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Russia Threatens To Strike Decision-Making Centers; Mariupol Mayor: 180,000 People Waiting To Be Evacuated; France: Russian Troops Preparing For Offensive To Conquer Donbas Region In Next Few Days; People In Eastern Ukraine Prepare For New Russian Assault; New York City Subway Shooting Suspect Arrested; Conflicting Reports Over Damage To Russian Warship. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired April 14, 2022 - 02:00:00   ET

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

[02:02:25]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers here in the United States, and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church, here at CNN World headquarters in Atlanta.

Well, the U.S. is now sending hundreds of millions of dollars in high- tech heavy weapons as well as helicopters, and drones ahead of an expected Russian military offensive in the East.

And here in the U.S., New Yorkers breathing a sigh of relief with the suspect in the subway attack now in custody. The surprising phone call that led to his capture.

Russia is making new threats against Ukraine's capital more than a week after pulling its forces from the region. Moscow now says it will strike Ukrainian decision making centers including in Kyiv if Ukraine doesn't stop its attacks on Russian territory.

Meanwhile, a French military spokesperson says Russia's large scale assault on Eastern Ukraine could come within the next 10 days. Analysts say, Moscow wants to connect the separatists held Donetsk and Luhansk regions with Ukraine's southern coast. That includes the besieged city of Mariupol where the mayor reports 180,000 people are still waiting to be evacuated.

Russian forces are pounded the port with near constant shelling since the war started. Russia claims more than a thousand Ukrainian Marines have surrendered in Mariupol. This video aired on Russian state television, CNN is not in Mariupol and cannot confirm the report, but Ukraine denies the story and says the city's remaining defenders have joined forces to fight until the end.

Well, another video posted on social media appears to show cluster munitions exploding in a civilian area of Kharkiv. The U.N. Human Rights Chief says attacks like this may amount to war crimes. And this next video is graphic. Authorities in northern Ukraine report finding a growing number of bodies and towns where Russian forces have retreated claims of atrocities in Bucha now followed by reports of more than a hundred civilians dead in the Sumy Region.

Well, France says Russia is building up its forces to quote conquer the Donbas region in the next few days.

[02:05:00]

CHURCH: And it's carrying out airstrikes and bombings to weaken Ukrainian defenses, but many people who are still in the region are defiant and say they are not going anywhere. CNN's Ben Wedeman has this report.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: All is not quiet on Ukraine's eastern front. Not far from the town of Barvinkove, Russian mortars warn of (ph) what's to come.

Ukrainian officials say the offensive in the Donbas region, the eastern part of Ukraine has begun. Perhaps it has. Or perhaps this is the softening up before the onslaught. Among Ukrainian troops Brivado (ph). This officer gives a more sober assessment. The Russians are building

up for an attack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They're coming, and coming, and coming, Lieutenant Leone (ph) tells me. We're not in an easy situation.

WEDEMAN: Russian shelling, Tuesday killed three people including a 16- year-old girl according to the town mayor, who has been urging residents to leave. Not everyone hates his call. The stubborn few wait for supplies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): This is our town, insists Galena (ph). We're staying here. We know our soldiers are protecting us.

WEDEMAN: Yudmila (ph) looks to a higher power.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We'll pray to God, she says. Maybe he will save us all.

WEDEMAN: Eighty three-year-old, Yale Zavetda (ph) sits outside her home. She too, is staying put.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): My son's wife is scared and we'll probably leave today, she says. But I'm not afraid.

WEDEMAN: And then off she goes on her bicycle gathering storm and (INAUDIBLE) Ben Wedeman, CNN, Barvinkove, Eastern Ukraine. CHURCH: Here in the United States, the man accused of shooting and wounding 10 people on a crowded subway train in Brooklyn Tuesday is now in police custody. Sources tell CNN the 62-year-old, Frank James called in the tip that led to his own arrest is due to make his first court appearance in the coming hours facing a federal charge for committing a terrorist or other violent attack on mass transit. Here's how New York's Mayor reacted to the alleged gunman's arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK: My fellow New Yorkers, we got him. We got him. And I want to thank every day of New Yorkers who called in tips, who responded, who felt those passengers who were injured. Thirty three shots, but less than 30 hours later, we're able to say, we got him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: I want to bring in Juliette Kayyem now. She is a CNN National Security Analyst. She was also a Homeland Security Official during the Obama Administration. Always great to have you with us.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Thank you for having me again.

