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Ten Dead in Russian Missile Strikes; Putin Threatens Ukraine; World Leaders Condemn Russia's Attacks; Rep. Tom Malinowski is Interviewed about Russia's War; Obama to Make Campaign Appearances; Vance and Ryan Face off in Ohio; Russian Missile Strikes Kyiv. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired October 10, 2022 - 09:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:00:25]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Bianna Golodryga in New York.

Breaking overnight, Russian retaliation. This morning at least ten people are dead and dozens more injured after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered several strikes across Ukraine. In the capital city of Kyiv, a major blast struck a pedestrian bridge. A Ukrainian official tweeted this picture, which appears to show the aftermath of a strike on a children's playground.

The Russian military bombing several other parts of Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Lviv and Mykolaiv. Critical infrastructure, including power facilities, have also been hit.

All of this is part of Putin's reply after a massive explosion damaged a key, strategic bridge linking Crimea and Russia.

CNN has ever angle of this developing story covered. Our reporters, correspondents and guests are standing by to bring you the very latest.

But let's begin this morning with CNN's senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen in Kyiv, in Ukraine.

So, Fred, you and your team there heard several blasts this morning. I know you went out to see some of that destruction firsthand. What did you see?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Bianna.

Yes, it was really several hours of blasts that we witnessed and heard ourselves. It happened -- or started happening in the early morning hours, I'd say about quarter past 8:00 local time, which is about 1:15 in the morning where you guys are. And there was a big blast sort of quite close to our location. As we went out, there were several other explosions that we were able to hear. And, you know, we went to one of the locations where in the vicinity

of there a playground had gotten hit by a missile. Luckily there don't appear to have been any children there at that time. But then we also got to an intersection that was also hit by a Russian rocket. And I can tell you, it was just the scene of absolute carnage on the ground there. There were destroyed vehicles, burnt out vehicles, there were dead bodies on the scene as well. And we later spoke to the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential administration and he told me that at that place alone five people were killed. And it's next to a museum and next to a university building. So completely unclear whether or not the Russians may have thought that there was some sort of military target there as well.

But just to give you an idea of how busy the Ukrainian air defenses have been over the past couple of hours, the Ukrainians are just saying -- this is information we got literally just a couple of seconds ago - they are saying that the Russians shot at them 84 cruise missiles. They launched 24 unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, including 13 shahed (ph) 136 drones. Those are essentially kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions.

So, the Ukrainian air defenses obviously have been very busy. They say they've managed to shoot a lot of those down, but, obviously, not all of them. And that's why we have this scene where in many Ukrainian cities really across the country, big cities have been hit, critical infrastructure has been hit.

And the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he came out very early in the morning hours today and he said that they believe that there were essentially two targets that the Russians were trying to hit. On the one hand, that critical infrastructure, energy infrastructure. There's areas still here in Kyiv that are without power. But also, of course, Ukrainian civilians as well. And that's why you have this death toll which, you know, the Ukrainians, right now, are saying that they have ten people who were confirmed dead in these attacks, but they do fear that that could go up because, of course, right now, it's a fluid situation.

And just a couple of seconds ago -- or a couple of minutes ago, we did have another alarm with air raid sirens going off here in the capital city once again, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: So, more strikes could be yet to come. And these are images that remind us, harken back to the days - the early days of this war months ago. We haven't seen these types of strikes by Russia into western Ukraine in quite some time.

Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much. Stay safe.

Well, this morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin out with a sharp warning. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): In terms of the further act of terrorism on the (INAUDIBLE) of Russia, the Russian reply will be harsh and will be -- will be corresponding to the level of threat to the Russian Federation. Have no doubt about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Putin, of course, responding to that attack over the weekend in the Crimean Kerch Strait Bridge there. A $4 billion bridge that he personally himself invested a lot of political capital in.

CNN correspondent Salma Abdelaziz is in London with more.

So, Salma, interesting that Putin is calling the strike on that bridge a terrorist attack and now, of course, using that as a basis for this escalation.

[09:05:04]

Really speaking to his domestic audience there within Russia.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Bianna. That sound that you just played of President Putin, that was him addressing his own security council this morning. Of course, after the weekend attack on the Kerch Bridge. And as you mentioned, make no mistake about it, this explosion, on this bridge in Crimea, is absolutely a personal affront to President Putin himself. It is his dream. It is his vision to connect occupied Crimea to mainland Russia. To take what is historically Ukrainian territory, claiming it is Russian land.

