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Ukrainian Battlefield Successes; Kyiv Region Liberated; Ukraine Asking For Heavier Weapons; More Than 4,000 Ukrainian Refugees Finding Safety In Ukrainian Church; Russian Forces Shifts Focus From Eastern Ukraine; Interview With Former U.S. Ambassador To Ukraine Steven Pifer; Prime Minister Viktor Orban Faces Challenges From Opposition Parties; Russia Tries To Stabilize Its Sanctioned Economy. Aired 11p- 12a ET

Aired April 02, 2022 - 23:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers in the U.S. and around the world. I'm Alison Kosik in New York.

Ukrainian forces are rapidly building on their recent battlefield successes as more Russian troops pull out of Northern Ukraine. Ukraine's deputy defense minister on Saturday declared the Kyiv region liberated. An advisor to President Zelenskyy said another 30 settlements are back under Ukrainian control.

A warning now, these next images are graphic. The true horror of the Russian invasion is on full display in a town in the of Bucha, a northern suburb of Kyiv. Journalists report at least 20 men dead in the streets, all were wearing civilian clothes. U.S. intelligence now suggests Moscow has set a goal of controlling the eastern region of Donbas by early May.

Some officials believe President Vladimir Putin needs to show some sort of military victory in Ukraine by May 9th. That's when the Soviet defeat of the Nazis as celebrated each year in Moscow with a military parade in Red Square. Ukraine is asking for heavier weapons in anticipation of a renewed offensive in the east. A source tells CNN the U.S. is expected to help send Soviet era tanks from U.S. NATO partners possibly within days.

And here's how Ukrainian protesters were dealt with Saturday in a Russian controlled town in Central Ukraine. With gunfire and loud explosions. At least four people were reported hurt. The capital has been quieter than normal since the Russians began withdrawing, but gruesome scenes and destruction litter the landscape everywhere the Russians have been. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has the latest from Kyiv, and a warning here, some of the images are disturbing.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly gotten a lot quieter here in the Ukrainian Capital of Kyiv. You know, we have air-raid sirens a couple of times during the day. But by and large, it's certainly a lot less than we've been seeing this past week and even the past couple of days. And the Ukrainians are essentially saying that the Russians are leaving the districts around Kyiv are retreating. The Russians, of course, claim that this was always part of their plan and that they're just pulling back right now.

What we're seeing as the Russians are moving out is that they certainly have taken some serious losses. You know, I was out in some of these districts around Kyiv, and we saw a lot of tank carcasses, destroyed armored vehicles and then just also positions that were abandoned by the Russians as they moved out of here. The other thing, unfortunately, that we're also finding is that are there a lot of dead bodies that have yet to be recovered.

In fact, there was some video that came out from district called Bucha, which is just to northwest of Kyiv where the streets seem to be lined with corpses. The Ukrainians now say they're, obviously, going to try to bring some of them away and clean that whole area up.

The Ukrainians for their part are saying that this is definitely not the end. They say they believe the Russian forces were beaten as they tried to invade the Capital of Kyiv and are now, essentially trying to regroup. In fact, Ukrainian officials say they believe that attacks will intensify especially in the southeast of the country, and it's certainly something that they're bracing for.

KOSIK: OK. And our thanks to Fred Pleitgen for that report.

Let's bring in CNN military analyst and former NATO supreme allied commander, Retired General Wesley Clark.

General, thanks so much for your time today.

You know, Ukraine is claiming full control of Kyiv with its deputy defense minister declaring the region liberated. But do you actually think Russian troops are going to regroup for a later attack on the capital city?

GEN. WESLEY CLARK (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes. I think -- you know, I think it's a great tactical success on the part of the Ukrainians (INAUDIBLE) the Russian back. But this is so far from over. They've got to be very, very careful not to raise expectations. What has to happen now is lots more support has to come in to help Ukraine, to drive the Russians out, to drive them out of the south and to strengthen the Ukrainian force in the Donbas area.

