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British Prime Minister Meets With Ukrainian President In Kyiv; At Least 50 Killed In Russian Missile Strike On Train Station; Trump Jr. Texted Mark Meadows About Plot To Subvert 2020 Election; Ukrainian Intel Chief Says Russian Troops Regrouping Across The Border; Ukraine Braces For Major Russian Offensive In East; Scottie Scheffler Maintains Lead After Third Round; SpaceX Capsule Carrying Tourists Arrive At ISS. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired April 09, 2022 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: The ceremony was delayed about 45 minutes after the crew encountered an issue with a signal from an onboard camera. Axion, the Texas based company behind the trip, wants to eventually build a private space station.

That's it for us tonight. You can join me live from Lviv, Ukraine, tomorrow for CNN NEWSROOM at 2:00 Eastern. I'm Brianna Keilar. Our live coverage on CNN continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE (through translator): It's time to impose a complete embargo on Russian energy resources.

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We are going to ratchet up the economic pressure.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Intentionally targeting civilians, something Russia categorically denies, is a war crime. Hours of audio recordings seem to tell a very different story.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: November 5th, 2020, two days after the 2020 election. Votes were still being counted, but President Trump's son, Don Jr., was already passing on ideas for overturning the election if necessary to ensure a second term for his father.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Prosecutors failed to convince a federal jury after four men are accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan's governor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obviously we're disappointed with the outcome.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: This is his first competitive golf tournament in more than 500 days. Tiger says that he is very comfortable where he is right now. He noticeably is a little bit slower, but the game is still there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: Good evening to our viewers in the U.S. and around the world. I'm Jessica Dean in for Pamela Brown this evening. And you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Amid the horrors of war, a show of solidarity. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson making a surprise visit to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The visit coming after one of Russia's most horrific attacks on civilians. And we want to warn you of the graphic images you're about to see that are disturbing.

This new video capturing the terror of missiles striking a civilian train station where thousands were gathered to evacuate. And that means these families desperate to flee the fighting became helpless victims. The latest government update now, 52 dead including at least five children, and 99 injured including 19 children. Zelenskyy saying it's yet another Russian war crime.

In northeastern Ukraine, heavy shelling is reported today in Kharkiv or what's left of it. You see right there, craters scarring the rubble-filled landscape of the country's second largest city. Ukraine says Russian troops are regrouping ahead of an advance there.

And let's begin this hour in Kyiv and the meeting between President Zelenskyy and British Prime Minister Johnson. CNN's Nima Elbagir is there with the latest.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Jessica, the city this evening is somber and pretty silent as it dims its lights for curfew. But today during the day it was a very different scene. It was absolutely abuzz with the arrival of Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Just the latest in a series of world leaders that have made the overland journey here to the Ukrainian capital.

And while he brought with him much more of what had all right been anticipated and expected, more defensive aid, a raise in the debt guarantee that Britain is providing at the World Bank for Ukraine to almost $1.5 billion. Ukrainians tell us he brought something more. He brought with him a sense of respite. Because for the time that Prime Minister Johnson was on the ground, they knew that they would be safe.

That respite has left with him tonight. And while Ukrainians say that they are appreciative of his and other pilgrimages by world leaders making the difficult overland journey because of course they can't land here in Kyiv, eventually they will need more because the Russian offensive in the east of the country is building up steam. And more and more civilians are dying. And the fear is that there could possibly be an overland incursion.

But for now Ukrainians say they are incredibly grateful to Prime Minister Johnson and others like him who come all the way out here to show that the world wants them to feel a little less isolated by this conflict -- Jessica.

DEAN: Nima Elbagir, thanks so much for your reporting. And now let's get the latest on the deadly Russian strike on a

civilian train station. CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Odessa where a curfew is now in place.

Ed, walk us through what you're seeing and what the latest is there.

