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California's Devastating Drought; Kyiv Region "Liberated" From Russian Forces; 4,000+ Ukrainian Civilians Evacuated; Ukrainian Refugee Helps Fellow Refugees; Ukrainian Refugees at U.S.-Mexican Border; Soviet-era Tanks to be Transported to Ukraine; Biden Ends Pandemic Restriction Policy; Graphic Images of Strewn Bodies Found in a Town in Bucha, Ukraine. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired April 02, 2022 - 22:00:00   ET

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

[22:00:00]

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): A 15 percent voluntary reduction. Not only on residences, but industrial, commercial operations and agricultural operations.

ELAM (voiceover): Now, the governor is urging local leaders to institute bans on watering grass near commercial and industrial buildings. But for residential areas, no mandatory cuts for now.

KARLA NEMETH, DIRECTOR, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES: We may really see some mandatory watering -- water restrictions in place by the summer time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM (on camera): And Secretary Crawfoot pointing out that those reliably wet winters that we used to get in California, say 50 or 100 years ago, are just not something we should bank on any longer. And therefore, he says that, residents in California and throughout the West really do need to change the relationship with water and learn to use less. Stephanie Elam, CNN, Near Lake Tahoe.

ERICA HILL, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: A new hour of CNN Newsroom starts right now.

Thanks for joining us in hour. I'm Erica Hill in New York. Pamela brown is off tonight. You are in the CNN Newsroom.

And the breaking news at this hour, U.S. officials telling CNN, Vladimir Putin may have a new war plan in mind. Now, targeting the Donbas and other reason regions in Eastern Ukraine, with the goal of victory in the region by next month. Namely by May 9th, a Russian holiday. In the meantime, Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister says, the Kyiv region is, "Liberated." CNN has not yet been able to confirm that claim. The Ukrainian military, however, is back in control on some of the suburbs around the capital.

Also, in Kyiv tonight, some scenes of joy. Newly freed ex-prisoners of war. 86 Ukrainian service members who were let go on a prisoner swap. Some of them describing brutal treatment while they were held by the Russians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): At first, they took us very aggressively and made us shout, glory to Russia. And whoever didn't want to do that, they use physical measures.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They hit me in the face with machine gun butts and kicked me. My front teeth were also chipped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Russian forces are terrorizing Ukrainian citizens. Take a look and listen to this.

Gunfire explosions. You see those flash bangs there. This was all aimed at peaceful war protesters, today. This happened near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. You may remember that facility itself was attacked and seized last month, early on in the war. We have another view for you of that attempted crackdown today which left at least four people hurt. Take a look.

Doctors treating the injured protesters are said to be running short on medication and other supplies.

Also tonight, a member of the Ukrainian negotiating team, which is in talks with Russia says, the Russian side is responding positively to Ukrainian positions on a number of issues. And that it could lead to the possibility of, "Direct consultations between President Zelenskyy and Putin."

In the meantime, the International Red Cross which is on the ground in the City of Irpin is still unable to access the besieged City of Mariupol where conditions made it, "Impossible to proceed," according to the organization.

And Pope Francis says a trip to Ukraine is on the table. He didn't offer up any details, but did leave that possibility open after being questioned by reporters today while traveling to Malta.

Let's begin our coverage this hour with CNN's Phil Black who is in Lviv in the Western part of Ukraine tonight, monitoring some of those Russian troop movements. Phil.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Erica, President Zelenskyy says, Russian forces are leaving the North of the country. In some cases, he says, they are withdrawing voluntarily. From other areas, they had been expelled by Ukrainian counterattacks. You see it near the capital. Satellite images show their positions that Russia held very early on in the invasion in which they fought to hold as they sought to surround the capital which are now abandoned. Notably the town of Bucha and the Antonov Airfield.

An adviser to President Zelenskyy says, Ukrainian forces have recaptured more than 30 settlements near Kyiv. Further North, the Ukrainian flag flies every, again, over on the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after Russian forces suddenly departed that side and the surrounding area. But none of this is any cause for celebration here because the Ukrainian government believes all of those forces will simply replenish and then likely rejoin the fight in the East of the country as Russia seeks to expand and consolidate control over the Donbas region.