Now, what's going to happen is, as you can see from the map, the Russians are north and south of Dnipro. Dnipro is going to be the next key objective. If they can drive to Dnipro, they'll can cut off the Ukrainian forces that are holding back the separatists in the Donbas. And this is the next Russian objective, is to do an envelopment of these forces, cut them off an (INAUDIBLE). That's a substantial part of Ukraine's army.

[23:05:00] In order to prevent that, they've got to have heavy fighting equipment, not javelins, not stingers. That's fine for helping defend cities. They need tanks. They need mobile artillery. They need lots of ammunition. They need fuel. They need repairs. We don't have that for them. It's got to come from our NATO allies in Eastern Europe, and they've got to get it there and get it there quickly.

KOSIK: So, the Ukrainians clearly have to prepare for what's coming next. I'm curious as we are, you know, watching this from the sidelines, many of us 30 days into this conflict, what else are you hearing in military circles about the campaign?

CLARK: Well, what we're hearing is, of course, the Ukrainians can really fight. They want to win this fight. They don't want to hold. They want to push the Russians out. And here's the thing, for campaign after campaign in the last 50 years, 70 years the United States tried to help countries defend themselves who weren't that prepared to fight.

Now, we've got a first world country. Their soldiers have education just as good as ours. They're just as good technically as we are. We give them our modern weapons, they can use them in 24 hours. Plus, they know how to fight on that terrain.

So, we're going to have to do a better job of listening to the Ukrainians for what they need and get them the equipment they say they need. And by the way, not only do they need tanks and artillery, they need aircraft. They need air cover for those forces. So, somehow, we've got to go back and revisit those issues and get them the aircraft they need. They need air support. And they can fly it, but they've got to have the aircraft.

KOSIK: General, what should we be reading into U.S. intelligence that's telling us that Russia is shifting is shifting its focus to having this victory in early May? You know, if Russia takes control of parts of Ukraine, would Putin just stop there? Wouldn't he want more?

CLARK: Oh, he's going to. The goal is not any different. He published what he wanted back in December. He wants Ukraine. He wants the Baltic States. He wants control over Eastern Europe. He wants to shatter NATO, and he wants the United States out. This is for all the marbles.

All he's trying to do right now is stall. He like to stall western reinforcement of Ukraine. He'd like to have us emotionally, morally disarmed to think that's all he wants. But it isn't. So, he wants to disrupt the international system.

And with him is China in this. China is on the sidelines maybe but rooting for him. China is looking at Taiwan. China wants to assert itself. So, China and Russia have teamed up on this. Ukraine is just the current battlefield, but if Ukrainians defeat Russia on this battlefield everything changes. So, the best way to protect NATO, the best way to protect the international system is to give Ukraine the assistance it says it needs and let them handle Russia on this battlefield. KOSIK: General, do you believe negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will wind up ending -- will it be negotiations that end this war, or will it be decided on the battlefield?

CLARK: Well, that's exactly right. I mean, whatever shape these negotiations ultimately take is going to depend on what happens on the battlefield. But, you know, it's in the interest of both Russia and Ukraine to keep these negotiations going. Looking for an opening for the Russian's forestalling of western assistance to Ukraine, raising hopes, dashing hopes, finding information, intimidating Ukrainians, and at the same time, President Zelenskyy knows he has to be a willing participant in this because the European allies expect him to.

I mean, Germany, Italy, France, they just want it over. They're very shortsighted on this. They don't understand fully what's really at stake. They want to go back to business as usual in Europe, I guess. But they've got to understand that is no more business as usual. These sanctions are for real. They've got to be kept on Russia.

And the only way through this is to support Ukraine wholeheartedly and let them handle Russia militarily on the ground. So, the ideal negotiation outcome is Russia says, please, let me bring all of my troops out of Ukraine safely. You can have your country. That's the outcome the International Community should be working for.

