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More Explosions, Fire Reported Inside Russia; India P.M. Modi In Germany On First Leg Of Europe Visit; Pelosi Visited Poland, Highlights NATO Support For Ukraine. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired May 02, 2022 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:00:45]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, we've gone two lots of 18 bodies and another 10. 46 in total.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice over): As a trickle of people escaped Mariupol Steel plant, hundreds of buried in graves marked only with

a number. There are no final goodbyes. And.

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Do you think that the Russians killed your son?

ANNA ZVONYK, MOTHER OF KILLED UKRAINIAN POW: Yes, I'm sure. GIOKOS: This mother found out that her soldier son was dead when the Russians sent her a photo. She has many questions and a heart full of pain.

Plus, as sanctions rain down on Russia, the Indian government continues to buy cheap Russian oil. We're watching Berlin as the German Chancellor meets

with India's prime minister.

Hello and welcome. I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. We begin with the evacuations in besieged Mariupol. An advisor to

the city's mayor says an evacuation of the general population towards Zaporizhia began several hours ago but progress is reported to be very

slow. At last report, buses have not yet arrived at the main assembly points. Now these are not the same people who are holed up inside the

Azovstal Steel Plants.

About 100 women and children left the plant Sunday. One of those evacuees voicing disbelief at finally seeing daylight it again. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I can't believe it, two months of darkness we did not see any sunlight. We were scared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Well, after they left, Russian attacks resumed. A commander inside described a turbulent night there. These satellite photos show massive

destruction at that plant after weeks of being pummeled by Russian weapons. The commander says about 200 civilians remain inside the plants including

20 children. And he's begging for them to get out.

Meantime, Ukraine's military says Russian forces are pressing forward in eastern Ukraine ahead of an anticipated attack on a key town in the Donetsk

region. Ukraine's president again asking what is the point of all of this destruction and bloodshed?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMY ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): What could be Russia's strategic success in this war? Honestly, I do not know. The ruined

lives of people and the burned or stolen property will give nothing to Russia. It will only increase the toxicity of the Russian state and the

number of those in the world who will work to isolate Russia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Inside Russia, the governor of the Belgorod region reports two explosions early Monday and that follows a large fires Sunday at the

defense ministry complex. Mariupol's mayor reports that more than 20,000 people killed there since the invasion began. CNN can't confirm that but

Sara Sidner shows us the difficult and heartbreaking task of burying the city's dead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (through translator): No tears, no remembrances, no final goodbyes. Just dust to dust. The burial

is over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We bury 50 people a day. Today we've done two lots of 18 bodies and another 10, 46 in total.

SIDNER: Grave diggers like Donyak (ph) can barely keep up the pace at the Stary Krim cemetery in the outskirts of Mariupol. Ones mark with only a

number assigned the bodies have yet to be identified by family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): People come and find their loved ones and bring crosses into board.

SIDNER: CNN is not present in the Russian occupied Donbas, but footage we obtained and satellite images showed dozens of fresh graves. Local

authorities say about 600 in total, and this is not an isolated case. Images show graves have been dug in mass at to other burial grounds

This is one of them, Manush.

[10:05:02]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): They've been bringing bodies every day for a month, Donna sys. They just keep bringing more and more,

bit by bit. Here too, footage shows rows of freshly dug graves and indications bodies have been buried before being identified.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Each body is given its own grave in a coffin in a board with a number.

SIDNER: A separate a soldier who did not want to be identified says.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After they are processed, the city funeral service works with the prosecutor's office to organize their burial.

SIDNER: CNN could not independently verify the claims but local authorities say the majority of those buried here and in Stary Krim were killed during

Russia's assault on Mariupol. Moscow has now seized control of most of the strategic port city, but some Ukrainian forces continue to hold ground at

the Azovstal steel plant. So far, the Kremlin hasn't reported an official death toll but Ukrainian officials say it's in the thousands.

ZELENSKYY (through translator): By our optimistic estimation, more than 20,000 people, women, kids elderly died on the streets of our city.

SIDNER: The mayor of Mariupol says, because the death toll is bound to rise at Manush, the work continues about 100 freshly dug graves ready for the

dead. As war rages, Ukrainians aren't just being murdered by strangers, but also buried by them. Sara Sidner, CNN, Kyiv.

