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Intense Fighting In The Donbas Region Of Ukraine As Russia Closes In On The Key City Of Severodonetsk; First Funeral Services For Victims Of Uvalde School Massacre Take Place; French Officials Blame Fake Tickets For The Chaos Of Saturday's Champions League Final; Luhansk Official: Russian Forces Have Entered Severodonetsk; 70,000+ People Attend Controversial Flag March; French Sports Ministry Blames Fake Tickets For Chaos. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired May 30, 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, HOST, CNN NEWSROOM: Hello everyone, I'm Lynda Kinkade, you're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Atlanta. Tonight, intense fighting in the Donbas region of Ukraine as Russia closes in on the key city of Severodonetsk. I'll speak to a top adviser to Ukraine's defense minister.

Then the first funeral services get underway in Texas when 19 children and 2 adults were killed in last week's mass shooting. And later, French officials blame fake tickets for the chaos of Saturday's Champions League final. We'll have all the reaction. Street by street, Russian forces are pushing closer to the heart of a pivotal city in eastern Ukraine. Fierce fighting is underway in Severodonetsk.

And Ukraine says Russians are now advancing into the center of the city. If it falls, all of Luhansk would effectively be under Russian control. While the Ukraine is losing ground in the Donbas, it says it's waging a counter offensive in the southern Kherson region. The Ukrainian military released this video, saying it's pushed back Russian forces in several areas. CNN has not independently geo-located this footage.

Over the weekend, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toured the destruction in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv today, he is virtually addressing a European summit in Brussels, appealing for more aid. Ukraine is also asking the United States for long-range artillery. It says victory against Russia is unlikely if the U.S. does not send multiple-launch rocket systems. Today, President Joe Biden said the U.S. won't send rockets to Ukraine that could reach Russia.

Leaving open the possibility he steal may send rocket systems, just not the longest-range rockets themselves. Well, I want to bring in CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, he joins us live from Kyiv. And Nick, good to have you with us. So Ukrainian officials say the Russians are advancing into that key city of Severodonetsk. Just explain for us why this is such a key city, and what it would mean if Russia takes control. NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: It's important

to point out that Severodonetsk is not a particularly big city. And it's also twinned on the other side of a river with another city called Lysychansk that we were in just yesterday. Combine themselves, they remain kind of the remaining part of the Luhansk region which Russia doesn't control. The remaining large population centers I should say.

And for Vladimir Putin, taking the Luhansk region entirely and the Donetsk one that neighbors it was kind of his revised invasion goals after the disastrous first months that he faced. Now, the fighting in Severodonetsk is clearly intense. Intense shelling -- we've heard now for a number of days of Russian advances inside that city.

I spoke to some Ukrainian troops yesterday who had emerged from the fight there two days ago now, and they said it was entirely surrounded, but there's increasing evidence the Russians are pushing into its center itself. That fighting is intense, and it's also spreading in terms of the shelling to Lysychansk that neighbors it as well.

If indeed, Russia does take Severodonetsk, then it's possible Lysychansk across the river may eventually also be encircled or even fall, and then you might see the Kremlin say, well, we've actually finally achieved one of our goals.

That's important psychologically because the narrative so long has been Russian incompetence and Ukrainian persistence and resistance, and we might be seeing here after the first time we really seen Russia focus its forces on one specific goal that they actually achieve something, Lynda.

KINKADE: And Nick, the President Zelenskyy visited the frontlines in the region of Kharkiv this weekend. This is the first time he's left Kyiv since this war began.

WALSH: Yes, I mean, understandably, almost for security reasons. But he visited areas which have now seen a significant reduction in Russia's ability to shell them, to exert influence upon them.

[14:05:00]

He was seen along a column of destroyed Russian armor, frankly, where possibly hundreds of Russian troops may have lost their lives in the early days of the war. And also at some of the destroyed residential areas that Kharkiv seen. It's important though, Kharkiv, as a kind of comparative success story for Ukraine because we saw ourselves how Ukrainian advances has pushed Russia back up towards its own border.

