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Russian Forces Reportedly Regrouping In Eastern Ukraine To Prepare For Possible Military Breakthrough; Drones Being Used Extensively To Record Activity Of Russian Forces In Ukraine; Russian Atrocities In Ukraine Come To Light As Russian Forces Withdraw From Previously Occupied Ukrainian Cities; Careless Treatment By Russian Forces Of Chernobyl Power Plant Area Examined; Actor Will Smith Banned By Academy From Attending Oscars For 10 Years For Slapping Comedian Chris Rock; Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Dwayne Haskins Killed In Accident; Two Men Arrested For Impersonating Department Of Homeland Security Agents And Possibly Infiltrating Secret Service. Aired 2-3p ET.

Aired April 09, 2022 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The New York Yankees honoring the people of Ukraine before their home opener against the Boston Red Sox on Friday. New York City is home to the largest Ukrainian community in the U.S.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The CNN Newsroom continues with Jim Acosta right after this.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. And today the president of Ukraine is vowing to hold accountable those behind a deadly Russian missile strike that killed dozens people at a crowded train station. This is new video, and we want to warn you it is incredibly graphic.

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ACOSTA: People lying on the ground here are men, women, children who were desperately trying to board a train to flee Putin's invasion, but he would not let them. The Russian army would not let them. And 3.5 million people have managed to escape by Ukrainian state railway, but the strike in Kramatorsk is forcing officials to readjust evacuation corridors. As Ukraine warns that Russia is gearing up for a major offensive in the eastern Donbas region. That's where Russian forces, or what's left of them, are regrouping. A European official says about one-quarter of Russian forces used in the invasion are effectively inoperable after heavy losses across the country.

And exactly one month from today, May 9th, is when Putin is promising a victory for Russia. One European official warning their self-imposed pressure over this deadline could lead Russian forces to commit even more atrocities.

In the meantime, western leaders are piling on more pressure. President Joe Biden's late night bill signing add sanctions that target Russian oil plus trade with both Russia and Belarus. And in a sign of solidarity, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has taken an unannounced trip inside the war zone, meeting with President Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

Let's begin with CNN's Ed Lavandera now in Odessa, a city under curfew because of Russia missile threats. Ed, what is the mood there after the attack on the train station. Just unbelievable, the video that is coming into CNN from that train station attack.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That tension here in the city simmering below the surface as it has for some time. After several days of increased number of attacks here on this city, a citywide curfew is starting at 9:00 local time and lasting until early Monday morning. And this is very different from what we have seen in this city in the last few weeks.

So officially city folks here are saying that it was due in large part to that train station attack in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, that because of that they are concerned about attacks here in Odessa. We should also point out that Sunday, tomorrow, it is a significant city holiday here. It's called the Odessa liberation day when the city was liberated from Nazis back during World War II. And it's a day where thousands of people would normally gather out in the streets and lay flower at memorials around the city.

And obviously, an opportunity for civilians to gather in large numbers, so perhaps there is also concern about trying to prevent that from happening to prevent civilian targets being the focus of any kind of attack on this liberation day. So that is what has been happening here.

And as you are look and analyze what has happened at that train station attack, which has gotten so much attention from Ukrainians across the country, 50 dead, nearly 100 injured in that attack, and the train station officials were saying that the target of that attack, Jim, the focus area was a waiting area for passengers, and that on any given day in the last few weeks, there's been about 8,000 people coming through that train station. And at the moment of the attack yesterday, there were 4,000 people at that train station. And this is a station and a train system that has been the lifeline for countless civilians to seek safe refuge either in other parts of Ukraine or into other countries.

ACOSTA: All right, Ed Lavandera on a very critical situation unfolding in eastern Ukraine, thank you very much.

And before the war, my next guest was using drones to make YouTube videos. Now he is using that same gear to document evidence of war crimes and scope out the Russian positions. One month ago on a Kyiv highway, his unit filmed this disturbing footage. A man exits his car with his hands up and is shot, there you see it, in broad daylight.