[19:05:01]

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there in that eastern Ukrainian city where the train station was targeted, just, you know, the latest grotesque chapter in this Russian invasion of Ukraine. 52 people confirmed dead. Nearly 100 people wounded. Most of those women and children. We are told by train station officials that the area that was struck was basically a holding area for the passengers there.

So you know, people waiting for that train to get out to -- for safe passage into a more secure part of the country. And they also say that on any given day in the last few weeks there could be as many as 8,000 people passing through that train station every day. And at the time of the attack, there were 4,000 people there.

So you know, it's really important to point out that as officials in Ukraine have been urging people in eastern Ukraine to evacuate the villages and the cities that are under this new threat of this renewed invasion in the eastern part of the country, these train lines have been a lifeline to safety for tens of thousands of people.

DEAN: Sure. And Ed, we also know there was an explosion in your area today near Odessa. What are authorities saying about that?

LAVANDERA: It's interesting, you know, it was something that we didn't hear. All the other attacks that we've heard of over the last couple of days have been -- we've clearly heard them. They have been close. You know, military strikes. But officials here are not -- describing this as an explosion carried out by some sort of military strike.

In fact, Ukrainian officials here in this region said tonight that they are investigating this as a possible case of sabotage which is interesting because this entire city is under an extended curfew in the daylight hours which is very rare. And we are under curfew here until early Monday morning.

And tomorrow is -- Sunday is a critical day, is a significant day here in Odessa. It's known as Odessa's Liberation Day, liberating -- celebrating the liberation from the Nazis back during World War II. And it's significant because this is a day that traditionally has public gatherings, people come out to lay flowers at memorials and that sort of thing.

So given this latest case where it's being investigated as a case of sabotage, you have large public gatherings, officials here are saying that because of the strike in eastern Ukraine, you know, just large public gatherings would just be too dangerous and too easy of a target, and they're concerned about people's safety right now.

DEAN: Ed Lavandera, live in Odessa where that curfew is under way. Thanks so much for your update.

And let's continue this conversation now. John Herbst was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. He's now the senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center.

Ambassador, lovely to see you. Thank you for being here tonight. We saw British Prime Minister Boris Johnson making that surprise visit to Kyiv today. In your opinion, should Western nations consider Ukraine's plea to re-establish their diplomatic presence there?

JOHN E. HERBST, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Well, we see this starting to happen. I think the E.U. is going back, the Turks, the Czechs, and maybe the French. So this is beginning to happen. I think it is time to take a very serious look at this.

DEAN: And what can that do? What kind of impact can that have?

HERBST: Well, it demonstrates two things. It demonstrates international support, and it demonstrates the progress that Ukraine has already made in this war, having pushed the Russians back from Kyiv very decisively.

DEAN: Right. And following the meeting with Boris Johnson, President Zelenskyy also called on the West to ramp up sanctions including a full embargo on Russian energy. Now so far the sanctions haven't done much to motivate a diplomatic resolution. We've seen that. Do you believe, though, that targeting Russian oil and natural gas would be different?

HERBST: I think that the sanctions put down so far are having an effect on the Russian economy, but not enough to affect the war effort. If it were possible to establish a full gas and oil embargo on Russian sales, that would be huge. The problem is that Europe, many parts of Europe are 50 percent or 60 percent or 70 percent dependent on those hydrocarbons. They're making an effort to reduce that over the next year, but it's hard to do it in the short term. But certainly to the extent we can we should encourage that.

DEAN: And what kind -- is that in your opinion the best type of sanction, the most pointed, the one that would have the most effect, or are there others you think should be under consideration at this point?

HERBST: Well, the sanction on the Russian central bank has already had a huge impact. On other banks it's had less of an impact. We should be actually taking all -- sanctioning all Russian banks from the SWIFT system. Right now only some Russian banks are sanctioned. If all were sanctioned that would also have a huge impact. But here, too, we have some European partners who think that may have an impact on the sale of Russian gas and oil. So it comes back to gas and oil sadly.

