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Russia Intensifies Attacks In Eastern Ukraine; Sweden Officially Confirms It Will Apply For NATO Membership; North Korea Mobilizes Army To Fight Surging "Fever" Cases; Northern Countries Welcome New NATO Bids; Ukraine: Russian Forces Suffering "Significant Losses"; Shanghai Plans For Life To Return To "Normal" In June. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired May 16, 2022 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST: Hello everyone, I'm Lynda Kinkade, you're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Atlanta. Tonight, Russia retreats from parts of Ukraine, but releases a fresh onslaught on the Dondas. We'll have all the developments on the ground. Then Sweden will seek NATO membership alongside Finland, we'll be live in Stockholm on this historic step. And later, North Korea's leader mobilizes the army to fight so-called fever cases. We'll have the latest as the country battles its first reported COVID outbreak.

Mr. President, we made it. That was the message of Ukrainian troops who made a dramatic push for the Russian border near Kharkiv. They released a video after planting a stake with the colors of the Ukrainian flag, saying that we're near the border with Russia. But even as Russians retreated from the area, they are intensifying their attacks in the Donbas region.

Ukraine says Russia is focusing its efforts on seizing Severodonetsk, which is in the Luhansk region. That's the eastern most city still held by Ukraine. A regional governor says at least 10 people there have been killed in relentless new shelling. He says Russians now have the city virtually surrounded. And farther south in Mariupol, Russia says it has begun evacuating wounded Ukrainian fighters from a steel plant, taking them to a Russian-controlled part of Donetsk. CNN cannot confirm that reporting.

I want to bring in CNN's Melissa Bell who joins us live from Kyiv. Good to see you, Melissa. So one Ukrainian battalion fighting in villages on the outskirts of Kharkiv are pushing Russians back towards their side of the border, now celebrating.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And hugely symbolic moment after nearly three months of war here in Ukraine. Pushing Russian forces all the way back to the border, and something you couldn't quite have predicted even just over a week ago. It had began with a counter offensive by Ukrainian forces because Russian forces have been concentrating their fire for the south in Luhansk and Donetsk.

That has proven remarkably successful, not only taking initially some villages to the north of Kharkiv, ensuring the peace of the city after more than two months of siege and shelling. But also, they're moving eastward, to take some of the settlements there on Friday, taking no fewer than six. So, it's been very successful. What the Ukrainians now say is that Russian forces are protecting their supply lines, but essentially trying to stay put and just try and keep those supply lines from the border down to their troops further south.

Now, much of the fighting though that has taken place in Luhansk, that is where Russian forces are trying to push northwards and westwards. You mentioned the town of Severodonetsk, that has been the scene of a lot of fighting because the aim of Russian forces have been to cross the river along which it sits to try and get north of it, to try and encircle, said Ukrainian forces, their own men. That has failed spectacularly.

We've seen a number of bits of evidence, satellite footage and so on that confirmed the Ukrainian accounts of those several days of fighting unsuccessful of Russian forces. But still, the fate tonight of the 15,000 people who are believed to be still in the cellars of Severodonetsk, and fearing that it might fall to Russian forces, clearly of great concern to Ukraine.

Then there's the fate, you mentioned a moment ago of those fighters in the Azovstal Steel plant, that has become such a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, but also has a very poignant quality to it because of the age of the young fighters that are there, because of the situation in which they find themselves. Remember that, the civilians had -- managed to be removed, extradited -- exfiltrated from the plant.

But it is the fighters that remain there. There are several hundred, many of them severely wounded. Some of them -- we were hearing from one of the fighters who managed to speak to the outside world just a couple of days ago, with no more limbs, no access to pain relief, no more medical supplies, and we've been hearing from the parents of those fighters, dwindling food supplies as well. Where one of the apparent mothers told us over the weekend was that essentially these fighters -- and we're talking about 20, 21, 22-year-olds, men and women had a week of food supplies to live.

[14:05:00]

So if they didn't find some kind of solution to this, they would die. Instead, what we've heard tonight, and it's an interesting statement we've had from the Ministry of Defense, the Russian Ministry of Defense, that the extraction of some of the most wounded fighters has begun, but to towns controlled by Russia inside Donetsk.