I heard one analyst describing this bridge as the wedding band that connects, again, occupied Crimea to Russia. So, a very personal attack there. And President Putin making clear to his own, to his inner circle, that he has responded. That's what he went on to stay in that statement. He says the Kremlin has hit at military infrastructure, energy infrastructure, communications infrastructure, essentially trying to degrade Ukraine's capabilities.

But there's a few things to read between the lines here. First of all, you have to realize that this exposed very serious security vulnerabilities for Russia. This is a bridge that is absolutely controlled by Russia, should have been -- access should have been tight, security should have been tight and yet it was hit by these saboteurs. Ukraine, of course, not claiming responsibility. But a major, strategic victory here.

Parts of the bridge have resumed. Rail services are running again. Cars are able to move somewhat through traffic. But for lorries and large trucks, they have to be ferried back and forth to Russian territory. That makes serious issues for providing supplies to the front lines. And already we're seeing that western allies for Ukraine are getting ready to respond. Tomorrow there's going to be a G7 meeting. President Zelenskyy expected to address his friends and allies there. And President Putin rushing to save face, of course, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, that bridge really serving as a major conduit for military equipment and infrastructure. A huge blow for the Russian military.

Salma Abdelaziz, thank you.

Well, international leaders are condemning Russia's heavy wave of attacks and vowing to provide Ukraine with additional military support. Now, this comes just days after President Biden warned that the risk of Armageddon is at its highest point in half a century.

CNN's Arlette Saenz joins me now from the White House.

So, Arlette, what are you hearing from the Biden administration officials in terms of a response to what we've seen not only over the weekend, but obviously this morning in Kyiv?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, White House officials, in recent days, have really said that it appears Russia is intent on doubling down on its war of Ukraine. Something that certainly played out today with that wave of strikes across the country earlier today.

Now, so far the White House has yet to comment on these latest developments. President Biden remains in Wilmington, Delaware, and will be traveling to the White House a bit later this afternoon.

But as Salma mentioned, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said that there will be an - or his office said that there will be an emergency meeting of the G7 tomorrow. Of course, the U.S. part of that G7 group.

And one thing that the U.S. has continually said throughout this war and in recent weeks is that the U.S. remains committed to providing security assistance to Ukraine. Biden actually spoke by phone yesterday with Chancellor Scholz where the two men talked about that very matter.

But this all comes as President Biden has really, in the course of the past four days, spoken very starkly about the stakes of this war. He warned that the world is at the point -- is reaching the highest possibility of nuclear Armageddon in 60 years since the Cuban missile crisis. Now, U.S. officials have said that that's not -- those comments were not necessarily based on new intelligence, that they haven't seen an immediate threat that Putin has decided to use nuclear weapons, but simply are speaking to the gravity with which President Biden is viewing the situation at this moment.

GOLODRYGA: Arlette Saenz, at the White House, thank you so much.

Well, joining me now is Congressman Tom Malinowski, a Democrat from New Jersey. He sits on the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security Committees. He also served as an assistant secretary of state before joining Congress.

Congressman, thank you so much for joining us.

It was interesting as things have clearly been escalating to hear the Kremlin say today that in response to this what they call terror attack along the Crimean bridge that they will not be issuing any sort of nuclear responses or attacks. But given that and given what we've seen in these new attacks and strikes against western Ukraine, do you view this as a further escalation, perhaps a new phase in this war that Putin clearly has been losing up to now?

REP. TOM MALINOWSKI (D-NJ): I think Russia is still losing this war. Ukraine is continuing to make gains on the battlefields that actually matter, in eastern and southern Ukraine. Putin is lashing out in the only way he knows how, through terror, by targeting civilians, by trying to increase the pain that the Ukrainian people are suffering.

[09:10:07]

I think the only effect it's going to have is to further unify Ukrainians against him and even more important further unify the world against him. So, while horrific, I don't think this changes the -- the outcome of the war in any way.

GOLODRYGA: Should it change how the U.S. responds to Vladimir Putin's latest actions? Clearly, we have continued to aid Ukraine militarily, some $16 billion in aid thus far, the president says that he will stand by Ukraine for as long as needed. That having been said, Ukrainians have long been calling for the United States to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Is now the time to do that?

