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Russia Strikes Odessa Building; Uvalde Victims at City Council Meeting; Woman Accused in Cyclist Murder Arrested. Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired July 01, 2022 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[09:32:53]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Ukraine says at least 20 people were killed, including two children, after Russian missiles hit a residential building and recreation centers in the Odessa region. It was the same type of ammunition Russian forces used when they hit that mall in Kremenchuk on Monday. The attacks comes just after Ukraine retook the nearby strategically important Snake Island in the Black Sea.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins me now live from the capital, Kyiv.
Salma, the Kremlin, again, denies it is targeting civilians. But the fact of the matter is, there's a long record through this war of deliberate targets, targeting of civilian areas. What do we know about these most recent attacks?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Jim, not just deliberate targeting, but it seems in recent days increasing those attacks. Dozens of missiles have been fired. These very hard missiles. These anti-ship missiles being used with these very large warheads falling on Odessa overnight. Three landing, one on an apartment block, a residential building, nine stories there, 16 people killed, dozens wounded, rescue operations still ongoing but rescue workers saying they very much doubt anyone is still alive in the ruins of that building.
The second missile landing in a recreation center. There, four people killed, including a young child. And, thankfully, the third missile landing in an open area.
But, yes, while Ukrainian forces are, of course, very much focused on the battle for the east, where they're losing territory in the Donbas, there seems to be this second psychological war, if you will, on Ukraine. Dozens of these missiles coming. Many from long range areas, anti-ship missiles again with these huge warheads falling on civilian areas.
Now, Russia claims it's targeting weapons, that it's trying to take out ammunitions provided by the west. But we've seen on the ground they have struck malls, they have struck apartment blocks, they've struck kindergartens and it's really to break the back of Ukrainians. That's how they feel. That's why that victory in Snake Island is so important. It is a morale boost, but it also denies Russia one more military outpost.
And there's other ways that we're seeing Ukrainians resist. We've heard from U.S. officials recently that in the occupied region of Kherson, this is a Russian-occupied region, there has been a trio of assassination attempts by Ukrainians on pro-Russian officials.
[09:35:07]
Yet another sign that Ukrainians are always finding a way to hit back, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Salma Abdelaziz, thanks so much.
Well, during President Biden's NATO summit meetings, he also met with a bipartisan Senate delegation on the U.S. response to Vladimir Putin's actions, ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Republican leader of that group told reporters it wasn't just the senators meeting that was a success.
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SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): I do believe that he knows the major issues.
I think that the administration played a -- has played a key part in what's made this summit a success.
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SCIUTTO: Republican senator there calling the summit a success.
I spoke with Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, also part of that congressional delegation, while we were in Madrid. She said the U.S. was leaving Spain with more confidence that NATO is responding appropriately to Russia's aggression.
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SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-NH): I think that the NATO countries have been very effective in supporting Ukraine. And the addition of Sweden and Finland is very exciting. And its reassurance to the Baltic countries who are very concerned about the threat from Russia, to Poland, who is also very concerned, all of the eastern European countries, and I think they will -- everyone will leave this summit with an appreciation for the increased support in eastern Europe against the threat from Putin.
SCIUTTO: I spoke to the Estonian prime minister yesterday and they are somewhat confident things are changing, but still fearful that they may be next. And I wonder, do Americans underestimate the possibility that Russia may attack NATO members next.
SHAHEEN: Well, I think the Baltic countries have been very vocal about the importance of having troops there to protect against Russia's future aggression, because they invaded Ukraine unprovoked, because of the horrific acts of violence there, the attacks on civilians. I think everyone's very concerned about their -- the potential for future aggression. But that's why the strength of NATO is so important. That's why putting additional troops, and the eastern Europe and the Baltics is so important, and why Sweden and Finland joining NATO is so important.
But make no mistake, the goal here is to do everything we can to support Ukraine in this courageous fight against Russia to defeat Putin and his aggression.
SCIUTTO: It was far from guaranteed that an agreement would be reached here in Madrid on Finland and Sweden's joining NATO. What made the difference? Were you surprised that it came together here and what made it cross the finish line?
SHAHEEN: Well, I was very pleased -- I'm leading a bipartisan delegation with Thom Tillis from North Carolina. We visited Helsinki and Stockholm on our way here, to show our support in the Senate, bipartisan support, for their joining NATO. And I was pleased that they were able to negotiate with NATO, and Turkey, a settlement that was acceptable to everyone and that their accession is going forward.
So I think it's a real tribute to both Finland and Sweden, to Turkey and to NATO, and the secretary-general here.
SCIUTTO: Putin's view, something I hear consistently from, again, European diplomats here, is that he can wait out the U.S., he can wait out NATO, he can bear the economic costs, that, in other words, the west will blink before he blinks. And I wonder, what's your response to that? Are you convinced that the U.S. can -- and Europe can withstand the costs of this war over time? Or are you concerned that the resolve weakens?
SHAHEEN: Well, we've had a number of those discussions, both with our U.S. officials who are here in Madrid, and with our allies, with the Germans, with the British, with others. We did a forum yesterday where we talked about this, and the importance of all of us as officials making clear to our publics, our voters, why this fight is so important.
The fact is, this is about whether we are going to allow a dictator, a brutal dictator, like Vladimir Putin, to violate the international order, to go into a country, unprovoked, to interfere with that country's own decision-making process, with their own vision of what they want to be in the future.
[09:40:04]
And we can't let that happen. This is about whether democracies are going to prevail or we're going to let Russia or in the future China or Iran or North Korea. And so we've got to stay together. We've got to stand strong. And we've got to make the case to our public.
