Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Ukrainians Battle Russians near Kharkiv; Village Held Hostage by Russian Troops; Russia Sets Sights on Southern Ukraine; U.K. Prime Minister: Putin May Win War; French Elect Next President Sunday; Ukrainian Prime Minister: Mariupol "Biggest Humanitarian Catastrophe" in a Century; Oligarchs and Families Die Mysteriously; High Inflation Could Impact Midterms. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired April 23, 2022 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, a warm welcome to our viewers in the United States and right around the world. I'm Isa Soares, live in Lviv, Ukraine.
New satellite images revealing the growing human toll of the Russian war on Ukraine. Just miles outside of Mariupol, another cemetery with fresh trenches, believed to have casualties of this invasion.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): I'm Michael Holmes coming to you live from Atlanta.
French voters soon decide their country's future leader. It's an election that could cause a major shift in world politics.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
SOARES: Welcome to the show, everyone. It's now 9:00 am in Ukraine.
We're getting a clearer picture of Russia's goals in the country. Russia's military now confirming its objective is to take full control of Ukraine's Black Sea coast. Ukraine's president warns that will only to be a prelude to Russia advancing into other countries.
And key to the Russian plan is the city we've been talking about for a while now, Mariupol, where an unknown number of Ukrainian troops and civilians are trapped inside a large steel factory. Ukraine's prime minister spoke about the dire situation as he met with U.S. officials in Washington. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENYS SHMYHAL, UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER: The situation in Mariupol is terrible. This is the biggest humanitarian catastrophe during this and maybe during last centuries because many dozens of thousands people, maybe many thousands of people are died in Mariupol. And we will see the terrible atrocities and terrible war crimes in
Mariupol when it will be liberated from Russians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Ukraine says the discovery of more suspected mass graves are further evidence of Russian war crimes. This is a map just east of Mariupol.
In a small town, outside of Kyiv, drone video shows what we can only call apocalyptic landscape, left by Russian shelling during the first phase of the conflict. Ukrainian forces are being honored for holding the town and blocking the Russian advance that actually protected the capital, Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Moscow has finally acknowledged casualties from the sinking of its warship more than a week ago, you remember, the Moskva. It says one sailor was killed and 27 are missing; 396 remaining crew were rescued and taken to Crimea.
The father of a crew member criticized the claim that all aboard were evacuated and questioned how long the missing crew members will still be considered, quote, "missing," as he put it.
As our reporters meet more Ukrainians, the stories of brutality at the hands of Russian troops are a common thread. Ed Lavandera met a group of villagers who shared how the invaders held them captive in the basement of a school.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): War stopped time here. Bombs and artillery scorch this village in Northern Ukraine, Russian occupation ravaged the minds of its people.
The story of what happened in Yahidne is just emerging, revealing how the Russian Army held this village hostage for more than 30 days.
Sofia shows us the underground bunker in her shed where she first hid from the fighting. She says she had food stored here that the Russians ate. This is where she slept.
Sofia says Russian soldiers went door to door rounding people up and taking them at gunpoint into the basement of the village school.
LAVANDERA: Sofia tells us that when the Russian soldiers moved them all into the basement of the school building, that they were put down there and that the soldiers told them that they were being put in the basement to die.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): A woman named Natalia took us into the basement where she was trapped.
[02:05:00]
LAVANDERA (voice-over): "I was in a stupor," Natalia tells me. "I was just sitting there praying, hoping it would all stop soon."
LAVANDERA: Residents tell us that there were about 350 people held hostage in the basement of this school building. Men, women and children forced to live in these horrific conditions.
In fact, it was so strangulating, there was so little air circulation that one resident told us that 12 elderly people died here because they couldn't breathe, and their bodies were left while the fighting raged outside.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): These are some of the only known images captured in the school's basement. The faces say at all.
LAVANDERA: She is telling me that about 35 people slept in this small room. Nobody could lie down. They slept kind of sitting with their knees up against their chest.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): The rooms are littered with makeshift beds, schoolbooks, and Russian troop meal boxes, but it's the art on the walls that stops you in your tracks. This is how the children passed the time. Colorful drawings on a canvas of anguish.
LAVANDERA: The people who were trapped down here etched names onto this concrete wall. They marked the days with a calendar crossing out the days as they went by.
Everything down here has the feel of a World War II era concentration camp.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Above the basement, Russian soldiers took over the school building. Residents say they were used as human shields. They knew the Ukrainian military wouldn't fire at the school with civilians inside.