Yes, they have been Russian counter offensive, they've pushed the Ukrainians back again in one key incident, in fact, disrupting the Ukrainian bit to interrupt part of Russia's supply lines, the northeast of Kharkiv. But relatively-speaking, it's a good news story because that second largest city is now breathing a bit more easily. Intermittent strikes there still certainly, but the broader danger reduced and Russia pushed further away. He was also though very keen, President Zelenskyy, to show himself

with his hands in the weeds, so-to-speak. Personally, it seems involving himself in the dismissal of the regional security chief of Kharkiv, a man who he said in the early days of the war pursued his own interests and not those of Ukraine.

So clearly, wanting to show his ability to get involved in the details of how places around and associate himself at a time frankly, where the news is not good for Ukraine on the battlefield with the longer- term success story that Kharkiv is proving to be, Lynda.

KINKADE: Yes, no doubt, good for troop morale, seeing the president out amongst them. Our Nick Paton Walsh for us in Kyiv, good to have you with us, thank you. Well, the Kremlin is blaming Ukraine for a car-bombing in the Russian-controlled city of Melitopol today. Russian state media says the car was parked near the House of Culture where Russian occupiers are now running city affairs. Three people were reportedly injured.

Today, CNN's Melissa Bell spoke with the Melitopol's Ukrainian mayor in exile. He was held by the Russians for several days back in March.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR IVAN FEDOROV, MELITOPOL, UKRAINE: They can kidnap, they can kill, they can make some (INAUDIBLE), but we can't give support because our citizens don't want to live in Russia. I know it, Melitopol will return to Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, Russian forces are continuing to shell towns and villages in the Mykolaiv region. CNN Sara Sidner spoke with some of the residents there including one woman who says her husband was killed by Russian soldiers. We need to warn you, some of the images in Sara's report may be disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A Ukrainian army drone gives you a look at the battle on the front line in the Mykolaiv district. Here, the battle is in the rural farmland of Ukraine. The villages nearby have taken the brunt of the Russian attack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SIDNER: In a nearby village, a blast that shakes a building apart. It's not just any building, it's a school. Russian gas masks and children's books covered in broken glass, left to rot.

(on camera): Can you tell me what has been happening here? Have you been going through shelling all today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They're bombing every day. Every day. In the morning and at night.

SIDNER (voice-over): Anatoly says his neighbor was killed by a strike in his home just a day ago. But he is staying.

(on camera): Are you afraid?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got used to it. It's a bit scary, though.

SIDNER: Tatiana Bozko lives in another village in the same district before the Russians invaded, she and her husband Sergei(ph)lived a quiet country life.

"He was very kind, he was very cheerful", she says. "He didn't do any harm to anyone in the village. He was only hated by Russian sympathizers." Bozko says her husband was hunted down by Russian soldiers and taken from her for days until villagers found him. The hand was sticking out,

"The men saw it. He was beaten up, it was so scary", she says. The pose was terrible, arms and legs twisted. The pictures of her husband's dead body show signs of torture, his hands mangled, bruises on his side, cuts and what appears to be bullet wounds.

This is just one of the many atrocities soldiers on the frontlines say they're fighting to stop. They're not just fighting over borderlines, they are fighting for the survival of their people. Sara Sidner, CNN, Mykolaiv District, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: We are expecting an update from the EU any moment now about a potential new sanctions package on Russia. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, may also discuss Ukraine's application to join the EU following an extraordinary summit in Brussels today.

[14:10:00]

Ukraine's president made the bid to join the EU just days after Russia's invasion in February. Well, Clare Sebastian is joining us now for more on all of this. And obviously, ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, Europe has tried to look for ways to reduce its reliance on Russian energy. And today, a compromise of sorts, a partial oil ban. Just take us through the details

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Lynda, so this six package of sanctions which includes a phased in ban on Russian oil was proposed about a month ago by Ursula von der Leyen; EU Commission president. It doesn't look like they're going to get everything they wanted in that initial proposal. It looks like it will have to be watered down because in the weeks that followed, we've had significant opposition from a number of countries.

But the most prominent of which has been Hungary, and they continued to voice opposition today. A couple of proposals on the table according to an EU official that spoke to us after an EU ambassadors meeting that proceeded this leaders summit, including exemptions, temporary exemptions for certain countries, probably including Hungary. And also perhaps only banning Russian sea-borne oil, exempting pipeline oil, which is about a third of the EU's imports of oil from Russia.