And I talk about this whenever I go to New Hampshire about why this fight is so important to all of us. It's important to our security in the United States, to our ability in the future to remain free, to determine our own future.
SCIUTTO: Senator, thanks so much for joining us this morning.
SHAHEEN: Thank you.
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SCIUTTO: Still ahead, heart broken families in Uvalde, Texas, are demanding action from the mayor. And they want to know why the former school police chief, Pete Arredondo, also a city counselor, still has his job.
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SCIUTTO: It was a tense and emotional city council meeting in Uvalde, Texas, as victims' families demanded answers on law enforcement's slow response to the school shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead. Notably absent from that meeting, Pete Arredondo, the school district police chief, who has been put on leave, but remains a city councilmen.
According to the city charter, he could be voted out if he misses the next city council meeting.
CNN's Rosa Flores joins me live from Texas.
And, Rosa, I wonder how this could play out going forward, the level of frustration there with leadership, particularly Arredondos's, is so stark. And we saw some of that play out last night.
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, absolutely, there's so much frustration. And technically, Jim, Arredondo has already missed three city council meetings. But according to the city, one of them doesn't count because it's an emergency meeting.
Now, I know this because I spent time this weekend looking through every single attendance record for city council since Arredondo took office. And I counted them. So I asked the city about yesterday's meeting, because yesterday would have been the third meeting he missed. But the city says that emergency meetings don't count.
Now, here is what the city mayor said, because it really sounds like city officials here appear to want to do what their constituents want them to do, which is the removal of Arredondo. Let me quote here. The mayor said, quote, this is his second meeting. If he misses the third, I don't think there's anybody up here that will tell you that we won't take the action that we need to take.
Now, what he's talking about is, according to the city charter, a majority vote is required for Arredondo to be replaced as city council member. Now, that's what the families of the victims and the parents of the victims have been asking for in this case. They've been attending these meetings and voicing their very strong opinions about this.
Take a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What if it was your kid?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I, you know, --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You what -- you can't say nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't. You're right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody can.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're right, I can't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you understand that? So, do your part for us. I you can't say something, do something.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm trying every day, I promise you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nobody's giving us any answers. It's been over a month. You have no idea how frustrating this is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These kids were obliterated. My sister was obliterated. There was a closed casket. I couldn't hug her. I couldn't touch her. I couldn't say my last good-byes. How do you sit here with, I don't know? I have no control (ph). (INAUDIBLE). It's this. It's the freaking DA. There has to be some help. We're asking you for your help.
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FLORES: The pain in Uvalde is palpable. The next city council meeting is scheduled for July 12th. I've reached out to Arredondo's attorney for comment, and I have not heard back.
Jim.
SCIUTTO: Goodness. We just need help, they ask there. Hard, hard emotions.
Rosa Flores, thanks so much.
Still ahead, captured in Costa Rica after 43 days on the run. How authorities tracked down the yoga instructor accused of killing an elite cyclist. We'll have those details next.
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[09:53:15]
SCIUTTO: After 43 days on the run, a Texas woman accused of shooting and killing an elite cyclist has now been captured. New video shows Kaitlin Marie Armstrong inside a Costa Rica detention facility where she now awaits deportation. A fraudulent passport helped authorities track her down.
Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson was killed in May. There's a picture. Investigators say the fatal shooting may have been motivated by romantic jealousy.
CNN's Jean Casarez joins me now.
Just an outrageous crime here and a brazen attempt to escape.
Do we know more how authorities tracked her down and when she's expected to come back to the U.S.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is very interesting because the U.S. Marshal's Office is saying that it was a fraudulent passport and the Costa Rican authorities are agreement it was fraudulent. It was fraudulent to her, Armstrong. That it may have been a legitimate issued passport by the United States but in someone else's name. Someone else's identity. But it looked like Armstrong and so she was able to use it.
But we do know she was living on the beach in Costa Rica in a hostile (ph). That's where they captured her and arrested her.
She is now actually at the prison in Costa Rica. Detention proceedings are - have begun. But they can be slow. They can take up to 30 days.
Now, I want you to listen to Brandon Fela. He is a U.S. Marshal. Let's listen.
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DEPUTY BRANDON FILLA, U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE, WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS: She shortened her hair length a little bit. About shoulder length. She dyed it dark brown. She had some type of bandage on her nose with some type of bruising fixated below her eyes. She was trying to set up another type of lifestyle.
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CASAREZ: And that was from "Good Morning America" today.
[09:55:01]
The Wilson family, of the deceased, actually came out with a statement. They are so grateful. They say, we are relieved to know that this phase of uncertainty is now behind us and we trust that justice will prevail.
And one other thing, Jim, as you mentioned, that this was allegedly a romantic triangle. Well, there was a boyfriend, conceivably, for both women. Collin Strickland, he actually admitted to authorities on May 11th that he had gone swimming with Wilson that day. They went out to dinner and then he dropped her off at the apartment of the friend she was staying at because she was in Austin for a cycling event. He says that he left and then authorities say that later on they saw a car that resembled Armstrong's at the house. And when they got there, her body had multiple gunshot wounds and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
SCIUTTO: Goodness. Just remarkable case.
Jean Casarez, thanks so much for covering.
CASAREZ: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Coming up next, we do have new details on the intimidation that the January 6th committee says some witnesses are facing as they share their account of what happened inside the White House during the insurrection. Where is that intimidation coming from? Details, next.
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