Another adviser to President Zelenskyy says, if Russia develops a strong foothold in the East and the South, it will likely consolidate those positions, dig in, fortify and will be very difficult to dislodge unless Western allies supply heavier weapons to the Ukrainian military. Erica.

[22:05:00]

HILL: Phil Black with the latest for us from Lviv. Phil, thank you.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Odessa, Ukraine tonight where the fight to help -- more on the fight to help get families in and out of Mariupol. Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Erica, in Southern Ukraine, the main focus continues to be on efforts to resolve the humanitarian crisis that continues to escalate and worsen by the day, specifically in the Mariupol. That is where we still believe there are more than 100,000 people that desperately need to be evacuated. One official says that, the people left in the city are living like mice underground. We do understand that there had been efforts to create humanitarian corridors but after days and days of talking about this, it still doesn't seem to come to fruition.

The International Red Cross says, it has been trying to reach the city on Saturday. They were once again unable to do show. But we did hear that there were about 1,200 people or so who were able to escape. They had to do so by driving their own vehicles to get away from Mariupol. And if you've been following the story, just -- it's hard to overstate how dramatic and how dangerous that has been for tens of thousands of other people who tried to flee their villages and cities in similar ways. So, that is the situation that continues to unfold and will continue to unfold for the days to come as that situation continues to worsen.

Down the Southern part of Ukraine here in Odessa, where we are, there were significant -- three missile strikes that were launched at this city, Friday evening. There is not a whole lot of information that has come out from that. But one military official did say, that the missiles that were fired came from the Crimeaen peninsula. And that they did not hit their intended targets here in the Odessa region. But the extent of how many people injured if -- is not clear. And exactly where these missiles landed is not clear either. Erica.

HILL: Ed Lavandera with the latest for us from Odessa. Ed, thank you.

When Russia attacked Ukraine, my next guest fled her home in Kharkiv along with 23 international students. She shared the journey on TikTok and she's continuing to updating now she made it to some safety in Romania where she's also helping other Ukrainian refugees. Alina Shcheglova joining me with more.

Alina, it's good to have you with us. First, of all, at this point, how are you doing?

ALINA SHCHEGLOVA, UKRAINIAN TIKTOKER: I would love to say I'm doing great, as I always used to say. And -- but I will be honest, I'm not OK mentally, because every day I, you know, no matter what I'm doing, I feel like it's not enough to stop this terrible war. And it's not enough to help more people be safe. This just make me feel sad. And I can just look on this, you know, dead people. And especially, yesterday, you know, we saw fresh news about a place that was rescued from Russia, it's called Bucha. And we saw a lot of dead people. A lot of Ukrainians, just dead bodies on the street and it's just horrible. So, I'm not going to lie. I'm not OK.

HILL: Yes. They're incredibly disturbing images and the accounts coming out of Bucha. You're right. It's the survivor's guilt, right? Which we know and hear so much about. As I mentioned, you left Kharkiv. Are you still in touch with people there? Do you have a sense of the situation is like in your hometown?

SHCHEGLOVA: Yes, of course. I still have colleagues and friends and grandparents there. And I try to be in touch every day. And, yes, so it's still -- it's still not safe. So -- yes --

HILL: How are your --

SHCHEGLOVA: -- they struggle.

HILL: -- how are your grandparents?

SHCHEGLOVA: Oh, they are -- I can say, they are alive. That's all what makes me feel that, you know, there is no -- it's not a hopeless situation. And the district where they live, it's kind of safe, I can say this. But still, they hear explosion and shooting every day. And it's just really stressful for them. Because my grandma, she was a small child when it was World War II. And, you know, she still remembered a lot of -- and she lost her parents on the World War II. And she's been through a lot. And now, she's going through one more war. And --

HILL: Yes.

SHCHEGLOVA: -- it's just crazy.

[22:10:00]

HILL: She has to live through it again while remembering the trauma of --

SHCHEGLOVA: Yes.

HILL: -- World War II. You -- when you left, I mentioned, you helped -- you left, there were a group of 23 international students. I'm guessing they were probably able to go home. Do you think about going home? Do you think about what it will be like when you're able to go back?