Olena grabs food from a humanitarian delivery truck and takes us to her home. Russian soldiers threw grenades through her windows and defecated on the house floors.
She was also held hostage in the school basement with her one-year-old daughter.
LAVANDERA: Did you think you were going to survive that?
LAVANDERA (voice-over): "I thought my child would not survive," she tells me. "I asked them to let me out so the child could breathe fresh air because she felt bad, they said, 'Let her die. We don't care.'"
LAVANDERA: Sofia, how did you feel when you got out of the basement of the school?
LAVANDERA (voice-over): She says, "One of the villagers opened the basement door and said the Russians left. The trapped villagers were surprised."
"In the morning, our guys entered the village," she said. "We cried, we hugged them and cried." LAVANDERA: What will you tell your daughter about this experience?
LAVANDERA (voice-over): "Nothing," she says. Her daughter will not remember it and she will tell her nothing -- Ed Lavandera, CNN, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: The bravery we've been seeing across this country. I'm going to get perspective on the new phase of Russia's war in Ukraine. Joined by Ukrainian MP Yevheniya Kravchuk.
What we've been hearing in the last 24 hours from the Russian side, who say their aim is to really take control, not just of the Eastern Ukraine, also the south, what is your thoughts on this expansion by Russia here?
YEVHENIYA KRAVCHUK, UKRAINIAN MP: Well, it just proves that, from the very beginning, Russia wanted if not the whole Ukraine, then a part of Ukraine. And they dreamed about this bout (ph) from Russia, this sort of road from Russia to Crimea on the ground.
But it's been five days since they started this full attack in Donbas on the east. And they actually didn't have any visible success. So it proves that the Russian army can send missiles and rockets and bomb and shell civilians in the cities.
And when they go to the ground and when they fight with our troops, they are not, you know, as -- the second largest and biggest army in the world, as they said. Actually, our troops proved that Russian soldiers are just a bunch of murderers, serial killers and rapists.
So to my mind, is right now, in this probably few weeks coming, it will be the most important time to see how this ends. That's why we're asking all civilized world to end this war because a victory on the battlefield is the only way to stop Putin from invading Ukraine and then other countries in Europe.
SOARES: Yes, especially given, you know, just how relentless Russia's offensive has been in the east, you are mentioning, pretty brutal.
[02:10:00]
SOARES: Russia now controls about 42 sectors in control, with 80 percent of the city of Luhansk under Russian control.
Do you think Ukraine can win back some of those territories, some of the settlements there?
KRAVCHUK: Oh, yes, for sure. We had some good counterattacks. In Kharkiv region, also the big fighting in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions not to give an inch of territory to Russian invaders.
But of course, Russia do have a lot of tanks and missiles and a lot of artillery, especially. So that's why we're asking to have more weapons than we burn out every day. And heavy weapons is essential. I talk, you know, from a soldier on front, because I have soldiers
that I talk to them every day, to minister of defense of Ukraine, they all say the same thing. Give us artillery, modern artillery, 155, Howitzers, give us MLS systems, multiple rocket launch systems, and we'll win this war.
We're capable. We've proven our bravery but we need tools to finish it.
SOARES: Just double checking.
Do we have her?
I didn't hear her for a bit.
OK, let me ask you about the situation in Mariupol. We heard your prime minister calling it the biggest humanitarian catastrophe perhaps of the century.
Do you expect, are you hearing anything, about a possible humanitarian corridor to go ahead today?
There's so many people still trapped inside.
KRAVCHUK: We're really hoping that today, the humanitarian corridor will work. Yesterday, Russians stopped it. And it is planned for 11:00 am Ukrainian time. So what we'll see today if at least some of the people can leave. It's only women and children and elderly.
And a few hours ago, a video was posted from the basement of Azovstal, the factory, where a lot of people are hiding, military and both civilians. And these are children, 5, 6, 7, 8 years old.
When they were asked, what is your dream?
They said, our dream is to see the sun because they've been in this basement for more than a month, hiding from rockets.
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: Quickly -- yes, for endless and facing endless barrage of rockets. Before you go, let me ask you, the Russians are not granting a cease-fire for Easter. That's what we've heard. And Orthodox Easter is happening this weekend.
Do you expect further provocation around this holiday?
KRAVCHUK: Yes. That's our intelligence, says that the Russians could even bomb the churches because a lot of people will probably go to the church during Orthodox Easter. And that's why we're asking people to stay at home this night, because there could be Russian provocations during Easter.
And that's correct. They said there won't be a cease-fire, no truce, no Easter truce for this weekend.
