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Ukraine Wary of What Russia Plans in Transnistria; India's Response to Russia's War on Ukraine; Mother in Kyiv Describes Terrifying Experience; Push to Plant More Trees; Dozens Of Civilians Evacuated From Besieged Mariupol Steel Plant; Explosions Heard In Russia's Belgorod Region; Jill Biden To Travel To Romania And Slovakia On Mission To Support Ukrainian Refugees; As Beijing's COVID-19 Curbs Tighten, Hard-Hit Shanghai Sees Signs Of Life. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired May 02, 2022 - 01:00   ET

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

[01:00:33]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to viewers all around the world. I'm Paula Newton at CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, hope arrives at last for the hundreds of Ukrainian civilians trapped inside a bombed out steel plant in Mariupol.

Many have been stranded there for weeks under Russian attacks that have absolutely decimated that city. Just take a look at that video. Food and water have been running dangerously low but on Sunday, Ukraine's president announced that more than 100 people finally managed to escape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): After many weeks of negotiations, after many attempts, various meetings, calls and proposals. There was not a day that we did not try to find a solution that would save our people. Today, for the first time in all the days of the war, this vital corridor has started working for the first time there were two days of real ceasefire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now significantly, another round of evacuations is expected to begin soon, but only if that fragile ceasefire you just heard him speak of actually holds and that future is unclear, with one Ukrainian commander saying Russian forces began firing on the plant as soon as Sunday's evacuations were wrapped up.

Now to the west, a CNN team on the ground witnessed hundreds of people fleeing their homes and Russian occupied Kherson. They spotted a convoy of at least 120 vehicles making their way north to Ukrainian held territory.

Meantime, Russian shelling has been hammering towns in Eastern Ukraine. This is a drone video chose one village near the frontlines coming under heavy fire on Sunday, local officials in Donetsk and Kharkiv regions said at least seven people were killed by Russian shelling.

And Russia's Defense Ministry released this video. They say it shows a high precision missile. The same kind of weapon Russia says it used to destroy a hangar full of U.S. and European weapons at a military airfield near Odesa. Now, Ukraine said Saturday, Russian missiles knocked out a runway at Odesa's airport, but it's unclear if Russia is referring to the same attack.

Now for more on what's going on the ground there in Ukraine. Isa Soares is live for us in Lviv. And again, Isa we're waiting to hear more news about those evacuations.

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, we're expecting another day of evacuations to start this morning, of course, a glimmer of hope for the many who have been stuck inside holed up inside the Azovstal steel plant for two months or so. And we cannot overstate really, Paula, just the how dire the situation has been in Mariupol as a whole.

New satellite images coming into CNN really show almost every building at the Azovstal steel plant has been destroyed. That steel plant account for about 25 percent of the whole of Mariupol gives you a sense of the size. And in the city overall, Paula, Ukraine estimates 100,000 people are still trapped. Our Scott McLean has more now on the efforts really to get everyone out.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The nightmare is finally over for at least some of the civilians who have been trapped for more than two months under that sprawling Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol sheltering from the Russian bombs. Some of those civilians have been allowed to be evacuated. Russian state media quoting the defense ministry says that 80 were taken to Russian held territory. New video shows them arriving at a small tent camp. It looks like a few miles east of the city. There are women there are children. And there are elderly people.

Now it's not entirely clear how this evacuation took place. But President Zelenskyy said that a real ceasefire in his words, it's lasted two days so far certainly helped the cause. That is surprising though, considering that the Russians have been relentless in their bombing campaign of that facility. And even as of Friday, we're trying to storm the plant by ground.

Now, the Ukrainians have long been concerned that these civilians would be pushed against their will into Russian held territory, but in this case, it appears as if they actually did have a choice. The Russians say that anyone who wanted to go further into Ukraine was handed over to the United Nations and the Red Cross and President Zelenskyy has confirmed that 100 people are in route to Zaporizhia on Ukrainian held territory.

[01:05:04] And we're also seeing a new video released by the Azov regiment who has been leading the fighting against the Russians from that plant and it shows civilians coming out from what looks like some pretty extreme destruction using ladders to get out of these holes in the ground and then make their way onto buses.

