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Ukraine: Russian Offensive In East Now Underway; Ukraine: At Least Seven Killed In Russian Strikes On Lviv; U.N. Nearly 5M Refugees Have Fled Ukraine Since Invasion. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired April 19, 2022 - 02:00:00   ET

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

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[02:00:36]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm John Vause live in Lviv, Ukraine with what could be the start of a definitive battle for Ukraine. The long-awaited Russian military offensive in the eastern Donbas region is underway with the surge in fighting recorded across a frontline which stretches for hundreds of miles.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And I'm Rosemary Church live at CNN headquarters in Atlanta. A controversial ruling changing the way Americans travel effective immediately, masks no longer mandated on planes, trains and public transportation.

VAUSE: For weeks, Ukrainian, U.S., NATO officials have all warned the Russians were preparing for a renewed military offensive in the East. And now it seems the battle for the Donbas region has begun. According to Ukraine's top security official, a 300-mile long front, almost 500 kilometers came under attack by Russian forces Monday for the most part that defensive line held.

The Pentagon now believes 76 Russian battalion tactical groups have been deployed in the south and the east. 11 added in the last few days. Each BTG consists of 800 Russian troops, which means tens of thousands of Russian soldiers deployed to the region. But Ukraine's president says despite being outnumbered, despite being outgunned, his country will not give up without a fight.

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VOLODYMY ZELENSKY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE(through translator): Russian forces have started the battle for Donbas. Which they've been preparing for a long time. And a considerable amount of the Russian forces are concentrated and focused on that offensive. No matter how many Russian servicemen they're bringing in into that area. We will keep on fighting and defending and we will be doing this daily.

We will not give up anything that is Ukrainian, but we don't need anything that is not ours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Cities and towns in Eastern Ukraine have come under a relentless shelling. This is Rubizhne in western Luhansk. Buildings are burning, heavy smoke and now feels the skyline. A scene repeated across the Donbas region. The key port city of Mariupol in ruins after weeks of heavy fighting. Russian forces are now in near total control. One of the last bastions of Ukraine's defense is a sprawling steel factory on the Azov Sea.

A Ukrainian commander says hundreds of civilians still trapped inside the city and are sheltering there as well with the last remaining Ukrainian fighters. While the fierce fighting has been in the south and the east, western cities are coming under attack as well. Lviv where I am right now was hit by at least four different missile strikes on Monday morning as we were on air. Now video captured one missile streaking across the sky.

Ukrainian officials say at least seven people were killed, 11 others were injured in that series of missile strikes.

In the coming hours, U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to hold a call with allies to discuss continued support for Ukraine as well as efforts to hold Russia accountable. It comes as the U.S. State Department reportedly considering labeling Russia, a state sponsor of terrorism. That's according to a senior administration official. It's a designation that so far has been reserved for North Korea, Iran, Cuba, and Syria.

Kramatorsk is one of the cities in eastern Ukraine hit by Russian missile strikes over the past 24 hours. The head of the Donetsk region says at least eight residential buildings were destroyed, as well as educational and infrastructure facilities. The artillery -- the artillery shelling on all the frontlines lasted throughout the night.

CNN's Ben Wedeman has more now for what was a once bustling city, which is now practically deserted.

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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The playgrounds are empty. There are no children here. The pigeons indifferent to the air raid siren and so it would seem are the people.

I close my ears when I'm walking around says Nikolai (ph) because it's all the time. As fighting flares to the east, north and south. The few residents left in Kramatorsk carry on. The train station scene 10 days ago of a Russian missile strike they left almost 60 dead is closed. Trains don't come here anymore. The buses oddly enough still run. A deep hole marks were overnight, a Russian missiles struck. There were no injuries this time. Nearby signs of an earlier bombing.

[02:05:07]

WEDEMAN: After almost two months of war, Constantine (ph) is fatalistic. I'm not suicidal, he says, but as long as other people stay here, I'll stay here. Cut. Kramatorsk mayor Oleksandr Honcharenk is blunt about the perils his city faces.

MAYOR OLEKSANDR HONCHARENK, KRAMATORSK, UKRAINE: It's not safe. It's dangerous in the -- in each part of the city, you know, there can be attacked in every place of the city.

WEDEMAN: Alisa and her husband stroll through the city's main square.

