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Apparent Cluster Bomb Explosions in Kharkiv; People in Eastern Ukraine Prepare for New Russian Assault; Interview with Matti Maasikas, EU Ambassador to Ukraine: Zelenskyy's Meeting with Poland and Three Baltic States; New York City Subway Shooting Suspect Arrested; New Video Shows Police Shooting of Unarmed Black Man. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired April 14, 2022 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Max Foster in London. We're following two major stories for you. The man who shot inside the New York subway is set to appear in court in the coming hour. Details also on the tip that led to his arrest and the investigation to find the motive.

Plus, this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: We do already see the Russians begin to resupply and try to reinforce some of the units that they already have in the Donbas.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The European architecture has changed fundamentally after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's useful to go there, to look in his eyes and to say the war has to end.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Western troops are believed to be amassing to come into Kharkiv. To come into Ukraine, from this direction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not war. This is terrorism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

FOSTER: It's Thursday, April 14th, 11:00 a.m. in Ukraine. The U.S. and its allies are helping Ukraine to prepare for the coming fight in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine with more weapons and ammunition. The Biden administration is sending another $800 million in equipment including howitzers, armored personnel carriers and helicopters. The European Union is contributing another $.5 billion in military aid. All of this comes following a direct appeal from President Zelenskyy in the video message he released which does contain graphic images.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: The images of Bucha and Mariupol have demonstrated real Russian intentions to the whole world. It could only be stopped by force. It must be done now. Ukraine needs weapon supplies. We need have the artillery, armored vehicles, air defense systems and combat aircraft. Anything to repel Russian forces and stop their war crimes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Despite pulling its forces away from Ukraine's capital, Russia is still making threats against Kyiv. Moscow says it will strike Ukraine decision making centers unless Ukraine stops its attacks on Russian territory. That includes the besieged city of Mariupol where the mayor reports 180,000 people are waiting to be evacuated. Ukraine's deputy minister says nine humanitarian corridors have been agreed for Thursday including one from Mariupol.

Russia claims more than a thousand Ukrainians marines have surrendered in the besieged port city. 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.

Meanwhile, Ukraine claims it hit a Russian warship in the Black Sea with Neptune missiles causing serious damage. The Russian state media dispute that saying a fire detonated ammunition on board and the ship was evacuated. CNN cannot verify either of those claims.

Now in the city of Kharkiv, video on social media appears to show explosions from cluster munitions in a civilian area. The U.N. says such attacks may mount to war crimes.

No matter what they're called, Russia's military has inflicted unbelievable pain and suffering on Ukrainian civilians. In a village west of Kyiv, a mother was distraught to find dead child's body had been tossed into a well. This video is hard to watch.

As you can see, she's inconsolable after identifying the boy by his shoes. And cries out my little son. A very distressing scene.

Meanwhile, France says Russia is building up its forces to, quote, conquer the Donbas region in the next few days and is carrying out airstrikes and bombings to weaken the Ukrainian defenses. But many people who are still in the region are defiant and saying they're not going anywhere. CNN's Ben Wedeman has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): All is not quiet on Ukraine's eastern front.

[04:05:00]

Not far from the town of Barvinkove, Russian mortars warn of what's to come.

WEDEMAN: Ukrainian officials say the offensive in the Donbas region, the eastern part of Ukraine has begun. Perhaps it has.

WEDEMAN (voice over): Or perhaps this is the softening up before the onslaught. Among Ukrainian troops, bravado.

WEDEMAN (voice over): This officer gives a more sober assessment. The Russians are building up for an attack.

"They're coming and coming and coming," Lieutenant Leonid tells me. "We're not in an easy situation."

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 heeds his call. The stubborn few wait for supplies.

WEDEMAN (voice over): "This is our town," insists Galina. "We're staying here. We know our soldiers are protecting us."

Lyudmila looks to a higher power.

"We'll pray to God," she says. "Maybe He will save us all."

Eighty-three-year-old Yelizaveta sits outside her home. She too, is staying put.

"My son's wife is scared and will probably leave today," she says, "But I'm not afraid." And then off she goes on her bicycle, gathering storm be damned.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Barvinkove, eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia traveled to the Ukrainian capital and Wednesday to meet with President Zelensky. The four leaders said their visit was to show strong support to the Ukrainian people. And they discussed aid to Ukraine and offered to help investigate war crimes. During their trip, they visited Borodianka, a town that's been devastated by Russian strikes. And Poland's president called the atrocities in Kyiv or the Kyiv region, not war, but terrorism.