[19:10:04]

DEAN: Right. Makes it very complicated. Right. And what has been ironic to watch play out is that Putin's aggression has done the opposite of what he had hoped it would do. Now we see NATO galvanized. NATO officials telling CNN discussions about Sweden and Finland joining the bloc have become more serious since this invasion. That of course would enrage Putin. Do you think that would make him more unpredictable and/or dangerous?

HERBST: You know, we can't rule out him doing something additional that's dangerous. But he's made so many mistakes lately. As you pointed out, Europe has been galvanized against the Kremlin as a result of this massive new invasion. I think it's highly likely Finland is going to join NATO. And there's really nothing Russia can do about it.

If they were to, you know, provoke Finland in some fashion, I think what would happen is there'd be even greater NATO support, not just for Finland but also for Ukraine. And Putin's had a very bad six weeks as a result of this invasion, and it's only getting worse for him.

DEAN: And here's increasingly isolated, right?

HERBST: Extraordinarily so. I mean, he had real soft power only through buying politicians and businessmen in Europe. That's almost all gone now as a result of this major invasion. The change in especially German policy from one of kind of appeasement to resolute defense against Kremlin aggression is particularly damaging to his foreign policy and good for the West. So I don't think he has much in the way of nasty cards to play because it would just have even further bad consequences for him.

DEAN: Right. And so then we look ahead, so what could the potential outcome be? We know that Ukraine says Russia is aiming to declare a victory one month from today, on May 9th, that's a Russian holiday. Do you believe that that makes diplomacy more or less likely over the next several weeks? How do you see this playing out?

HERBST: I think diplomacy is almost irrelevant until Putin decides he cannot win a military victory. His big offensive has failed. He's now regrouping to conduct a second offensive. If that fails, the diplomatic talks under way which Putin has no way endorsed, may become real. At the moment, they're not. And the key right now is to supply Ukraine with all the arms it needs to defeat that second Russian attack which will probably come in the east.

DEAN: And it sounds like you're saying that if that -- that's what would turn the tide here. A defeat?

HERBST: Correct.

DEAN: Right.

HERBST: Putin needs to be persuaded he cannot impose his will on Ukraine by arms. He's still not persuaded.

DEAN: All right. Well, we will see how the next several weeks play out. Ambassador John Herbst, thanks so much for making time for us. We appreciate it.

Up next tonight, a CNN exclusive revealing Donald Trump Jr. was texting Mark Meadows ideas about the 2020 election and claimed to have, quote, "operational control" to keep his father in power.

Also ahead, CNN is live at the Masters where Tiger Woods just finished the third round with the worst score of his Masters career.

And another giant leap for space tourism. Paying customers arrive at the International Space Station.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:17:30]

DEAN: A federal judge's ruling next week could affect GOP Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene's future. On Monday, the judge is expected to decide if she'll allow a group of Georgia voters to move forward with their constitutional challenge to prevent Greene's re- election. That challenge is based on the 14th Amendment, and it claims Greene cannot run again because she aided the January 6th insurrection.

The federal judge signaled Friday she'll likely allow that case to move forward. Greene's attorneys deny she's an insurrectionist and claim disqualifying her would violate her First Amendment rights.

Now to a CNN exclusive about Donald Trump's inner circle trying to overturn his 2020 re-election loss. CNN has seen text messages from Trump's oldest son laying out a plan to engineer a second Trump term even as votes were still being counted. And who was Donald Trump Jr. sending those plans to? His father's chief of staff at the time, Mark Meadows.

Here's CNN's congressional correspondent Ryan Nobles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NOBLES (voice-over): November 5th, 2020, two days after the 2020 election, votes were still being counted, the final outcome, still in doubt. But President Trump's son, Don Jr., was already passing on ideas for overturning the election if necessary to ensure a second term for his father.

It's very simple, Trump Jr. texted, before outlining several options. We have operational control, total leverage.