So those are all things that are on the table, but the pressure is mounting on the EU and not least from the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who addressed the meeting via a video link. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE (through translator): I'm very grateful for those who are trying to advance the sixth sanction package. But unfortunately, for some reason, it's still not in place. And for some reason, you are dependent on the Russian pressure. And it should be the opposite. Russia should depend on you. Why is Russia still able to earn $1 billion per day selling oil?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: Well, the reason why, Lynda, is because this is a challenge that involves the EU essentially ripping up an energy map that has taken decades to put in place, and bringing in something new in a matter of -- in a matter of months. This is why it's proving extremely difficult, but the overarching sense that we're getting from EU officials today is of the need to try to maintain the face at least of unity.

You know, it's a sort of counter, this is another way that they need to sort of counter Russian aggression here. So, that is what they're trying to do even if it means watering down the original proposal.

KINKADE: Yes, it certainly have -- every single country has its own challenges. And from tomorrow, some countries in Europe will have its Russian gas turned off because they refuse to pay in rubles. Which countries are those? What sort of impact will it have? And also, talk to us about any other country moving in the opposite direction, signing a new deal for Russian gas

SEBASTIAN: Yes, so, well, EU leaders debate an oil embargo -- there's a lot happening on the gas market, Lynda, the two countries in question are the Netherlands and Denmark. Gazprom has now confirmed that it will stop gas supplies to the Netherlands. We heard earlier today from the Netherlands, energy company, Gastar(ph), which said it had refused Russia's demand to pay for gas in rubles. And as such, they expected the gas to be cut off.

The same thing from Danish company Austed(ph) which says they are also refusing to pay for gas in rubles, and they expect that their gas will be cut off from Tuesday. We haven't heard directly from Gazprom on that. This we saw coming, we knew the payment deadlines were coming up, and that not all countries would comply with this. The EU still says that it could be a breach of sanctions. Meanwhile though, as you say, Lynda, we've got Serbia, not an EU member, it's an EU-candidate country saying that they are getting ready to sign a new three-year gas deal with Russia. This is, you know, something that certainly, perhaps could get in the

way of their ongoing EU membership. They've been a candidate country for about a decade, but they are saying that this is advantageous to them that these are some of the cheapest prices in Europe. And really sort of setting out their store politically by doing this.

KINKADE: Yes, unbelievable. All right, Clare Sebastian for us, good to have you with us from London. Thank you.

Well, as Russian forces advance into the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, there are fears the entire Luhansk region could fall into Russian hands. I want to speak to someone front and center of Ukraine's defense strategy. Yuri Sack is a top adviser to Ukraine's defense minister who is in the west of Ukraine right now. Thanks so much for joining us.

YURIY SAK, ADVISER TO UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: Thank you for inviting me.

KINKADE: So you know more about what's happening on the battlefield than most. Can you talk to us about the battle for Severodonetsk, it seems to be the epicenter of the fighting in the Donbas region right now. The last major Ukrainian stronghold. Does Russia have the upper hand here? .

SAK: Well, we battle for Severodonetsk. As a battle for the Luhansk region in general in the east of Ukraine. It's something that we have been saying about for a long time. So, this battle for Donbas, it began over 3 weeks ago, and of course, against the background of Russia's inability to achieve any significant major military success prior to that.

[14:15:00]

You know, Ukrainian armed forces have been able to throw back Russians from the Kyiv and Kyiv region, from cities like Chernihiv. Most recently, Ukrainian armed forces have had success in and around the second largest city of Ukraine, Kharkiv. So of course, being unable to do anything in those parts and achieve their military goals, Russians have thrown everything they have on Donbas.

And at the moment, the fighting there is very severe and intense. Our President, Mr. Zelenskyy, said some days ago, on Sunday, the casualties that Ukrainian army is sustaining reach up to 100 soldiers and 400 wounded, and these are staggering figures, of course. And they cannot be explained, but what we can say with certainty is that Russians are using every single type of heavy weaponry they have to gain the upper hand, like you said.

They are throwing countless air bombs, they are throwing missiles, they are shelling those parts of eastern Ukraine with heavy artillery. They are hitting of course, civilian residential areas, they're killing civilian people. So, this is a very intense fight. And this is why Ukraine has been requesting for a long time now, Ukraine has been requesting more military support in the form of heavy weaponry. Because at the moment, there is a very obvious imbalance when it comes to heavy weaponry in the east.

