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King Charles III Becomes Monarch Of United Kingdom After Death Of His Mother Queen Elizabeth II; Queen Elizabeth II's Body To Make Procession Through Parts Of United Kingdom; Prince William And Princess Catherine Of Wales Join Harry And Meghan Of Sussex In Unexpected Public Appearance; Ukrainian Forces Launch Counteroffensive And Take Key Towns Held By Russian Forces Around City Of Kharkiv. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired September 10, 2022 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:18]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

A bittersweet day in the U.K. as the country celebrates the formal proclamation of a new king and mourns the passing of its queen. We're learning the Queen's funeral will be held September 19th at Westminster Abbey. A short time ago we also saw this remarkable moment, Prince William and Prince Harry joined by the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex greeting well-wishers outside of the gats of Windsor Castle. The brothers who have had a publicly strained relationship coming together right here to mourn the death of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charles III spoke earlier today the formal proclamation ceremony. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING CHARLES III, UNITED KINGDOM: My lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my most sorrowful duty to announce to you the death of my beloved mother the queen. I know how deeply you, the entire nation, and I think I may say the whole world, sympathize with me in the irreparable loss we've all suffered. It is the greatest consolation to me to know of the sympathy expressed by so many, to my sister and brothers, and that such overwhelming affection and support should be extended to our whole family in our loss.

To all of us as a family, as to this kingdom and the wider family of nations of which it is a part, my mother gave an example of lifelong love and of selfless service. My mother's reign was unequaled in its duration, its dedication, and its devotion. Even as we grieve, we give thanks for this most faithful life.

I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty which have now passed to me. In taking up these responsibilities, I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set in upholding constitutional government and to seek the peace, harmony, and prosperity of the peoples of these islands and of the commonwealth realms and territories throughout the world.

In this purpose, I know that I shall be upheld by the affection and loyalty of the peoples whose sovereign I have been called upon to be, and that in the discharge of these duties, I will be guided by the counsel of their elected parliaments.

In all this, I am profoundly encouraged by the constant support of my beloved wife. I take this opportunity to confirm my willingness and intention to continue the tradition of surrendering the hereditary revenues, including the crown of state, to my government for the benefit of all in return for the sovereign grant which supports my official duties as head of state and head of nation. And in carrying out the heavy task that has been laid upon me and to which I now dedicate what remains to me of my life, I pray for the guidance and help of almighty God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And a short time ago, Buckingham Palace released some of the details of what the last cross-country journey of the late monarch Queen Elizabeth will look like. Tomorrow morning the Queen's coffin will be taken to the official Scottish residence of the British royal family, the palace of Holyrood House in Edinburgh. On Monday it will be taken in a procession from the palace to St. Giles Cathedral where it will rest until Tuesday.

And then the coffin will then be moved from Edinburgh to Buckingham Palace in London. And then on Wednesday the coffin will be moved again from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall for the lying-in-state, which will end on the morning of the state funeral, Monday, September 19th.

[14:05:06]

And at that point, a procession will take the coffin from the palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey where the state funeral service will take place.

Anna Stewart is at Buckingham Palace and Scott McLean is at Windsor Castle. Good to see both of you. Scott, I want to talk to you first about what took place at Windsor Castle there in the long road of a walkway there between the grandchildren of the late queen.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a pretty remarkable moment, Fredricka, and that's because we had been told initially that there would be a visit. And obviously they put up barricades around the gate and barricades that ran all the way down the long walk. And people didn't really know what was happening, but they figured that someone would be -- some sort of royal presence would be felt in this area. And the expectation was likely that it would be William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales now. There was no expectation that Harry and Meghan would be here. And so when the four of them walked out of the vehicle just behind the

gate there, in the same vehicle, you could hear a pin drop. I don't think that anyone thought that they would see the four of them, because they're so rarely seen in public together and hadn't been seen together in public since June. And even then, it wasn't something that necessarily they were publicly talking to each other or anything like that.