One soldier asks about a woman's son, her baby son. She says that he just turned six months old, that means that he has spent about 1/3 of his young life trapped underground sheltering from Russian bombs.

Now Ukrainian deputy prime minister who is in been involved in the negotiations to get people out apologize for the radio silence as of late from the government, but she says that she didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the success of this operation, which by the way is ongoing.

She specifically thank the Red Cross and also the UN Secretary General who has worked relentlessly to try to broker a deal between Kyiv and Moscow.

Now if these two statements from Ukraine and Russia are true, it means that well over 100, perhaps 180 people have already gotten now but there may still be hundreds more yet to come. Ukrainians also say that there are hundreds of wounded soldiers they would also like to evacuate from the plant but their fate so far is unknown.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SOARES: Thanks to Scott McLean for that report. And of course we'll stay on top the story for you. We know that that really evacuation is resumed sometime this morning. As soon as of course we know more we'll bring that to you. But for so many of course in Mariupol the chance to escape came just came far too late.

The city's mayor says more than 20,000 residents have been killed since the war began in Mariupol, it is a staggering number. And for those burying the dead as seemingly endless and heartbreaking task as our Sara Sidner now reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No tears, no remembrances, no final goodbyes, just dust to dust and the burial is over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We bury 50 people a day, Danya says. Today, we've done to lots of 18 bodies and then another 10, 46 in total.

SINDER: Grave diggers like Danya can barely keep up the pace at the story cream cemetery in the outskirts of Mariupol. Once marked with only a number assigned the bodies have yet to be identified by family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But people come and find their loved ones and bring crosses and aboard, he says.

SIDNER: CNN is not present in the Russian occupied Donbas, but footage we obtained and satellite images showed dozens of fresh graves. Local authorities say about 600 in total, and this is not an isolated case. Images show graves have been dug in mass at two other burial grounds. This is one of them in Manush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've been bringing bodies every day for a month, Dana says. They just keep bringing more and more bit by bit.

SIDNER: Here too footage shows rows of freshly dug graves and indications bodies have been buried before being identified.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Each body is given its own grave and a coffin and a board with a number.

SIDNER: A separate a soldier who did not want to be identified says --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After they're processed the city funeral service works with the prosecutor's office to organize their burial.

SIDNER: CNN could not independently verify the claims but local authorities say the majority of those buried here and in (INAUDIBLE) were killed during Russia's assault on Mariupol.

Moscow has now seized control of most of the strategic port city, but some Ukrainian forces continue to hold ground at the Azovstal steel plant. So far the Kremlin hasn't reported an official death toll but Ukrainian officials say it's in the thousands.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By our optimistic estimation more than 20,000 people women, kids, elderly died on the streets of our city, the mayor of Mariupol says.

SIDNER: Because the death toll is bound to rise at Manush, the work continues about 100 freshly dug graves ready for the dead as war rages. Ukrainians aren't just being murdered by strangers but also buried by them. Sara Sidner, CNN, Kyiv.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SOARES: Well, at least two new explosions have rocked a Russian region near the Ukrainian border. The governor of Belgorod is confirming the blast saying there were no casualties of explosions came after the same governor reported a fire and military site on Sunday.

Video from social media shows thick smoke as you can see they're rising into the sky and a burst of flame and police were seeing redirecting traffic away from the area.

Russian military and fuel sites have caught fire in the Belgorod region before Russian officials have accused Ukraine of mounting cross border attacks but some Ukrainian officials say that's meant to stoke anti-Ukrainian sentiments, still an aide President Zelenskyy said after explosions last week that quote, Karma is a cruel thing.

[01:10:12]

Now the refugee crisis from this war is worsening by the day. The UN says almost five and a half million people have now fled Ukraine since the invasion began in late February, more than -- more than half of them are children. And that's according to UNICEF.

The vast majority of refugees continue to head west with more than 3 million crossing into Poland.

I want to bring in James Elder, Spokesperson for UNICEF joining now from Dnipro, Ukraine, and a very good morning to you, James. Thanks for taking the time to speak to us.