Now, that is not the outcome that Ukrainian families were looking for. In fact, we have yet to hear from the Ukrainian side either officially from the Ukrainian government that, that has taken place, or informally from the parents and relatives of those fighters who have been so outspoken these last few days as they seek to get their loved ones out, Lynda.

KINKADE: All right staying across it all for us, from Kyiv, Melissa Bell, thanks very much. Well, Russia's war on Ukraine is pushing both Sweden and Finland into the protective arms of NATO. But just hours after Sweden announced its historic decision to seek NATO's membership, Turkey president says he will not vote to approve the new bids.

Now, the decision to admit new NATO states requires unanimous vote by all 30 members. And earlier, Sweden's prime minister said joining NATO was the best way to ensure her country's security. She says allies have offered crucial guarantees in this phase of the membership bid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAGDALENA ANDERSSON, PRIME MINISTER, SWEDEN (through translator): Sweden will be very exposed during the time our applications is being handled. Russia has said that it will undertake counter measures if we join NATO. We can't rule out that Sweden will be the subject of disinformation and attempts at scaring and dividing us. But it is also clear that Sweden does not stand alone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Nina dos Santos joins us live from Stockholm with more. And Nina, let's start on that Turkey angle, because it seems that the U.S. was confident that Turkey would eventually vote to approve the membership of these two new countries. But they've come out, they've said they're opposed to it. Just explain why?

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Recep Tayyip Erdogan; the Turkish president has just had a press conference earlier today in Ankara in which he made some very strong comments, strong point of view comments to reporters. Again reiterating this concept that Sweden in particular has offered asylum to many members of the PKK, the YPG as well. Turkish -- Kurdish separatists groups that Turkey views of course, as terror organizations.

So he said yet again, I don't think based on what I have at the moment that I know that I can sign off on this bid by Sweden to join NATO, which Sweden is set to table later on this week. As you said, there were informal meetings of NATO members in Berlin over the course of the weekend, and it sounded as though Turkey had been convinced that it might get some assurances to mollify its position on this.

But Erdogan just this afternoon has apparently come out with more strong statements on the subject. Now, this has prompted Stockholm to send a delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over to Ankara to try and engage with Turkey diplomatically. To try and find out what their concerns are and see if they can assuage any of them.

But in the meantime, this is a historic day for Sweden, because this country's government has just announced this afternoon that it's turning its back on 200 years worth of military non-alignment, saying that being part of NATO offers it a better secure future for the future. And it's planning on trying to exceed to NATO, signing the paperwork in tandem with Finland later on this week, Lynda.

KINKADE: And should that all proceed and eventually Turkey votes to approve it, the process still seems quite lengthy. Obviously, Sweden and Finland have been told that their membership could take a year. Take us through the process, considering that these are two countries that already carry out exercise drills with NATO forces.

DOS SANTOS: Yes, and it could take even longer if of course, countries like Turkey decide to try and frustrate the process. At this point as I said, it's not entirely clear exactly what Turkey would like to gain from using its diplomatic leverage on this subject, and also just how far they are actually against these countries joining NATO. But either way though, as you pointed out, this is a unanimous process, all 30 members of NATO would have to agree.

So first and foremost, the governments agree, so Sweden's government doesn't have to put it to a vote in its parliament, Finland will be putting NATO accession to a vote in its parliament tomorrow morning, and then we're going to have the Finnish president here in town in Stockholm for the next two days. That is when probably we'll see the paperwork signed off on by the leaders of government and states of these two Nordic nations.

And then, it will be sent by their ambassadors over to Brussels, the HQ of NATO in Brussels, and then the process will get in motion. There's a big meeting taking place in Madrid of NATO member states, and about a month and a half at the end of June, they'll have the opportunity to discuss the matter.

[14:10:00]

But as you pointed out, this could take up to a year in June that time, and there's a sense from the government of both Finland and also Sweden that these countries could be vulnerable to some form of perhaps, disinformation, cyber attacks, any kind of Russian retaliation. Either way though, as you said, they already have partnerships with many NATO countries and have been doing so, conducting joint exercises since 1994.

So, there will be a big rewriting of the security architecture in this part of Europe in the long run, but in the short-term, these troops already cooperate on a large scale already, Lynda?