Matti Maasikas is the EU ambassador to Ukraine and joins me now from Kyiv. Thank you for joining us. So, what's it like in Kyiv at the moment? MATTI MAASIKAS, EU AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Kyiv is opening up. It's a

magnificent city, but of course, it's a capital of a country at war, so the atmosphere is tense. The officials are returning to their offices and everybody's working on repelling the Russians.

FOSTER: Because there is a suggestion, you know, with the Russian language of going for the power centers again if attacks are made on Russian soil. So, Kyiv isn't yet safe, is it? But there's a real effort by the international community to reestablish missions there to show that it is still an independent capital.

MAASIKAS: In diplomacy, added value comes from the presence. And that's why it is important to be present in Kyiv. For me, for the European Union, and other countries supporting Ukraine.

FOSTER: When it comes to the EU role here, obviously, each country is making their own decisions around military responses, but the EU is obviously playing a key role in terms of sanctions. You haven't yet given Zelenskyy all that he wants, particularly in terms of oil sanctions. How far are you going to be able to go, do you think? And how difficult are those negotiations?

MAASIKAS: First of all, the EU is also coordinating the military assistance and coordinating weapons deliveries. Exactly, according to Ukrainian requests. With the additional .5 billion euros allocated last week. The work on the sixth package of sanctions has started. And we will be part of the discussion, definitely.

FOSTER: Are you going to be able to give them the sanctions on oil, for example?

MAASIKAS: As to the European Commission, the EU's executive, has started working on the next package. And oil will be part of this package.

[04:10:00]

It will then have to be decided by all EU member states unanimously but this process has started.

FOSTER: In terms of that military coordination, what are the challenges you're facing in getting military equipment out to the eastern part of the region? This is obviously much more difficult than reaching the Kyiv region which is where everything was focused before.

MAASIKAS: It is, of course, a challenge in wartime. But it's ongoing, obviously, not many details of the practical deliveries can be or will be revealed, but we know exactly what the Ukrainians want. And we are delivering exactly that.

FOSTER: The other thing they want, obviously, looking to the longer term is EU membership. In terms of progress there, are they expected to hear anything in the coming weeks? Obviously, the ultimate membership takes years. But there are negotiations and announcements you can make in the meantime. MAASIKAS: Indeed. Ukraine submitted its membership applications on the

fifth day of the war. And the EU executive, the European Commission, has started working on its analysis, on its opinion, as requested by new member states. This work focuses on whether Ukraine fulfills the two basic criteria for EU membership, functioning democracy and functioning market economy. We intend to be ready with this work by June. And then -- and then, again, it goes to EU member states and further decisions can be expected.

FOSTER: So, they could have candidate status by the summer, couldn't they if all goes smoothly?

MAASIKAS: I'm in no position respectively on what the EU Commission's recommendation will be, but I expect the candidate status being discussed then.

FOSTER: OK, Matti Maasikas thank you very much indeed for joining us. The EU's ambassador to Ukraine now in Kyiv.

We got them, the words from the New York City mayor after authorities arrested the alleged subway gunman Frank James. Sources tell CNN that he called the tip line himself to report his location to police. James is due to make his first court appearance today, facing a federal charge of carrying out a terrorist or other violent attacks on mass transit. The video obtained by WNBC, shows what law enforcement believe to be the suspect entering the subway in Brooklyn before Tuesday's attack that injured at least 29 people. Our Brynn Gingras has more on what we're learning about the alleged gunman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The gunman in the Brooklyn subway attack now in police custody.

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D) NEW YORK: Thirty-three shots, for less than three hours later, we're able to say we got him.

GINGRAS (voice over): Sources telling CNN 62-year-old Frank James reported himself to police by calling Crime Stoppers. Police later spotted him walking on a Manhattan Street.

KEECHANT SEWELL, NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: He was taken into custody without incident and has been transported to an NYPD facility. He will be charged with committing yesterday's appalling crime in Brooklyn.

GINGRAS (voice over): Authorities say it was James who set off smoke canisters and open fire into a crowded subway car Tuesday morning.

SEWELL: We used every resource at our disposal to gather and process significant evidence that directly links Mr. James to the shooting. We were able to shrink his world quickly. There was nowhere left for him to run.

GINGRAS (voice over): Investigators determined that the gun found at the scene of the attack was purchased by James in Ohio in 2011, elevating him from a person of interest to a suspect. Keys found at the crime scene led police to this U-Haul van investigators say James rented in Philadelphia, leading police to a storage facility and apartment there filled with ammunition.