SHCHEGLOVA: If I'm thinking what I'm going to feel how I will be coming back to my home, you mean this?

HILL: Yes, or if you even allow yourself to think about that?

SHCHEGLOVA: I already thinking about that every day. I keep watching updates about Kharkiv. And every day I see that our people start, you know, cleaning the city. And, you know, removing some trash from the parks, and putting flowers. Like right now, I'm thinking, like, how I am going to come back and, you know, rebuilding my home again. So, of course I'm thinking about it every day. I just can't stop thinking. I love my city so much. You know, it's the most beautiful city in the world. I want to come back as soon as possible.

HILL: As I mentioned before we started talking, you're in Romania now. You're safely Romania. But part of what you're doing, while you're there, is you're trying to help other Ukrainians, other refugees. How are you doing that? What are some of the things you're doing to help some of your fellow Ukrainians?

SHCHEGLOVA: So basically, I'm every day right now in the border in Skolain (ph), in -- border with Moldova. And the main responsibility for me is help with translation because a lot of Ukrainians don't speak English. And when they come in, they -- not all of them understand what's going on. They just so stressed. They just running away from war. And they don't think about, you know, specific plan. Where they are going to live. Where they're going to stay or in which country they're going to go.

So, my job, basically, to talk with them adversely to understand their needs. And to tell them with good information, with safe information, where they can go. Either find for them accommodation in Romania if they're planning to stay in Romania. If they go into another country to try to connect them with other volunteers in other countries. During these three weeks on the border, I already have a lot of contacts with another volunteer around the world. So, if I have people, for example, go into Germany and I know there are some people who can help them, I just, like, you know, connect them to each other. And try to provide any useful information for them.

And sometimes we have some cases like, you know, like urgent cases like we had last week. There was a woman with three kids from Kherson. She was alone with three daughters. And they need a serious operation for her small daughter, nine months old, her daughter. And we organized for them a hospital here in Romania where they will do operation. And currently they live in the city where I live. So -- and, yes. And every day, you know, I keep in touch with them. Coming to visit them to make sure they're OK and not stressed. Because just first days, you know, they didn't trust no one. They would just keep crying and stressing because they've been through a lot.

HILL: Yes.

SHCHEGLOVA: They live very close to Crimea. And they saw a lot of horrible stuff that was going on. And they were just like living under these rockets and it was just crazy. And until now we, like -- I like -- we in touch with them every day. And I'm coming to visit them. Spending time with them, you know, to make sure that they are OK.

So, we have also this kind of cases. And I'm really happy that, you know, that I can help my people and I can be useful here.

HILL: Yes.

SHCHEGLOVA: Because my goal was not just, you know, escape from war and just sit in, you know, in Europe and feeling cool. No. Because I know that so many people still need help. How can I just, you know, sit and do nothing? So, this is why I'm really happy that I have this opportunity to support my people and help them.

HILL: Alina Shcheglova, we appreciate you taking the time to join us tonight. And appreciate everything that you are doing. It certainly cannot be easy. I hope that you are able to go home soon and be with your grandparents again in your beautiful City of Kharkiv. Thank you.

SHCHEGLOVA: Yes. You're welcome.

HILL: I wish you safety.

SHCHEGLOVA: Thank you so much.

HILL: With millions of people fleeing the war in Ukraine, some of them are actually making their way all the way to the Southern border of the U.S. where they're attempting to seek asylum. In fact, hundreds of Ukrainian families right now are in make shift refugee camp in Tijuana, Mexico. They're assigned a number to keep track of who is next in line as they wait to be processed.

[22:15:00]

Volunteers say the camp itself has grown exponentially in recent weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMAN DUBCHAK, VOLUNTEER: Most of them are tired. Most of them just want to get across. And some of them haven't slept for days. So, they're tired. Some of them are upset. But I think most of them are happy to be here and have a chance to cross over and be in a safe place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: The growing number of Ukrainian migrants is just one situation U.S. border officials will have to deal with. We have much more on that just ahead.

