Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Russia Offers Mariupol Ceasefire, Evacuation Route; Ukraine: Hundred Sheltering In Mariupol Steelworks; Kharkiv Governor: At Least Three Killed, 16 Hurt In Shelling; Zelenskyy: Russian Army Will Be Remembered As Evil; Sources U.S.: Prepping Another $800 Weapons Package; Putin Holds Honors Brigade Accused Of War Crimes In Bucha; World Bank & IMF Chiefs To Meet Ukrainian PM & Finance Minister; U.S. Justice Dept. Will Appeal Mask Ruling if CDC Advises; Frustrating Growing In Shanghai Over Strict Lockdown. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired April 20, 2022 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:10]

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.

President Zelenskyy says Russia will be remembered as a source of evil. As Ukraine reports intercepts from the Russian army instructing troops to level a sprawling steelworks with the last Ukrainian fighters have taken refuge in the city of Mariupol.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: And I'm Rosemary Church, live at CNN Headquarters in Atlanta.

Holding Russia accountable. I'll speak to a Human Rights Watch researcher in Ukraine this hour whose gathering evidence on the ground for a possible war crimes trial.

VAUSE: About five hours away from what Russia's Defense Ministry calls a ceasefire offer in the besiege port city of Mariupol. But Ukrainian fighters holed up there say it's really just a demand for surrender. And they will not give up.

Russian state media release drone video the city sprawling Azovstal's steel factory. Ukraine says hundreds of civilians are taking shelter there as well. Marine commander says about 500 wounded service members are also there left to rot without medical care.

Russia's assault for Mariupol is a key part of its offensive and Ukraine's industrial heartland known as the Donbas. Moscow says it wants to liberate the region from Ukrainian nationalists.

The video shows some of the damage to a shopping center and grocery store in Luhansk. The camera pans across the street, really another building destroyed by military strikes, and further to the north in Kharkiv. Some graphic video, which we also need to show you.

Local authorities say Russian shelling killed at least three people and wounded 16 others. Ukraine's president says incoming fire from Vladimir Putin's military has increased significantly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): Forever the Russian army will be written in history as the most barbaric and inhumane army in the world. The targeted killing of civilians, and destruction of residential buildings with all kinds of weapons including those that are forbidden by international conventions. This is just a trademark of the Russian army. And this will truly mark the Russian Federation as the source of evil.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: There's also an ominous warning from the Russian military on its plans with Mariupol. And it comes from communications intercepted by Ukraine's government. Details now from CNN's Matt Rivers.

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For the battered and desperate citizens of Mariupol, a chilling new threat has emerged. The security service of Ukraine or SBU released a purported communications intercept of a Russian ground unit commander who said Russian aircraft were planning to quote level everything to the ground around Azovstal.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) Will there be some kind of explosion?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) They said to level everything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) Oh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE) They are being bombed and bombed. They are knocking them out.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

RIVERS: CNN cannot vouched for the authenticity of the recording, but the SBU has previously released audio from intercepted radio traffic, revealing Russian soldiers discussing killing and raping civilian, bolstering allegations of war crimes by Russian troops. Military observers have also noted a tendency of Russian troops to use unsecured communications in Ukraine.

For now, a Ukrainian commander says Russian forces are quote, willingly bombing and shelling the plant, a sprawling complex in Mariupol southeast that once employed more than 10,000 people. It's unclear how many Ukrainian forces are at the site, but one commander says the Russians are using free-fall bombs, rockets, bunker buster bombs and other artillery at the facility.

Video posted on government social media, which CNN cannot verify shows dozens of women and children who say they've been staying under the facility for weeks holding out against Russian attacks. The surrender deadline Russian forces issued to Ukrainian troops has

now expired, but the Russian military official in charge of the operation say they will allow the civilian's safe passage out of the area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL GEN. MIKHAIL MIZINTSEV, HEAD GENERAL, NATIONAL DEFENSE CONTROL CENTER (through translator): Russian leadership will guarantee safe evacuation of each and every civilian, as well as the safety of humanitarian convoys movement in any direction they choose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERS: It's unclear if the Ukrainians will take the word of the Russian general who has himself been accused of excesses during the Mariupol campaign. Not all of Mariupol civilians are in the steel factory. Tens of thousands are trying to survive in other parts of the city.