[14:05:01]

The man and his wife were both killed as their six-year-old child sat in the car. Russian troops then dragged the man's body away, just sickening stuff. And Oleksandr Radzikhovskiy joins me now. He's a member of that drone unit in Ukraine's territorial defense forces. Thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate it. That's for all the work that you do. That was such a chilling incident that you captured. Have your drones documented other incidents of civilians being attacked? What can you tell us?

OLEKSANDR RADZIKHOVSKIY, UKRAINE TERRITORIAL DEFENSE: Hello, Jim, and hello to all your viewers. Thank you for having me today. Yes, it was not a purpose video, and we didn't -- basically, our main target was the Russian tank which was in this position. And this column of civilian cars, 10 of them, was approaching them, and they captured this moment of the video.

I am sorry about this and showing you this, but to capture such a moment really imprinted on my heart and it made my heart basically become really, really heavy for me. By showing you and by spreading this word, actually, I am making this heavy weight a little bit lighters.

We don't have any other videos basically like this one. You saw this, it is like, it's blood boiling. But we do have other videos which are the result of the Russian invasion forces work, basically a burnt car, dead bodies and other civilians. It is like a horror film in Ukraine, and it is unbelievable.

ACOSTA: And we are going to show more of this video now to the viewers, Oleksandr. When you send up a video, here's a question, what is your primary objective? Look at this video that we're showing right here. This is just incredible footage that we're showing, explosions happening there back on March 18th. When you are sending a drone up, are you trying to spot Russian troop movements? Are you trying to document what Russian forces are doing in case later on they say, oh, no, we didn't do that, we couldn't possibly do something like?? That way, you have the evidence?

RADZIKHOVSKIY: As a part of the territorial defense force, our main objective is total resistance. Basically, I'm a civilian. Don't get fooled by this uniform. I keep it just to keep myself protected, and our members as well. But in real life, I'm a software engineer, and my hobby is flying drones. And basically what we do here and what I found useful, and other teams, other members of our regiment, and all across Ukraine, right now the number of drones is astonishing in Ukraine. Everyone is trying to fly and capture the moment.

The reason why is because it's very, very important. Basically we see and we absorb and we document the Russian movements by these drones. It is footage of a video has a unique origin of damage or marks. It is like a fingerprint on each tank. Also, we can document how everything, how they move, where they are going to stay. And once we capture this moment, we can actually pass to the fire team, artillery, or other regiments, and they can then conduct the strikes on them. And so basically we do all of this, basically find the enemy, identify, document them, document what damage they do for the infrastructure, for the civilian buildings, and stuff like this. And later after the fire strike, we can count the casualties and losses for personnel.

ACOSTA: And it's amazing to see what is happening there in Ukraine from the sky. It is a perspective that we don't see very often. And it's difficult to obtain this type of footage, I imagine. Let me ask you this. What are the risks that go into sending these drones up? Have the Russians tried to shoot them down, or are they too small to be targeted? What you think?

RADZIKHOVSKIY: It is, it is a danger, Jim. That's why I have my bullet proof on me. That's exactly why we have the only management. And the main task to keep us safe, because basically you need to stay alive for the duration and conduct these kind of flights, which is really, really bothering for the Russians, because they know we see them. And when we see them, we can do nasty things to them, like target them, and they don't know it. But basically they know that we see them, because you can hear it. But when the engine is working, you cannot hear it. So that is why we can approach our drones really, really close, and do this kind of wonderful images and picture. But we have to approach to them quite close, because the drones have a limited rage, and especially will work where -- know that we are coming.

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So that's why they are looking for us deliberately. So therefore, actually, the drone operator actually becomes a priority target. So therefore, they try to shoot them, because they know we see it, we capture it, we can report it.

ACOSTA: And what do you say to the Russians when they make these claims that some of the atrocities that have been documented, like the one that you documented with the man and the woman who were killed in front of their child, what do you say to the Russian when they say these types of occurrences are fake? And what do you hope the accomplish long-term with the footage that obtain? Would you like to see your footage be a part of war crimes investigations? Are you optimistic that there will be accountability for the Russian soldiers who are carrying out some of these atrocities?

