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Ukraine Marks Independence Day And Six Months Of War; Protesters Worry Cybercrime Law Enabling Crackdown; Heatwave In China Putting Crops And Livestock At Risk; By 2035, California Anticipated to Outlaw Sale of New Gas Vehicles; Interview with Chair of the ICCT Board of Directors Margo Oge; Youngest Person to Fly Solo Around The World is 17 Years Old. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired August 25, 2022 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:00]

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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM. Almost two dozen dead as Russian missiles targets civilian areas across Ukraine, underscoring the incredibly high price the Ukrainians have to pay for freedom while marking their independence day.

In Sierra Leone, new criminal cyber law that's backed by the E.U. and U.K. now being used to hunt down and punish those who speak out against the government. And what could be the beginning of the end of the internal combustion engine, with California set to ban the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.

VAUSE: As Ukraine marked its independence from the Soviet Union, it was showered with new weapons and ammunition from allies or Russian missiles and rockets rained down on major cities appearing to target civilian areas. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at least 22 people including an 11-year-old boy killed in one missile attack which hit a train station. This day also marks six months since Russian troops and tanks rolled across the border. And in the capital Kyiv, Zelenskyy and the First Lady visited a memorial to pay tribute to those killed in action since the war began.

Ukrainian president met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who traveled to keep bringing a new aid package worth $66 million. Well, from Washington, came a $3 billion security assistance package, the biggest so far from the Biden administration. That assistance from Western allies crucial in Ukraine's fight for survival. And a defined and determined Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared the war will end with a Ukrainian victory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE (through translator) Our independence is not ended and it will never end. Ukraine forever. And it will only get stronger every day. And absolutely everyone in the world understands this from the U.N. Security Council to all the capitals without exception.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: By all accounts, Vladimir Putin calculated his war of choice will be over in less than six days. He wasn't alone. Politicians and commentators around the world agreed. But six months on and the sheer grit determination and sacrifice of the Ukrainian people has proved them all wrong. CNN's Sam Kiley looks back at how this war has ebbed and flowed and a warning, some images in his report may be disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Dawn, Ukrainian independence day outside Kharkiv marking 31 years of freedom from the Soviet Union, but not from Russia. Flags but not people are out in Kharkiv marking six months since Russia's invasion amid fears of renewed attacks on cities here. And the threat became real with a brutal strike on a train station.

Vladimir Putin assume that the lens gives government would be swiftly toppled in a Russian onslaught. Many in the West agreed with him.

BORIS JOHNSON, PRIME MINISTER, UNITED KINGDOM: We were filled with foreboding because we just did not see how this innocent and beautiful country could repel an attack by more than 100 battalion tactical groups when the suffering and the casualties would be so immense. But you did.

KILEY: Russians were held up in their assault on Kyiv, then driven back. Their retreat from the Capitol revealing atrocities in Erpin and Bucha. Switching tactics back to the 1940s, Russia gave up on the Capitol to focus on breaking Ukraine's national will, with wholesale bombardments of cities concentrating on Kharkiv, Mariupol.

Millions fled to safety outside the country over land clogging roads and railways. Led by the U.S., Ukraine's allies eventually sent better artillery. Then, rocket launchers, drones, and shared vital intelligence. Too late to help save Mariupol, but new weapons have slowed the Russian advance in much of the East where soldiers now refer to fighting in towns like Severodonetsk as a meat grinder.

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Massive amounts of American money and equipment, fulsome support from countries like the United Kingdom have contributed to Ukraine's successes on the battlefield. But they're still not getting the strategic weapons that they need, fast jets, long-range rockets, killer drones.

Without them, Ukrainians now face a crippling war along fixed front lines, not a victory Putin would want, but one he might accept to prevent democracy that's taking root on his doorstep in Ukraine spreading into his own home. Sam Kiley, CNN Kyiv.

(END VIDEOTAPE) VAUSE: Matthew Schmidt joins us now. He's an associate professor at the University of New Haven, widely recognized expert on defense intelligence, national security analysis, as well as Russia and Ukraine. Good to have you back. It's been a while.

MATTHEW SCHMIDT, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN: It's good to be here.