CHURCH: So, since we last spoke, the Brooklyn subway--

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: -- shooting suspect, Frank James has been arrested calling in the tip himself that led to his capture. So, what happens next? And how the police determine a motive for the shooting?

KAYYEM: Yes. The motive is going to be the more important part because they have him, he's-- you know, he is now in custody. This is going to be a familiar typical criminal indictment, and then a case. So it will look very familiar. The more interesting piece in play right now is what they're going to indict him with.

As we heard today in the press conference with the NYPD, they are going to bring what's called terrorism charges. It's under the Patriot Act. This is the post 911 statute created, and it permits a federal indictment against someone who uses terrorism or other forms of violence to disrupt mass transit.

And what we don't know yet, and I think that the NYPD has to be clear about this. What we don't know yet is due to -- it was whether a political or other form of terrorism, you know, motivations. Or is this someone with a lot of mental issues or other issues that led him to violence.

And those are important differences because in a country that takes counterterrorism seriously, you don't want to overuse terrorism charges or the terrorism word even for that matter.

CHURCH: yes. AND of course, you know, the biggest question is the why the motive?

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: But the other question, after all of this, why do you think the suspect called police himself to let them know where they could find him?

[02:10:07]

KAYYEM: Yes. I had suspected this and I had talked about it about his exit strategy. So, one way to look at all the weaponry he had everything from that machete to the explosives, to the fireworks is that he didn't have an intention of leaving, that this might have been something in which he anticipated that he would die. And therefore, the last 24 hours have been him sort of, you know, just sort of waiting to be to be caught in some way.

Because it didn't-- this wasn't a well-planned out attack in the sense like he didn't-- it wasn't clear sort of what his strategy was in terms of an exit or he-- I mean, he-- he's just a few miles from the subway, he hasn't gone anywhere. So, that's one explanation that the police will look into.

The other is that he knew he couldn't get it-- get away, and therefore he calls it in. I think it's important, though, that we understand what happened. Because if there's lessons to be learned about the police investigation about whether they followed up on the right tips, we have to be honest about, you know, whether, you know, what the police did versus what the community did, versus what the suspect himself did in terms of turning himself in.

CHURCH: And videos that Frank James posted on YouTube that have him ranting--

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: -- about various issues, including mass shootings, homelessness, mental health.

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: And New York City, Mayor Eric Adams.

KAYYEM: Right.

CHURCH: How will those videos likely play into all of this?

KAYYEM: They're going to play into the motive factor. And so-- and remember, it's not just the prosecution that's going to use them. It's the defense. So one of the reasons why it-- and traditionally you want to be very careful about using terrorism charges is because you have to prove a motive of political intent, right? In other words, you're using terror. This is obviously was terror and terrible.

But you're using terror for political gain to seek violence against the civilian population, for a political goal. So if the prosecutors use that, then the defense is going to come back and say, "Yes, he did this horrible thing", we admit that, but he didn't do it for those reasons, and therefore the higher charges should not stand.

So, remember, the defense has the same materials that the prosecution have-- has. And so if they're going to make a terrorism case, they-- the ranting set (ph), let's just say, the ranting-- we've seen so far. There may be others. The rantings we've seen so far publicly suggest a much more complicated and not, you know, not totally rational explanation.

CHURCH: And Juliette, thankfully, of course, the suspect is now in custody due to calling it in himself--

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: -- and no one was killed. But we did learn that among the thousands of cameras that make up the subway security system, many were not functioning on Tuesday.

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: What will be the likely fallout from this?

