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CNN International: Russian Ministry of Defense: Soledar has been "Liberated"; CNN Team Close to Soledar Report Ongoing Fire and Fairly Organized Pull Back of Ukrainian Troops; Biden Faces Special Counsel Probe over Classified Documents; Three-Year Long Drought Devastating Tunisia's Economy; Investigation into Possible Police Involvement in Riots. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired January 13, 2023 - 08:00   ET

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

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MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Hello, welcome to CNN "Newsroom". I'm Max Foster in London. Just ahead, the Russian Defense Ministry says the Ukrainian town of Soledar has been "Liberated", Ukraine refutes that claim, and we'll have the latest. Then a life spent under the spotlight from the very beginning.

We'll remember that life and legacy of Lisa Marie Presley, singer and daughter of the legendary Elvis Presley. And Brazil's Federal Police say they found a draft of a document intended to overturn the result of the elections. That was whilst they were searching the home of a Minister under Jair Bolsonaro's government.

Well, the Russian Ministry of Defense says it has "Liberated" the town of Soledar. But one Ukrainian official is refuting that claim and says fighting there is ongoing. A CNN team outside the Eastern Ukrainian town is see what appears to be a fairly organized pullback of Ukrainian forces.

The battle has been brutal, with heavy losses on both sides. One Ukrainian soldier describes the dire situation telling CNN his unit has run out of food is nearly out of water and troops have been abandoned. The capture of Soledar would mark the first significant victory for Russian forces in Ukraine in months. CNN's Scott McLean joins us now live from Kyiv if it does appear, the Ukrainians are pulling back.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so Max, I've actually got some brand new information. I literally 10 minutes ago just got off the phone with a Ukrainian soldier who just as of yesterday was in the area of Bakhmut and Soledar. And obviously continues to be in touch with other troops who are still in the city or around the city.

And this is what he told me, he said that the Ukrainian troops continue to hold on to just some buildings on the periphery of the town. So they have more of a toehold on a very small part of the town. But he concedes that the vast majority of the town is in fact held by the Russians. But he says that, frankly, the Ukrainian goal was never to hold on to Soledar at all costs, because frankly, it's not that strategically important of a town. It doesn't have these kinds of natural defenses that other places like Bakhmut has. And so it's not all that big of a prize militarily.

He says that the goal from the Ukrainian point of view was to hold on as long as possible and in the process, kill as many Russian troops and Wagner mercenaries as they possibly could. And he says by that measure of success, this, the Ukrainians did pretty well. He said that the Ukrainian jets were involved in striking Russian positions.

But by and large, this was house to house street fighting that was taking place in Soledar. And now he says that the withdrawal that is taking place is orderly. There's no kind of panic or anything like that and that is backed up by our own Ben Wedeman, who, as you mentioned, is very close to Soledar, just a couple of kilometers outside the city and he described the same thing and orderly withdrawal of Ukrainian troops to positions beyond that.

The Russians are telling a different story. They say that not only is the town under Russian control, according to the Ministry of Defense. They also say that Russians have managed to use jets, airstrikes to cut off supply lines for the Ukrainians and also cut off their routes to actually withdraw.

Case in point yesterday, we spoke to a different Ukrainian soldier who believed that his window to withdraw was also closing. So it is possible that there may be, again may be emphasis because the fog of war makes it difficult to know anything for certain. But it's possible that there could be some Ukrainian troops who may have gotten stuck it through this withdrawal process, but we don't know for certain.

And now the Russian say that look, it is possible to also cut off supply routes to Bakhmut, the more strategically important town in the area now that they have captured Soledar. But this Ukrainian soldier that I just spoke to, Max, says that look, he doesn't think that the Russians are after Bakhmut at the moment he thinks they're after Kramatorsk. He thinks that's their next prize on the battlefield.

FOSTER: OK, Scott in Kyiv, thank you very much indeed. The Russian Ministry of Defense says it has liberated the town of sold up Ukraine saying the claim isn't true. As Scott was saying Ben Wedeman is near, by with his team.

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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): We're in a trench just about 2.5 miles or 4 kilometers from the front from Soledar. All right now the situation in Soledar at this point is not altogether clear. Ukrainian officials say they still hold part of it speaking to the soldiers, it's a mixed story.

Some of them say it's either fallen or it's about to fall. Others say they still are making minor advances inside. What's interesting in these forward positions, we spoken to many of the soldiers, they're fairly confident, and morale seems surprisingly high, given the situation.