Vause: OK, so that U.S. military aid package for Ukraine is the largest so far. Here's part of what they're getting: six additional national advanced Surface To Air Missile Systems, 245,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, 65,000 rounds of mortar ammunition, 24 counter artillery radars, Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems and support equipment for Scan Eagle UAS Systems, VAMPIRE Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems, laser-guided rocket systems, funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment.

Now, what stands out to me though in all of that is this huge amount of ammunition for artillery and also the number of mortars which they're sending.

SCHMIDT: Yes, I think there's two things here. The first is that this is an artillery war on both sides. And so, you see that in these purchases. And the second thing is the unmanned vehicles, right? That's the -- that rounds out the rest of the $3 billion when you look at counter-drone and counter aircraft and more drones for them on the offense. It really tells you something about the nature of this war.

VAUSE: And what is that?

SCHMIDT: This is future war. What you see right now in Ukraine really prefaces what you're likely to see if no, God forbid, if the U.S. and China ever went to war in Taiwan. You're going to see these unmanned systems everywhere, right? They're now a part of the way we fight. And they're not going away. And what's happening in Ukraine is you have a lot of very creative people.

And I think a lot of viewers don't know that Ukraine was the center of the Soviet high tech military industrial system. So, there's a lot of people there that know how to work with this equipment. And they're creating the tactics that we're learning from in the United States that Russia is learning from and that China is learning from. So, it's really future war. What you're seeing today is what you're going to see 30 years from now.

VAUSE: Yes. Until 2014, Ukraine was a major arms exporters as well. I think people don't realize that either. And we have this message now coming from the Biden administration that, you know, the sheer size of this package, along with promises of future aid, are a sign of ongoing commitment from the United States to Ukraine in its war with Russia. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN KAHL, U.S. UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POLICY: OF By its very nature, this U.S. AI package underscores our commitment to supporting Ukraine for the long term, representing a multi-year investment in critical defense capabilities. This package is about building enduring strength for Ukraine as it continues to defend its sovereignty in the face of Russian aggression.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Yes. But I guess it's not a bottomless pit of money, is it? And this is the biggest issue here. It seems that history has shown Americans are all in until they're not. Ask the Kurds in Syria or the women of Afghanistan about promises made by past administrations. Will this be different?

SCHMIDT: I'm not sure. But right now, we don't see it. We don't see it in the polling, and we don't see it in the campaigns that just finished for American primary elections. And we're not seeing it in the Midterms right now, right? This war has support from both the Republicans and the Democrats at least for now. So, we're not seeing either side shooting, you know, metaphorically at the opposite candidates saying they're spending too much money outside the country in Ukraine, bring it back home. That doesn't have any traction yet.

VAUSE: OK. There was a lot of talk of standing with Ukraine from the E.U. and the U.K. as well. But it seems the Secretary General of NATO kind of said out loud what everyone else was thinking. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, SECRETARY GENERAL, NATO: Winter's coming and winter is going to be hard. And NATO allies across Europe and North America are paying a price caused by the sanctions, caused by of course, the brutal war of Russia against Ukraine, increasing energy prices, inflation. But at the same time, we know that the price we have to pay if we don't support Ukraine can be much higher.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: I guess the question here is will Europe endure a record-high energy costs for the sake of Ukrainian sovereignty? Will that united front come to an end or has Putin made another miscalculation here, and European unity will hold?

SCHMIDT: I think there's greater chance that European unity will break, that European public's will demand that their politicians do something to bring those prices down. I think there's a greater chance of that than in the United States. That said, this is really a German problem. If Germany holds and continues to work with the rest of the E.U. and not break ranks with them, then they can get through the winter. But it's going to be hard.

Europe is trying to find ways to bring in liquid natural gas, for instance, and get around, you know, Russian pipeline supplies, but that's going to take time. I think that the real question is what happens a year from now? What happens you know, next spring having gone through this winter to see really what the European public's going to do that?

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VAUSE: The war is that they face another tough winter with high energy prices. Oh, boy. Matthew Schmidt, good to see you. Thanks for being with us.

SCHMIDT: Thank you.

