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Ukraine: At Least 19 Killed, 105 Hurt in Monday's Attacks; Russian Missiles Hit Power Plants, Bridges, Playground; Biden Pledges Continued U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine; Former White House Aide Cooperating with Prosecutor in George Election Probe; Key Republicans Rally Behind Walker Amid Abortion Scandal. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired October 11, 2022 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. Coming up on the program.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It likely was something they had been planning for quite some time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is only one terrorist here and that Mr. Putin and the Russian forces.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the war for the existence of Ukraine. This is the war for the existence of international law.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The entire world has once again seen the true face of the terrorist state that kills our people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The war in Ukraine should have been never started.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster.

FOSTER: It is Tuesday, October 11th. 9 a.m. here in London, 11 a.m. in Kyiv.

People across Ukraine on the verge after the heaviest Russian bombardment since Vladimir Putin's Russian forces invaded back in February. Ukraine reports at least 19 people have been killed, more than 100 others wounded. And many of the strikes like this one caught on video. And just in the past few hours we've received reports that one person was killed in a new missile strike on Zaporizhzhia. The U.S. says it believes Monday's attacks were planned far in advance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, NSC COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: When you look at the size and scale here of these missile and drone attacks, more than 80 reportedly, that's not the kind of things the Russians can just throw together in a couple of days. It likely was something that they had been planning for quite some time. Now that's not to say that the explosion on the Crimea bridge might have accelerated some of their planning, I don't know that. But more than likely this was something not in retaliation but really was something very much a continuation of Putin's designs over the last several weeks to target specifically Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Ukraine says its military needs more advanced weapons to take on Russia in the U.S. and Germany have pledged more military aid. Meanwhile, Russia is warning Washington and its European allies that giving Kyiv more weapons would be crossing a red line. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his people will not be intimidated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The occupiers cannot oppose us on the battlefield and that is why they resort to this terror. Well, let's make the battlefield even more painful for the enemy and we will restore everything that was destroyed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: More now on the deadly attacks from CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice-over): This was the day the war came back to all of Ukraine. The capital Kyiv, like many cities for months edging towards normal hit by multiple missile strikes. Carnage at rush hour. Central streets hit. Target unclear. The aim, utter horror. Over 100 missiles and drones. The civilian death toll rising along with global fury. That there was nothing the Kremlin would not hit.

Even this Kyiv walkway to save face from endless losses and the weekend blast that hit another bridge between Russia and Crimea. Russian President Vladimir Putin gloating at his precision strikes, disconnected it seems from who really gives heard in this war. Yet promising more ahead if Ukraine replied.

In terms of the further act of terrorism or territory of Russia, he said, the Russian reply will be harsh and corresponding to the level of threat to the Russian Federation, have no doubt about it.

For a few hours this morning almost all of Ukraine's critically injuring five.

WALSH: Well, you can see the utter ferocity of the explosion here by the hole one of the two rockets made. But it's also a curious question as to why this was, indeed, the target. It seems like this telecom facility was unused at the time it was struck but also to the callous disregard for human life being shown. [04:05:04]

All of these apartment blocks just within the blast radius.

WALSH (voice-over): This woman said she ran her two children back into the kitchen in the minutes between the two missiles. Homes here gone and winter ahead made worse by the power cuts the missiles caused, however fast recovery is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is terrible. It is a crime against civilians.

WALSH (voice-over): Anger here some fear but also resilience echoed by Ukraine's president.

There may be temporary blackouts, he said, but our confidence, the confidence in our victory will never have a blackout. Why these particular strikes? The enemy wants us to get scared, wants us to run. We can only run forward and demonstrate that at the battlefield.

Russia's brutality was always a known quantity, but Ukraine's stubborn resistance still surprises. This day sharing a video of a soldier shooting down a missile with a shoulder launch rocket. A David who wants more advanced arms to defend itself from a weakened Goliath. A call for this rare and chilling moment of terror across the country will only amplify.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Dnipro, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Salma Abdelaziz joins me now here in London with the very latest developments. We're looking ahead to this G7 meeting where they're expected to respond to Russia's attack in particular.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, just about 24 hours after this barrage of missiles and rockets hit multiple cities across Ukraine killing 19 people, wounding dozens you're going to see G7 leaders meeting today. They're going to start with an address from President Zelenskyy himself. And you can bet that the first thing he's going to ask for, Max, is air defense systems. He's going to say, look, we took out about over half I think of the projectiles that were lobbed at Ukraine by Russia yesterday but we can take out more. We can save more lives if you or our allies give us more air defense systems. That's going to be at the top of the agenda that request.