They're confident that they can hold these positions a rear position, but what appears to be going on is an organized pull out from the town of Soledar. We've been watching as they've been firing mortars in the direction of Russian positions and rockets, as well.

You can hear in fact, some of the thuds of some of that fire some of it of course, going towards Soledar, some in the direction of Bakhmut. And of course, there is fire coming the other direction. I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, outside Soledar.

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FOSTER: We'll continue to monitor the situation there. But Joe Biden, meanwhile, is facing what may be the biggest political scandal of his presidency. The U.S. Attorney General has appointed a special counsel to oversee the investigation into classified documents found at the President's Wilmington, Delaware home and former private office in Washington, D.C. Mr. Biden addressed reporters on Thursday about the economy but reporters were more focused on the document discovery.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Classified material next year Corvette, what were you thinking?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Let me - get a chance to speak on all this god willing soon but as I said earlier this week, people and by the way, my Corvettes in a locked garage. OK, so it's not like you're sitting out on the street?

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FOSTER: Well, it's a unique moment in American history, with special counsels investigating both the sitting and Former President for a similar matter at the same time, extraordinary situation. Let's get some perspective from our Senior Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid thank you for joining us. I mean, a lot of criticism here of the Democrats, because they've been sitting on this information for months and still, we're not getting anything.

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, the Biden White House has made a strategic decision not to get out in front of this matter. And it's incredible in just the past five days on Monday, we knew nothing about this. Now we have a special counsel, opening a full blown criminal investigation into the possible mishandling of classified information at three locations connected to a sitting President.

I mean, this has escalated very quickly. And a lot of questions about why the White House didn't get out in front of the sooner everything we've learned pretty much before yesterday's press conference came out through press conferences. And was then followed by sort of these big grudging, very thin statements from the White House.

Now, one of the most notable things to me is the fact that the U.S. attorney, the Trump tax, the Trump appointed U.S. Attorney from Chicago. He was tapped to look into this back in November, about 10 days after the Justice Department was notified. They asked him to take a look, see if you think we need a special counsel and he came back and said we do.

That's significant to me, because based on what we know, now, there doesn't appear to be any obvious criminality. So there definitely appears to be here a lot more that we don't know. And while the Justice Department traditionally does not talk about ongoing investigations, the White House is not really bound by that they can handle this any way they want.

And so far, legally, it's not clear. There's no evidence I've seen where there's an obvious legal problem. But there is definitely a communications problem that as we've seen with other investigations, and the classified documents, and they're handling, like the Clinton investigation. These can spiral into a serious political liability even if no one has ever charged.

FOSTER: A lot of people looking at this saying there's no good way out is there either he knew they were there. And they were inappropriately kept these documents in a garage, you know, I know it was locked. But you know, that's not for security, is it? Or that he didn't know that they were there. And therefore we can't be relied on to look after documents.

REID: Exactly what is worse and it's interesting in speaking with attorneys for former President Trump when this story broke. I thought that they'd have a little more Glee or joy over this and they said to me, they said, this proves our point. They're going to try to use this as a defense saying, look at the last the final days of his administration, it's very chaotic.

It's mostly junior staffers who are left to handle this. They're going to argue that Trump just like Biden may not have known that some documents were shipped here or there or everywhere. So it's really interesting, this rare bipartisan overlap, arguing that perhaps.

There's an over concentration of documents that hey, they're facing the same issue. But Trump lawyers are trying to spin it as see we told you so nobody can handle their classified documents. But I will note the biggest difference between Biden and Trump, is that when there were questions about missing documents from the Trump time.

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REID: He did not fully cooperate with the Justice Department which is part of why? He is also under investigation for obstruction of justice. I mean, I think I can say objectively, this is a mess.

FOSTER: It really is, Paula, thank you for your insight from Washington now to that sad news out of California where the only child of Elvis Presley died suddenly on Thursday. Lisa Marie Presley, suffered cardiac arrest at her home and died later in hospital.

She was just 54 years old. Presley appeared in public just two days earlier. She attended the Golden Globe Awards where a biopic about her father won the Best Actor category. It's unclear what led to her cardiac arrest and Lisa Marie was the heir to her father's rich legacy and was his spitting image as well.

But she also tried to carve her own place in popular culture. We'll take a closer look at that in just a moment. Now to Iran were governments officials seen as reformist or being sidelined and hardliners appear to be being promoted following months of anti- government protests.