VAUSE: Rockets fired on a coalition base in Syria have left a U.S. service member slightly wounded. Official tells CNN, American forces responded with attack helicopters, killing two or three people who carried out the strikes. On Wednesday, the U.S. military said it struck nine logistics and ammunition bunkers used by Iran-back groups in Syria. President Biden ordered the strikes after a briefing from his top military advisors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAHL: We're not going to hesitate to defend ourselves. We're not going to tolerate attacks by Iran-back forces on our forces anywhere in the world, to include in Syria. And we won't hesitate to protect ourselves and take additional measures as appropriate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: This latest exchange if I started last week when two coalition bases in Syria came under attack. Iran denies any involvement.

A five-month ceasefire in Ethiopia between government forces and Tigrayan fighters has come to an end with each side blaming the other for renewed hostilities on the southern front of the Tigray Region. The ceasefire had paused almost two years of fighting that left thousands dead and millions forced from their homes. U.N. Secretary- General is calling for an end to the war and for aid group to be allowed access.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO GUTERRES, SECRETARY GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: I am deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the resumption of hostilities in Ethiopia. My strong appeal is for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for the resumption of peace talks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The fighting has created a dire humanitarian crisis. The U.N. says more than 90 percent of the region in desperate need of aid. Fuel-delivered food and medicine is in short supply. The World Food Programme says malnutrition has skyrocketed.

In Sierra Leone, the government is facing accusations that it's using a new cybercrime law as legal cover to crack down on political dissent. The law was supported by Britain and the European Union. And European officials say it was never meant to be used against free speech. Still, some people say they're now thinking twice about what they post on social media.

CNN's Katie Polglase has the story. And warning, some of the images in her report are disturbing to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE PRODUCER (voiceover): On August 10, in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown, people took to the streets to protest a worsening cost of living crisis. Rising food shortages have left over half the population without enough food to eat according to the World Food Programme. Protesters held rocks, set buses alight. Authorities were quick to condemn the destruction which they said left eight officers dead with the president of Sierra Leone labeling the protesters as terrorists. There was no mention of the number of civilians killed, which Reuters reported as high as 21.

But it was the severe police crackdown both on the street and online that is revealed worrying signs of a government suppressing freedom of speech.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (text): Don't destroy the cars please. Move from here.

POLGLASE: The voice you're hearing is of 20-year-old Gibrilla Kojo (PH) sitting on his balcony. He calls for those running past to be careful and not damaged the cars parked below. Just over an hour later, Gibrilla would be dead. His friend David, whose name we have changed to protect his identity, witnessed the shooting and says Gibrilla was shot in the neck by Sierra Leone's police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was totally harmless. He was not even part of the protest. He was t the balcony watching the protesters.

POLGLASE: David's videos of the events are rare and risky. He told CNN he believes it was the sight of him and his friend filming that made them a target for police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The moment before Gibrilla died, I told him that they were firing live rounds, we need to back off, we need to get inside. But he insisted. He said they were firing rubber bullets. But it was live rounds.

POLGLASE: CNN analyzed the bullet casing found at the scene which was confirmed by weapons experts to be from live ammunition. The police have made no comment on whether they did use live bullets during the protests. David's filming two hours before Gibrilla's death reveals armed police standing on the streets below. You can see the red hats indicating it's the Operational Support Division, an armed unit of the police which according to Amnesty International, has a track record for shooting unarmed protesters dating back to 2007.

As other scenes of injured and bloody protesters across Freetown began to be shared on social media, the internet was cut off. By midday, just half an hour after Gibrilla's death, NetBlocks recorded a total shutdown of the internet. Activity NetBlocks identified as an intentional disruption.

[00:15:13] The next day, a statement was issued by the Government's Department for cyber security warning that anyone spreading incendiary information online could be punished with up to 20 years in prison. And the basis for this threat was a new cybersecurity law introduced in 2021 and backed by the E.U., U.K., and the Council of Europe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To sign into law today the Cybersecurity and Crime Act.

POLGLASE: The law had aimed to safeguard intellectual property and privacy online and was part of a broader initiative by the E.U. and U.K. to fund projects across Africa that tackled cybercrime. In statements to CNN, the E.U. and U.K. delegations to Sierra Leone said they were engaging with the government on freedom of speech and protest. The delegation encouraged all measures which lead to dialogue and refrain from repressive measures, the E.U. said. And the Council of Europe said the spreading of incendiary information is not listed in the offences under the act.