In this case, though, they surveyed all of the flowers, cards, well- wishes there. They read some of the notes, the four of them. And then they went, and they shook hands, and they collected flowers. And they got a few hugs as well from people along the barricades who were waiting for them. They seemed to be well-received, both couples, by all of the people who were here. And virtually everyone that I spoke to said that they were surprised to see Harry and Meghan.

And I actually interviewed one young woman, just 14 years old, who was there with her mother. And she actually hugged Meghan, and I asked her about it. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were just waiting for her to come, and she came and asked my name and how my day was, how long I was waiting. And I asked if I could have a hug, and she hugged me back. So I was just -- quite amazing moment. I'm still shaking now. I can't explain what the feeling was when she did it, but it was really nice.

MCLEAN: Why did you feel like you wanted to hug her?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know, it just went through my mind. Everyone was cheering me on to. And I guess I just felt like I needed to, in a way. Like I just really wanted to at least hug her, because I look up to her in some ways. And it just felt like it was the right thing to do.

MCLEAN: You feel like she's going through a lot?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, exactly. It's still such a sad thing that is happening now.

MCLEAN: Why do you feel a bit of sympathy of her? Just because the Queen's passing or because of her whole relationship with the royal family?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess both, so because the Queen died and also because of everything. But I did see that -- I felt like it was quite nice to see William and Kate and Meghan and Harry together, and it was fine. But I just wanted to show her that she's welcome here, I guess. I wanted to hug her after everything that's happened really now.

MCLEAN: Were you surprised, probably less surprising to see Will and Kate. Were you surprised to see Harry and Meghan with them?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was really surprised. As soon as I saw that, because I saw Meghan and Harry, I was like, oh, my gosh, because I really didn't expect them to be here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: So Fredricka, you'll remember that in a recent magazine interview, Meghan had said that she was making an effort, that it took a lot of effort to forgive but that she was making an effort to forgive. She also said that sometimes the silent part is still part of the song, and that she still has a lot to say. And so those comments were sort of interpreted in every which way. But the bottom line is this well-publicized rift between her and Harry and Will and Kate still very much exists.

And so people here are wondering whether or not this was just a photo opportunity or whether this is truly the beginning of some kind of a reconciliation process. And a lot of the people that I met, every person that I met, I should say, say that they hope, they sincerely hope that this was going to be a genuine reconciliation.

Regardless of what you think of either couple, everyone believed that, look, it is for the best for there to be some harmony within the family, within any family, but especially within the royal family. Whether or not this will actually happen, it's not clear, but obviously people hoping that this very sad moment of the Queen's passing, that perhaps there's a silver lining in this and perhaps the beginning of a reconciliation.

[14:10:06]

WHITFIELD: Yes, earlier along the long walk there, as you say, there were a lot of people, and it was very somber until they showed up. Now, it seems as though people might have anticipated that they were going to see the Prince and Princess of Wales, but that was the surprise, you heard it from the young lady who you talked to. But now I still see a lot of people behind you. What are they doing now? Why are they there still? What are their hopes?

MCLEAN: This is the remarkable thing, Fredricka. This gives you a sense of just how many people have -- want to come and pay their respects to the Queen. Remember, what happened with this visit, this walkabout, as they say, this was not something that was advertised. This was not something that was publicized. All the people that you see here have come to drop flowers, to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II. And the people who had come earlier, they figured that they were doing the same thing as well. It was only when they started to put up barricades that people figured that something was going to happen.

But again, nothing was said in advance. Everyone was just here to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth. This sort of walkabout was just a little bit of a bonus. But it just goes to show you the sheer volume of people who are here, it just goes to show you how important Queen Elizabeth II was to this country and how important the monarchy remains to this country.

WHITFIELD: And it was so nice to hear from Max Foster's reporting based on his sourcing earlier that that moment, that walkabout with the four of them really was Prince William's idea, and it was quite spontaneous that he would reach out to his brother Harry, Anna, and say, hey, do you want to be available? Do you want to do this? Do you want to join us.

