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CNN International: Zelenskyy Proposes Changing WWII Victory Day to May 8; Texas Community Mourns Eight People Killed in Shooting; Was the Coronation a Success?; Moscow Turns to 80-Year-Old Tanks to Replenish Forces. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired May 08, 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, CNNI HOST: Hello and welcome to the CNN "Newsroom", I'm Max Foster in London. Just ahead, Russia launches a wave of attacks on Ukraine. There is growing concern on the safety of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, details from the ground, next.

Also ahead, eight people killed in a mass shooting in Texas. We're learning new details about the gunman and the final day of King Charles coronation weekend is here. And look at the best moments and how it's gone for the new monarch and his family.

Ukraine shaken after a night of intense air attacks, the military reports dozens of Russian strikes across the country. Some drones were intercepted over Kyiv but debris still caused heavy damage. One person was killed in a missile strike in Odessa. Pro-Moscow officials say a Russian controlled area Zaporizhzhia is under fire by Ukraine 1600 people have been evacuated there.

FOSTER: Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is in Zaporizhzhia with more. Nick?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Max, across the front line here in the south, we are seeing evidence of what Russian officials called for on Friday, which is a significant evacuation of civilians from some of the frontline towns. In fact, some towns even that way past the frontline deeper inside Russian occupied territory.

It's another indication of the pressure. They're feeling perhaps a head off or perhaps in the opening stages of Ukraine's counter offensive and suggests possibly a Russian Military, which, according to some Ukrainian officials, maybe using parts of that civilian evacuation to withdraw some of their forces too.

We'll have to see what the overall impact of these evacuations are on Russia's ability to hold on to these frontline towns important to remember too, that if they lose this initial front, there may not be an awful lot of defensive positions in terms of in tight side territory for Russia to try and push the Ukrainians back from.

But Russia's continued response to this drumbeat of Ukraine's counter offensive is to launch strikes against major Ukrainian population centers, increasingly not that effective as they could be because of the air defenses we're seeing in play. But last night 35 drones are launched against Kyiv alone, all of them shut down.

We are told by Ukrainian officials but still because of the falling debris and wreckage five people injured on the ground there. And in a desert, the key Southern Port City, eight missiles were launched at that city hitting a variety of targets. Also we are told that a one individual was killed and night watchman in a warehouse that was struck.

So Russia continuing to use these overnight or daily ways of drones and missiles to try an exact price on civilians across Ukraine for what we're beginning to feel here is a slow sense of momentum. For perhaps the early stages of Ukraine's counter offensive Russia for its parts, putting up some extraordinary signals too in the past three or four days.

We heard the Wagner Head Yevgeny Prigozhin over the weekends and after say that he was going to leave Bakhmut if he did not receive extra munitions supplies, essentially artillery shells for his forces using the backdrop of some of his own recently deceased fighters mercenaries to make that particular point, saying that they essentially had died because of a lack of Russian munitions for his forces.

He said he was leaving in the middle of this week, and then dramatically just reversed that decision, saying that he in fact, got everything that he wanted. Now, we have no idea what the truth of all this is it could be Yevgeny Prigozhin having a conversation with in himself in public.

But certainly, what we can take away from this remarkably dramatic episode is there is this sense, certainly within Russia's ranks about how this war is being fought and the timing of this message, the blunt statement that a key part of Russia's fighting force and the vital for them City of Bakhmut would be leaving.

Well, that can't do much for Russian morale, even deed. In fact, that damage has tried to be undone in the past hours by this dramatic reversal about Wagner staying in place. Russia, giving off curious messages about where it's willing to stay, who is willing to deploy, who is willing to arm and dissent inside its own ranks.

Ukraine keeping relatively tight-lipped about its military maneuvers here, despite as I say indications from what Russian officials are saying that things may be beginning to get underway in terms of pressuring Russian forces. And still now here a remarkable amount of anticipation as to what Ukraine can achieve in the months ahead, given the Western backing, training and arming of this imminent counter offensive, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Nick Paton Walsh is in Zaporizhzhia. Thank you very much indeed, Russia ramping up its aerial bombardment in Ukraine ahead of Victory Day festivities on Tuesday. The whole day marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two. Russia is planning to go ahead with its annual parade tomorrow amid tightened security after last week's alleged drone strike on the Kremlin. Meanwhile, Ukraine is marking Victory in Europe Day today in line with its Western allies. President Zelenskyy has submitted a bill to officially change the date from May the 9th was comparing Russia under Vladimir Putin to Hitler's Nazi Germany.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: And all those all the evils that modern Russia is bringing back, will they be defeated? Just as Nazism was defeated, this enemy once again put aggression and annexation, occupation and deportation, mass murder and torture, bombing cities and burning villages up against our ideals. Our victory will be the answer to all this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Clare Sebastian joins me here in the studio. Just explain a bit more about the significance of today and tomorrow.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so Russia traditionally marks Victory Day on May 9. This is because of a time differences. Essentially the German surrender in Europe happened already on May 9 in Russia on Russian times.