Let me start if I could, on the evacuations that we're seeing from Mariupol. Finally, we're getting a break through expecting evacuation to continue today. But of course, we've seen women and children coming out they've been holed up inside for two months or so. What are you hearing about these evacuations and the expectation for today, of course.

JAMES ELDER, UNICEF SPOKESMAN: The highs here look big expectations. Apocalyptic conditions in Mariupol. Every person I've spoken to that's come out of there shares the same ghastly experience of living underground of being terrified of seeing people injured children, you know, for two months now have often just been hiding and sheltering and living in kind of unimaginable circumstances and coming out in dribs and drabs. Today, we really hope to start seeing busloads of civilians coming out. That will be as you said, in Zaporizhzhia, it's about an hour and a half from where we are now hitting the road after speaking with you.

It's where UNICEF sits ready with, you know, with water, with medical supplies, with counselors, that the situation is that -- it's really important that, you know, our duty of care doesn't stop just by keeping children alive. And there's such a degree of trauma on these kids. So we want to be that first response when they get out of that hellhole.

SOARES: Yes. And was we heard from President Zelenskyy, about 100 or so people were evacuated to Zaporizhzhia. I know you have teams on the ground in Zaporizhzhia. I mean, I know if you heard a report from Scott McLean, he was saying that, you know, the youngest child, six months spent 1/3 of its life underground, give me a sense of what your teams are hearing from those people that have been evacuated from Azovstal steel plant.

ELDER: Very similar. I mean, I go back and forth to Zaporizhzhia each and every day and take any child, take, you know, Ilya who's seven or eight, I think living underground seen people come with wounds of war, right. So it's a little boy, hearing bombardment, seeing the stress at this point, the adults can no longer pretend there is not a horrendous scenario around him. So he sees that he sees people come with injuries, and lives in that shares food, knowing there is not enough food. There has not been enough food is told very clearly. There's not enough water and time and again is to hold there might be an evacuation that didn't happen.

Now has happened, he'll go to a safe house, you know, and again, we'll get medical support for him. But there are hundreds of children, whether it's in a steel plant, or Mariupol, hundreds of children, we fear in this fate, and many others are under siege in other cities, Isa, this is the frontline that keeps shifting and keeps trapping kids. And we're going to keep seeing that because of this shameless kind of indiscriminate attacks that are ongoing.

SOARES: And James, talk to us about these wounds of war for these children, because I know your teams are also offering counseling. How are you explaining what are you saying to these children in regards to what is happening?

ELDER: Yes, unfortunately, they know what's happening now. You know, I think many Ukrainian children now are -- is they're acutely aware that the world is unstable, it's unpredictable. And it can be a terrible place. This has been their experience, and that loss, that absolute loss of basic safety for a child, you know, that can have catastrophic effects on their emotional well-being on their, on their learning, their social development.

So we know that because we've experienced with children elsewhere from Yemen to Syria, and that's the lesson these children have had to endure. So for us, it's first and foremost about trained counselors. It's medical support, but then it's trained counselors, and its supporting parents a big thing UNICEF does, whether it's cash assistance, or hygiene and health kits, their mums and dads have still been that first line responder.

So UNICEF focus as well not just on the child but on parents, It could be cash responses as well try and give the parents some support, because they're the ones who as well who have dealt with incredible trauma and they're the ones we hope can be that frontline support. But at the same time UNICEF comes in with psychologists with counselors with medical help a whole range of things which is critical and heartwarming, but, but it's triage, Isa, because the bombardments continue.

[01:15:00]

SOARES: Yes, and that's exactly what I was going to ask you, James, because of course, it's wonderful to see the hundreds so civilians, mostly women and children coming out of the Azovstal steel plant, of course, but reminder to our viewers that many of these families and these children's will be displaced. And what the future holds for them.

Talk to us, James, about what UNICEF is doing in terms of finding supplies schooling housing? I know you've touched on the counseling, but you know, what's next for these families that are displaced within their own country?