CNN is not in not in Mariupol, but the Reuters News Agency found these people cooking outside a residential building on Monday. They're chopping wood to make a fire, to boil waters, some soup, and even cook some pancakes. This woman cutting a boy's hair says quote, "They need to quickly fix the water supply problem. How can we live without water? It's horrible."

[02:05:07]

RIVERS: And this woman says at the bombardment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): To be honest, we are not well. I have mental problems after airstrikes. That's for sure. I'm really scared. When I hear a plane, I just run away.

RIVERS: Matt Rivers CNN, Lviv, Ukraine.

VAUSE: The U.S. is working too quickly get weapons into the hands of Ukrainian fighters according to a Senior U.S. Defense official. Sources at the White House say there will likely be another weapons package for Ukraine, valued at $800 million. There'll be approved soon, just one week after the last one for $800 million was approved.

The U.S. believes Russia will try and target routes used by weapons shipments or for weapons shipments, but one defense official says they'd be unable to stop the shipments in their entirety. Should this second weapons package be approved, the U.S. will have provided a total of more than $3 billion in assistance since this war began.

Joining me now from Warsaw, Poland, Alyona Shkrum, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament. Thank you for taking time to speak with us. I guess in terms of military aid, it seems for the most part, everything that Ukraine says it needs eventually arrived, but only after this debate. There's handwringing, there's sort of navel gazing, a realization after time that yes, they do need tanks, yes, Ukraine needs APCs, yes, they need war planes, they need long range artillery. That leg, that timeline between asking and getting, it's costing lives. It must be beyond frustration?

ALYONA SHKRUM, PARLIAMENT MEMBER, UKRAINE: It is-- I mean, you know, we aren't quite used to the words at this point being more than few today's in it. But yeah, we are not used to the fact that a lot of the countries in the world react actually quite late. And the U.S. is actually doing, you know, a lot already. But yeah, it comes with this delay.

So, every time we would ask for weapons to defend our cities such as Mariupol, as we've talked about. Every time we would ask for tougher sanctions, and to switch off all of the Russian banks from Swift, we-- it can huge difference. There would be delay in this, and obviously those delays, cause, you know, tens of thousands of people's lives in Kharkiv region in Mariupol, in Izyum, and especially the occupied territories.

As we've seen in Bucha and Borodianka, and the villages on the north of Kyiv which are liberated risk.

VAUSE: Yes. The mayor of Kyiv-- or the deputy mayor rather, has asked for 200,000 gas masks, amid fears of a chemical weapons attack by the Russian. How serious is that threat? And should residents there start to leave for their own safety?

SHKRUM: I can tell you honestly, that we are expecting another wave of violence and weapons that are not to be used by the 9th of May. The 9th of May is a holiday in the USSR, and in Russia as a holiday of Victory, right? And it's a symbolic holiday for Putin.

So, we are expecting a big hit towards Kyiv, towards all of the other cities, even the deliberated areas. And we do intercepts together with your intelligence actually a lot, a lot of communications that Putin is able to do anything, and has already ordered to use some kind of chemical, unrecognized substances in Mariupol, and some kind of chemical weapons.

So, yes, unfortunately, Putin has done already so many war crimes and so much damage, and so much, you know, violence towards children, and women that I don't think he will stop if the world will not stop him even towards some kind of chemical weapons attacks, even so it is another war crime. So, I think it's quite serious, and we need to be prepared for that.

We explained already some the speculation what to do in terms of, you know, just wears masks, if something happened. Just use certain medicine, if you-- that you have at home. But obviously, the gas masks might be needed. And I mean, even after the 50 days of war, it's horrifying for me that I'm telling you resist right now.

But yes, we do need to be prepared, unfortunately, because Putin has lost his mind completely.

VAUSE: Yes. Well, and this is clearly on that timetable. You're expecting this kind of mess, or some kind of WMD to be deployed, because essentially, he's losing, and he needs to have victory by May 9th, and that is why you're expecting these chemicals, weapons or something similar to be deployed?

SHKRUM: Oh, he need some kinds of victory. So for sure, he has to explain to his population, the damages, the losses, the losses of youth, war ship. And that will, you know, no propaganda will cover that. So obviously, by the 9th of May by the time of the holiday, he will need some kind of forcement (ph) and some kind of victory either it will be another attack in Mariupol which is still standing and which has, you know, enormous amount of people dead, civilians that-- the normal people forcibly deported.