Trump Jr. was texting White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. This text, reviewed by CNN, hasn't been revealed publicly before. It is in the possession of the January 6th Select Committee. In a statement to CNN, Trump Jr.'s lawyer says, quote, "After the election Don received numerous messages from supporters and others. Given the date, this message likely originated from someone else and was forwarded." Meadows' attorney declined the comment.

On election night, President Trump was already laying the groundwork to claim the election was stolen. DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: To me, this is a very sad moment,

and we will win this. And as far as I'm concerned, we already have won it.

NOBLES: Behind the scenes, his son and adviser, Don Jr., was sharing ideas with Meadows for how to subvert the electoral college process, leveraging Republican majorities in the Senate and swing state legislatures.

State assemblies can step in and vote to put forward the electoral stale, Trump Jr. texted.

The text message from days after the election ticks through questionable legal theories, many of which would eventually be employed by the Trump campaign and GOP operatives across the country.

[19:20:02]

"We have multiple paths. We control them all."

The paths Trump Jr. refers to in the text include creating alternate slates of fake electors, pushing the vote back to state legislatures and forcing a scenario where neither candidate had enough electoral votes to win leaving it to the House to vote by state delegation to elect the president.

Republicans controlled 28 states, Democrats 22 states, Trump Jr. texted. Once again, Trump wins.

Trump Jr. was a prominent surrogate for his father, traveling the country on his behalf. In the days leading up to the election he told Trump supporters that if Trump lost, it would be because the radical left cheated.

DONALD TRUMP JR., SON OF FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Make sure everyone gets out and votes because if you don't, they are going to steal it from you.

NOBLES: But while he publicly warned against fraud on the left, his private text message to Meadows foreshadows a legal strategy his father's allies would eventually launch, even teasing the showdown in Congress on January 6th two months before it happened.

"We either have a vote we control and we win, or it gets kicked to Congress, 6th January 2021."

This text part of a tranche of thousands of texts from Meadow the committee has in its possession and has already used as part of its investigation.

(On-camera): Donald Trump Jr. also sharing ideas for what should take place in his father's second term. Among them firing the FBI director, Christopher Wray and Dr. Anthony Fauci. Also suggesting that William Barr, the then-attorney general, appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Joe Biden's son Hunter.

Ryan Nobles, CNN, on Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Ryan, thank you.

Coming up, a European official says about one quarter of Russian forces invading Ukraine are effectively inoperable. What does that mean for the future of this war?

And we've just learned Vladimir Putin has named a new commander as Russia shifts its strategy. Lieutenant General Mark Hertling is here on that big question next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:26:29]

DEAN: Ukraine is a nation at war and on edge. Ukrainian officials say Russian forces are planning a major offensive by regrouping in the east and in advancing on Kharkiv, that's Ukraine's second largest city, and it sits near the Russian border. Heavy shelling has been reported there today. And as you can see, that city has already withstood relentless bombardment since the war began.

I want to bring in now Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, a CNN military analyst, who was the commanding general of Europe and the Seventh Army.

General, great to see you. A short time ago CNN learned Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed a new general to direct his war in Ukraine. How significant do you think that is?

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, it's interesting from the standpoint of command and control, first of all, Jessica. This general, a guy by the name of Aleksandr Dvornikov is a typical Russian general. He's been assigned to the western, the central, and the southern districts. And he's had the typical path of infantry commands, gone to all the right schools like the Frunze Academy and the (INAUDIBLE) Academy.

But here's some interesting thing. He's also fought in the Chechnyan war in Grozny and from 2015 to early 2016 he was the first Russian commander in Syria at the beginning of the Russian involvement there. So this individual has had a lot of experience with the kinds of things we've been seeing lately. Right now he's the commander of the Southern Military District, and this may or may not mean things to your listeners, but he's within that Southern Military District are areas like Chechnyan, Dagestan, North Ossetia, Volgograd and Crimea.

