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Street In Bucha Found Strewn With Dead Bodies; NATO Secretary General Calls Civilian Deaths In Bucha A "Brutality"; Russian Missiles Strike Fuel Depot In Key Ukraine Port Of Odessa; Ukrainian Father Documents Life Inside a War Zone; Political Turmoil in Pakistan; Russia's War on Ukraine Impacts Hungarian Election; Biden Calls on Congress to Act on Gun Control After Shooting. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired April 04, 2022 - 01:00   ET

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

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[01:00:24]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I'm John Vause live in Lviv, Ukraine. We begin this hour with mounting evidence of possible war crimes in Ukraine.

As Russian forces retreat from the Kyiv region, they leave it behind scenes of horror and devastation in their way. A warning the images you're about to see are disturbing and difficult to watch. CNN teams on the ground capture these images of mass grave in Bucha. The mayor says up to 300 people, many of them civilians could be buried there.

The discovery that masquerade came soon after images revealed bodies strewn across streets, some with their hands tied behind their backs. Others seemingly killed execution style, with a bullet to the back of the head.

Those horrific scenes in Bucha and Northwestern southern Kyiv, through swift condemnation from world leaders, many demanding war crimes investigations as well as accountability. And in his lately address, Ukraine's President echoed those calls.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The world has already seen many war crimes at different times on different continents, but it is time to do everything possible to make the war crimes of the Russian military, the last manifestation of such evil on earth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The Kremlin denies killing civilians in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense said the images out of Bucha are fake. Another statement alleged the footage was also staged. Similar stories that have emerged across Ukraine on Sunday, the regional military governor of Kharkiv said there were 23 casualties when Russian forces fired on part of the city.

And Human Rights Watch says it has documented allegations of war crimes in areas around Kyiv, Kharkiv as well as Chernihiv. Our Fred Pleitgen travel to Bucha to witness firsthand the atrocities carried out during what the Kremlin calls a special military operation. And again, a warning. His report includes disturbing and graphic images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): As the Russians continue to withdraw from areas here around Kyiv and towards the border with Belarus, the Ukrainians move into these territories.

I think two things are becoming increasingly clear. On the one hand, a lot more Russian military hardware was taken out than anybody would have thought and on the other hand, a lot more civilians also came to harm as well.

We witnessed some of that firsthand. Here's what we saw.

(voice-over): As Russian forces retreat from the area north of Kyiv in their wake scenes of utter destruction. Whole blocks of houses flattened. Ukrainian authorities saying they believe dead bodies are still lying underneath.

But here the dead also lay in the open. Ukrainian National Police showed us this mass grave in Bucha, saying they believed up to 150 civilians might be buried here, but no one knows the exact number. People killed while the Russian army occupied this town.

This is what it looks like when the hope is crushed. Vladimir has been searching for his younger brother Dimitri. Now he's convinced Dimitri lies here, even though he can't be 100 percent sure.

The neighbor accompanying him with strong words for the Russians. Why do you hate us so much? She asks. Since the 1930s you've been abusing Ukraine. You just want to destroy us. You want us gone, but we will be everything will be OK. I believe it.

Video from Bucha shows bodies in the streets after Russian forces left the area. Some images even show bodies with hands tied behind their backs. The Russian Defense Ministry denies killing civilians and claims images of dead civilians are quote fake.

But we met a family just returning to their house in Borodyanka, which they say was occupied by Russian soldiers. They show us the body of a dead man in civilian clothes they had found in the backyard. His hands and feet tied with severe bruises and a shell casing still laying nearby.

Russia's military appears to have suffered heavy losses before being driven out of the area around key of this column of armored vehicles in Bucha completely destroyed.

(on camera): The way the Ukrainians tell us is that the Russians were trying to go towards Kyiv and they were then intercepted by Ukrainian drones, artillery and also the javelin anti-tank weapons. It's not clear how many Russians were killed here but they say many were and others fled the scene.