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So that's why Europe marks it on May 8, Russia on May 9, Ukraine clearly trying to distance itself culturally from Russia and from Russia's efforts to sort of co-opt the history of the Second World War as a justification for its war in Ukraine. Putin continuing to claim that they are fighting against some kind of Nazi regime in Kyiv.

So as an excuse comments today, sort of turn that back on Russia. And we hear that again, today from President Putin, he issued a sort of congratulatory message to several post-Soviet states, obviously not including Ukraine. And in that he said, we must not allow the historical truth about the Great Patriotic War, as they call the Second World War in Russia to be distorted.

As well as the justification of the Nazis, their accomplices, and he said their current ideological as a clear reference, again, to what he continues to say about Ukraine interesting that this is going ahead in a scaled back form, some regions closer to Ukraine have scaled back their parades canceled firework displays, things like that.

There's also a an event called the immortal regiment that takes place every year where Russians carry photos of their relatives who died in the Second World War that has also been cancelled this year, it has gone into a sort of virtual format. There's speculation that they don't want to draw attention to the losses in Ukraine by doing that.

But I think we're going to see some kind of demonstration of Russia's Military might and obviously glossing over the truth about what's happening in Ukraine.

FOSTER: Absolutely! OK, Clare, thank you. At least 58 people have been killed in ethnic violence in India and tens of thousands have been displaced in a Northwestern state that borders Myanmar, clashes broke out after protests in the state capital. Tribes are upset over moves to give one ethnic group a scheduled tribe status.

Others fear they won't have a fair chance of jobs and other benefits. CNN's Vedika Sud joins us from Delhi with more. And this is complex, but it does actually come down to who has the first rights to job right. This is an economic story as much as a cultural one.

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely, Max, but the question is, where does this really start from? What are the origins of this debate, and this goes back decades. This has really opened for clients within the state that already has a history and has witnessed ethnic clashes between these communities over decades now.

The easiest and simplest way perhaps to put the story into perspective and talk about the situation on the ground would be to say, Manipur is right now witnessing a fragile calm, that could break anytime. And that's the fear of the locals there. According to the Indian Army, they have the situation under control.

23,000 people displaced, you have more than 50 people dead and more than 200 injured. What's worrying is that these numbers have not come from the state government, Max. They've come from the Indian Army. They've come from the hospital authorities, we put straight questions to the Manipur government, and we asked them, you know the details of the death toll.

They refuse to give us any answers. So what we did was the team went down to all the hospitals possible in in fall the state capital of Manipur to understand where the death toll stands. And officially it stands at least at 55. What we do know at this point is that the streets were deserted look, obviously an indication of the fragile calm that I've been talking to you about.

The Indian Prime Minister has not really come out and said much right now. There's a state election down south, the opposition leaders have been criticizing him for focusing on that instead of what's happening in the Northeastern state of Manipur. But for now, what we know is that normalcy is returning at least that's what the Chief Minister of Manipur is saying.

But of course, it's going to take a while before these citizens, these civilians can once again gain the trust of the people around them in terms of this conflict that they're facing between the two communities. And more importantly, the state government has to invest more time and assure these people on the ground that they will not be a repeat of this violence because that's what they really, really fearing at this point, Max.

FOSTER: OK, Vedika, thank you for joining us with that. Rescue operations have ended in the Southern Indian state of Kerala. After a boat ferrying tourists capsized on Sunday. At least 22 people including women and children died. 10 people have been taken to the hospital. One survivor says the double decker boat was overcrowded. As another Texas City mourns the victims of a mass shooting we're learning more about the shooters backgrounds. Police say the gunman Mauricio Garcia opens fire at an outlet mall on Saturday. Eight people were killed and seven were wounded.

A source tells CNN, authorities are investigating whether the gunman was influenced by right wing extremism. Police say Garcia was killed at the scene. Ed Lavandera joins us from Allen, Texas with the details. Ed, what more have you learned at?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far investigators have shared very little information about what they have learned since this tragedy unfolded here in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Allen.

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Eight people have been killed. There are still several more in the hospital three of patients, the last we heard are still in critical condition. So there are still many people fighting for their lives. Investigators have confirmed that the suspect is 33 year old Mauricio Garcia.

And a senior law enforcement source also goes on to tell us that they are looking into possible connections to right wing extremism. That source says that on his body after the suspect had been shot and killed by an Allen police officer, after the Rampage had started, there was an insignia on his body with the initials RWDS, which stands for Right Wing Death, excuse me, right wing.