ALISA, KRAMATORSK RESIDENT: This is -- it's very (INAUDIBLE) but we won't leave in Ukraine.

WEDEMAN: For now, they have most of their city to themselves.

WEDMAN (on camera): Under normal circumstances on a mild spring evening here in the main square in Kramatorsk, there would be lots of people here. Now, it's just me and the pigeons.

WEDEMAN (voice over): Curfew approaches and dogs abandoned by their owners roam the empty streets of an almost empty city. Ben Wedeman, CNN Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: As this war moves east, experts say the terrain flat open spaces compare to close urban warfare near the capital Kyiv could present challenges to the Ukrainian fighters and could play to the advantages of the Russians. Retired U.S. Army Colonel and CNN Military Analyst Cedric Leighton has a look now on what we can expect.

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CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: This is going to be a different terrain. This is all flat. This area and Kyiv was hilly. The area in the east is basically flat with a few little exceptions. And what we're going to probably be seeing here is the Russians coming down from the northeast, potentially using this area in the east to move a little bit forward, potentially coming out of the south big issue in the south, though for them is what we were just talking about in Mariupol.

And that is hindering them quite a bit in their operations. So, one of the things that we have to look for is the Russians going into the specific areas here in the Donbas and actually using these areas to kind of gain momentum. We've heard of them going into the town of Kreminna. They are using that town as kind of a jumping off point for further activity. And if they head down this way, they're going to be where Ben Wedeman is in Kramatorsk. They're going to move in these general directions. And of course, Donetsk is also an area that's kind of in the border area between the Russian-backed separatists controlled areas and the part of the Donbas that Ukraine controls. So, all of these areas are really under the gun, if you will, because that's going to be where most of the action is with a few exceptions out there. One of the major ones being of course, Mariupol.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: For more now let's get live to London. CNN's Clare Sebastian standing by. So, if we look at the situation so far, 24 hours now into this renewed offensive in the east. If we look at what the Russians have been doing, what exactly is the tactics here? What's the sort of the plan that is playing out on the Russian side?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John. I think it was striking from the reports we're getting mostly from the Ukrainian side is the length and breadth of this offensive. It seems to be taking place all along the front line in Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions. Those are according to multiple reports, even in the sort of central eastern Zaporizhzhya region, they say that fighting is taking place all along its border with Donetsk.

So, this is not a piecemeal approach. This is widespread, the tactic seems to be to sort of attack every part of this frontline and try to break through. As of yet 24 hours in, there have been no significant breakthroughs as you've been reporting. The Russians have and the Ukrainians have admitted this taken the town of Kreminna which is in the Luhansk region, but no significant breakthroughs.

But yet, as the U.S. has said, they have been adding to their forces. 11 New battalion tactical groups increasing the total to 76. So, it does look like and the U.S. certainly thinks that they have learned from the lessons of the earlier parts of the conflict they are now aware of the intensity of the Ukrainian resistance and have adjusted their tactics accordingly. But extremely intense shelling going on across the Donbas region and as you've been saying, as well, it's not just the south and east nowhere in Ukraine appears to now be safe.

The death toll from those at least four strikes in the western town of Lviv where you are is now at seven, John.

VAUSE: Clare, thank you. Clare Sebastian live for us there in London with a look at the battlefield. About almost five million Ukrainians have left this country since the brutal war began 55 days ago. That's according to the U.N. And most are heading for safety in neighboring countries. But more than seven million others have been forced from their homes and remain trapped inside this country. They are internally displaced.

[02:10:09]

VAUSE: Let's discuss more of the developments out of Ukraine. Toby Fricker, emergency communication specialist for UNICEF. Currently on the ground providing aid to Ukraine's children. We know about two- thirds of those children have been uprooted from their homes. Toby, so tell us just where you are in Dnipro. Are you seeing an increase in Russian military activity there or at least hearing word of it?

TOBY FRICKER, CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PARTNERSHIP, UNICEF: Yes. So, thanks so much. So here in Dnirpo, it's been relatively quiet. The air raid sirens have been going off regularly. There were a couple of last night over the last 72 hours have been numerous sirens going off. But generally quite quiet. I was in the southeastern town of Zaporizhia as well, a couple of days back.