Also, coming up this hour, new efforts by the U.S. to get Soviet era military equipment to Ukrainian forces.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

U.S. officials along the border with Mexico are bracing for a surge of migrants in the coming weeks. Next month, the Biden Administration will end a Trump era rule that blocked migrants from entering the U.S. citing the pandemic. CNN's Polo Sandoval has the latest for us from the Southern border.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, the Department of Homeland Security says, it is preparing for the worst-case scenario in which they see up to 18,000 asylum seekers a day to show up at the nation's door step. Just to add some perspective here, we heard yesterday from the DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas saying that they're currently seeing about 7,000, roughly. The thing is, according to the secretary, they've been able to expel about 50 percent of them which has left many of those nonprofits on the U.S. side of the border that deal with many of these migrant families with a fairly workable number, according to the people that we've speaking to on the U.S. side of the border.

[22:20:00]

But the concern here comes from Title 42, which is that public health authority that you mentioned a little while ago. As we heard from the Biden Administration that it is to be lifted late next month. Which means that many of the migrants that have been basically accumulating and waiting on the Mexican side of the border will likely seize the opportunity to make that very short trip over an international bridge, just like the one we're at here in Hidalgo, Texas, and will seek asylum.

And that, some critics of the Biden Administration say, could potentially overwhelm the infrastructure that you'll find in border communities really throughout the country here. So, that's one of the big concerns. It's also what's been causing some division. I want you to hear from one Democratic lawmaker. It actually represents this area that just, earlier this week, actually signed on to a letter among some Republican lawmakers basically calling on the Biden Administration to be ready for the surge that is likely to come with the removal of Title 42.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. VICENTE GONZALEZ (D-TX): When I say, I'm against lifting Title 42 and I'm against of the disorderly process of migrants crossing our Southern border, I'm not saying this as a Democrat or as a Republican. I'm saying this as a South Texan and as an American that we need to find an orderly process. If we're going to allow migrants into the country, I think they should be applying for asylum in their home country or in their neighboring country. And we should find better ways and a better process for people to either be accepted or denied asylum. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: DHS has maintained that they are taking these steps to make sure that they're as ready as they can be. And that includes obtaining some temporary housing and also deploying additional resources to the region. But the big question here is -- the ultimate test will be, once Title 42 is lifted, will they be able to keep up with the demand of these families that are seeking asylum in the United States. Erica.

HILL: That's what we'll be watching for. Polo, appreciate it.

There are horrific new images showing the brutality of Russia's war in Ukraine. Civilians possibly having been executed. Their bodies left lying in the streets. We have more on this new development next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:25:00]

We have just received some very disturbing images into CNN. The bodies of at least 20 civilian men found strewn across the street in the town of Bucha, outside of Kyiv in Ukraine. The images are graphic. They are disturbing. But we believe they're also important. They're important to show you because they show the reality of this war.

This is the scene, Northwest of Kyiv, after the withdrawal of Russian forces from the area. Now CNN, has not been able to independently confirm details around the deaths of the men. What we can tell you is they're all seen in civilian clothing, not in military uniforms. They were found in a variety of awkward poses. Some of them faced down against the movement. Others facing upwards, their mouths open. One of the men can be seen with his hands tied behind his back. The mayor of Bucha believes they were shot execution style.

Again, CNN has not been able to confirm that. Russian forces withdrew from several towns near Kyiv in recent days after attempts to encircle the capital failed. CNN has also learned tonight Russia is shifting its strategy. Aiming now to take control of Eastern Ukraine by early next month. That's according to several U.S. officials familiar with the latest intel. CNN's Arlette Saenz has more from the White House.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Erica, Russia is starting to shift its war strategy in Ukraine. Trying to focus on taking control of the Donbas and other regions in Eastern Ukraine, with a possible target date of May 9th. That is according to U.S. officials familiar with the latest intelligence. And those officials say, that Russian President Vladimir Putin is starting to feel the pressure to show some type of victory in Ukraine as his fighters have a -- had a hard time keeping control in the areas where they've been fighting.

Now, that May 9th date also has some historical significance. In Russia, it is considered a victory day when they celebrate the Nazi surrendering during World War II. But there are also some tactical concerns when it comes to that May 9th date. With winter starting to fade away and the ground softening there, the Russians are trying to get their units in as quickly as possible. That's according to an intelligence assessment from the U.S.