SOARES: Really appreciate you taking the time to speak to us. Please stay safe.
She was just saying, officials and I were talking about, officials in Ukraine are hoping to open humanitarian corridors. They say they may be able to open at least one out of the city of Mariupol if all goes well.
Ukrainian authorities say they were unable to establish any on Friday because of the persistent danger. According to the U.N., more than 5 million people have fled Ukraine since the fighting began. Nearly 8 million others are displaced inside the country.
Now during his trip to India, British prime minister Boris Johnson was asked about the war in Ukraine. He says there's a chance Russia may get what it wants. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: The sad thing is that, that is a realistic possibility. Yes, of course, Putin has a huge army. He has a very difficult political position because he's made a catastrophic blunder.
He has the -- the only option he now has really is to continue to try to use his appalling, grinding approach, driven -- led by artillery, trying to grind the Ukrainians down. The situation is, I'm afraid, unpredictable at this stage. We've just got to be realistic about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: The U.S., meanwhile, disagrees with that view.
[02:15:00]
SOARES: A top U.S. security adviser says efforts to keep Ukraine a sovereign nation will intensify with time and Mr. Putin has much to lose.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DALEEP SINGH, U.S. DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Ultimately, Putin will see this is not the end game he bargained for. Thousands of body bags are coming home. His economy is contracting by double digits.
If inflation is up to 20 percent, if the shelves are empty, if people can't travel, if his country's in default, if Russia's a pariah state, that's not a win for Putin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And Singh adds the U.S. will do everything it can to end the war, short of a military confrontation with Russia.
Coming up, our other top story this hour, French voters prepare to decide who will lead their country for the next five years. But whichever of these two candidates they pick, the implications, of course, will be felt far beyond France.
Plus, after nearly a month in lockdown, Shanghai residents have had enough. And now, the government is beginning a new mask COVID testing program. We'll tell you the details when we come back.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:20:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOLMES: France is preparing for a presidential vote that will have far-reaching implications, both at home and abroad. The incumbent, Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger, Marine Le Pen. Voters will decide on Sunday which will be their next president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A final push for votes by both Emmanuel Macron and his far right opponent, Marine Le Pen on Friday, before a media blackout that will last in France until polls close on Sunday.
The idea is that people can think about how they're going to vote without extra polls or more campaigning, simply time to reflect on a vote, that will have profound implications, not just for France but beyond its borders as well.
Macron proposing more of the same, further European integration; Le Pen offering something very different to what Macron has done so far, wanting to focus more on France, helping those worst off. That has been central to her pitch throughout the campaign.
You remember the anger that spilled out on the streets of France in the Yellow Vest protests, also protesting against the pension reform that the president had proposed. That will now be the center of what she proposes.
But there will be impacts for Europe, since she's suggesting Europe be reformed into a much looser alliance of sovereign nations. And there will be implications for the war in Ukraine. So two very different visions of France on Sunday night, with implications for France, Europe and the world -- Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: The French voters go to the polls on Sunday. Second round of voting in the presidential election, of course. Join us Sunday, 8:00 pm Paris time, 2:00 pm Eastern time in the U.S., for our special live coverage of the French election, right here on CNN.
Some troubling news: statistics from health officials in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control, COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the U.S. during 2021. More than 415,000 people died from the virus. Only heart disease and cancer had higher death tolls.
Now residents of Boston are being told they should wear masks indoors again. That's coming after a 65 percent increase of COVID cases in the past two weeks. Officials say hospitalizations have been slowly rising as well during that same time period.
In China, Shanghai officials reported 12 new COVID deaths on Friday, bringing the death toll in the city's latest outbreak to 48. Shanghai has been on lockdown for weeks, thanks to China's zero COVID policy.
And local officials are beginning a new testing effort for millions of residents. Shanghai recording more than 23,000 new cases on Friday, an increase of some 6,000 from the day before.
Our coverage of the war in Ukraine continues after the break. Isa Soares will look at Russia's new push to Ukraine's south.
And two Russian executives' families killed in one day. Both have ties to Russia's gas industry. We'll look at whether it's coincidence or something more sinister after the break.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:25:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Isa Soares.
The Ukrainian military says Russia's assault on Eastern Ukraine is heating up. A key town in that region is Slovyansk. Ukraine is accusing Russia of shelling it on Friday with cluster munitions.
Ukraine's military claims Russia's attempts to advance in other areas were unsuccessful. Russia's military now conveying while its objective is to take full control of Ukraine's Black Sea coast.
