away from the border region as quickly as possible. So if you watch the system there, a system of buses they're constantly running 24 hours a day, moving people from the border point.

There's a temporary shelter in a -- I figured like an old mall that had gone out of business basically and then the train station and then there are buses that then take people to Warsaw, Krakow, which is several hours away. And then from there, you know, you kind of start the whole process all over again. People get there then they have to figure out, OK.

LEMON: Where to? Where do I go next?

LAVANDERA: Am I staying here?

LEMON: Yes.

LAVANDERA: You know, the resources are getting taxed.

LEMON: Who's going to accept me? Who's going to allow me into their country?

LAVANDERA: Can I get to Germany? LEMON: Right.

LAVANDERA: Can I get tom, you know, Prague or whatever the case may be. And those are the decisions that these families are making once they get there by and large.

LEMON: Yes, and it's day-to-day. They said they don't know.

Ed Lavandera, you've been doing great work. If you get more information on the blast in Kyiv, please let us know. Thank you so much. We appreciate it.

As the war enters its second month Russian troops are gaining ground in some places while pulling back in others. The battles are happening in a patchwork all across Ukraine. I want to talk now about this to retired Air Force colonel and CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton.

Colonel, how difficult -- hello to you. How difficult is it to fight and defend territory in this manner? And are you surprised that the Ukrainian officials, the Ukrainian military, has been so successful so far?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, Don, good evening to you. There are a lot of things that we can look at here from that perspective. Yes, it is a surprise that the Ukrainians have been able to do what they've been able to do because we all thought looking at all the things that you look at when you analyze different militaries and compare their strengths, we all thought that the Ukrainian military was not going to be a match at all for the Russians, but they've proven that they are a match for them.

In fact, they're much better, they're much better motivated. In many ways you have to say they're much better trained and they're doing things that we didn't expect them to do. But the key things that they're going to have to remember is that the area around Kyiv is still a very dangerous area. Yes, they have gotten a lot of -- made a lot of progress in certain parts of that, but what they're doing here is, in essence, a war of not quite attrition but it's a, you know, a little bit here, a little bit there. And it's moving in some ways very slowly.

We expect things to move very quickly in conflicts, you know, in the last few years. That is not necessarily going to be the case in the Ukrainian scenario but they are making some progress. But they have to be careful with what's going on next, Don.

LEMON: Colonel, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence is warning that Vladimir Putin could be looking to carve Ukraine into two by consolidating Russia-friendly territories in the east and in the south. Like North and South Korea.

Colonel, could Putin actually make a division like this happen?

LEIGHTON: Well, it's a bit questionable, Don, how exactly he would do that. But this is I think what they're thinking about in Moscow. This is the area right here that the Russians have controlled as a separatist-backed entity, this part right here. This area is actually what they are claiming as part of those two republics that Putin declared as the invasion -- just before the invasion started.

Now that's one possible dividing line, that's going to be a pretty small Eastern Ukraine, though, if in fact he does that. The other thing that he could be wanting to do, that Putin could be wanting to do is some kind of a dividing line right here along the Dnipro River. Now look how big that Eastern Ukraine would be, and there is a natural division not only in terms of geography but also in terms of culture between this eastern part of Ukraine and the western part of Ukraine.

The problem with that is, though, that, you know, first of all from a Russian perspective, their forces are not in any of these areas right here. So for them to try to claim that area, that's going to be a real difficult thing to do. And the western part, that ostensibly would be free of Russian interaction and Russian control.

[18:10:04]

But you can bet that they will try to get some kind of effort going there where they would influence politics. And, of course, Kyiv would be at the dividing line between those two areas. I think the latter is unrealistic given the current situation on the ground but I do think it was a war aim of Putin.

LEMON: Thank you, Colonel. We appreciate you joining us. Pamela, back to you.

BROWN: All right, thanks so much, Don. We'll be back with you soon there in Ukraine.

And when we come back renowned photographer on documenting death in Ukraine and her own escape to safety.

And then Don meets some of the youngest victims of Putin's war and the woman trying to get them out of harm's way.

Plus, celebrities standing with Ukraine. Our Stephanie Elam is with the stars at the Oscars tonight.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:01]

LEMON: You know, it is estimated that half of Ukraine's children have been displaced by the fighting, half. That's a lot, right? And even before the war tens of thousands of Ukrainian children lived as orphans.