Additionally, in that Eastern Ukraine area, there have been, for years now, Russian-backed fighters with a strong presence there. One other thing that CNN has learned is that, the U.S. believes that Russia soon may announce a name, an overall commander for their war in Ukraine. This follows a previous reporting that Russia did not have an on-the- ground theaterwide commander running the operation in Ukraine, which has contributed to some of the disorganization and dysfunction seen among Russian troops.

Now, as the Russians are starting to shift their focus towards Eastern Ukraine, the U.S. and allies are really stepping up their support militarily and defense-wise to the Ukrainian fighters. Just this weekend, the U.S. authorized sending over $300 million worth of security assistance to Ukraine. This would include suicide drones, night vision equipment, as well as anti-drone systems. Really bringing the total of -- that's been contributed to Ukraine to more than $2.3 billion.

Now, additionally, sources have told CNN that the U.S. is working to help facilitate the transfer of Soviet-made tanks from allied countries into Ukraine. It's unclear, just now, where those tanks will be coming from or how many will be sent. But these tanks, one source says, would be T-72 tanks which the Ukrainians know how to operate. And this -- one source also said that they would be sent over in a matter of days, not weeks. But clearly the next five weeks of this war will be pivotal as Russia is trying to make a point, trying to show some type of victory.

[22:30:00]

But U.S. officials say, even if there is a Russian celebration, that does not mean that an absolute victory is at hand, especially as the Ukrainians continue to put up a fight. Erica.

HILL: Arlette Saenz with the latest from the White House. Arlette, thank you.

The former secretary of the U.S. air force under President Obama, Deborah Lee James joins us now. She's the author of "Aim High: Chart Your Course and Find Success". It's good to have you with us tonight. You know, I want to pick up where we left off with a little bit of what Arlette was telling us about. You know, the U.S. now facilitating the transfer of the Soviet-era tanks. Tanks that the Ukrainian military we're told, knows how to operate. In addition to this $300 million plus in new support and aid which includes some of this switch blade kamikaze or suicide drones. How important is that aid in both the short and long-term?

DEBORAH LEE JAMES, FORMER SECRETARY OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE (2013-2017), AUTHOR "AIM HIGH": I think it's terribly important, Erica. Ultimately, I do believe that the end of this war will require negotiations. And it's very important that Ukraine would be able to go into those negotiations in the strongest possible light. And the way to do that, is to continue to have its own successes, to continue to do much better than anyone ever anticipated they could do against the Russian forces and inflict as much damage as possible. Protecting the capital. Protecting President Zelenskyy, as well, will be critical. And this aid will help them do that.

HILL: As we look at where things stand tonight, you know, there had been rumblings that Vladimir Putin was going to need to look for a changing story. He's going to going to need to look for something else. And what we're learning now from U.S. officials, according to a latest intel, is that something else is going to be declaring, "Victory" is his goal in Eastern Ukraine by May 9th. This national holiday which commemorates the Nazi's surrender in World War II in Russia. If, in fact, Russians are able to take control of Eastern portions of Ukraine, what do you think that looks like? And what does it ultimately mean for Russia? And what else Vladimir Putin may want to do?

JAMES: Well, there is just no question that Russia has botched this operation, from their standpoint. They thought they were going to march into Ukraine and defeat the Ukrainians in probably less than a week. And everything possible has gone wrong for them. They have been terrible at logistics. Terrible at command and control. Their troops are -- have low morale, poor leadership. So, everything that could have gone wrong, thank goodness, did go wrong for Russia.

So, what they're doing now, in my judgment, is they are withdrawing to where they are strongest. They are reflecting reality on the ground. They already have Crimea. They have separatists who would have been fighting for years in Donbas who are pro-Russian. And so, they will find a more welcoming situation there. And I do think they are going to continue to really hammer the area round surrounding Mariupol, which of course, if they could secure that would give them the land bridge in between the Donbas and Crimea where they have occupied since 2014.

This would, as your correspondents have already reported, allow Vladimir Putin, who, remember, it's all about controlling the narrative with him. Disinformation is the coin of his realm. So, he will be able to say, look at this great victory. We have won. We have brought these Russian people back under our care. We have liberated them, et cetera, et cetera. And there are also strategic military reasons why the Mariupol region, in particular, would-be crucial connecting that with Crimea and Donbas.