KINKADE: And I want to ask you a little bit more about the weaponry, because the U.S. says it won't supply Ukraine with the long range rockets, because it fears it could escalate the war if Ukraine can fire into Russia. Do you agree with that assessment? Is that the risk?

SAK: Well, look, first of all, I would like to thank on behalf of Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, on behalf of Ukrainian people, I would like to thank the American people, the American administration for their support that we have been receiving from the very beginning of this aggression against Ukraine.

We already received a lot of support, and for example the 155 millimeter cannons, the M-777 are already successfully used on the battlefield, and of course, they're a great help to the Ukrainian army. As for the current stage of this war, of course, we have said many times that we need their multi-launch rocket system, the so- called Polonez, and we are very hopeful that in the nearest future, our partners including the U.S. will begin supplying them to Ukraine.

And I can assure you that Ukraine has no intention to use them other than for defense of our territories, and for the de-occupation of our territories. We are a peaceful nation. We have not waged any war against any of our neighbors in centuries. So, from this perspective, the only reason for which we need the MRLS systems as well as other types of fire. The weaponry is of course to defend our land, to liberate our cities, to protect our citizens and to protect the future of Europe.

KINKADE: And speaking of resistance, there was a car bomb detonated in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine. Talk to us about the resistance because a former mayor there said the ground will burn until Russians leave. Should Russia be concerned about this resistance in cities that they occupy?

SAK: We have seen from the very first days of this temporary occupation of the southern cities of Ukraine, such as Kherson, such as Melitopol, we have seen that the Ukrainian people who are natives there, the local populations, they are resisting very fiercely the occupation. They do not want to live under Russia, and they are convinced just as we are, that sooner or later, Ukraine will -- Ukraine army will liberate those cities.

And of course, they're putting up resistance, and it was only yesterday that the people of Melitopol, their civilians held a peaceful demonstration in the center of Melitopol, and they were protesting against the occupiers, against the aggression.

[14:20:00]

Because everybody saw what the Russian army stands for. This is a genocidal army of war criminals who continue to terrorize our land, to terrorize our country, as well as the rest of Europe and the rest of the world. So it is very logical that there is resistance in those parts of Ukraine. And we are convinced that we will liberate them and, you know, peace will be returned to those parts of Ukraine as well. KINKADE: Yuriy Sak; a top adviser to Ukraine's military defense. We

appreciate your time, thanks so much for joining us.

SAK: Thank you so much for inviting me.

KINKADE: Well, still to come tonight, memorials grow as funeral services begin in Uvalde, Texas, for some of the youngest victims of last week's school shooting. We'll take you there for the latest on how the towns people are coping.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Well, the first funeral services are underway in the shattered town of Uvalde, Texas, six days after the school shooting there killed 19 children and 2 teachers. Services are underway right now for 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza and a ceremony for 10-year-old Maite Yuliana Rodriguez is planned for the coming hours.

And it comes a day after U.S. President Joe Biden and his wife Jill visited Uvalde. The first lady touched the pictures of some of the victims as they walked through a memorial at the school. And after the visit, the president vowed to press for gun reform.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Folks who were victimized, their families, they spent three hours and 40 minutes there. They waited all the time and some came two hours early. And the pain is palpable. And I think a lot of it is unnecessary. So, I'm going to continue to push and we'll see how this works.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, CNN's Adrienne Broaddus who is in Uvalde for us now. And Adrienne, we're learning that the funeral homes in that town are so overwhelmed that some of the burials could take weeks. But today, the first funerals for two young students who are just ten years old.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, those services do start today. And today is also a day of remembrance, as these families come to grips with their new reality, life without the children they loved.

[14:25:00]

One mother described her daughter as her best friend and her heart- beat. And it's really the rhythm of this community that is propelling these families forward, as visitation for some is underway right now. And I want to begin with Amerie Jo Garza, her father says she had a heart of gold and she always tried to protect her younger brother. He also learned his daughter died trying to save the life of her classmates by dialing 9-1-1 with a cellphone she got just two weeks ago for her birthday.

