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Russia Conducts Retaliatory Strikes Against Ukraine; U.S. Won't Stop Supporting Ukraine; European Union Facing Huge Energy Crisis; European Commission Condemns Brutal Attacks in Ukraine; Strike in France Choke Fuel Supply; Families of Crash Victims Demanding Justice; North Korea Sees South Korea as Their Target; Unrest in Iran Continues. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired October 11, 2022 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us.
Ahead on CNN Newsroom, resisting defeat. Brutal attacks on civilian targets across Ukraine serve as a stark reminder that the Russian president is prepared to inflict carnage and terror as his troops face staggering losses.
Following crackdown on protestors in Iran leave one human rights group on high alert. A live report and the harsh tactics being used to break up demonstrations.
And soaring energy cost have Europe scrambling for solutions to combat a harsh winter while they're facing a generational crisis that could only get worse.
UNKNOWN: Live from CNN center, this is CNN Newsroom with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: We begin this hour with new Russian missile strikes in the war in Ukraine. Local officials in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia report one person was killed when Russian missile hit a car dealership, a school and a medical dispensary. On Monday, Ukraine says at least 19 people were killed, more than a hundred wounded in the heaviest bombardment since Russia invaded back in February.
Ukraine's military says it intercepted more than half of the 84 cruise missiles fired by Russia and destroyed 13 attack drones. Virtually, every major city in Ukraine was hit, including Lviv in the west, Kharkiv in the west, and Zaporizhzhia in the south. Ukraine's foreign minister claims he's not aware of a single military target hit by Russia.
Well now, U.S. President Joe Biden is pledging to send new advanced air defense systems to Kyiv.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN KIRBY, COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: They have shown a want and disregard for any respect for human life in Ukraine. Where it goes from here, we just don't know, which is why it was so important for President Biden to reach out to President Zelenskyy.
We are going to continue to provide them the kinds of military capabilities they need to defend themselves, and I suspect you'll see additional packages coming in the very near future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, Ukraine's foreign minister says the military's counter offensive recapturing territory across the country will continue despite the Russian bombardment.
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen was in Kyiv when the missiles started falling.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): It was in the middle of Monday morning rush hour that waves of Russian missiles started hitting Ukraine's capital and other cities across the country sending people scampering for their lives.
UNKNOWN (through translator): My hands are trembling as I've just seen how the missile was flying overheard. And I heard that sound.
PLEITGEN: Ukraine says The Russians launched more than 80 missiles and more than 20 attack drones at targets in Ukraine. While the air defenses took many out, they couldn't stop them all. Ukraine's president quick to condemn the attacks.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): We are dealing with terrorists. They want panic and chaos.
PLEITGEN: Ukrainian cities like Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and multiple others reported power outages After Russia's attacks. The deputy head of Ukraine's Presidential administration telling me they are working to get the electricity grid back up and running.
KYRYLO TYMOSHENKO, DEPUTY HEAD, UKRAINE PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION: Of course, critically for us, it's critical infrastructure, electricity infrastructure.
PLEITGEN: But Russian missiles also struck sites that were anything but critical. Several cars were destroyed at this busy intersection outside a museum. Even hours after the initial attacks by the Russian military, there are still air raid sirens going off here in the Ukrainian capital.
And you can see right here, this is just one impact site of where one of those Russian missiles hit. It ripped a hole into the tarmac of the road here, and five people were killed in this place alone. The attacks come just days after a major Russian logistics route the Crimean bridge was heavily damaged by an explosion.
Moscow blames Ukraine for the blast, though Kyiv has not taken responsibility for the attack. The Russian army showed video of ships launching missiles toward Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged he's taking revenge.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): A massive strike was carried out with high precision, long range weapons of air, sea, and land-based systems on energy, military and communications facilities of Ukraine.
[03:05:04]
PLEITGEN: But this clearly was not a command facility. In central Kyiv, a playground took a direct hit leaving a giant crater. The capitol's mayor, former heavyweight boxing champ Vitali Klitschko vowing to stand strong.
Your message to Putin.
VITALI KLITSCHKO, MAYOR, KYIV, UKRAINE: We'll never come back to the Russia Empire. We see our future part of European democratic family.
PLEITGEN: Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Kyiv.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, Ukraine's foreign minister spoke with CNN following Russia's attack saying he believes the goal was to terrorize a peaceful population and make life difficult for Ukrainians. But Dmytro Kuleba says his country won't back down and will keep up the fight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Whatever he does, we will continue to liberate our territory. I want you to understand a very simple. This is the war for the existence of Ukraine. This is the war for the existence of international law and rule-based order. So, he may escalate, he may do whatever he wants, but we're going to continue fighting and we will win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says he believes there will be a day of reckoning for war crimes committed in Ukraine. Karim Ahmad Khan says he's extremely concerned by the civilian deaths following Monday's Russian strikes, and said the ICC would be conducting a criminal investigation.