ELDER: YEs, our response is very fluid and frontline, there's not really a day that goes past where UNICEF is, and packing a truck with, as I say, hygiene or school in a box or recreation kits or health kits or surgical kits, and getting it to those places most in need. Because we had such a brave Ukrainians on the ground, who have relationships with municipalities, with doctors, with volunteers, so we're able to go -- we pick up a phone, we find where the need is we pack a truck, and we go. I was doing that watching colleagues do this all of yesterday.

And it's so essential, because you know, I went to a house yesterday, three families of all descended 12 people, you know, they all had homes. Now they're living in a shared space. They need all the support we speak of. And so it's a daily basis, but it's frontline work, Isa. It's not easy.

Just last week, exactly on this day, there was a team that went to Kramatorsk, less than a mile away as they delivered life-saving supplies that horrendous missile killed kill 50 people, including another couple of children. So it's difficult. It's frontline work, but they're brave and they do it hour by hour.

SOARES: And we are incredibly grateful, James, to you and your team for all the brave work that they're doing every single day. James let's keep in touch. I know you are, you will be eating and your team will be meeting some of the people arriving in Zaporizhzhia today do keep us posted on those evacuations. Appreciated. James Elder there.

And Paula, it just goes to show you the work that still needs to be done in this country. Of course, not just obviously those are coming out of Mariupol. We know there are about 1.000 side that Zaporizhzhia steel plant 100,000 just for context for our viewers still stuck sheltering in that city, hoping and looking for a way out.

Of course evacuation corridors have been promised last week or so. But then they were broken. So a lot of work, of course, but a ray of light I think we can say that in the last few days. Paula.

NEWTON: Yes, but also a very sobering interview right there, right, Isa.

SOARES: YEs.

NEWTON: So for everyone with children, you can really think about the trauma that is happening each and every hour there in Ukraine. Isa, thanks so much and we will get back to you for the latest in Ukraine in the coming hours.

Meantime, U.S. First Lady Jill Biden is set to travel to Romania and Slovakia this week and show support for Ukrainian families. We were just talking about them, right, that were displaced by Russia's invasion. She's also expected to meet with members of the U.S. military and government officials in both countries.

That news comes as new details emerge. But the meeting between a U.S. congressional delegation and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. CNN's Matt Rivers has more from the Ukrainian capital.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): It was just about one week ago that the last senior U.S. delegation came here to Kyiv and of course, that was Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin coming here to Kyiv to meet with President Zelenskyy and some of his administration. Fast forward one week, though, to this weekend, and it was a congressional delegation led by none other than Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, both sides thanking the other for this meeting with President Zelenskyy specifically thanking the United States and Speaker Pelosi for what he called the United States continuing support. He said that the United States has become quote the leader of the support that Ukraine has been receiving in its fight against Russia.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi saying that the United States will be in this fight to the end with Ukraine. Here's a little bit of what she had to say.

NANCY PELOSI, U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: I'm very honored to be with a very distinguished Congressional delegation that has traveled here to send a clear message to the world: America stands with Ukraine. We stand with Ukraine until victory is won. And we stand with our NATO allies.

RIVERS: Speaker Pelosi, of course will play an important role in President Biden's latest request for more aid for Ukraine. It was just a few days ago that President Biden requested of Congress some $33 billion in additional support for Ukraine, some of that going toward humanitarian aid, some of that going toward the kind of heavy weaponry that Ukraine and President Zelenskyy have long been asking for.

Of course, Speaker Pelosi will play a very important role in trying to shape that into a legislative package that President Biden could ultimately sign after it passes both chambers of Congress.

We know that the congressional delegation led by Speaker Pelosi here to Kyiv and since left they are now continuing their trip in Poland where they're scared rule to meet with that country's president. Matt Rivers, CNN, Kyiv, Ukraine.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

[01:20:06]

NEWTON: Just ahead here for us we'll bring you the latest COVID numbers from China as the country races to control its current COVID- 19.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: The daily number of COVID deaths and new local cases in Shanghai declined slightly for the third consecutive day. Of course that's good news. That's according to the latest government numbers. Shanghai reported 32 deaths and more than 7,300 new local cases on Sunday. Meantime, the Chinese capital city of Beijing reported 41 new cases on Sunday. Nationwide, there were more than 7,700 new cases reported, that's according to the National Health Commission.