KINKADE: Yes, exactly. All right, Nina dos Santos, we'll leave it there in Stockholm, Sweden, good to have you on the story for us, thank you. Well, the exodus of international business from Russia is ramping up. McDonald's announced it's leaving altogether after a temporary shutdown, more than 800 restaurants in the country back in March. And when the first yellow arches lit up in Moscow over 30 years ago, it was a symbol of glass, an openness with the West. Well now, that has been undone.

French car maker Renault is also departing Russia after selling its assets to the Moscow city government. Well, CNN's Anna Stewart joins us now from London to discuss these developments. Good to see you, Anna. So, we did see McDonald's say they were going to suspend its business back in March, but now it's going to leave Russia permanently.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: And this is certainly a trend that we have been seeing in March. There was a space of western companies saying they were suspending operations, closing shops, France putting pause on factory floors. And now we're seeing lots of businesses actually drawing a line under their investments and exiting for the foreseeable future.

So last week, we talked about Shell, sub German-French bank, today, McDonald's and Renault. Now, McDonald's is symbolic. Just because you saw those photos which really we're seeing around the world in 1990 when it opened just before the fall of the Soviet Union. Russians queuing for the ultimate American catalyst branded burger. And so, there is a symbolism to it closing.

And the statement from McDonald's, I think was really interesting because they said, they are selling their portfolio restaurants to a local buyer. And they said "the company intends to initiate the process of de-Arching those restaurants. Which entails no longer using the McDonald's name, the logo, the branding, the menu." And they went on to say that simply, their values as a company no longer align with that of Russia.

And as a result of this, they are taking a big charge of between $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion. And that is something we are seeing for lots of these big brands. When it was another, and Russia is a hugely important market to it, it's selling down this big steak it has in AvtoVAZ, which is the Russian carmaker that owns the Lada brand which is of course very well known.

Now, it's really interesting here because they are selling the steak, but they have a six-year buyback options, so essentially, they are leaving that options open in case they want to come back. But two huge brands drawing a line under Russia right now, they cannot operate in that country, Lynda?

KINKADE: Yes, just incredible. All right, Anna Stewart, we will check in with you again next hour, good to have you with us, thanks so much. Well, there are so many heartbreaking stories coming from Ukraine. And one that's been spreading fast on social media concerns an 18-year-old who tragically is now caring for his four younger siblings on his own. CNN's Scott McLean brings us his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Viachaslav Yalov(ph) is barely 18. But he now has a responsibility far beyond his age, raising four kids all on his own. His hometown in Donetsk has been on the frontline of conflicts since 2014. In mid-March, he and his mother left his four siblings to take shelter at a friend's while they went to get more supplies. Suddenly, two shells landed just a few steps away.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MCLEAN: Unable to find any, he went back to his mother alone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MCLEAN (on camera): How long did you stay with her?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MCLEAN (voice-over): He then had to break the news to his four younger siblings. Danilo(ph), Nikole(ph), Timur(ph) and Olivia(ph)just eight years old.

[14:15:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MCLEAN: He buried his mother in a shallow grave in a crater left behind by shelling. And quickly made plans to get his family out. Their home was already badly damaged, a friend lend him money to take a taxi to Kostyantynivka, then by train to Kramatorsk and eventually on to Lviv and Drohobych in the far southwest of Ukraine where the government put them up in a tiny one-bedroom apartment.

(on camera): Is your brother taking good care of you?

(voice-over): He says since his mom's been gone, the kids have stepped up to help with chores and dishes. He's there to help with their school work. Though he has no extended family and few friends in the city, word of his story has spread through social media, now, total strangers often stop for a hug or to offer help. He'll need plenty more of it until he can figure out how to balance childcare and work or eventually go back to school. Though nothing will come easily.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MCLEAN: Scott McLean, CNN, Drohobych, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, still to come tonight, from militant extremist to interior minister. Afghanistan's deputy Taliban leader has never before given an interview to western media or to a woman until now. We'll hear what he told CNN's Christiane Amanpour about women's rights under the Taliban, and Afghanistan's future with the U.S.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. For years, Sirajuddin Haqqani led a bloody battle against the United States and Afghanistan civilian government. Well, now, he's the Interior Minister in Kabul. But the U.S. still has a $10 million bounty on his head. He has never shown his face during an interview and he has never spoken with a western news organization, and he has never given an interview to a woman.