So he knows the area in which he's serving. And the way he has conducted combat operations in the past has caused him to be -- he's received a lot of medals from Putin himself, but he has also been that kind of executioner that we've seen prosecute these kind of campaigns where there's an awful lot of civilian attacks, civilian destruction, chaos on populations both in Syria and in Grozny. So this is a guy that is going to be asked to deliver success before the 9 May mayday parade in Moscow.

Now whether or not he's going to be able to do that is a whole different story because he doesn't have a whole lot of forces to execute some of the attacks in the eastern part of Ukraine.

DEAN: Very telling as you kind of give us that context and lay out his history that he's been selected to lead that effort. Ukraine's defense chief telling our Christiane Amanpour that Russian troops are regrouping in the east and then planning to advance toward Kharkiv. What does that tell you strategically?

HERTLING: Well, I tell you, I'm not sure that's an accurate read, Jessica, because as we've been talking about -- you know, the Russians have put about 120 of what they call the battalion tactical groups into Ukraine since the start of the campaign. The U.K. has -- believes that they've had about 20 or 30 of them destroyed. So you're talking about a force that's down almost a quarter of what they started with.

It's not real easy to move forces that have been mauled and depleted to the point where we've seen some of the casualty figures and some of the tanks destroyed, and just say, hey, we're going to pick them up and move them from one area, about 400 miles to the east, and tell them to fight again.

[19:30:00]

I don't think we're going to see a whole lot of fighting from the Russians anytime within the next week from new forces. Now, they're going to continue to attack in Donetsk and Luhansk with the forces they have there, but considering the fact that their major effort was in Kyiv and Kharkiv, it's going to be very difficult to reinforce the east, as fast as they would like to.

It remains to be seen, but I'm not sure they're going to be able to be very successful, the Russians that is, moving forces to the east to reinforce, just because it's very tough to regenerate forces. This isn't Stratego or a video game.

Those forces have been mauled, and they're in very bad shape, you just can't regenerate and say: We're going to send them into battle once again." It's going to take a long time, if they're ever able to get those forces combat operational again.

So, I think Ukraine has a very good chance. But having said that, Ukraine has got some tough issues on their plate, too. They've got to move a lot of forces to the east, and prepare for a different kind of assault than what they saw in Kharkiv.

DEAN: And Ukraine is accusing Russia of a growing list of atrocities with yesterday's strike on a civilian train station, the latest possible war crime, but certainly others as well.

Is this a matter of undisciplined troops? People acting on their own? Or do you believe that Russian forces are carrying out a terror campaign specifically on civilians? And I know, we just talked about the new Commander and what his experience is, but do you think this is a concerted effort? Or is it them kind of looking the other way?

HERTLING: Can we say both? And what I'll tell you is, this has been the Russian way of war for about 20 years now. We've seen evidence of it in other campaigns where they fought where they have attempted to sow chaos and terror within the civilian population as part of scorched Earth campaigns even before they entered Ukraine.

But at the same time, they have said from the very beginning, the leadership in the Russian forces, both at the higher levels, the junior officer levels, and the fact that they don't have a professional NCO Corps allows this kind of action to take place unconstrained.

They do not abide by the rules of law, the rules of land warfare, the Geneva Convention. They have been shown to do this in places like Grozny and Syria before. It's the same kind of campaign tactics. And, you know, from the last reading I had showed that Ukraine has documented over 3,000 cases of war crimes, and they're continuing to document those.

This force I think is going to be held accountable, both Putin, his Generals, and individuals within the force for the kinds of war crimes they've committed.

DEAN: Truly horrific acts. General Mark Hertling, thanks so much. We appreciate your insight.

HERTLING: Thank you, Jessica.

DEAN: Coming up next, all eyes on Tiger Woods at the Masters today. Could he complete the comeback? We are live in Augusta, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:37:39]

DEAN: We have some breaking news right now.