HILL: And also, it goes to further explain why it's been so difficult for the International Community of the Red Cross to get into Mariupol. For civilians to get out through these humanitarian corridors, which Russia is not respecting, because this goes back to what we saw, right, in Grozny. It's the way that Russia operates in these wars, is to terrorize the civilians.

When we look at -- you talked about the need, ultimately, for some sort of negotiation. We saw a little back and forth on this -- oh, throughout this week with these talks in Turkey. Ultimately hearing a little bit of optimism until that oil depot was bombed -- was attacked, rather, inside of Russia. Then Russia said, whoa, whoa, whoa. This may mean that we can't -- you know, we may not be there for diplomacy. And then today, we heard from one of the Ukrainians, who's part of the negotiations saying, look. Things are actually going OK. Russians are, you know, thinking positively about some of the things that we proposed. We think there could actually be some sort of talk between President Zelenskyy and Putin.

How much stock are you putting in that? How much of that is a helpful narrative for Ukrainians to put that out there to help, down the line, if things are perhaps not going as well?

[22:35:00]

JAMES: Well, I think the Ukrainians have been masterful in many ways throughout this conflict. And in terms of their own ability to projects presence, President Zelenskyy has been very masterful in this. Creating morale and so on. So, I wouldn't second guess them on that judgment, whatsoever.

My own feeling and see the time is that the time is not yet ripe for the really serious negotiations. But that time will come. And as well as Ukraine has done against Russia, it's a little bit the "David and Goliath" story. David is holding his own for now. But ultimately in a war of attrition, with a brutal power like Russia, who does have many, many more men under arms, they do have many more weaponry and so on. And even with the help of the aid that is flowing into Ukraine from the United States and allies to help them -- to support them in this fight, it is a matter of time, I believe, if this continues to drag on and on and on.

And so, that is why I say, the time is perhaps not ripe quite yet. But there will come a time when they have to come to the negotiating table. And I just hope that they will come in the strongest position possible.

HILL: Deborah Lee James, really appreciate your insight. Your expertise tonight. Thank you.

JAMES: Thank you.

HILL: Ties to Vladimir Putin may be hurting. One European leader's chances at re-election. Just 90 minutes from now, Hungarians will go to the polls to decide the fate of their prime minister. We'll take a look at the controversy, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:40:00]

Russia's brutal unprovoked war on Ukraine has put tremendous pressure on Putin's allies, including Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orban. Now, tomorrow, Hungarian's head to the poll to determine his fate. He is considered the most Kremlin friendly leader in Europe. His relationship with Putin has become part of the campaign for the opposition. In fact, his opponent says, he's just following the Russian leader's footsteps. CNN's Matt Rivers is in Budapest with the latest.

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, this is one of the closest reelection battles that Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has ever faced in part because every opposition party has unified in a desperate attempt, really, to try and get him out of office to prevent another four-year term. But what no one really saw coming is recently is just two months ago, for example, is how central this war in Ukraine would become in this campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERS (voiceover): Viktor Orban, by most measure, is the EU leader closest to Vladimir Putin recently. Just three weeks before the war began, Orban took a trip to Moscow, welcomed by Putin across a very long table.

National elections in Hungary on Sunday will test whether Orban's 12- year run as prime minister will go another four years. And his relationship with Putin is suddenly at the center of Hungarian politics. What began as a campaign focused on local issues, now has opposition leaders determine to link Orban with Putin and his bloody war in Ukraine. With political attack ads painting Orban as Moscow's puppet. A strongman leader determined to side with authoritarian Russia, instead of the democratic West. This ad saying, "We want Hungary to be a Western country again. If you're voting for Orban, you're voting for Putin", or this one, saying, "Orban, tell your friend of 12 years, don't kill". Orban has undeniably supported Putin vetoing sanctions against Moscow over the years and expanding the Russian-Hungarian partnership.

GABOR TOKA, SR. RESEARCH FELLOW, CENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY: Pro- Russian policies of Viktor Orban which are a very important building block of his entire political vision, are now exposed.