[14:20:00]

Well, now CNN's Christiane Amanpour sat down with Haqqani for an exclusive wide-ranging discussion about women's rights, and why after decades of fighting, he wants to make friends with the United States. And our chief international anchor Christian Amanpour joins us now from the Afghan capital. Good to have you there, Christiane. This was an extraordinary interview with the deputy leader of the Taliban.

A man, as I said, who has a U.S. bounty on his head. And he told you that he wants the Taliban to be taken seriously on the world stage.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Yes indeed, Lynda. Look, you know, Afghanistan has fallen off the world map ever since the -- you know, the fall of Kabul and certainly since so much attention has rightly been paid to the terrible war in Ukraine. But Afghan also is, you know, something that the United States has to grapple with and the rest of the world as well after that chaotic withdrawal just 9 months ago, and it is in economic freefall.

And the humanitarian catastrophe is absolutely dire and we're going to be reporting on that. There are nearly half this country according to the U.N., who are living in acute hunger situations. But especially, the Taliban has been taken to task for their increasingly harsh rules and edicts on women. Take a listen to a bit of our conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Do you believe that young girls, secondary school girls, will be allowed to go to school here in Afghanistan?

SIRAJUDDIN HAQQANI, ACTING INTERIOR MINISTER, AFGHANISTAN (through translator): I would like to provide some clarification, there is no one who opposes education for a woman, and already, girls are allowed to go to school up to grade six, and above that grade. The work is continuing on a mechanism.

You may have heard that this is not opposed at the level of leadership or the cabinet. But the issue has been postponed until further notice. In the declaration provided by the Ministry of Education, there were some shortcoming within the preparation that were ongoing. Work is ongoing on those issues. Through this interview, and news channels, I am assuring that there is no one opposed to education, only that work has started on a mechanism.

AMANPOUR: Could you tell us when you think that will happen? I know there has been a big meeting in Kandahar with your supreme leader, Mr. Akhundzada. Can you tell me whether any decisions were made over this past few days?

HAQQANI: What I am saying to you is that very soon you will hear very good news about this issue, God-willing. We will specify the time or the arrangement that has been provided by the leadership. Work is ongoing on that, and you will hear very good news soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: So, we're just going to wait and see whether that comes to bear. Certainly, most of the people here want that to happen. There were huge, you know, protests in the -- maybe, not public, but definitely, religious leaders and others protesting the suspension of girls secondary school. And this -- you know, these leaders want to be leaders for the people. So, that means also have their population women. Now, tomorrow, we'll have part two of that conversation, he did say

that he wanted better relations with the United States and the rest of the world, which don't recognize the Taliban government. They have sanctions on this government. And yet, it is in economic freefall, and many are saying, it's now a moral duty for the West to increase its working with the Taliban, while there are cut outs for humanitarian aid, and increasingly, international organizations are paying salaries for instance, hospital administrators, and doctors and nurses, and we'll show you all that tomorrow.

There is still a huge need here. It's really quite awful to watch. We'll have all that tomorrow, Lynda.

KINKADE: All right, Christiane Amanpour, an incredible interview, our thanks for you for joining us. And for our viewers, join Christiane for the second half of that interview tomorrow, 1:00 p.m. Eastern, that's 6:00 p.m. in London. Thanks so much, Christiane Amanpour in Kabul.

Well, American troops are heading back to Somalia in an effort to counter terrorist group Al-Shabaab. Around 500 troops will be redeployed after President Joe Biden approved the Pentagon plan. Now, the move reverses a decision by former President Trump to withdraw all forces from the country in 2020. Officials described that decision as abrupt and sudden, highlighting that Al-Shabaab has only grown stronger since.

[14:25:00]

Well, Northern Ireland is in a political stalemate right now, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson is trying to break it. Earlier, he met with the major parties of the Northern Ireland assembly including Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party. Now, the DUP is refusing to enter a power-sharing agreement with Sinn Fein. It's a protest against the Northern Ireland protocol. A Brexit agreement that keeps Northern Ireland within EU trade zones.

Our Bianca Nobilo is following the story and joins us now from London. So let's start Bianca with the prime minister's visit to Northern Ireland. Why is he there and how did his meeting go?