Crews are working to put out a four-alarm fire in Benicia, California that's near San Francisco. Officials say the fire is not a threat to the public, but it is massive. Look at that. They also say winds in the area are blowing away from populated areas.

The NFL world is reeling tonight of the sudden death of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Dwayne Haskins. He was just 24 years old. His team tweeting, "May he rest in peace."

The Florida Highway Patrol says Haskins was trying to walk across Interstate 595 in Broward County when a dump truck struck him about 6:30 AM. It's not clear why he was walking or where he was going to.

Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin said Haskins was a great teammate, a tremendous friend.

Day Three of the 2022 Masters has officially wrapped up and world number one Scottie Scheffler was aiming to stay atop the leaderboard, he has had a dominant performance so far, but all eyes remain on Tiger Woods.

CNN's Patrick Snell is in Augusta Georgia. Patrick, great to see you. What did we see on Day Three?

PATRICK SNELL, CNN ANCHOR, WORLD SPORT: Hi, Jessica. Yes, welcome to the famed, the iconic, Augusta National. I'll tell you what, this was another day to savor in so many ways, so many fascinating storylines and subplots as well, but you said it best, the eyes of the world and beyond not just the thousands out here on the course focused on one man, the sport's 15-time major winner, Mr. Tiger Woods.

What a story is already written the headlines, hasn't he? Already a success as he called it by the virtue of the fact that he is playing here this week given all he's been through.

But I'll tell you what, cold blustery conditions on this day, Saturday, he certainly wasn't the only one to suffer a really challenging round for him around that started with a bogey and he had problems later on as well. Four dropped shots in the last three holes ending his round with a double bogey as well. A disappointing, very disappointing by his own very high and immaculate standards of six over par round of 78.

And by the way, that's his worst score ever at the Masters in 93 career rounds. Woods ending round three at seven over par for the tournament as well. We'll be reflecting on that in just a few more moments.

But you mentioned Scottie Scheffler. We do have to talk Scottie Scheffler because what an impact he has had. He is leading the way. He had a five-shot advantage after round two. He is the current men's world number one, the 25-year-old with a five-shot lead as I say going into today's round, but that advantage now reduced to just a three shots after a third round 71 on Saturday.

Now Scheffler has had a standout year, no question about it. A few weeks ago, he had no U.S. PGA tour victories to his name. All of a sudden, he has three but he wants the coveted green jacket. He wants his breakthrough first ever career major. Can he get it done?

High drama, I tell you, on the very last hole just minutes ago here at Augusta National where he puts his drive into the woods. He has to end up with a bogey on that hole, but he still leads the way.

Let's reflect on it all, come with me, as I bring in our guests, the golf expert "Golf Digest's" Dan Rapaport. Let's start with that man, Scheffler. To what extent do you feel he may just have opened the door there by what happened at 18?

DAN RAPAPORT, STAFF WRITER, "GOLF DIGEST": Yes, absolutely. I mean, he led by five most of the day and then a couple of late stumbles, but I actually think the way he made bogey on 18 will actually build momentum. It looked really rough there for a while. He was in the woods searching for his balls and he had to bring a rules official in to tell him where he could drop it and what he can move and when he couldn't move. So things are definitely moving a bit quickly there for Scottie, but

he managed to hit a rifle shot from 255 yards just over the green then a beautiful up and down to make just a bogey. That was some really good damage control.

So he still leads by three going into tomorrow and he is so unbothered by seeming any anything. I mean, his life, as you mentioned, has changed so much in the last couple of weeks going from relative anonymity to world number one, and he's the same guy. He doesn't seem bothered at all.

So I don't think he'll be too stressed about his finish and he'll definitely feel good about his position going into tomorrow.

SNELL: I don't think Scottie Scheffler does stress.

RAPAPORT: No.

SNELL: He is also very laid back taking it all in his stride, as you say, that bogey could turn out to be highly significant. It couldn't mean a lot worse, couldn't it?

