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Kremlin Blames Russia For Drone Attacks In Russia; Russian Fighters Take Up Arms In Defense Of Ukraine; World Reacts To Reports Morality Police Being Disbanded; Croatia And Brazil Advance To Quarterfinals; State Memorial Service Held For Former Chinese President; Navigating Zero-COVID Measures While Living In Beijing. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired December 06, 2022 - 00:00   ET

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

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[00:00:11]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up this hour on CNN NEWSROOM. Deep strike, the Kremlin says two military bases hundreds of miles inside Russian territory were attacked by Ukrainian drones, potentially raising the stakes in this nine-month-long war.

Reports of the demise of Iran's morality police seem to be greatly exaggerated. Sharia law is still the law of the land.

And last respects to Jiang Zemin, the Chinese leader who danced the Cha-Cha, sang opera and welcome capitalists into the Communist Party.

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

VAUSE: Kyiv may just have put Russia and Vladimir Putin on notice. Ukraine isn't the only one vulnerable to drone strikes.

The Kremlin says two military bases deep inside Russian territory were targeted by Ukrainian drones. Visuals in Kyiv has refused to confirm or deny.

Regardless, it was a brazen, unprecedented attack.

Surveillance video recorded at early morning explosion at one base in the city of Engels, about 800 kilometers southeast of Moscow.

The explosion could be seen on another video recorded from a different angle, the huge blast lighting up the predawn sky.

The military base is home to Russia's long range nuclear capable bombers including the Tupolev 160. Russia claims to have intercepted another drone at a second airfield, adding the falling debris killed at least three people and damaged a number of planes.

Throughout this conflict, the U.S. and NATO have refused Ukraine's request for long range missiles, fearing they will be launched at targets inside Russia. It would now seem the Ukrainians have developed the capability to do just that.

Russian retaliation came quickly with a barrage of missiles fired at Ukraine's power grid. The eight such attacks since October. Cities and towns across Ukraine were left without electricity and running water with the capital Kyiv and the southern port city of Odessa among the worst affected, at least four people were reportedly killed.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says maximum efforts are underway to stabilize the grid. The damage report has been not as severe as initially feared, possibly because Ukraine's Air Force says 60 of the 70 Russian missiles launched Monday was shut down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Every Russian missile shut down is concrete proof that terror can be defeated. But we still cannot give complete security to our sky. There were several hits. Unfortunately, there are victims.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: One of the bloodiest battles of the war right now is for the city of Bakhmut in Eastern Donetsk. The city has been the target of near constant Russian shelling since May.

But in recent weeks, the Russian military began what appears to be an all-out assault, which according to Ukrainian assessments, has inflicted heavy losses on Russian forces.

And as CNN Senior International Correspondent Sam Kiley reports, many of the fighters defending Bakhmut are Russian.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Caesar (PH) is Russian. He's taking a break at a monastery from fighting Russians in nearby Bakhmut. It's a relief from scenes like this, Bakhmut's Ukrainian field hospital. He's been defending this Ukrainian town from Russia's most intense assault along an 800-mile front.

Artillery jewels and trench warfare have almost destroyed Bakhmut as Russia throws its army at a bid for victory after months of defeat to the north and south. Defending Bakhmut against his Russian motherland is a religious imperative for Caesar.

The fighting is very brutal now, he says. There are very few prisoners.

KILEY: Now, when you see those Russians in your gun sights, what do you think and what do you feel?

CAESAR: I believe that these people who have broken the law of man and the law of God. I have no pity for them. I take them prisoner if I can. But most often, I just have to kill them.

KILEY: So, have you killed a lot of your countrymen?

CAESAR: A 12-1/2.

KILEY: This is the remains of Russian orthodox monastery. Now, for Vladimir Putin, the orthodox church is absolutely central to his vision of the Russian world. For some Russians though, that's a world they don't want to live in. Indeed, they don't want it to survive.

Ukraine's orthodox church broke with Moscow three years ago. This is all that's left of a rebranded Ukrainian orthodox, St. George's monastery. After nine months of war.

CAESAR: Putin says that his defense are traditional values, yes. And this is the result of his defendant. Ruined old monastery.

KILEY: Vinnie (PH) has been fighting in Bakhmut for weeks against mercenaries from Russia's Wagner company, many of them convicted criminals.