KOSIK: All right. General Wesley Clark, thanks so much for joining us.

CLARK: Thank you.

KOSIK: Ukraine says more than 4,000 people were evacuated through humanitarian corridors on Saturday. But with Russian attacks making it hard to keep the corridors open some refugees are finding their way to safety through more unconventional methods. CNN's Ben Wedeman has that.

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[23:10:00]

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Everything will be all right, he sings, for every one of us. Words of comfort for those desperately in need. Popular singer and former lawmaker Svyatoslav Vakarchuk goes from village to village with a simple message.

SVYATOSLAV VAKARCHUK, SINGER AND FORMER LAWMAKER: Smile.

WEDEMAN (voiceover): This church in the village of Bashtanka is now home, temporary home for those who have managed to flee Russian occupied territory. Volunteering in the kitchen, Svetlana Lyashuk finds peace but not peace of mind.

It's really hard, says Svetlana. People here are very nice, but I just want to go home.

Vilati Butochel (ph), a mechanic in peacetime, now runs a complex operation, feeding and housing the displaced.

VILATI BUTOCHEL, MECHANIC: This war, this whatever now, this war make us like a family, bring us closer.

WEDEMAN (voiceover): The church feels like an oasis of the ordinary, far from the madness outside.

Early evening and a bus approaches marked, deti, Russian for children. Alas, no guarantee of safety.

It's coming from a town of Snihurivka under Russian control. But it didn't pass through a humanitarian corridor negotiated by the Red Cross.

WEDEMAN (on camera): The arrangement whereby these people are able to get out of the Russian occupied areas to here is very simple, men on the bus give Russian soldiers food and cigarettes, and the Russian soldiers let them pass.

WEDEMAN (voiceover): Larisa Shevchenko made it out but remains tormented by fear for those who couldn't get away.

Everything is really bad, she says. Her parents in Snihurivka are still hiding out in the basement. She hopes they'll get out tomorrow.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Bashtanka, Southern Ukraine.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KOSIK: A Ukrainian lawmaker says military resistance is not the only way to push back against Russia. Another one is carrying on with normal life as much as possible but with a gun. Parliament Member Lesia Vasylenko spoke with CNN's Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour and told her what the stakes are for the Ukrainian people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LESIA VASYLENKO, UKRAINIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: We are doing this for our very survival. And when the survival instinct kicks in, people can do amazing things. People become super heroes, and this is what you're witnessing in Ukraine. And at the end of the day, I hope that the West will raise up and get their rose-colored glasses off and actually start doing something here on the ground.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Do you think they still have rose-colored glasses on?

VASYLENKO: I do. I do.

AMANPOUR: About?

VASYLENKO: About the fact we can solve this in a diplomatic way and that Putin will back off and that reason can be found behind all of this. Well, no. Putin's aggression is of such a level that it can only be hit back by force and a force bigger than its own. Ukraine is doing fine with all the weapons coming in from the West. But eventually, if we are to get rid of it once and for all and to make our world a safer place for everyone and send a strong message to dictators out there as well, then we must unite efforts and the International Community must be here on the ground pushing back with us on this aggression.

AMANPOUR: Lesia, when we spoke in the first week of the war before I got here, you said, I've got my machine gun, and you've tweeted that, I've also got my manicures.

VASYLENKO: Yes.

AMANPOUR: Your resistance takes many, many forms. And you're actually carrying your pistol right now.

VASYLENKO: I am. I am. I do have my PM with me and I carry it actually with me all the time. It's become my best friend.

AMANPOUR: And as we speak, we can hear the multiple, you know, anti- aircraft or anti-missile batteries going out.

VASYLENKO: Yes, yes. But to be honest, it's small, compact, comfortable. You can carry it in a sort of backpack or bag. Also, when I have a big pocket coat, I used to carry it with me like this.

AMANPOUR: Did you ever imagine in your life that as an M.P. in 2022 in Ukraine you'd be forced to carry a gun around?