RADZIKHOVSKIY: Yes, indeed. I really, really would like to see them behind the bars. And I don't know what they're thinking about when they're doing these horrible things, and this is not my point. My point is I would like to ask the same question when they will be behind the bars, and the judge will ask them the question. That's what my point is. So the main point is, to summarize, I would say the main objective is truth. It is not about something, it's the truth, basically the camera don't lie. We capture what we see, and we provide this information. Yes. This is the demand here, we try to do our best in this madness that they have created here by providing these videos.

ACOSTA: The camera does not lie. That is something we understand in our business all too well. And thank you for what you do Oleksandr, thank you so much for the video that you shared with us. It is just heartbreaking to see some of these images, but I know you understand, you have to get this footage, you have to document what is going on, otherwise when the Russians tell these lies, and say this didn't happen, they can try to get away from it, but not when there is picture proof, not when there is documented, photographic evidence. Oleksandr, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

RADZIKHOVSKIY: Thank you.

ACOSTA: And it was the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster. Now CNN's team is the first TV crew to get access to Chernobyl since the Russian forces withdrew there. We will talk about what we found there. That is coming up next.

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ACOSTA: In northern Ukraine sits the notorious site of the world's worst nuclear disaster back in 1986, Chernobyl. The inoperative and radioactive former plant fell into the hands of Russia troops in late February at the start of the war. But last week, Russian forces announced their intention to leave. And now we are getting a firsthand look at just how much damage they left behind. No other TV crew got access to Chernobyl since the Russian invaded until now, and our Fred Pleitgen has our exclusive look.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Simply getting to the Chernobyl exclusion zone is a treacherous journey. Many streets and bridges destroyed, we had to go offroad, crossing rivers on pontoon bridges. Finally, we reached the confinement dome of the power plant that blew up in 1986, the worst nuclear accident ever.

Russian troops invaded this area on the very first day of their war against Ukraine and took Chernobyl without much of a fight. Now that the Russians have left, Ukraine's Interior Minister, Denys Monastyrsky, took us to Chernobyl, and what we found was troubling.

The Russians imprisoned the security staff inside the plant's own bomb shelter, the interior minister told us, no natural light, no fresh air, no communications.

So the Russians kept 169 Ukrainians prisoner here the entire time they held this place. And then when the Russians left, they looted and ransack the place.

Among the prisoners, police officers, national guard members, and soldiers. Ukraine's interior minister tells me the Russians have now taken them to Russia, and they don't know how they're doing. "When I arrived here, I was shocked," he says, "but only once again realized that there are no good Russians and nothing good comes of Russians. It is always a story associated with victims, with blood, and with violence. What we see here is a vivid example of outrageous behavior at a nuclear facility."

While the plant's technical staff was allowed to keep working, the Ukrainians say Russian troops were lax with nuclear safety. And as we enter the area Russian troops stayed and worked in, suddenly the dosimeter's alarm goes off -- increased radiation levels.

"They went to the Red Forest and brought the radiation here on their shoes," this national guardsman says. "Everywhere else is normal. Only this floor is radioactive." I ask, "Everywhere is OK but here is not normal?" "Yes," he says. "The radiation is increased here because they lived here and they went everywhere." "On their shoes and clothes?" I ask. "Yes. And now they took the radiation with them." "Let's get out of here," I say.

The so-called Red Forest is one of the most contaminated areas in the world, especially the soil. The Ukrainian government released this drone footage apparently showing that the Russians dug combat positions there. The operator of Ukraine's nuclear plants says, those Russian soldiers could have been exposed to significant amounts of radiation.

We went to the edge of the Red Forest zone and found a Russian military food ration on the ground. When we hold the dosimeter close, the radiation skyrockets to around 50 times above natural levels.

Ukraine says Russia's conduct in this war is a threat to nuclear safety in Europe. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant hasn't been in operation for years, but of course, this confinement needs to be monitored 24/7, and also their spent nuclear fuel in this compound as well.