[00:05:02]

It's obvious, he says. When private companies hire criminals and convicts, imagine, a man kills once then they put him in jail. Then he kills a second time and he becomes a repeat offender under the law. Then, he gets let out of jail and given a gun. That's not a person, that's a beast.

After a former Wagner deserter, Yevgeny Nushin, was murdered in a video that was praised by Wagner's boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vinnie (PH) is in no doubt how he would be treated if captured.

It'll be the end, 100 percent. But it'll just be more painful.

The Russian legion does claim to be in the hundreds. And it says many more, back home, are trying to join Ukraine's army. Alongside their Ukrainian allies, the Russian legion is focused on the battle for Bakhmut, the aim of the war after is more ambitious.

He says, I'm doing my military and Christian duty. I defend the Ukrainian people. And when Ukraine is free, I will carry my sword to Russia to free it from tyranny.

Sam Kiley, CNN, Dolino, Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: For more now, I'm joined by -- joined from Kyiv by Peter Zalmayev, he's the director of the Eurasian Democracy Initiative. Peter, thank you for being with us.

We had an advisor to President Zelenskyy apparently trolling the Russians after two bases were attacked, saying if the Kremlin did not study astronomy, if it had, they would know if something is launched into other country's airspace, sooner or later, unknown flying objects will return to departure point. It's all a bit cryptic, but it seems pretty obvious what they're talking about. So, assuming Ukraine is responsible for the attacks, how does this

raise the stakes, especially considering Vladimir Putin threatened to use all available means to defend Russia? And that was interpreted to include nuclear weapons.

PETER ZALMAYEV, DIRECTOR, EURASIAN DEMOCRACY INITIATIVE: Well, indeed, this is -- first of all Ukraine -- the Ukrainians have perfected this art of trolling, you know, the Russians. And this is another evidence of that, they are not taking full, direct responsibility for what happened. They're being coy about what new technology Ukraine has been able to develop.

Believe it or not, you know, there is that, you know, research and development happening on the territory of Ukraine. And some, as far as I know, have been produced, these may have been unmanned flying objects, such as drones that hit so deep inside Russia, you reported it. Somewhat 300 to 450 miles deep behind frontlines inside Russia, this is very -- a very troubling sign for the Russians, whether that would lead to any direct escalation.

I mean, you know, I think this is just kind of absurd to assume that Russia would just wage this war in the territory of Ukraine and did not expect anything to hit -- to hit it back.

You know, you get what you know, what you sow, essentially. And, you know, I wouldn't worry too much about this escalation, you know, because you have to keep in mind, Vladimir Putin has already been at pains to convince the Russians that they're at war, not with Ukraine, but they are at work with NATO.

So, if in the minds of the Russians, Russia is waging war with NATO, I mean, what more escalation can you assume?

Vladimir Putin had said, it was not a bluff, that he would strike with all the weapons to defend his territory. While you know, Ukraine has been striking, one after another after another target, once again quietly, not taking full responsibility behind front lines, this is as deep as they've ever gotten.

And Putin does not have a clear answer to that. I think the deterrence is working, he has been sent a signal by the international community, including the Chinese that the use of nuclear weapons cannot even be contemplated.

VAUSE: And back in October, you know, there was a statement by Ukraine state owned weapons manufacturers posted on Facebook, a new long range drone with a range of thousand kilometers, or about 600 miles. So maybe the strikes go even deeper still, this is significant militarily.

But what about in other ways? You know, what's the message here? What impact could this have on Putin and you know, the Russians as a population?

ZALMAYEV: Well, I think this is -- it's a -- first of all, it's a question of fairness. You know, you bring war to another country, then you expect the war to arrive at your own doorstep. It's already produced waves of concern, you know, the mayors of these towns where it's happened have scrambled to assure their populations that all is well. I wouldn't be certain that it would be an immediate threat to Vladimir Putin's regime.

But you know, if Ukraine develops enough of this technology and is able to strike. Once again, these are military targets we're talking about. Some of them apparently were launching pads, launch -- staging grounds for these planes that will take off and bomb our territory.

So, this actually could militarily significantly degrade Russia's ability to wage war against Ukraine.