GIOKOS: All right. So important information coming out about the horrors in Mariupol but we want to take you now to Zaporizhia be the city in the

eastern Ukraine is often where people evacuated from Mariupol go first. Our international security editor Nick Payton Walsh is there and joins us now

live. Nick, really important day. You know, in terms of getting people out of that steel plant and headed to hopefully where you are, has there been

any movement and any people arriving as yet?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Yes, there has been movement. No --as far as we can see here, there have not been arrivals who

are in the shelter beneath the Azovstal steel plant. Or a part of this broader United Nations Red Cross move to here. We've seen a -- slowly of

vehicles arriving here. Behind me is a bus that came carrying individuals from Kherson. One of the first towns that Russia occupied.

And there have been other vehicles that have arrived here carrying people. Some from Mariupol who've been leaving over the past week. But the

expectations, the focus today is on this larger move, facilitated by the U.N. and the Red Cross touted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

that it will begin today at 8:00 a.m. And certainly there are indications that people are on the move from the center of Mariupol, which is of course

nearly -- entirely under Russian occupation.

I understand from two officials here though that they're not expected (INAUDIBLE) perhaps not in daylight hours here yet, maybe even tomorrow

that's echoed by another Ukrainian official who also talked about how matter of hours ago the buses were heading towards meeting points and men

have collected individuals yet. I understand they may now necessarily be on the move.

But it's here that they would come to and a variety of different people coming out of Mariupol to -- those from the steel plant, the final place

bombarded intensely, we're hearing from those still there that there are hundreds of wounded Ukrainian soldiers still possibly in that building. And

well over 100 it seems according to the Russian Ministry of Defense that have emerged at 69 headed this way, as of the last 24 hours as people who

emerged and the call of the Russian Defense Ministry, 11 have chosen to stay in separatist territory.

Make of that what you will in terms of its veracity, but outside of that, there are still 100,000 civilians in Mariupol with the threat of disease

from lack of basic utilities there for the number of bodies in the streets and under the rubble of that heavily besieged city who may seek to get out

at some point. That is what here is for the evacuation center. And it may well in days ahead, become flooded with those thousands as this U.N. route

gets underway.

If indeed it does get to operate at that kind of volume. So much of this requiring Russian military cooperation and trust on both sides which,

frankly, since the beginning of this war, obviously has been in short supply. Eleni?

GIOKOS: Nick, thank you so much for that insights. And importantly, and we have to stress, there's still over 100,000 people in Mariupol but

importantly, getting people out of the steel plant as priority right now. Nick, we'll check in with you later. Thanks so much.

Germany and India both coming under pressure to do more for Ukraine. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Berlin face to face talks with

his German counterparts. The German Chancellor rejecting criticism that Berlin isn't showing leadership in western efforts to supply Ukraine with

heavy weapons.

[10:10:05]

GIOKOS: And despite international pressure India continues to buy Russian oil and at this hour, E.U. energy ministers are holding a crisis meeting in

Brussels after Russia turned off its gas supply to Poland and Bulgaria last week. Moscow wants energy payments in rubles to get around sanctions.

Warsaw and Sofia said no way. Today the E.U. is trying to come up with a unified response to Moscow's demand.

For his part, the Ukrainian foreign minister tweeted that a Russian oil embargo must be included in the next round of sanctions. CNN's Clare

Sebastian is watching all of this from London and joins us now live. I tell you the situation, the energy situation in Europe is absolutely evolving

with Bulgaria and Poland now being cut off. And of course talk of a sixth round of sanction.

The question is, will there be an alliance and camaraderie when it comes to an embargo on oil from Russia and will Germany play along?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So Eleni, it seems that Germany will play along. We heard just today as he arrived at this

extraordinary meeting of E.U. energy ministers, Robert Habeck who's the German Minister for Economy and climate. He said of work on this, Germany

is now ready to support an oil embargo on Russian imports, he says that Germany has gone from 35 percent dependence on Russian oil in terms of its

inputs down to 12 percent since the start of the war.

That is a really big change. He says that it now affects only one refinery in Germany, that's still 12 percent. So, he says they would have a local

problem if this were to happen, but they are ready to move ahead with this. It's clear, though, that not everyone in the E.U. is the likes of Hungary

has said that very clearly that it doesn't think it would be able to do this and that it's not going to do this.