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: And could the suspect's arrest have happened faster, perhaps, if they had been working?

KAYYEM: It's hard to know, I mean, in terms of all the other cameras that are available, right? So we don't know whether they found out about him because of the credit card, because of the keys, and the-- all that ties to the U-Haul. So there might have been a variety of ways in which they identity-- where they able to identify him.

But certainly in terms of putting a narrative together, what happened in those moments more is better than less in terms of cameras, you're going to get different angles, you're going to get different people. In the shots, you're going get where his movement was. And so, in terms of what happens next is going to be reviewed. And I think it's going to be where these cameras called in to get fixed. And if they were called in, why weren't they fixed, right? And that's worse, isn't it? (ph)?

And the third, I just-- there's always after an incident like this, there's always a desire to fix things, and everything is wrong. And we need more, and more, and more. And I'm in this world, so I'm all for more security and people being more secure.

But, you know, let's first make sure the cameras work, right? I mean, in other words, before we sort of deployed lots of police officers, you know, sometimes it takes just fixes, like the things that we've already put into place. Just make sure that they're working, right? And that they're available at the time that you want them to be.

CHURCH: Yes. Absolutely. It'd be interesting to find out how long they hadn't been actually. KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: Yes. Right.

KAYYEM: Yes.

CHURCH: Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

KAYYEM: Thank you.

CHURCH: Still to come. As Ukraine prepares for another potential Russian offensive in the East, the U.S. is sending new heavier military hardware to help the country's defenses.

Plus, Russian atrocities in Ukraine qualify as war crimes in the minds of many Western leaders. But at least one NATO member won't call it genocide.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:18:37]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. I'm John Vause, live in Lviv, Ukraine. And Ukrainian authorities arrived. It appears they've delivered a major blow to the Russian naval fleet currently in the Black Sea. The authorities here are saying that they managed to fire two Neptune anti-ship missiles at the Moskva, that's the flagship of the Russian fleet which is stationed in the Black Sea.

It apparently caused major damage to this guided-- the guided missile cruiser. The Russians are disputing that account. So let's find out exactly what's happening. CNN's Clare Sebastian, following developments (ph) for us live from London.

So, if Ukrainians are telling the truth here, they are-- it's an accurate account. This is a very big blow because the Moskva that's the lead ship here, and it seems that they've done some pretty serious damage.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, conflicting accounts we have not been able to independently verify. In fact, because of the weather in this region, it has not even been possible to be able to see that the exact location of this ship on satellite images. But as you say, the Ukrainian side that the regional administrator in the Odesa Region has said that the ship, the Moskva which is, as you say the flagship of the Black Sea fleet has been hit by two Neptune missiles.

On the other side, the Russian Defense Ministry according to state media is saying that there was a fire on board that was caused by ammunition being accidentally detonated. They say the ship has been evacuated.

[02:20:00] SEBASTIAN: So conflicting accounts, you know, even conflicting within the Ukrainian side because the adviser to the president then later said that he believes that perhaps Ukrainian soldiers-- Russian soldiers rather, Russian sailors were perhaps smoking in the wrong place.

So, there's a lot of different information. But as you say, if this was a missile strike on this ship, it would be a huge blow not only to Russia's naval capabilities in the Black Sea, but to their military reputation, something that has already taken a major hit as the Ukrainian resistance has proved so effective in this conflict.

But we wait to find more about this, John. It is impossible to verify at this point what exactly happened.

VAUSE: Yes. Whether it was a Ukrainian anti-ship missile, which hit them or whether it was the Russian sailors smoking in the wrong place, either way, it's not good news. Clare Sebastian in London. Thank you.

Well, four weeks now, Ukraine's president has been pleading for heavier firepower from the U.S. and NATO. And now Washington appears to be coming through announcing a new $800 million security package. Notably, it includes almost a dozen Soviet era MI-17 helicopters, which could also be used as gunships. Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked specifically for that, during a call with President Biden on Wednesday.