And so they did. Contrast that with, there is very specific planning that is underway for the Queen over the next 10 days, ending with that funeral scheduled for Monday. So help fill in the blanks, if you will, about the moment of spontaneity that we saw today with the four of them, down to now the very intricate planning of the laying to rest of the late queen.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: In terms of what we saw in Windsor, I think that is going to really cheer people, that hope that perhaps that rift has been healed, or at least put to one side. That is certainly what her majesty would have wanted. It is what King Charles -- I was going to say Prince Charles -- what King Charles would have wanted as well.

But we've also, as you say, had great news now on the plan for the next few days. And I would say all of the people, and you can still see it's getting dark here, hundreds of people, probably still thousands, all around Buckingham Place. People want to know where they should be for the coming days, because so many people want to be there to pay their respects. As Scott has been showing you in Windsor, people also want to be there to mark history, I think.

So in terms of the plan, this is from the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk, it is his role to organize state funerals. You can only imagine what a big job that is. And here's what we expect from the coming days. You ran through where we expect the Queen's coffin to be moving. And that starts from tomorrow leaving Balmoral in Scotland and heading towards Edinburgh. I think this is a really important moment and quite a somber moment for the royal family. In many ways it marks the end of their private mourning as the queen then moves into sort of state mourning, public mourning.

And the key date for the public, I think, will be Wednesday, because that is when the coffin will be moving from Buckingham Palace here to Westminster Hall, and that is when the lying-in-state will begin. And going from the past, from the Queen Mother, when we saw some 200,000 people turning out, wanting to queue in line to see the lying-in- state, I expect we'll see even more than that.

So that will run from Wednesday right through to that state funeral we'll see on the Monday, which of course will have a lot of ceremony, there will be a lot of detail we need to get through on that day. And then the coffin will process one last time to Wellington Arch in London before traveling back to Windsor where the Queen will be laid at rest in St. George's Chapel, which of course, is where Prince Philip is. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And then Anna, I wonder if you can give us an idea of what's happening where you are at Buckingham Palace. We can see a lot of folks gathered behind you. when you look at another vantage point, it seems as though there is a queue and people are walking or waiting in line, and the line is moving. What is happening? Did we lose audio with Anna? Anna, if you're able to hear me now, I

just want to find out what's happening. OK, there you go. So there seemed to be a lot of people in queue there at Buckingham Palace, and that queue is moving. What is happening there?

STEWART: So in many ways what you're seeing right here, actually people just milling around. People want to get to the gates of Buckingham Palace to have a look.

[14:15:00]

Now, yesterday, when I was walking around there, people were actually allowed to lay their flowers at the foot of Buckingham Palace, pin them to the gates. There were so many flowers by this morning, as you can imagine, if anyone can remember the death of Princess Diana, that they've now actually created a special memorial garden just over the road in Green Park where we were this morning, and that is where people are being encouraged as well to lay flowers.

And it's just beautiful. And I can only imagine how many thousands of bouquets there will be in the coming days. It's a place for people to mourn, to reflect on the passing of the Queen and how they felt about her, but also to gather. And there's a bit of a celebration, I feel. I think the mood is changing here in London, particularly, as people look forward to the next chapter of the monarchy.

WHITFIELD: OK, and then Scott, back where you are at Windsor, do you have any idea of the whereabouts of the fab four, which is where our biographer, Kate Williams, how she described them earlier, where will they be this evening? Will they all be staying there? Is there any idea whether they will be seen again as a foursome?

MCLEAN: To my knowledge, I don't think we've gotten any official confirmation as to where exactly they'll be staying. But I can tell you that normally the Prince and Princess of Wales, Will and Kate, they live on a house called Adelaide Cottage. It is just on the other side of these trees here. It is on the grounds of the Windsor Castle estate. That is where they moved with their family just recently, actually. Their kids started attending a new school about 15 minutes from here. Their very first day was the same day that the Queen died.