And still sort of sporadic arrivals of families trying to get out of areas of heavy fighting coming in there. And that's where we can provide some initial support as UNICEF.

VAUSE: Are you concerned the Russians will make good on their threat and essentially events on Dnipro from the south?

FRICKER: Well, I mean, we're extremely concerned about the uptake, the scaling up of the violence across the east. What it means is essentially more and more children in the shelters hibernating again, trying to stay safe. And it means more and more children killed and injured. You know, we've met kids here, unfortunately intensive care unit in Zaporizhia who were hit trying to get out of areas.

And any uptake in fighting here is going to affect children massively. So, extremely concerned about those reports. Yes.

VAUSE: Yes. When this -- with this Russian offensive underway in earnest, a lot of Ukrainians had already fled the fighting before this started, many went to Dnipro there. It's also been sort of a hub for humanitarian groups, which have used that city as sort of a safe haven for their operations. What happens if that just comes too dangerous and you have to pull up? Where do you go next? And how, you know, how does that affect your operations?

FRICKER: Yes. So UNICEF and U.N. partners and other NGOs, we've been prepositioning supplies in different areas. So, reaching, for example, Kramatorsk where we were not so long ago, the day of the strike on the railway, we were able to preposition some medical supplies, some hygiene items there. And doing that across the region, making sure that we can try and get supplies in now while we can.

And then if the fighting scales up, we -- obviously we have plans in place to be able to move staff, to be able to move supplies quickly, so that we can respond. But I mean, essentially, the most pressing thing is to reach the children who need that support as quickly as we can.

VAUSE: If you look at the numbers of the kids who have been uprooted and been impacted by this, have been forced to their homes, it's what two-thirds of the kids who live in this country had to leave their homes and have been uprooted. This is a staggering number of children. And clearly, how do you -- how do you, you know, try to cater for that? How do you care for them? What sort of resources do you need?

FRICKER: Yes. No, you're right. The number of children displaced is absolutely horrific. I mean, you can't just imagine all those children having to flee their homes, having to get out of areas of heavy fighting. And on a -- on an uncertain journey, going to cities, going to towns that they don't know, their mothers with them sometimes, sometimes extended family members, who also let's not forget, are suffering from trauma.

So, they are the first response in many cases, parents, but they're also going through the trauma. So, it's about getting psychological sort of first aid in as quickly as we can. We've set up -- UNICEF has set up what are called still no centers, which are small little hubs on transit routes, where people are moving through where we can provide, you know, information guidance on where they can get health services.

Children with underlying medical conditions, where do they go in a new town to get those services? But also then some emotional support some space to play, some relief, some space to be children again, essentially.

VAUSE: And children are usually resilient. But there comes a point where they can, you know, it just becomes too much. And if you're a child here, and you've been uprooted from your home in the east, and you've made it to another city which is then, you know, have to be evacuated because of the Russian offensive. Eventually, you know, these kids just have suffered too much.

FRICKER: Yes, that's right. I mean, the longer the war goes on, the worse the trauma. Yes. And that's why that psychological first aid is so important now. But it's also about the long-term development. You know, the longer this goes on, the more it impacts on education, the more it impacts even on income generation in the longer term. And that's a massive concern, obviously for every child inside Ukraine and also for every child who's had to flee the country as well.

VAUSE: Toby, we'll leave it there. Thank you very much for being with us. Toby Fricker there with UNICEF. Doing some good work on the ground and stay safely, sir. Thank you.

Well, we'll take a short break. When we come back. In the United States, a court order has ended the mass mandate for public transportation. Ruling has taken some airlines and passengers by surprise. The jubilation for some, the concerns rather. Details just ahead.

[02:15:01]

VAUSE: Also, outraging China after images have emerged apparently showing vegetables being thrown away while residents struggle to get food because of COVID lockdown. A live report from Beijing in a moment.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do require every passenger on my aircraft treated

with kindness and respect. So, I will not have anyone had any issue with someone for wearing a mask or not wearing a mask. It is all up to you guys right now.

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CHURCH: That is how some Southwest Airline passengers found out the U.S. mask mandate for public transportation is no longer in effect. A federal judge in Florida struck down the Biden administration's mandate, saying the Centers for Disease Control exceeded its authority had not sought public comment and didn't adequately explain its decisions.