His motive in the attack still unclear, but investigators have pointed to repeated chilling rants by James on his YouTube account, the latest video posted on Monday where he talked about committing violence.

FRANK JAMES, SUBWAY SHOOTING SUSPECT: I've been through a lot of (BEEP) where I could say I wanted to kill people. I wanted to watch people die right in front of my (BEEP) face immediately. But I thought about the fact, hey, man, I don't want to go no (BEEP) prison.

GINGRAS (voice over): James also advocating for mass shootings on social media.

[04:15:00]

JAMES: We need to see more mass shootings. Yes, you need those that, no, we need to see more, actually more mass shootings to make (BEEP) people understand, listen, you're going down. It's not -- no, it's not about the shooter. Nope. It's not about the shooter. It's about the environment in which he has to exist.

GINGRAS (voice over): Other videos included James claiming he had post-traumatic-stress and more rants about race, homeless people and the policies of Mayor Eric Adams.

ADAMS: We are watching signs around us of those who are leaning toward violent actions and we are ignoring them. Why aren't we identify these dangerous threats? Why aren't we being more proactive instead of waiting for this to happen?

GINGRAS (voice over): Before James' gun jammed during the shooting, 10 people were shot and more than a dozen others were injured.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think I could ever ride the train again.

GINGRAS (voice over): All are expected to recover physically, but the mental toll of the attack will likely weigh on the victims and everyday New Yorkers for some time.

SEWELL: We hope this arrest brings some solace to the victims and the people of the city of New York.

GINGRAS: James now in federal custody. And there's still a lot of work that's being done behind the scenes. Investigators are still going through all of his social media. Also, sifting through all the evidence that they have collected seeing if they can bring even more charges against him or maybe even zero in on a motive. That single charge is against him at the moment and he will be in court on Thursday.

Brynn Gingras, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE) FOSTER: Former FBI special agent Bobby Chacon says the suspect's social media videos will likely be key to determining a motive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY CHACON, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT: You can almost see him as a lone wolf, black nationalist, domestic terrorist. I mean, he was espousing a race war. He distributed radical Louis Farrakhan videos. He said black people and white people shouldn't be in contact with each other. He said the only reason black people have equality, acceptance of violence and the espoused violence.

And so, it looks like he was looking at some radical black nationalist ideology so he could be seen as a domestic terrorist. But what works against that train of thought is that he picked a target, a train, it's in a very diverse neighborhood. If he was intent in carrying out a, you know, a race war or attack that would tried to push us into a race war. He would have picked a different target. Because this neighborhood was blue collar people going to work. They were multicultural, multiracial victims.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Former FBI special agent Bobby Chacon there. Of course, we'll bring you the very latest on this story as it develops.

Now still to come. A community seeks justice in yet another deadly shooting of an unarmed black man by police in the U.S. The video detailing how a traffic stop turned horribly wrong -- when we return.

Plus, blizzards, wildfires, tornadoes, they're all part of a storm system that's been pummeling much of U.S. for days now. Pedram Javaheri has more on where the storms are heading next.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Things to remember, certainly across parts of the U.S. The Eastern Seaboard now on alert here. Over 60 million Americans including the northeast, and severe weather ahead of us. More on that in a few minutes.

[04:20:00]

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FOSTER: Crowds gathered on the streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Wednesday night, protesting the death of 26-year-old Patrick Lyola, an unarmed black man killed at the hands of a police officer. You can hear them chanting "say his name" repeatedly.

Now more than a week has gone since Lyola's death. And the officer responsible has yet to be named. Officials say he's currently on paid leave. But noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump representing Lyola's family and demands the officer be fired, arrested and prosecuted.

CNN's Omar Jimenez has the story. In a warning some of the video you're about to see is disturbing and may be hard to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A struggle, a gunshot -- a Black man dead on the streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan. A police officer now under investigation for shooting 26-year-old Patrick Lyola in the head. A frustrated community demands answers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay in the car!

JIMENEZ (voice-over): On April 4th, police say Lyola was pulled over for improper registration on the car he was driving, though, did not elaborate on why they were looking in the first place. Just a few minutes into the stop, Lyola starts to run.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no, stop, stop. Put your hands right here.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): The officer catches Lyola. The two begin to wrestle. Then, the officer uses a taser. But it fails to make impact. The officer's body camera turns off during the struggle. Police say it was unintentional. But the passenger in Lyola's car was recording this cell phone video and captured what happens next.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not taser!