The reason that they made that move was to give their family more privacy, more of a normal life, they said, than the one that they had in more of a fishbowl at Kensington Palace. Of course, the Sussexes usually live in California, but their official U.K. residence is the same ones that they lived in when they were working members of the royal family. It's called Frogmore Cottage, and it's only about 600 yards from where Will and Kate live and where the Prince and Princess of Wales live.

And so Harry had said in that famous, or infamous, Oprah interview that his relationship with his mother right now is space. Given how much time it will be before the funeral of the Queen, now their relationship may be time, and maybe time is what they really need to reconcile their relationship if that's something that either of the brothers is really interested in doing. But I can tell from you talking to the people here that there is a sincere hope from virtually everyone that I've met that the two might actually sit down and resolve their differences.

WHITFIELD: And today, that was an incredible moment of sincerity, wasn't it? All right, Scott McLean, Anna Stewart, thanks to both of you. We'll check back with you.

More than 120 countries, 14 different U.S. presidents, and dozens of corgis, remembering the Queen by the numbers. And how Charles' reign might differ from hers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:22:09]

WHITFIELD: We've just learned the Queen's funeral will be held Monday, September 19th, at Westminster Abbey. Queen Elizabeth II died Thursday following her historic reign. She ruled for 70 years. That's longer than any monarch in British history. And during her reign, she visited 120 countries, met with 14 different U.S. presidents, and 15 different U.K. prime ministers serving during her time as monarch, beginning with Winston Churchill right up to Liz Truss, whom the queen appointed just days before her death. She sat for hundreds of portraits, and of course had some 30 corgis and dorgis during her time as monarch.

Let's bring back CNN royal historian Kate Williams. So good to see you again. So Queen Elizabeth, her reign was very unique. She essentially learned on the job, though, didn't she, the whole way through?

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: Yes, Fred. As you say, her reign was so unique, coming to the throne in 1952 when the majority of people in Britain didn't have a telephone or television or a refrigerator or a car and had never been abroad. And then she became, as you saying, this global monarch that visited 120 countries. The first thing she did when she came to the throne was go on a commonwealth tour around the commonwealth, visiting countries. And if you add it up, actually, she's been around the world 42 times. That's quite a lot of air miles.

And really, what an incredible reign, to move into this technological age, this globalized age. And also when she came to the throne, when she was born, Britain had an empire. When she came to the throne, much of the empire had already fought and won independence, and other countries would do so early in the early years of her reign. Such a significant reign, she saw everything from World War II before she came to the throne and served in World War II, she saw a man on the moon.

And to think she's older than Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, she's an incredible historical figure. She saw pretty much all of the 20th century and quite a bit of the 21st century as well. A transformative reign that will be, I think, we'll look back and she will be seen as one of, and I think, for me, the greatest monarch we've ever had.

And I think the high point of success in the monarchy, there are great challenges ahead for the monarchy, great challenges ahead for King Charles. It has been a whirlwind few days. I can't believe the Queen only passed just a couple of days ago. Already we've had King Charles proclaimed. King Charles is now installed as king. And the plans, just as you were going over there for the funeral, for the coronation, for the lying-in-state of the Queen on Wednesday, which I think will be one of the biggest events London has ever seen.

WHITFIELD: And at the very least she's an enduring figure. Here she was just 25 years old when she became Queen, right. Now her son, who is 73.

[14:25:04]

So they're going to have very different experiences because she grew up in the monarchy as the Queen, whereas he has grown up under her tutelage, and now at 73, he becomes king. But the job is going to be -- or you tell me, will the job be much heavier lifting because he's starting so late in life, whereas she had the endurance of a young person and learning how to become mature as a woman and as a leader?

WILLIAMS: Yes, Fred, I think you're exactly right. She came to the throne at just 25. It was a shock to her. She hadn't realized her father was ill. But she had that youthful sense of optimism, of adventure, and all that energy. She's always had incredible health. It really is absolutely amazing to think that just 10 years ago, we did actually possibly think she might be jumping out of a helicopter over Olympic stadium. And it seemed possible that she might be doing that.