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And it's not only in Chernobyl. Russian troops also fired rockets at Europe's largest nuclear power plant near Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine and are now occupying it. Ukraine's energy minister tells me the international community must step in.

GERMAN GALUSHCHENKO, UKRAINE ENERGY MINISTER: I think it's dramatically impacting. That is the really the act of nuclear terrorism what they are doing.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Chernobyl is close to the Belarusian border. The Russian army used this road as one of its main routes to attack Ukraine's capital. The interior minister says his country needs more weapons to defend this border. "Today, the border between totalitarianism and democracy passes behind our backs," he says, "the border between freedom and oppression. We are ready to fight for it."

And the Ukrainians fear they may have to fight here again soon, as Russian president Vladimir Putin replenishes his forces, continuing to put this nation and nuclear safety in Europe at risk.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine.

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ACOSTA: Joining me is now, retired Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt. He also served as assistant secretary of state for political military affairs under President George W. Bush. General Kimmitt, great to see you, thanks for being with us.

BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, U.S. ARMY (RET): Sure, Jim.

ACOSTA: Ukraine shared this video of the trenches that Russian soldiers had dug in Chernobyl's highly radioactive red forest, saying it's proof Russia doesn't even care about the well-being of its own troops, which of course we've seen demonstrated in other circumstances during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. What was your reaction to what we saw out of Chernobyl? And what should the international community be thinking about when it comes to dealing with the Russians and trying to prevent them from playing some very dangerous games with some just dramatically sensitive parts of Ukraine, these nuclear installations which, of course, we know are highly critical to the safety and well- being of people in that part of Europe?

KIMMITT: Yes, Jim, what I would first say is at the microlevel, this is another indication of the lack of discipline among the Russian troops. You not only saw this in terms of how they effectively looted the entire facility for anything that wasn't bolted down, but it's also clear that the officers are indifferent to the discipline of their soldiers, and in fact, to their lives if they would put their soldiers in a nuclear area and have them dig in.

So I think what it is really indicates is how bad the military is, how ill-disciplined it is, and how untrained it is. I would suspect they didn't even dosimeters to measure the radiation as they were digging, because no sane person would be digging in under a situation like that.

ACOSTA: Right, and as Fred was discussing with some of those Ukrainian officials, bringing that radioactive material, soil, I suppose wherever they were walking around inside of that facility, it's just astounding to think about.

And General, we saw that horrific Russian missile attack on the train station in eastern Ukraine packed with evacuees. We have been showing our viewers some of the dramatic footage of this. Before that, we saw incredibly graphic images of a massacre in Bucha. And a warning to our viewers again about what we're showing you right now, innocent people who were no threat shot dead, in some cases the hands were bound.

And I want to show our viewers this. Here is the message one Russian soldier left inside a Bucha home. It says, quote, "Thanks for the warm welcome, sorry about the mess." General, how to you negotiate in the face of that kind of monstrous behavior?

KIMMITT: Well, first of all, I think what you have got to recognize when you negotiate is that this is not a 21st century force or 21st century mindset. As we saw in Chernobyl, as we are seeing in these killings of civilians, in these bombings of railroads and rail stations, this is the way that armies of 300 years ago used to operate, booty, killing prisoners, ignoring conventions such as the Geneva Convention. I think that we fool ourselves if we think that this army and this force that Russia has sent into NATO -- into Ukraine, is somehow thinks like us, acts like us, respects the same rules of warfare like us. I am not suggesting for a minute that we lower ourselves to their

callous type of warfare, but I think we have got to take that into account as we figure out how we not only negotiate with them, but candidly, how we fight against them.

[14:25:00]

ACOSTA: And Russia's plan to take Kyiv has failed, and now the fight apparently has shifted to the Donbas region in the southeastern part of the country. Ukraine's foreign minister says the battle will be so massive, it will be reminiscent of World War II, which is a remarkable thing to even think about. Can Ukraine defy the odds again, do you think, and hold on there?

KIMMITT: Well, I also suspect what the Russians' objectives really are, whether they are going to conduct a World War II like operation to push that are further out of the Donbas and closer to Europe, or if they just want to hang on to what they've got.