VASYLENKO: No, never. Never. I'm actually very much anti-gun.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: The lawmaker also said maintaining as normal life as possible is a form of resistance. She says it sends a message that people are human and life is worth living.

Coming up, weary Ukrainians struggle to get out of war-ravaged areas and hope that an end to the fighting is near. Just ahead, I'll ask a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine if this war could be resolved and how.

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[23:15:00]

KOSIK: Even as Russia pulls back in some parts of the country and groups are still struggling to get Ukrainians out of harm's way, the International Committee for the Red Cross has managed to get into the battered City of Irpin in recent days treating the injured, delivering food and hoping to return next week with more essential supplies.

The aid group tried but was unable to reach Mariupol on Saturday after arrangements and conditions made it impossible to proceed. Some 100,000 residents remain trapped there. According to the U.N., more than 4.1 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the fighting started.

Joining me now is Steven Pifer. He's a research fellow at Stanford University and a former ambassador to Ukraine.

Thanks so much for being with us.

STEVEN PIFER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Happy to be here.

KOSIK: Well, how do you see the war in Ukraine playing out? You know, if this is -- how is this going to be resolved? Is it resolved through negotiations or is it just something that's going to be happening on the battlefield in kind of diplomacy by force?

PIFER: Well, there is a negotiation to be had. I believe that President Zelenskyy is prepared for a serious negotiation. Unfortunately, however, there is no sign yet that Moscow is prepared seriously to engage in negotiations. And so, I think that means for the time being that the fighting is going to continue, and it would be useful for the West to continue the flow of weapons to Ukraine to better enable the Ukrainians to defend themselves, and at some point, perhaps force the Kremlin to conclude that it cannot achieve its goals on the battlefield and that it needs to negotiate. But, unfortunately, we're not yet at that point.

[23:20:00]

KOSIK: Do you see Russia ever getting to that point, and how much can Putin ever be trusted?

PIFER: Well, I think there is some point where simply the accumulation of both losses of Russian soldiers -- bear in mind that the estimate is now as many 10,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in action in Ukraine in just five weeks, and they have lost an incredible amount of material, tanks, aircraft, at armored personal carriers. And some point, presumably, it becomes too painful and the Kremlin will look to negotiate. And that's why it's important that the West continue to provide arms to the Ukrainians so they can reach that point.

Now, any negotiation, once you get to it, is going to be very difficult. There is some hard questions there, but it's pretty clear that President Zelenskyy on the Ukrainian side is prepared for a serious give-and-take negotiation. The question is, when will Moscow reach that point?

KOSIK: If true peace talks between Russia and Ukraine actually unfold, one possibility on the table is that Ukraine becomes a neutral state. First explain to us what that exactly means, and is that a good idea? And would that really ensure peace in the region?

PIFER: Yes. Well, the Russians, one of their demands is that Ukraine be neutral. And President Zelenskyy has said he's prepared to move away from Ukraine's ambition to join NATO. Ukrainian negotiators last week said that they were prepared to accept neutrality. That would be non-bloc status of Ukraine. They would agree that there would be no foreign military bases on Ukrainian terrorist and they would agree Ukraine would not develop nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction.

However, Ukraine has said that for that kind of neutral Ukraine, they would want firm security guarantees that there would not be future invasion. And that's where it gets a little bit difficult because some Ukrainians have suggested what they're looking for is something like the Article 5 security guarantee in the NATO treaty. That's an article where it says, an attack against one would be considered an attack against all.

And at this point, I'm not sure there are many countries prepared to commit to Ukraine that they would be prepared to give a guarantee that would come to its aid with military forces where Russia to invade at some future point. To my mind, the best security guarantee actually go would be to help Ukraine acquire and maintain the military with sufficient weapons that they could either defeat another Russian invasion or better yet, make it appear to the Russians that no invasion would make sense in the first place because the cost would be so high.