Her family also says their little girl was sweet, sassy, and they called her a little diva who hated to wear dresses. Yet, in the photo that's paired with her obituary, she's wearing a beautiful violet dress. She loved eating at Chick-fil-A, it's a fast-food joint here in the states. And her favorite drink was from Starbucks. She liked the vanilla bean frappuccino, and so did her friend, Maite Rodriguez. Maite -- excuse me, it's important we get their names right.

Maite knew what she wanted to be before she could even pronounce. Her cousin just told me moments ago, when she grew up, she wanted to be a marine biologist. And her mother tells us, her daughter was competitive especially in physical education. She already knew where she wanted to go to school. Her favorite color was green, and she liked jalapeno.

Her cousin who stopped by our tent and asked if we were with the news and said she wanted to share some things about her cousin, said COVID was a tough time for the 10-year-old, that she was failing some of her classes, but she was determined to turn things around. And the day of this shooting, she was named an honor roll student on the A and B on a roll. Back to you.

KINKADE: Yes, our thoughts are with their families and friends today. Adrienne Broaddus, thank you so much for joining us. The U.S. Department of Justice says it will review how law enforcement responded to last week's massacre. Officials say while the shooter was inside and joining classrooms, 19 law enforcement officers stood outside in the hallway for roughly 15 minutes, waiting for door keys and tactical equipment.

This as children trapped near the gunman called emergency services, begging for help. And even as Uvalde and all of America try to cope with the shock of the tragedy in cities and towns across the country. The gunfire keeps coming. This is where some of the reported gun violence broke out this weekend, and that's not to mention a panic in New York that turned out to be a false alarm. CNN's Nadia Romero reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADIA ROMERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Americans on edge once again. Early Sunday at the Barclays Center in New York City, people running for their lives. Police say they mistook a loud noise for gunfire after a boxing match. One person writing on Twitter, "scary moment as crowds poured back into Barclays Center. My fear was a shooting, but those fears proved unfounded."

And another person adding, "huge stampede near the exit, literally had to jump on the floor for cover." Tennis star, Naomi Osaka was there. She said on Twitter that she was also petrified, following the commotion. Eighteen people reported minor injuries. Panic also in Tennessee.

MAYOR TIM KELLY, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE: And I was heartbroken for the families and victims whose lives were upended last night by gunfire.

ROMERO: On Saturday night, large groups of teams and young adults exchanged gunfire in downtown Chattanooga, according to police. CELESTE MURPHY, POLICE CHIEF, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE: Two individuals

from one group started firing upon the other group. And it's believed that there wasn't one intended target at least in that other group and all the other victims that were shot were unintended.

ROMERO: Investigators said six people were shot, two have life- threatening injuries. Patrick Hickey, an Uber and Lyft driver was near the shooting and rushed to help the victims.

PATRICK HICKEY, UBER-LYFT DRIVER: One of the victims was about 15 feet away from my car, I grabbed a shirt out of my trunk and started to put pressure on that victim, and somebody said there were two more victims just around the corner, one of them with a head-shot wound. There were young kids and teenagers running, some of them tripping on the ground, not knowing if they would hit themselves.

KELLY: If you know your kid have access to a firearm, you must intervene before someone, perhaps even your own child, ends up dead.

ROMERO: Investigators don't believe the shooting was gang-related. So far, no suspect is in custody. In Taft, Oklahoma, investigators say an argument, an outdoor Memorial Day festival led to another mass shooting early Sunday. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations said a 39-year-old woman died and 7 other people were wounded. The injured range from 9 to 56 years old, none have life-threatening injuries according to the agency.

[14:30:00]

In Henderson, Nevada, a shooting on an interstate in broad daylight left at least seven people injured. Two of them in critical condition according to the Henderson police. Investigators say the shooter is still at large.

KINKADE: Still to come tonight. More from Ukraine including harrowing accounts from the town of Bucha where there are widespread allegations of war crimes. We hear from residents who are now identifying Russian troops they say are responsible.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. Lynda Kinkade. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

A reminder of the developments from Ukraine and the advancement of Russian forces on a critical city in the country's east. Russian troops have now entered Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region. If it falls, Moscow would largely be able to take control the entire area.