RIVERS (voiceover): And with Putin's popularity plummeting, the opposition calculus is simple, Orban plus Putin equals a winning political strategy. But not so fast. Because Orban is fighting back. Call it a flip flop. Call it a pivot. But Orban is no longer Putin's best buddy. Even though he's not openly criticizing him personally, the Hungarian leader went along with initial EU sanctions against Russia. Has described the invasion as Russian aggression and despite being vehemently anti-immigrant for years now, has let in hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees in the past few weeks. He says, we are a great country which gives everything to people who are fleeing trouble.

Since the war began, Orban has refused to let weapons pass through Hungary to Ukraine or provide military aid. But he's deflected any criticism of that by claiming he is simply a man of peace. Counting on the notion that many Hungarians want nothing to do with the war.

TOKA: I think the guy-reaction of most of the public is that, oh, oh, oh. We should just not get involved with this thing, yes. So --

RIVERS (on camera): And Orban has taken advantage of that sentiment?

TOKA -- and that -- and that's what they are trying.

RIVERS (voiceover): Whether it works, remains to be seen. But polling, which isn't always reliable in Hungary, has Orban and his party out in front. One big name the opposition hopes will change that.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Listen, Viktor, do you know what's going on in Mariupol? You have to decide for yourself who you are with.

RIVERS (voiceover): That's, of course, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who has criticized, what he calls, Orban's lack of support for Ukraine's fight for its existence. But it's not clear if that will be enough. At an anti-Orban rally on Saturday, Ukraine flags flew. And the crowd kept pushing the Orban-Putin narrative. But not many people showed up. Whether that's an ominous sign for the opposition or just the result of cold rainy weather, we'll find out when the votes come in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERS (on camera): But, Erica, Orban is still finding ways to help out his old friend, Vladimir Putin. For example, even though Hungary went along with those initial EU sanctions, they have drawn the line -- Orban has drawn the line at some sort of ban of energy imports here in Hungary. He said that he will continue to import Russian energy supplies because he said if he didn't, life would be harder for ordinary Hungarians. It would become more expensive, and that is likely true. However, it is also conveniently helpful to Vladimir Putin who continues to get access to Hungarian energy markets. Erica.

[22:45:00]

HILL: And that it is. Matt, appreciate it. Thank you.

As we continue to cover the war and the humanitarian crisis, there are a number of ways that you can help humanitarian efforts in Ukraine and for refugees who fled the country. Just go to cnn.com/impact. Our CNN audiences have already donated more than $7 million.

A new type of vaccine could provide long-lasting protection against COVID. You'll hear about it from one of the doctors who worked on it, next.

Plus, the latest fallout from the slap seen around the world. Stay with us. You're in the CNN Newsroom.

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President Biden's Chief Medical Adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci now says that COVID-19 booster could become an annual event, just like your flu shot.

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DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, CHIEF WHITE HOUSE MEDICAL ADVISER: We don't know this as a fact. But it could be that we may need an intermittent boost on a yearly basis until we get this level so low down. Because we don't know where COVID is going in the sense of the long, long range. (END VIDEO CLIP)

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HILL: This is Americans, 50 and older eligible, are now eligible for the fourth shot. The president and vice-president, both received their boosters earlier this week. Case counts in the U.S. remained low across the United States. And the CDC now says, the highly transmissible BA.2 subvariant is the dominant COVID strain in the country.

Elsewhere, mask mandates being lifted across the U.S. Boston ended its COVID-19 public health emergency on Friday. It did, however, keep the mask mandate in place for its schools. Other districts have done the same.

Earlier tonight, I spoke with Dr. Peter Hotez about a new type of vaccine he helped to develop, which he says, could provide more long- lasting protection against COVID-19. Take a listen.

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DR. PETER HOTEZ, CO-DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR VACCINE DEVELOPMENT, TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: We've developed a recombinant protein vaccine that's now released been released for emergency use authorization in India, given to almost 20 million kids, 12 to 14. It's been approved in Botswana. You know, it doesn't necessarily that it'd be our vaccine, but another protein-based vaccine. Another one is the Novavax vaccine. And maybe we should be looking at some of those for boosters, if they give you more durable and last -- long-lasting protection. And this is going to be -- have to be a priority for the White House and the HHS Agencies to really look at in detail.