And she was so young, and yet there was a lot of mistrust. You were talking about her first Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. He said she's only a child compared to her father. So she had a real fight in the time, in the 50s in which women weren't expected to be out of the home, particularly not married mothers. Women were not in a position of power. We hadn't had yet a female train driver or a female bank manager, and of course not a female prime minister until over 25 years later.

And she really did have to learn on the job. And she talked in her accession speech that Charles gave this morning about how the responsibility had come to her so early in her life. And Charles spoke differently. He talked about the responsibility but talked about how he would discharge it in what remains of his life. And that is the big difference, that she has had a very long reign, the longest reigning monarch in history.

Some say she's the longest reigning monarch in the world, because the longest reigning monarch in the world was Louis XVI who came to the throne as a child, but I think is still, strictly speaking, he was number one, she was number two. But still, Charles is in a very different situation. He may have a very short reign.

So I think he's going to move much quicker in setting out what he is going to do. And there is a lot more doubt about him, prejudice about him in various ways which he's done well to quell over the last two days. And there's a lot of excitement about him. His polling ratings are clearly soaring. They were not high before. They were often under 50 percent. He wasn't the most popular member of the royal family. But the crowds are out there, they're delighted by him.

But certainly, when you look at British history, our most popular monarchs are the ones who come to the throne young, Elizabeth I, Victoria, Elizabeth II. And it's more of a challenge when you come to the throne when you are further on in life, at a time when most people are retiring.

WHITFIELD: Yes. That's what really precipitated that question, because when I heard him say the remains of my life, I was like, oh, wow, that's pretty powerful. And that was a clear distinction and contrast, and it was not lost on him. Kate Williams, you put it so succinctly, to help wrap it up for us. I appreciate it. Thank you.

Centuries of tradition were on display this morning for the world to witness as King Charles pledged the rest of his life to the crown. CNN's Max Foster walks us through the pomp and pageantry from this historic moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is now, by the death of our late sovereign of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful liege lord, Charles III, King, head of the commonwealth, defender of the faith.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: King Charles III publicly declared as the new monarch of the United Kingdom, a day enshrined with language and traditions from another age, when word of a new sovereign required it to be spoken out loud on the streets of the nation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God save the king!

CROWD: God save the king!

FOSTER: Gun salutes across the four nations marked the principal, or first public proclamation being made.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hip-hip!

CROWD: Hooray!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hip-hip!

CROWD: Hooray!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hip-hip!

CROWD: Hooray!

(APPLAUSE)

FOSTER: This moment captured by cheering crowds on smartphones. It followed what was a traditionally private accession ceremony inside St. James Palace.

[14:30:00]

The great and the good of the British establishment gathered. The new Prince of Wales with Queen Consort Camilla helping to steady her as she walked onto the stage. For the first time the somber and solemn event televised for the world to see.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The council is assembled.

FOSTER: Rituals and proceedings carried out at the Accession Council designed to confirm and endorse the king's position as the new head of state. Former prime ministers, current political leaders, and heads of the church, some of the so-called privy councilors, invited to witness this historic moment. Standing in front of the most senior of the thrones, King Charles began with a tribute to his beloved mother.

KING CHARLES III, UNITED KINGDOM: My mother's reign was unequaled in its duration, its dedication, and its devotion. Even as we grieve, we give thanks for this most faithful life.

FOSTER: Before pledging his own lifetime of service.

KING CHARLES III: And in carrying out the heavy task that has been laid upon me and to which I now dedicate what remains to me of my life, I pray for the guidance and help of almighty God.

FOSTER: Taking an oath to uphold the security of the Church of Scotland, which is separate from the state, unlike the Church of England, by his side stood his closest allies. His son William, the new Prince of Wales, and wife Camilla, his queen consort.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God save the king!

FOSTER: The day's pomp and pageantry continued. A second public proclamation of the new king read at London's Royal Exchange, the heart of the city's financial center. The announcement being sent onwards across the U.K.'s four nations and the kingdom's overseas realms and territories to mark a new era, as King Charles, his car adorned by the royal standard, arrived at Buckingham Palace to begin what will be the task of a lifetime, his new reign.