MALINOWSKI: Well, I think -- I've been in favor of that in the past. And the more important thing is the substance of what goes along with it. The substance of enforcing sanctions, which the United States has imposed, but some of our allies are not respecting. Particularly our partners and so-called allies in the Persian Gulf, that just made a decision to spike the price of oil globally in a way that will help Putin prolong this war.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

MALINOWSKI: I think dealing with the substance of that is probably more important than the names that we call the Russian government. And then in terms of provision of military equipment, I hope this is another wake-up call for our European allies, particularly Germany, to step up in providing the Ukrainian government with what it needs to defend itself and to reclaim its territory.

GOLODRYGA: I want to get to the latest moves by OPEC Plus and your calls for a U.S. response in just a moment, but let's pick up on what you just left off there and touched upon, and that is the need for more military assistance for Ukraine. Clearly for now the focus has been there in the fighting in the east, both in the Donbas and in the south there in the country. But with these strikes coming on major cities in the west, strikes we haven't seen in months, will the U.S. be stepping up its military aid in support for Ukraine, and what pressure can the United States put on its allies to do the same?

MALINOWSKI: Well, the - this -- this highlights the need for the provision in particular of sophisticated air defense systems, to control the skies over Ukraine, as President Zelenskyy has understandably been urging the west to help him do. Some of these systems, like the Patriot system, take time to help countries train up on and to develop the logistical chain to be able to use. Sophisticated aircraft, of course the same can be said, but there's no reason why we shouldn't be starting now. Even if it may take several months for the Ukrainians to be able to develop those capabilities.

This does bring us back to the issue with our Persian Gulf allies. I think as we see this destruction raining down on Ukraine right now, we should remember that by some measure we actually do more to defend Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates than we're doing to defend Ukraine. We actually have Patriot missile systems deployed in these countries in the Persian Gulf manned by American crews that shoot down missiles fired by, for example, Houthi rebels in Yemen against the Saudis and the Emirates. We don't do any of those things for the Ukrainians. And the - we --

GOLODRYGA: Just - and -- well, just quickly, if I can pick up on --

MALINOWSKI: And we do this for countries that are hurting us rather than helping is something we need to, I think, think about.

GOLODRYGA: Right. And that's a point that you made last week in response to the moves to cut oil by 2 percent globally by OPEC Plus. You said that the U.S. should respond, in one measure, to withdraw the 3,000 U.S. troops that are stationed there.

Have you had any other support from the Biden administration or Republican members of Congress for that proposal?

MALINOWSKI: The Biden administration's response has been to say that all options are on the table. I - it's been publicly reported that they are considering not participating in military meetings with our Gulf partners in the coming weeks, including meetings on this subject of air defense, which I think would send a pretty important signal.

Look, I think the Saudis, the Emirates, some of our other partners around the world, I think they didn't quite understand and perhaps still don't fully comprehend that the war in Ukraine was a game changer for the United States. That this is the most important issue in the world. The United States, the American people, the people of western Europe are making sacrifices every single day to support Ukraine.

[09:15:07]

Saudi Arabia just decided to intensify our sacrifices to make our pain harsher in order to help Putin.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. This after months --

MALINOWSKI: If there are no consequences for that, I just don't -- I wouldn't understand that. So, I would hope it would get support.

GOLODRYGA: And this came after months of pressure. It came after months of pressure by U.S. officials behind the scenes to do just the opposite, and yet they did.

MALINOWSKI: Correct. Yes.

GOLODRYGA: Congressman Tom Malinowski, thank you for your time. We appreciate it. MALINOWSKI: Thank you very much.

GOLODRYGA: Well, still to come, how much should Democrats expect to see former President Obama on the campaign trail ahead of the midterm elections? We'll have new CNN reporting up next.

And President Trump lashes out at the Justice Department from an Arizona campaign stage. Among his demands, give me back everything, quote, they're mine. How these displays could impact what the Supreme Court is now reviewing.

Plus, disturbing video out of San Antonio, Texas. A deputy opens fire on an unarmed teenager sitting in his car in a McDonald's parking lot. That teen now in critical condition. We'll have the latest on that investigation straight ahead.

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[09:20:18]

GOLODRYGA: With less than a month to go until the midterm elections, requests are pouring in from around the country for President Barack Obama to help Democrats in key races up and down the ballot. But sources close to the former president tell CNN that Obama isn't keen on hitting the campaign trail this year as much as many in his party would like.