[00:10:05]

As far as politically right now, the party with the population of Russia is probably less active and less courageous than the population of China. That's been -- you know, that's risen up against COVID restrictions, and even the women of Iran. Russians, you know, this is a clear, you know, demonstration of what happens to a country when you have a leader in power for 22 years, who has subverted all institutions, and instill great, great fear among his people.

VAUSE: And the response, the immediate response from Moscow was to launch the eighth attack, specifically targeting the power infrastructure in Ukraine. And what is kind of surprising that it's still functioning. It has a reduced capacity.

If anything, this last attack did not include any Iranian drones, and seems to be less effective than once before. What's happening here?

ZALMAYEV: Well, yes, it seems like they may have run out. Russians may have run out of Iranian drones. They're now negotiating apparently from what we understand a new portion of those drones from Iran, it's not certain they will get those. Then, their efficacy has also been significantly degraded. Ukrainians have learned on the go how to shot down these drones, they're pretty easy to shot down. Not all of them are though.

And even these ballistic missiles like you mentioned earlier, 60 out of 70 were shot down. This means that the Western arrived -- Western supplied anti-aircraft systems have been very effective. The Pentagon has reported in some cases 100 percent, you know, success rate, we are expecting more obviously, Pentagon has contracted to produce two more nascent systems.

And obviously, the open question remains if America will give Ukraine its Patriot system, which is hugely sophisticated, takes a long time to learn, obviously, will not help in the short run. But in the long run, we're going to be living next to this neighbor with or without, it seems like it's going to be an existential threat to Ukraine for a long time to come.

VAUSE: Peter, thank you so much for being with us. Peter Zalmayev, we really appreciate your time, sir, thank you. Well, it seems Iranian officials had no need to push back on weakened

media reports, the morality police have been disbanded. Antigovernment protesters and much of the world for that matter, didn't believe it anyway.

Nor do they believe the ruling document (PH) strict dress code like the hijab for women is under review. The U.S. is going a step further saying there's nothing to suggest around its improving its treatment of women, or ceasing a deadly crackdown on those protesters. We have more now from CNN's Melissa Bell.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It was her death in the custody of Iran's morality police in September that led to the outpouring of grief and anger that has gripped an entire country.

Demonstrations calling for justice for Mahsa Amini and for change that have now lasted for nearly three months.

Antigovernment protests led by women around the rallying cry woman, life, freedom and chants of death to the Supreme Leader.

But now signs of a possible shift in the government's hardline policy. Iran's Attorney General saying that the mandatory hijab law is now under review by the judiciary and parliament.

But Iranian state media have pushed back strongly on his comments, noting that the force is part of the Interior Ministry and not the judiciary. The Interior Ministry has not responded to CNN's requests for comment.

NEGAR MORTAZAVI, IRANIAN AMERICAN JOURNALIST: What one lawyer was saying is that the morality police has become so notorious and so -- has such a bad name that no official is willing to take responsibility for it. Essentially, this official claiming that it has been disbanded.

But what's important is that the law of the mandatory hijab which goes back to early 1980s on paper has not changed.

BELL: Speaking to CNN, women in Tehran was skeptical about the possibility of change.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the regime propaganda. They just changed the name of their forces as they did before. So, the media would announce that they have backed down then they continue all the brutal stuff they were doing.

BELL: With Iran's hardline President Ebrahim Raisi hinting on Saturday that any reform may be limited in its scope.

EBRAHIM RAISI, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Iran's Republican and Islamic foundations are constitutionally entrenched. But there are methods of implementing the constitution that can be flexible. BELL: The stance taken by several Iranian celebrities and athletes in support of the protests suggest the crucial barriers of fear of the regime may have been broken.

With a widening also of the protesters demands for more rights for women to the end of the regime itself, and a sense that any reforms it undertakes now may prove too little too late.

[00:15:06]

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The World Cup Monday all came down to a high stakes penalty shootout between 2018 runner up Croatia and Japan.

Yes, Croatia fans ecstatic winning the shootout 3-1 while the Croatian goalkeeper got three out of Japan's for penalty kicks.

Meantime, Brazilian fans even happier celebrating a big win over South Korea 4-1. Don Riddell has highlights.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The Brazilian football team arrived at this World Cup as the favorites to win it. And after Monday night's complete demolition of South Korea, who would dispute their claim to a sixth world title.