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So Boris Johnson made this trip to Belfast in an effort to try and get the Northern Ireland executive or assembly back up and running again. Because as you just mentioned, the DUP are not willing to elect a speaker, so that means that the government in Northern Ireland is not functioning because it is a power-sharing agreement, that means that there must be representatives from the nationalist parties and also the unionist parties.

So, without the DUP partaking, government cannot function. Now, this is a very difficult task for the prime minister because these parties' interests, when it comes to the Northern Ireland protocol are pretty much diametrically opposed. And just to remind our viewers what this is. So, the Northern Ireland protocol was borne out of the fact that what to do on the island of Ireland to avoid a hard border and protect the peace process became the phoniest issue of the entire Brexit deal negotiation.

And that was something that was not really discussed before the referendum. So currently, the prime minister is trying to get the DUP to agree to go back into government. But the discussions had today did not go particularly well from what we've heard. So, the alliance party, which is non-affiliated with nationalist or unionist, they said that the meetings were robust, but very frustrating.

And said that the prime minister doesn't have the support of Ireland to rip up the Northern Ireland protocol in order to plicate the DUP and Sinn Fein, now the largest party in Northern Ireland were seemingly unimpressed. So let's take a listen to what the president of Sinn Fein Mary Lou McDonald had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY LOU MCDONALD, PRESIDENT, SINN FEIN: It's very clear to us that despite all of the rhetoric from the British government about re- establishing the executive here in the North, that in fact, their priority is plicating the DUP. We have said directly to him that the proposed unilateral act of legislating at Westminster is wrong. It seems to us absolutely extraordinary that the British government would propose to legislate to break the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: And Lynda, the DUP for that part said that the idea that Britain is playing favorites or trying to plicate them is simply for the fairies. But the prime minister is definitely between a rock and a hard place because what would plicate the DUP would anger Sinn Fein and vice versa.

KINKADE: Yes, certainly, a lot of frustration on both sides. All right, we'll leave it there for now, Bianca Nobilo in London, thanks so much. Well, still to come tonight, deep underground, it may look like a sports palace, but in this cave, Finland has been preparing for war for decades. We're going to have you -- bring you this story when we come back.

Plus, Ukrainian officials say despite Russia's deadly offensive in the east, Moscow isn't getting what it wants. And it is losing much of its fighting force in the process. That story, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Hello, I'm Lynda Kinkade. Welcome back. You're watching CNN Newsroom. Denmark, Iceland, and Norway say they strongly welcome Sweden and Finland's decisions to apply for NATO membership. And, you know, thinly veiled reference to Russia. They say they will assist the two Scandinavian countries if they become victims of aggression.

But for years, the Finns have been getting ready for just that building a network of astonishing underground bunkers to protect its people in case of war. CNN's Nic Robertson gives us a rare look deep below Helsinki.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Question is when is a parking garage not a parking garage? And the answer is when it's part of a tunnel and bunker network to be used in case of war. And there's one country threatening that war, potentially. The big threat, Russia. Tomi Rask, Helsinki City Rescue Department, is going to show us around.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOMI RASK, PREPAREDNESS SPECIALIST, HELSINKI CITY RESCUE DEPARTMENT: So if we go and see that main entrance --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Twenty meters, sixty feet below ground cut into Helsinki's bedrock.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: How quickly can you put this together in case war?

RASK: Seventy-two hours.

ROBERTSON: And 6,000 people in here, how many people can you fit in shelters in the Hall of Helsinki?

RASK: Over 900,000.

ROBERTSON: So that's enough for the population plus visitors?

RASK: Yes, yes, it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: The government's been building bunkers here since the 1960's, 5,500 in Helsinki, more than 50,000 across the country. Enough for 80 percent of the country's 5.5 million population.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Deeper and deeper.

RASK: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: But the scale of it, not the only surprise. Some of it's open to the public.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: What's this?

RASK: Four-ball game.

ROBERTSON: This is a bunker with a sports hall? Oh, my goodness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Much of it, dual use to offset the costs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RASK: So this is one example of our dual purpose use for the shelf.

ROBERTSON: Dual purpose. Yes.

RASK: Yes.

ROBERTSON: Yes. So sports every day of the week, time of crisis. What happens here?

RASK: All the sporting goods stacked away. All these halls, the sheltering halls are divided by smaller sheltering rooms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: And not just sports halls, children's play areas, possibly the safest in the world. Cafes, even a swimming pool.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Just the sheltering hall.