Also included more Howitzer cannons, Switchblade drones, anti-tank missiles, armored personnel carriers, as well as protective equipment. Other equipment to guard against chemical attacks.

The European Union has also announced a new $544 million package of military equipment fuel, and so as first aid. Ukraine's president was also grateful when President Joe Biden publicly labeled Russia's atrocities in Ukraine as genocide. But that is a loaded word with a specific legal definition.

France is present for one has shied away from using the word, he was asked about that on French television. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): I would be careful with the term genocide today, because they are brother nations. Genocide, it carries a meaning. The Ukraine people and the Russian people are brother nations. What's happening now is madness. It is of an extraordinary brutality. It's the return of war to Europe. But at the same time, I'll look at the facts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And Polish President, Andrzej Duda says the word war does that come close to describing Russia's criminal aggression in Ukraine. Duda met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Wednesday, he was accompanied by leaders of Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania. And he spoke about how to provide more aid to Ukraine, how to investigate suspected war crimes carried out by Russian troops.

The Polish President later blasted Russia's attacks on civilians, he's using some very blunt word serious. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDRZEJ DUDA, PRESIDENT OF POLAND (through translator): I said to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and to the Presidents, to our colleagues, this is not war. This is terrorism. If someone says planes and soldiers to bomb residential areas and kill civilians, that is not war. It is cruelty, banditry, terrorism. That is the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine. We must never come to terms with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze is a member of Ukrainian Parliament, she's with us now live from Kyiv. Thank you for being with us. I wonder about the widespread outrage--

IVANNA KLYMPUSH TSINTSADZE, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF UKRAINE: Hello.

VAUSE: -- and the shock which was around the world. Thank you for being with us. I think some of these atrocities which committed by the Russian troops on Ukrainian civilians. And last Friday, you tweeted out that you're grateful to the 35 members of European Parliaments and national members of parliaments from the EU who came to visit Kyiv, Bucha, Irpin. And you said, "I'm sure seeing atrocities left by the Russians. Listening to survivors of occupation will make each of them our major force in Europe. More weapons, more sanctions against Russia."

I'm just wondering if the end result of all this has the actions that have been taken in the last week in terms of extra military hardware, extra sanctions on Russia. Have they reached the same level of outrage as people have expressed to you, or is there a gap between the both at the moment?

TSINTSADZE: Now, we do see how all those people who have visited those terrific, horrifying scenes, sites of Russian atrocities that they left on our land are really changing their perspective and changing their results in terms of supporting Ukraine, and are becoming much more active. And right now I know they are working on the-- on, for example on the embargo of Russian oil to the European Union, and that is something that is very much-- would be very much welcomed by Ukrainian people. And I hope that they will also then resort to a banning Russian gas from entering European Union.

[02:25:02]

TSINTSADZE: We understand the some of the things are taking time. And unfortunate, we also understand that there are people in some capitals that are reluctant still to deliver on such harsh measures that could help Ukraine. But also with regard to--

VAUSE: Yes. TSINTSADZE: -- weaponry, we see the change in some of the positions of

some of the governments positively towards helping more Ukraine. So this is happening.

VAUSE: I want you to get quickly to the situation with humanitarian corridors because there were none on Wednesday. And the mayor of Mariupol says a 100,000 people, 180,000 people remain trapped in that city. How dangerous is it right now for anyone to try and get out of Mariupol? How dangerous is it if they stay?

TSINTSADZE: Both things are close to basically death of those people because unfortunately, humanitarian corridors that have been granted by Russians from Mariupol have been very, very frequently broken by themselves, and the cars and buses were blown up by Russian troops when they were leaving the city of Mariupol. So, only small numbers of people were able to get out.

And the most horrible wounds of kids are being recorded in Zaporizhzhia hospital, the closest one to Mariupol, because they got them during the escape from Mariupol through those humanitarian corridors. So, unfortunately, this is still very dangerous both to stay in the city, which is continuously pounded on and troops, and also they'll be-- fighting already is ongoing on the streets, and also to leave the city through the humanitarian corridors that are not being respected by Russian Federation.