At one point, it seemed as though the number of goals they were scoring might match the name of the stadium, 974.

Brazil which is magnificent and their fans are in no doubt that another trophy is imminent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go Brazil.

RIDDELL: We knew this team was good but they were just irresistible and South Korea couldn't live with them, returning from injury Neymar made the first goal of Vinicius Jr., scored after just seven minutes before Neymar himself outfoxed the goalie with a penalty six minutes later.

Their next goal was a veritable work of art, Richarlison was juggling the ball. The passing was incisive and he's finishing lethal.

By now, they were dancing and Korean heads were spinning. When Vinicius Jr. lifted the ball for Lucas Paqueta, it was 4-0.

In the second half, Korea seemed to know they were beaten. But a stunning strike from Seung-ho Paik at least gave them a consolation prize.

Brazil hadn't won the World Cup since the 2002 tournament in Korea and Japan and both these teams went out tonight. The Japanese lost a penalty shootout to the 2018 finalist Croatia, who now have the unenviable task of playing Brazil next in the quarterfinals. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we're adding another star.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amazing match. And now we are just so free and feel like we can really win. We have the best team in the world for sure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's Brazilian football at best. I love Neymar, I love Vinicius, all the Brazilian players. It's just entertaining to watch. They're playing football, to have fun and we love to see it.

RIDDELL: Only eight different countries from two continents have won the World Cup trophy before and so far, four of them are into the quarterfinals and Spain could join them on Tuesday, a tournament of upsets is starting to look rather predictable. Back to you.

VAUSE: Here's a preview of Tuesday's World Cup action, the final matches for the round of 16. First group of champions Morocco, face off against Spain. Later Portugal take on Switzerland, but you should watch CNN.

When we come back, China pays respects to a former president. Ahead, the legacy of Jiang Zemin who helped China pivot from pariah to power player after Tiananmen Square crackdown.

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VAUSE: Welcome back, Indonesians who have sex and are not married, could soon be facing in a year in jail.

A short time ago, parliament approved a sweeping change to the criminal code. And for the record, the law will also apply to visiting foreigners. But wait, there's more. Living together before marriage is now a jailable offense. And the penalty for blasphemy, which was already considered a criminal offense now goes up to five years in prison.

Well, now to Beijing and the state memorial service for the Chinese leader who helped pave the way for China to rise from the poor man of Asia to economic superpower.

Jiang Zemin has been honored at the Great Hall of the People. He took over the leadership after the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989. Ruled as president until 2003.

The current President Xi Jinping praised Jiang's lofty spirit and called him a great proletarian revolutionary. State media reports Jiang died of leukemia and organ failure last week. He was 96 years old. Chinese leaders visited his body earlier at a military hospital before he was cremated.

CNN's Beijing Bureau Chief Steven Jiang covering this formal goodbye. He joins us live from the Capitol.

Steven, he was so larger than life in so many ways. How has he been remembered on this day and his legacy? How has it sort of play into what's happening in the moment?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF (on camera): Yes, John, Xi Jinping certainly pulled out all the stops to send Jiang Zemin off with the highest honors showering the former leader with praise, as you mentioned at the memorial service, at the Great Hall of people.

But even before that, there was several ceremonies held in his honor. After his death last week, one in Shanghai and two here in Beijing, attended by Xi himself and other former and current senior Chinese leaders.

And Xi and his wife actually went to the Beijing Airport last week to receive Jiang's casket and his family members from Shanghai.

There are some very rare display of emotions on Xi 's part actually at some of these events, including him embracing tightly Jiang's eldest son and appear to be consoling him and other family members.

At another point, Xi can be seen putting up the blanket on Jiang's widow when they were waiting outdoors in Beijing's bitter cold weather.

Now, all of that was very notable because Chinese leaders as you know, usually a very tightly scripted, very stoic.

Remember not long ago, at the closing session of the Communist Party Congress in October, Jiang's successor and Xi's predecessor, another top leader Hu Jintao was unceremoniously led out the meeting room.

And when that happened, all the several hundred senior leaders seated on the stage, almost none of them display any emotion. So that kind of apathy was very much noted.

Even though state media insisted it was due to Hu's poor health that doesn't seem to very convince a lot of people. But Hu Jintao did show up at one of those events as well to pay his final respects to Jiang. And it was actually one of the only leaders seen shaking hands with Jiang's widow.