Iran's response to the uprising has been to crack down hard even executing some protesters after what critics say were hasty sham trials. The U.N. calls it a violation of international human rights law. Joining me now with more is CNN's Salma Abdelaziz. So what do you understand about the change in leadership structure here?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So what we're seeing right now is this very brutal crackdown. Amnesty International in particular, says that Iran is on a so called killing spree with these executions. Remember, rights groups say there are dozens of people potentially, who could face death by hanging simply for protesting, and that's what rights groups say.

And what we understand from analysts and observers is the attempt to crack down silence and repress this popular movement. So far, it's failed and what that's created is further infighting within the halls of government, within the walls of the Islamic Republic, if you will. And it is very difficult, of course, to understand what happens inside but we do have some indication, some signs.

The first I'll point to is Alireza Akbari. Now this is a Former government official, a senior official, a Deputy Defense Minister, who is right now in detention and potentially facing execution, eminently. And what analysts say is that's a big symbol. That's a big sign if the Islamic Republic is willing to execute one of its own former officials.

Now Akbari is seen, analysts tell me as a reformist figure. He served between 1997 to 2005 in this reformist minded government, and it sends that signal to anyone else within the government bodies within this elite ruling structure. Don't think about compromising, don't think about speaking to protesters, and don't think about meeting their demands.

Already the Police have been ordered to act decisively against anyone who violates the hijab law. So reading between the lines, what do we understand here? We understand that this is a government very much threatened by this popular uprising, and we understand that they are going to do anything they can to crack down on it, to silence it, to oppress it, to maintain that grip on power.

FOSTER: Keep in control, thank you very much indeed Salma. Now to the deepening political turmoil in Peru, where the Labor Minister has just resigned this follows weeks of protests sparked by the ousting of former leftist President Pedro Castillo in December.

Since then, clashes between police and protesters have left at least 49 people dead. Protesters are demanding that President Dina Boluarte and other officials resigned but on Thursday, Peru's Prime Minister insisted the country's President will not bail out.

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ALBERTO OTAROLA, PERUVIAN PRIME MINISTER: She will not resign. That will not happen, not because she does not want to but because the Constitution requires that this constitutional succession needs to fall into place. And because to leave the presidency vacant, will open a dangerous door to anarchy. But again, that will not happen. I want to address the 33 million Peruvians, trust democracy, and trust the state of law.

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FOSTER: Peru's top prosecutor's office has launched an inquiry into the new President and Senior Cabinet Ministers over these deadly clashes. Let's bring in CNN's Rafael Romo who's following developments from Atlanta, Georgia, just explain what's happening now for people that haven't managed to keep up with us.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes Max, it's a political crisis that has been going on for years and it only seems to get worse. The latest turn of events started in December, when then President Pedro Castillo was impeached after he tried to dissolve Congress ahead of a vote on his impeachment that he knew he was going to lose. After he was ousted protests broke out throughout the country, the South American country, leaving 49 People dead so far.

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ROMO: According to the report by the Peruvian ombudsman, the crisis doesn't seem to be getting any better, Max. Thousands of people marched through the streets of Lima, the Capitol Thursday night, demanding the resignation of Dina Boluarte the current President, who has only been in power for a little over a month.

She says she will not resign. Protesters were also demanding changes to the Constitution, new elections and the release of Former President Castillo who remains in jail after a judge ruled he must stay in pre- trial detention for six months.

Also Thursday, Max, Peru's Labor Minister Eduardo Garcia Birimisa resigned, calling a President Boluarte to apologize for the 49 deaths in the protest and hold general elections before April 2024. And he's not the only one who holds the current government responsible for the deadly clashes between security forces and protesters that have swept the countries.

The country Peru tops prosecutor's office launched an inquiry Tuesday into President Dina Boluarte and Senior Cabinet Ministers over the deaths that have happened during the current turmoil. This is the latest chapter of Peru's political crisis. Some of our viewers may remember that the South American country has had listened to this 6 Presidents since 2018. And if the unrest is not solved soon, Max, that current situation may be unsustainable for the current one back to you.

FOSTER: Rafael Romo, thank you very much indeed. Still to come, Lisa Marie Presley she was born in the shadow of a cultural icon that tried to find her own voice and carve her own place in the world. But like a father, she died far too soon. But look at her triumphs and her tragedies next.

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FOSTER: In Tunisia severe drought is having a devastating impact on the agricultural industry. The situation is so dire that water is being rationed. So people have enough to drink. CNN's Eleni Giokos has the story.

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ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The water in the Sidi El Barrak dam in Northern Tunisia is drying up. Crack ground and dead trees are all that remain of this one's fertile area historians of culture Tunisia the breadbasket of the Roman Empire.

