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Ukrainian Pop Singer Volunteers to Fight Russians; Ukrainian Drone Unit Captures Russian Killings; Ukraine's Internally Displaced Rely On Air and Scant Hope; House Recommends Contempt Charges for Trump Advisers; Back-To-Back Storm Systems Batter U.S. South. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired April 07, 2022 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

TARAS TOPOLIA, UKRAINIAN SINGER TURNED SOLDIER: Hello, everybody. Nice to talk with you. So, yeah, like through our social media, through our videos which tries to explain to everyone what's happening around and what is the truth, what is the truth about Ukrainian war. So, we try to do the best and show everybody how it's like war.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: And you've had huge success, you and your teams in Kyiv pushing away the Russians. What was the feeling like when you discovered they were pulling out.

TOPOLIA: Yes. We had put out them from totally from the Kyiv and out here. And that the Russians say that it was like a Putin decision it's fake. It's not true. But they were -- they're seated to where they realize Ukrainian army.

Of course, with the help of America, with help of European country which given us a lot of good stuff to resist the Russians and to counterattack them. So, of course we feel much more better than when the war started. But you know, after that crime that we have saw in Bucha have been, for example, I was a lot of times there and I saw it by my eyes -- on my eyes. Those crimes should be punished. It should be like a big world judge for war crimes Putin and for his -- I don't -- I can't find the words to name because it's not an army. It's not just army, it's like -- it's like biological organism. No more. Nothing more. It's like worse than animals.

FOSTER: You will, hopefully you'll be able to go back to your music at some point. You've become a big sort of global figure. How will you use that sort of experience you've had with your work? Will you, you know, bring it into your music?

TOPOLIA: You know, it's totally different life before the war and now. So, we didn't play a lot of music here because there's not a lot of time for doing this, but we understand that music is an international tool to express the people, to express what we feel and to express the people from all over the world and they to feel what is happening now.

So sometimes we try to play music like in charity Mariupol and different charities like to send some message from Kyiv. But our main -- my main task is to save the lives, to rescue wounded and injured soldiers from the battlefield and get them first aid and of course after that to transport them to the hospital. So, it is the main task of Antytida band now. Because we're sort of like a medical comment. It's sort of like a medical comment.

FOSTER: You're friends with President Zelenskyy. I know you've worked closely in the past before he was president. How do you think he's risen to the occasion? Presumably you wouldn't have had a chance to speak to him. He obviously couldn't be busier. But how is he doing do you think?

TOPOLIA: He is doing well. He stands with Ukraine like the leader, like a big leader and he is a symbol of power, resistance. And of course, now he is standing for all -- not only European but world values. And he just not saying about this. Like declaring this, he is fighting for them and I think everyone understands this. Even saying something like, oh, it's just disturbing about this.

[04:35:00]

You know, a lot of European politicians doing like this, just saying the word. But doing nothing.

So, but our president is doing a lot. So, we of course understand that it's mostly our war to defend our country. And of course, we don't have a lot of rights to like push somebody to help us. But what we can do to tell about this. That now here, it's injustice. And if the world see this injustice, the world should help us. But this injustice will be spread all over Europe if we will not stop the Russians here in our land, in our country. So, our president, I think it's a new generation of not only European but the world politician. It's new like energy, yeah.

FOSTER: Taras Topolia thank you so much for sparing your time. Thinks calmer in Kyiv at least at the moment so you're able to speak to us. Appreciate your insight.

TOPOLIA: Thank you so much also for sharing our information, protecting us. We are very appreciative about this. Thank you.

FOSTER: Thank you.

Our special Ukrainian army units helped to target and destroy Russian tanks and military vehicles. Just a few months ago most civilians flew their drones as a hobby. I have a warning our report from Fred Pleitgen does contain some graphic video.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OLEKSANDR RADZIHOVSKY, BUGATTI COMPANY, UKRAINE TERRITORIAL DEFENSE FORCES: Just be careful, just move, move, move from the road.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): It's like a scene from the gates of hell. The deadly strewn across this highway west of Kyiv some still next to the wreckage of their vehicles as the dogs roam around looking to scavenge. This is what Russian forces left behind when they retreated from here. RADZIHOVSKY: They organized ambush over there, that's where we're going right now.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Oleksandr Radzihovsky tells me these were civilians, gunned down from this position where the Russians had placed a tank.

RADZIHOVSKY: And you can see it's actually a building shooting zone, you see?

PLEITGEN: Yes.

RADZIHOVSKY: And these cars, look, they sort of in line.

PLEITGEN: Umm.

RADZIHOVSKY: There's no cars here because they will not let them come. They just shoot as soon as they approach.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): The Russian government denies targeting civilians they call such allegations quote, fake and propaganda. But Alexander is part of a drone unit, and they filmed one incident.

It was March 7th, when the Russians were still in full control of this area, and a group of cars was driving down the highway. They turned around after apparently taking fire from the tank position. This car stops and the driver gets out, then this.