But of course, as you know, all of these are highly choreographed events. The display of emotions and reactions may be genuine or spontaneous. But the fact they actually showed up in state media coverage does seem to be a message from the party about its unity and about its humanity.

This, of course, is all the more important after the recent protests that erupted across the country with some demonstrators even calling for the ouster of a Xi Jinping and the party.

I think Xi of course now can afford to show his softer side also because of its undisputed absolute control over his party, not to mention, despite all the talk about Xi Jinping, eviscerating his rivals within the party, including factions had it once headed by Hu and Jiang.

At the end of day, it's worth remembering Jiang Zemin did play an instrumental role in putting him where he is as China's current top leader, John.

VAUSE: Anyone who thinks that there's no politics, no pressure on Chinese politicians. It's just a different kind of pressure, it's a much higher bar. Steven, thank you. Steven Jiang live for us in Beijing.

Tough COVID restrictions in some Chinese cities are being rolled back after months of public outcry. Beijing, Shanghai, other cities previously relax the need for negative COVID tests to ride public transit and loosened restrictions further on Tuesday.

CNN's Selina Wang takes us through what a regular day in Beijing has been like up until now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This is the kind of line Beijingers stand in, outside in the cold to get their COVID tests. A 48-hour test is required to get into most places.

But there aren't many places to go. Much of Beijing is still closed down. This is one of the most popular tourist places in the city. But the restaurants are largely closed and the malls are pretty empty.

[00:25:04]

So, this McDonald's is still open but for takeaway only. But even to get takeaway, you've got to prove that you're clear of COVID.

Here's how I do it. I open up the health app on my smartphone, I scan the Q.R. code.

So, it says, I've got a green code, and I've got a recent COVID test, so I'm good to go. This code dictates all of our daily lives in China. Green means good to go. Red means I may have to isolate at home or go to a mass quarantine facility. This allows China to track the movements of virtually all 1.4 billion people in the name of contact tracing.

I've got to scan my code to get into a taxi, a public park, a mall, or a coffee shop. Even a public bathroom.

I ran into a group of delivery people on the street. They've got to do COVID tests every single day to do their jobs.

This woman tells me the pandemic has been hard on her. I ask her why. She says it's because she's scared of the virus.

Getting COVID in China is unlike anywhere else in the world. You and your close contacts all get sent to a quarantine center. This is a convention center in Beijing that's been turned into a massive quarantine facility with thousands of beds.

But some of these facilities in the country, they are in very run-down and unsanitary condition. And then your whole building or community could go into lockdown. I spoke to a man who's been in and out of quarantine six times already just this year. He tells me his whole building of more than 200 families went to a quarantine facility last month, because they were considered close contacts. He says he's not scared to get COVID because omicron is less severe and his whole family has been vaccinated.

I approached a few people just released from this mass quarantine center here. I ask if they had tested positive for COVID. Yes, the man nods and says they have recovered. How many days did you spend in there, I asked. Seven days, he said.

Unprecedented protests recently erupted across China.

They are chanting that they don't want COVID tests, they want freedom. Authorities swiftly cracked down on the protesters. But they are finally softening their stance on zero COVID. Some cities are lifting lockdowns, changing COVID testing requirements under some conditions people can now quarantine at home if they have COVID, which is a huge deal.

But this country has already built up a whole infrastructure around zero COVID, spending all of its resources on quarantine facilities and COVID testing. So it's going to be a long and slow exit from zero COVID.

Selina Wang, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: We'll take a break. When we come back, there's now a price cap on Russian oil. Kremlin is not happy. But what are they going to do about it? Latest in just ahead.

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

[00:30:23]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited a key bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula to Russia, two months after it was badly damaged by an explosion.

In images released by Russian state media, Mr. Putin can be seen driving along the Kerch Route (ph) Bridge. His deputy prime minister, driving in another car alongside.

And, he also walks, as well, stopping to speak with workers.

The bridge was severely damaged in October when a fuel tank exploded. Russia blamed Ukraine for the blast, saying it was an act of sabotage.