The mandate had applied to airplanes, trains and other forms of public transportation. Several major airlines immediately made masks optional. Some warned there could be confusion since the ruling took them by surprise. Stephanie Elam reports.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As you might expect, since airlines were not expecting this decision to come down so quickly.

[02:20:04]

ELAM: It was a bit of a little bit of confusion and chaos at airports as people were trying to figure out whether or not they needed to wear their masks or not. We talked to some people here at Burbank Airport to see what they had to say. And as you might expect, the responses are across the map.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll always wear my mask. I lost my grandmother to COVID a year ago. And so I'm very particular about the masks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My personal opinion, they don't -- they don't do much. So yes, I'm excited. Do you want to wear them, wear them. If not then don't.

ELAM (voice over): Now several of the airlines have put out statements saying that they are no longer going to require masks on their flights. The Flight Attendants Association are asking for a uniform policy quickly, especially for those people who are on the front lines of working with the public. And as we saw during the pandemic, there was definitely a lot of scuffles that were elevated and became physical.

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ELAM (on camera): So, that's the reason why they're calling for that. It's worth noting, however, though, that different transportation systems are looking at how they're going to respond in different cities and many of them are still calling for masks to be worn. But I can tell you walking through this airport, just now about half the people I saw were still wearing their masks and half weren't. You can see that across the board and a lot of places as people are figuring out and learning that they don't have to wear a mask when they get on a plane anymore. Back to you.

COMPAGNO: Thanks for that. Well, now, to a warning from China's Vice Premier. She is vowing to send anyone in Shanghai with COVID-19 and their close contacts to government-designated quarantine sites and says it will happen "without exception." Her remarks come as dozens of cities across China are already in full or partial lockdown under the country's strict-zero COVID strategy.

And CNN Steven Jiang is following this story for us. He joins us live from Beijing. Good to see you Steven. So, lockdowns continue with conditions worsening resulting in some heartbreaking stories. And now this harsh government warning about quarantines. What is the latest on all of this?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Rosemary, this just seems to be a never ending nightmare for Shanghai's 25 million residents. All of them are still sealed in their homes, and many of them are facing shortage of food and other supplies as well as lacking access to medical attention or medical care for non-COVID causes. And the latest order from the Vice Premier as you just mentioned, that's already causing a lot of anxiety or even pain for a lot of families because that no exception line means and now a growing number of senior citizens, many of them -- some of them in their 90s are being forcibly removed from their homes and taken into those government isolation wards which are often in very crowded and primitive conditions with the little medical care being provided on site.

And so, this is obviously causing a lot of backlash against how this most vulnerable group, which the government ironically set the zero- COVID policy is aimed at protecting how they are being treated now. And another controversy comes from -- comes in the form of a video that's gone viral. That seems to show workers dumping a large amount of perfectly looking vegetables that were intended to be sent to Shanghai residents who were in desperate need of groceries,

Now, local officials later insisted those vegetables had gone rotten inside and had to be disposed of. Now we talk -- we are talking a lot about Shanghai because of its international recognition. As we mentioned lockdowns are affecting dozens of cities across China, millions of residents. In the past few weeks we have seen authorities sometimes locked down an entire city for just one or several cases.

Now they're doing this because obviously the central leadership here has made clear zero COVID is here to stay. This is still the best way to protect people's health according to them to avoid the massive deaths and destruction. They say COVID has caused in the West. They have also made clear this order has come from the very top, from President Xi Jinping himself. That's why right now local officials across the country, their takeaway from Shanghai is not how almost impossible it is contained.

Let alone eliminate the highly contagious Omicron variant instead. They seem to think when it comes to lock down you have to do it early, to do it big and it's not just about COVID containment but also about proving your political loyalty to China strong man leader. Rosemary?

COMPAGNO: All right. Steven Jiang joining us live from Beijing. Many thanks. And we will head back to Ukraine after a short break where Russian troops are moving in as the battle for the Eastern Donbas region grows more intense by the day. And Phil Black visited a town outside of Kyiv where occupying Russian forces left behind more than just a sprawling campsite. He'll explain.