VAUSE: Very quickly. How long can Mariupol hold off of this Russian offensive? It seems that the Ukrainian fighters are now, you know, surrendering and-- is it days now before they could-- before it finally falls?

TSINTSADZE: Nobody expected that Mariupol would hold on for 50 days. So I would not make any projections with regard to how long they will stay. They are fighting fiercely, they are fighting for their-- for the city, and I hope that we will be able-- our military will be able to help them from outside as well with the support, with the military heavy munitions and heavy weaponry that we will receive from our partners across the free world.

VAUSE: Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, we appreciate you being with us. Thank you very much for your time and best luck, and stay safe.

TSINTSADZE: Thank you.

VAUSE: The Russian artillery inflicting a heavy toll on Ukraine's second largest city. When we come back, a CNN crew on the front lines in Kharkiv it comes within an earshot of Russian heavy gun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is so close. Those are Russian positions, they are shelling towards us. We are just over a mile away from the Russian forces.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:00] ASTRUP: We have seen the wages increased by over 600 percent. We have seen the number of labor inspectors doubled and perpetrators punished. Force labor and child labor is criminal labor is now a criminal offense in Uzbekistan. We've seen awareness raising campaigns to make sure that people are aware of their rights. And we have seen liberalization and privatization of the agricultural system. There's still work to do in Uzbekistan. But I think it's fair to say that Uzbekistan is a success story in the world of work.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. While missiles and artillery fire continue to target Ukraine's second largest city in an expected Russia offense in the east. Officials say, at least seven civilians in Kharkiv have been killed, 24 others wounded in just the past 24 hours. CNN's Nima Elbagir is there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Desolate, bear, lifeless. This is what it looks like after weeks of relentless Russian shelling. Saltivka, the most densely populated district in Kharkiv. It's being bombed day after day, night after night. There are very few people left. The elderly mostly. One man stayed behind to keep his mother safe.

ELBAGIR (on camera): Igor says that he lives on the 16th floor of one of these buildings with his mother. His says his mother is deeply religious and deeply committed to staying here even though they're almost entirely surrounded, and she won't leave, so he won't leave.

ELBAGIR (voiceover): But this is a frontline under renewed pressure. The Russians are pushing hard.

ELBAGIR (on camera): That is so close. Those are Russian positions. They're shelling towards us. We are just over a mile away from the Russian forces. This is their route into Kharkiv and then on into Ukraine. For now, this is the frontline. That could change at any moment now. They are trying as hard as they can to push that frontline inward.

ELBAGIR (voiceover): The soldiers want to show us more evidence of the heavy bombardment.

ELBAGIR (on camera): The soldiers want us to move very quickly because Russian snipers are operating in this area. We've got to move.

ELBAGIR (voiceover): The rumble you hear is the constant shelling.

ELBAGIR (on camera): The shelling's just absolutely relentless. From the moment that we've arrived, we've been hearing it. We have to be careful where we step because Russians are also dispersing mines from the rockets that they're sending over into here.

ELBAGIR (voiceover): The shelling has intensified over the last few days. Regional officials told CNN this is evidence of the renewed Russian military push.

[02:35:00]

ELBAGIR (on camera): Yes, let's go. So, from where we are, we're pretty much surrounded by Russian troops. On three sides. Tens of thousands of Russian troops are believed to be amassing to come here into Kharkiv, to come into Ukraine from this direction. We've got to move.

ELBAGIR (voiceover): The soldiers wanted us out of there. It was becoming too intense. Just 30 minutes later, we saw why. This warehouse is in the South of Saltivka. It took a direct hit. This is an area that after the initial aborted invasion has been beyond the reach of Russian ground troops. But now, once again, nowhere is safe. Nima Elbagir CNN, Kharkiv.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: We'll have more from me at the top of the hour from Ukraine. But let's head back to Rosermary Church at the CNN world headquarters. I guess the big story today though that everyone is watching is just when will these heavy weapons, these artilleries, and these helicopters, when will they actually arrive? And when will the Ukrainians actually be able to put them in place? And will they get there in time to, you know, prevent this Russian expected assault in the East? Will they be effective? That's the big story, I guess, from here today.