Look, we recognize that the Russians have logistics problems, we understand that they have tactical problem, we understand that they have command and control problems. But as we saw with the American armies in their first battle, we rapidly learn, and we don't make those mistakes again.

I don't think that is going to happen with the Russian military. I think they will continue to blunder. But we have also got to recognize this important date of May 6th, which is when the Russians celebrate their victory parade. I think Putin is going to push hard to have some sort of victory, because you can't have a victory parade if your soldiers are getting slaughtered in Ukraine. So I think there is a lot the Ukrainians can do. There's a lot the west can do in terms of giving them the equipment that they continue to need. And it's going to be a little different to fight this type of open warfare than they have fought up to this point.

ACOSTA: And U.S. military commanders have been saying that this conflict, that this invasion and Ukraine's fight against it will go on potentially for years. Is there any assistant that the U.S., that the west could feasibly provide to the Ukrainians at this point that we haven't as yet that could turn this tide sooner?

KIMMITT: Politically, yes. Feasibly, no. Politically meaning making that hard decision and giving them not only the material they are asking for, but possibly troops on the ground. But that is a political no-go among NATO right now. Feasibly, no. I think that even though we have given them 50 million bullets, we have given them lots of resources, we're probably going to see a frozen conflict as we have seen so often before. Kashmir, between the Pakistanis and the Indians, has been frozen for years. The Donbas has been frozen conflict for the past eight years. In many ways, the former Yugoslavia was a frozen conflict for years and years before the Dayton Peace Agreements.

So as it has been since 2014 and the invasion of Crimea, it is very likely that we will see this as somewhat of a stalemate going forward unless either Russia backs down, or we are prepared to give far more to the Ukrainians than is presently feasible among the NATO allies.

ACOSTA: General Mark Kimmitt, thank you very much. As always, we appreciate it.

KIMMITT: Sure, Jim.

And coming up, a Mariupol official calls his city the new Auschwitz. The showing reports about Russians using filtration camps and mobile crematoriums to cover up their horrific crimes.

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[14:32:51]

ACOSTA: Russia or die, that is the sick choice being offered to Ukrainians in the besieged city of Mariupol where innocent people have spent weeks hiding in freezing basements from Russia's relentless bombing. Ukrainian officials say that rather than allow safe passage out of the city, Russian and separatist troops have taken tens of thousands of people to so-called filtration camps in Eastern Ukraine before deporting them to Russia. Mariupol's city council claims Russia's aim with these camps is to destroy any witnesses to these atrocities.

And joining me now is Mariupol city council deputy Maksym Borodin. Maksym, thank you very much for being with us. We appreciate it. Ukraine's deputy prime minister estimates some 45,000 Ukrainian citizens have been forcibly deported since the war began. Help us to understand this. What is going on with these people, and are we every going to know what has happened to them? Any word on what has happened to those people?

MAKSYM BORODIN, MARIUPOL CITY COUNCIL DEPUTY: Hello. The situation is really catastrophic, and the people, they get out from the Mariupol to the Russian side, in most cases it's not really the worst problem. The worst problem is the people who stayed in Mariupol, and the people who don't have electricity, heat, food, and any water. So that is the real problem.

Some people who they take to the Russia side or to the occupied territory, they can go further if they have money, and go to the European countries. But the problem there is they don't let the people go out to Ukrainian side. They make filtration camps and lines in the filtration camps by the thousands. And in the day, they only go only for about 50 to 60 people.

[14:35:00]

So it's a terrible situation, and there is no one who can get into the town now. Even volunteers who get from Ukrainian side and take some food and water and medical supplies today for about one week, they don't let them go into the city. And a similar connect, Ukraine and a similar connection, they totally destroyed, and only their own occupation mobile operator is a little bit working. But there are no cuts for this operator, so there's no normal connection with the people in Mariupol from the outside. ACOSTA: That is a terrible situation, but Maksym, help our viewers

understand, what is this term "filtration camps" mean? What does the term mean? When people hear that, it just sounds awful. Are people being taken to these camps, and then what happens to them after they are taken there?