(voice-over): A national police officer says the Russian troops were simply too arrogant.

[01:05:00]

They thought they could drive on the streets and just go through, he says, that they would be greeted as though it's alright maybe they think it is normal to drive around looting to destroy buildings and to mock people. But our people didn't allow it.

And now it appears all the Russians have withdrawn from here. Ukraine says it is now in full control of the entire region around Kyiv. But it is only now that the full extent of the civilian suffering is truly coming to light.

(on camera): What we saw there in Bucha was obviously awful. But unfortunately, it's not something that is necessarily unique just to that one small town around the capital of Kyiv. In fact, just today, we were in various other places, various other small towns and satellite towns around the Ukrainian Capitol and every single one of them we saw the same scene. We saw utter destruction, destroyed buildings where the local authority said they're still dead people underneath, you know, dead bodies in the street dead bodies, in backyards.

And as the time progresses, as the Ukrainians make more and more inroads, and access a lot more of these areas, unfortunately, they're probably going to find more of the same.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Thanks to Fred Pleitgen for that report. Now the Secretary General of NATO, stopping short of using the word genocide to describe Russia's actions in Bucha, but Jens Stoltenberg supports the International Criminal court's decision to open an investigation into potential war crimes here in Ukraine. Here he is.

(BEGI VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: It is a brutality against civilians we haven't seen in Europe for decades, and it's horrific, and it's absolutely unacceptable that civilians are targeted and killed. And it just underlines the importance of that is war must end and that is President Putin's responsibility to stop the war.

It is also extremely important that the National Criminal Court has opened an investigation into potential war crimes in Ukraine and that all facts are brought on the table and that those responsible are held accountable. So therefore, I strongly welcome the investigation by the International Criminal Court.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington will help document any atrocities committed by the Russian military. But when speaking to CNN's Dana Bash, he stopped short of calling the horrific tragedy of Bucha of war crime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: You can't help but see these images as a punch to the gut. And look, we've said before Russia's aggression, that we thought it was likely that they would commit atrocities. Since the aggression, we've come out and said that we believe that Russian forces have committed war crimes. And we've been working to document that to provide the information that we have to the relevant institutions and organizations that will put all of this together, and there needs to be accountability for it.

But I think the most important thing is we can't become numb to this. We can't normalize this. This is the reality of what's going on every single day, as long as Russia's brutality against Ukraine continues. That's why it needs to come to an end.

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: And Ukrainian foreign minister said Russia aims to eliminate as many Ukrainians as they can. Beyond war crimes, do you see this as genocide?

BLINKEN: Look, we will look hard and document everything that we see. Put it all together, make sure that the relevant institutions and organizations that are looking at this, including the State Department have everything they need to assess exactly what took place in Ukraine, who's responsible and what it amounts to.

BASH: Let's talk about punishment here. The EU is already saying it will impose new, even harsher sanctions over this. What about the US? Would the U.S. impose more sanctions, for example, on Russian oil, cracking down on all Russian banks banning energy payments from the Swift banking system?

BLINKEN: And we're doing this every single day. We're tightening the existing sanctions. We're adding new ones. We're doing it in full coordination with Europeans and other partners around the world.

And one of the results is that the Russian economy is reeling. There are forecasts by most of the major forecasters that its economy is going to contract by 10 percent this year, and that's in stark contrast to economies like our own, which are growing rapidly.

We're seeing an exodus of every major company from Russia. And over the long term, the export controls that we've imposed means that they will not have the technology they need to modernize key aspects of their economy and their future.

So, the sanctions are having a big bite now. They're going to have a big bite going forward as long as it's last. And we every single day making sure that they're not only tightened but increased we have additional sanctions just a couple of days.

BASH: They still have a lifeline particularly when it comes to their energy sector. Is that something that the U.S. is considering along with its Western allies?