It said it's going to pay in rubles for Russian gas. Slovakia is also one in focus because of their very high dependency on Russian oil. But we are

seeing momentum and there's even reportedly according to Reuters, a potential sort of policy on the table that would sort of carve out Hungary

and Slovakia from an embargo. Give them perhaps more time to transition or even an exemption.

So, the work is moving ahead with this. An E.U. spokesman saying to me today, that's individual sanctions, plus economic sanctions on oil could be

part of the sixth package. Nothing is off the table. He said.

GIOKOS: Yes. OK. So let's quickly talk about India and Germany. And, of course, Narendra Modi, an important tour in Europe, but we know the Indians

are still buying Russian commodities. What is going to be said and the messaging around this turn? Of course, to try and get more emerging markets

into this Western alliance against Russia.

SEBASTIAN: Yes. So this is the Narendra Modi's really first foreign trip since the pandemic, he hasn't been abroad in a while. The German chancellor

in a press conference just now saying he was very pleased that he had -- made the decision to make that trip to Germany. He's going to carry on and

go to Copenhagen and Paris after that. But look, the elephant in the room here is Indian neutrality.

India has sort of sat on the fence throughout the conflict in Ukraine, refused to directly condemn Russia abstain from various U.N. votes on the

issue. And meanwhile, certainly, according to experts, they have been the biggest buyer of what's called distressed barrels from Russia oil that

because of sort of self sanctioning and reputational issues. Western companies, even without an embargo have not been buying.

India has been buying those at a discount. So, what we've seen is a sort of loose I guess, campaign to persuade India over to the western side. Ursula

von der Leyen, the E.U. Commission president was there. Boris Johnson is there. And we've had very strong language from German Chancellor Scholz

this morning on the situation in Ukraine, condemning it, calling on Putin again to end the war, Eleni.

GIOKOS: All right. Claire Sebastian, thank you so much. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is in Europe to rally support for the Ukrainian war efforts.

On Monday, she led a U.S. congressional delegation that met with Polish president Andrzej Duda. Pelosi said the visit shows that the U.S. stands

firmly alongside NATO allies and supporting Ukraine. She also met with President Zelenskyy during a surprise visit to Ukraine over the weekend.

CNN's Congressional Reporter Lauren Fox is tracking Speaker Pelosi's European too. Great to see you, Lauren. Surprise visitors while seeing

Zelenskyy. What is the overall aim of Pelosi's visit?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Well, this is to show support and this comes after President Biden released that $33 billion supplemental

request in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Pelosi making it clear to the Zelenskyy the weekend that lawmakers both Republicans and

Democrats are supportive of getting more resources to Ukraine. They are supportive of making sure that that happens quickly.

[10:15:02]

FOX: But here in the United States and on Capitol Hill, there are some obstacles to getting that money out to Ukraine and fast. Essentially, the

House of Representatives is out of session this week. That will slow the process. There's also some significant concerns from some Republicans about

exactly where this $33 billion is being allocated. So, while this was a message of support for Zelenskyy and for Europe, this was also a moment to

rally support back here at home for this $33 billion supplemental package that is badly needed for Ukraine.

GIOKOS: Right. Lauren, thank you very much. Great to see you. Israel is blasting the Russian foreign minister after he used an anti-semitic trope

to justify the invasion of Ukraine. We'll have a live report from Jerusalem.

And Beijing clamps down to control its latest COVID outbreak. More mass testing, and more public venues shut down. How the rules are affecting

millions of people as China marks a five day holiday. All coming up on CONNECT THE WORLD.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: Outrageous, unforgivable lies. That's how furious Israeli officials are condemning comments from Russia's Foreign Minister. Sergey Lavrov said

Adolf Hitler had Jewish blood and repeated Russia's claim that it's trying to denazify Ukraine, even though its president is Jewish. Lavrov made the

comments Sunday on Italian television. Israel's foreign minister said has summoned now the Russian ambassador for meeting about those remarks.

Meantime, about 200,000 people observed Eid Monday at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Authorities say there were no conflicts at that gathering. But

over the weekend, violence in the region left at least one Israeli man and a Palestinian man did. CNN's Hadas Gold is covering both of these stories

for us in Jerusalem. A weekend violence an important religious weekend as well for Muslims in Jerusalem. Give us a sense of what happened, Hadas.