BORODIN: It means that people in Mariupol today, and in nearby occupied territories, don't have any rights. And at first they don't have any rights to be Ukrainian. If someone from the Russian military, FSB or something else, finds some evidence that the people who want to get out from the Mariupol has connection with the activism, pro- Ukrainian position, or even have military friends, they can be killed or they can be -- go to the prison. So they don't have any rights.

And no one from the outside of the Mariupol know about this. So Russians today can do any atrocities in Mariupol, and no one can know. And it is because of this, they don't let the Red Cross or any humanitarian aid to go into Mariupol, so these people can show the real situation. They only let into Mariupol some so-called journalists from their side, which say the Russians say are liberators, and they liberate Mariupol from fascists. And in their media, if you listen to them, it is a terrible, terrible lie. They say that there are no Russian bombs that destroyed Mariupol. They say it is because of Ukrainian solders don't want to surrender to Russian liberators. So it is because of them that Mariupol is destroyed, not because of Russian bombs. It is totally a terrible lie.

ACOSTA: And the mayor of Mariupol said that the world has not seen a tragedy of this scale since the Nazi concentration camps. He said that Mariupol is the new Auschwitz. There are reports of Russian forces using mobile crematoriums. What can you tell us about that?

BORODIN: For today, because there are no direct connect with the city, we only have some rumors. But believe, if we have seen the situation in Bucha and in little cities and villages, Mariupol is about half-a-million people, and about, I think, 100,000 people have stayed here. And we don't know how much people have died because of the bombing and shelling. They shell Mariupol from the warship with very hard artillery, and we don't know how much people is under the rubble. No one can touch the debris from now. And the war is continuous in the streets of Mariupol. So I think it is about a minimum 10,000 or more people already died. And we don't know how much people die if Mariupol don't be de-blocked.

ACOSTA: What a nightmare. Maksym, thank you so much for telling us about what is going on and trying to describe what is going on in Mariupol. A very, very sad situation there. Thanks so much. Please stay in touch with us. If you hear any more information, we will get it to our viewers. We appreciate it, thank you.

And for more information on how you can help provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine, just go to CNN.com/Impact. Our CNN audience has already donated almost $7.5 million so far, and more help is desperately needed.

And coming up, Will Smith is banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years for slapping Chris Rock. We'll take you inside the Academy's decision.

Plus, a tragic accident, have you heard about this, from the sports world claiming the life of Steeler's quarterback and former Washington football team quarterback Dwayne Haskins at the age of 24.

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[14:44:28]

ACOSTA: Nearly two weeks after the slap heard round the world, actor Will Smith has learned his fate, a 10-year ban from attending the Oscars. Here is CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oscar winning superstar Will Smith banned by the Academy from attending the Oscars for 10 years for the now infamous slap heard around the world.

CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: That was a nice one. OK. I'm out here -- uh-oh. Richard --

(LAUGHTER)

ROCK: Oh, wow. Wow.

[14:45:00]

TODD: The decision to ban Smith for a decade comes after a meeting Friday of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts, and Sciences. A board member telling CNN there was, quote, "tons of debate" on what the consequences for Smith should be.

BILL CARTER, CNN MEDIA ANALYST: I'm a little surprised that he got a 10-year ban, but I'm not surprised that this was the way they went. I knew they would give, I believed they would give a long-term ban. I thought maybe three, five years, because I think it was incumbent on them to send some kind of message that this was actual punishment, that there would be accountability.

TODD: An uncensored feed from a Japanese outlet the night of the Oscars shows how Chris Rock and Smith reacted immediately after the slap.

ROCK: Will Smith just smacked the shit out of me.

WILL SMITH, ACTOR: Keep my wife's name out of your -- mouth.

ROCK: Wow, dude.

SMITH: Yes.

ROCK: It was a "G.I. Jane" joke.

SMITH: Keep my wife's name out of your -- mouth. TODD: In addition to announcing Smith's ban, an extraordinary admission from the Academy that it mishandled the incident. In an open letter obtained by CNN, it said, quote, "We did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers, and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short, unprepared for the unprecedented."