[02:10:04]

SHKRUM: Either it will be, again, on some kind of Kyiv region or it could be Kharkiv, or it could be another occupied territories in the East and in the South. But yeah, I think by the 9th of May he will do some other moves, maybe towards the Odesa, maybe towards other cities because he needs this some kind of symbolic gesture, at least to explain it to the Russian people.

VAUSE: He also, Putin honored members of the 64th separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade. He gave them this honorary title of guards. He presented them with a signed letter that read, "The high distinction recognizes your special merits, great heroism, and courage in defending your fatherland, and in protecting Russia's sovereignty, and national interests."

For the record, this is the same unit identified by Ukrainian intelligence, and I think U.S. intelligence as well as the one responsible for war crimes and other atrocities in Bucha. How could this case against, you know, in Putin, how could this-- in fact, the-- you know, the war crimes case against Putin in terms of overall responsibility for crimes against humanity? He is rewarding the very soldiers who raped women and young girls, and murdered civilians execution style?

SHKRUM: Yes. I mean, I'm not surprised to hear that. But yeah, it is shocking. And, obviously, obviously, he's not going to stop right now. So when we think and when some of the Western countries say to us that, you know, you need to find some kind of compromise, you need to do the negotiations, obviously, things like that shows that he will not stop. And that he's still pushing and trying. Maybe he's isolated from the information, but will he will still push and try for at least a number of other weeks.

I mean, I've been to Bucha a number of times for the past week. I've been to Bucha and Borodianka which is another village on the north of Kyiv. And the stories you hear, the things you see, the things we show to our other European colleagues from-- the European Parliament's all over the world, they are terrifying. I mean, when you see, you know, when you see the pictures and videos, it does show when you talk to people in Bucha. When you see the mass grave of 260 people that are right now been excavated, and it takes us more than a week to excavate them because there is not one civilian, which died out of some kind of crash or out of some kind of bomb. All of them were actually shot in their heads after being tortured.

Women after being raped, after been raped repeatedly in the shelters, or in some kind of basement by the Russian soldiers for days. And then they just shot them and throwsthem into the mass grave. And we cannot even identify them right now until we do the DNA test. Because some of them cannot be identifiable after being into mass grave for months.

This is something which should not happen in our time, and in our history in the center of Europe. And I was so sure that this-- in the history books, you know, after Hitler, but Putin is doing pretty much all that Hitler has done. And it seems even worse right now for the Ukrainian people when he hears the stories of kids being raped in front of their mothers, or little boys being raped in front of their mothers, and sons just thrown into the mass of graves.

This sounds like something completely surreal. But unfortunately, this is their reality. This is the Russian Empire, the Russian military (ph) that Putin is trying to make. And I think for Ukrainians, it's been super clear right now. Why are we fighting? Why are we protecting our land against--

VAUSE: Yes.

SHKRUM: -- this complete evil and complete, you know, new kind of Nazism into Russian Empires that Putin has built?

VAUSE: Yes.

SHKRUM: And we do need to stop into the Ukrainian territory.

VAUSE: It does seem to be--

SHKRUM: Yes.

VAUSE: It does seem to be a new kind of evil, as you say when you describe it as what you've outlined there. It is truly disturbing. Alyona Shkrum, thank you so much. We appreciate your time today. Thank you, ma'am.

SHKRUM: Thank you.

VAUSE: Well, the heads of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are calling for more help to rebuild Ukraine and help this country's economy to keep going. They're scheduled to meet Thursday with Ukrainian Prime minister and finance minister to discuss additional support.

The IMF warns that the ruble effects from Russia's war in Ukraine are like an earthquake rattling the global economy. CNN's Anna Stewart reports from London.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: The economic effects of the war in Ukraine are spreading far and wide. And that's the main reason that IMF slashed its forecast for economic growth to 3.6 percent for this year up next. It reflects a 0.8 percent downgrade for this year from their last forecast, which was only made in January. Now, unsurprisingly, the greatest impact will be felt in Ukraine. The

IMF warns of a double digit contraction of 35 percent this year, and for Russia's economy to shrink by over eight percent.