CNN's senior reporter Isaac Dovere has more on this.

So, Isaac, why this decision by the former president and what else are you learning?

ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, the former president feels like, number one, he does better in small doses, that it makes more of an impact when he does things, but also that he still lights up the opposition more than he lights up supporters sometimes, or at least as much. And there is a danger to that.

But, President Obama is trying to figure out a way to have a distinctive role in American life and in global life, trying to talk about democracy. That's the argument we're going to hear him make on the trail when he starts making these targeted burst of appearances. He's going to talk about how Republicans are a threat to American democracy. And then he's going to follow that up a couple weeks after the elections with a democracy forum, a big new event that his foundation will be doing, they'll hold it in New York, saying that democracy is under threat in America and around the world.

GOLODRYGA: And it is interesting to hear you talk about him sort of lighting up the Republican base because he had been described for so long as the most popular Democrat in the country, that -- to hear that there are Republicans that still would likely campaign off of this is indeed very interesting.

Isaac Dovere, thank you.

DOVERE: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: And one critical midterm race we're watching is for the open Senate seat in Ohio. Later today, Democratic nominee congressman Tim Ryan will face his rival, Republican candidate J.D. Vance in their first debate as polls show the Senate race remains tight with no clear front runner.

CNN national political reporter Dan Merica has been following this race for us.

So, Dan, what will we be listening for tonight?

DAN MERICA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, I think it's going to reflect the urgency of the moment, especially for Republicans and Vance. Now, I want to remind you, this is a state that Donald Trump won twice. It is a state that earlier this year, if you asked Republicans, they would not have said that this race would be as costly or as close it has been. Now, partly that's because Tim Ryan has run a pretty resident campaign. He raised $17.3 million in the last three months. He's also done it by almost otherizing Vance, making - questioning his ties to Ohio, questioning why he returned to Ohio after leaving.

The other part of this has been that Vance really struggled after getting that Trump endorsement in the primary to turn to the general election. He had a tough summer where Ryan really did hammer him and Vance has somehow built out of that. He campaigned with Trump since then. But it has made this race closer than expected. One reason is, Tim Ryan has credibly claimed in ads that he did vote with Donald Trump at different times, especially on the issue of trade.

Take a listen to how these ads that are blanketing the state of Ohio have cast the Democratic campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TIM RYAN (D-OH): Enough stupid fights. That's our team. Patriotism means supporting the American worker. That's why I voted with Trump on trade. We've got to have the guts to take on China, bring back manufacturing and cut taxes for workers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MERICA: And, Bianna, I've talked to source from both campaigns this morning. I think what you're going to hear tonight is Tim Ryan is going to continue that message where it suits him. He might cozy up to Trump a little bit, but he's also going to go after Vance, as he has been, as I said, questioning his ties to Ohio, even at sometimes calling him a phony.

Vance, on the other hand, is going to go after Tim Ryan for stuff like that, for that ad, questioning whether that's actually true, noting his ties to not only President Joe Biden, but Nancy Pelosi, Democrats in Congress, and really trying to lean on the natural tilt of the state towards Republicans. This is a -- again, a state that Trump won twice. I think J.D. Vance is going to try and count on that tonight as he reaches out to voters. What will be interesting is what happens after the debate in the last few weeks of the campaign, Bianna.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, we'll be watching that debate tonight and breaking it all down for you tomorrow.

MERICA: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: Dan Merica, thank you.

Well, still ahead, we're back live on the ground in Ukraine near another location where Russian air strikes targeted Ukrainians earlier today, while Russian President Vladimir Putin warns more attacks could be coming.

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GOLODRYGA: This morning, at least 10 people are dead and dozens more injured after a series of Russian missile attacks slammed several parts of Ukraine. Officials there say several regions are now suffering power outages after Russian troops targeted critical energy infrastructure.

PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE (through translator): They're trying to spread chaos and panic. They want to annihilate our energy supplies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: I want to get to CNN international security editor Nick Paton Walsh in Dnipro, Ukraine.

Nick, what's the scene where you are there in the central part of the country?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Yes, a fast cleanup underway after two missiles came in.

[09:30:01]

Let me just bring our cameraman, (INAUDIBLE), a little bit closer to the crater here so you can get a sight.