And key to that is a city that we've been talking about for weeks, the city of Mariupol, where an unknown number of soldiers and civilians are trapped inside a steel factory. Ukraine's prime minister spoke about the dire situation in Mariupol, as he met with officials.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENYS SHMYHAL, UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER: The situation in Mariupol is terrible. This is the biggest humanitarian catastrophe during this and maybe during last centuries because many dozens of thousands people, maybe many thousands of people are died in Mariupol.
And we will see the terrible atrocities and terrible war crimes in Mariupol when it will be liberated from Russians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:30:00]
SOARES: Meanwhile, a small town outside of Kyiv really looks like a tornado, as you can see there, ripped through it. But this was the result of Russian shelling during the initial assault against Kyiv. Ukrainian troops are now being honored for holding the town and stopping the Russian advance on the capital.
Russia's goal is to take full control of southern Ukraine, creating a land corridor to Crimea and on to Moldova. President Zelenskyy said this proves the Russian invasion of Ukraine is, quote, "only the beginning" and they want to capture other countries. That's what he said. Sam Kiley has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In the latest development coming from the Russian command structures, we've heard from the commander of the Russian central command, a major general, saying that the Russian strategic aim now is not only the denazification or the liberation of Ukraine but it is focused back not toward the Donbas entirely -- that's the east of the country.
It has now added in the south of Ukraine, perhaps all the way to the border with Moldova because in Transnistria, there is a Russian- controlled enclave there of Russian-speaking people, that conceivably the Russians would like to link up with.
Now if that were possible and he certainly suggested that would be the ultimate aim, there would be a land link all the way between Moldova and Russia, right through Ukrainian territory, including the port city of Odessa.
The reality is that the Russian troops are being held up a long way from Odessa at Mykolaiv and ultimately, I think it's probably more likely that the Russians are putting this kind of propaganda out in order to distract Ukrainian military attention away from their main effort, which they would all agree, is what they would call the capture of the Donbas region, at the very least.
Now the importance of Mariupol in all of this is there's still about 1,000 Ukrainian troops there in the steel manufacturing area of that port city, fighting back, fighting hard still, even though they are completely grounded against the Russian forces.
Now they are drawing a lot of Russian forces into that fight, that could otherwise be spared for a push north. At the same time, the Russians have also tried to push south from Izyum.
If they would manage to join those two Russian fronts up, they would be able to encircle the bulk, potentially, of Ukrainian government forces. That's something the Ukrainians are aware of, they are particularly worried about. They also say they've got preparations to deal with it -- Sam Kiley, CNN, Dnipro.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Thanks, Sam.
Investigations are underway into the violent death of two Russian business titans and members of their families. One was in Moscow and the other in Spain. Brian Todd looks at why the cases are so similar and why they are raising so much suspicion.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two unsettling cases, similar, fueling more intrigue around the Putin regime tonight. Within the span of 24 hours this week, two wealthy foreign Russian gas executives found dead with their families.
On Monday, Vladislav Avayev, his wife and daughter were found dead in Avayev's apartment in Moscow. Russia state news agency Tass citing a source in law enforcement says authorities were investigating the incident as a murder-suicide.
The next day, Sergei Protosenya, his wife and daughter found dead at their home and a resort near Barcelona, Spain. A source close to the investigation tells CNN Protosenya's wife and daughter were likely murdered inside the luxury home. Protosenya found dead in the garden outside.
BILL BROWDER, CEO, HERMITAGE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: When Russian business people die, I think one kind of has to assume the worst first.
LOUISE SHELLEY, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY: I think these deaths in my book are very suspicious because they are so similar and they're of prominent individuals, who made their money in the oil and gas sector.
TODD: If these were murder-suicide, could these men have been under financial pressure from fallout over the Ukraine war?
BROWDER: We're in a very thought moment: money is scarce, all sorts of people are under a lot of pressure.
TODD: Few answers but plenty of theories.
SHELLEY: There might be people in Russia connected to the security apparatus who don't like things that these individuals are doing.
There could be patterns of retaliation against individuals who may be collaborating with foreign qualities for people in Russia that don't want certain information shared.
TODD: What's not clear tonight, whether Vladislav Avayev and Sergei Protosenya knew each other or communicated recently with each other.
[02:35:00]
TODD (voice-over): And the analysts we spoke to say it's not clear if either man has spoken out against Vladimir Putin or the war in Ukraine.