CNN's Anna Coren joins me now in Hong Kong, she's following us. We say it a lot, right, Anna. The numbers don't seem very large compared to what we're used to. But you made such a good point a few weeks ago when you made the point that look, if these numbers get any higher. The healthcare system is just so vulnerable throughout China.

Now, with those numbers, we did learn that perhaps Shanghai will ease restrictions on six districts. What will that mean and how many people could to defend (ph)?

[01:25:00]

ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Paula, it's not something that authorities will talk about. They described their zero COVID strategy as the magic weapon in protecting people's lives and the health of all those in China. But the reality is, as you touched on just then hundreds of thousands of people would die across the mainland, if COVID was to rip through, like we've seen in the West. So this is something that Xi Jinping, China's leader is doing everything to stop.

In Shanghai, you mentioned the easing of restrictions. This is a city, the largest city in China, 25 million people that has been locked down now for more than a month. Shanghai local government announced that they would ease restrictions in six districts, that's about 7 million people. We've spoken to some of the people in those districts who say they are still cooped up in their apartments. They are yet to be allowed out.

And once they are allowed out, they'll only be allowed to travel around their neighborhood. And then of course, if there is a positive case in their building, in their neighborhood, they go into lockdown once again. So the easing of restrictions that is a little bit misleading.

I spoke to another resident, Paula, who said that, you know, she is clearly in a state of depression now. She has been locked up for over six, seven weeks because she went into lockdown prior to the official lockdown and the small conference in her life for being able to deliver food. She said, that's the one good thing.

In the last couple of weeks, they've been able to get those food deliveries to their homes. We've spoken extensively about the food and medicine shortages that the people of Shanghai experience.

Now this is something that people in Beijing, particularly the government in Beijing is doing everything to avoid. They you don't want the sort of anger and frustration that really took, you know, was taken out on social media, which senses scrubbed out, you know, within minutes, but people in Beijing are allowed to conduct life pretty much as normal.

We are hearing though, that restaurants have been closed, schools have been closed, Universal Studios, amusement park has been closed over this Labor Day holiday, which they are in the middle of.

But as I say authorities don't want to see what happened in Shanghai happened in Beijing. So they're targeting, you know, particular residential compounds but doing everything to avoid a city wide lockdown. You mentioned those numbers. It was around 59 cases in Beijing yesterday. Today, it's only 41. So it would appear according to Chinese authorities that COVID positive cases are coming down.

NEWTON: Yes, for everyone's sake, they're certainly hope it continues to go in the right direction. Anna Coren thanks so much. Appreciate it.

Now, South Korea will mostly lift its outdoor mask mandate starting Monday but it will stay in place for rallies, concerts and sporting events with more than 50 people. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum made the announcement Friday saying the government could no longer ignore the inconveniences to its citizens.

But the country's newly elected President Yoon Seok-youl opposes the move saying it's premature. South Korea's daily case count is well below the peak from mid-March.

Cubans marked May Day would scores packing Havana's Revolution Square. CNN Correspondent Patrick Altman is in the, pardon me, did cover this event in Havana and he has more for us now.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Following a two year suspension due to the pandemic, government supporters once again took to the streets in Cuba to commemorate May Day. This is one of the largest gatherings of pro-government supporters throughout the year in Cuba, as it's called a Workers Day here is an opportunity for the government to whip up a support in Havana bring in thousands of people, hundreds of thousands according the government's own numbers to march through Havana's Revolution Square.

And once again, while their leaders look down on them, show their support for the Cuban Revolution and the Cuban government. Cuba is still being battered by the effects of the pandemic, what it's done to the tourism economy here. And as well as by the impacts of increased sanctions started by President Trump that have been continued under the Biden administration.

Some critics said that Cuba should not carry out of these mass celebrations due to the pandemic the risks still presented by the pandemic as well as the high costs and transportation and gasoline of bussing in so many people to the human capital.

But clearly the Cuban government that has been stung by criticism that has been on the defensive following unprecedented protests last July, felt that it was more important to make this show of strength in this show of support. Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

[01:29:43]

NEWTON: Our coverage of Russia's war on Ukraine resumes after a short break. India's prime minister is meeting with another leader facing pressure to ramp up support for Ukraine. We'll look at Narendra Modi's visit to Berlin.