[02:15:01]

STEWART: However, all of this is the baseline scenario. If sanctions on Russia were to escalate with Russian energy being targeted as well, the IMF sees a much greater economic shock. It would be punishing for Russia with an additional of 15 percent drop in GDP by 2027. But it will also drag global GDP down by about two percent just this year with energy, metal, and food prices continuing to climb.

And for Europe, hugely reliant on Russian energy, they say the impact would be sizable with a three percent drop in GDP, which is why sanctions on Russian energy remains a hotly debated issue for EU member states. Anna Stewart, CNN, London

VAUSE: We'll take a short break here on CNN. But when we come back, my colleague and friend, Rosemary Church will have a lot more on the confusion over mask policies. Now, that a court has struck down a mask mandate for public transportation in the United States. Details in just a moment

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, the U.S. Justice Department says if the Centers for Disease Control determine masks are necessary for public health, it will appeal to revive the mask mandate.

[02:20:04]

CHURCH: A U.S. judge struck down the mask mandate for public transportation, Monday. U.S. President Joe Biden appeared to accept that masks are now optional. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, should people continue to wear masks on planes?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: That's up to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Many major airlines, public transportation systems, and ride sharing companies quickly adjusted their policies to allow passengers to make their own decision. Some travelers celebrated, public health officials are cautious.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. PETER HOTEZ, DEAN, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: When I was asked by members of the White House what I thought, I said, look, eventually they have to come up, don't do it now when BA-2 is accelerating, because that's going-- that's consuming all over the Northeast, and eventually it could spread nationally.

So, just hang on, you know, just hang on a few more weeks. I can't tell you whether it's going to be two weeks or whether we have to wait an extra month. It will start going down. It won't be as bad as Omicron. But it's still substantial.

DR. LEANNA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Well, my reaction is that the Biden administration has to do everything they can to preserve public health authority in the future. Right now, I think it's a bit up in the air as to whether the mask mandate really is needed to control the BA-2 variant.

But there may very well be a variant in the future that causes more deadly disease, or that may evade the protection from our vaccines. We want the CDC to be able to respond at that point. And so everything that federal government can do to preserve public health authority for future crisis is important.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is weighing whether its transportation mask mandate is necessary, but it's advising people to wear masks in indoor public transportation settings for now.

Well, the COVID death toll in China is rising. Chinese Health officials say at least 17 people have now died from COVID-19 in Shanghai since the current outbreak started. Seven new deaths were reported on Tuesday alone.

Most of the city has been under lockdown for weeks as China doubles down on its zero COVID policy. The lockdown has sparked widespread anger crippled supply chains and resulted in shortages of food and essential supplies. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is following this story for us. She joins us now live from Hong Kong. Always good to see you, Kristie.

So more COVID deaths reported in Shanghai although--

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

CHURCH: -- the numbers do remain curiously low, don't they? So what is the latest on all of this?

LU STOUT: Yes. The lockdown Chinese mega city of Shanghai is reporting more deaths caused by COVID-19. Earlier today, the municipal government confirmed additional seven deaths caused by the virus. So, the total official death toll now stands at 17 in the city of 25 million people. It was of course earlier this week on Monday. Shanghai reported its first three fatalities in this ongoing and massive outbreak that has infected nearly half a million people.

So, what's behind this very low official death toll that's been raising a lot of questions among medicines in China, and also among health experts, especially those based here in Hong Kong. Look at the height of the fifth wave of infection, which is still underway here in Hong Kong. The city here reported more deaths per million people than any other territory or country around the world.

So, why is it that Shanghai is reporting such a low death toll? I want you to see this statement and bring it up for you. We put that question to Jin Dongyan. He's a top Virologist at the University of Hong Kong. And he tells CNN this quote, "On the mainland, if the deceased had underlying ailments, most of them would be categorized as having died of other diseases instead of COVID."

So, basically, bottom line COVID deaths are reported differently in mainland China. I should point out, Rosemary, that Shanghai is home to quite a number of very vulnerable people. In fact, according to the People's Daily, it said that 15 percent, only 15 percent of people over the age of 80 are fully vaccinated. Back to you.

CHURCH: Yes, that is interesting. And meanwhile, of course, in Hong Kong where you are, cases may be falling.