Price caps on Russian oil are now reality, but the response from Moscow: ignore. The E.U., G7 and Australia agreed to impose a $60 cap on a barrel of Russian oil. The move is meant to cut billions of dollars of revenue that's helped pay for Putin's war of choice in Ukraine.

More details now from CNN's Clare Sebastian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Moscow's next move is the major variable as the world watches to see how this oil price cap plays out. The cap is essentially a ban on countries accessing E.U. or G-7 insurance or shipping services, if they pay over a certain amount for Russian oil.

As it has done for months, Kremlin promised Monday it would not recognize the E.U. and G7 price cap on its oil exports, and it said it was preparing a response.

Now, of course, Russia does have a track record when it comes to cutting off its own fossil fuel exports to hurt Ukraine's allies. It's done so with some gas supplies to Europe.

But oil is a much bigger revenue driver for Russia, and more important than ever right now as sanctions eat into the rest of the economy. That is why the level of the cap was such a delicate balance.

Because on the one hand, the whole point of this is to reduce the oil revenues funding Russia's war chest. Russian Urals (ph) crude has been trading at, or close to, or below the cap recently set.

But now, the impact should be limited, but the cap will be regularly reviewed and could be set lower in the future.

Well, the reason for setting it at this level of $60 is because the West does not want Russia, the world's second biggest oil producer, to stop exporting oil to some customers and cut production. That would lead to destabilizing price hikes, when the world is already grappling with sky-high inflation.

Well, Russia is likely already looking, as well, for loopholes in the scheme. There are reports that it's been amassing of shadow fleet of tankers, so it doesn't need to rely on Western companies.

But along with an E.U. embargo on Russian seaborn oil that also came into force Monday, this is still the biggest set of energy sanctions On Russia, since the start of the nine-month-old war and one that has the potential, at least, to hit Russia's biggest source of funding

Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: South Africa's ruling party is standing by their embattled president. The African National Congress, or ANC, plans to vote against approval of a report into alleged corruption by Cyril Ramaphosa. That is if it comes to a vote in Parliament on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL MASHATILE, ACTIN SECRETARY GENERAL, AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS: The ANC did not take a decision that the president should step down.

Are we taking the country's interest at heart when we do this? Yes, we do. We do, because we've weighed everything.

Let the president continue with his responsibilities, until such time that all these processes requires that he can continue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The report deals with the ongoing scandal linked to the theft of more than $500,000 cash from Ramaphosa's private game farm in 2020.

Lawyers for the president have asked the country's highest court to dismiss this report.

In the coming hours, voters in the U.S. state of Georgia will head to the polls to cast their ballots in what's seen as a high-stakes run- off election that will determine who wins the final seat in the U.S. Senate.

Ahead of that, incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock, and his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker, made their closing pitch to voters.

CNN's Eva McKend reports from Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVA MCKEND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Georgia Senate runoff in its final hours.

SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): Hello, Georgia Tech.

HERSCHEL WALKER (R), GEORGIA SENATORIAL NOMINEE: Tomorrow is a big day.

MCKEND (voice-over): The candidates rallying their core supporters to vote for them once again.

WARNOCK: Don't y'all have exams?

MCKEND (voice-over): Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock, focusing Monday on turning out younger voters, campaigning with Gen Z Congressman-elect Maxwell Frost.

MAXWELL FROST (D), GEORGIA CONGRESSMAN-ELECT: We know that young people don't make up the biggest voting bloc right now. But we are the bloc that matters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator Warnock, why this emphasis on young voters in these crucial final hours?

WARNOCK: Young people have little tolerance for inauthenticity. They keep me inspired. They keep me on my toes. And I'm proud of the ways in which the young people all over Georgia are showing up.

MCKEND (voice-over): Republican challenger Herschel Walker hitting five campaign stops, with a focus on deep red north Georgia.

WALKER: You can know you've got a champion in Herschel Walker. You always have a champion in me, because I love y'all. And we're going to win this election and get Georgia back together.

MCKEND (voice-over): Tuesday's fiercely contested runoff coming after neither candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote during November's general election.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is a sense of accomplishment to come in and get it done early.

MCKEND (voice-over): Both campaigns now laser-focused on turning voters out Tuesday after early voting ended with over 1.8 million ballots being cast, including a one-day record of more than 350,000 last Friday.

WARNOCK: Are you ready to do this one more time?

