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Conflicting Views on Invasion Tear Russian Families Apart; Philadelphia Indoor Mask Mandate Goes Back Into Effect Today; Ukrainians Pray for Peace While Bracing for Russian Attacks. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired April 18, 2022 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:05]

JEAN-MICHEL SHCHERBAK, DISOWNED BY MOTHER AFTER REFUSING TO SUPPORT RUSSIAN INVASION: The last time I was there, it was in Oltun (ph) this year. Well, I still can't believe that it's happening. And my friends started to send me pictures and videos of the result, Russian army. And I decided to post it on my Instagram and I also put -- like I synchronized it with Russian propaganda with it. So, when Russia says that the Russian army doesn't attack properties, like I posted the destroyed area with the apartments and stuff.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN NEWSOOM: Yes. What is fascinating is that you were able to gain the trust of so many Ukrainians who were telling you their stories, what they were seeing on the ground and you were posting that, juxtaposing that with what Russian state media and propaganda and people like your own mother were saying.

You know how Russian state media works. You actually began your career working for one of the networks. What is so powerful about their appeal to the Russian public that they can believe things that are told to them despite hearing things completely different from family members and loved ones in Ukraine?

SHCHERBAK: Well, it's crazy but people don't have the opportunity, like ways to -- well, to get news from, for example, T.V. Because as you probably remember, when Russia annexed Crimea, they made the last independent channel door closed.

And when people in Russia, like in big cities, like Moscow, St. Petersburg, that people who live far from the big cities, they tune on their T.V., and they see propaganda news only, only Russian propaganda. And they believe official media more than independent media, and they also -- well, Russian government named some independent media and independent journalists as international adjuncts. So, that's why they believe in it.

And I have to tell you that most Russian people believe that NATO and the United States are going to attack Russia through Ukraine. That's why they agreed with this situation.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. And that is what they're saying on state media today, that this is a fight against NATO, a fight against the west.

I'm curious to get your thoughts on how Vladimir Putin and how Russians, in general, approach Ukrainians. On the one hand, they say they're our equals, they're our brothers, and then on the other hand, you hear words, like de-Nazification and they're nationalists and they're beneath us.

Vladimir Putin always touts Russia's constitution as written as a multiethnic society. You yourself are multiracial. Can you just give us a perspective of what the reality is on the ground there about embracing other ethnicities, including neighbors, like Ukrainians?

SHCHERBAK: Well, every time when I've been to Ukraine, well, I saw that people speak in Russian. And, well, I never heard any stories of (INAUDIBLE) who like bully (ph) Russian-speaking people in Ukraine. This is crazy and this is not true.

And Ukrainian people who sent me videos and pictures from Ukraine -- well, they speak Russian, and I work as a volunteer here in Berlin, close to railway, Central Railway Station and all the notification -- well, everybody speak Russian here, yes.

[10:35:26]

GOLODRYGA: That's what I noticed here in Moldova too. All of these refugees speak Russian. Jean-Michel Shcherbak, I know that you did not want to leave Russia and you did it because you felt you had no choice. Thank you for continuing to document what you see there on the ground and continuing to reach out to Russians, to hopefully open their eyes to the truth of this war. And we hope that at some point you can reconcile with your mother as well. Thank you so much for joining us.

SHCHERBAK: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Well, Philadelphia becomes the first major city to reinstate its indoor mask mandate. So, will other cities follow? We're live from the city of brotherly love, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:00]

GOLODRYGA: Starting today, Philadelphia's indoor mask mandate is back in effect because of a dramatic rise in new COVID cases. It's the first major U.S. city to bring back masking requirements. Most loosened restrictions in January as omicron surge have faded. But cases are now slowly climbing once again nationwide, especially in the northeast where the BA.2 subvariant is driving new infections. CNN Correspondent Polo Sandoval is in Philadelphia with more. And, Polo, I understand a group is now suing to try to stop this indoor mask mandate.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Launching a legal fight against the city of Philadelphia, Bianna, hoping to potentially overturn this mandate. So, we'll have to see how that plays out in court. But in the meantime for the residents of Philadelphia, they've been here at least two times before since the start of the pandemic with these mandates. In fact, the last one was lifted not long ago and now here they are again.

Health officials here in the city of Philadelphia looking at the trend in numbers that roughly 183 new COVID cases a day in the city of Philadelphia. That is still just a fraction of what we saw during the last surge, but for health officials, including a local doctor who I spoke to this morning, that is still a red flag. The concern is a potential significant increase off of the horizon, that potentially could be more than just a 50 percent increase that Philadelphia experienced in COVID cases just in the last couple of weeks.

So, what they're doing here is basically looking a few steps ahead and implementing this mask mandate, that as of today, will require people in public spaces like schools, restaurants, museums, several government buildings and businesses, to basically wear that mask again while indoors.

Now, there is sort of a way around it, according to the city of Philadelphia. Those businesses and entities that can ensure that people in their spaces are fully vaccinated can continue to be mask- free. So that really begs the question this morning, Bianna, if many of these businesses would perhaps consider going that route. Would they rather enforce sort of a vaccination requirement or just simply require everybody entering their spaces to just wear a mask, again.

But there is sort of a sense of frustration on the ground here. Here we are again, this broken record. But, again, health officials say that it's a small move that could potentially prevent a significant surge in the coming days or weeks.

GOLODRYGA: Polo Sandoval, thank you.