Could they have been targeted by Putin himself? ELISABETH SCHIMPFOSSL, AUTHOR: It would almost be something. We need Putin to take measures against people of low ranking. What he goes for is the big fishes -- and only very few of them -- in order to set an example of risk and tame them and bring them under control.
TODD: Still, some experts say, if there was foul play, it wouldn't be the first time among Russian tycoons.
SHELLEY: There is a pattern of suspicious deaths overseas. We will be seeing more pressures among the elite, because there is a lot of suspicion and recriminations in Russia.
TODD: Professor Louise Shelley says there is another level of suspicion to these cases. She says Spain, where Sergei Protosenya died, had, among the highest numbers of Russian organized crime figures operating inside its borders of any country, many of whom, she says, have ties to Russian oligarchs -- Brian Todd, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Got an update to bring you from the U.K., the U.K. ministry of defense, and their intelligence of what is unfolding on the ground here in Ukraine.
And what the defense intelligence is saying is, despite increased activity we see from the Russians, in the country, Russian forces, they said, have made no major gains in the last 24 hours, as Ukrainian forces counterattack and hinder their effort.
This is coming from the defense ministry of the U.K. It also adds, and I'm quoting here, that, "Despite their stated conquest of Mariupol," they're talking about Russia, of course, "that heavy fighting continues to take place, frustrating Russian attempts to capture the city; thus further slowing the desired progress in the Donbas."
We'll stay on top of this. But that gives you the sense of the push and pull we've been seeing on the ground here. I'm going to send it back to Michael Holmes in Atlanta.
HOLMES: All right, Isa. We'll check in with you later.
We're going to take a quick break on the program. When we come back, inflation is hitting businesses and consumers, of course. And it may be a big factor in elections later this year. We'll explain after the break.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:40:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOLMES: U.S. markets plunged on Friday amid fears of a hike in interest rates, the Dow falling nearly 1,000 points, about 2.8 percent. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 also down more than 2.5 percent.
Markets tumbled after the Federal Reserve chairman said a possible half-point rise in interest rates will be, quote, "on the table" in the Fed's May meeting.
They hope raising interest rates will get inflation under control. It's at levels not seen in 40 years. Consumers hit by rising food and energy costs, driven by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
Jeff Zeleny has more on that and how economic worries could impact midterm elections later this year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARIAMA DAVIS, OWNER, THE BEEHIVE: When you go to the grocery store, it feels like you're shopping in Hawaii.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): But Mariama Davis lives in Georgia and feels the sting of inflation for herself and customers at her boutique, The Beehive.
DAVIS: The idea that eggs are $3 now, is that's a lot. And people have their families to feed. So if they have an option between buying a gift or putting food on the table, I'm going to expect folks to put food on the table.
ZELENY (voice-over): Six months before voters decide if Democrats maintain control of Congress, a sour mood is hanging over the economy. As inflation looms as a major issue in a national election for the first time since 1980. Some blame President Biden.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ever since Mr. Biden took office, everything has been going up.
ZELENY (voice-over): Others do not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a number of things. I wouldn't just blame President Biden solely.
ZELENY (voice-over): Yet it's a problem he owns. And one of the biggest challenges facing the White House.
At Daddy D'z Barbecue, owner Christianah Coker-Jackson sees inflation everywhere.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love that.
ZELENY (voice-over): From paper goods, to the cost of meat, to how often people are dining out.
CHRISTIANAH COKER-JACKSON, OWNER, DADDY D'Z BARBECUE: We're not seeing the same amount of traffic that we normally do. And I think that's a fear of just spending with the talk of inflation, inflation, inflation. Customers are scared.
ZELENY (voice-over): And as a Democrat, she's scared of the consequences come November.
COKER-JACKSON: If we can't get out and vote for the midterms, then all the work that we did in 2020 is not really going to matter, because then we're going to have a handicap president.
ZELENY (voice-over): Georgia is also a hot political battleground, which Biden narrowly won in 2020. This year, it will help determine whether Democrats hold the Senate by re-electing Raphael Warnock. His early campaign ads trying to redirect any economic blame.
RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): What if I told you shipping container companies have been making record profits, while prices have been skyrocketing on you?
That's why I'm pushing to hold them accountable.
ZELENY (voice-over): But that message is competing with loud Republican criticism.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joe Biden's ruining our country.
ZELENY (voice-over): Jen Jordan, a state senator who turned a suburban district from red to blue and is now running for Attorney General knows that Democrats face headwinds but she said Republicans have not offered a positive alternative.
JEN JORDAN (D), GEORGIA STATE SENATOR: We're still in the middle of a pandemic, right?