I visited one of the country's orphanages and met Colleen. She's from Kentucky. She is here trying to finalize the adoption of her seventh Ukrainian child. Yes, I said seventh. She's a saint. But the Russian invasion has thrown everything into limbo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLLEEN HOLT THOMPSON, ADOPTIVE MOTHER FROM KENTUCKY: So we had the paperwork to have court in the Donetsk region to adopt and a day and a half after we had everything to submit, Putin invaded and all the kids in the orphanage had to evacuate Donetsk.

LEMON: What has this been like for you? Five weeks, right?

THOMPSON: I've been here five weeks, yes.

LEMON: And?

THOMPSON: Well, we've been trying to figure out a way to get her and the other children able to come to the U.S. and stay with American families while they're at war so they have a safe place to stay.

LEMON: But it's got to be frustrating for you because you're just kind of waiting. You're in limbo.

THOMPSON: Yes, I think the frustrating part has been Senator Klobuchar did this letter. We got 75 congressmen and senators to sign this asking the State Department and President Biden to invite these children who are in the process of being adopted by Americans to let them come have respite with their families during the war. And so while a lot of the E.U. countries have extended invitations, already taking orphanages temporarily to house them outside of Ukraine, the U.S. hasn't done that.

LEMON: Yes.

THOMPSON: Since adoption is shut down because of martial law, all we are saying is why can't our government -- why can't our State Department and President Biden allow these kids to come spend the time with the families that they know and are bonded with. They're safe and they would be returned to Ukraine after the war just like the kids who are in E.U. countries.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: It is a very important story. We're going to have more on my visit to the orphanage two hours from now, and you can see the full story on my show tomorrow night at 10:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

But, Pamela, it's a complicated problem and just seeing the faces of those kids, I mean, of all ages, just, you know, innocent children, I just want to take them and bring them all back on an airplane and find homes for them. It's sad in many ways.

BROWN: Yes. It is sad. It really pulls on your heart strings. They're so innocent and yet they're caught in the middle of all of this. It's just not fair to say the least.

Don, thanks. We're going to be back with you soon. Great reporting there.

And my next guest is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist who has covered just about every conflict and humanitarian crisis of her generation. We do want to warn you she also captured one of the most disturbing images of random and merciless death in a country consumed by war.

This is the reality of war on the frontpage of "The New York Times." A mother, her two children and a family friend were killed by Russian mortars as they wheeled their suitcases down the street trying to flee the violence that transformed Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv, into a killing field.

Lynsey Addario captured that image for "The New York Times."

Lynsey, welcome to the show. You have said you had just narrowly escaped death yourself when you snapped that photo. Can you walk us through what happened?

LYNSEY ADDARIO, PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PHOTOJOURNALIST: Yes, I was -- I went to the bridge that morning because I had seen the images of the evacuation, the human suffering, the elderly, the young people dragging whatever they could carry out of Irpin and I went there and immediately I sensed it was pretty tense. There were a small arms fire in the distance, artillery as well.

I was there for about 15 minutes photographing people just fleeing and the Ukrainian soldiers who were helping them, helping them carry their children and their bags and whatever they could. And there was a round, a mortar round came in about 200, 300 meters from where we were standing off in the distance, kind of into the forest. And so I assume they were targeting a Ukrainian military position because for me this was a known evacuation corridor.

It never donned on me that they would intentionally shell children and women. And so within minutes the rounds came in closer and closer until a round landed literally between myself and where the family and where lines of people were walking. It was only about 30 feet from where I was standing. It was captured on video by my colleague, Andriy Dubchak, and there was an incredible amount of chaos. It was dusty.

Steve, who was working with "The New York Times" as security, ran out immediately to drag one man to safety and then ran across the street. Everyone was calling for a medic.

[18:20:01]

I couldn't see what was on the other side of the street because it was dusty and it was far enough where I couldn't really understand what was happening but obviously someone was injured. By the time our security guard called us to come across the street, because it was still quite unsafe, I ran over and I came upon four bodies. It looked like they were all dead. I realized there was a body of a child.