But a three-year long drought is threatening harvest critical to the country's economy. Herd prices have risen, forcing dairy farmers to sell off herds they can no longer afford. Now, supermarket shelves are left empty of milk and butter and farmers are struggling to irrigate the crops.

HATEM NAFROUDI, TUNISIAN FARMER: Idea of watering trees in the winter. This was an impossible thing to happen.

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NAFROUDI: But now we are in January and I've watered my plants for the fourth time, because the autumn season was dry and the olive trees did not produce anything.

GIOKOS (voice over): The climate crisis is bringing more extreme heat to the Mediterranean in the summer months, and the rainy season of fall and winter has been unusually dry. Only 110 million cubic meters of rain fell in Tunisia since September. That's just a fifth of the normal rate and it has officials worried.

HAMMADI BOUBAKRY, EXEC. OFFICE OF TUNISIA AGRICULTURE UNION (ph): The situation that we are in is due to climate change that has cast a shadow over our country and the countries of the Mediterranean and from which most countries suffer. Climate change is happening fast and has taken everyone by surprise. The stage farmers and all those involved in the agricultural sector because the situation is deteriorating, and we are now suffering from water scarcity.

GIOKOS (voice over): To make matters worse, authorities are limiting the water supply to some farms. So homes and businesses have enough drinking water and the price of water is also going up on a sliding scale. If rain doesn't come soon, officials are considering more extreme rationing measures. Eleni Giokos, CNN.

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FOSTER: You're watching CNN "Newsroom", back after a short break.

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FOSTER: Federal Police in Brazil who searched for the home, as searched the home of the foreign President Jair Bolsonaro as Justice Minister found a draft decree proposing to the state of defense the introduced to overturn the result of the country's Presidential election back in October. That's according to the Justice Ministry. The revelation comes as some Brazilian officials are under fire for possibly facilitating Sunday's attack on government. CNN's Isa Soares has more.

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ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They came in their hundreds on alert and with weapons at the ready. A show of force to protect democracy and head off expected pro Bolsonaro protesters. For the Police this was about projecting control and order.

After growing accusations, they colluded with rioters on January the eighth. Video shared on social media showed security forces talking to protesters. Some even standing idle as rioters stormed the three branches of power. Former Policeman Cassio believes some of the criticism is unwarranted.

CASSIO THYONE, FORMER POLICE OFFICER AND LAW ENFORCEMENT RESEARCHER: Some policemen ended up not acting because they didn't think there was a risk of invasion. Also, we've had a big ideological influence inside the security forces right wing influence. I don't think it was incompetence.

SOARES (voice over): For the last four years, Brazilian forces have taken orders from Former President Jair Bolsonaro. But several sources here tell me what remains are accusations of a politicized police force.

THYONE: We have research results that show that between 50 and 60 percent of policemen were Bolsonaro reasonable sympathizers. But that doesn't mean they are against democracy.

SOARES (voice over): President Lula da Silva has called for tough action to stamp out any acts of collusion within the security forces in Brasilia and he's tasked this man, Ricardo Capelli, we're doing it.

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RICARDO CAPELLI, INTERIM HEAD OF SECURITY FOR BRASILIA FEDERAL DISTRICT: Police officers have every right to make their political choice that doesn't interest me. What is important is the respect for the Constitution.

SOARES (voice over): Respect, that Capelli says most have even as investigations begin into the role some may have played. Still he believes there was set up to fail.

CAPELLI: It happened on the eighth and today's operation clearly demonstrates that was the absence of command. The previous head of security was traveling.

SOARES (voice over): The man he's referring to is Anderson Torres. Until December 31 Torres who was Bolsonaro's Justice Minister. After leaving office, he became Head of Security for Brasilia on January the second.

CAPELLI: He changes the core of the leadership travels and leaves the office without command allowing the unacceptable actions of the --.

SOARES (voice over): Torres denies wrongdoing and says on Twitter that he's always based his actions on ethics and legality. Despite that comment, or authorities have issued a warrant for his arrest, his involvement in ties to Bolsonaro too much of a coincidence, Capelli tells me.

CAPELLI: He was Justice Minister to Jair Bolsonaro, that's a confidence role in one of the highest importance. He would not be Justice Minister if he didn't have President Bolsonaro's complete confidence.

SOARES (voice over): A damning accusation. This suggests the enormity of the security challenge ahead Isa Soares, CNN, Brasilia, Brazil.

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FOSTER: Thanks for joining me here on CNN "Newsroom", I'm Max Foster in London "World Sport" with Amanda Davis up next.

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