And so what people do is they respond to, you know, how are they feeling?
[02:45:00]
JORDAN: How are their lives, right?
And they're always going to tag the president for that. But look, we have got a million miles to go before November.
ZELENY (voice-over): Back at The Beehive where we first met Davis a year ago, she then urged people to give Biden time.
DAVIS: Just be patient, like it's coming. Everything doesn't happen overnight. Folks know that.
ZELENY (voice-over): Now she adds this caveat.
DAVIS: Patient or just frustrated, just frustrated. Just would like to get the relief that we need so we can start operating how we used to.
ZELENY: Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Police in Washington, D.C., say the suspect in a Friday shooting that wounded four people has died. Two of the injured were reported in critical but stable condition. A third victim had a minor gunshot wound and a fourth was grazed by a bullet.
Authorities say the suspect took his own life. Several firearms were found on the scene. Police say the investigation is ongoing and, so far, they do not have a motive.
A young group of swimmers from Ukraine became stranded in Turkey when the war began. After the break, we'll hear from members of the team and the messages they have for families back home.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:50:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOLMES: Imagine going to a country for a short camp, only to be stranded there because war broke out in your own country. That's exactly what happened to a group of young disabled swimmers from Ukraine who are now in Turkey. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh spoke to members of the team, who tell her this experience has brought them immeasurably closer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just days after these young disabled Ukrainian swimmers arrived in Turkey, war erupted back home. And what was supposed to be a two-week training camp has now turned into two months of being stranded here, separated from their families during the most difficult of times.
At this public pool in Istanbul, they continue their training. It's also a distraction from the one thing that's on everyone's minds.
KYRYLO GARASHCHENKO, UKRAINIAN SWIMMER: I just try to not think about it. It's a lot of information about war. I just try to little bit and don't think about it.
KARADSHEH (voice-over): Twenty-four-year-old Kyrylo Garashchenko, a Paralympic silver and bronze medalist, is the oldest member of this group of six from the Eastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya.
Ilia Sharkov, who's just 15, dreams of becoming a Paralympic champion. But all he wants right now to be is with his parents who live in the Russian occupied city of Melitopol. To call and see their son, they have to drive 50 kilometers from their home for internet access. Ilia wants us to send them a message.
"My dearest father and mother, I love you so much," he says. "I wish you happiness and health. Say hello to my grandparents and my aunt."
Sixteen-year-old Victoria and Kamila (ph) speak with their families every day.
"They're happy we're in a safe place and not in Ukraine now, that we don't need to stay in air raid shelters and do not hide," Victoria tells us.
Kamila (ph) struggles to express how much she misses her family. Twelve-year-old Vitaly (ph) is used to traveling. But he's never been away from his parents for this long. Sometimes the coaches find the children, especially the girls, crying because they miss their mothers.
"They lack affection," Coach Iryna tells us. "We give them affection, warmth and they give it to us probably even more. In the evening, they don't let us go and ask to hug and kiss us."
This single mother doesn't want to talk about missing her own family, her 6-year-old daughter, who lives with her elderly grandparents. It's too upsetting, she says. She can't abandon her team and traveling across a war zone with the disabled young people is just too risky.
"Every day, my heart is torn two ways, between my home and these children," she says. Istanbul's Kasimpasa sports club has opened its doors to these Ukrainians, giving them a free place to stay and hot meals every day.
The group, which has also run out of the money, has had to rely on the kindness of strangers, who send them things like clothes and fresh fruit.
The best and toughest part of the day for Mykyta is talking to his mom.
"Are you sleeping well?
"Are you eating?
"You have lost weight, my son," she tells him. "I worry about you. We hope the Ukrainian armed forces will throw the enemy out soon and you'll come back, and we will hug you."
"I want to go home so much," he tells her.
No one knows when they'll be able to go home. But they say this ordeal has turned their team into a family that will get through this together -- Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Now hockey Hall of Famer and Montreal Canadiens great Guy Lafleur has passed away. Lafleur was a five-time Stanley Cup champion and even won the National Hockey League most valuable player award, the Hart Trophy, twice.
[02:55:00]
HOLMES: Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said Lafleur, nicknamed "The Flower," for obvious reasons, was unlike anyone else on the ice and his speed, skill and scoring were hard to believe.
He was first diagnosed with lung cancer while receiving heart bypass surgery back in 2019. Doctors removed a third of his right lung then. Sadly, the cancer reappeared late last year. He was 70 years old.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Thanks for spending parts of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram. Stay with us. Breaking news coverage continues after the break.