RASK: Yes.

ROBERTSON: But with a pool?

RASK: Yes. With an Olympic-sized pool.

ROBERTSON: Olympic size? OK. Wow. Wow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: But everything here with one purpose in mind, blast doors, gas barriers, decontamination areas, even the two billion year-old bedrock more than just blast proof.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: So if there's a nuclear bomb, the rocket self absorbs the radiation, keeps everyone here safe.

RASK: Yes.

ROBERTSON: Yes.

RASK: That's the idea.

ROBERTSON: And the tunnels as well, they're curved so that they also prevent some of the blasts coming through.

[14:35:03]

RASK: Yes. They take the most of the hit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: And now it's a car park.

RASK: It's a car park.

ROBERTSON: Again?

RASK: Again.

ROBERTSON: That's quite bizarre feeling.

RASK: Yes.

ROBERTSON: One minute you're preparing for a war, the next minute you're playing hockey and now it's a car park.

RASK: Yes. Here you can see the different layers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: And before we leave, Rask shows us another shelter just begun.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Drill a hole in it, put explosives and blow it and move forward?

RASK: Yes, yes.

ROBERTSON: Thank you.

RASK: Bye.

ROBERTSON: Goodbye. Cheers. Bye. Here come the traffic. This looks like the way out. Absolutely fascinating. Intriguing. Nic Robertson, CNN, under Helsinki, Finland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: It really is intriguing, absolutely incredible.

Well, Ukrainian officials say Russia is suffering significant losses as its troops try to advance. They say Russian forces haven't been able to take much ground even in eastern Ukraine where they've intensified attacks. Ukraine's military estimates that in some areas, Russian units are less than 20 percent staffed. They claim that in one area, Russian troops are teaming up with private military companies.

But joining me now is CNN Military Analyst and Retired US Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Good to see you. Good to have you with us.

CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: GOOD to be with you, Lynda.

KINKADE: I want to start off, if we can, with the celebration we saw, a battalion of Ukrainian troops are pushing back Russians across the Russian border on the outskirts Kharkiv. And we heard earlier the NATO Chief, Jens Stoltenberg, saying that Ukraine can win this war, do you share that assessment?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think they can certainly win it if winning means that the Russian forces are forced to withdraw outside of Ukraine. In other words, if they can control the borders as they've had them since 2014, and that's defined as victory, then I think Ukraine can absolutely achieve that.

KINKADE: Russian forces have reportedly lost a third of capability, that's according to U.K.'s Defense Secretary. Unclear whether we're talking about a third of the troops or a third of military hardware, but either way, if that is true, how significant is that?

LEIGHTON: Lynda, that is very significant. Any type of armed force that loses anywhere upwards of 20 percent of its capability is basically an ineffective armed force. So these Russian military units, if this is true, are basically combat-ineffective.

And that means that any of the goals that the Russians have achieved I have said for these units are not achievable, they cannot move them forward, they cannot deploy them, they cannot use them on the front lines. They have to be augmented by other personnel, whether they are other Russian military units or Chechen fighters or some other group that comes in if they're going to achieve any of the goals they've set for themselves.

KINKADE: So what do you attribute those losses to? Why would we be seeing losses that scale?

LEIGHTON: Well, these scales are enormous. The scale of losses is absolutely enormous. And it's something that would be completely unacceptable in a Western military, i.e. when it comes to the Russian military, they are certainly used to very high attrition rates, i.e. whether they -- it'd be through accident, through, you know, moving troops around or doing other things in peacetime.

But in wartime, these kinds of losses are attributable to, I think, many different factors. But these include lack of leadership, lack of trust in subordinate commanders, and in subordinate soldiers. It's also the fact that they have not communicated very clearly their goals for this mission in Ukraine. Their war aims are something that is -- that has not really been transmitted to many of the soldiers that are fighting on the frontlines and you can't really go to war without telling the soldiers what they're fighting for. And I think the Russians have failed to do that.

So it's a leadership failure. It's also a logistical failure. It's an equipment failure. A lot of the Russian equipment, Lynda, is not serviceable after a few uses in fighting and also a few miles on the road. So the fact that these -- this equipment has failed, that the soldiers have, in essence, failed to achieve their goals, that really spells a profound difficulty for the Russian military, and it's something that they're going to have a very hard time recovering from.