Well, the European Commission president speaking from near the Russian border in Estonia condemned the latest actions by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
URSULA VON DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: I am shocked and appalled by the vicious attacker on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Russia, once again, has shown to the world what it stands for. It is terror and brutality. Those who are responsible have to be held accountable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is following the developments live for us this hour from London. Good to have you with us, Salma. So, obviously we've heard from the U.S. and other Ukrainian allies that Russia will pay for this aggression. Take us through the rest of the global reaction.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely. It's this time last morning that Ukrainians across the country were trying to head to work, trying to drop their kids off at school when a barrage of missile and rocket attacks hit across the country. Ukrainian officials saying that 19 people were killed in that retaliatory strikes from Russia and dozens more wounded.
And yes, while this was a display of strength of course, from the Kremlin a sign of vengeance and anger at that strike on the Kerch Bridge over the weekend. It also does demonstrate some serious weaknesses here, Lynda.
The first thing you have to remember is that this does not change the outcome on the battlefield. A battlefield where Russia has faced staggering losses just in the last few weeks. In fact, we're going to hear from the U.K.'s top spy chief, the top intelligence officer in the U.K. in just a couple of hours he's going to be briefing others on what British intelligence has found and what he's expected to say is essentially that.
That Russia is running out of troops. It is running out of supplies. It is facing these staggering losses on the ground and that its morale is weak and it is simply exhausted on the Ukrainian battlefield. But that still doesn't change the reality for so many families that were huddled in bomb shelters yesterday, waiting, bracing for that blow back from the Kremlin.
Take a listen to how the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.N. described his family's experience yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERGIY KYSLYTSYA, UKRAINE AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: But my day has started almost 14 hours ago. It started 14 hours ago because my country was under attack. My immediate family was in a residential building under attack, unable to go to a bomb shelter because there was no electricity. Because Russia has already killed some of my family members and we see no end to that cruelty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: Now in a meeting with his own security council yesterday, President Putin said that this was a retaliatory attack. He said it was a response to the Kerch Bridge explosion, and he said that he was targeting energy sites, critical infrastructure, military infrastructure, rather trying to degrade Ukraine's capabilities.
Now, Kyiv officials of course say that this was an attack on civilians yesterday, and that the intention behind it was to terrorize the families of Ukraine. And that's what's so concerning here is even if attacks like this, even if barrages of rockets and missiles don't necessarily change the outcome on the battlefield, is this a new strategy? Is this a renewed strategy to bring the home -- to bring the war, rather, home to all Ukrainians, Lynda.
[03:10:03]
KINKADE: Yes, and certainly Putin has promised more strikes like this. But I want to ask you about the International Atomic Energy Agency's chief, who has a team at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, Europe's largest nuclear plant. He is expected to meet with Putin today. What more can you tell us about that meeting?
ABDELAZIZ: This is a very critical flash point in the war. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that's been controlled by Russian forces since essentially the start of the conflict, although the engineers, the technicians on the ground are Ukrainian.
But about a week ago, President Putin took this extraordinary step, Lynda, of essentially illegally annexing, occupying, formalizing the taking of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. And that's set off a new wave of concerns because what IAEA officials on the ground in Zaporizhzhia are saying, they're saying that Ukrainian technicians and engineers are being forced to sign Russian contracts.
Again, this competing claim over who controls and who runs that nuclear power plant. All the meanwhile, it's right up on the frontline. That means missiles, rockets are landing right up near that nuclear power plant, sending fear and concern of the possibility of disaster. And that's what the U.N. nuclear watchdog is doing there today in Moscow.
Last week he was in Kyiv speaking to President Zelenskyy, speaking to officials there, and today he's going to be in Moscow in the hopes that he can reach an agreement to create a security zone around the nuclear power plant to essentially say, look, this place is off limits. Lynda?
KINKADE: Let's hope we can achieve that. Salma Abdelaziz for us in London. Thanks very much.
Well, a human rights group in Iran says security forces used live fire to break up anti-government protests over the weekend. It happened in the Kurdish city of Sanandaj as violent clashes erupted between police and protesters.
They're part of an uproar across Iran where people have been demanding justice for a young woman who died after being detained by the country's morality police.