Well, after the break, praying for peace in the middle of a war zone. We're back live in Ukraine, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00]

GOLODRYGA: As the Russian army prepares its second offensive to take Donbas, there's a new fear for many in the region that this new offensive will be like nothing they've ever seen before.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NEWSROOM: Military officials telling me they expect World War II-like battles there, full armored formations, artillery, we're getting to see some of that. CNN's Clarissa Ward traveled to a town where residents are now praying for peace caught in the middle of war of war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Slovensk, an ardent prayer from worshippers under the shadow of Russia's war. We ask for your mercy, Lord. Please hear us.

They have gathered here for orthodox Palm Sunday, carrying willows instead of palms, per the orthodox tradition. It is supposed to be a celebration of Jesus' return to Jerusalem. But there is little joy in this congregation.

Ukrainian officials say this city will be a decisive battleground in Russia's imminent offensive in the Donbas region. The streets are getting emptier as the fighting gets closer. Those still here are being urged to leave. The air raid siren is an unrelenting wail.

You can't hear it because the sirens are so loud, but we have heard a steady stream of booms coming from that way in the distance. But as you can see here, people here are just used to it. The children continue the play. The adults try to stay strong.

This group is awaiting an evacuation bus to the safety of Western Ukraine. Rayisa (ph) tells us she is taking her grandchildren to Lviv. Their mother died three years ago.

You hear what's happening here, she says. My husband is still at home. His health isn't good enough to make the journey. Her granddaughter offers some support. Oh, grandma, she says, I love you.

[10:50:01]

Anna Stepanovna (ph) is full of anguish that the international community has failed to rein in Putin.

When they show the children killed, I can't, I cry, she says. Why can't they stop this one idiot? If they will send me, I will shoot him.

Seven weeks into this ugly war, there is no end in sight. Pavel (ph) is saying goodbye to his wife, Olga. She doesn't want to let go of him, scenes of separation that have become all too familiar.

Everything will be okay, the organizer tells her, comforting words but has a grim reality.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WARD (on camera): Now, the people of Slovensk, Jim, have already lived through war for some eight years. Slovensk was famously the site of a pitch battle between Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian army. But what we're starting to see already really does not compare in terms of the scale of it. We've heard from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying that he believes this Russian offensive is going to get under way any day now.

And we're also hearing from local military authorities in the Luhansk region, the Russian forces are already pushing in to the sort of frontline town of Kreminna, reportedly street to street fighting. Civilians desperately trying to flee, at least one instance reportedly of a civilian car, and there is a very grim sense of dread here that the worst is yet to come as this offensive really starts to take shape, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes. They're waiting for heavier combat, heavier weapons and, sadly, the prospect, if we can imagine it, of heavier casualties among civilians.

Clarissa Ward there, thanks very much.

And still ahead this hour, a plea from Ukraine directly to Russian leaders, open a way out of Mariupol for the many people sheltering there. We are live in Ukraine as Russian forces squeeze even more the besieged port city.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:55:00]

GOLODRYGA: Well, earlier this hour, we showed you President Biden at the White House where the first family was hosting the return of the Easter egg roll.

CNN's Kate Bennett is there now on the north lawn. Kate, it's been halted for two years now because of the pandemic. How are things going?

KATE BENNETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I have to say, despite the rain, which the president said he had one job, which was to keep it from raining for a couple minutes, quite succeed at that, there are 30,000 people expected today. It's been pretty popular this morning, lots of families coming through. This is the first major event, the biggest event of the Biden administration in terms of guests, in terms of party. So, this is certainly something that the families have been looking forward to for quite some time.

The president and the first lady came out with the Easter bunnies. There was a male and female Easter bunny, made a few remarks. And then just now, the president and the first lady were over in the reading nook area, reading a children's book, of course, the first lady a lifelong educator. The theme of this year's Easter egg roll is eggucation. So, this is certainly reading and the reading like something she definitely wanted to do. It appears though now the president is headed back towards the Oval Office, and the first lady will probably hang out a little bit longer.

But despite the weather, I have to say, people are really enjoying today's festivities. There was no COVID testing required, no vaccination proof required. So, this is certainly an outdoor event, the biggest of its kind in two years here at the White House. Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: Nice to see those kids having some fun out there. Kate Bennett, thank you.

BENNETT: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: So, we have some other good news. This morning, we get to celebrate a true CNN hero who answered the call to save one of our own.

Last September, Senior U.N. Correspondent Richard Roth, you may remember CNN's last remaining original employee back to 1980, sent a letter to his coworkers, including us. In it, he made a desperate plea. He needed a new kidney. Roth received a kidney transplant 25 years ago but it was no longer doing what he needed to live.

Well, enter Deputy Managing Editor of CNN's Investigations Unit Samira Jafari. Around Thanksgiving, the pair underwent testing to determine if she was a match. And on Tuesday, Richard successfully received her kidney. Samira says Richards' plea was all she needed to hear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMIRA JAFARI, CNN DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR, INVESTIGATIONS UNIT: I was moved by it and I knew he was a CNN original and is also just had a great admiration for what he did as a journalist and who he was. And it just -- as a human, it just felt like something I could do at that point in my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Bravo, Samira. As for Ricahrd, he only hopes Samira's selfless act will inspire others to help the tens of thousands that are still in need.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: There are 117,000 people looking for kidneys and livers and many people die each day. I guess I could only ask people who are like Samira or tend to lean that way to think about donating to a friend or a relative.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:00:00]

GOLODRYGA: One of the best moments on television this morning was to see them together, just incredible.