CHURCH: Yes. Absolutely. It's all in the timing there. Thank you so much, John. We'll see you back at the top of the hour. Appreciate it

VAUSE: You bet.

CHURCH: Well, more now on another top story we are following. The suspect in the New York subway shooting is said to appear in Federal Court in the coming hours. Frank James is charged with committing a terrorist or other violent attack on mass transit. Sources say, he actually called in the tip that led to his own arrest. James is accused of setting off smoke grenades before shooting a handgun on a crowded train in Brooklyn on Tuesday. 10 people were wounded by gunfire and more than a dozen others were injured by smoke inhalation or falling as they try to flee.

A U.S. basketball player detained in Russia can finally receive letters from home. But now Brittney Griner supporters worry she's being held as a pawn in Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine. That story and more after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:40:00]

Well, it seems U.S. professional basketball player, Brittney Griner, is getting some leniency while being detained in Russia. ESPN has reported Griner can now meet with her legal representative twice a week. And is also able to receive letters and other mail. The WNBA commissioner has also weighed in this week, saying the league is doing everything it can to bring Griner home, but admits it's a very complex situation. Griner was arrested by Russian authorities back in February, accused of smuggling large amounts of narcotics through Moscow's airport. A court recently extended her arrest, through May 19th, nearly two weeks, after the WNBA season is set to begin.

So, let's talk more about this with Christine Brennan. She is a CNN sports analyst and a columnist for USA Today. Thank you so much for joining us.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST AND SPORTS COMMUNIST USA TODAY: It's great to be with you, thank you.

CHURCH: So, Christine, we know that Brittney Griner has been able to see her representative in Russia twice a week, and is able to receive letters and make calls, and sees her legal team several times a week. A U.S. embassy official says, she's in good condition. And the WNBA says, it's trying to bring Brittney Griner home safely to the U.S. But that is going to be tough in the middle of a war. What more are you learning about those efforts?

BRENNAN: You know, Rosemary, you -- you've, of course, just said it. The timing could not be worse. The fact that Brittney Griner was detained on the allegation of course of having that cannabis oil in mid-February -- actually February 17th. And within, what, a week or so, Putin is starting his war against Ukraine and, of course, the atrocities and the horrors that we've seen there.

And so, it's really a difficult time. And the one thing that I keep hearing from my sources is how they really want to try to have a very even measured response. No one going off and saying what they really may think, right? Trying to be calm. Not get in the way of any potential negotiations, I'm not saying there are negotiations, but not do anything to make the situation worse for their friend, their teammate, their fellow WNBA player.

And so, that's really where they stand. It's a really difficult situation for everybody because, of course, they'd like to do more, but what more can they do? The fact is that they just have to kind of sit and watch as we all are, and it is so frustrating. And patience is wearing thin. But that's what the WNBA is doing, and it's the wise course of action right now to try to hope that by not making a scene, by not making it a bigger deal then in -- obviously, it's a huge deal, but not making a bigger. That they maybe can earn her release in a very calm and maybe backdoor kind of way.

CHURCH: Yes, I mean, it is certainly a very delicate situation and time in history, isn't it? Griner has, as you mentioned, she's been detained in Russia since mid-February. Accused of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance in her luggage which could potentially result in Griner spending 10 years in prison, if convicted.

[02:45:00]

How confident her supporters that she will come home? And how concerned are they that she will be used as a pawn in the midst of this war?

BRENNAN: Well, you know, I think they're very concerned because this is not the U.S. judicial system, this is Russia. And Putin throws enemies into jail, as we know, and he's done that in the past. Brittney Griner is six foot nine, she's one of the top athletes in the United States. One of the top athletes around the world, a two-time Olympic gold medalist. She is black. She is gay.