Max Foster, CNN, Buckingham Palace, London.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: Still to come, tributes pouring in from near and far to honor Queen Elizabeth, how her legacy is being remembered in New York, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:36:47]

WHITFIELD: It's the end of a long historic period in Great Britain and the beginning of a new reign. King Charles III was formally proclaimed the U.K.'s new monarch. In a speech earlier today, King Charles recognized the monumental task that lies ahead of him. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING CHARLES III, UNITED KINGDOM: I'm deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty which have now passed to me. In taking up these responsibilities, I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set in upholding constitutional government, and to seek the peace, harmony, and prosperity of the peoples of these islands and of the commonwealth realms and territories throughout the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Reaction to the new king is pouring in, including in New York where people are gathering to remember Queen Elizabeth's life and legacy. Joining me right now, CNN's Polo Sandoval in New York. So Polo, what are you hearing from people?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, much as been said about how she was a global monarch, that when you some spend time here in New York City's West Village you certainly walk away with a sense of that as people are coming together in this quaint shop in lower Manhattan. For the last several days, actually, I can show you, folks have been stopping by, dropping off some roses and some flowers here. Queen Elizabeth herself present in one way, shape, or form here.

And really this has dominated the conversations over tea, over brunch, not only reflecting back on the decades of rule that we saw from Queen Elizabeth, but also on what may be in store for the institution of the monarchy now headed by King Charles III. This is part of the conversation that I actually had the opportunity to have with the owner of this establishment, Sean (ph) Kevin (ph). He tells me what's dominating the conversation amongst expats and New Yorkers alike.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A stream of people coming by, dropping off flowers, to show that they're supporting us and feeling the sense of loss. I can but hope that the love, just even a proportion of the love that was for the Queen carries on with Charles. And I think he has every chance to do that. I thought his speech was really great.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: I think what you can expect in the coming days, certainly, Fred, is you will continue to see these pockets throughout the entire United States really follow closely what's happening thousands of miles away, especially as we get closer to the funeral. But just where we are here, it's often described as the unofficial British consulate. It certainly has been extremely active today, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Cheers to the Queen. Make it cheers and tea. Polo Sandoval, thank you so much.

And this just into CNN. Ukrainian forces have entered a strategic city in eastern Ukraine after forcing Russian troops to retreat. We will have a live report from Ukraine, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:40:00]

WHITFIELD: This just in, Ukrainian forces say they have entered the strategic city of Izyum after forcing Russian troops to retreat. Izyum, which sits near the eastern border between the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions had been under Russian occupation for more than five months. This development is part of a fast-moving Ukrainian offensive through much of the Kharkiv region.

For more, let's bring in Melissa Bell who is in Ukraine. So Melissa, what more can you tell us about this latest pretty big win, right, for Ukrainian forces?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, it's been another day of really fast, remarkably fast Ukrainian gains in that counteroffensive in the east of the country. You'll remember at the very end of August they launched one focused on Kherson in the south. But it is the one they launched five days ago in the east that has really been making considerable gains, I think taking even Ukrainians by surprise. We watched them sweep eastwards, taking village after village until they reached a couple of very important towns today including Izyum, as you say.

[14:45:04]

And what we're hearing is that they may be moving further south still. And I think one of the most remarkable things has been the lack of resistance that they seem to have been meeting. We've been seeing really remarkable videos being posted by Ukrainian soldiers. And remember, for the time being, this is a counteroffensive that is the subject of a media blackout. Journalists are not allowed to those front lines.

So it's through those posts by the soldiers themselves that we're seeing people coming out to welcome them in the villages that they're able to liberate. But also, those flags being put up in village after village, town after town. And what we're hearing is reports that very many of them have been taken without much of a fight at all, reports of some Russian soldiers simply leaving their equipment, taking off their uniforms, putting on civilians clothes, and heading to the borders.