I was still trying to connect the dots because I myself was quite in shock. I had just narrowly escaped death. And so I started photographing instinctively because of course I've been doing this work for 20 years but also thinking about, you know, I have to be respectful. These are four people who may or may not be dead and then I kind of worked my way around from different angles and then mortar rounds were still coming in.

So we very quickly started joining the others who are still trying to flee and twice had to dive for safety in that time because two rounds came very close to where we were.

BROWN: Wow. I mean, incredible that you were able to still do your job in the midst of that, nearly losing your life. For more than 20 years you have been covering conflicts, driving home the very human consequences of war. I'm curious, how is this war different from others that you've covered and, also, I want to know how did you get through each day there? What was your day-to-day like?

ADDARIO: I mean, I guess this war is different because it's happening in Europe. It's happening in real time because of social media, because of all the journalists on the ground. It's happening -- we sort of watched it as a world community. We watched it unfold before our very eyes, and no one was able to stop it. So it was so audacious, it was so -- you know, no one could really believe it would actually happen

And when it did, you know, there were so many of us in position to document what was happening to the very targeting of civilians, very intentional targeting of civilians. And I think social media is also very important because when something happens, it's almost immediately public and out there for the public to view so that's quite different from other wars I've covered in the past.

My day-to-day routine, sirens are going off throughout the night, you know, whether we get up and run for cover every time it really depends on how close the incoming is. Usually I'm up by 5:30, 6:00, trying to figure out what has happened, what has been hit overnight. Run out to the scene if it's safe enough, try to document whether there are if there are civilian casualties, the destruction, and generally I try to get a sense of what the story is for the day. Is it people fleeing? Is it the hospitals?

You know, every day the story sort of evolves into something new. And I think it's my responsibility as a photographer and as a journalist to cover that, you know, and to change what I'm covering as much as I can daily.

BROWN: Yes. You see so many horrible things. But do you also see the best of people coming out in the worst of times?

ADDARIO: Of course. I mean, the thing that I've witnessed more than anything is the unbelievable generosity and resilience of people in these times of war. I mean, you know, people open their homes, they give everything they have. They give their -- you know, they're giving their lives but they're also just sharing and it's really unbelievable to watch the courage and the dedication of people in times of war.

BROWN: Yes. All right, we'll end on that note. Lynsey Addario, thank you so much for coming on the show and for all of your work.

ADDARIO: Thank you. BROWN: President Biden's adlibbed line in a big speech about Vladimir

Putin doesn't mean what it sounds like according to the White House. Is the Washington walk-back helping or hurting?

Congressman John Garamendi from the Armed Services Committee weighs in next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:28:38]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: As you know and as you've heard us say repeatedly we do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia or anywhere else for that matter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: The president's forceful statement and the clarity after the fact from his top diplomat, clean up, walk-back, whatever the you want to call it. Despite the walk-back from the White House Republican lawmakers are slamming Biden today for what they say was another unforced error on Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RISCH: I wish he would stay on script. Whoever wrote that speech did a good job for him, but, my gosh, I wish they would keep him on script.

SEN. ROB PORTMAN (R-OH): It plays into the hands of the Russian propagandists and into the hands of Vladimir Putin.

SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): What Biden needs to stop doing this, stop talking and start acting. Stop telling Biden -- or Putin what he's going to do.

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): If we're so worried about provoking him that we couldn't even send MiGs into Ukraine, how is this any different? In fact I would say it's more provocative.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: It's not clear yet what impact if any Biden's comments will have in Russia. But yesterday a Kremlin spokesperson simply rejected the comment telling Reuters that's not for Biden to decide.

And joining me now Democratic Congressman John Garamendi. He is on the Armed Services Committee.

Hi, Congressman. Thanks for coming back on the show. So you heard your Republican colleagues there criticizing the president's comments yesterday. [18:30:03]

Senator Jim Risch, for example, saying there's not a whole lot more you can do to escalate than call for a regime change. What is your response?

REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D-CA): Well, my response is those gentlemen get up in the morning, try to figure out how they can get on TV with some outlandish statement, and they obviously succeeded at doing that. But what's really important is what the spokesperson for the Kremlin said in responding, and that person said, you just heard it there, said it's up to the Russian people and, in fact that is exactly where Putin's jeopardy lies.