(GUNSHOT)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are determined to get this right.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Authorities now facing tough questions like whether the officer's life was in enough jeopardy to draw his gun.

CHIEF ERIC WINSTROM, GRAND RAPIDS POLICE DEPARTMENT: So, a taser is not, per se, a deadly weapon. The taser is what would be known as an intermediate weapon. Intermediate weapon would have the potential to cause death. It would have the potential to cause great bodily harm, but not necessarily.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Lyola was a Congolese refugee. The chief saying a potential language barrier is part of the investigation. The family's lawyer, Ben Crump, contends Lyola was confused by the encounter and terrified for his life. The NAACP adding, an unregistered license plate should not be a death sentence.

The still unidentified officer has been stripped of his police powers but remains on paid leave, pending the official state investigation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we will seek transparency. We will speak truth.

JIMENEZ: Now, the investigation into what happened and the officer is still with Michigan State Police and remains ongoing, despite the video being released now in the name of transparency. Once those results are in, they'll be sent to the police department for potential disciplinary action. But they'll also be sent to the county prosecutor for any potential criminal charges.

[04:25:00]

Until then, this officer still unnamed remains on paid leave. Though stripped of his police powers.

Omar Jimenez, CNN, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: A severe weather threat in the U.S. is moving east right now with Philadelphia and New York in the path of these storms. The same systems led to tornadoes watches from Illinois to Texas on Wednesday which have since expired. Meanwhile, some northern states are facing blizzard conditions while Texas and New Mexico are dealing with the threat of wildfires. One fire in New Mexico has left at least two people dead. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins me now from the CNN weather center. And worrying to see these storms moving toward these very populated areas.

JAVAHERI: Absolutely, it's not going to be much to cause quite a bit of damage when it comes to what these storms are capable of producing and certainly what they produced in the past couple of days. And you'll notice here the storm reports, notice just a couple of tornado reports as it relates to the winds, significant amount of upwards of 220 plus. The widespread coverage of severe wind gusts that at times were gusting to over 60, even 70 plus miles per hour. Pushing in some cases up to hurricane force across the state of Mississippi. And really the intensity, the veracity of these storms as impressive as it gets.

In fact, looking at the lightning data -- how about this -- in a 12- hour span, 106,031 lightning strikes scattered about this region of the United States. The frontal boundaries range from portions of Louisiana all the way toward the state of Ohio, well to the north, that spanned about 830 miles across, and again speaks to the incredible magnitude of this storm system.

I noticed some of these likely tornadoes that were spotted across portions of Louisville, Kentucky there, into the evening hours. And anytime you look at these, of course, we talked about these tornadoes in recent weeks. We had an incredible and historic month of March. The month of March on average brings about 80 tornadoes in the U.S. The preliminary count has us at 292 tornadoes -- an all-time record for the most aggressive start for the tornado season. That was just last month.

Notice April 2022, 13 or 14 days into the month now, 129 reports of tornadoes. 155 is what is considered average. So, likely to be another month here where we push up the near record territories when it comes to how active it is getting in the world a severe weather.

Notice the flooding, widespread coverage of heavy rainfall -- areas indicated in yellow and orange -- that's 2 to 4 inches some pockets even pushing close to six inches of rainfall. So, this is beneficial. A lot of it has led to flooding across the area, Iowa, Minnesota, Arkansas, even Wisconsin, again, widespread coverage that we've seen plenty of rainfall.

The good news, this high pressure build in the wake of this. The bad news is that storm system is on the move. And it is now, Max, noted here, is going to impact the very densely populated corner right there across portions of the northeast. Includes Philly includes New York for Thursday afternoon. Notice the main threats now just straight-line winds and hail, tornadoes have been eliminated from the risk down there. So, at least better some news in that sense. But severe weather still expected across the Eastern third of the U.S. -- Max.

FOSTER: OK, meteorologist Pedram Javaheri, thank you very much indeed.

Now more than 300 people are dead after what officials call one of the worst storms South Africa has ever seen. Heavy rain, flooding and mudslides have pummeled parts of the East Coast since Monday, destroying homes, roads and bridges. There are also widespread power outages. Rescuers have been working to evacuate the affected communities. This all comes just weeks after a string of storms and cyclones hit other parts of Southern Africa killing more than 200 people.

Just ahead, why was a major Russian warship abandoned in the Black Sea. Ukraine claims it hit the ship with missiles. The Russian state media have offered another explanation. Clare Sebastian will offer her explanation, next.

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