KOSIK: Do you think sanctions at this point are having any impact on Russia? You know, we're seeing its economy certainly go through devastation right now, but is it having any impact, do you think, in what's happening on the battlefield?

PIFER: Yes. I think the sanctions are definitely having an impact on the Russian economy. There's always been in the last six weeks been an acceleration in inflation. Russia's headed for double digit inflation in the coming months. There are projections, for example, by the International Financial Institute that the Russian economy will contract by 15 percent this year. That's more than the American economy contracted during the Great Depression.

So, there are going to be severe impacts on the economy. The problem is that those impacts are coming in the months to follow, and they may not be planning immediate pressure to cause the Kremlin to change his course.

Now, there are certainly people, the head of the Russian Central Bank, the Russian minister of finance, who understand just how much damage it's going to be doing to the Russian economy as these sanctions take hold, but it's not clear that Mr. Putin in that very close circle in which he operates are these people are having a chance to talk to him and explain to him just what's coming down the road for the economy.

KOSIK: OK. Steven Pifer, thanks so much for your perspective.

PIFER: Thank you.

KOSIK: A look now at some other stories we're following around the world. Voters in Hungary will head to the polls in the coming hours. Prime Minister Viktor Orban faces a rare challenge from the united coalition of opposition parties. He has faced international criticism over Hungary's backslide and democratic standards. And Mr. Orban's close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin have come under renewed scrutiny. Leading the united opposition is Peter Marki-Zay, a small-town mayor who has painted Mr. Orbin as a budding authoritarian following Putin's model.

[23:25:00]

And in just a few hours, Pakistan's government is set to hold a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Imran Khan. Mr. Khan said in a televised address, he would not resign ahead of the vote and he accused the opposition of toppling a government and being under foreign influence. Last week, he lost the majority in parliament. And current predictions place the number of no confidence votes at 177. That's just five votes over the threshold to remove a prime minister.

Sri Lanka's government is imposing a weekend curfew as unrest grows over a struggling economy. People are crowding stores to buy food and other essentials after the president declared a state of emergency. This as a foreign exchange crisis batters the local currency. Now, protesters are taking aim at the curfew itself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROSHITHA PERERA, PROTESTING CURFEW: Having a curfew is not going to help anybody. People have to run businesses. People have to -- these truck drivers, they need to live their -- they live on a daily wage. They need to run their trucks. They need to go like every single day. People are going to suffer if this is going to be a continuous thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: The government says it's seeking help from the International Monetary Fund and loans from India and China.

I'm Alison Kosik. For our international viewers, Marketplace Africa is next. For viewers in north America, our coverage continues in just a moment.

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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

KOSIK: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Alison Kosik.

Let's get you up to speed with the latest developments in Ukraine where the deputy defense minister says the entire Kyiv region has been liberated, cleared of Russian forces. CNN cannot independently confirm that. Still, Ukrainian troops have been gaining ground around the capital as the Russian military said it was de-escalating there.

Meantime, U.S. intelligence now believes Russia is seeking a victory of sorts by trying to take control of Eastern Ukraine by early May. A possible target date could be May 9th when Russia traditionally celebrates victory over the Nazis in World War II, what Russia calls its Great Patriotic War. And two former Ukrainian POWs who were part of a prisoner exchange are now talking about their captivity. They told CNN Russian troops forced them to shout glory to Russia during their imprisonment and beat up those who refused.

Now, we want to introduce you to a Ukrainian journalist who is covering the conflict while her husband fights the way against Russian. News anchor Marichka Padalko sat down with CNN's Don Lemon to discuss the difficult challenges she faces.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: How are you?

MARICHKA PADALKO, UKRAINE TV ANCHOR: I never know what's the right answer to this question considering who's asking me about this.

LEMON: Yes.