But the Ukrainian official insists that Ukraine is fighting back and is still in control. As this war approaches 100 Days, new claims are emerging about the full extent of its horrors. Take a look at this, some of the damage in the town of Bucha, a town on the outskirts of Kyiv at the center of war crime allegations where now residents are identifying some of the Russian troops they say are responsible. Melissa Bell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Russian tanks entering the village of Lypivka in late February, now in charge here of life and of death. Six weeks later, now back in control of the village, Ukrainian authorities begin counting the dead. "I can't look," says one mother.

[14:35:03]

It was only after the tanks had withdrawn that Ukrainian prosecutors were able to start piecing together what had happened. They now suspect these men have crimes in violation of the rules and customs of war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSLAN KRAVCHENKO (through translator): On this street, nine soldiers of the 64th Brigade imprisoned unarmed civilians, they detained and tortured them for 10 days, inflicting bodily harm and carried out mock executions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: We wanted to see for ourselves where some of these alleged crimes might have been committed. Going door to door with pictures of the soldiers, we meet Andre, who recognizes one of them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: Is it locked?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: He leads us down to a cellar where he says Russian soldiers tried to kill a group of men and women who'd been hiding. "They use grenades and rifles," he says, but the civilians managed to survive by heading further into the darkness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: This is the scene of just one of the alleged crimes of the men of the 64th Brigade. It is littered with cigarettes and bullet casings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: Back in Lypivka, we show Mikulas Nacc, a local resident, a picture of Commander Vasil Litvinenko. He recognizes him immediately, and invites us into what's left of his home. He and his family hid in the woods, he says, while his home was destroyed by the Russian artillery that killed his neighbor. When he tried to come back, he says the commander seemed surprised. He said, "What are you doing here? You should have been burnt alive." Mikulas still doesn't know why he decided to let him live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) IRYNA VENEDIKTOVA, UKRAINE PROSECUTOR GENERAL: Raping of people,

torturing of people, for what? Because they wanted to scare civilians, scare our citizens of towns, villages, cities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: After withdrawing from the Bucha area, that brigades men were promoted by Moscow. The Kremlin denies any involvement in the mass killings.

The 64th brigade was created after the Georgian war according to Ukrainian intelligence. "The soldiers of this brigade," he says "Were noted for their robberies and rapes. But instead of bringing order to the brigade, the Russian command armed it," he explains "With modern weapons and sent it into Ukraine."

Beyond working out exactly what the Russian soldiers who occupied this area north of Kyiv might have been responsible for, the big question for Ukrainian Prosecutors now is where they are. Melissa Bell, CNN, Kyiv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, as the world watches the war in Ukraine, there's also increasing attention focused on the Middle East after a controversial march on Sunday. Israeli police say more than 70,000 people turned out for the annual Jerusalem Day event. It drew protests from Palestinians and clashes erupted leaving scores of Palestinians injured scene. CNN's Hadas Gold brings us this story from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Condemnations and calls to outlaw two extremist Jewish groups in Israel after violence erupted at Sunday's Jerusalem Day Flag March. More than 70,000 people took to the streets of Jerusalem to commemorate when Israel took control of East Jerusalem from Jordan during the 1967 War.

But in recent years, the March has become a magnet for far right extremists. On Sunday, violence broke out in the streets of the Old City between marchers and Palestinians, some of them chanting things like "death to Arabs," and some of them waving the flags of extremist groups like Lehava and La Familia.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett condemned what he said was a minority trying to set the area ablaze. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid saying in several tweets that such people don't deserve to carry the Israeli flag, saying instead of a day of joy, they tried to turn it into a day of hatred. Now, there are growing calls to outlaw these groups by designating them as terrorist organizations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENNY GANTZ, ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER (through translator): As defense minister, I also think the time has come to reexamine the designation of organizations like La Familia and Lehava as terror organizations. I know this issue is on the doorstep of the various security organizations, and I rely on them to carry out the examination in the cleanest and best way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLD: Israel's Public Security Minister Omer Barlev joining Gantz's calls to outlaw these groups saying they are harming Israel's security. Now the question will be whether these denunciations and calls will actually turn into real action, Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, in Nepal, authorities have recovered 20 bodies from the side of a deadly plane crash. Rescue workers say they're still searching for one last missing person and are trying to reach another body they spotted earlier. They're conducting the operation under difficult weather conditions in the heights of the Himalayas.

[14:40:02]

Authorities say the plane crashed into the rocky mountain side Sunday and that it lost contact with air control just 12 minutes into the flight.