RAPAPORT: For sure.

SNELL: It could have been a double bogey.

Let's talk Tiger because there is no doubt about it, a very challenging round three for Tiger Woods, worst of his Masters career. How has been reflecting on it all?

RAPAPORT: Yes, I mean, it was a tough day, really just on the green. So he hit the ball just fine, but it was one of his worst putting rounds ever. He had four three putts and a four putt and after the round, he told us, "I had nothing. I tried everything I could. My posture felt wrong. My stroke felt bad. My speed was terrible. My right hand, I couldn't feel anything." So he was basically hopeless on the greens today.

But look, he was far from the only player to struggle. And tomorrow, he is playing with world number two, Jon Rahm. So, they're on the same score after 54 holes.

So it shows you that look, Tiger is not the only guy who is having a rough time in cold and windy conditions, and for him to be here and for him to make the cut, I mean, the rest is really just gravy. And that's what he said yesterday, like this is an accomplishment. This is a victory no matter what happened today or tomorrow.

SNELL: Because we never expected, did we?

RAPAPORT: No.

SNELL: To be telling this story this week. We didn't know he was going to come back and play this week. And as he said, it's already success just by virtue of the fact he is here this week and competing. I do want to ask you, though, big picture here, Dan. What have we

witnessed this week in the amazing career of Tiger Woods, put it into context.

RAPAPORT: Yes, I think it's going to take a little while for it to sink in, and I think because Tiger has accomplished so many ridiculous things in golf that we're almost jaded. We almost expect this of him.

When he turned up to Augusta National on Sunday. It was like, yes, of course he's going to play well, he is Tiger Woods. But just because it's unsurprising doesn't mean it's unremarkable.

Like we have to appreciate that 14 months ago, this guy's right leg was crushed by the weight of an SUV and he couldn't even walk. He was in a hospital bed for three months. We didn't hear from him for months and months, he posts one swing video. Next thing you know, he's under par at the Masters.

So I think this is one that will, as the years wear on, it will grow in how incredible and how legendary it really was. To shoot under par, to make the cut in the Masters after a 17-month competitive layoff in the state that his right leg, and he is back in his left leg or in, it's just another bullet point in a growingly absurd resume.

SNELL: Yes, and just very quickly, both had been out on the course this week, two or three words to sum up the adulation he gets when he takes the course.

RAPAPORT: How about this? Unlike any other. To use a Masters-ism.

SNELL: Yes, that's it. That is so fitting. Thank you so much, Dan. Perfect summary there. We do appreciate your time.

Jessica, I'm going to send it back to you on this Saturday evening.

DEAN: Yes, you're giving us such a good look at everything. I am curious before we let you guys go. You know, just watching. You know, as an outsider, I'm certainly no golf expert, but certainly we know that Tiger Woods was in that horrific car accident. You went through all of the injuries. Do we know at all what he is using? If there's any mental tricks? Obviously, he is a one-of-a-kind athlete, but how is he continuing to push for both physically, but also mentally, do we know?

SNELL: I'll pick up on one thing what I asked him after a second round I asked him about the pride you felt in just being here competing. He was very quick. He used the word thankful early in the week, paid tribute to his medical team.

Just to elaborate more on that and what is sort of motivating him right now and through it all.

[19:45:01]

RAPAPORT: He has a singular desire for competition that I've never seen in any other athlete. You know, the story is that after the accident, he is in his hospital bed and he asked his right hand man and best friend, Rob McNamara, to throw him objects to see if he still had his hands.

He was already thinking about in those moments, getting back to the golf course. That's just how he's wired. And, and I can't even imagine how much pain he's in. I mean, that thing must be swelling so much.

He needs multiple hours to get ready in the morning to play golf. There is a multiple hour process to wind down after he finishes the round. So, his will to continue after all of this and he has nothing to prove --

SNELL: Nothing.