RADZIHOVSKY: He raised his head above his head, and in this moment, he will shoot by on this place.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Two people were killed that day, Maxim Yuvenko (ph) and his wife Senya (ph) who was also sitting in the vehicle. The family has confirmed the identities to CNN. After the incident, the drone filmed Russian troops getting two further people out of the car and taking them away. It was the couples' 6-year-old son and a family friend traveling with them, the relatives confirmed. Both were later released by the Russians. The soldiers then search Maxim's body and drag him away. This incident both traumatizing and motivating for Oleksandr's drone unit

RADZIHOVSKY: In normal life before the war, we were civilians who liked to fly drones around casually and just like, make a nice video, YouTube videos. But when the war began, we become actually a vital part of the resistance.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Oleksandr sent us hours of video showing his team scoping out Russian vehicles, even finding them when they're hidden and almost impossible to spot, and then helping the Ukrainians hit them.

RADZIHOVSKY: We are eyes, we call "eyes" because it was eyes, you can see and you can report. And as soon as you see, you can conduct strikes artillery, airstrikes.

PLEITGEN: How long does it take to get your information to the right places to then be able to act on the intelligence that you provide?

RADZIHOVSKY: In good time, it's about a matter of minutes.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): And sometimes a little mosquito can take out a whole herd of elephants. This is drone footage of Oleksandr's unit searching for a massive column of Russian tanks and armored vehicles. And this is that column after the drones founded.

Oleksandr tells me units like his played a major role fending off Russian troops despite the Ukrainians being vastly outgunned.

RADZIHOVSKY: We as are -- as territorial defense, we can -- oh, we don't want to just think it's suicide and then you're ready to go. But the army they have to stay, they ordered to stay, they stay. They're dying, but they stay and they're holding this ground.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Nobody knows how many Russians died here. But the group says it was many. Taken out with the help of a band of amateur drone pilots looking to defend their homeland.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Myla, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Well, away from Ukraine -- a Turkish court has just decided the trial in the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia.

[04:40:00]

Now the Turkish prosecutor requested the move on behalf of the Saudis. Khashoggi was killed in 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul leading to a large rift between the two countries. The late journalist's fiancee, along with human rights groups, condemned the move claiming a Saudi trial wouldn't be fair. They plan to appeal the decision.

Seeking shelter near the border and unsure of what to do next. Families living in fear of debating whether to leave Ukraine. Do stay with us for details.

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FOSTER: Millions have fled Ukraine since the start of the invasion, but more internally displaced people are awaiting in towns along the border but now are faced with a difficult decision. To build a new life abroad or return to what's left of their country. CNN's Matt Rivers reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The convoy gets loaded up several times a week. Workers with Hungarian Baptist Aid making the several hour drive from Budapest, destination western Ukraine. Today they're headed to Berehove, a quaint town just across the border that's become a magnet for Ukrainians fleeing the war. Upon arrivals, supplies unloaded by some of the kids staying at this shelter what used to be a school. Inside classrooms, bunk beds replaced desks, and photos of former students hang on the wall above the tiny shoes of the kids staying in the room today.

Like little Yava (ph) and her mom, Deanna (ph). They fled Kyiv a few weeks ago, leaving behind her husband to fight the Russians.

She says, "We stood there and cried at the train station. My daughter was so mad at him. She thought he was leaving us. He said Yava, come give me a kiss. But she wouldn't."

Yava, just too young to understand the sacrifice her dad is making like so many other children here scarred by the war even in this safe place, air raid sirens still go off.

[04:45:02]

RIVERS: So, down here in the school's basement, they're using this as a bomb shelter and the schools director says that they're coming down here on average, a couple dozen times every week, even though no bombs have fallen in this area. But when the children come down here, the director says so many of them are still traumatized.

So, for instance, the other day it was raining outside there was a clap of thunder, and a lot of the children's screamed, the director said, because they thought it was a bomb.

RIVERS (voice-over): Aid continues to flow into Berehove. In the beginning of the war, it was largely just a stop for refugees fleeing to other countries. Now, they're staying in put.

BELA SZILAGYI, PRESIDENT, HUNGARIAN BAPTIST AID: Those who are arriving, they want to stay for the long-term, and it certainly requires different kind of hosting.

RIVERS (voice-over): For Hungarian Baptist Aid, more refugees means more need for everything else, including helping hands.

DANIEL NAGRUNDY, PHARMACIST AND HUNGARIAN BAPTIST AID VOLUNTEER: It's not really like a war, for me. I feel like it's a genocide of Ukrainians.

RIVERS (voice-over): Pharmacist Daniel Nagrundy came to help from Philadelphia, the son of Ukrainian immigrants.

NAGRUNDY: The people come together and come to the country and try to help out, then something actually gets done.

RIVERS (voice-over): It's definitely the spirit at a nearby church where a tiny volunteer operation has ramped up to hundreds of meals served every day as refugees decide to stay long term. The reasons can vary everything from hope that the Ukrainian army will prevail to simply not wanting to live in a foreign country. For Deanna back at the school, the reason to not flee to neighboring Hungary was simple. She says, "We feel like we're closer somehow closer to my husband. I will go back the moment it's safe for my children."