Well, still to come tonight, Cuba is continuing to crack down on those who took part in the protests last July. Two big trials are expected to start soon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KINKADE: Welcome back. Two of Cuba's most prominent anti government activists are to be put on trial. Fellow opposition members say it could happen as soon as today. Hundreds of demonstrators have been put on trial in recent months in Cuba following last year's July 11 protests. And human rights groups say the proceedings have lacked transparency. CNN's Patrick Oppmann is following the story and joins us now live from Havana.

And Patrick, Cuba, of course has a history of prosecuting citizens who protests against the government. The two facing trial, possibly today, are among the most high profile we've seen to date.

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: : Absolutely some of the highest profile political trials that we've seen in years, we are talking about an artist named Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, and rapper who's known as Osorbo, who really led the charge against official government censorship going back some time. And the rapper that I mentioned, Osorbo, he had been locked up before the July 11 protests. But the other individual, Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, he was locked up on the first day of those protests as he went to take place -- as he went to go take a part in them.

So it is striking to see these men now go on trial, one of them facing seven years and other one of them facing ten years potentially in jail. So, very, very heavy sentences. But there's been a complete blackout here in the state run media, Lynda, about the trials. Unless you went to the area near the tribunal where they're taking place, you wouldn't know that anything is going on. The streets around the courthouse are blocked off, the independent media, the international media ourselves were not able to get access to find out what is going on.

But it is a very significant trial because previously, when these artists were arrested, you would see other artists. Students come out and stage sit-ins. This is something of a risk for the Cuban government to do because they know that in the times past before last year's widespread protests, when they tried to lock up artists, when they detained artists for protesting government censorship, that led to more unrest.

[14:45:03]

So we're just waiting to see if this will have that kind of ripple effect this time around.

KINKADE: Yes. It's certainly difficult when they're literally having a blackout. I understand several European diplomats tried to attend the trial. Can you tell us more? Were they able to get access?

OPPMANN: No, they didn't get very, very far as the international press did not either today, but, of course, diplomats here usually have the ability to kind of go where they want to in this country have a greater ability at least and we saw them today, as they tried to get past these police barricades to go in and do something that's very common in any other country in the world, go and sit in and observe a trial as it's taking place.

And they will prevent it today, as really any Cuban citizen who's not a close family member. I think it's only two family members per person on trial in these cases. So, even though this is a very high profile trial, the Cuban people are not able, at this point, to see what is going on.

KINKADE: Yes, certainly had to cover it as well. Patrick Oppmann, thank you for staying across it for us from Havana.

Well, the death toll from last weekend's flooding in northeastern Brazil keeps going up. Officials now say at least 91 people were killed following torrential downpours on Friday and Saturday, and dozens remain missing.

President Jair Bolsonaro flew over the region just a few hours ago. It's the nation's fourth major flooding event in five months and the affected areas are bracing for more heavy rain.

Well, the former guerrilla fighter and a popular social media star headed for the next round in Colombia's presidential election. Left wing Gustavo Petro will face off against business magnate Rodolfo Hernandez on June 19th.

Now the first round of voting finished Sunday with Petro winning a little more than 40 percent and Hernandez beating establishment favorite, Federico Gutierrez for second place, and that was unexpected. As our journalist Stefano Pozzebon explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Colombia took a step towards the unknown on Sunday with two political outsiders progressing to the second round of the presidential election.

The left wing candidate, Gustavo Petro, on his third bid for the presidency, won the largest share of the vote with about 40 percent of the ballots. In the second round, which is set for June 19, he will face off against the 77-year old populist entrepreneur, Rodolfo Hernandez, who won about 28 percent of the votes.

While Petro is a veteran of left wing politics in Colombia, he has run for the presidency before and if elected, he would be the first progressive president in this country's recent history. Hernandez is a relative newcomer, who mounted a campaign without a support of traditional parties and who has been compared to former U.S. President Donald Trump for his focus on social media.

Whoever comes out on top of that challenge on June 19, Colombia, which is one of Washington's strongest allies in South America, really seems to have entered a new chapter in its recent history. For CNN, this is Stefano Pozzebon, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, still to come tonight, chaos and anger in Paris. Forget the football, the only game in town right now is the blame game after the Champions League final was marred for British fans. A look at what could happen next just ahead.

