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Ukraine: Most Of Severodonetsk Under Russian Control; Ukraine: Russia Has Stolen 600,000 Tons Of Our Grain; Russia Claims It Has Secured Land Bridge To Crimea; Rwanda Prepares To Take In Migrants From The U.K.; Saudi-Backed LIV Golf Series Launches Amid Controversy. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired June 09, 2022 - 04:30   ET

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

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely. But this is the reality. This is what's happening.

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JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Now the Justice Department says hand guns have been used in most mass shootings, but it's important to note that the deadliest mass shooters have opted for this AR-15 style rifle. And you can see why. That ballistic demonstration in our story showed the disastrous effect that this weapon system can have on the human body. This weapon that was originally designed for the use by soldiers on the battlefield is now causing unspeakable carnage here at home.

Josh Campbell, CNN, Los Angeles.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: You're watching CNN Newsroom live from London. Just ahead, Russian forces on the verge of capturing a city in ruins in eastern Ukraine. Why it's so important to Moscow?

Plus, new allegations from Kyiv about Russia's theft of hundreds of thousands of tons of grain. How the Kremlin is responding.

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FOSTER: Ukrainian fighters have fallen back to safer positions in Severodonetsk where local authorities say most of the city is now under Russian control. It's a major turn of events after Ukraine claimed to control half the city just a few days ago. Severodonetsk has been key Russian goal for weeks now as Vladimir Putin's forces look to capture all of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions together known as the Donbas.

Now, a Ukrainian military commander says his force is catastrophically short on artillery pieces, needed to fight off the Russian advanced. Civilians who remain in the region are taking shelter from continuous shelling in basements and wherever they can. Russia's military says Ukraine is suffering significant losses of manpower weapons and shipments of equipment throughout the Donbas. Now Ukraine is accusing Russia of stealing about 600,000 tons of grain as well over the past few months.

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One official says the grain is taken from occupied regions in the south sent to ports in Crimea then shipped to the Middle East. Russia has yet to respond.

CNN's Clare Sebastian is with me here in London. Barbie Nadeau is standing by for us in Rome. But we begin with Salma Abdelaziz in Kyiv. Just give us the latest in eastern Ukraine then, Salma, because it seems like there has been a change in fortunes for the Ukrainians.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely, but this is a back and forth, Max. I mean, just last week Severodonetsk look like it was about to fall to Russian forces. Then there was a clawback, if you will, from Ukrainian defenders. This is a battle where they are outmanned, they are outgunned. Superior Russian artillery has been grinding down Ukrainian forces for weeks now.

Take a listen to how President Zelenskyy described this battle.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): We defend our positions, inflict significant losses on the enemy. This is a very fierce battle. Very difficult, probably one of the most difficult throughout this war. I'm grateful to everyone who defends this direction.

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ABDELAZIZ: Now, that's President Zelenskyy's rhetoric, of course, but local officials are painting a different picture marks. They say that it looks like they're going to have to pull back to strategic positions that, of course, the artillery of the Russian troops has absolutely superior to theirs. We might see a strategic withdrawal here that would be the term used by Ukrainian forces.

And this is important because Russian-backed separatists say that Luhansk, that region, where Severodonetsk ease is already 97 percent under their control, it's that major step towards taking the Donbas. And you have to remember, Russia is already solidifying these gains, Max.

I want to pull up the map here so you can see that front because this was the major goal here for President Putin. It was to create a land bridge between Russia down the south into these new gains through the Donbas into Crimea to give Russia access to warm water ports in the Black Sea. These would be ports that function year round, important to economy, important to trade, important to security for Moscow.

And what they're doing is taking these gains that we see and solidifying them, building railways, making access, flowing traffic from these ports up into Russia. They're making it the facts on the ground, whether or not the international community recognizes it. Max?

FOSTER: OK. Salma, thank you. That's the military movement on the ground. There's a wider issue here as well with grain, isn't it, Clare? Because Ukraine is accusing Russia of stealing grain, selling it, presumably using that money to fund the wall?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this -- yes, this is the latest accusation that comes from the leader of the Russian-backed military administration in the occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia region. He says that the first that -- well, another piece of news this morning is that the first rail cars carrying Ukrainian grain have left that region. And then now he says he hopes traveling to the Middle East, perhaps even to Turkey, which would sort of complicate matters since Turkey is supposed to be brokering the talks on resolving this issue.

We're also hearing from the deputy chairman of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council saying that around 600,000 tons of Ukrainian grain has been stolen by Russia since the beginning of this conflict. Now Russia has, you know, denied that. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman even said on Wednesday that he doesn't think that this is really the reason for the food crisis, that there's not really that much Ukrainian grain at stake here.