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[02:39:38]

VAUSE: Breaking news out of eastern Ukraine where local authorities report heavy bombardment by Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the battle for the Donbas region is now underway. After major setbacks in Russia's efforts to take the capital of Kyiv, Russian troops have now regroup their opposition to the east and to the south. Russia has redeployed heavy artillery, aviation support and nearly a dozen additional battalion groups into that area.

[02:30:00]

VAUSE: Ukrainian officials call it a second phase of the war. President Zelenskyy though vowing to fight off. Towns in the East are under relentless shelling. You'll see buildings burning, heavy smoke blanketing the skyline. This scene repeated across the Donbas region.

The situation is growing even more grim in the Southern Port City of Mariupol. Ukrainian fighters are cornered and what could be their last stand. Local officials report Russian forces are firing willingly on a steel plant where those Ukraine forces are held up with civilians, said to be taking shelter as well.

The statue of former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin is once again looming over Ukrainian community. Russian forces reinstalled the statue in Heniches'k, North of Crimea, seven years after the port town removed Lenin's statue as part of discommunication -- discommunication -- decommunization, I should say, efforts. The new Lenin was placed in front of the regional council building with a Russian flag waving from its roof. Ukrainian officials says that the Russians in controller and trying to move back in time. Trying to stir up nostalgia for the Soviet days.

A senior defense official told CNN the U.S. believes Russia has learned from its mistakes in the North of Ukraine. The officials also said they're applying those lessons in their renewed focus in the East and South. Russians have left a small town just outside of Kyiv. And they've left behind remains of a giant makeshift campsite. Suppose lingering human trauma and the suffering they caused. Word of caution to our viewers, this report from Phil Black contains graphic images.

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PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The sign is a warning, beware, mines. The forest serves as protection, too. A natural screen, concealing a vast secret. Here among the trees, about an hour's drive North of Kyiv, are the remains of a sprawling Russian military camp. We're shown around by Ukrainian special forces.

This soldier says, the positions were held by Russian marines. We see a sprawling network of underground fighting positions, command post, sleeping areas, and ammunition storage. While everywhere there is evidence of how the Russians lived. And that evidence suggests their existence here was neither disciplined nor comfortable.

BLACK (on camera): It is so quiet here now. Just some bird noise and some light a breeze. But recently, there were 6,000 Russian soldiers bedded down through these woods. In a camp that is so large, you cannot see where it begins and where it ends. Leaving here would have been hard. It was through the coldest of the winter days. Four weeks, stopped here, short of Kyiv after they failed to take the capital quickly.

BLACK (voiceover): The silence is broken by efforts to deal with some unidentified ordinance. This camp is damning proof of Russia's failures on this front. Poor preparation, desperately wrong assumptions about the numbers and resources needed to conquer Kyiv.

BLACK (on camera): What lessons do you take from all of this that would apply to the coming battle for Donbas and the East?

BLACK (voiceover): He says, we see the volume of forces that invaded this area and we understand that will be two to three times greater in the Donbas. This force wasn't confined to the forest. Its commanding officers lived a little more comfortable in the nearby village of Zdvyzhivka. Here civilians tell disturbingly familiar stories.

Vitaley, a local mechanic, says he was detained and interrogated for almost 24 hours. He says he was beaten, blindfolded, tied up and subjected to mock executions. He says he's never known fear like it and constantly thought those were his last moments on earth.

Local priest, Vassily Benzer (ph) describes dealing with the aftermath of even greater cruelty. He says, he found five men tortured and killed in the garden. Two more in the forest. And the Russians brought him two dead women and told him to bury them.

Other Russians in this area, camped out in fields with their artillery pieces and stole what comforts they could. A mattress, alcohol, the works of Shakespeare.

BLACK (on camera): So, from these firing positions, Grad rockets flew through the sky towards Hostomel, which is only a relatively short distance away. And when they hit the earth, it was often civilians who felt their power.

DMITRI NEKAZAKOV, HOSTOMEL RESIDENT: Here you can see the result. So many people --

BLACK (on camera): They were hiding in there?

NEKAZAKOV: Yes.

BLACK (voiceover): In Hostomel, resident Dmitri Nekazakov shows the aftermath of a Russian rocket strike.

NEKAZAKOV: This is the epicenter of explosion.

BLACK (voiceover): And where some of its victims were temporarily buried.