It is the Russian street. Eventually, hopefully soon, the Russian people will learn in full what Putin is doing to Ukraine, that four million refugees outside the country and a similar number within the country, its total destruction of cities, these are the brothers and sisters of Russians. And they're getting wiped out by Putin. Eventually that will be told in the cities, in the streets of Russia and, on top of that, you have the sanctions which are also squeezing it.

The bottom line is Putin's jeopardy are the Russian people. They are already in the streets. There will be millions more as they find out what is going on.

BROWN: How are they going to find out? I remember when you were on the show last time a few weeks ago you mentioned you were going to look into technology that may be out there to get word to the Russian people who are brainwashed by Russian propaganda but you seem to be indicating that somehow they're going to be finding out by the millions the truth of what's happening in Ukraine. What do you mean by that?

GARAMENDI: What I mean by that is the technologies to get the information to the Russian people exist. The question is, are we willing to use it? There's already individuals, thousands of them actually, that are making phone calls that are providing information in any way they can to the Russian people. That certainly should be ramped up. The American government, if you want to give the American government and the administration a swift kick, tell them to get on with this.

There are ways that it can be done, most of which we can't talk about, but it is possible. And as that information, the videos that are available, the news stories, the story you had just before I came on about the videographer, all of that -- all of that is available everywhere except in Russia. Now if we say that that's not going to ever be there is simply wrong. We must do everything we can to get that information there so that the Russian people will do what is in their heart. And that's precisely what the president did.

BROWN: Really quick, so I just want to make sure I understand.

GARAMENDI: He spoke his heart. Yes. BROWN: I want to make sure I understand, so do you have information,

though, that technology will be -- new technology will be deployed to somehow get into Russian and let the people in Russian know what is really going on? I just want to be clear on that.

GARAMENDI: I know that there is technology that can be used. I do not know that it is being used. It should be.

BROWN: All right. I want to talk a little bit more about Biden and just the diplomacy that is happening right now because I'm sure you heard Macron, President Macron of France talk about President Biden calling Putin a butcher, a murderous dictator, which, by the way, a lot of people agree with that sentiment, right, that he is a pure thug, a war criminal. But, of course, it is different when it comes from the U.S. president which is what the French president had to say. Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. EMMANUEL MACRON, FRANCE (through translator): I think we must keep to the facts and do everything to not escalate things. I wouldn't use this type of wording because I continue to hold discussions with President Putin. What do we want to do collectively? We want to stop the war that Russia has launched in Ukraine without waging war and without escalation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Do you think he has a point there?

GARAMENDI: I think that we need to do everything possible here and ultimately the decision about ending this war is going to be made by President Zelenskyy working with the Russian government. Right now Ukraine is on the winning side of the current fight. They're having the upper hand. If they're able to continue that, then the likelihood, if we ever get back to the Russian street, the likelihood of a settlement will happen.

Macron, even Biden, they're not going to settle this war. It's ultimately going to be settled by the people of Ukraine working through their legitimate elected government, President Zelenskyy, and the autocrat in the Kremlin, Putin. Now the Russian people will go back and plow that field several more times, they will have a very, very large say in this when they find out what's going on.

[18:35:04]

Yes, there needs to be diplomacy. I wish Macron great success. There are others that are attempting to have a discussion but ultimately it will be a decision by Ukraine and Russia on how this ultimately ends.

BROWN: I quickly want to ask you because you said that right now Ukraine is winning and the evidence coming in from the ground suggests that they are in key parts of the country especially the capital city there. I had on a Ukrainian official last night, though, who was pleading to the U.S. to send more weapons over so that Ukraine can win the war. Do you think the administration should be sending over more weapons than they already are?

GARAMENDI: Well, the administration has had about $1.5 billion of equipment in just the last five months and continues to do that and we're not alone in this. And this is why the president's speech in Warsaw really hit the right tone, and that is the West, NATO and European Union and the G7 and others are all together in pushing back on Russia. So the United States is not the only one sending equipment.

Some of the most important equipment is actually coming from former Warsaw Pact countries, Poland, Romania, and others who have used but very effective air defense systems that they are now making their way into Ukraine. The United States continues to send vast amounts of armaments. We all know about -- now we know about Stinger missiles and Javelins, all of those things are finding their way in.