[01:10:04]

BLINKEN: We're in constant conversation with allies and partners about the most effective ways to tighten to strengthen the sanctions. And at the same time, we're very focused on making sure that Europe has the energy it needs not only to get through this year in this winter, which, which it has, but next year as well.

But the other thing Dana is this. If you step back and look at this. This has already been a dramatic strategic setback for Russia. And I would say a strategic defeat. They had three aims going into this. One was to subjugate Ukraine to Russia as well to take away its sovereignty and independence.

The second was to assert Russian power. The third was to divide the Western NATO on all three fronts. It's already lost.

Ukraine, its sovereignty and independence is going to be there a lot longer than Vladimir Putin is going to be on the scene. The Russian military has dramatically underperformed, its economies reeling, and the West, NATO are more united than any time I can remember.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking with our Dana Bash.

Humanitarian groups are still struggling to reach vulnerable civilians and get them out of harm's way. Continued Russian airstrikes are making that effort increasingly difficult.

This is drone footage that shows the havoc wreaked by Russia on the city of Mariupol, nearly 500 residents there escaped that devastation in their own vehicles Sunday, the numbers have slowed considerably displaced Ukrainians continued to flee this country. More than 4.1 million refugees have now fled since the fighting began.

But not all of those who fled us actually staying. Tens of thousands are returning to Ukraine from Poland despite the threat of war. CNN's Kyung Lah spoke with refugees in Warsaw to find out why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): In some ways, we've almost become accustomed to these images because they are now so common almost six weeks into the war.

Ukrainians carrying everything they own and bags that they can roll their babies in tow, except they are not fleeing to safety. We are on a platform, a bus platform in Warsaw, Poland and what you are looking at are Ukrainian refugees here in Poland. But they are not running from the war. They are returning to Ukraine.

(voice-over): At the bus station in Warsaw Poland, platform is packed. But not with people arriving from Ukraine. They're heading back, reality of life as a refugee more unbearable than war. Katarina both (ph) says after two weeks, she's returning to Kyiv.

(on camera): What is it like trying to live away from home all this time?

KATARINA BOTH (ph), UKRAINIAN REFUGEE: So bad. Because you don't know what was wrong with your relatives, with your family.

LAH: It's not a permanent way to live.

BOTH (ph): Yes.

LAH (voice-over): The Polish government says two and a half million Ukrainians have come in since the war began. As of this weekend, 442,000 have gone from Poland back to Ukraine.

Housing is a problem as Poland struggles to absorb the influx of women, children and the elderly.

Poland's residents have welcomed Ukrainian families into their homes. But living on strange floors and out of bags can only go on for so long.

Poland allows Ukrainians to work and collect government assistance. But there's the red tape standing in long lines with fellow war refugees to file the proper papers. And then there's childcare and schooling, trying to raise kids with new language and cultural barriers. Poland wants to help. But nearly six weeks into this war, the signs of strain are getting harder to ignore.

RAFAL TRZASKOWSKI, WARSAW, POLAND MAYOR: The Polish people will welcome Ukrainians whatever happens because they are fighting for our freedom. And we do understand that but of course there is a certain limit, human limit what we can do.

LAH (on camera): When you say you're at capacity. What do you mean?

TRZASKOWSKI: The population of my city has grown almost by a 20 percent in a month. So of course it puts an enormous strain on the city on its services. And we are doing our best. We are welcoming everyone who needs help. But you know improvisation has to end.

LAH: Some of the stories that we're hearing from these passengers who are heading back into Ukraine, a pregnant woman, who says that she does not want to give birth in Poland alone that her husband has remained in Ukraine to fight in the war. She wants to be with him.

Another woman who owns a business who says her heart is shattered into a million pieces being here in Poland. She plans to try to pick up her life in Ukraine. This bus to Lviv has just pulled up. It's going to be leaving in minutes. Kyung Lah, CNN, Warsaw, Poland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: We will take a short break here on CNN. When we come back, the family of a journalist missing in Ukraine how the Moscow responsible for her abduction for that story in just a moment.