[14:40:02]

KINKADE: Well, we'll have to leave it there for now, Colonel Cedric Leighton. Good to have you with us as always. Great to get your perspective. Thank you.

LEIGHTON: Thank you so much, Lynda.

KINKADE: Well, still to come tonight, a city in mourning reeling from what authorities call a racist attack. Disturbing new details emerge from Saturday's mass shooting, Buffalo. We'll bring you the latest in the investigation.

And COVID-19 in North Korea, Kim Jong-un mobilizes his army to help fight an outbreak of so-called fever cases.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. Well, this weekend's mass shooting in Buffalo, New York refocused attention on guns, race, and domestic terrorism in America. Authorities say it was a racially motivated attack. Ten people were killed, ten people going about their normal day at a supermarket in the heart of the city's black community.

But sadly, shootings like this are not a rare occurrence. There have been 201 mass shootings this year in the U.S. and it's only May. CNN's Shimon Prokupecz is following investigation on the ground in Buffalo and joins us now live. Shimon, good to have you with us.

So police are going through this racist rant written by this 18-year- old suspect. And it seems to suggest that he was inspired by this so- called White replacement conspiracy.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, along with other white supremacist kind of thinking and racist thinking and hatred, police say they've been going through this document, which has really been providing them a lot of information about how he allegedly went about in conducting this horrific, horrific attack.

It also -- a lot of it's the way he was thinking, a lot of his thinking. And some of the information that it contains is certainly very disturbing. They also say that in these documents, they're learning about the weapons that he used and how he got his hands on those weapons and what he did with the -- specifically with the weapon that he allegedly used in this shooting. The governor has said that it was modified, adjusted illegally so that it could hold more bullets that they also believe the alleged shooter purchased magazines, high capacity magazines, which are illegal in New York State.

[14:45:00]

So, all of that is part of the evidence that they've been gathering. The Department of Justice, the FBI also part of this investigation because the alleged shooter is now facing potentially federal hate crimes charges. And because people died during the commission of that crime, he's also going to potentially pay -- face the death penalty. That's going to be something that the attorney general is going to have to decide.

But for this community, it has just been so tough. Many of them have been out here visiting today, leaving flowers, lots of prayers all around as they get ready for the President, President Joe Biden and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden to visit here tomorrow.

KINKADE: And Shimon, as I mentioned earlier, this is far from the first massacre this year in the U.S. CNN has gone through the data, finding out 201 mass shootings have happened so far this year, and it's only May.

Clearly access to guns as a problem. This 18-year-old suspect can't go to a pub in the United States, but seemingly could get access to weapons.

PROKUPECZ: Right. Yes, and that is something that, you know, political leaders and law enforcement leaders have been saying for quite some time now that it's just too easy for people to get their hands on guns.

Look, in this situation all legally purchased. There's nothing so far to indicate that these weapons were obtained in any illegal way. Right? And then the other problem is you have in this country, you know, law enforcement officials say it's because there are a lot of illegal guns on the street as well, you know.

This is -- yes, there have been several mass shootings. This one is particularly different than the other ones because this was all driven by hate. You know, this is why the FBI is investigating. This is why they say this was driven by someone who was radicalized. And, yes, the concern is that someone so young was able to get his hands on these weapons legally.

KINKADE: Yes, and drive 3 1/2 hours to that supermarket. Shimon Prokupecz has for us in Buffalo, New York. Thanks very much.

Well, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is mobilizing his country's army to help fight an outbreak of so-called fever cases. The country's in the midst of its first reported COVID outbreak. Here's CNN's Paula Hancocks from the South African -- South Korean capital of Seoul.

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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kim Jong-un has called the COVID outbreak in his country a great turmoil, clearly recognizing just how dangerous this kind of outbreak could be to a country that, as far as we know, is completely unvaccinated and also has a healthcare which is fragile and dilapidated at best.

Now, the figures we are hearing are from North Korea itself, of course. So we have no way of independently confirming them. What we've heard from state-run media is that around 1.2 million people have been confirmed as what they call fever cases. They say also there have been 50 deaths. But of course, we cannot verify that. In fact, North Korea itself is going to find it extremely difficult to know just how widespread this outbreak is. Experts say that that is probably a fraction of the actual cases considering how low the testing is within the country.