More and more is arriving every day and what the fellow was saying and what Zelenskyy says all the time is send more and keep it coming.

BROWN: All right, Congressman John Garamendi, thank you for your time tonight.

GARAMENDI: Thank you, Pamela.

BROWN: Well, government officials are warning Americans about the threat of Russian cyberattacks. Up next my exclusive one-on-one interview with the head of U.S. Cybersecurity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEN EASTERLY, DIRECTOR, CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AGENCY: Americans everywhere need to take this threat very, very seriously.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:41:53]

LEMON: An update on the breaking news this hour. CNN teams on the ground in the Ukrainian capital say that they've heard a loud explosion. It happened last hour followed by sirens. Now this latest blast in Kyiv comes as the war seems to be entering a new phase with Ukrainian forces pushing Vladimir Putin's troops back on several fronts as his invasion stalls.

Ukraine's military intelligence now saying Putin's strategy could mean splitting the country in two like North and South Korea. We'll keep updating, Pamela.

BROWN: All right, thanks, Don.

In our high-tech world warfare is no longer limited to battlefields and artillery, cyberattacks are a real and growing threat. Last Thursday the Justice Department accused four Russians from the Kremlin security service called the FSB of cyberattacks on critical U.S. infrastructure between 2012 to 2018. One of their targets was a nuclear power plant in Kansas.

In a CNN exclusive, I sat down with Jen Easterling on Friday. She is director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. And I began with the question about what those indictments tell us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EASTERLY: What I'll say is I think the most important thing to understand here is the threat is very real. As the president talked about earlier this week we are seeing intelligence that points to the Russian government to include actors like those indicted yesterday, exploring options for potential cyberattacks and we know this is part of the Russian playbook.

So the indictment yesterday I think just further reinforces that Russian malicious cyber activity is a severe and persistent threat around to critical infrastructure around the world to include here in the homeland.

It was pretty unprecedented to see the president of the United States earlier this week make a specific statement about Russian cyber activity and a focus on exploring options for potential cyberattacks. So why should Americans care about that? Well, at the end of the day these networks, these systems, this data, this is really what underpins our daily lives. It's our power, it's our water, it's how we get money from the bank, it's how we get gas at the pump. It's how we get food at the grocery store. That infrastructure is at risk of malicious cyber activity.

As Americans, we live our lives online. Our bank accounts are online. We shop online. Our photos are online. We're all walking around with iPhones or Androids in our pockets. This is really the digital world that underpins everything that we do, and that's what's at risk to malicious cyber activity. So we are very focused on making sure that businesses are doing everything they can to shore up their security and resilience, but Americans need to do the same.

BROWN: I want to quickly ask about your personal experience before this. You worked in the private sector. You also used to work at the NSA. And I'm curious how you were using your past experience in the private sector and also at the NSA when your job was to break into computers essentially, how you're applying that now here in your role?

[18:45:04]

And are you putting yourself into the shoes of Russian intelligence officers, what they may be thinking and doing, from your past experience?

EASTERLY: It's a really great question. So, you know, this is new. We were created to be America's cyber defense agency to keep America safe from malicious cyber activity. It's really important to understand how adversaries think. I like to talk about it as adversarial empathy. And so being on the offensive side having been working at the National Security Agency, standing up the Army's first cyber battalion, helping to stand up U.S. Cyber Command, you understand how cyber actors operate.

And understanding that adversarial playbook often makes it easier or at least helps to facilitate an understanding of how you put your defenses up, how you go shield up.

BROWN: 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 be deliberate retaliatory attacks for the very severe, very punitive sanctions that the U.S. and our allies have come together as a community to levy on Russia and the Russian government may feel like they can use these capabilities, the preparatory activity, the exploration for potential cyberattacks to have a real impact on the American people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And coming up later more with Jen Easterly and how private citizens are crucial for keeping bad actors at bay on the Internet. You won't want to miss that. Important information for all of us.

Well, the war in Ukraine is 6,000 miles from Hollywood, but for many it will be top of mind tonight at the Academy Awards. Stephanie Elam is on the red carpet with more up next.

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[18:51:52]

BROWN: Russia's assault on Ukraine seems a world away from Hollywood glamor but the war will play a role at tonight's Oscars. It will likely be center stage in fact. The Academy Awards are tonight at 8:00 Eastern on ABC.