MCKEND (voice-over): As the candidates make their closing arguments, both campaigns up with new TV ads, making a final push to get out the vote. Warnock touting his work ethic and dedication to serving Georgians, arguing, the race is primarily about competence and character.

GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R), GEORGIA: Who's more motivated? Is it them or us?

MCKEND (voice-over): While Walker enlists the help of recently reelected Georgia governor, Brian Kemp, to make the case for his campaign. The former football star argues he would be a necessary check on President Joe Biden.

Democrats have more than doubled Republican ad spending for the runoff, 5.1 million to 25.8 million as the parties square off for one final Senate showdown of the 2022 midterm election.

WALKER: So, who all has voted already?

And who all has got to vote tomorrow?

WARNOCK: Call Lottie, Dottie and everybody. Tell them it's time to vote.

MCKEND: Senator Warnock ending his campaign in Atlanta. Herschel Walker's final event in Kennesaw. Walker telling his supporters to get out and vote one more time.

Senator Warnock cautioning his supporters against getting too over- confident, reminding them that just because the early vote numbers look good for Democrats doesn't mean that Herschel Walker doesn't have a path to victory. A real recognition that this race is going to be incredibly close.

Eva McKend, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And as always, CNN will have special coverage of the Georgia run-off. It's set to start 4 p.m. Eastern Time Tuesday, later today.

Buckle up, royal watchers, for a glimpse of a TV event that promises to rock Buckingham Palace this week. More on Harry and Meghan docuseries, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: A much-anticipated docuseries on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex hits Netflix this week. The first three episodes of the series, called "Harry and Meghan," will be released Thursday. The next three, following a week later.

The couple say the program will be the full truth, the full truth about the pressures they faced and their ultimate decision to step back from the royal spotlight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[00:40:10]

PRINCE HARRY, UNITED KINGDOM: There's a hierarchy of the family. You know, there's leaking, but there's also planting of stories.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a war against Meghan to suit other people's agendas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's about hatred. It's about race.

PRINCE HARRY: It's a dirty game.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Well, the young married couple, just starting out in life, need to have an income. And fortunately, Harry and Meghan have a multi-year content deal with Netflix.

Italy is filled with historic landmarks: the Coliseum and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, St. Mark's Square in Venice, just to name a few. But historians are now chronicling one of the darkest chapters in the country's history. Local landmarks from the fascist rule of Benito Mussolini.

CNN's Ben Wedeman has details.

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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Benito Mussolini and his fascist party are long gone. His favorite balcony, overlooking Rome's Piazza Vinnytsia, is now just a balcony.

Yet the fascist era left a lasting mark on Italy's landscape. Now documented in a new online database listing more than 1,400 sites linked to Italy's fascist past.

Over the last four years, historian Lucia Chece (ph) worked with others to catalog the sites.

"Our idea is even more important, at a time like this," she tells me, "because it raises awareness and helps the circulation of anti-fascist antibodies."

Those antibodies have yet to kick in, with a new far-right government in power here, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who, in her youth, was a Mussolini admirer. She now insists fascism is history.

Rome certainly isn't short of landmarks that hearken back to those days.

WEDEMAN: After the fall of Italy's fascist regime, and the end of the Second World War, busts and statues of Mussolini were removed. Other monuments from that era, however, have been left untouched.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Many here don't hide their appreciation for what fascism left behind, if not fascism itself. There's no point in cleaning up history, says the culture ministry's Victorio Scalpi (ph).

"Fascist architecture is the last recognizable style of Italian architecture," he says. "There's no Christian Democrat, no socialist, no communist architecture. There is only horrific architecture of speculation, of brutal capitalism, that destroyed the landscape and the environment."

While postwar Germany went through a thorough process of denazification, Italy emerged from World War II and didn't look back. And even now, a whiff of nostalgia lingers here for the days when the trains ran on time.

"This idea that, in the end, fascism did some good things is something you often hear in Italy," says historian Lucia Chece (ph).

At Rome's Foro Italico, previously known as the Foro Mussolini, or Mussolini's Forum, statues the dictator commissioned still watch over athletes in training. The past, blemishes and all, is never far away.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: I'm John Vause, back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM. But first, WORLD SPORT starts after a short break. I'll see you in 16 minutes.

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