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[01:18:32]

VAUSE: Well, the Kremlin has denied allegations they've to chain more than 45 high profile Ukrainians including mayors, community leaders, as well as journalists. But the family of a missing Ukrainian journalists does not believe that denial. And I say wait hoping to hear from her again, hoping that she is safe. CNN's Ivan Watson has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Masha plays by the banks of the Dnieper River under the watchful eye of her grandmother. In a few days, she'll be turning four but her mother may not be there to celebrate.

Iryna Dubchenko is missing. taken captive, her family says, by the Russian military. The family last heard from Iryna on March 26 when she called from her home in the Russian occupied village of Rozivka, saying Russian soldiers had searched her house.

ALEXANDRA DUBCHENKO, MISSING JOURNALIST'S SISTER (through translator): She was very frightened. She told us that the Russian soldiers that we know everything about you, and you should be shot on the support for what you did.

WATSON: The next day neighbors say the Russians returned and detained Iryna who works as a freelance journalist. They haven't heard from her since.

DUBCHENKO (through translator): We don't know where she is right now. They have no information about her.

WATSON: The alleged Russian abduction of Iryna Dubchenko fits a broader pattern. Ukraine's Commissioner for Human Rights accuses Russian forces of detaining at least 55 civilians since invading Ukraine on February 24th.

[01:20:03]

A Kremlin spokesman has told CNN, he's not aware of cases of disappearances, but adds that they should be examined carefully.

At least 11 detain civilians are elected mayors like Ivan Fedorov. A security camera caught Russian troops kidnapping Fedorov on March 11 in the Russian occupied town of Melitopol. He says he was later released in a prisoner exchange for nine captive Russian soldiers.

I would happily offer myself in a prisoner exchange for her freedom, Iryna's mother Larrisa says, just let her go. She has a child.

Larissa and her husband tried to rescue Iryna from her Russian occupied village on March 7th. This is your mother's car. But they were forced to turn back after gunfire shattered their car window.

(on camera): Larissa is showing me a bullet and casing from around that she says hit her car on March 7 when she tried to reach the village that her daughter lives in. She says Russian soldiers opened fire on her vehicle.

(voice-over): At some point in the first weeks of the war, Iryna took in a wounded Ukrainian soldier.

DUBCHENKO (through translator) Iryna told me on the phone that this military guy was at home that she was threatened him changing his bandages.

WATSON: When Russian troops searched Iryna's house on March 26, Alexandria says they detained the wounded Ukrainian.

DUBCHENKO (through translator): He was wounded in the arm and the leg they handcuffed him and took him out right away.

WATSON: On March 28 after Iryna's alleged abduction, her mother made it safely to the occupied village. She says the Russian officer told her that Iryna had been taken to the Russian backed separatists city of Donetsk to be tried in court for sheltering the wounded Ukrainian soldier. But that's not a crime according to international laws of war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First, Geneva Convention is a convention that protects wounded and sick soldiers in the field

WATSON (on camera): If a civilian treats a wounded combatant, according to the Geneva Convention, is that allowed?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is not only allowed, it is also protected. Article 18 of the first Geneva Convention is crystal clear about it and says that no one may be molested or convicted for treating wounded.

WATSON: CNN reached out to Russia's Ministry of Defense regarding the alleged detention of Iryna Dubchenko, the ministry never replied. Iryna's family now wait in terrifying limbo.

DUBCHENKO (through translator): Masha often asks, Where is mama? Every day I say she's coming soon. She's coming tomorrow. She'll be here in an hour or two.

WATSON: The truth is, no one here knows when Masha will see her mother again. Ivan Watson, CNN, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: At least six journalists have now been killed covering this war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has posthumously awarded a medal for bravery to one of them, Ukrainian photojournalist. According to Ukraine's Attorney General's Office, Maks Levin was killed by Russian forces in Kyiv, living work for a number of major Western news outlets including Reuters and the BBC.