CARTER: They bungled it. They had an opportunity to do something on the spot and at least address it. They didn't even address it, which was kind of absurd.

TODD: In its statement, the Academy expressed what it called its deep gratitude to Chris Rock for maintaining his composure under, quote, "extraordinary circumstances."

From Will Smith, a very concise statement to CNN on the 10-year ban, quote, "I accept and respect the Academy's decision."

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Coming up, a cargo plane splits in two after making an emergency landing in Costa Rica. What happened? We'll tell you that next.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As a parent of a child with special needs, you are looking for activities that will engage your child, things that are going to strengthen them. For SoleAna, that was horseback riding. SoleAna, she was born with Down syndrome. She took her first lesson when she was four years old, and she loved it. But the lessons just weren't consistent enough for her. There was nothing in our area.

In 2014, Andy (ph) started to have these dreams of horses and pasture, and I remember him telling me, maybe this is what we are supposed to do is to start this program, so she can ride.

ANDREW CAMACHO, CO-FOUNDER, SOLEANA STABLES: From that point forward, we moved into action to serve our greater community of Houston.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: SoleAna Stables is a therapeutic riding program for individuals with special needs. Our riders come to us each and every week working on physical strength, spiritual strength, emotional strength.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is it my favorite, and they have helped me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am side walker, which means I get to walk alongside the rider and the horse to be there to make sure that they are not only safe, but that they have someone to talk to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And our riders' diagnoses range from Down syndrome, autism, undiagnosed. CAMACHO: We have an expression that therapy starts at the gate.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:52:58]

ACOSTA: Very sad news for the National Football League. Dwayne Haskins, the 24-year-old quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers was killed early this morning after being hit by a dump truck while trying to cross on foot an interstate highway in south Florida. Haskins was in Florida for a Steelers training camp. The Steelers tweeted a statement from head coach Mike Tomlin, saying in part, quote, "Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so, a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken." The NFL, Haskins played for the Washington football team before joining the Steelers last year. In 2018 the Ohio State star was a finalist for the Heisman trophy. Very sad situation there in the NFL.

And a terrifying emergency landing at Costa Rica's largest airport. A DHL cargo jet broke in half after it slid off the runway at the international airport just outside Costa Rica's capital city. No one was hurt, but the crash of the Boeing 757 shut down the airport for hours. Look at this video, just remarkable this was going on as fire crews covered the plane in foam to prevent a fuel spill.

In the meantime, we're learning new details about two men accused of impersonating Department of Homeland Security agents for two years, even duping the Secret Service. Here is CNN's Whitney Wild.

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WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Prosecutors say that Arian Taherzadeh and Haider Ali pose a danger to the community and a significant flight risk because when investigators searched their apartments, they found a shocking amount of guns, ammunition, and tactical gear, and evidence of extensive travel overseas and foreign contacts.

Investigators say Taherzadeh had multiple copies of his driver's license and various I.D. cards. Investigators said Ali traveled to Iran, Pakistan, and Egypt multiple times in recent years.

The prosecutors told the judge that the defendants were not merely playing dress up. They had firearms, they had ammunition, they had body armor, they had tactical gear, they had surveillance equipment. Taherzadeh and Ali were arrested earlier this week and charged with impersonating Department of Homeland Security agents for more than two years.

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The FBI says in that time, they gave expensive gifts to federal agents such as iPhones, TVs, including free apartments. It's not clear why, though. Prosecutors haven't described the goal or

how this was funded. However, investigators are looking into whether the money came from a foreign government. And investigators have noted that the effort didn't appear to have quite the sophistication expected of trained foreign intelligence services, but certainly a lot more to learn about this case.

Whitney Wild, CNN, Washington.

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ACOSTA: Coming up, disturbing radio communications released by Ukraine said to be of Russian soldier talking frankly about killing and raping civilians.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kill them for -- sake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got it. But all the village here is civilian --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What wrong with you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If there are civilians, slay them all.

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