CNN's Nada Bashir joins us now from London with more on this. And Nada, four weeks into the protests. There continues to be loss of life as the running authorities continue to crush dissent.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Lynda. We are continuing to see that violent crackdown by the Iranian security forces, as well as attempts to restrict internet access in parts of the country in order to quell the spread of information and the spread of these demonstrations. But despite that, we are still continuing to see protestors taking to the streets up and down the country.
Many of them, of course, students, even young school girls taking part in these brave acts of defiance against the Iranian regime. But as you laid out that this has been a brutal crackdown by the security forces. We've heard, from human rights groups detailing the use of tear gas, metal pellets, beatings, but also now of course, live fire ammunition being used against peaceful protestors.
And we've seen this sort of violence particularly over the weekend in the country's northwestern Kurdish region in the city of Sanandaj where we have seen, according to al one human rights group based in Iran, the use of live ammunition against those protestors over the weekend, even into the early hours of Monday morning.
Now, according to this riots group, at least five people were killed over the weekend as a result of that crackdown, including a seven- year-old child. And while it has been difficult to verify independently the death toll in Iran. We are seeing various estimates from official figures from the government to human rights groups and local journalists.
At one rights group based in Norway, Iran human rights, which has been tallying its own death toll since the beginning of these demonstrations says that it believes at least 95 people have died now in demonstrations held directly in response to the death of Mahsa Amino. Among them children of course, although it's unclear whether this figure includes the death toll of Iran security forces.
Iranian state media saying that at least 24 members of the security forces have been killed amid these protests. But look, this crackdown is continuing. And despite that, those demonstrations are still gaining momentum, being driven here really by women and girls, taking that brave stand of defiance against the regime, against the severe restrictions placed on women's rights, including the way women dressed, the wearing of the mandatory hijab, the head scarf.
But this has really grown to encompass more wide-reaching grievances held by the Iranian people. There is a growing anti-regime sentiment now across the country. And in response to that, we've heard not only from the Iranian security forces taking part in that brutal crackdown, but also in terms of the government now looking at how it can quell at the spread of information, restricting the actions of journalists, and also, of course, restricting internet access.
KINKADE: Yes, All right, Nada Bashir for us in London. Thanks for staying across it all for us.
Well, South Korea's president says North Korea has nothing to gain from nuclear weapons. That warning after Pyongyang claimed its recent missile launches and other military drills were practiced for, quote, "tactical nuclear strikes on South Korea."
[03:15:09]
CNN's Will Ripley reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Korea's missile testing blitz a staggering seven tests since September 25. CNN's tally, 25 launch events this year, an unprecedented barrage of ballistic and cruise missiles. Last week, North Korea's most powerful missile test since 2017, triggering a rare national emergency alert. Tensions skyrocketing to five-year highs.
No mention of mass missile testing on North Korean state media until now. Breaking six months of silence Monday. Calling the testing binge practice for tactical nuclear strikes on South Korea.
ANDREI LANKOV, PROFESSOR, KOOKMIN UNIVERSITY: North Korean's final goal is sort of clear. They either want to have full scale tactical and strategic nuclear weapons.
RIPLEY: A growing arsenal experts say could be used as leverage to lift crippling sanctions. State media quoting leader Kim Jong-un "nuclear combat forces are fully ready to hit and wipe out South Korean targets, including airports and potentially U.S. military bases. Threatening tens of thousands of American lives.
LEE SANG-YONG, STUDENT (through translator): I'm concerned that these continuous threats might take away our happy and safe life.
RIPLEY: Experts predict the most provocative test in half a decade may be imminent, the U.S. and allies monitoring a flurry of activity at North Korea's known nuclear test site. I traveled there in 2018 for a staged demolition. North Korea made the questionable claim all nuclear tunnels were destroyed. The secretive site now apparently restored, ready for a seventh underground nuclear test, potentially pushing a rattled region and weary world back to the brink of nuclear crisis.
Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei, Taiwan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Well, on the heels of those missile tests, North Korea is marking 77 years since the founding of the ruling Workers Party. Images from Pyongyang show people offering flowers and paying tribute beneath bronze statues of father Kim Il-sung and his son, the late leader Kim Jong-il.
Well, still to come, the European Commission president is wanting Vladimir Putin that he won't win his war on energy against the E.U.
Plus, families and friends are demanding justice for the victims of the deadly Air France plane crash in 2009. Details on the longer way to trial, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. E.U. energy ministers meeting Wednesday to discuss Europe's soaring energy costs and their next moves to manage the crisis.
[03:20:02]
Most member states agree on a gas price cap, but disagree on the details and how to make it happen. Wednesday's gathering in Prague is expected to narrow down their options as Europe heads into the winter months.