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, these images we're seeing this morning are very peaceful. We saw 200,000 people or so praying during Eid at the Al

Aqsa Mosque compound but this weekend did see some violence here in this region that began Friday night when an Israeli security guard who was

guarding one of the largest Israeli settlements in the West Bank, it's called Aerial.

Two men in a car approached the guard how was sitting and open fire killing him. Israeli officials say that they later arrested two Palestinian

suspects in the attack. And the Palestinian militant group the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade has taken credit.

[10:20:02]

GOLD: Then later Friday night into Saturday morning, a Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli forces in a town called a Azzun in the West

Bank. Now after the attack in area where the Israeli security guard was shot, the Israeli military went on a manhunt for the two suspects, were

setting up roadblocks that may have helped lead to clashes in this town in a Azzun. The IDF said that they -- that suspects threw Molotov cocktails at

them and that they responded with live fire, killing that 27-year-old Palestinian man.

And then at his funeral, there were further clashes on Saturday with Israeli forces Palestinian, Red Crescent said three people were injured

with live fire. The IDF said again, they were responding to what they called violent rioters. This has already been a deadly and violent past few

months. There have been attacks in Israel that have killed 14 people. The Israeli military has been stepping up its raids across the West Bank and

what they say our counterterrorism.

Operations at least 20 Palestinians have been killed. And of course, we've seen many tensions and clashes at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.

Although today was peaceful and we are seeing the end of Ramadan. Israeli officials say that they are still expecting more days of tension ahead,

especially as Israeli Independence Day will be celebrated this Thursday. Eleni?

GIOKOS: I also want to talk about Russia's Foreign Minister's comments Sergey Lavrov, inflammatory comments coming through. And it's been sort of

an interesting turn of events for the Israelis. Do you think that there'll be taking a stronger stance and be more vocal about the war in Ukraine

given the latest comments from Lavrov?

GOLD: Well, first of all the comments from Lavrov, they're sort of these conspiracy theory tropes that Hitler was somehow Jewish. And he also said

that the most ardent anti-Semites are usually Jew -- are usually Jews. And this is he said, trying to justify that while they're trying to denazify

us, they say, Ukraine when Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine is Jewish himself (INAUDIBLE) the Holocaust Memorial and Museum has also

called these unfounded.

We're seeing a pretty harsh reaction from the Israeli's Naftali Bennett. The Prime Minister has spoken out against them calling them lies. The

foreign minister Yair Lapid was even stronger in his remarks. I'll read some of what he said. He said that the remarks are both unforgivable and

outrageous and a terrible historical error. He says Jews did not murder themselves in the Holocaust. The lowest level of racism against Jews, he

says, is to accuse Jews themselves of anti-semitism.

Now these statements are notable because I do believe it's the first time Israel has publicly condemned the Russian that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is

somehow a Nazi. But I do not think that this will necessarily lead for example to Israel to join -- fully joined the Western sanctions against

Russia. Israel still finds itself in this sort of diplomatic delicate balance between the two countries. It still wants to act as mediators.

Naftali Bennett, the prime minister had been speaking with Zelenskyy and Putin. Israel also says it's very concerned about the hundreds of thousands

of Jews in both countries. Now Israel has condemned the invasion. They've called it what they say are Russia war crimes. They've provided

humanitarian aid but I do not think this specific event will lead to for example, them joining the Western sanctions against Russia. Eleni?

GIOKOS: Hadas Gold, thank you very much for that update. Now, a major escalation of COVID restrictions in Beijing. As China marks its five-day

Labor Day holiday, restaurant dining and the capital has been shut down. And people will soon be required to have a negative COVID test to enter

public venues. Also Monday, local authorities announced three more rounds of COVID testing for 20 million people.

There are fears. Beijing is heading towards a Shanghai-style lockdown and many local governments have told people not to leave their cities unless

absolutely necessary. Our Selina Wang is incoming and southwestern China. Selina, I can't imagine the logistical nightmare to try and get 20 million

people to go for testing. But what are you hearing about their experience? And it seems that we've seen this escalation that things are getting worse

as opposed to better.

SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're seeing Beijing authorities essentially here. They are rushing to ramp up these

restrictions aggressively and quickly to try and avoid an entire city wide lockdown. They do not want to see the kind of chaos and failures that we

saw during Shanghai's locked down. So we're seeing relative organization here. Even though there's been some panic buying.

Anecdotally residents are saying that store shelves are still stocked but of course people are preparing in case things turn to the worse. So, we're

seeing ramped up restrictions. Beijing has banned in restaurant dining, they're suspending schools. They're closing down major entertainment venues

including Universal Studios. And during this Labor Day holiday that started over this weekend, they're urging people not to travel.

On top of that they're rolling out a another three rounds of mass testing this week. This is after they all already wrapped three -- wrapped up three

rounds just last week for more than 20 million residents. So, this takes major organization and manpower.

[10:25:09]

WANG: And on top of that, they're also starting from May 5th going to require residents to show and negative PCR tests in order to enter any

public venue including public transportation. And this is as (INAUDIBLE) many of their 25 million residents have been sealed in their homes for more

than a month fueling more anger and frustration. But it's not just these major cities. Across China at least 27 cities are under some form of

lockdown impacting around 180 million people.

That's more than half of the U.S. population. And some of the more extreme measures are sparking outrage. Shanghai, they've put up some fences to

barricade COVID hit areas. Outside of Beijing social media Video shows that some residents have to hand over their keys to community workers so they

could lock them into their apartments from the outside. And if they refused, they would actually drill holes into the walls outside of their

doors to chain their door shot.

All of this. People are getting fatigued by many of these policies, but still China doubling down on that zero COVID strategy.

GIOKOS: Yes. So Selina, tell me what day of quarantine you're in at the moment. When you plan to get out and what your experience has been? I know

it's tough. Are you doing jumping jacks to get your heart rate up? Give me a sense of a day in the life of being stuck somewhere with not being able

to go to the outside world.

WANG: Well, I've got a yoga mat, I've got to jump rope, some weight. So, trying to get steps every day and exercise amid mid 21 days of confinement

I can only open my door to get the three food pickups a day. I get multiple knocks a day for temperature checks, COVID test, sometimes I'm even COVID

tested twice a day. And also every few hours I can hear the noise of workers in full hazmat suits disinfecting the hallway.

And I can also smell it when they're doing that. The scent of alcohol seeping through the windows and this may seem very extreme especially for

our viewers in many parts of the world where travel is returning to normal, where people are learning to live with COVID but here in China, these

strict border control rules, the harshest quarantine in the world. This is all part of the country's zero COVID policy.

It is so incredibly difficult to come into this country from overseas. So, it's no surprise we've seen such a major drop and people trying to get in.

GIOKOS: I have to say your food doesn't look very appetizing. I was stuck in Greece and I was getting really good food for, you know, the whole day.

I wish you luck and hope to see you out of there very soon. Thanks, Selina.

All right, let's get you up to speed now on some other stories that are on our radar right now. Heartwarming scenes from New Zealand as the country

opens up to travelers from dozens of countries. COVID-vaccinated visitors from 60 visa waiver countries including the U.S. the U.K. and Singapore do

not have to quarantine. The border will stay closed for all other visitors until October.

Qantas is planning the world's largest nonstop passenger flights 19 hours from Sydney to London or New York. The airline announced project sunrise

today in hopes it can take off by the end of 2025. This is the first of several ultra long haul Qantas has planned.

Actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are back in a U.S court Monday. Sources say Heard switched crisis communications firms ahead of expected testimony.

Depp is suing his ex wife for defamation and Heard is countersuing. The judge says she wants to this trial wrapped up by the end of May.

And still ahead. The pain of one mother after her son, a Ukrainian soldier was captured in Mariupol and never came home. That story when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: Welcome back. I'm Eleni jockers in Abu Dhabi, and you're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Freedom and the light of day. Some of the dozens of

people evacuated from a giant steel plant in Mariupol, a voicing disbelief and finally seeing sunlight again after being trapped there for two months,

but hundreds of others are still set to be inside the bombed out complex. The mayor describes the process of moving people away from my real pool

very difficult.