HILL: Well, as -- I mean, as we wait for that and we wait for the science and the research to be there to let us know, the reality is, some people in this country are now eligible for that fourth shot, right? Those over 50 became eligible this week. The president, the vice-president got theirs. How quickly, do you think, that fourth shot could be opened up to other age groups or even, frankly, to everybody?

DR. HOTEZ: Well, I think it's a real possibility. Moderna originally looked to the FDA to look at this for all adults. Right now, it's been green lighted for those 50 and up. But I think, you know, we may have to broaden it over time. And, you know, a lot of this is going to be driven by how much of a wave is going to be produced by the BA.2 subvariant or future variants over the summer in the Southern States. I think that will drive it a lot as well. But I do think we're probably going to be looking at universal second boosters, at some point, in this pandemic if it continues.

HILL: Some good news that we're getting this week. Hospitalizations at their lowest point of COVID-19. This is such an important metric. What does that say to you about the pandemic as a whole? Are we leaving pandemic stage? Entering endemic stage?

DR. HOTEZ: Well, right now, we're (INAUDIBLE). And people use the word endemic a lot. I don't really know what it means for COVID-19 because we've seen how this actually goes in very dramatic wave. So, it's not like it's just percolating along at a low level in perpetuity. It goes way down then it goes way up.

So, one of it big questions now is, what happens with that BA.2 subvariant? It's not as clear-cut as it was with the Alpha wave and the Delta wave and the Omicron wave where once that became the dominant variant, then you saw a big peak. With BA.2 in Western Europe, we're seeing it all over the map. In some places it produces a big wave, in other places it doesn't. So, we're kind of holding our breath to see where things fall out in the United States. It may be one scenario that's being tossed around, this may be -- it'll be a regional wave, not entire -- not across the entire country, but we'll have to see.

But in any case, because we've failed to vaccinate the world's low- and-middle-income countries, which now generates all our worst variants of concern. Even if we do OK with this BA.2 subvariant, we should expect another wave across the Southern States in Texas during the summer. And then maybe in annual winter wave until we figure out how to vaccinate the world.

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HILL: Dr. Peter Hotez there with us.

Well, award season may never be the same. Nearly a week after he slapped Chris Rock across the face at the Oscars, Will Smith has now resigned from the Motion Picture Academy. CNN's Camila Bernal has more on what happens next?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Erica, this resignation could mean a couple of things. First, we do not know whether or not Will Smith will be invited to future Academy awards. He also will not have access to film screenings that are being considered for an Oscar. And he will not be able to vote on potential nominees. These are all things that he's giving up willingly. He said, that he accepts the consequences of his actions. Actions that he described as shocking, painful and inexcusable. The Academy accepted his resignation, but they are still meeting on April 18th to possibly discuss other consequences.

According to the code of conduct, they could even speak about him losing his award. That's a decision that they will likely make during that meeting. But we'll have to wait and see what happens. We're also waiting to hear from Chris Rock because he says, that in the future he will talk to about this and says that it will be funny. But that he will also be serious.

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Now, we did hear from the show's producer, Will Packer, who says that, he was devastated. He says that, as he was watching this all unfold, he also thought it was a joke. He said that, after all this happened, they had to have a meeting with the Los Angeles Police Department. And during that meeting, Chris Rock declined to press charges against Will Smith. He said that, Chris Rock did not want to make a bad situation even worse. Now, he did say, he did not speak to Will Smith that night. But that he heard from him the following day, and he apologized. And essentially said that, he was sorry for overshadowing his success. Erica?

HILL: Camila Bernal with the latest for us. Thank you.

Well, Southwest Airlines, what a tough day, it canceled or delayed more than half of its flights today. The company says, technology issues and bad weather are to blame. This has now impacted more than 1,900 flights. Though website FlightAware shows disruptions for more than half of JetBlue and Spirit Airlines flights as well.

Thanks so much for spending part of your evening with us. I'm Erica Hill. Pamela Brown will be back tomorrow. "CNN Newsroom" continues after this break. Have a great night.

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