That is straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: And a warm welcome back for our viewers all around the world. I'm Paula Newton.

Evacuations of civilians are expected to resume soon from the besieged city of Mariupol after being paused for security reasons on Sunday.

Ukraine's president says more than 100 people -- finally, 100 people including women and children, were evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant after a period of calm did allow the U.N. and the Red Cross to finally move forward with that evacuation operation. But then Sunday night, shelling resumed at the plant where it is estimated hundreds of civilians are still trapped.

Meantime, Ukraine's prosecutor general says new cases have been opened in connection with alleged war crimes by Russian forces. She says to date, there are more than 9,000 separate criminal cases and at least 15 suspects have been identified, including ten in Bucha.

Ukraine's military says Russia could use missile strikes as a provocation to accuse Kyiv of attacking a breakaway region in Moldova. Transnistria is one of several frozen conflicts in the post-Soviet world. And tensions there are high right now with mysterious explosions last week in the Russian-backed enclave.

CNN's Randi Kaye is in the capital of Moldova, where fears are growing that the war in Ukraine could spill over the border.

[01:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Moldova, we've been talking to people over what it's like living so close to Transnistria -- that is the breakaway republic that sits on the border between Moldova and Ukraine.

Transnistria claimed independence back in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. And there are five bridges that connect Moldova to Transnistria. And that is why there's so much concern. It's very unnerving for many people here for several reasons.

One is that we have these unexplained explosions recently there for which Ukraine is blaming Russia; Russia is blaming Ukraine. There's also about 1,500 Russian troops that are based in Transnistria.

And then you have this Russian commander, who recently said that Russia would like to control all of southern Ukraine, which could allow it to create this land corridor, which would stretch all the way to Transnistria and could possibly allow the Russians to push into Moldova and beyond into eastern Europe. So we spoke to some Moldovans today. Some told us that they are willing to stay here and fight. They would stay with their family. They would protect their home. They would protect their property in case there is a Russian invasion.

We also spoke to some who said that they would flee. They have their bags packed and they are ready to go if something were to happen.

We also spoke to a former Moldovan ambassador to the United States. He told us that he too, is concerned about this possibility of a Russian invasion. He said that Russia is not doing very well in Ukraine and that Putin may want to show that he can be victorious here in Moldova. This is what else he had to say.

How concerned do you think Moldovans should be about a Russian invasion?

IGOR MUNTEANU, FORMER MOLDOVAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: A Russian invasion may occur depending on the plans of the Russian military commandant. And since they're not winning too much in Donbas, they would like to have a short victory to be presented to the public in Russia. To say that our president has finally accomplished a historical task.

And probably they see -- they may see Moldova (INAUDIBLE) as a victory. So I'm concerned as many citizens of Moldova are concerned. But we believe that we can survive if the government would take seriously the threats.

And we'll better coordinate with our strategical partners.

KAYE: The former ambassador also told us that this he military force of about 1,500 troops in Transnistria could grow quite dramatically, he said. He said they already starting recruitment and he could see it getting to about 50,000 troops and beyond.

And it's also important to note that Moldova is not a member of NATO. It is not a member of the European Union. It does consider itself a neutral country.

Randi Kaye, reporting for CNN in Chisinau, Moldova.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and one thing they have in common, they are both facing pressure to ramp up support for Ukraine.

Now for more on this, we want to bring in CNN's Vedika Sud in New Delhi. Thanks for keeping on top of this story for us and in India, in particular, we discussed it before, is under pressure. Given their stated neutrality towards what the Kremlin has been doing.

So where does Germany come in here? I know they've been trying to use the so-called G7 diplomacy to move this issue forward.

VEDIKA SUD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The presidency of G7 lies with Germany as of now, Paula. It's very import to see this in the perspective of ties the two countries share. Now both of them share a very bilateral relationship and over the years, it's only grown stronger. Even India, ahead of Prime Minister's Modi's visit has called this an opportunity to deepen strategic partnerships and strategic convergences.