Do you think it's what the U.K. and the E.U. intended for this law to be used by?

WISLAW GOZDZIEWICZ, FORMER LEGAL ADVISER, NATO: Definitely not? I mean, neither the E.U. which is founded upon the basic principles of human rights and nor any democratic states in the world, including the United Kingdom, would even consider an attempt to limit the freedom of speech in such a manner.

POLGLASE: Reporters Without Borders told CNN any repressive provision of freedom of expression online must be repealed. And said they called on authorities in Sierra Leone to highlight the fact the act should not interfere with the rights to freedom of expression. And for many in Sierra Leone who spoke to CNN, they said this law made them fearful to use social media to document what they witnessed during the August 10th protests.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They don't want you guys to see it, the foreign medias. They don't want the foreign medias to be seeing these videos.

POLGLASE: Do you feel scared right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, yes. Of course, yes. I am actually expecting a physical assault.

POLGLASE: Katie Polglase, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: CNN reached out to government officials in Sierra Leone for comment regarding the new cybersecurity law and also the Amnesty International report. We have not heard back.

When we come back, a great milestone for Brazil and the world. Wildfires are burning right now in the Amazon than ever before. Details in a moment. Also, finding new ways to beat the heat as a scorching heatwave across

China wreaks havoc on crops, livestock, the environment, factory production, you name it.

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VAUSE: There is so much vegetation burning right now in the Amazon. A cloud of smoke and soot is hovering over the city of Manaus 600 kilometers away. CNN'S Tom Sater has details.

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TOM SATER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The Amazon rainforest is suffering from the worst fires in decades. 3,358 fire hotspots were recorded on Monday, the highest number in a single day since 2017. So far in August, nearly 20,000 fires have been recorded, a significant increase compared to July which registered just over 5000 hotspots.

TASSO AZEVEDO, AMAZON COORDINATOR, MAPBIOMAS: Fire in the Amazon is a very rare event because it's the tropical moisture forest, so it's an event that would happen once every 500 years. So, what we see as fire in the Amazon, most of the case, if not all the case, it's actually a result from a tropic action. So, it's someone starting fires somewhere.

SATER: Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest reach record highs for the first seven months of the year. Government satellite data showed 5474 square kilometers were cleared in the region, equal to an area seven times the size of New York City. While environmentalists and experts blame the government, President Jair Bolsonaro suggested the increase in the number of fires was caused by natural events and by indigenous communities.

JAIR BOLSONARO, PRESIDENT, BRAZIL (through translator): Now, when we talk about the Amazon, why don't we also talk about France which has been on fire for over 30 days? There are also fires in Spain and Portugal. California catches fire every year. In Brazil, unfortunately, it is no different. Much of that happens there. Some part of it is criminal and another part is not criminal. It is the riverside people who set fires.

SATER: Experts worry the numbers are not only repeating themselves but also increasing deforestation in the region and it will only continue. Meaning, the Amazon would see more than 10,000 square kilometers of deforestation by the end of the year. Tom Sater, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Chinese heatwave is now coming into day 74. Parts of the mighty Yangtze River have dried up. Food production is in danger in some provinces as well. Power is being rationed and cities are calling for planes to -- being brought in. There are also cloud seeding to induce rain. Let's get live to Hong Kong. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has more on this. We've talked a lot about the impact on industrial economic production,

that kind of stuff. But a lot of people are really hot right now. They're feeling the effects of this quite dramatically.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yes, it's about time that we address and talk about the human suffering in China as a result of this heatwave because it is immense. You know, this record- breaking heatwave has been literally scorching the country since June affecting some 900 million people. And across the country, you have people scrambling to find ways to cope through the heat as well as the power cuts that are in place to ration electricity. And as for China's farmers, they are desperately finding ways to save their livestock and their livelihoods.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STOUT (voiceover): Pile upon pile of dead poultry at a chicken farm in Sichuan, China, and the farmer is devastated.

I watched them die, she says through tears. The temperature was so high yesterday. Yet they cut out the power.

Her livestock and her livelihood the latest casualties in China's ongoing power crunch and sweltering summer that is China's hottest ever on record.