But the pressure from the international community to do something about this is mounting, Max. We had talks in Ankara yesterday between Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart, they did not yield a breakthrough. There are some small baby step signs of progress. But listen to what Ursula von der Leyen, the E.U. Commission President had to say about this.

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URSULA VON DER LEYEN, E.U. COMMISSION PRESIDENT: This is a cold, callous and calculated siege by Putin on some of the most vulnerable countries and people in the world. And therefore, Honorable Members, food has become now part of the Kremlin's arsenal of terror.

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SEBASTIAN: And time is running out, Max. 20 or so million tons of Ukrainian grain are in storage, unable to be exported. They tried to start exporting through rail, road, things like that, but most of it is usually exported by sea. And you can't leave it in storage forever. So this is where you see that kind of pressure mounting.

FOSTER: OK, Clare, thank you. And now let's go to Barbie now in Rome because this is hitting Western markets as well, specifically passed away you are.

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: That's right. You know, we're seeing the effect of of the crisis in terms of an uncertainty. It's not just the grain, though, here in Italy. Italy doesn't import a lot of grain from Ukraine. It's all the other factors that dry -- are driving up the cost. The price of fertilizer has gone up by 150 percent for some people.

The price of a basic elements you need to make pasta has gone up 100 percent, that's twice as much as it was a year ago. And some of these producers are trying to take on the costs themselves so they don't have to pass them on to the consumer.

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But in some cases, the price of basic things like cost has gone up 30 percent. And a lot of that is driven by not just what's going on right now but the uncertainty of the future. People don't know how long this war is going to last. They don't know what to think about. You know, we're coming off the back of the pandemic in a country like Italy was hit really hard. But going forward, it's just not knowing that's making everybody really nervous right now, Max.

FOSTER: OK. Barbie in Rome, thank you very much. Also Clare and Salma.

Now still to come, we go to Rwanda to learn how the country is preparing to take in migrants deported from the U.K. and hear what critics are saying about the plan. Stay with us.

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JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As we meet again today, in a moment when democracy is under assault around the world, let us unite again and renew our conviction that democracy is not only the defining feature of American histories, but the essential ingredient to America's futures.

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FOSTER: U.S. President Joe Biden there officially kicking off the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. In the coming hours, leaders and representatives from nations of the Western Hemisphere will meet on key issues like climate, the economy and immigration.

On Wednesday, Mr. Biden previewed a new regional migration declaration and the collaboration amongst several nations to increase food production that export. The U.K. is set to deport migrants meanwhile to Rwanda next week hoping it'll deter others from making the dangerous crossing by boat.

Britain is paying the East African nation more than $150 million to house these asylum seekers. But the plan has come under fire from various human rights groups.

CNN's Larry Madowo got a first-hand look at the migrant housing in Rwanda. And he joins me now what's it look like, Larry?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Max, this is a host of there used to be a place for young survivors of the Rwanda genocide. They've all moved out now. There's -- they have renovated this hostel.

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And they will now host the first 50 migrants expected here in Kigali on Wednesday next week. It's very simple, it's functional, it's not luxurious. And they will have two migrants sharing the room, they will have communal bathrooms. They have a prayer room and a computer lab.

The Rwandan government tells us the migrants here will have access to health care and support for at least five years, or until they are self-sufficient. But the big thing they say, the migrants will be free here, not in detention, like they are in the U.K. And Rwanda says this is one way to fix the broken asylum system in the U.K. by giving people a chance to settle here to be free and fair make a life or look for refugee elsewhere.

But this is a system that's been criticized by so many people here in Rwanda, internationally, and even by many refugee rights groups in the U.K. They say it's cruel, it's inhumane. These migrants are being forced to come here to Rwanda when they tried to get to Europe. That's why they made this perilous journey across the Mediterranean and then on to Calais and crossing over into the U.K.'s vision or be forced to come to a country 4,000 miles away.

And one local legislator, he told us this decision should have been brought before Parliament that the government should not have made that decision on its own. But Rwanda has kind of become a global market leader in migrant offshoring. When rich countries don't want certain migrants, they can send them off usually to Rwanda.

It assigned a similar deal with Israel, even though that failed. Very quickly, everybody who came here quickly left is done similar deals to the African Union with the U.N. And we understand the government tells us they're working on a similar deal with Denmark. So it seems to be one way that Rwanda sees itself as a vulnerable -- place for vulnerable people to rebuild their lives.

And they say this has been their philosophy for the last 30 years, even despite all the criticisms, including about Rwanda's human rights record and what they say LGBTQIA migrants will be safe here in a country where that is frowned upon.