And CNN's Stephanie Elam is live on the red carpet. So what can we are expect tonight, Stephanie?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pam, I can already tell you that the energy is so high right now in this red carpet because people haven't been able to see each other in so long so you definitely feel the energy is back. There is a little area over here where fans are staged and we're seeing people stop to take pictures along with them. So the energy is back but I can tell you, folks are definitely paying attention to Ukraine.

We're going to hear about it in the show. But in case you do not know what movies are being nominated or who may win tonight, we have something to help you figure it out. Take a watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMY SCHUMER, COMEDIAN: Are you ready to host the Oscars?

ELAM (voice over): The hosts are back. The red carpet is back. And of course, so are the stars. Best bets this year include Will Smith in "King Richard" for Best Actor as the father of Venus and Serena Williams.

WILL SMITH, PORTRAYING RICHARD WILLIAMS, "KING RICHARD": Now, I don't mind you saying, we are hard on these kids, you know why? Because we are.

MATTHEW BELLONI, FOUNDING PARTNER, PUCK NEWS: I think the consensus around him is that this is the performance that the Academy wants to honor him for. It's sort of a shock that he does not have an Oscar.

ELAM: For supporting actress, Ariana DeBose has all the momentum for her role in "West Side Story."

(On camera): Are you having the year?

ARIANA DEBOSE, ACTRESS: I don't know if it's the year, but it's a year and dagnabbit, it's special.

ELAM (voice over): Expect the stars to support Ukraine. The colors of the Ukrainian flag have been a staple on other red carpets.

BELLONI: The fact that Mila Kunis, who is Ukrainian, is going to be presenting. I've heard that there is going to be a nice moment with her doing a tribute to the country.

ELAM: Diversity this year includes deaf actors with "CODA" up for Best Picture.

TROY KOTZUR, ACTOR (through translator): I never thought I would get to this moment.

ELAM: "CODA's" Troy Kotzur is a favorite for Best Supporting Actor.

KOTZUR (through translator): We've been separated for so long and there has been a communication breakdown between the hearing community and the deaf community, so we've pulled them both together.

ELAM: A dark horse could be Kodi Smit-McPhee for "The Power of the Dog." His quiet performance helped the film gain awards momentum.

(On camera): You know what I call you? Mr. Slow Burn.

KODI SMIT-MCPHEE, ACTOR: Slow burn. I like that. I'll take that.

ELAM (voice over): "The Power of the Dog" has one key Best Picture Awards leading up to Oscar, but it was shut out at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

BELLONI: "The Power of the Dog" has a lot of fans. It also has a lot of detractors. "CODA" is much more of a consensus film.

ELAM: To save time, some Oscars will be handed out off the air then edited for television and of course, the hosts, Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes promised to entertain.

(On camera): Was it time to bring host back to the Oscars?

BELLONI: Last year's show was a disaster on many different levels. One of which is that there was no through line, there was nobody guiding you through the show.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM: And just in case you are wondering, CNN did check and that Oscars are going to be broadcast in about 60 countries but Ukraine and Russia are not two of those countries on the list, so they will not be seeing the show.

As I turn here to the red carpet, my friend Jay Ellis just stopped by. Hello, Jay.

[18:55:01]

JAY ELLIS, ACTOR: Hey, hey.

ELAM: "Top Gun."

ELLIS: Yes.

ELAM: It's coming out in May.

ELLIS: It's coming.

ELAM: You're here on the red carpet. What's it like being back on the carpet?

ELLIS: This is amazing. It's great to be around people again. Like everyone is so happy to be out. It's just exciting. So many amazing films and amazing performers here. It's crazy.

ELAM: It's great.

ELLIS: It's great.

ELAM: Well, you look fantastic.

ELLIS: Thank you very much.

ELAM: Thank you for saying hi. Enjoy the show. We will see you on the other side.

ELLIS: Take care.

ELAM: You too.

So that's how it is here. We're just seeing people coming down, people in a great mood, taking selfies together, taking selfies with fans. The energy, it feels almost like before the pandemic -- Pam.

BROWN: Wow. It's palpable, I feel it. Stephanie Elam, live in Hollywood, thanks so much.

We'll be right back.

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