This is something that Narendra Modi has in mind, and bears in mind while he visits Berlin. He's already there. He's meeting with the Indian diaspora and in a couple of hours, he will be meeting with the German chancellor. This will be his first foreign trip outside India this year. And he's chosen the European nations for it.

Ukraine tops the agenda of course, that's something even that India's new foreign secretary has said in a press briefing yesterday. So what we do know is that there will be talks in Ukraine. What's interesting about these two countries is they both face pressure like you mentioned.

India has faced pressure to condemn Russia's actions. It hasn't done that yet. It has condemned the Bucha killings. But it has not condemned Russia directly after U.N. It has been facing immense pressure from European nations, from America to do so but it has withstood all that pressure for now that is because of shared historic ties with Russia. And also because of his dependency on Russia for military equipment.

[01:39:49]

SUD: Just like Germany depends on Russia for its natural gases. But we've seen Germany turn a corner when it comes to sending in some equipment -- heavy artillery for Ukraine, which it has done under pressure from E.U. and NATO.

But for now, India has said that they want secession (ph) of violence in Ukraine and there should be talks through diplomacy and dialogue. That's been its stance (ph) for the last couple of weeks.

India imports about 2 to 3 percent of its oil from Russia. And it has been getting that at a discounted price for now.

So all eyes will be on those talks. There will be intergovernmental consultations, which is a dialogue mechanism between the two countries that will take place in a couple of hours from now. We'll wait and watch and see what comes from that and how they talk about depending on other countries perhaps, as far as gas and equipment, military equipment is concerned, Paula.

NEWTON: Ok. I appreciate you keeping on top of this visit as we continue to watch, his visit to Europe. Appreciate it.

Coming back, she was forced to shelter in a basement with her three small children as Russian bombs fell. The remarkable journey of a Ukrainian mother when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: Many Ukrainian women are now raising children by themselves while their men fight in the war. CNN's Anderson Cooper met up with one mother who had a terrifying experience sheltering in a Kyiv basement with her children as the city came under continual attack.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Afternoon nearly two months of talking with Olena Gnes from the basement where she has been sheltering, today we finally got to meet in person at her home.

Hey. How are you.

ELENA GNES, UKRAINIAN MOTHER: So nice to meet you.

COOPER: Her daughter, Darina (ph) is six months old. Katya is 7 and Tors (ph) 5.

[01:44:55]

GANESK: Usually, when you come to Ukrainian home, you would be treated with (INAUDIBLE) and chocolate. I'm so sorry, I didn't do this for some obvious reasons.

But we have this traditional Easter bread.

COOPER: Wow. Love this.

GNES: Yes. So you can have it with coffee, if you feel like it. Yes, for me to do the coffee, I need your help.

COOPER: Oh ok. Sure, yes. Ok.

GNES: I need you take --

COOPER: Oh, my gosh.

GNES: You know how to hold.

Right. You know how to do this.

Yes. Well done, Anderson. You're doing great.

COOPER: Now that there's only sporadic shelling in Kyiv, Olena spends her days with the kids in her apartment. Schools are still closed but Katya takes some classes online.

GNES: And then it's time to come back to the shelter for the night. I still sleep in the shelter.

COOPER: You still sleep there.

GNES: I know that I just wouldn't sleep until the morning (INAUDIBLE) I would just stay on high alert, listening to the noise.

In the shelter, I'm like, now, I close my eyes. And I can sleep.

COOPER: Olena has been documenting her family's experience in the shelter throughout the war on her YouTube channel called, "What is Ukraine?"

GNES: I am alive. This is Darina. She is sleeping.

COOPER: Providing an intimate and often emotional account of what she and her country are going through.

GNES: Someone should help us because our forces, they are not (INAUDIBLE). We believe in our army, but we need help.

COOPER: The fighting has, for now, moved further east. But the war never feels far away.

GNES: But they have done to us, what they have done in Bucha is --

KATYA: In Mariupol.

GNES: In Mariupol. It's awful and now I am ready to fight. (INAUDIBLE) In our y eyes, they have Bucha and Mariupol.