When we come back here, Russian missiles hit an oil refinery and a fuel depot in Odessa. We'll have a report from the scene in a moment.

Also, the very touching story of a Ukrainian dad who feels compelled to document life in a war zone while raising a newborn son.

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[01:27:25]

VAUSE: 27 minutes past the hour welcome back everybody. I'm John Vause live in Lviv in Ukraine. As Russian troops retreat from the area around Kyiv, they're leaving behind evidence of a massacre. A warning the images you are about to see a graphic.

This is a mass grave site in Bucha, a northern suburb of Kyiv, up to 300 people could be buried here according to the town's mayor. Russia wants you to believe this is all staged. But a CNN crew witnessed this and bodies we got it buried, some was still contorted on the streets, or tied up with their hands behind their backs. The President of Ukraine is accusing Russia of genocide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKYY (through translator): Indeed, this is genocide, the elimination of the whole nation and the people. We are the citizens of Ukraine. We have more than 100 nationalities. This is about the destruction and extermination of all these nationalities. We are the citizens of Ukraine. And we don't want to be subdued to the policy of Russian Federation and this is the reason we are being destroyed and exterminated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Russia has denied any involvement maintaining it does not target civilians, also claiming the images of bodies on the streets of Bucha are fake. Well, an oil refinery and fuel depot in the port city of Odessa came under attack Sunday was a missile struck decide early in the morning. CNN's Ed Lavandera takes us to the same.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The missiles exploded in a startling violent barrage, about six strikes lit up the sky. Russian military officials say the attack on Odessa was launched from the sea and land using high precision missiles.

The massive plumes of black swirling smoke covered much of the city of 1 million people. The strikes landed in a largely industrial area, destroying an oil refinery and fuel storage facilities. (on camera): Multiple airstrikes hit the port city of Odessa here in southern Ukraine just before sunrise Sunday morning. There were no air raid sirens that went off before the blast and the explosions could be felt and seen from miles away.

(voice-over): Ukrainian officials say there were no injuries but Tatyana Harasim (ph) says the explosions through her from the chair she was sleeping in and window glass shattered all over.

[01:30:02]

Tatyana (ph) volunteers in this building late into the night cooking meals for Ukrainian soldiers. In recent days she says reconnaissance drones were flying over the fuel storage facility. Two other residents told us they saw the drones as well.

TATYANA HARASIM (ph), ODESSA RESIDENT (through translator): The drones were flying around, and I knew they're up to something. And could bomb the depot. And we've been thinking where we could hide in case something happens.

LAVANDERA: A small pocket of apartment buildings and homes sit just across the street from the bombing site. Families stood outside their homes, under the clouds of dark smoke, watching flames shoot up into the air.

The explosions, shattered windows, and any remaining sense of security these residents had left.

HARASIM (ph): Of course, I'm scared. Now, they're hitting everywhere. They are doing it in all cities. We know it, we see it.

LAVANDERA: The attack on Odessa follows a similar pattern Russian forces have carried out for weeks. Hitting fuel storage facilities across the country it claims are supplying their Ukrainian military. But if the Odessa strike is a precise attack, Ukrainian officials say, the strikes hours later in the neighboring city of Mykolaiv have no rhyme or reason and are designed to harass and panic civilians.

Despite being this close to the bombing, and with tears in her eyes, Tatiana Gerasim says, she refuses to leave Ukraine. She tells me, "These bastards won't get away with it".

Ed Lavandera, CNN -- Odessa, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Well, just outside Kyiv is Irpin, no longer under Russian control but the city lies in ruins, too dangerous for residents to return.

A new father though managed to escape just before Russian strikes destroyed his apartment building and since then, he's been recording life inside the war zone, all the while taking care of a new born son.