LU STOUT: Yes.

CHURCH: But the city is still trying to keep the virus out by suspending more flights. What is the latest on that?

LU STOUT: You know, it's interesting. Cases are falling here in Hong Kong, schools finally back up and running on campus that started yesterday, starting tomorrow. Very strict social distancing, rules will be relaxed, but air travel in and out of the city remains very, very difficult as the Hong Kong government is banning flights. Banning flights for carrying infected passengers.

Let's bring up this graphic for you. So you could see the airlines that have been affected. We know that at least a dozen flights involving 10 airlines have been banned, including flights from London, Tokyo, Singapore. The affected airlines include Cathay Pacific, ANA Singapore, Airlines. I should also add Tuesday and Wednesday, only a single flight came from outside the Asia Pacific region.

So there's a very testing times for Hong Kong for its residents who really yearned to fly, but also for its status as an international aviation and business hub. Back to you.

[02:25:09]

CHURCH: Yes. Absolutely. Kristie Lu Stout joining us, live from Hong Kong. Many thanks as always.

LU STOUT: You're welcome.

CHURCH: Well, coming up, CNN returns to Bucha where the local coroner's office has a seemingly endless task, recovering the victims of Russia's invasion.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:00]

VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause live in Lviv, Ukraine. A Russian military accused of war crime in Bucha is being honored by Vladimir Putin. The Russian President, signed a decree, Monday, giving the 64th Motor Rifle Brigade the title Guards. Praising the unit for showing, "Great heroism and courage." But what [inaudible], Ukrainians call murder. CNN's Phil Black reports from Bucha where authorities and families continue to recover the victims of Russia's invasion. And a warning, some parts of Phil's story is disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Morgues aren't supposed to be busy, or so overcapacity they need a team of volunteers to move bodies around. And large mobile refrigerators to accommodate them. This is one of seven sites in and around Kyiv. Working to cope with the tide of death left behind by Russia's retreating forces.

BLACK (on camera): Are there still more bodies coming?

ANDRE BILYAKOV, UKRAINIAN VOLUNTEER: Coming, yes.

BLACK (on camera): Lots?

BILYAKOV: A lot. A lot, every day at morning.

BLACK (voiceover): Andre Bilyakov (ph), normally teaches forensic medicine. Now, he is a full-time volunteer performing endless autopsies.

BLACK (on camera): How many murders have you seen?

BILYAKOV: Murders, I think nearly 30 percent is exactly murder.

BLACK (voiceover): By his definition, that means 30 percent of the people in these bags have deliberate gunshot wounds to the head. We witnessed a continuous cycle. Shuffling bodies from vehicles to storage, to autopsy, to storage, and ultimately preparation for burial.

Usually, it will be their second. Most have been exhumed from temporary graves. Families buying new clothes for those they've lost as a gesture of love and respect. But they often go unworn. They can only be laid inside the coffin. The condition of the bodies means dressing them is impossible. Among those lying here, waiting to be collected, is Roman Lipa (ph). His family says he was killed when munitions struck his home in a small remote village. Roman's wife, Victoria, survived. Only to endure a form of hell. Intense fighting meant she couldn't escape the house.

Victoria's brother, Igor, says, my sister had to step over her husband's body for two weeks. She had to go through it to get to food or water. The room is still covered in blood. She is very bad now. Very bad. I don't know how she will live with this loss.

Others who grieve are living through a different form of hell. They can't find the body of the person they love. Volodymyr is searching for his brother, Leonid (ph). He shows us where he was shot and killed. Where he was buried in a shallow makeshift grave before officials exhumed the body and took it away. So, Volodymyr has taken leave from active duty to travel through devastated communities. Going from morgue to morgue, but no one can help. Eventually, he's directed to a police office with the central list of the dead. He's told his brother probably hasn't been process yet. Volodymyr must return to the war. He doesn't know when he will be able to come back even if Leonid's body is found.

It hurts a lot, he says. It hurts a lot but we don't give up.

Russia has left so much death behind in areas near Kyiv. Some people must wait their turn to grieve. Phil black, CNN, Bucha, Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And someday, after the war in Ukraine is over, there will likely be war crime trials. Before that can happen though, investigators have to document and collect the evidence. And that process is already happening in places like Bucha where Russian forces, seemingly, left behind evidence of their crimes waiting to be found. But in a place like Mariupol, which is cut off from the outside world and still being bombed, that process of documentation cannot even begin yet.