Across the country, farmers are struggling to save their livestock and crops including this corn farmer collecting a wilted harvest. As huge parts of China bake under a heatwave that has lasted more than two months, riverbeds like this Yangtze River tributary run dry. Wildfires have broken out like these blazes in Chongqing which authorities say are under control.

And factories across Sichuan's Chongqing have shut down in a desperate bid to save energy. A record-breaking heatwave has been scorching China's since mid-June affecting some 900 million people. People are scrambling to find ways to manage the heat as well as the power cuts. In this state media video, villagers in Sichuan's Qingchuan County find shelter from the heat in 2000-year-old tombs. Elsewhere in the province, people crowd onto a bridge at night because it's too hot to sleep at home.

And in this video from Chongqing, we see the subway running in complete darkness. The lights have been switched off to save electricity.

STOUT (on camera): This map from China's National Weather Service underscores the intensity and scale of a prolonged heat wave that a stretch from June to August. On Wednesday morning, China issued a red alert heat warning, that's the highest level, to at least 147 cities and counties as where temperatures could surpass 40 degrees Celsius or 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

STOUT (voiceover): Authorities have advised people to avoid outdoor activities and take protective measures against heatstroke. And yet in Chung Chang millions have been ordered to line up outside at night for mass COVID-19 testing. Even China's zero COVID policy is at the mercy of the country's worst heatwave on record.

Through tears, the chicken farmer shows her dwindling livestock. She says, only the small chickens are left. How can I not be sad and not shed tears? She weeps. This is what I have left. Who can bring me justice? Waiting for justice as she surveys all she has lost during China's cruel, blistering summer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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STOUT (on camera): And John, so many people are suffering through this heatwave in China right now and in the last few months. And China's zero COVID policy has added another layer of misery. We have additional video from Chongqing and we see people lining up outside for these mandatory COVID tests. Let's bring it up for you. It's in the daytime. As we've been reporting temperatures they're inching have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Government authorities there have said that up to 10 million people in Chongqing are required to line up outside for mandatory COVID-19 testing.

And in another video, I'll bring it up for you, you actually can see a helicopter overhead behind the line of people. The helicopters there to dump water on wildfires in the mountain in Chongqing. We've learned from China's National Weather Service that they've dispatched aircraft to the city to carry out cloud seeding in a desperate attempt to make rain. But look, this combination of the extreme heat, the wildfires, people being forced to stand outside for mandatory COVID tests in extreme heat conditions, it all makes for very apocalyptic scenes in China. Back to you.

VAUSE: It's just getting worse. Thanks Kristie. It's believable. Kristie Lu Stout there live for us in Hong Kong.

Well, 31 years of freedom from the tyranny of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has celebrated its independence day, but Moscow has spent the past six months trying to exert its control back over the country. Look at how the battlefield has ebbed and flowed since the initial invasion. That's in a moment.

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VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN Newsroom.

European capital stood in solidarity with Ukraine marking their Independence Day. A huge yellow and blue flag was unfolded in Brussels during an event attended by the European Commission President. She called it a proud, emotional moment. And tweeted, Ukrainian people are fighting for our values. They must, and they will prevail.

Hundreds of Ukrainians living in the Greek capital marched through the streets with their flag and sign reading, glory to Ukraine. And in Berlin, several thousand Ukrainians marched in a freedom parade. Organizers say, they want to show the world they are strong, united, and free.

Independence Day in Ukraine was marked with defiance, a little is of course with concern that Russia would ramp up missile strikes. Despite that, many still ventured out onto the streets of Kyiv. CNN's David McKenzie is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the air raid siren is going off right now in Kyiv. But despite that, look at all these people here behind me. They're ignoring the call of the government to stay at home, to stay out of large crowds, because this is an important moment for Ukrainians. This is the anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union. It's also six months on from when this war began. They've lined up tanks all along this main street. Tanks, APCS, rocket launchers from the initial attack of Russians on Kharkiv many months ago.

Sadima (ph), what do you think about today?

SADIMA (PH), UKRAINE RESIDENT: It's a great day. It's the day of independence for you Ukraine. And I came here to celebrate this day, but not to have fun or cheer, but to see at which price the independence has gained exactly.

MCKENZIE: And you were told to stay away from big crowds, but everyone is here. Why do you think that is?

SADIMA (PH): Yes, Ukrainians value life, but they value freedom even more.