RAPAPORT: He doesn't owe us anything.

SNELL: No.

RAPAPORT: It's just for him and to show himself that he can do it. It's -- yes, he's built unlike any other athlete ever seen.

SNELL: Right. And how much of this is thriving on proving people wrong -- proving the doubters wrong?

RAPAPORT: I think it is proving himself wrong, too. You know, I think he loves to prove to himself that he can do what he didn't think was possible. Again, I'm just -- I continue to be amazed by his will to continue.

I think most people, they get in that accident at that age with that injury history. They're like, all right, you know, that was it. I'm lucky to be alive. And he's back at the Masters. It's truly remarkable.

SNELL: And it's been a privilege. We both witnessed it this week. The story continues down. Thanks so much.

Jessica, right back to you.

DEAN: All right, you guys. Thanks so much, Patrick Snell and Dan RAPAPORT. We appreciate both of you.

From science fiction to reality: For the first time paying customers are on the International Space Station. What they're up to on this first of its kind mission, that's next.

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DEAN: Space tourism just took another giant leap, the first ever all- private astronaut crew arriving earlier today at the International Space Station. Rachel Crane is near Cape Canaveral, Florida watching this history making mission -- Rachel.

RACHEL CRANE, CNN BUSINESS INNOVATIONS AND SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Jessica, the crew of Ax-1 successfully docked to the International Space Station around 8:30 AM Eastern Time this morning, and this was a first of its kind mission because all astronauts on board spacecraft Endeavor were private astronauts.

Now, they were greeted during a welcome ceremony by Expedition 67, which included a few NASA astronauts, a European astronaut, as well as three Russian cosmonauts and pilot of Ax-1 Larry Connor, he had some words about the historic nature of this mission. Take a listen.

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LARRY CONNOR, OHIO BUSINESSMAN/SPACE TOURIST: Yes, we are here to experience this. But we understand there's a responsibility and the responsibility is for this first civilian crew to get it right, and that is what we're fully committed to with the support of everybody here at the ISS and on the ground. So it's going to be a busy week of research for us and I'm sure it's going to fly by.

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CRANE: And Jessica, they are going to be very busy while they're on the station there. They will be doing over a hundred hours of scientific research, running 25 different experiments, one on aging, another on brain health, a really interesting one on hologram teleportation which is essentially a fancy way of saying a two-way video dialogue.

So in addition to those experiments, they will of course be taking some breathtaking views in before they make their splashdown around eight days from now.

Back to you, Jessica.

DEAN: All right, Rachel. Thanks so much.

Up next, an 11-year-old takes the mic at Yankee Stadium to show her support for Ukraine in song.

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DEAN: Support for Ukraine in song: This is Yankee Stadium earlier today, 11-year-old Brooklyn resident Yulia Holiyat, performing the Ukrainian National Anthem before the Yankees opening day game against the Boston Red Sox.

Stadium officials also raised the Ukrainian flag next to the American flag. Yulia's family came to the United States from Ukraine in 2006.

A Ukrainian rock star is using music to lift spirits in his war-torn country. This is Slava Vakarchuk, he has drawn crowds for impromptu concerts all around Ukraine. He is also documenting the devastation he sees during his travels.

He posted this video this week from Bucha. Ukraine says hundreds of bodies were found there after Russian troops left. Vakarchuk has met with Ukrainian soldiers while traveling the country and he says despite the destruction, their morale is high.

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SLAVA VAKARCHUK, UKRAINIAN ROCK STAR: In the worst situation you can imagine, you've lost your relatives, someone who you loved. You lost your home, everything, and you still have this optimism and readiness to go further and optimism for the future. That's why I think Ukrainians are undefeatable.

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DEAN: And remember, you can go to CNN.com/impact to learn how to help the people of Ukraine. Our CNN audience has already donated seven and a half million dollars in aid.

Thank you to all of you.

Your next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

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