(SINGING) VAUSE: And earlier, he spoke to CNN's Jim Acosta about why that song is so relevant now, and why he is documenting his daily life, for the world to see.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX DAYRABEKOV, DOCUMENTING LIFE IN A WAR ZONE: "Yesterday" is the right song for this situation. You know, I have been singing it to my son first son, who is 25 years old now. And, I sing it to this kid as well.

And, while I am singing at now, I really, you know, reflect on it. And I was really shocked and I started crying that some of the words really about this situation. On behalf of men I used to be. You know, there is shadow hanging over me.

This is all about the situation now. Life changed completely within this time -- completely.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. It makes you think about it -- if you're a parent, it makes you think about your own kids and, how he would be able to handle things, going through, what you are going through, Alex.

And you know, we just reported about these horrific images, coming out of Bucha, where Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, says people, including children were tortured and killed. Your own city of Irpin lies in ruins. We've seen that -- that video time and again. It's just awful.

What is it like for you to see these reports day after day, knowing that you are one of the lucky ones?

DAYRABEKOV: Well, yes these are the -- my place is Irpin, Bucha, Hostomel -- that's where the war actually started from the north. And you know, my heart is tearing into pieces. This is -- we were lucky to escape, in the first day. I actually evacuated one family.

But three days later, it was already impossible to evacuate and the people who I know my neighbors tried to escape, in caravans of cars. And they were killed. Civilians, with kids, with signs "children" on the car were killed.

[01:34:47]

DAYRABEKOV: You know, there's eyewitnesses, and now, I feel like this is my mission to collect those evidences, testimonies, and I have them to talk to international lawyers and to give their testimonies, you know. And present those talks, and I really sometimes just -- I can't stopping not crying.

ACOSTA: Of course. And what do you have to say to, you know, the Russians, who are claiming that the images that we're seeing of atrocities are staged and fake and so on. I mean obviously, what they are saying is ludicrous but from your perspective what is your response when you hear that sort of thing? DAYRABEKOV: Nothing. I will tell them nothing. I have tried for the first week, to talk to my relatives. To the ones who I know in Russia. And they are completely silent. They are completely brainwashed. I don't want to spend my nerves and energy on that.

I'm going to collect the evidences. I'm going to help the victims and the eyewitnesses. And I'm going to do everything possible that the international trials will happen, and those who did it will pay. This is what I'm going to do. But I will not talk to them.

ACOSTA: And you shoot another video of how your son has gotten so used to hearing the air sirens going off that he barely reacts anymore. We want to show our viewers and we'll talk about it after we play it.

Alex, what do you think you're going to tell your son about all of this in the future? When he can, I guess possibly understand what was going on during this terrible, awful time?

DAYRABEKOV: I will tell him that he started his life in the time, in the historic time when the entire country got together against this evil, against this devil, because this isn't even a war, it is a massacre. It is a genocide.

They came to erase our nation. And everyone is fighting. Everyone is fighting in this country for our country, for our land, and for human values and for freedom. And I'm sure that what is happening now will change the entire history of the country, of Europe, and of the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Wow.

Let's get back to Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. Kristie, that's quite the story, really. I wonder what sort of future that child will have just a couple of weeks old by now.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. That father's account is so raw, so real, and that poignant moment of him singing "Yesterday" by the Beatles to his infant sone, just yearning for this time of innocence way back when.

John, thank you so much. And to you and the crew there, please take care. Stay safe my friend.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Still much more to come here on the program. Pakistan's embattled prime minister is clinging to his political career. And coming up, how Imran Khan survived the campaign to remove him from office. We're going to go live to Islamabad for the latest.

And Hungary's right-wing prime minister, takes a dig at European leaders after winning a fourth term in office. How Russia's war in Ukraine affected elections in Hungary, next.

[01:38:38]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STOUT: Economic unrest is leading to widespread anger in Sri Lanka.