MCKENZIE: For young people, what has the last six months been like?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, it was very scary, and I have no words really. So sad.

MCKENZIE: You know, Ukrainian officials said that Russians would have wanted their own military parade here in Kyiv. So, they gave them one. Ukrainian style. And people are writing messages on the tank. This one says for Kyiv, for Donetsk, for all the regions that have seen fighting and have been occupied by the Russians in this brutal war. This fight could go on for a long time yet.

VAUSE: And across Ukraine, this Independence Day was marked by the always constant sound of air raid sirens as Russian missiles and rockets targets targeted many civilian areas. At least 22 people, including a young boy, were reported killed in a missile strike, Wednesday, at a train station in the east of the country.

Elsewhere, Ukraine's military has largely stored Russia's advance. Retired U.S. Army General "Spider" Marks spoke with CNN's Jake Tapper about how the war has evolved since late February.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAJ. GEN JAMES "SPIDER" MARKS, U.S. ARMY (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: If we look at it right now, clearly, what you see is they've had this presence in the vicinity of Kharkiv all the way down into Crimea, and then over here to Kherson. Obviously, Odessa still remains open, that's absolutely necessary.

Let's go back to the start of all of this, on day three of the war. As you can see, there were three -- four major avenues of approach into Ukraine right here, and then clearly in an effort to reinforce the Donbas, and then up from Crimea. The intent being is to get up to the Dnipro River and then advance after they took Kyiv, and then maybe create this rump of Ukraine over here, that this might have been the advance.

But what really happened, let me show you what was really dangerous at one point. If we can see, March 13th, Jake, so, we're into this thing about a month. Kyiv is really at risk. You got these two incredible pincer movements that are coming in. And that's what the Ukrainians really lit it up and became incredibly creative in the way that they were fighting the Russians. That really brought us back to this where the Russians said, we can't make this happen. We are going to have to concentrate down here in the Donbas area.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Interesting. Very interesting. I want to talk to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant if we can. Because Zelenskyy says, "Russia has put the world on the brink of radiation catastrophe." A nuclear expert told CNN that significant damage is actually unlikely. There are 15, 15 reactors in Ukraine. How is Ukraine protecting these resources?

MARKS: Yes, what most folks don't understand is the number of nuclear facilities that are there. As you can see, and they're highlighted here, and six at the Zaporizhzhia facility, which is the one that's been under focus where there's been Russian control, but it's been very haphazard in terms of that.

TAPPER: Right, but they've also been in there firing out from there --

MARKS: Complete --

TAPPER: -- as almost tempting the Ukrainians to bomb their own nuclear power plant.

MARKS: Which is what the Russian intent has been all along. So, what has happened is clearly -- Chernobyl has been inactivated for years. These are safe because the Ukrainians still own them. This is the area that causes the greatest concern.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Retired U.S. Army General "Spider" Marks speaking to Jake Tapper.

[00:35:00]

French President, Emmanuel Macron, has warned his country, sacrifices will be needed in the months ahead as global crises, like the war in Ukraine, and extreme weather continue to weigh on the economy. (INAUDIBLE) meeting after the summer break. The president said freedom has a cost.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): The moment we are living and that our countrymen are experiencing with us, may seem to be structured by a series of crises, each more serious than the other. And it's possible that we're perpetually destined to engage in managing crises and emergencies. I believe that what we are going through is rather a big shift, a big change. Because we're experiencing the end of what seemed like abundance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The French government will need to decide on extending price caps and rebates for energy and gasoline. Another way, French Labor Union say workers have already sacrificed enough and they'll protest for higher wages next month.

Still to come, California is said to make a transformative move ahead of the -- by addressing cutting car emissions. Just ahead, how gasoline-powered cars could become a thing of the past in a not too distant future.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: California is set to ban the sale of all new gasoline cars by 2035. With regulators expected to approve new rules which create increasingly yearly quotas with the number of zero-emission vehicles sold in the State reaching 100 percent in just 13 years. Other countries have said, goals were facing out gasoline-powered vehicles, but none had set precise dates or mandates like California.

Margo Oge is chair of the International Council and Clean Transportation, a former director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And she joins us now from Los Angeles.

Margo, thank you for being with us.