Well, the European Commission president is lashing out at Vladimir Putin for trying to use his war on energy to divide the E.U. She says he won't succeed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VON DER LEYEN: We have to protect European citizens from Putin's war on energy. Putin is strongly manipulating the energy markets. It is because of Putin and his war that the energy prices are high. Gas prices are high, electricity prices are high. That is the price he wants us to pay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Olga Khakova is the deputy director for European Energy Security at the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center. She joins me now from Istanbul. Good to have you with us.
OLGA KHAKOVA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, EUROPEAN ENERGY SECURITY, ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S GLOBAL ENERGY CENTER: Thanks so much for having me on.
KINKADE: So, you manage the Transatlantic energy initiatives. The deputy editor at Foreign Policy magazine described a generational energy crisis in Europe, noting that gas prices in Europe are now about eight times the average of the past 10 years, and about eight times more expensive than prices here in the United States, and warned that while this winter will be bad next year will be worse.
Do you agree with that assessment and what does a worst-case scenario look like?
KHAKOVA: Right. The energy crisis actually been before the war on February 24th, before the brutal attack on Ukraine. We already saw prices increasing, but of course, Russia's actions and withholding supplies, withholding natural gas supplies particularly have dramatically, drastically exacerbated the problem.
And right now, the storage level are historically high in terms of natural gas across Europe. They're at 90 percent, which is about 15 percent higher than on average in the past. But still, that will now be enough to get through the winter without some hardships, particularly for industries and households as well. In addition to this, we're also facing inflation across the economy.
We're also still facing somewhat of a recovery from COVID. There is some uncertainty around how cold the winter will be. So that, and also the demand in Asia too, because that could also pull away quite a few -- quite a bit of -- from the market.
KINKADE: And I understand E.U. energy ministers are meeting again this week. What solutions are on the table? Because it doesn't seem like there is an easy fix. How is the E.U. planning to mitigate the energy crisis this winter?
KHAKOVA: There is no easy or fast or fast fixes at the moment. But several things that have been already proposed are being finalized, are looking at ways to reduce peak our demand. Some of them are voluntary, some of them are mandated.
There's also some caps on revenues that are being introduced. This is particularly for renewable energy and the solidarity mechanisms that that addresses particularly, profits and oil in gas in order to redistribute profits that are being made and support the energy consumers.
KINKADE: Over the weekend, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen with advocating for joint energy purchases. Just explain for us what that entails and is it likely to happen.
KHAKOVA: Yes, this is being discussed. The actual technical piece of how this will be implemented on E.U. level is the biggest challenge. Because E.U. does not purchase energy. It is the different -- it is different countries and different entities and different utilities in terms of setting up a, an actual platform that will unify how energy is purchased across the E.U. That is, that is going to be a huge bulk of the discussion because it's never really been done before.
It is a huge technical challenge. And just making sure that there's a capacity and implement something like this and get it right as we're in the middle of this energy crisis. I think that that's a lot, you know, we should be paying attention to that right now, because this -- this has never been done before at this level.
KINKADE: So, Olga, does this energy crisis mean an end to Europe's climate policy goals, or could this be the time now to invest in green solutions?
KHAKOVA: Absolutely not. I think this energy crisis has reinforced the message that we must pursue both energy security and decarbonization at the same time in tandem, in ways that actually these policies, efficiencies, being really smart about how our system works, building resiliency, building out as many different suppliers as possible.
[03:25:06]
How that actually contributes to both decarbonization and energy security just by simply moving away from Russian natural gas, which is not transparent in terms of how it's produced. And the carbon intensity and going to different suppliers, you're already reducing some carbon emissions there.
Anytime you're switching, even though right now in a short term, the coal plants are being fired up. But as we, as E.U. ramps up investments in renewable energy and tries to find ways to expedite the permitting process, that will definitely contribute to decarbonization.
And anytime you switch from coal to natural gas, as Europe is building out it's FSRUs and other natural gas infrastructure. Anytime you're making that switch, you're also reducing emissions. And going back to, I just want to reinforce the efficiency. Whenever we invest in the system efficiency in making housing and making buildings more efficient, that does both. It reduces how much energy is being consumed and at the same time, it makes the system more resilient and stronger.
KINKADE: Olga Khakova from the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center, thanks so much for your time.
KHAKOVA: Thank you so much for having me on.
KINKADE: Workers at oil refineries and storage sites in France are on strike, demanding a 10 percent wage increase as inflation skyrockets. It's resulted in long lines at gas stations as people worry about a fuel shortage.