Joining me live from Chernihiv, Ukraine is Belkis Wille. She is a senior crisis and conflict researcher with Human Rights Watch. Thank you so much for talking with us.

BELKIS WILLE, SENIOR CRISIS & CONFLICT RESEARCHER, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: So, for everyone witnessing this brutal war, there appears to be an abundance of tragic proof of war crimes being committed in various cities across Ukraine.

[02:35:00]

And yet, the process of gathering that evidence is much more complex than that. So, how confident are you that the evidence you've been documenting will result in holding Russia accountable and perhaps, ultimately, the conviction up the perpetrators?

WILLE: Well, you know, in the context of this conflict, we're in a very rare and unique situation. We've never seen this in history before where you have so many potential avenues for justice in a courtroom. We have the ongoing investigation from the International Criminal Court. We have, of course, the Ukrainian Chief Prosecutor's Team. But we have over 10 other countries with prosecutorial units that are looking into potential war crimes being committed in the context of the Russian invasion.

So, in this kind of a context, documentation work like the work that we're doing is absolutely essential. We're trying to get to the sites where alleged violations have occurred. And we're trying to document these incidents in as detailed and fashion as possible in order to, as you, said see whether one day we can see those in command control and those who actually committed these violations held accountable. CHURCH: And now that Russian forces have pulled out of many areas, you and your teams are able to access some destroyed cities where civilians were murdered. How extensive is your documentation of what happened? And how do you go about gathering that evidence? What's the process there?

WILLE: Well, it's a long and detailed process, as you said. I mean, finally we are able to get to some areas that were held by Russian forces for a long period of time where there is a series of evidence of abuse. Colleagues and I have spent days in areas in and around Kyiv. For example, in the area Bucha, which of course has been on the news a lot, we are about to publish our new findings. We've been able to document 16 unlawful killings and those include nine summary executions.

And when we talk about documentation of this kind, it means that we, as an organization, have identified witnesses to each of these events. We have identified the bodies of those who were killed. We have been able to speak to people working at the morgues, at the hospitals to understand what kind of injuries these bodies came in with. And we've able -- been able to determine the extent to which the individuals killed were or civilian or military. Whether there were any military targets in the area at that time. And really using the full basket of evidence, which can also include things like a photo and video content, both shared with us by witnesses and posted online. And, even in some cases, satellite imagery that allows us to really have a full picture of what it is that happened at the time.

But that's just Bucha. We will be publishing new findings that we've been gathering in the last days on many other areas around Kyiv and the town Chernihiv, where I am now. Areas that were under occupation for weeks. And we found numerous cases of extra judicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and a range of other abuses.

CHURCH: So, what happens when police and military, for instance, have cleaned up an area or if Russian forces have buried those that they've tortured and killed? Because even though you will find a lot of evidence, you won't find all the evidence, will you?

WILLE: Absolutely. Our understanding is that the chief prosecutor's office is working in very close coordination with the police and with the military. And that when bodies are found -- and, a lot of these bodies were actually buried by locals at the time when Russians were still in control of the areas. So, what's required then is exhumations of these bodies and forensic medical examinations that then allow for the determination of the cause of death before these bodies are buried by their families. So, that process is ongoing.

If we arrive at a site where that process is already occurred and the body is now properly buried that, you know, the information that we get is from, as a I said, staff working at the morgues, at the hospitals, photographs of the body, and numerous interviews with witnesses who can describe to us the types of wounds.

But I will say, only two days ago, I was in a school house and saw a body of a man we had heard had been shot and killed by Russian forces. We spoke to numerous witnesses about the incident. And then we actually found the body. And there was a gunshot wound in his temple. So, he had, indeed, been executed. So, there are still bodies and other pieces of evidence that we're gathering as we move through these areas.

CHURCH: That is such difficult but such important work that you do. Belkis Wille, thank you so much for talking with us. We do appreciate it.

WILLE: Thank you.