MARGO OGE, CHAIR OF THE ICCT BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Thank you for having me.

VAUSE: OK. So, these new rules, they're groundbreaking. And according to California's governor, the beginning of the end for the internal combustion engine. It's quite the claim. Here's a little more now from Gavin Newsom. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): We will be the first jurisdiction in the world to require all new cars to be sold to be alternative fuel cars. Manufacturers themselves are celebrating and embracing it, including Toyota today. Not just Ford and GM.

(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: And by celebrating, I think he means dropping the illegal actions in the opposition to the move. But California is the biggest market for vehicle sales in the U.S. So, the question is, as California goes, so to the rest of the country?

OGE: Yes, not only the rest of the country. I think that the rest of the planet.

VAUSE: Which, obviously, is good news because, clearly, the combustion engine, vehicles, our cars are the greatest emitter of greenhouse gases. So, what impact is this likely to have, you know, over a short period of time?

OGE: Well, as you probably know, the transportation sector is the number one contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. So, as other States are following the State of California, the expectation is that about 30 percent of new cars, of sales, are in the U.S. will be covered by California and other States.

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And this is a glimpse of this, for your listeners. This is pretty historic, what California is doing. The State has always led the rest of the world when it comes to clean air pollution control systems for cars and trucks that have saved millions of lives. But this is probably the most important action they're taking because they're addressing the biggest challenge that the planet is facing which is climate change.

So, as California goes, I believe, over the years, federal government will go, Europe will go, China will go, and other countries. So, it's very big. It's --

VAUSE: There -- sorry. If I can just -- there is an obstacle to all of this. There is a lawsuit from attorney generals for the Republican States challenging California's authority to make its own pollution laws. Will that have any impact on this measure? Does the State fright arguments only apply to gun laws?

OGE: Well, you know, I'm very certain that these 18 Conservative AGs will attack the State of California and its actions. But I think their chances are not going to be as significant, probably they would've been before President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act. And what many people don't understand is that this new -- know that the President signed has codify a lot of the language that I think will be protected by the State of California. For example, this new law basically says that a State like the State of California have the right to protect their citizens by adopting programs like zero- emission programs. Like the mandate that California is adapting tomorrow.

VAUSE: So, before this announcement, there were expectations that more than 12 million tons of lithium batteries would be required between now and the end of the decade, that's from "The Guardian". Not only do these batteries require large amounts of raw materials, including lithium, nickel, and cobalt, mining for which has climate, environmental, and human rights impact. They also threaten to leave a mountain of electronic waste as they reach the end of their lives.

And it was in that mountain that's about to get a whole lot bigger. How much focus is there on improving how we recycle these batteries? Because right now, it's pretty dissimilar.

OGE: It's very important. But let's think about this, these batteries are going to contain such an important and precious metals. I think car companies are going to do everything they can to recycle them. And also, to really get those very precious metals.

So, I'm very confident that going to electrification for the transportation sector will save many lives. And more important will protect our planet. We cannot forego all the impacts of climate change, but we can kind of reduce the impact by taking actions like the action that California is taking today. Nothing is worse than burning fossil fuels for the planet. So, going to zero-emission vehicles is a big action that California's taking. And I would say very historic.

VAUSE: Again, I'm sorry --

OGE: Let's just hope California -- not for the --

VAUSE: Sorry, I just -- I didn't mean to interrupt you there but it is a very historic day. We're running out of time, Margo. Thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate your time and your insights. It's good to speak with you.

OGE: Thank you so much.

VAUSE: Appreciate it. Thank you.

Well, a British-Belgian, 17-year-old become the youngest person to fly solo around the world, that's according to Guinness World Records. Mark Rutherford -- Mack Rutherford, rather, landed his ultralight plane in the Belgium capital of Sofia on Wednesday -- Bulgarian capital, I should say, Sofia -- where his journey began back in March.

He overflew 53 countries, five continents, at speed up to 300 kilometers an hour. Mack got his license when he was 15. His sister Zara held that record previously. And I think I said -- did I say he was Bulgarian? I think I got that right.

I'm John Vause. (INAUDIBLE). Please stay with us. I'll be back in about 15 minutes with a lot more in CNN Newsroom. But first, World Sport is up after a very short break.

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