The strike has taken more than 60 percent of France's oil refining capacity offline, and resulted in many gas stations across the country running short of fuel. French lawmakers held an emergency meeting Monday. The prime minister says talks are key to resolving the situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELISABETH BORNE, PRIME MINISTER OF FRANCE (through translator): I really want everyone to join the discussions. It is through negotiations between the management and the employees' representatives that we should be able to find a solution, not by blocking the country or by paralyzing the French.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: The famous set of cave baths in eastern Hungary has fallen victim to soaring gas prices as a result of the war in Ukraine. The century's old attraction closed Monday for an indefinite period. Visitors have been bathing in the caves naturally heated water since before Roman times.
But in modern days, the temperatures are maintained by gas, especially in winter. The closure will also impact hotels and other businesses in the area that had just started recovering from a slump due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In France, a trial began on Monday for Air France and Airbus charged with involuntary manslaughter after that deadly 2009 plane crash. Relatives of the victims are demining justice and many are upset at the maximum fine that company's face if actually convicted only around 20 -- $220,000 each.
CNN's Jim Bittermann reports.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thirteen years after a crash that killed 228 people, two giants of French aviation, Airbus and Air France are back in court charged with involuntary manslaughter. They already were put under judicial investigation in 2011, but the charges were dismissed in 2019.
Now though the families and friends of those who died on Air France flight 447 traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris pressured prosecutors to take up the case once again. In order they hope to put the blame on the two companies rather than the two pilots who are now dead. After years of ocean searches and analysis of the flight recorders, the BEA, the French agency which investigates the air crashes concluded the accident occurred because of an air speed sensor failure that had occurred on the same type of aircraft before.
And because the pilots incorrectly handled the situation which evolved. The plaintiff of the case re -- maintained that the sensor problem should have been corrected and that the pilots should have been trained how to handle such circumstances.
The vice president of an association which represents the families of the victims and who lost his brother in the crash, said that this is the first time that the families will be able to confront the two companies directly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILIPPE LINGUET, VICE PRESIDENT, VICTIMS ASSOCIATION: I will say to them that they need to have some empathy with or to us. They need to understand our feeling. We lose 228 passengers. They are still in our heart. We miss them. They miss us, and we will never forget them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BITTERMANN: Airbus and Air France deny any responsibility for the crash and say that charges against them should be dropped. With nearly 500 interested parties taking part in the trial, it's expected that will last until early December.
Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris.
[03:30:00]
KINKADE: Well, still to come, how the White House is responding to Russia's wave of missile attacks across Ukraine. What we're learning about a call between the U.S. and Ukraine presidents ahead.
And Russia may claim it's gaining new territory in Ukraine, but its influence across the region is taking a hit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Lynda Kinkade. At least one person has been killed in a new Russian missile strike in the city of Zaporizhzhia. A regional official says a school and a car dealership were among the buildings hit.
This comes one day after Russia leashed a heavy bombardment of missiles and airstrikes in cities across the country. At least 19 people were killed, 105 injured. Ukraine says Russia launched at least 84 missiles Monday, but it was able to neutralize more than half of them.
Russia's assault targeted civilian infrastructure. It came two days after damage to a bridge linking Crimea to Russia dealt a major blow to the Kremlin, which is vowing more attacks.
U.S. President Joe Biden is speaking out after Russia's missile strike saying, the attacks only reinforce the U.S. commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.
CNN's M.J. Lee is following the U.S. reaction from the White House.
M.J. LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The White House has of course, been closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and the fresh attacks from Russia across the country. And on Monday, President Biden once again speaking on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
And one thing that stood out from both read -- readouts of that phone call from both sides is the acknowledgement of the importance of air defense systems. The White House readout, saying that President Biden pledge to continue providing Ukraine with advanced air defense systems, whereas, President Zelenskyy said in a tweet that air defense is currently the number one priority in our defense cooperation.
So, we'll see, whether there are going to be any new announcements from the U.S. side on additional defense system capabilities that the U.S. might be willing to provide to Ukraine, as these attacks from Russia escalate.
The president has also been clear in casting these new attacks as demonstrating what he said in the statement as utter brutality of Mr. Putin's illegal war on the Ukrainian people. So, this is a war of course that began back in February. The U.S. has of course already committed some billions and billions of dollars to help Ukraine. So, we'll see whether the attacks of the last 24 hours will in any way shape the U.S.' calculus on the ongoing security assistance that it is willing to provide to Ukraine.
[03:35:00]
M.J. Lee, CNN, the White House.
KINKADE: Well, joining me now from Kyiv is Andrii Osadchuk, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament. Thanks so much for your time today.