Police there used tear gas to disperse student protesters on Sunday amid a weekend curfew and state of emergency declared by the government.

A shortage for foreign currency and the COVID-19 pandemic are fueling an economic crisis. The country is seeing rising prices, scarce essential goods, and rolling power cuts.

Russia's war on Ukraine dominated parliamentary elections in neighboring Hungary on Sunday. Hungary's Viktor Orban called Ukraine's president, one of the many, quote, "opponents" he overcame to win re- election.

The right-wing prime minister and Putin ally secured a fourth consecutive term, after his party won a super majority in parliament. Mr. Orban has drawn international criticism over the erosion of democratic rights during his time in office.

He made light of his long-running tensions with Europe during a victory speech in Budapest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIKTOR ORBAN, HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We have scored a victory so big that it can be seen even from the moon. But, definitely, from Brussels.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: His main challenger, Peter Marki-Zay, conceded defeat late on Sunday. Although, he questioned the fairness of the election.

Now Pakistan's prime minister will stay on the job, despite opposition efforts to oust him. Pakistan's President says Imran Khan will continue as prime minister until the appointment of a caretaker government citing the country's constitution.

This, after parliament's deputy speaker blocked a vote of no confidence on the prime minister on Sunday.

Our CNN producer Sophia Saifi joins me now live from Islamabad. And Sophia, tell us first, what led to this political crisis in Pakistan?

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN PRODUCER: Kristie, this all started in early March when the joint opposition got together and put in a motion for a vote of no confidence. And as the weeks went by, and as the current government tried to delay it, and delay it, and delay it (AUDIO GAP) where many, many members that made up the coalition government, the allies of the PTI Imran Khan's Party, they switched sides and went over to the opposition. So in the lead up to what was going to happen yesterday, there were more (AUDIO GAP) votes within the opposition. They need to be 172 seats, in the opposition side for that the vote to have gone through.

[01:44:52]

SAIFI: And the opposition had over 177, including many, many members of parliament, who had defected from the PTI party itself.

And there was a political crisis brewing and what we saw yesterday in Pakistan's parliament, was the information and law minister (INAUDIBLE) making an announcement that there is a foreign conspiracy brewing, and that there is no way that such a vote of no confidence can take place.

This was then canceled and blocked by the deputy speaker of the assembly (AUDIO GAP) after all in parliament. The opposition members refused to leave parliament. This is now gone on to the Supreme Court, and while the president and the prime minister, and while there a snap -- while there are motions place for a snap election it's all resting on what the Supreme Court will decide in a couple of hours, whether this action was actually, unconstitutional, and whether it can be reversed at all.

Because what we are seeing is a lot of support for Prime Minister Imran Khan on the streets and amongst the public. But what we're not seeing is that same kind of support within parliament because, as of yesterday, he did not have enough seats to make up the majority to even form a government in parliament, Kristie.

STOUT: So Sophia, let's look ahead. How will the Supreme Court session be able to turn things around?

SAIFI: What we are looking at, is whether the Supreme Court is going to get together. They are meeting at 1:00 local today. They're going to decide in the afternoon. A special bench has been formed to decide whether this is constitutional or not.

If it's decided it's unconstitutional then there might be a rewind situation and a vote of no confidence then goes ahead. If this is (INAUDIBLE) and even if they do decide that the actions of the deputy speaker are unconstitutional, there might have been too many motions and (AUDIO GAP) snap elections to take place.

So despite them saying that it's unconstitutional we might just think early elections, elections were due to take place in 2023 in the summer of 2023. But you know, we've been seeing Imran Khan party really revving up pre-election campaigns (AUDIO GAP). It just remains to be seen how this all plays out in a very chaotic and stunned Islamabad, Kristie.

STOUT: Sophia Saifi reporting live in Islamabad, thank you.

Now meanwhile here in Hong Kong, chief executive Carrie Lam will not seek reelection. She made the announcement the day after the nomination period opened. She says the decision is driven by family considerations.