NEKAZAKOV: I feel only hate.

BLACK (on camera): Only hate?

NEKAZAKOV: Yes, we can't forgive it for long, maybe for life.

[02:35:00]

BLACK (voiceover): For now, the enemies in the forest, fields and villages have left this part of Ukraine. The fruits of their brief stay, the pain, trauma and loathing remain. Phil Black, CNN, Hostomel, Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: New images on social media seem to support Ukraine's claim that the Russian warship, Moskva, was hit by two antiship missiles. A short video clip shows a huge plume of smoke billowing from the ship as it was to the port side. And photos show large black holes also on the port side of the vessel, just above the waterline. Although one of the life rafts has been deployed. Russia's flagship missile cruiser sank last week. You can also notice that the weather does not appear to be stormy, as claimed by the Kremlin, when the ship went down. Moscow has not released any information about casualties.

Still to come, here on CNN. Elsewhere in Europe, French voters are days away from electing their president. And the cost of living may -- to get prominently in their decision. Those details, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PIPPA BAILEY, HEAD OF CLIMATE CHANGE & SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICE, IPSOS: My name Pippa Bailey. I work for Ipsos and I'm the head of climate change and sustainability practice. So, many companies that we speak to struggle with, you know, how to talk about sustainability. How to share the great campaigns that they're doing.

And there's kind of a number of guidelines people need to follow. First of all, making sure you've got your own house in order. That your, you know, own environment, social and governance policies are heading in the right direction before you can go, kind of, on the offensive with a campaign where you want to illustrate and what great work you're doing. But also, to kind of avoid brainwashing is making sure that that really fits under the brand banner that it represents what your brand is about so that it feels very intuitive consumers for instance.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:40:00] CHURCH: Sweden have arrested 26 people, and more arrests are expected, after a weekend of violent riots, and protests over Quran burnings. The clashes broke out across several cities, 40 people were injured, including police and protesters. The violence was triggered by a far-right groups burning of the Quran. Several Arab countries condemned the burnings.

This Sunday, French voters will return to the polls for a final vote on the presidency. They will choose between incumbent Emmanuel Macron, and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. A recent poll shows Mr. Macron leading with 54 and a half percent. Le Pen trails by nine percentage points. An April 10th poll by Ipsos found the rising cost of living is the top issue for 58 percent of voters. The poll shows the environment, including energy efficiency is important to many younger voters. And Russia's invasion with the Ukraine, is another factor and how the French will vote.

So, let's talk more about this with our European Affairs Commentator Dominic Thomas who joins us now from Los Angeles. Always good to have you with us.

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, less than a week away from France's second round runoff presidential election, and polling suggest that incumbent Emmanuel Macron could win by a slim margin, against his rival far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. Is that your sense where this is going?

THOMAS: Yes, I think there is not a great probability that Marine Le Pen will win, but I think the very fact that there is a possibility means that many people are on alert. The European Union partners, the coalitions in the fight to help and support Ukraine. And what this would mean for France.

The fact that the gap has narrowed over the last 10 or 15 years is of course significant. And of course, a tremendous volatility as we go into the second round, given the fact that there are just -- were so many people who abstained in the first stages. And also, the 22 percent voted for the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon. So, it would be interesting to see where those voters go, and whether they actually show up on Sunday to vote in the runoff stages.

CHURCH: Yes, that will be critical, of course. And not surprisingly, the rising cost of living is the biggest issue for most French voters. For others, it's the candidate's positions on Russia's war on Ukraine. And on younger voters, more concerned about environmental issues. So, what impact will these issues likely have in the end on how the French decide to vote, do you think?

THOMAS: Yes. Well, we're going to find out on Wednesday night, first of all. Because there is going to be a debate between the incumbent and between Marine Le Pen. There's -- remember that in the first round, Emmanuel Macron refused to debate any of the candidates. And so, the stakes are very high. When it comes to foreign policy issues, I think he's untouchable. That's an area in which Le Pen is extraordinarily weak. But the story of the Macron presidency has been around the economy. We followed very closely. The yellow jacket demonstrations which really highlighted the massive discrepancies between those living in urban centers versus rural centers, between the old and the young, cost of living, and access to gas and so on, for those who are not able to purchase electric vehicles. And general issues around social care and concern.