And we already know that President Zelenskyy had a conversation yesterday with President Biden where he indicated that those air defense systems might be provided. So, we're going to find out more about that.

But there's another question here. Right, Max, is what happened yesterday was terrifying. It was "shock and awe" for civilians across Ukraine. It showed a sense of sort of strength and retaliation from the Kremlin but what it did not do is it did not change the outcome on the battlefield. It did not change the fact that Russia had lost thousands of square miles of territory to Ukrainian lightning counteroffensive in the last couple of months. So, the question is this a strategy of desperation to sort of inflict a mass civilian suffering in the absence of being able to gain ground on the battlefield, -- Max.

FOSTER: In terms of what you saw yesterday, you talked about how this is a tactic has been used before, presumably in previous conflicts as well. So, this in a way wasn't unexpected.

ABDELAZIZ: It's not unexpected and if you look at the beginning of this conflict, if you look at a city like Mariupol, which I think has been a symbol of this very brutal medieval style tactic that you see the Russian military use at times, which is a sort of level everything, bomb every building.

You look at now satellite images of Mariupol, that city again one of the first to really bear the brunt of Russia's military might. It's almost level. Something like over 90 percent of the city is destroyed. It didn't matter if it was civilian or not civilian. At some point families there were saying anything that moved, anything that lived, anything that breathed was a target.

And I think that's what Ukrainian families fear so much is that turn to ever more brutal, ever more indiscriminate attacks in the face of a loss on the battlefield. In the face of also losing precision weapons. You have to remember that which means more and more indiscriminate weapon strikes.

FOSTER: Salma, thank you. We'll watch that meeting happening later today.

Ukraine's foreign minister says his militaries counteroffensive recapturing territory across the country will continue despite the Russian bombardment.

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DMYTRO KULEBA, UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: 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.

INNA SOVSUN, PEOPLE'S DEPUTY OF UKRAINE: It was not the panic that we have seen in March. Because everybody knew that this was to happen. This is part of the reality. This is part of our resistance and our job right now is to survive, to make sure that we are safe and to get back to the fight.

OKSANA MARKAROVA, UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: They will have to accept this defeat. They cannot conquer a peaceful nation that doesn't want to live under occupation.

[04:10:02]

We've had enough and I think they just have to face the reality that regardless of what they do to us, we mourn, it's very painful. We mourn every loss and it's devastating. Regardless of how painful it is, we will not surrender. It only makes us more determined to defend our country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: U.S. President Joe Biden speaking out after Russia's missile attacks, as Salma was saying, saying the attacks only reinforce the U.S.'s commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes. CNN's MJ Lee is following the U.S. reaction from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MJ LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The White House has of course been closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and 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 readouts from that of that phone call from both sides is the acknowledgment of the importance of air defense systems.

The White House readout saying that President Biden pledged 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 a 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.'s calculus on the ongoing security assistance that it is willing to provide to Ukraine.

MJ Lee, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Join us later tonight. President Biden talks exclusively with CNN's Jake Tapper. The interview begins at 9 p.m. in New York and Washington. That's on Jake's new primetime show "CNN TONIGHT WITH JAKE TAPPER."

Now an historic trial is set to resume in the hours ahead related to the January 6th attack of the U.S. Capitol. Five alleged members of the far right group, the Oath Keepers, have been charged with seditious conspiracy. All have pleaded not guilty. Both the defense and prosecution spent the first week of the trial working to shape the narrative around what the group was planning ahead of the January 6th insurrection. An Atlanta area prosecutor investigating Donald Trump's efforts to

overturn the 2020 election has secured cooperation from a former Trump White House aide. CNN's Sara Murray has the details on this witness.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: We are learning about a new cooperator in the Georgia probe into efforts that Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election. Sources telling us that Cassidy Hutchinson, a former Trump White House aide, a former top aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is cooperating with prosecutors in Georgia in their investigation. And her cooperation could be important.