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[14:51:04]

KINKADE: "We're hugely disappointed by how they were treated." That's what the British Prime Minister's Office is saying after Liverpool fans were hit with tear gas before the start of Saturday night's Champions League final against Real Madrid in Paris. French officials say a ticket scam caused the chaos. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GERALD DARMANIN, FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER (through translator): What we have observed is massive industrial scale and organized fraud concerning fake tickets since according to the prescreening conducted by stadium staff, the Stade de France and the French Football Federation forecast that nearly 70 percent of all tickets were faked upon entry to the Stade de France.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, now the French government is facing a barrage of criticism of the way the fans were treated and questions are being raised about how Paris will cope when it hosts the 2024 Olympics. CNN's Don Riddell is watching all of this for us and joins us now live. Good to have you with us, Don. So, fake tickets are not a new thing at a sporting event. Why did this one, this game becomes so chaotic?

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Well, there's clearly a number of reasons, Lynda. I mean, the fake ticket thing is just an extraordinary claim, 70 percent, so some 30 to 40,000 fans are said to have arrived either with fake tickets or no tickets at all. That is an extraordinary claim. If it is true, that would likely overwhelm most preparations for stadium security. So it remains to be seen how accurate that claim is. And that is certainly something that the Liverpool Football Club will be looking into. And they'll want an independent inquiry into that.

Regardless, you can see from the scenes just how worrying a situation that was. A massive number of fans penned into a tight space, bottlenecks were developing. People were getting crushed. This is a situation that could have gone sideways very, very quickly. And I think everybody should be very grateful that it wasn't worse.

The images of fans being seemingly indiscriminately pepper sprayed and tear gassed is also a great concern. And questions are being asked of the authorities and the French police as to how that happened and why that happened.

KINKADE: And, of course, Don, you covered the Hillsborough disaster where Liverpool fans were crushed to death. Surely there were major lessons learned there in terms of crowd control at massive sporting events.

RIDDELL: Yes, that was 1989, 97 fans were crushed to death at that game. Yes, lessons were learned, especially in England. We should remember, of course, that that was a situation that related, once all the inquiries and investigations had been completed, it was because of the stadium. You know, that the state of the stadiums, the state of the turnstiles, the way that the fans were managed and policed, and not because they arrived late, drunk, and without tickets. That was the narrative that existed for so many years in British society.

And one of the lessons that I think has been learned post-Hillsborough is not necessarily to take the official narrative and the official version of accounts at face value. And I think that is something that the Liverpool fans and the Liverpool club will be very concerned about right now, because the interior minister, and the Sports Minister, and UEFA, all seem to have been very quick to blame the Liverpool fans for this situation, and those of them that arrived with tickets and in plenty of time, would beg to differ. They would beg to dispute that version of events.

KINKADE: Yes, indeed. Well, we will continue to follow this story. Don Riddell for us. Thanks so much for joining us.

RIDDELL: All right.

KINKADE: Well, film star Johnny Depp has delivered a surprise performance in England while awaiting the verdict on a U.S. court case. On Sunday, he appeared at a rock concert with the English guitarist Jeff Beck. Fans at the venue said they were caught off guard when they saw the actor performing on stage.

[14:55:00]

It happened just two days after U.S. jury began deliberating in a defamation trial against Depp's ex-wife and actress, Amber Heard.

Well, in the U.S., actor Tom Cruise has soared to the top of the box office with his latest film Top Gun: Maverick.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Good morning, aviators. This is your captain speaking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: The sequel to the 1986 hit earned about $124 million during its opening weekend here in the U.S. and keep in mind it was only projected to bring in $80 million. This is the biggest opening and Tom Cruise's 40 plus year career and the first time he's scored $100 million -- well, over $100 million in the first weekend.

Well, finally, celebrations are underway in the U.K. as Queen Elizabeth prepares to mark her Platinum Jubilee. As part of the celebrations, Sotheby's London is showcasing an exhibition of art and jewels, and more than 40 tiaras are on display with some pieces making their public debut. The crowning spectacle is an event of the event is a piece that dates back to 1845, an emerald and diamond tiara, designed by Prince Albert for his wife, Queen Victoria.

Wow. Thanks so much for watching tonight. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Stay with CNN. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.

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