Oh, my goodness, Right Wing Death Squad. My apologies completely blanked out there. So very difficult situation is investigator trying to piece together what those connections might have to do with a motive here and why the suspect picked this particular location.

So we are still trying to cite, worked through all of that. But investigators here, as I mentioned, have not shared much information about how all of this transpired. And Max, you know, one of the really stunning things we've seen here in the last couple of days, is so many witnesses and survivors who were up close to this attack, watched it all unfold.

You can really sense how difficult it is for them to process and for them to come to terms what they witnessed. This was an attack that lasted several minutes. One witness described to us hiding in a store and watching the gunman pass by the window hoping that the man wouldn't turn to his left and see them hiding there inside that store.

This is he described the gunman moving deliberately in firing at people in the parking lot. And then right after that scene, the police officer who followed behind eventually killing the gunman, some several 100 yards away from where the attack happened. So Max, many people still coping with the magnitude and the horror of what they witnessed here on Saturday afternoon. FOSTER: Yes Ed Lavandera in Allen Texas thank you very much indeed for bringing us that. Another tragedy in Texas, police say an SUV plowed into a crowd near a homeless shelter in Brownsville on Sunday. Several immigrants were amongst eight people killed.

Police say the driver was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving but isn't cooperating. In an extraordinary session, the Arab League has agreed to readmit Syria into its ranks over a decade after its membership was suspended. It's a major victory for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.

His regime was thrown out of the group in 2011 over his brutal repression of anti-government protests. The Head of the Arab League stressed that serious return doesn't mean the crisis in the country is over. A record breaking heat wave is scorching Southeast Asia right now.

Vietnam and neighboring Laos have recorded their hottest temperatures ever both topping 40 degrees Celsius. Scientists say the sweltering heat has been intensified by the smoggy weather, but they are also warning that temperatures like these will likely increase as climate crisis issues as accelerate.

Now still to come. In the U.K., day three of the coronation focus on the power of volunteering. We'll look at that and the impact of the weekend's festivities when we return.

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FOSTER: Was the coronation a success? It's the question the Royal Family may very well be asking even as festivities continue for a third day. Today, Royals are volunteering in tribute to the king's public service. You can see Louis there on his very first public engagement.

The so called Big Help outs is the theme of the day. He made his first engagement with the scout group along with his family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God save the King.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: In other ways the coronation was less than successful. The BBC says peak viewership was 15 million, 5 million less than for Queen Elizabeth's funeral. Add to that a marked sense of public anger in one group you are looking at protests in London on Saturday.

Police say 64 people were arrested on various charges. But for fans like these, the weekend was truly historic. And as Prince William reminded the world for all the ceremony the Royal Family is still a family like any other. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM, PRINCE OF WALES: As my grandmother said, when she was crowned, coronations are a declaration of our hopes for the future. And I know she's out there, finally keeping an eye on us. And she'd be very proud mother.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: So was the coronation a success? Nada Bashir is here to help answer some of the questions. I mean, you were amongst the crowd, weren't you? What was the atmosphere there? And how do you think that plays into those TV figures I was talking about?

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: --it was remarkable to see just how many people showed up to really catch a glimpse of the King and Queen as they made their way to Westminster Abbey for the procession. We're talking about hundreds of people who've been camping out overnight for several days often in the rain.

It has to be said in order to get a good position. But we were amongst the crowds on the mound just up ahead of Buckingham Palace. Many were in high spirits very excited. But aside from the people that we spoke to, on Saturday, the focus was less on King Charles on more on this being a moment of history for the country for people wanting to share that moment of history with their families, but it was certainly a huge turnout.

Although those figures as you mentioned, when it comes to peak viewership on the BBC weren't lower, 5 million lower than it was for the Queen's funeral. But again, this was a moment of history and you could certainly feel that in the crowd on Saturday.

FOSTER: We've got some new images that have just come in this was this morning. This is a day of volunteering, isn't it? We can see the Wales is out and about their Prince of Wales on the right and his heir there George on the left doing some work. This is a big effort, isn't it?

To talk about public service get everyone involved. This is the final day of commemorations effectively for the coronation.

BASHIR: Yes, that is the focus for today volunteering that real push by the Royal Family calling on all people in Britain to take part in those volunteer efforts today in celebration of the coronation of course this is a big date for the family as well. This is Prince George's first Royal Engagement we have seen Prince Louis first Royal Engagement.

We've seen his older brother Prince George and Princess Charlotte of course in tow with the Prince and Princess of Wales in the past. This is of course a big focus for the family will continue to see all three children and looks like on those royal engagements coming up.

And this will be a huge step for the family as they take on greater responsibility as working Royals. Prince William of course next in line and we saw him taking center stage at the concert yesterday in Windsor delivering that very special message to or for all his father not just the King of the country, Max.