And dependent on Russia's cooperation. Meanwhile, an evacuation of the general population in Mariupol has begun but current progress is reported

to be very slow. Inside Russia, two explosions were reported in the Belgorod region early Monday. That follows a large fire Sunday as a defense

ministry complex. More than 5.5 million people have fled Ukraine according to the United Nations Refugee Agency.

More than seven million internally displaced. CNN's Matt Rivers is following all the developments in Mariupol and he joins us now live from

the Ukrainian capital. Matt, I have to say as we starting to get more information about what people are experiencing in Morocco and importantly,

at the steel plant, it is harrowing to think about what they've endured for the past two months. And now a glimmer of hope and trying to get out. What

more can you tell us?

RIVERS: Yes, I mean, it's good news and that people are leaving Mariupol. It hasn't happened for weeks now. And so the fact that even if it is small

numbers, civilians getting out is a very good thing, including the relatively small numbers of people that have managed to leave the steel

plant complex. But as we watch civilians leave, we also have open questions.

A number of questions about what will happen to the soldiers that remain inside that steel plant complex. One of the questions has been will they

eventually surrender to the Russians? And I think the answer to that is no, especially given the story that we are about to show you and I should warn

our viewers that what is about to be shown is disturbing to some -- with some graphic images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS (voice over): Russian propaganda with a clear message to the last remaining defenders of Mariupol. The video says, we guarantee that we will

save your lives and we will follow international laws to guarantee humane treatment. Such will be the case says the voiceover with this man, a

captured Ukrainian soldier Dan Zvonyk. The 25-year-old member of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Force was captured at the Azovstal steel complex. The

last remaining pocket of resistance in the city.

CNN has geolocated the building behind them to an area just northwest of the plant, a Russian soldier detailing how they'll be treated.

As you are captured, he says, we will treat you with honor and with understanding. These videos were published on April 20th. Five days later,

Dan Zvonyk is dead. This picture of his face hauntingly lifeless, was sent to his mother by officials and Russian held Donetsk, she told us. We redial

the numbers and we're hung up on once we identified as journalists. To confirm who he was, they also sent a picture of his chest with the tattoo

on the body clearly matching the one seen on Zvonyk when he was still alive in Russian propaganda videos.

RIVERS: When you first saw that message. What went through your mind?

[10:31:27]

ZVONYK: Nothing. I just screamed there was nothing. No thoughts near where she's staying in Kyiv. She fled Mariupol herself just two weeks ago

alongside the rest of her family. Her sister in law also really from the photo of her nephew.

LUDMILA ZAGURSKA, AUNT OF KILLED UKRAINIAN POW: I still have that photograph in front of my eyes. It's constantly in front of my eyes.

RIVERS: A morgue on Donetsk confirmed to CNN that Zvonyk was dead and that his body was picked up on Sunday. His family says there was a large wound

in the back of his head. CNN can't confirm how he died. But we know he died after being taken into custody, either by Russian or Russian-backed

separatist forces.

RIVERS (on camera): Do you think that the Russians killed your son?

ZVONY: Yes, I'm sure.

RIVERS (voice over): Russia's ministry of defense did not return a request for comment about how Zvonyk died. For weeks CNN has heard directly from

soldiers inside the steel plant complex who've told us they will not surrender to the Russians for fear of being executed. Within their ranks,

Zvonyk's deaf only hardened that sentiment.

RIVERA (on camera): Does what happened to him only reinforced the notion that the soldiers that are there are not going to surrender to the

Russians?

GEORGE KUPARASHVLI, DEPUTY COMMANDER, AZOV REGIMENT: Matt, don't you think it confirms their fears and expectations, what Russia did today? This is --

this is a war crime.

RIVERS: We asked expectations what will Russia for our date today? This is this is a war crime.

We asked Zvonyk's mother, Ana ,if she is angry with the Russians, her answer, honest and gutting.

ZVONYKS: For now, I only feel enormous pain, pain and emptiness. That's it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS: And we actually know that Don Zvonyk's father was also fighting inside that steel plant complex. The family told us they hadn't heard from

him since mid March. So, we reached out to our sources in that complex, other soldiers and they managed to put his Zvonyk's father in touch with

his family. He is still alive inside that complex. But those contacts that we have also managed to break the news to him that his son has now been

killed just a horrific tragedy for this family and also, you know, the father that's still inside that plan, Eleni, that the -- his fate moving

forward remains very unclear.