And we know that going back to the 2014, the Sochi Olympic games, Vladimir Putin had his anti-gay propaganda law, whatever that meant, but clearly an attack on gay athletes before the Sochi Olympics and during the Sochi Olympics. So, that heightens concerns frankly, Rosemary, about Brittney Griner. Because she is, pretty much, everything that Putin hates.

CHURCH: Yes, it is such a concern, isn't it? Of course, Griner is clearly much loved by her fans and WNBA. How big a deal is she in women's basketball?

BRENNAN: Oh, very big deal. She is, as I of course mentioned, a two- time Olympic gold medalist, NCAA champion with Baylor. I think for many people, that's when ever -- sports fans got a chance, Rosemary, to kind of see her and get to know her name, when she was playing for Baylor and really changing the face of women's basketball.

Six foot nine, I mean, women are taller than ever. And you certainly see 6'4" or 6'5" women playing basketball and being just fantastic athletes. But six foot nine, just a game changer and always, a revolutionary player in the sense of changing the game, and the women's game, and making it above the rim just like the men's game. And so -- and then of course the WNBA All-Star many, many times, and representing her country at the Olympic games. So, one of the greats of all-time. For sure a hall of famer.

CHURCH: Christine Brennan, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

BRENNAN: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Millions of people ride the subway each day in New York. But when tragedy strikes, like this week's shooting incident, riders fear for their lives. The aftereffects of the attack. That's just ahead.

STEPHEN JAMIESON, GLOBAL HEAD OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY SOLUTIONS, SAP: My name is Stephen Jamieson, Global Head of Circular Economy Solutions, SAP. The aim of the circular economy is to eliminate waste, circulate materials, keeps products in use as long as possible, and regenerate natural systems. We're talking about a fundamental reworking of how we deliver the economy. At the moment we've based upon an extract of system which depends upon nature but it's ultimately extracted. That will only go one way in the long term. A regenerative economy ultimately creates abundance of opportunity, abundance of materials, abundance of resources that enable us to thrive as a species, and thrive as a piece of nature and a part of nature.

H.E. ZAYED AL ZAYANI, MINISTER OF INDUSTRY, COMMERCE, AND TOURISM, BAHRAIN: Each hall is about 10,000 square meters, as you see here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To get more insight into the kingdom's strategy, I met up with the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism at one of the country's flagship projects. The Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Center. This massive space is said to be the region's largest exhibition center when it opens later this year.

Bahrain was already under pressure economically, before the pandemic. The pandemic brought along with it a lot more pain. But the country was already on the path of trying to diversify away from oil and gas. Do you think that's actually doable?

[02:50:00]

AL ZAYANI: If you talk primarily about diversification, it's not new to us. We've done it before. Before oil -- we didn't have oil, we were a pearling nation. We went from pearling to oil, to industry, to banking, to telecoms. And I'm sure we'll find more and more as we go along. I think the biggest asset in Bahrain is the Bahrainese themselves.

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CHURCH: The man accused of attacking a New York subway train is in police custody right now, awaiting a court hearing later today. Authorities say, he set off smoke canisters then shot 10 people on the crowded train car. Everyone is expected to recover, though, the incident stirred fear through the city which boasts one of the world's busiest subway systems. Gary Tuchman got reactions from commuters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): This is the end line of the New York City subway, rolling into the 36th Street station in Brooklyn. The station where the horrific shootings took place.

EMAD JIELATY, SUBWAY PASSENGER: There's so many crazy people out there. So, you have to be on alert.

TUCHMAN (voiceover): Not everyone knows this is the station where it happened. But every rider we talked to is extremely aware that it did happen. Lizbeth Cruz acknowledges that apprehension is always a part of her subway ride.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Is it fair to say that each and every time you ride in the subway, even before the shooting happened, you're scared to be on it?

LIZBETH CRUZ, SUBWAY PASSENGER: Yes, even before, back in middle school, too. I've been followed before home so I've always been scared.

TUCHMAN (voiceover): The subway is part of the fabric of New York. Although it's not widely loved, you can travel anywhere in the city for $2.75.