We're also hearing of some lines at the borders as some of those who may have worked with the Russian occupiers try and make it across the borders. But really remarkable scenes. We've just been hearing from President Zelenskyy in his nightly address, Fredricka, who is remaining very cautious. Again, not yet opening up those front lines or wanting to say too much or get ahead of himself, but saying that so far, between the counteroffensive in the east and the counteroffensive in the south, since September 1st, 2,000 square kilometers of land have now been recaptured, Fredricka.

And of course, that is extremely important for the people who live there. Remember, these are towns who, as you say, have been under occupation for many months, facing a lot of difficulties in their day- to-day life. But this is also about momentum. And I think for the time being, no one had expected that it would be quite so much on the side of Ukrainians five days into the start of that eastern offensive, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And melissa, what else can you tell us about the city of Izyum and why it's so important to have recaptured it?

BELL: It's extremely important, because essentially, Fredricka, it was used as a military hub by occupying Russian forces for much of the last five months. In fact, when it was occupied, it was the subject of a great deal of fighting. And there are a lot of fears, for instance, about what Ukrainian authorities are now beginning to take control of these towns are going to find in the wake of these forces.

Izyum is of particular concern because it was the heart of such fierce battles, and it was occupied as a military hub for so long. Essentially what you had was a Russian supply route going from southern Russia all the way down to the Donetsk and Luhansk front. And it passed through cities like Izyum. Kupiansk, another town that fell today, was an important hub through which men and weapons were supplied down to that front to the south. But Izyum was really where their military base was. So a hugely important gain for Ukrainian forces today, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Extraordinary. Melissa Bell, thanks so much.

Tomorrow on "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS" an exclusive from Kyiv, Fareed's one on one with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That's at 1:00 p.m. eastern time right here on CNN.

Still to come, play has resumed at the BMW PGA championship in Surrey, England, today, following the postponement after the Queen's death. How players and fans are honoring the late Queen Elizabeth II.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:52:52]

WHITFIELD: Tributes for Queen Elizabeth II continue, even in the world of sports. A two-minute moment of silence honoring the late monarch was observed at the BMW PGA championship. Black ribbons were available for golfers and patrons to wear, and flags were being flown at half- staff. The proclamation of King Charles III was also televised shortly after that moment of silence. Play resumed after earlier rounds were suspended or cancelled.

So the future of men's tennis, if Friday night is any indication, it may already be here. This U.S. Open semifinal match featured America's Cinderella man, Frances Tiafoe, and spectacular Spanish teen Carlos Alcaraz. And they did not disappointment. Here is CNN Sports' Coy Wire.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. He seemed to be an overnight sensation, Frances Tiafoe going head-to-head with 19- year-old Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz for a match of the ages. It was almost as if we were watching the future of men's tennis manifest before our very eyes. New York crowd rallying behind American sweetheart Tiafoe before the match, but once it got under way, all bets were off. Jaw-dropping moments like this. Both players won the crowd, a spectacular point in the first set. Tiafoe and Alcaraz showing incredible athleticism. Alcaraz comes away with a point and he's win the match in five sets.

Laying down on the ground afterwards, a grueling four hours and 19 minute marathon, well-deserved after competing in two of the four longest matches in U.S. Open history, back-to-back for Alcaraz. It was an emotional moment for Tiafoe afterwards. He addressed the crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCES TIAFOE, U.S. OPEN SEMIFINALIST: I gave everything I had for the last two weeks. Honestly, I came here wanting to win the U.S. Open. I feel like I let you guys down. This one really hurts. This one really, really hurts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You didn't let anybody down, believe me.

TIAFOE: Good for Carlos. You're going to win a lot of Grand Slams. You're a hell of a player, hell of a person. I'm happy I got to share the court on such a big stage with you. I'm going to come back, and I will win this thing one day. I'm sorry, guys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:55:07]

WIRE: What an inspiring run for Tiafoe. As for Alcaraz, he'll now face Norwegian Casper Ruud, Fred, in the U.S. Open final. The winner will become world number one. That match is tomorrow.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Coy. I missed that last. I'm going to have to watch the replay.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The CNN Newsroom continues with Jim Acosta right now.

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