COOPER: Even children here know the names of cities where atrocities have been committed.

Olena worries about her husband Sergiy, serving in the Territorial Defense Force in Kyiv. But today, there is sunshine and time to take the kids to the playground.

How are you feeling now about the future?

GNES: The future? So the very first day of the war, I had no doubts that Ukraine will win. The question is only when and how many people will die before this happens.

COOPER: You were talking about Mariupol and Katya and Tors both started naming other cities where terrible things have happened. The extent to which your kids have absorbed what is happening is really noticeable.

GNES: I was not hiding information from them. I want them to know and to remember what has happened to Ukraine right now. Because what has happened should not be forgotten and should not be forgiven.

I want them to know why this happened. And I want them to be free people. I do not want them to be slaves. In the first weeks, I put many phone numbers on their bodies. Like, I put my phone number, my husband's phone number, my sister's phone number --

COOPER: You would actually draw it on their skin.

GNES: Yes. I just wrote this on the bodies, on the hands, (INAUDIBLE) on the hands. Like, ok, if I die, ok, if Sergiy dies. Have another phone number of my sister, of my sisters in Kyiv. So who else can take care of them? Ok, I will put like their grandmother. She's in Odessa. Maybe she will survive.

COOPER: You had to think about that?

GNES: This is what many mothers did here.

COOPER: Do you feel safe now?

GNES: No. I don't. Of course, I'm not like crying all the time anymore. I can sleep right now tonight. I can eat food, which I couldn't the beginning. But I do not feel safe right now because the sky is not closed. And this air attack can happen anytime, in any place in Ukraine.

So, there is nowhere safe in Ukraine. But of course, the fact that you came. That the American embassy looks like they're coming. It gives hope that it's becoming safer. But it's a matter of luck.

COOPER: Anderson Cooper, CNN -- Kyiv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:49:49]

NEWTON: Ukrainian families have handled so much of this adversity with so much grace. It's stunning to really see it. And a powerful moment at New York's Metropolitan Opera over the weekend.

That is Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska, who performed the title role of "Turandot", then took her curtain call draped, you see her there in the Ukrainian flag.

(MUSIC)

NEWTON: Now, she replaced famed Russian star, Anna Netrebko who was cut from the performance after she refused to publicly distance herself from Vladimir Putin after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Ok. There's more to come here including renowned chimp expert Jane Goodall and actor Rebel Wilson. They joined forces in an effort to get 1 million trees planted by the end of 2022.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NEWTON: Major dust storms in Iraq have turned the skies orange -- look at that -- limiting visibility in some places to less than 500 meters. Now, flights to Baghdad and (INAUDIBLE) airports had to be canceled.

[01:54:58]

NEWTON: Forecasters say conditions are expected to continue through today. They also say that a combination of climate change and mismanagement of land and water are to blame.

Now environmentalist and chimpanzee expert, Jane Goodall is on a mission to plant, conserve, and maintain trees. She's joined forces with actor Rebel Wilson and technology company HP in a push to get one million trees planted by the end of this year.

This clip shows the two women having a tongue-in-cheek discussion about the benefits of spending time in the forest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REBEL WILSON, ACTOR: You and I are taking a bath together in the forest today. I'm so pumped about it. I've got my shower cap. I've got some loofah first.

JANE GOODALL, CONSERVATIONIST: It's not like that. It's actually just being in the forest. Really appreciating the beauty of the trees, and the peace of the trees.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: The campaign supports the Trillion Trees Project which aims to conserve and restore and grow one trillion trees by the year 2030.

CNN spoke with Goodall about the campaign and why she believes it is critically important.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOODALL: Because I care passionately about the environment, about animals and about children. You know, actually not doing very well at the moment. We're living in very dark times.

So my main job actually for a good many years has been giving people the hope that we will lead them to take action. Although it may seem that as an individual you can't do much, if millions of individuals make ethical choices in what they buy and how they interact with the environment, then that is going to accumulatively make a big difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: HP says every purchase made through the end of June will contribute to this campaign.

And thanks so much for joining us. I'm Paula Newton. You are live from Lviv, Ukraine right after a break.

[01:56:59]

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