Prosecutors in Georgia are still trying to get testimony from Mark Meadows, Trump's former White House Chief of Staff, but they haven't been able to secure it yet. Hutchinson meanwhile was very close to Meadows. She may have information not just what she saw in the West Wing around the 2020 elections but also Meadows dealing specifically with Georgia. You know, he was a person who was on the call with former President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger when Trump asked Raffensperger to find the votes to overturn the 2020 election.

She also may have insights about Meadow's surprise visit to a Georgia ballot counting site. So that, and plus we don't know what we don't know. She could have insights beyond that that could be useful to Georgia prosecutors. They're looking to wrap it up their probe pretty quickly after the midterms. And sources tell us that the district attorney there could begin issuing indictments as early as December.

Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Newly released emails debunk Donald Trump's attempts to blame federal workers for packing classified documents into boxes that ended up in Mar-a-Lago. The emails reveal that General Services Administration had asked a Trump aid to confirm what was being shipped to Florida and the boxes had already been packed when the GSA picked them up. CNN's Kristen Holmes explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: GSA did move those boxes down to Florida but take a look at these pictures. You can see them here. They are shrink wrapped. They are sealed up. They are clearly not accessible in any way. This is what the GSA arrived to, these pictures, these palates here all crated together, all enclosed when they came to move these boxes.

We actually know about these pictures because Trump aids sent them to the GSA so that they would know what was going where, what was going to different areas of Florida.

[04:15:00] So, this clearly disputes this claim.

Now there are other -- two other things that have been pretty interesting that we saw in these documents. One being the timeline. All of these emails have dates on them and it shows us that while these emails are going back and forth and while these boxes were sitting sealed up in an empty office building in Virginia, this was happening at the same time that the Archives was starting to raise concerns about where some of these presidential records are. So, there is no conversation about documents in any of the back and forth in these emails.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Well, closing arguments are scheduled to begin later today in the case of admitted school shooter Nikolas Cruz meanwhile. Cruz has already pled guilty to killing 17 people at a high school in the Miami suburb of Parkland Florida. The closing arguments are for the sentencing phase of the trial. Cruz was 19 years old when he went on a shooting rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. The jury will deliberate whether Cruz should receive life in prison or the death penalty.

The superintendent of the Uvalde, Texas school district is retiring five months after the deadly elementary school shooting there. Hal Harrell has been under scrutiny since a gunman killed 19 students and 2 teachers back in May. Harrell introduced new safety measures for the school year but some parents demanded he step down. Just last week the district suspended its entire police force over the way they handled the shooting.

A grim warning from American economists who predict major job losses are on the way.

Plus, key Republicans are rallying behind U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker despite the abortion scandal surrounding him.

And meteorologist Britley Ritz tells us why millions across the U.S. will be reaching for their sweaters this week.

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Frost advisories and freeze warnings are in effect for much of new England. That's just round one. We're waiting for the second front to come on through. When that arrives and how cold we'll get with it in just a few minutes.

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FOSTER: In less than a month Americans will vote in a crucial midterm election that determines which party controls Congress as well as state and local offices. In Georgia early voting is just a week away now. And he Republican leaders are spending the final days I had of the election rallying behind U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker. He's been caught up in an abortion scandal. CNN's Eva McKend has the details. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER (voice over): With just one week to go before early voting begins in Georgia, the Republican establishment going all-in for Herschel Walker. Florida Senator Rick Scott, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton will stump for Walker in Carrollton, Georgia.

I'm proud to stand with Herschel Walker and make sure Georgians know he will always fight to protect them from the forces trying to destroy Georgia values and Georgia's economy. Scott said in a statement announcing the visit.

The GOP show of support comes as Walker, who is staunchly opposed to abortion rights, confronts reports he paid for an ex-girlfriend to get an abortion and urged the woman to end this second pregnancy two years later. CNN has not been able to independently verify the allegations. Walker has repeatedly denied them.

SENATE CANDIDATE HERSCHEL WALKER (R-GA): The abortion thing is false, it's a lie, and that is what I said.