[02:40:00]

CHURCH: Well, Britain's Partygate scandal is not dying down. Just ahead, apologies from Boris Johnson calls for a near -- a new investigation and demands the prime minister's resignation. We'll take a look at all of that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROBERT PLAYTER, CEO, BOSTON DYNAMICS: Stretch is a mobile case thinking robot. It can move around the warehouse. It has vision integrated with it. But it also has a manipulator. And so, in terms of the jobs it's doing, it's a -- it's the first manipulation robot that's mobile for the warehouse. We see the future being, adding mobility to more and more dextrose manipulation.

So right now, we can manipulate a box. And that's still a fairly basic manipulation test. But if we build better inter factors or better hands, we might be able to start picking up more complicated parts. Maybe playing a role. Moving parts around the manufacturing facility instead of just a warehouse, or operating and doing repair work in a dangerous environment where a person can't go. Maybe you really need dexterous manipulation to figure out why a piece of equipment is failing and it's clear across the country then you don't have to go because a robot can be there.

AUDREY DECKER, CO-FOUNDER, STREET ART FOR MANKIND: Art is a universal language that inspires people to make a difference and to think about the situation. It doesn't only touch the mind. It touches the soul. My name is Audrey Decker and I am the co-founder of Street Art for Mankind.

Today, there are 152 million children, one child out of 10, who is suffering from child labor. Street Art for Mankind is a nonprofit organization that believes in the art for social change. And that's what we do with big murals made by artists from all around the world.

We started Street Art for Mankind to run the fight against child labor and trafficking. And we have a series of murals in the financial district of New York which are called the freedom murals. We also have a billboard campaign that we did, and that's called the Free Children Campaign. And this one we did with street artists, but also with people who are really involved in the cause. Such as Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino, Kailash Satyarthi, Siddharth Kara, and also Nocholas Kristof. Our dream for Street Art for Mankind is really to create an outdoor museum everywhere around the world to have this capacity to inspire people and create art.

ADRIEN KOSKAS, GLOBAL BRAND PRESIDENT, GARNIER: At Garnier, we are investing a lot in green census. We think this is the future of green tech and biotech that really allows us to bring performance and innovation for the consumer while -- whilst being more sustainable. And I really believe this move is going to happen across the industry in beauty, but also outside of beauty because, at the end of the day, it's one of the solutions, you know, to the climate crisis.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Because for a long time, people -- we talked about greenwashing, we talked about communication. But in the end what you're saying is that companies are moving more towards actual technology instead of going to be green in a way that is both profitable and good for the consumer.

KOSKAS: Yes, green is a very serious topic, you know. And it's all about science and delivering performance. And you're right that sometimes, you know, people who are referring to greenwashing. But we can prove people with the science and how we actually do things and improve the footprint of our products with very clear numbers. And this is really, I think, the big challenge for us in the whole industry.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The British Prime Minister is apologizing to the House of Commons for the first time since being fined by London Police for his role in the Partygate scandal. Boris Johnson was found to have broken his own government COVID lockdown rules back in 2020. After he said sorry on Tuesday, he then doubled down on his defense.

[02:45:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Let me also say, not by way of mitigation or excuse, but purely, purely because it explains my previous words in this house. That it did not occur to me then or subsequently that a gathering in the cabinet room, just before a vital meeting on COVID strategy could amount to a breach of the rules.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Some lawmakers accused Johnson of misleading parliament when he previously said, no rules had been broken. On Thursday, MPs will vote on whether an investigation should be launched. And CNN's Nada Bashir is following all of this live for us from London.

Good to see you, Nada. So, this isn't going away for the Prime Minister of Britain, is it? So, what is the latest on the Partygate scandal? And, of course, how is it impacting Boris Johnson's leadership? NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well look, Rosemary, this certainly has been going on for months now. We've seen the prime minister go from denying that any party took place back in parliament to then, of course, last week being issued that fine for taking part in a social gathering at Downing Street back in June 2020 when the country was under strict COVID regulations. His own regulations.

Now, we heard from the prime minister yesterday, he apologized to parliament. Maintaining that he didn't know, at the time, that his actions would amount to a breach of those rules. But the hasn't proven sufficient to many members in the opposition party, particularly, Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer. He described the prime minister in parliament as a man without shame. He said his apology was a joke.