Matt Rivers, CNN, Berehove, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Still ahead this hour, more trouble for Donald Trump's inner circle. Why Congress is recommending contempt charges for two of his closest White House advisers.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: U.S. Justice Department will consider prosecuting a pair of top advisers to former President Donald Trump. CNN's Ryan Nobles reports they're not the first members of Trump's team to face charges.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The House of Representatives has voted to refer two former members of the Trump administration for criminal contempt to the Department of Justice because they defied subpoenas that were handed out by the January 6th Select Committee. Those two individuals are Peter Navarro, former White House trade adviser and Dan Scavino, the former Deputy White House Chief of Staff. Claim that they did not need to cooperate with the committee because they were protected by executive privilege. A privilege that they say was extended by the former President Donald Trump.

But the committee argues that the former president doesn't have that ability. That it is up to the current occupant of the White House to offer up executive privilege protections and that Joe Biden has declined to do so in this case.

So, this was a vote that went largely along partisan lines -- 220/203. There were two Republicans that voted with Democrats, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. They too of course members of the January 6th Select Committee.

The question now becomes what does the Department of Justice do with these new referrals? This will be the third and fourth referrals that they've been forced to deal with. Up until this point they've only acted on one. And that was the criminal contempt referral of Steve Bannon -- a former White House advisor and podcast -- who is facing an indictment and a trial later this summer.

Mark Meadows, the former White House Chief of Staff, his criminal contempt referral is still pending. Merrick Garland, the Attorney General was asked about it this week, he had no comment on whether or not they're getting any closer to indicting Meadows. So, this will be another big question and put a degree of pressure on

the Department of Justice because what the January 6th Select Committee is doing is essentially testing the ability of Congress to enforce subpoenas like these and if for some reason the Department of Justice turns down the opportunity to indict or if they go through with the indictment process and are unable to get a conviction, it may be more difficult for the Congress to enforce subpoenas going forward.

Nevertheless, Democrats believe this is the course that they want to take, a message being sent to others that are not necessarily complying with their subpoenas. This was passed out of the Congress and it will now be up to the Department of Justice as to how to proceed.

Ryan Nobles, CNN on Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Oil company CEO is refusing to take steps to lower gas prices for American consumers. During a hearing on Wednesday none of the big oil bosses in companies including ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron and BP would commit to reducing dividends and share buy backs but instead use those profits to ramp up production. Democratic lawmakers accuse CEOs of having shareholder's pockets at the expense of the American people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RAUL RUIZ (D-CA): While American families are struggling with high gas prices, you and your big oil corporations are making record profits choosing to keep supply low. During this Russian war you are ripping the American people off and it must end. Gas prices need to go down and while the rest of America's trying to make this happen, you all are trying to increase your record profits.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: U.S. oil production remains lower than it was before COVID even though oil prices have nearly doubled.

A third straight day of severe weather with tornadoes and heavy rain is battering the south. At least three people were killed and dozens of homes were damaged from storms from over the past few days. And it's not over yet. Let's go to Gene Norman. He's live at the CNN Weather Center. Hi, Gene.

GENE NORMAN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Max. You know, it's a different day but the same weather in Georgia. We showed you a tornado yesterday near Savannah. Today we've got one that's happened on Wednesday afternoon in Cordarrelle, Georgia that was captured by Debbie and Robert Powell. Pretty scary site there.

And we're still tracking some storms. Not tornadic at the moment but a lot of lightning and a lot of heavy downpours moving across sections of South Carolina and just exiting north Florida near Jacksonville. And there are going to be some more storms throughout the day along the East Coast. [04:55:00]

Along with the storms we've got some heavy rainfall, anywhere from 2 to 4 inches. That has led to flooding across sections of central Georgia, Alabama and portions of South Carolina. In fact, a flood watch is still in effect for central Georgia until 8 a.m. Eastern time with an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain expected.

And as you mentioned, over the past couple of days, we've seen lots of storms, lots of tornado reports. Over 60 of them as a matter of fact, over 200 wind reports and 70 hail reports as they have marched across the South. So, the last bit of them will be along the East Coast today with a cold front. And there's the possibility for some damaging wind and hail. Places like Raleigh, Wilmington, down towards Orlando and Tampa. They have the highest risk for that kind of weather. And then these storms will push their way up the East Coast bringing some rain to New York and Boston.

And then in their wake, believe it or not, winter makes a rude return for places like Chicago. They're going to see rain and snow on Friday. With temperatures in the 30s. So, you have to trade your umbrella in for a winter coat.

And I took a peek, Max, at the early look for next week. We could do this all over again with another round of storms developing in Texas by Monday. Of course, April one of our busy severe weather months here in the U.S. we're just getting started. Over a month before we peek out in the season in May.

FOSTER: Wow. Big week again next week. Thank you very much -- meteorologist Gene Norman.

Well, thank you for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. Our coverage continues through on "EARLY START" with Laura Jarrett in New York and Brianna Keilar in Lviv, Ukraine. You're watching CNN.

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