MCKEND (voice-over): With control of the U.S. Senate up for grabs, there are few signs Republicans are reconsidering their support for the GOP nominee.

REP. DON BACON (R-NE): Herschel needs to come clean and just be honest. We also know that we all make mistakes.

MCKEND (voice-over): For his part, Walker's opponent, Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, continues to avoid directly attacking his GOP rival over the allegations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Herschel Walker though has continued to deny these allegations are true. Why shouldn't Georgia voters believe it?

SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): It is up to Georgia voters. And it is not up to him, it's not up to me, it is up to them. My opponent has trouble with the truth. And we'll see how all of this plays out.

MCKEND (voice-over): Georgia Republicans don't think the controversy will hurt Walker even if more developments emerge in the coming weeks.

JAY WILLIAMS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: The Democrats have based their campaign on mental health issues that he actually expressed and talked about in his book and are attacking him for stuff he made public years ago before he was even a political candidate.

MCKEND (voice-over): In a display of their commitment to Walker, the National Republican Senatorial Committee diverting additional resources to Georgia. The organization had originally planned to spend in New Hampshire, home to another Senate battleground. A super PAC run by allies of former President Trump have also reserved nearly $1 million in Georgia to boost Walker. This as Democrats wait and see what impact, if any, the allegations will have among voters in the state.

FRED HICKS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: We have to get a sense of, A, do people care, B, to -- what do they care about? Do they care that he paid for an abortion, or is it really again the authenticity argument? So, I think after this week, when people complete their polls and surveys, you'll see the change of strategy for both Republicans and Democrats.

MCKEND: Walker also fundraising off this scandal. An email went out to supporters that says, first they did it to Clarence Thomas, now they're doing it to me. The former NFL star asking for donations to help him, in his words, clear the record.

Eva McKend, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: If you are watching in the U.S. right now, check the temperature on your phone before you go to work or school today. Because more than a million Americans are under cold weather alerts this morning. Meteorologist Britley Ritz joins us Now from the Weather Center. Hi, Britley.

RITZ: Good morning, yes, Max, we have frost advisories and freeze warnings in effect for parts of New England -- 3 million people across parts of New England under some sort of cold weather alert. Where temperatures as you wake up and head out the door in the upper 20s and low 30s. Our first little taste of fall. That's the first taste. Wait until the next round comes into play later this week.

So, here we are with the next front. Watching that come across the upper Midwest here in the upcoming days pushing through the Ohio Valley. But what we're really focused on here would be that second front that's trying to stall down into Florida. That brings in rain chances.

[04:25:00]

All right, so we get a small warmup in between each front making our way back into the 70s in Pittsburgh. Same for us here in New York, in Boston for a short time. But late this week we're talking Friday and into Saturday you'll notice that next front setting in. That cold Canadian air will take over. So, hi temperatures today in Burlington 62, average roughly around 61. So, we're just a few degrees above normal. Enjoy that warm spell while we have it. Because below normal temperatures will kickback in over the next seven days.

We talked about that stalled boundary. That was the first front that gave us our first little taste of fall. That's stalling out over Florida now. And that of course, with the heat of the day allows for fuel to provide more storms through the afternoon. And not a good situation because some of these areas picked up roughly 10 to 20 inches of rain with Ian over the past two weeks. And now here we are with another four inches of rain possible. Up to six possible in some of these locations. Which, of course, has now caused the grounds to be completely saturated and the rivers to start backing up. St. John's River near to land that's closer to Orlando. Right now,

sitting at 6.3 feet. It's still expected to rise at 6.4 feet. And with that holds as a major state, so a lot of this water is spilling over the banks coming into some homes and covering roadways. So, just a friendly reminder don't drive through water, turn around, find a different route. You don't know how deep it is -- 12 inches of moving water. That's all it takes to lift your vehicle off the ground. So, watch for the water and the heavy rain across Florida and also the jacket it's going to get much colder -- Max.

FOSTER: It was frosty here as well today. Meteorologist Britley Ritz, thank you so much for joining us.

Still ahead, possible criminal charges for a Texas police officer. Details on the parking lot shooting that sparked outrage and disbelief.

And major U.S. banks are warning a recession is approaching but when and how severe will it be?

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