Lam has held the position for almost five years. Her tenure has been marred by massive, pro-democracy protests and China's heavy-handed response, Hong Kong's controversial national security law, as well as unrelenting COVID-19 restrictions.

While Chinese officials are holding firm to the country's zero COVID policies, cases skyrocketed throughout the region. Residents of shanghai, have been ordered to complete another round of COVID testing, after a weekend of rising cases. In fact, the city reported more than 9,000 new infections on Sunday, as the highest daily count to date.

Shanghai is effectively under lockdown until Tuesday. Officials rushed to complete COVID testing for all 25 million residents.

You are watching CNN.

And still to come, the U.S. president is asking congress to act on gun control, after another mass shooting. This time, in California.

We have the latest on the search for the shooters, who are still at large.

Plus the stars came out on Sunday for the Grammy Awards, but so did Ukraine. The moving tribute and unexpected guest at the awards, when we come back.

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STOUT: Welcome back.

Now U.S. President Joe Biden is calling on Congress to act on gun control after another mass shooting. Six people were killed, 12 others injured when gunfire erupted in Sacramento, California early on Sunday morning.

Our Josh Campbell has the latest, from L.A.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A manhunt is underway after a deadly night in the California capital. Authorities say shots rang out in downtown Sacramento, just around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday. This was two blocks from the state capital building in an area with several restaurants and bars.

Six people have been confirmed dead, at least 12 injured. The city's police chief spoke about the incident Sunday morning.

CHIEF KATHERINE LESTER, SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT: We had officers in the area that heard shots fired, and responded to the area of 10th and K. We found a very large crowd here and they also found that we had a number of people that were shot in the area. Those officers, we know rendered aid to our victims and called for additional assistance. Right now, we do not a suspect in custody on this and we're asking for the public's help. If anyone saw anything, has video or can provide any information to the police department we are asking for their assistance.

CAMPBELL: Now, at this point, authorities don't know whether they're dealing with one or multiple shooters, and they have not yet released a suspected motive.

There is video circulating on social media that shows a physical altercation, involving a group of people, just as shots ring out. That video has not been confirmed by CNN. However, the Sacramento police spoke about that video, saying they are aware of it, they are asking for anyone who has additional video, to contact authorities.

Sacramento police have assigned numerous officers to help with this investigation, actually calling in resources from neighboring agencies to help respond to new police calls as their investigation and this manhunt continues.

Again a deadly night, yet another mass shooting in the United States. Six dead, 12 injured, the shooter still at large.

Josh Campbell, CNN -- Los Angeles.

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STOUT: Now, the Grammy Awards on Sunday featured a special guest -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who appeared in a pre-taped message. The president appealed to the international community for help sharing the truth of what is happening in Ukraine.

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ZELENSKYY: Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals. Even to those who can't hear them, but the music will break through anyway.

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ZELENSKYY: We defend our freedom -- to live, to love, to sound. On our land, we are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs. The dead silence. Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Singer John Legend later joined Ukrainian performers and musicians performing his new song called "Free", celebrating the power of music in dark times, especially war.

Golf fans are on the edge of their seats, wondering if Tiger Woods will play in this week's Masters golf tournament. The five-time Masters champ, tweeting, that he will be making a game time decision after he played a practice round at the course. Woods suffered serious leg injuries in a single vehicle crash in

February of 2021. He has not played in the official tournaments since November of 2020.

The Masters tournament begins Thursday in Augusta, Georgia.

And there is a new champion in women's college basketball. South Carolina easily defeated Connecticut on Sunday night to grab their first NCAA championship since 2017. Led by national player of the year, Aliyah Boston, the Gamecocks beat the Huskies 64 to 49.

The men's national title game tips off on Monday between Kansas and North Carolina.

And that is it for me this hour. I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong but our coverage, live from Lviv, Ukraine continues after the break.

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