PADALKO: I mean, if people from Ukraine is asking me how am I, I would say I am fine, because I am alive, my kids are OK and my husband is alive. But I mean, if somebody from the outside is asking me, I still -- I think the comprehension of what is going on will come later, because it still feels even to me so unreal.

LEMON: I'm sure you could feel the pulse of the nation. I mean, you could feel if. What was that like?

PADALKO: For me, it was very emotional because a part being a news anchor, the beginning -- the start of the war for me meant that my husband was leaving for the army.

We understood that this war will be in every family in this way in one way or another way. And that morning, we knew some of our TV anchors were not able to be at the TV station just because they had to take care of their kids, to take them to safety. And actually, the bigger discussion I think that I had with my husband maybe months before invasion because he was being very responsible about this war.

And he said, you have to make me a promise that on the day of the invasion or whenever it starts, you just put your kids in the car and take them to safety, and I go to the army. And I said, what about my job? I mean, I have a mission to go to the TV station, and I don't think it's less important than your mission to go to the army.

LEMON: As you're on the air then, you knew your husband was going to have to go away. Did he go away immediately?

PADALKO: Actually, when I was done with my first broadcast on that day I rushed back home because he was already back from Western Ukraine where he took the kids. And he had only 15 minutes to get back his backpack, to put on his uniform and go and be at the designated place.

LEMON: And what was that like?

PADALKO: For me, it was heart breaking because I didn't know whether -- you know, to tell you the truth, I didn't know whether I was going to see him again, you know, because the guys are going to the war. What can you expect?

LEMON: How did you decide who goes on the air when? Because I notice when I'm here, I'm flipping through channel after channel after channel, it has a different name on the screen but it's the same picture, same people on.

PADALKO: Now, it's divided very proportionally amongst all TV channels for -- in this united use. One day, we have a night shift. The next day, we have morning shift. Then we have day shift and then, we have this evening shift. And then, we repeat. So, it's all equally divided between channels, but we're also all the time in the studio.

So, anytime somebody cannot be on the air, cannot broadcast for whatever reasons, they feel bad, I mean, they're sick or whatever happens with their technical facilities or they have to go to the bomb shelter, they fill in.

LEMON: There's a backup?

PADALKO: Yes.

LEMON: But I notice is -- it's just -- I think it's just one camera, straight to camera. There's no different -- it's not fancy.

PADALKO: Yes. Because it's --

[23:35:00]

LEMON: No bells and whistles.

PADALKO: Yes. Because it's wartime.

LEMON: Is there any understanding for you as a media person that the Russian people are being brainwashed, that they're not seeing free press? And that's why they're in part doing what they're doing? Large part really, because they're not getting the right information.

PADALKO: You know what, I have a very personal story about this because my husband was born and raised in Russia. My -- his parents are in Russia. And they've been to Ukraine many times. They've seen us. They've seen people. They know what is going on. But still, at this point, they are brainwashed by Russian news, and they think that we deserved it.

LEMON: So, you don't think you'll have a relationship with your in- laws?

PADALKO: Not very close relationships. We had actually break after Crimea was annexed

LEMON: You had a break?

PADALKO: We had a five-year break.

LEMON: You didn't talk to them?

PADALKO: No.

LEMON: Did he talk to them?

PADALKO: Sometimes, because they are their parents, just talking how -- just saying how the kids are.

LEMON: Has he spoken to them?

PADALKO: He asked his mom not to text him because he said that it's very hypocritical of her to be asking how he is or showing some care for him when our children are being bombarded by Russian missiles.

LEMON: Do they believe him?

PADALKO: I don't think so. Because they never (INAUDIBLE).

LEMON: That's tough.

PADALKO: But, you know, having a job now, unlike many people in Ukraine, that's what keeps me distracted of all my worries that I have because that's the only time I don't think where my husband is or whether he's alive now or something happened.

LEMON: It's a nice distraction.

PADALKO: Yes.

LEMON: Well, you said you have a mission. Is that mission to inform people and not have them be like Russians?