So, Emmanuel Macron's real challenge here is to convince the electorate and to have them trust him that he can change. And that's why we've seen him over the past week appeal to environmentalist in appealed to the massive vote that lies on the left which could bring him and return him to the Elysee Palace next Sunday, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Dominic, Le Pen has softened her plan to enforce a ban on the wearing of the hijab, if she wins, with a suggestion she would do it little by little. And that lawmakers would debate the issue and then decide. How might this apparent shift in tone influence French voters, just days before the election?

[02:45:00]

THOMAS: I don't think it will. I think when it comes to Le Pen, people are highly suspicious. She has engaged in a long-term campaign to try and soften her image, but I don't think anyone believes it. Nor do really her policies when it comes to immigration, the way she would work with the EU on refugees, immigrants, and so on and so forth. And her broader kind of statements over the big debates on cultural issues, identity issues. This is somebody who has a very twisted and distorted view of French history of when France was great. And she's someone who preys on anger, on fear, and so on.

And so, I don't think that that is going to be the issue. The way in which she will strike Emmanuel Macron and score points in the debate is to constantly remind the electorate of their particular grievances around issues like the economy, cost of living, Macron's plan to raise the retirement age, and all those sorts of additions. And if she can keep the debate focused in that way, the outcome will be even more unpredictable that it -- in many ways already is going into next Sunday, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And we are also learning that French prosecutors are examining a report by the EU's antifraud agency that accuses Le Pen and her party of misappropriating hundreds of thousands of Euros of EU funds. What do you make of this? And how problematic could it prove to be for Le Pen's campaign, do you think?

THOMAS: In so many ways, Rosemary, there's nothing new about this. The whole question of funding around Le Pen has always been a dark shadow and the links with Russia. The funding of far-right parties in the European Union is being subjected to much scrutiny. I don't think this is going to be of any surprise to people. And I don't think it really plays into the election at this stage. It's really around Le Pen. It's sort of questions of fear, of identity and those sorts of questions. But yes, the question of credibility and the question, can she convince the electorate that she would be, not only an alternative to Emmanuel Macron, but also somebody that could be a competent president. That is a tough one for her to sell. And we'll have to see how well she performs, Wednesday, in the upcoming debate.

CHURCH: It is a critical election. The world is watching this one very closely. Dominic Thomas joining us there, many thanks, as always.

THOMAS: Thank you.

CHURCH: And this quick programming note. French voters go to the polls on Sunday, as we mentioned, for the second and final round of voting in the presidential election. So, you can join us, Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Paris time, 2:00 p.m. Eastern for our special live coverage of the French elections right here on CNN.

And just ahead, it was a deadly Easter holiday weekend in the United States. Multiple mass shootings were reported across the country. Randi Kaye will bring you that report.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chicago's Southside can sometimes carry a difficult, if not dangerous, reputation.

MELINDA WILSON, TEACHER, CURIE HIGH SCHOO: The threat in our community is numerous. There are threats of violence with gangs, with family members. There are guns. There are inequities in the system where students can even go outside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But in recent years, a new problem has come to light, human trafficking.

WILSON: Human trafficking is something that effects every single person no matter what age, no matter what gender, no matter what identity. It affects every single person.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But inside the brick walls of the Curie Metropolitan High School, a talented group of students has decided to do something about it. The students are part of a collective called Performers for Change. They're led by dance instructor Melinda Wilson.

WILSON: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the students, it's a chance to express themselves while educating their classmates. For Wilson, it's a chance to bring what some might consider a taboo topic out of the shadows.

BRIANA SAMANO, STUDENT, CURIE HIGH SCHOOL: I hope that it gets teens to really understand the dynamic of how serious and horrific these crimes are.

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JACK FORSTER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, HODINKEE: The Opus 14 is a very interesting watch. It was the 14th watch in the Opus series which came out once a year from Harry Winston. Really idiocentric, large, extremely mechanically complicated watch. So, they were always collaborations with known independent watchmakers. And they were all highly complicated watches that did something that no other watch could do.

The Opus 14 is a watch that looks a lot like a jukebox on the wrist. It shows the time in two different time zones. But it does so by making what looks like a little record rise up out of a jukebox and rotate underneath a record player. It's very much a love it or hate it watch. I mean, I loved it just because I thought to myself, this is completely insane, who does this. There was something super, super appealing about it. If you want something that is really, really different and that's going to be a conversation piece, it's one of the most interesting watched out there.