And, as you mentioned, the Labour Party have put forward a motion for debate on Thursday. They want to see the prime minister referred to a parliamentary inquiry to investigate whether he, knowingly, misled parliament in breach of ministerial coup. Now, the Conservatives do hold a majority. They are expected to vote against this motion. But it is important to note that there is a small portion of the prime minister's own party who have already called on him to step down, to resign, or to go through with a vote of confidence.

We heard yesterday from Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, he is a former defense minister, he said that if the Conservatives perform poorly in the May local elections, he wants to see the prime minister put forward a vote of confidence. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Nada Bashir, many thanks. Joining us live from London.

And this just in, Ukraine says it's agreed to a humanitarian corridor with Russia for women, children, and the elderly to be evacuated from Mariupol in the coming hours. The city, of course, is under siege from Russian forces with most remaining Ukrainian fighters. And many civilians, it seems, holed up inside a sprawling steel plant there. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister says a convoy would take those civilians from Mariupol, through the Russian held City of Berdyansk, and then North towards Zaporizhzhya which is still under Ukrainian control. And this is all set to take place about four hours from now.

With the presidential runoff just days away, France's presidential candidates are preparing to debate each other in the coming hours. The issues they will address, that's just ahead, we'll take a look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:50:00]

JAMES ROBEY, GLOBAL HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY, CAPGEMINI: I'm James Robey. I'm the Global Head of Environmental Sustainability at Capgemini.

People often ask, why should businesses care about sustainability? Well, first of all, quite frankly, an unsustainable pathway is not going to be good for any business. Businesses are reliant from having consumers that will buy from them. They're reliant on having employees who want to work for them. You know, increasingly, all the stakeholders in the business are asking difficult questions So, businesses which aren't taking sustainability seriously, essentially are going to be out of business.

But in reality, it's never too late to start. A great way to start is by trying to understand your own impacts as an organization. Perhaps calculate your carbon footprint. Ultimately, we need everybody on this journey. So, why not start today?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: In several hours, France's presidential candidates will face each other in a debate just days before the runoff election. Polling on Tuesday showed Incumbent President Emmanual Macron widening his lead over far-right challenger Marine Le Pen. Voters will make their decision, Sunday. And Melissa Bell reports they're expected to decide with their pocketbooks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BELL (voiceover): A show of determination and dismay. On Saturday, thousands of people took to the streets of France to call for a vote against the far-right but with little enthusiasm for the alternative. On Sunday, voters will choose, once again, between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. In 2017 the globalist centrist newcomer had seen off the national far-right candidate winning by a big margin after sweeping aside the traditional right and left.

This time, Le Pen has Macron's record to attack and anger over inflation and the cost of living.

MARINE LE PEN, FAR-RIGHT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): It's not just the cost of things, of goods. It's also employment. There are companies that are in trouble and they may go bust.

BELL (voiceover): The far-right candidate is hoping to tap into some of the rage that exploded onto the streets of France early on in Macron's first term. The Yellow Vest Protests, sparked by a fuel tax hike but focused on Macron's reforming presidency.

JEROME RODRIGUES, LEADING FIGURE IN YELLOW VEST MOVEMENT (through translator): He seen with real hatred. He's done a lot of damage. He's hurt very badly a section of the French population.

BELL (voiceover): The French President's proposed reform of France's pension system, including pushing back the retirement age, also lead to angry protests which forced him to put it on hold. The pandemic then quieted and the streets of France, but only momentarily, with protests picking up again over COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions. The presidential campaign kicked off without the president, who was focus on global issues, specifically, the war in Ukraine. Adding to the sense that Macron can seem out of touch with the concerns of ordinary French people.

[02:55:00] NATHALIE LOISEAU, EX-FRENCH MINISTER FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS: He doesn't look like your friend next door. You basically never met the guy like him, before you meet him. So, it's an asset but it's also a liability for him.

BELL (voiceover): But after the first round of voting on April 11th saw more than 50 percent of votes go either to extreme right or to the extreme left. Ahead of the second round, Macron's now campaigning not so much on his record, as on the changes that he plans to make.

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): I have no desire to do five more years. No, I don't want to redo them. I want to completely riff on something. I wanted to be five years a complete renewal.

BELL (on camera): The question is whether that promise of renewal will be enough to help convince voters to choose the president who's proven as divisive at home, as he has ubiquitous abroad. Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:00:00]