GIOKOS: Matt, so much loss and pain. Thank you so much for shedding light on these important stories. And still ahead. He is one of Asia's greatest

footballers of all time. And last night he proved why Tottenham is lucky to have him. Details in our sports update.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GIOKOS: Welcome back. Now all this week our new series, mission ahead is introducing you to the innovators tackling our world's biggest challenges

by taking on big bold missions in science

[10:40:07]

GIOKOS: And today CNN's Rachel Crane sees how technology could for the first time replicate something that mothers do around the world as they

have for centuries.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RACHEL CRANE, CNN INNOVATION AND SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Courtney Miller is a mom of two and lactation consultant from Cary, North Carolina.

It's her job to help parents breastfeed. But even for professional, this is harder than it looks.

COURTNEY MILLER, LACTATION CONSULTANT: I was like, oh, I'm a mother, baby nurse. I've got this, like I've taught moms how to breastfeed, surely, I'll

be fine. Well, I realized I only knew like the first two to three days and then from then not -- and I mean, things change.

CRANE: Oh, yes.

Biologists Leila Strickland knows how that feels. In 2009 she struggled to make enough breast milk for her child and had to rely on formula.

Strickland wondered if she could create an alternative in the lab. One that's a lot more like mother's milk.

LEILA STRICKLAND, COFOUNDER AND CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER, BIOMILQ: What would this mean for mothers and fathers and babies if you could produce human

milk outside the body?

CRANE: Over 10 years later, Strickland is getting closer to finding out. She cofounded bio milk to develop cell culture technology. It's the same

kind of process used to make lab grown meat. But bio milk is culturing human milk making cells.

STRICKLAND: We're collecting cells from two different sources.

CRANE: Right.

STRICKLAND: The milk and from the tissue.

CRANE: That milk contains many of the beneficial fats and proteins normally only get from breast, Strickland says. It's the first step towards a

potential solution for parents who can't breastfeed their babies or access donated milk. The Miomilq is still a long way off from selling a product.

At least three years Strickland says. First, bio milk needs to grow mammary cells at a much larger scale at a lower cost.

And convince regulators that the product is safe for our most vulnerable humans, Strickland says. Even if Biomilq gets that far, the products won't

be exactly the same as mother's milk. Experts say.

NATALIE SHENKER, UKRI FUTURE LEADERS FELLOWSHIP AT IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON: Not all components of human milk are produced by the cells that are being

cultured in these bioreactors. Most of the fatty acids, the fats that help brain development, they come from the mother's blood.

CRANE: But Strickland believes Biomilq's work can also help further our understanding of breast milk, and that could lead to new scientific

breakthroughs.

STRICKLAND: Well, breast milk is a collection of many thousands of molecules that all have beneficial effects throughout the human body.

CRANE: It's enough to convince investors like Bill Gates Breakthrough Energy ventures, which hopes Biomilq's product will be more sustainable

than formula. Miller too. She's donating a few ounces of her own milk to bio milks research.

MILLER: Some may see it as a replacement to breast milk and I don't see it that way. I see it as just another choice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GIOKOS: Fascinating progress there. OK. So the battle for the top four spots in the Premier League is keeping fans on the edge of their seats.

Tottenham is one of the football clubs hoping to get there. And last night they played a cracking game against rivals Leicester. One man stood out. He

is spurs forward Son Heung-min. World Sport anchor Alex Thomas has the details for us. Alex, good to see you.

ALEX THOMAS, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, hi, Eleni. I know it's Becky who's the Tottenham fan not you but at least you've got something to

tell her when she gets back into the -- into the studio but it is this massive race for fourth spot that final Champions League qualification

plays in the Premier League. We know the titles close. There's also relegation issues but this is yet another issue that has to be resolved

before the end of the season. Just four games each for Arsenal and Spurs. It's fascinating stuff.

GIOKOS: All right. We are going to get more on that story after the short break. Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WORLD SPORT)

END final Champions League qualification plays in the Premier League. We know

the titles close. There's also relegation issues but this is yet another issue that has to be resolved before the end of the season.

Just four games each for Arsenal and Spurs. It's fascinating stuff.

GIOKOS: All right. We are going to get more on that story after the short break. Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WORLD SPORT)

[11:00:00]

END