FOSTER: We've got some video as well of a cameo appearance from the King and Queen they appeared on U.S. TV let's have a look at that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, excuse me. -- I have a surprise--

CHARLES, KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: --I just wanted to check how long you'll be using this room for?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have to give the room of --.

CHARLES: I just wanted to check.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much for coming.

CHARLES: --thank you so much your brilliant performance

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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FOSTER: And so they were to performance obviously at the concert last night. I mean how much of this do you think was about everyone tuning in for a British event pomp and pageantry? How much do you think it was about Charles himself?

BASHIR: I think it certainly was about this being a British event. This is a moment of history moment of celebration for the entire country. Of course, there has been controversy in recent times we've seen controversy within the Royal Family and perhaps for the Royal Family and businesses.

This really was an attempt to focus on the positive aspects. And as mentioned earlier, we did see protests taking place on the same day as the coronation. So there was a real push by the Royal Family and by the royal household as a whole to focus on the positive side of focus on the celebration of the country's history of this being a moment that some may not get to see again, for many of course, their first coronation, so that really was a real focus.

And as we've seen in the past, from King Charles and Queen Camilla, there has been a real push by the Royal Family to build on that connection with the British people as Prince William mentioned they are in his words just another family like everyone else.

FOSTER: OK, thank you so much, Nada for joining us there. We're going to get the first photographs I think today of the coronation, the formal photographs behind the scenes which will go into the history books. So they were taken in Buckingham Palace after all the ceremony, the balcony appearance as well.

So we'll expect them later and then I think it goes quiet for a while for the Royals. And still ahead sending New Zealand pieces into war reports, Russia is using tanks for the some 80 years old to bolster its efforts in Ukraine.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: As Russia prepares for his annual victory day to commemorate the defeat of Nazi Germany, Moscow appears to be finding a new use for tanks made shortly after World War Two. Report suggests it is repurposing them for the war in Ukraine. Clare Sebastian has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN DELANEY, SENIOR CURATOR, IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM: What a missile will do is it'll fly over the tank then down and then 90 degrees straight into the top of the Tauri which is less well defended.

SEBASTIAN (voice over): This scenario has played out hundreds of times over the past 14 months Ukraine using Western weapons to devastating effect. Russia According to one recent estimate has lost up to half its operational tank fleet in this war. Now Western officials say Russia's dusting off much older models to replace them.

DELANEY: This gun was used on the SU 100 tank destroyer in 1944 so the Second World War --.

SEBASTIAN (voice over): Including the T55 first built in the 1940s this one now housed at the Imperial War Museum outside Cambridge. Satellite imagery for a storage facility in Russia's Far East showing dozens of tanks have been removed in the last year, this image showing the T 55 at that same facility.

Video that first surfaced in March also showing a train load on the moon reportedly somewhere in Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defense hasn't confirmed their deployment. But in recent weeks, well connected Russian bloggers have begun showing T55s in Russian occupied territory in Ukraine.

DELANEY: There are so many of these were manufactured over 100,000 altogether and the parts the basic mechanical parts are all interchangeable.

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So there will be vast stockpiles of this.

SEBASTIAN (voice over): The T55 was a central piece of the Soviet Union's Cold War arsenal, helping crushed democratic uprisings in Eastern Europe, Hungary in 1956, the Prague Spring 12 years later, but by the time Iraq used them in the Gulf War in the early 90s.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We took out all old 14 T55 tanks.

SEBASTIAN (voice over): They were already outclassed by U.S. M1 Abrams and British challengers. Earlier versions of the tanks NATO countries are now supplying to Ukraine.

TREVOR TAYLOR, PROFESSORIAL FELLOW IN DEFENSE: I think face with Western weapons. The Russians must expect very heavy casualties if they expect to move forward using that type of system.

SEBASTIAN (voice over): Experts say behind the official propaganda Russia cannot build new weapons quick enough.

SEBASTIAN (on camera): Western sanctions primarily targeting Russia's access to higher tech parts for weapons have made it much harder for them to manufacture more modern equipment older simpler tanks like this thousands of them just sitting in storage provide an alternative. The best against say a Leopard two or a challenger what happens?

DELANEY: If it's a one on one tank engagement over a reasonable distance this will lose every time but in wooded or closer built environments, this is adequate.

SEBASTIAN (voice over): It's also simpler to maintain and train on the newer systems and advantage for Russia's mobilized troops.

DELANEY: Bigger pit seated sit the tank in the pit so you can only see the tourists and then that can be used to defend the front line against the counter attack.

SEBASTIAN (voice over): Russia is now digging in with everything it has, because Ukraine gets ready for what maybe its biggest counter offensive yet. Clare Sebastian CNN Duxford, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

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