ANDRII OSADCHUK, MEMBER, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT: Thank you for having me here. Good evening. KINKADE: So, for hours, the missiles kept coming. Many people had to
return to bomb shelters they hadn't used in months. Give us a sense of the feeling there.
OSADCHUK: So, first of all, I would like to explain the geography of missile's attack in Kyiv for you to better understand what's happened. If to compare with New York, for example. So, the place of attack in Kyiv was something like probably Columbus Circus and near Central Park.
So, meaning that missiles strike in the heart of the city next to university building, next to the park. So, the kids' playground was destroyed in the park. So, it was a clear act of inter -- of terrorism based on all rules and tradition of the international law.
From another side it was not something unexpected. Months ago, I was speaking that the tactics of terror from one side and blackmail of the west from another side will remain Russian strategy for upcoming months, and that's exactly what we're witnessing now.
Yes, it's painful. Yes, it's difficult, but we were ready for that. And all this strikes only gives more consolidation for Ukrainians to fight.
KINKADE: It's really good to get that perspective from you as to where exactly the missile in Ukraine's capital. As you say, the heart of the city. Putin's terror has been described as barbaric, cowardly, desperate. How would you describe it?
OSADCHUK: We need to understand who is Mr. Putin. You remember this question which was asked I think, 23 years ago in Davos and since that time there was no clear answer on that. But today's reality gives us very, very clear answer that Putin is national terrorist. He's a gangster who grown up in the by streets of Leningrad. He was low level KGB officer, and he was just lucky to take his cheerer in Kremlin.
And during all these years, he converted just evil. And definitely he's threatening not only Ukraine. He's a real threat to civilization and to entire world. So that's why as more they attack us, as more they attack the west, we need to be consolidated.
More arms to Ukraine is needed. We really must as respect everything what you guys need to till the moment. But talking about protection of the sky, we lost months and months. We lost thousands of Ukrainian lives. So, for today, yes, we need more equipment to protect our sky as a big threat to Ukrainian cities.
As I am speaking to you now, I'm just looking at the report line here that explosions are in different places in the Ukraine is happening right now, meaning that Russia continue this terror in Ukrainian cities. And the only answer to that is providing more military equipment to Ukrainian army.
KINKADE: Yes, and certainly as you say those strikes continuing, but Monday, certainly those 11 targets in eight different regions that were hit was the most expansive in terms of attacks since the start of this invasion back in February. Some of the targets were playgrounds.
Putin is warning of more attacks like this. What do you expect, how do you see this next stage of this war playing out?
OSADCHUK: Honestly speaking, I see this as more panic. Kremlin looks to be extremely exhausted. Because again, if you look on all yesterday mass attack, Kremlin achieved zero military result, just nothing. So, they just committed another set of the war crimes, but always missile attack change nothing in the front line in the south and the southeast.
So, during eight months at draw, they were not able to do anything neither with the Ukrainian people, nor with Ukrainian military. Now they're trying to put all their efforts to make us scary and run away, but we didn't. We stay alive because we're not afraid and we are continuing to fight.
So, I may assume that Putin is using his last resources and all the situation and all the environment in Kremlin is extremely toxic for him.
[03:40:00]
Because I'm sure that all his friends, billionaires, they want to live long and happy life. And everything what he is Putin doing right now is absolutely against their plans. So, we may expect that all this nightmare may finish pretty soon, probably in a couple of months. But a lot of depends on the readiness of the west to act.
KINKADE: Andrii Osadchuk, we really appreciate your time. Thanks so much for joining us and we wish you all the best.
OSADCHUK: (Inaudible) here.
KINKADE: Well, the U.N. secretary general called Russia's attacks, quote, "another unacceptable escalation of the war." His comments coming as the U.N. General Assembly meet Monday -- met Monday in New York. The body voted to reject Russia's call for a secret ballot on a resolution denouncing Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian regions. A vote on that resolution is scheduled for Wednesday.
Finland's president says the west should not be offering an offramp to Russia. He says, the only end result should be a free Ukraine. But he warned this -- but he issued this warning during a news conference with the Norwegian prime minister. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAULI NIINISTO, PRESIDENT OF FINLAND: I found it very difficult to see that Putin, President Putin could acknowledge or acknowledge any kind of defeat. Is he capable for that? That's the question. And I think he's not capable of taking a defeat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: The Finnish president there. Well, this completely unprovoked war is hurting Russia's brand not just internationally but within Central Asia and even among its allies.