FOSTER: OK, Larry, in Rwanda, thank you very much indeed.

Now here, Boris Johnson hoping to rebuild his political standing by revitalizing the British economy. The prime minister is expected to deliver a speech in the hours ahead, outline his plan to tackle the rising cost of living. Among the pledges he's expected to make, make home ownership more accessible, boost the country's productivity and recover from the COVID pandemic.

Johnson's leadership was severely weakened on Monday when he survived closer than expected confidence vote in Parliaments.

Still to come, the LIV a golf tournament is about to tee off. And supporters say the series could be a game changer for the sport, but it's already being dogged by controversy. Stay with us.

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FOSTER: Concert goers waiting to see Halsey perform, ended up witnessing this rain streaming into the venue in Columbia, Maryland. Soaking the crowd. In other videos from the event, water can be seen streaming down into the covered outdoor venue then flooding the concrete floor. The concert was delayed several times before being canceled due to weather-related technical difficulties as they said. Halsey posted on Twitter that the safety of fans was most important.

Now, the U.S. Space Agency's $10 billion telescope has been damaged by debris smaller than a grain of sand. The micrometeoroid slammed into the giant mirror on the James Webb Telescope about two weeks ago but NASA says it hasn't compromised its mission. The telescope is the largest most powerful of its kind is set to deliver its first batch of photos in July focus on the early universe and the growth of galaxies stars and other worlds.

Now the inaugural tournament in the LIV Golf series kicks off in London in a few hours. The first seven events boast purses of $25 million each, would you believe. So lucrative that top golfers are leaving the long established PGA Tour to join up. And with such an ocean of money coming from a sponsor with a widely condemned human rights record, the tournament is awash in controversy too.

CNN's Alex Thomas has more.

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ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Backed by Saudi Arabia's billions of dollars LIV Golf could fundamentally change the professional men's game. The new series offers players fewer tournaments and guaranteed prize money. Lots of it.

Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson are the biggest stars to sign up. And the pair are earning more from this than their entire prize money from a combined 45 years on the PGA Tour.

DUSTIN JOHNSON, TWO-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION: This is something that I thought was best for me and my family. And, you know, I'm very excited about playing and, obviously, you know, this is the first week and, you know, it's just -- yes, it's something exciting, it's something new. And yes, I think it's great for the game of golf and so, you know, that's why I'm here.

THOMAS (voice-over): LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman says his new series is game changing, especially for lower ranked players.

GREG NORMAN, CEO, LIV GOLF: PGA Tour doesn't give a rat's ass about what's going to happen to you after you finish playing game of golf. They don't.

THOMAS (voice-over): But the money hasn't impressed everyone. Norman told The Washington Post that Tiger Woods turned down a high nine- figure some to join. Woods has called the venture, quote, polarizing. While another golf legend Jack Nicklaus says He also rejected an offer to get involved, worth $100 million.

JACK NICKLAUS, 18-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION: I had zero interest in them. I don't care what kind of money they would have thrown at me. My allegiance has been at the PGA Tour. I grew up with a PGA Tour, I helped found the PGA Tour as it is today. And my allegiance is there and it's going to stay there.

THOMAS (voice-over): It's the backing by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, that has attracted the stiffest criticism. The Arab nation has long been accused of sports washing using the popularity of sporting events to clean up its reputation for human rights abuses and alleged state sponsored killings.

A U.S. intelligence reports claimed bin Salman himself sanctioned the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Something bin Salman denies. Even Mickelson said it was scary getting involved with the Saudis, but he says golf desperately needs change and real change is always preceded by disruption.

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PHIL MICKELSON, SIX-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION: I don't condone human rights violations at all. I don't think -- nobody here does and throughout the world, and I'm certainly aware of what has happened with Jamal Khashoggi. And it's, I think, it's terrible. I've also seen the good that the game of golf has done throughout history, and I believe that LIV Golf is going to do a lot of good for the game as well.

THOMAS (voice-over): Despite the reservations, LIV Golf is forging ahead with eight tournaments this year, five of which are in the United States with the season finale at the Trump National Doral course in Florida.

Alex Thomas, CNN.

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FOSTER: Now after Sunday's blowout loss, the Boston Celtics came roaring back to win game three of the NBA Finals. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum led the Celtics to 116 to 100 victory last night over the Golden State Warriors. It's the seventh time the Celtics have bounced back from a playoff loss. The Celtics have now up 2 to 1 in the seven game series getting four sets for Friday in Boston.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN Newsroom. I'm Max Foster in London. "Early Start" with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett is next. You're watching CNN.

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