HANNAH SALEH, SUBWAY PASSENGER: I don't have another way, like, to get to my job. Like, this is my only way of transportation.

TUCHMAN (voiceover): Similar viewpoint from this woman, waiting for a train at that 36th Street station.

TEA JOHNSON, SUBWAY PASSENGER: I have no other choice. So, the prices are pretty high on over on lifts, so, yeah.

TUCHMAN (on camera): But you do it because you have to?

JOHNSON: Yes.

TUCHMAN (voiceover): The New York City subway system has more riders than any other system in the Western hemisphere.

TUCHMAN (on camera): According to the NYC Transit Authority, there are 472 subway stations in the system. In 2019, the last full year before the COVID pandemic, an average of 5.5 million passengers rode the subway each and every weekday. For the year, approximately 1.7 billion passengers rode the subway. That's more than five times the population of the United States.

TUCHMAN (voiceover): Almost everyone we talked with has a strategy for staying safe.

TUCHMAN (on camera): What do you do to stay safe because you said you ride all the time?

LISA CHEN, SUBWAY PASSENGER: I have pepper spray on my coat.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Pepper spray?

CHEN: Yes, and we both have something (INAUDIBLE). Do something to --

TUCHMAN (on camera): So, you'll spray if there's an emergency?

CHEN: Yes, protect myself -- yes.

JEREMIAH RORIE, SUBWAY PASSENGER: I pray to my heavenly Father, number one. And I watch myself, in all things that I do. I make sure I look at my surroundings when I got on the subway. And I just am careful as I can be.

TUCHMAN (voiceover): We hear a lot about faith.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can't really be afraid of it. And honestly, you know, I just trust that God will protect me every time I get on the train.

TUCHMAN (voiceover): We talked to these passengers before the suspect was captured. But while we were working, we learned he had been caught.

TUCHMAN (on camera): Have you heard that the suspected gunman has been caught?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They caught -- I didn't know they were looking for him.

TUCHMAN (on camera): How does that make you feel, they caught him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good, good, yes.

TUCHMAN (on camera): What if I told you that the suspected gunman has been caught?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That would be fantastic. I would be --

TUCHMAN (on camera): It's true, that's what's happened. How does --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, awesome.

TUCHMAN (on camera): -- how does that make you feel?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Much better.

TUCHMAN (voiceover): A sense of relief during these tense times. Gary Tuchman, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:55:00]

CHURCH: In New Jersey, a classroom accident could have ended badly if not for the actions of a heroic and very well-trained teacher.

In this surveillance video, you can see a nine-year-old student, named Robert, tilt his head back and drink some bottled water, and then he starts choking on the cap. He rushes to a sink in the back of the room but still has trouble breathing. He then runs over to his teacher, Janice Jenkins, while pointing at his throat. She turns him around, and performs the Heimlich maneuver. After a few pumps, the cap pops out, a huge look of relief on his face. And then we see Jenkins checking on him to make sure he is OK and wiping his eyes. We're told, the school staff are certified in CPR and first aid. Thankfully.

That is a nice happy ending for a change. I'm Rosemary Church. Our breaking news coverage continues with John Vause, live in Ukraine in just a moment. Do stay with us.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN.

JOSHUA OIGARA, GROUP CEO &MANAGING DIRECTOR, KENYA COMMERCIAL BANK: My advice to young people, it's quite interesting. It may look a contrarian. I say longevity or experience is what drives your enterprise. Sometimes, when I speak to young people they say, I want to come in to be and become the largest business or the largest bank in our market. I haven't seen that in the last two decades. And I don't think it's going to happen.

Because when you look at the most successful companies in the world today, Apple or Amazon, they have taken time to build. In that time, you build experience, you build knowledge, you understand customers, you build charm. That's what runs business. I think the short-term ambition of make it today at all cost is a very short-term ambition. And because our young people today will lead a long life because of health advancements, they have hundreds of years to live, then they're going to build for the future today.

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