CNN -- CNN's Ivan Watson joins us from Hong Kong. And Ivan, you were recently very close to Russia in a country considered a former ally. What more can you tell us about what you learned about how Russia is being viewed right now.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think the carnage unleashed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine has hurt Moscow's image in what many observers say is Russia's backyard. These are former Soviet republics that have close security and economic ties to Russia who have seen the difficulties that the Russian military has had, that it has been incapable of defeating the Ukrainian military. And it has hurt Russia's image as a guarantor of stability in parts of the former Soviet Union.
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WATSON: On his 70th birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the leaders of other former Soviet republics and he called for the resolution of conflicts that erupt in the region. Of course, Putin is directly responsible for launching the biggest war in recent history in this part of the world.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine was aimed at reasserting Moscow's control over part of the former Soviet Union. Instead, this increasingly disastrous war has weakened Russia's influence across the region, including here in Central Asia.
KADYR TOKTOGULOV, FORMER KYRGYZSTAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Unless, something changes dramatically and Russia rebounds where we'll see Russia's role certainly diminishing in Central Asia for sure.
WATSON: Kadyr Toktogulov is a former ambassador to Washington from Kyrgyzstan, a small former Soviet republic with close economic and security ties to Moscow.
TOKTOGULOV: To see, you know, this kind of attack by Russia against Ukraine was certainly disorienting because it sort of, showed the things, terrible things that Russia is capable of.
WATSON: Of the leaders of the former Soviet republics, only Aleksndr Lukashenko of Belarus has publicly supported Russia's war in Ukraine. Russia conducts joint military exercises with its other four mutual defense treaty allies. But when it comes to the Ukraine war, they have all state publicly neutral, and that includes Kazakhstan.
In January, the authorities here used deadly force to crush a violent uprising that left dozens dead. Moscow answered an urgent call for help from the Kazakh government leading a deployment of troops here on a brief peacekeeping mission.
You can still see burn marks on some buildings after the violence last January. Russia came to the Kazakh government's help in its time of need, but the Kazakh president has made it clear he will not be getting involved in Moscow's war in Ukraine. As Russia's military faces more and more setbacks in Ukraine, tensions have exploded in other areas long seen as Russia's backyard. Deadly fighting raged across the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in September.
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Meanwhile, hundreds died in separate cross border clashes last month between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Moscow refused to call for military assistance from its treaty ally Armenia. And now the Armenian government is working with the European Union to negotiate a settlement.
Moscow is on the back foot due to its destructive war of choice, and that's leaving a growing power vacuum across the former Soviet Union.
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WATSON: Now, the alliance that was created amid the ruins of the Soviet Union is called the Collective Security Treaty Organization. There are six members. This is led by Russia. They were supposed to be conducting joint military exercises in Kyrgyzstan this week that were called indestructible brotherhood, but that brotherhood has taken some major hits.
The host country Kyrgyzstan canceled those exercises the night before they were supposed to begin angry at Tajikistan for cross border fighting that took place last month. So, there are serious fractures within this Russian led alliance.
Then there's the fact that these countries, these former Soviet countries are afraid of being hit by the same western sanctions that have isolated Russia since the Ukraine invasion. So that's part of why they're staying neutral.
Another real concern for them is that Russia justified its invasion of Ukraine arguing it was trying to defend ethnic Russians there, Russian speakers there. There are large Russian speaking communities in Kazakhstan and in Kyrgyzstan, and there are fears the same pretext could be used to invade those countries. Lynda.
KINKADE: Good perspective. Ivan Watson for us in Hong Kong. Thank you.
Well, in Taiwan there were festivities and a celebration of freedom as the island marked its National Day. That did not go well with China. It's not-so-subtle message is next.
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KINKADE: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been surveying the damage caused by a deadly mudslide in the country's north. Rescuers are searching for more than 50 people still missing.
The landslide on Sunday came after days of heavy rain. At least 35 people are dead and hundreds of homes have been destroyed. Meanwhile, tropical storm Julia has left at least 13 people dead in Guatemala. The country's president is urging those who live near the rivers to seek higher ground. Storm has battered much of Central America and left millions of people without power after hitting as a category one hurricane over the weekend.
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Taiwan celebrated its National Day on Monday, and China made no secret of its disapproval. Taiwan's defense ministry says Beijing sent dozens of military aircraft to the surrounding region along with several naval ships.
CNN's Selina Wang reports.
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Taiwan celebrated its National Day on Monday in a ceremony marking 111 years after the revolution that led to the collapse of China's last imperial dynasty. There was music and festivities in Taipei and a speech from Taiwan's president calling on mainland China to respect the island sovereignty.
TSAI ING-WEN, PRESIDENT OF TAIWAN (through translator): The broadest consensus among the Taiwanese people and our various political parties is that we must defend our national sovereignty and our free and democratic way of life. On this point, we have no room for compromise.