Now the latest figures we have are from up until March 31st. So, from the beginning of the pandemic to the end of March, they believe that there were some 64,000 people that have been tested within that time. And that's out of a population of 25 million. So it is highly likely that Pyongyang itself does not have a proper grip on just how widespread this issue is.

There have been emergency meetings over the weekend. According to state-run media, Kim Jong-un blaming the cabinet for not doing more, blaming the healthcare sector, saying that the pharmacies are not well-stocked. He's ordered the military to get involved, to try and move what he says medicine into these pharmacies so that people can access this medicine. He was also photographed touring some of these pharmacies.

But at this point, it really is very difficult to see where we would get accurate information as to how widespread this is. Now the W.H.O., the World Health Organization, has said it is ready to assist in any way necessary. South Korea has also offered vaccines, masks, and testing kits, but there has been no response from North Korea at this point. It is unclear whether North Korea will be willing to accept outside aid.

But as I say, as far as we know, North Korea is one of just two countries around the world, including Eritrea, which has no vaccine program. So it's believed that not a single person within the country, as far as we know, has been vaccinated. Paula Hancocks, CNN Seoul.

KINKADE: We're staying with COVID and China is planning for life to return to normal in Shanghai next month. Officials say businesses will gradually begin reopening with supermarkets and pharmacies from today.

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Shanghai, which is home to 25 million people, has been under strict lockdown for seven weeks as authorities battle the city's largest ever COVID outbreak. We are going to take a short break. We'll be right back. Stay with us. You're watching CNN.

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KINKADE: Welcome back. We're going to return to one of our top stories. Turkey's president casting doubt on whether he will support Swedish and Finland entry into NATO. Jomana Karadsheh is following the story and joins us now from Istanbul.

So, Jomana, in order to approve their application to join NATO, all 30 members of NATO have to agree to it. But Turkey's leader says he's not going to support it. Just explain why.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lynda, just a short time ago, we heard from the Turkish president yet again after his initial remarks on Friday saying that he doesn't look favorably on Sweden and Finland joining NATO because what he said was their support for terrorist organizations, referring to basically mainly hear talking about the Kurdish separatist militant groups.

Now, a short time ago in a press conference, the Turkish president is saying that Turkey cannot approve Sweden and Finland, countries that have imposed sanctions on Turkey to be members of NATO. What he's referring to here was an arms embargo restrictions on Turkey's defense industry that were put in place back in 2019 by those two countries, when -- and others at that time when Turkey went ahead with that military incursion into northeastern Syria.

So he's basically repeating what we have heard from Turkish officials saying that, look, they're saying -- we've heard this from some of his top advisors, from his foreign minister, that they're not closing the door to these countries joining, but they have a list of issues that they want dealt with, that they want security guarantees from Sweden and Finland when it comes to what they say is their support for these Kurdish militant groups.

President Erdogan again, repeating those accusations, saying that Sweden is a nest for these terrorist groups, the PKK, that separatist Kurdish group that has -- that was designated a terrorist group by the United States.

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The E.U. and Turkey and, you know, saying that these countries allow sympathizers and members of the PKK and supporters to speak in their parliaments to have activities in these countries. And this is happening at the same time, Lynda. We're hearing this really tough rhetoric from President Erdogan at the same time as we're hearing from officials that two high level delegations from Finland and Sweden are expected in Turkey this week to meet with officials in Ankara to try and address their concerns.

And this is also coming at the same time, as we've heard, from the NATO Secretary General over the weekend and the U.S. Secretary of State sounding very confident that they can address turkeys issues and that they don't expect that it's going to block the membership of these countries.

But, you know, a number of analysts here and Turkey experts believe that this is not just really about Finland and Sweden and their membership. This is about Turkey really taking this moment to assert itself as a key NATO member that should have a seat at the table when decisions like this are being discussed and are being made and that it shouldn't be taken for granted, Lynda.

KINKADE: Yes. We will continue to follow this closely. Jomana Karadsheh in Istanbul, Turkey. Good to have you on the story for us. Thanks so much for that update.

And thanks so much for watching tonight. I'm Lynda Kincade. Stay with CNN. I'll be back with "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" in just a moment.

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