CHURCH: According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 144 mass shootings in the United States in 2022. A year that's barely four months old. CNN and the Gun Violence Archive both define a mass shooting as one in which four or more shooting are killed or injured, not including the shooter. This past Easter weekend offered no rest from the seemingly endless cycle of mass shootings, Here's our report from Randi Kaye.

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RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): In Pittsburgh, a massive search for what police believe are multiple suspects. This, after an early morning shootout on Easter Sunday killed two people and injured 13 others. Officials say it happened at an Airbnb rental during a large party with as many as 200 people, many of them under age.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here we are Easter, and we have multiple families, two that won't see a loved one.

KAYE (voiceover): Police say more than 90 rounds were fired, prompting some party goers to jump out the windows. Many suffered broken bones and lacerations.

Also, on Easter morning, a mass shooting in Furman, South Carolina, about 50 miles North of Savannah, Georgia. At least nine people were injured, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. The shooting happened at Cara's Lounge in Hampton County during an Easter party, according to WTOC.

JASASI WILLIAMS, SHOOTING WITNESS: It was scary. And we just try to get to safety. We didn't know where the shots were coming from. We're just trying to get safety, because everybody was running and screaming.

KAYE (voiceover): No suspects have been identified. And this wasn't the only mass shooting in South Carolina this weekend. The other took place at the Columbiana Center Mall in Columbia, on Saturday.

BAYRONE BILLUPS, WITNESSED GUNFIRE AT SC MALL: We started running and falling all over the place. Everybody was falling and running over top of each other, pushing and shoving. KAYE (voiceover): Police say 14 people were injured in that shooting, nine of them struck by bullets. The others were hurt attempting to flee. Police say the shooting started around 2:00 p.m. and that they believe the shooters knew each other.

CHIEF WILLIAM H. "SKIP" HOLBROCK, COLUMBIA POLICE DEPARTMENT: This was not a situation where we had some random person show up at a mall to, you know, discharge a firearm and just -- you know, injure people.

KAYE (voiceover): The victims' range in age from 15 to 73. Two men are under arrest, including a 22-year-old man for unlawful carrying of a pistol, according to Columbia Police. They are still looking for another man who also may have fired his gun at the mall.

About 900 miles North of there, another shooting in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood. The gunfire, early Sunday morning, left two people critically wounded.

SUPERINTENDENT-IN-CHIEF GREG LONG, BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT: Both of these males were transported to local area hospitals and both are currently listed in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

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KAYE (voiceover): Police say, three suspects were taken into custody after the vehicle they were fleeing in crashed. And that a gun was recovered at the crash site.

And out West, a weekend house party in Las Vegas turned violent, police say. Leaving two adults and two minors shot. They are still searching for the gunman.

SYLVIA DOUSE, NEIGHBOR: It's scary. It's a little scary. Very close to where we live.

KAYE (voiceover): And getting closer, too close for so many. Since January 1st, 151 people have been killed in shootings in this country, more than 600 hurt. That's according to the Gun Violence Archive. Randi Kaye, CNN, Palm Beach County, Florida.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Thank you for watching. I will be back next hour. CNN's breaking news coverage continues with John Vause joining us live from Lviv, Ukraine.

JACK MALLERS, CEO, STRIKE: With bitcoin, not only do we have the best monetary asset in human history, we have the best monetary network in human history. Bitcoin solved a lot of the monetary functions that we know as very expensive with cryptography and with math. And so, I can escrow a bare instrument in bitcoin. It's worth the same amount in Chicago as it is in London, as it is in Nigeria, as it is in Argentina. And I can zip it around the world instantly in for free.

What we can do is take your dollar and escrow them around the world over the bitcoin network. So, think about this, what if I want to send money from Chicago to London. What we can do, is take dollars from your bank account, turn it to bitcoin, zip that value to London, instantly for free. You blink. You've missed it. It goes so fast and it cost nothing. And then we turn it back into British pounds. That's innovation and that's how we use bitcoin in a monetary network.

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ery, aviation support and nearly a dozen additional battalion groups into that area.>