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WANG: Beijing has already pushed back on that, reiterating that it sees Taiwan as quote, "an inseparable part of China's territory." Even though the Chinese Communist Party has never controlled Taiwan, the Communist Party sees Taiwan, which is a democratically ruled island of 23 million people. CCP sees that as a breakaway province that must be reunified with the mainland even by force if necessary. Taiwan being a part of China is core to the Communist party's DNA.
Following the visit of U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in August, China has stepped up military pressure tactics on the island. On Monday, the Taiwanese defense ministry said 26 Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels have been detected in the surrounding region.
This speech from Taiwan's President also comes just days before Beijing is set to start its party Congress, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to be re anointed for an unprecedented third term.
The big question is whether Xi Jinping will give more details about Beijing's plans to reunify with Taiwan at this party Congress. Analysts say Taiwan will likely face increasing pressure from Beijing as Xi Jinping further consolidates his power.
Selina Wang, CNN, Hong Kong.
KINKADE: Well, volunteers have been building funeral pyres in Thailand to cremate the bodies of some of the victims of last week's daycare massacre. By tradition, the bodies will be burned outside of Buddhist temple.
Thirty-six people were killed, most of them young children by a former police officer armed with a gun and a knife. Well, securities wife and stepson before taking his own life.
I'm going to take a break. We'll be right back.
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KINKADE: Well, thousands of road deaths each year from unsafe driving, companies are developing new technology that could help keep you safer. But some say users' privacy is at risk.
CNN's Pete Muntean has more.
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UNKNOWN: Here we go.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: In this electric car, a lead foot can only get you so far. It's equipped with intelligent speed assistance. That means the car knows the speed limit here is 20 miles per hour, and it won't let you go above it.
MEERA JOSHI, DEPUTY MAYOR FOR OPERATIONS, NEW YORK CITY: Don't do anything. So, I'm pressing the pedal, but you see actually the numbers going down to.
Driving me is New York City Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi. The city is the first in the U.S. to try speed limiter technology in 50 of its fleet vehicles.
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JOSHI: We need to be at the forefront. There's no reason today with so much technology. And so much awareness that anybody should die at the hands of an automobile.
MUNTEAN: Federal data shows more than 20,000 deaths on our roads in the first half of this year. It is one reason why in its latest safety recommendation the National Transportation Safety Board is calling on the federal government to start incentivizing car makers to put speed limiter systems in new cars.
JOSHI: We have to remember these aren't just number. These are people who have lost their lives.
MUNTEAN New York's speed limiter program works through something called Telematics. Stored data on local speed limits is cross referenced with a car's GPS position. Software in New York's cars gives the driver an alarm.
JOSHI: Yes, there's that beep.
MUNTEAN: Or simply just cuts off the accelerator when you reach the speed limit. JOSHI: It's called a dead pedal.
MUNTEAN: This system does have an override. If you press this button, you can accelerate beyond the speed limit for 15 seconds in case you need to merge or speed up to meet the flow of traffic.
UNKNOWN: If somebody's in the fast lane driving too slow, then to me, that cause more accidents than driving faster.
UNKNOWN: It feels kind of intrusive and invasive.
UNKNOWN: I think from a regulatory standpoint, I think it might be overstepping some bounds.
KARL BRAUER, EXECUTIVE ANALYST, ISEECARS.COM: I think the average consumers is going to see this as an overreach by the government.
MUNTEAN: Industry expert Karl Brauer says it will be up to car makers to accelerate safety without putting the brakes on sales.
BRAUER: I think a move like this is certainly a sign of the future. It's a preview of coming attractions and probably an unavoidable one.
MUNTEAN: A change can't come soon enough for Juan Pulido.
JUAN PULIDO, WIFE AND KIDS DIED IN CAR ACCIDENT: I'm really hopeful they take it serious and actually do make the changes.
MUNTEAN: His wife and kids were killed by an oncoming speeding drunk driver. A crash that served as inspiration for the NTSB calling for speed limiter systems.
PULIDO: It's going to save lives. It's going to prevent more accidents from happening and less families having to go through where I'm going through.
MUNTEAN: Clearly, a lot of opinions about this and a lot of action would need to be taken before you start seeing this more widespread. New York City wants federal money to expand its trial, and the NTSB wants federal action to make it so that this is required in new cars.
Remember, just a recommendation right now from the National Transportation Safety Board. There is a requirement for this system going into place in Europe that starts next summer, July, 2023.
Pete Muntean, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Thanks for joining me. Max Foster will have much more news after a very short break. Stay with us. You're watching CNN.
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