PADALKO: This is the first mission that you said, that inform people and not to be -- to be real news and not propaganda. But now, I have special -- I see a special mission for myself. As I was the person to announce that the war has started, I have to announce that it has ended. So, I'm waiting for this mission to happen in my life. Hopefully, I will see that moment this year.

LEMON: And what will you say?

PADALKO: I don't think I will have words at that point, and maybe I will start saying something about Ukraine and will be pushing my partner to pick-me-up and will crying because I think at that time, I will have an excuse for tears.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

KOSIK: CNN's Don Lemon there speaking with a Ukrainian journalist, Marichka Padalko.

Another war casualty, the death of a Ukrainian journalist. Maksym Levin was killed by Russian forces near Kyiv according to the office of Ukraine's attorney general. The photo journalist was found unarmed with two gunshot wounds. He had worked for a number of major western news outlets including Reuters and the BBC. In a statement, Reuters said, it is deeply saddened by his loss, calling his death a huge loss to the world of journalism. In his bio, Levin described himself as a photographer, videographer, father and human being.

Just ahead, how Russia is trying to protect its economy from the weight of global sanctions as the war in Ukraine is now in its sixth week.

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[23:40:00]

KOSIK: These women marched through Budapest Saturday to shine a light on the smallest victims of the war in Ukraine, the children. The organizer as well as many of the marchers are Ukrainian refugees. The U.N. says at least 120 children have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine. Women and children are also on the mind of Ukraine's former president.

Petro Poroshenko spoke to CNN in front of a bombed area that used to be a place where children played.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETRO POROSHENKO: UKRAINIAN FORMER PRESIDENT: Please understand this is not a film of horror. This is real today life of Ukrainian capital. This is how we live in Kyiv.

Just behind me, this is the children basketball center. It was built here where the land of the (INAUDIBLE). And this is the Russian missiles who attacked these 14 children. And we are here. This is the respect of the memories of the victims of the (INAUDIBLE) which is happening here in Kyiv, and this is just a demonstration how disastrous is the war.

Our brave armed forces is fighting and protecting Ukraine. But Russian armed forces is not fighting with honor. They're fighting with the women, with the children, with the elderly people, killing and torturing civilians. And we should stop them. We should stop them. And we should understand that if we do not stop them here in Ukraine definitely, they go further, they make a public statement.

We will stop -- fighting would be in Poland, so in Baltic States or it might be here. In this situation, definitely we need more weapons.

KOSIK: Yes.

[23:45:00]

POROSHENKO: This situation, definitely. Can you imagine, just one thing, Ukraine and future of Europe and the world depending on 100 fighter jets, from 300 tanks and from 500-armed personnel carrier. And this is these long lives of dozens of thousands of Ukrainians who are staying in life to be enlisted in the armed forces and the battalion of the territorial defense is just heavy weapons to attack and throw out Russian force from Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: The Russian government is dealing with an onslaught of global sanctions, doing everything it can to keep its economy afloat.

Meantime, a fuel depot near the Ukrainian border was recently attacked. For more on all this, here's CNN's Atika Shubert.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Two issues that we're following out of Russia today. First are the attempts to try and keep the Russian economy from collapsing under the weight of sanctions. Russia's Central Bank has moved to stabilize the currency, jacking up interest rates, imposing very strict capital controls.

And now, the Russian ruble is at about the same level as it was before the start of the invasion. Russia also threatened to cut off gas supplies to Europe unless existing energy contracts were paid in rubles. That deadline was Friday, and it came and went, and gas is still flowing to Europe. But I think it's important to remember that Europe is still heavily dependent on Russia, nearly 40 percent of its energy needs come from Russian oil and gas.

Now, the second issue we're following is this announcement by the Russian Ministry of Defense that the Ukrainian Air Force conducted a missile attack on a fuel depot inside Russian territory on the City of Belgorod. This is located across the border from Ukraine. It's very close to the Eastern Ukrainian City of Kharkiv.

Now, a video has surfaced of this attack. CNN has geolocated the video, but we cannot confirm that the two helicopters seen in that video are in fact from the Ukrainian military. The Ukrainian government has refused to deny or confirm the attack.

A citing local emergency services, however, Russia's state news agency, TASS, is reporting that 16,000 cubic meters or more than 3 million gallons of fuel were set on fire as a result of that attack. So, that would be a significant logistical blow for Russian troops that have been using Belgorod as a staging ground for conducting attacks in Ukraine.

I'm Atika Shubert for CNN in Valencia, Spain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: The Ukrainian government is raising money through the sale of digital art called Non-Fungible Tokens or NFTs. According to the Meta History: Museum of War, which is organizing the sale, the proceeds will support the Ukrainian military and civilians.

The auction was announced in Wednesday. And within 24 hours, they managed to sell more than 1,000 artworks, raising more than half a million dollars. The digital art pieces were made by Ukrainian and foreign artist. They depict various moments and aspects of the conflict since it started on February 24th.

And if you would like to safely and securely help people in Ukraine who may be in need of shelter, food and water, please go to cnn.com/impact. There you'll find several ways you can help.

Snow is not just fun for skiers and snowmobilers, but a lack of this vital resource spells trouble for parts of the U.S. Details when we come back.

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[23:50:00]

KOSIK: Welcome back. I am Alison Kosik.

Now, to the mega drought in California. America's most populous state is already experiencing its driest year in nearly a century. And new evidence shows the devastating dry spell may be worsening. CNN's Stephanie Elam has the story.

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STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains. A winter wonderland where people come to enjoy the snow. But this is taking the fun out of it. In California's last snowpack survey of the wet season, just 2 1/2 inches of snow were measured. Containing the equivalent of only one inch of water. That's a mere 4 percent of the April 1st average. Most of the seven readings here were on dirt and grass.

SEAN DE GUZMAN, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES: Well, as of April 1st, where we should be in terms of our snowpack, we should be standing on roughly five feet of snow. So, my feet should be roughly right here.

ELAM (voiceover): Think of the snow pack as a frozen reservoir. The state says it is responsible for about 30 percent of California's water, including drinking water.

ELAM (on camera): It is a beautiful day out here but that is actually part of the problem. These rushing waters, because the snowpack is already melting, but not all of this water is going to make it to California's reservoirs, which are already low.

GUZMAN: We could approximate losing it down into the groundwater, down in the soil. So, sthat would help replenish the ground water. But at the same time, we could lose some through evaporation.

ELAM (voiceover): Winter in California started off wet. But hopes of a drought-busting rainy season quickly dried up. By March, the state had notched the driest first three months of a year in its recorded history.

WADE CROWFOOT, CALIFORNIA SECRETARY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES: Some would consider this a wake-up call. I disagree. The alarm's already gone off. Climate change is here and it's been here across the American West.

ELAM (voiceover): According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more of Northern California sank into extreme drought. So did parts of Utah and New Mexico. Even worse, parts of Oregon and Nevada are in exceptional drought.

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): We are encouraging people to do common- sense. Thanks.

ELAM (voiceover): Last summer, California governor Gavin Newsom called on residents to cut their water consumption.

NEWSOM: 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.

[23:55:00]

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

ELAM (on camera): And Secretary Crowfoot pointing out that those reliably wet winters that we use the to get in California, say, 50 or 100 years ago are just not something we should bank on any longer. And, therefore, he says 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.

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KOSIK: Monday night's March Madness men's title game is now set. Kansas eastly defeated Villanova 81-65 in the first semifinal game. Kansas has won three championships in program history. The last one coming in 2008. They will meet six-time champions North Carolina for the title. The Tar Heels defeated their bitter rival Duke in a nail biter, 81-77.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Alison Kosik. Stay with us. Our coverage, live, from Ukraine is next.