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Inside Politics
Reports Of Heavy Fighting Around Kyiv As Russian Forces Push In; Russian Tanks In Position Among Civilian Apartments In Irpin; Russia Increases Assault On Key Port City Of Mykolaiv; Families Pack Into Trains Station To Flee Russian Attacks; Ukrainian Mother Details Escaping With Her Family; Irpin Mayor: "These Are Not An Army, These Are Animals"; U.S, Considering Supplying Air Defense System To NATO Allies. Aired 12-12:30p ET
Aired March 07, 2022 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JOHN KING, CNN HOST, INSIDE POLITICS: Hello, and welcome to Inside Politics. I'm John King in Washington. New pictures chaos and terror out of Ukraine this hour. The rumble and smoke there of explosions in Mykolaiv that along the Black Sea. Ukrainian resistance has fought back a Russian offensive there for three straight days. You see abandoned Russian military vehicles signs of the fierce standoff.
Again, today there is intense fighting in and around the capital Kyiv. In Irpin near Kyiv, a treacherous walk to freedom. Ukrainian evacuees navigating a collapsed bridge and Russian borders on their way out of that city. Some promised humanitarian corridors, like one out of Mariupol in the south have been cut off, ceasefire agreements broken.
And today Vladimir Putin is proposing new escape routes, all on roads that lead to Russia or to Belarus. Ukraine's president says the Russian side simply wants to watch his country, the world burn.
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PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE: It seems it is not enough for the Russian troops, not enough ruined destinies, crippled lives. They want to kill more. This is murder, deliberate murder.
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KING: Up CNN's correspondents and their teams on the frontlines of this story across Ukraine and across the world. We begin our coverage this hour in the capital city Kyiv, with our senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance. Matthew, what's the latest? MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, thanks very much. Well, as you mentioned there, Russia is continuing its military advances around this capital city. They are very slow. They're not other kind of lightning speed, perhaps the Kremlin would have wanted. But we are seeing gains being made by Russian forces in virtually all directions.
Notably, in the north of the city where there has been fierce fighting, tanks have moved forward from the Russian Federation towards the Ukrainian capital. And that sparked increase in the outflow of civilians trying to get their way, picking themselves across the rubble towards safety. 2000 people just today, coming from that Northwestern suburb called Irpin off Kyiv, making their way towards the center of the city, you know, running the risk of shell fire and rocket fire coming from the Russian lines.
Yesterday, there was absolutely horrific scenes, as Russian forces open fire on those civilians as they tried to make their way to safety, killing a number of people, including a number of children. Military advances as well are being reported in the west of the city, where the Russian forces are moving closer towards Kyiv, and in the south as well, where I was earlier today where a residential neighborhood within the past few days has been struck hard by a Russian rocket or artillery shell.
You know, and that's one of the features that we've been seeing throughout this Russian advance, at least in the latter stages of it, that any sense in which the Russians were attempting to avoid civilian casualties appear to have been abandoned. We're seeing residential areas, apartment blocks, houses that have been utterly destroyed by Russian shell fire and rocket fire.
And of course, the civilian casualty figures have been increasing as well. And you know, and I just thought the big concern. As the military pressure steps up on Kyiv, then the expectation is the number of civilians who are killed will also increase, John?
KING: Matthew Chance, the pictures of those neighborhoods just got it by shells heartbreaking, heartbreaking. Matthew Chance in Kyiv for us. Let's move to the south now. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is in Odessa, that's on the southern port side of the country. Its beaches now blanketed with minds, and that Nick Paton Walsh preparation for expected Russian assault, right?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: That's been the concern, John, for quite some time that there would be an amphibious landing here. It sounds almost surreal, frankly, to mention that in a Russian speaking predominant city, that's a place where Russians go on vacation so often.
A desert itself though tonight, relatively quiet. We've heard the occasional bang in an urban environment, it's quite hard to work out what they are. And we've heard the sirens go off a couple of times. But it's really towards the east where I'm standing in Mykolaiv, the violence has been most intense. We were there over the weekend just to see how Russian forces appear to be intermittently and repeatedly trying to blunder their way, into the city attempt after attempt down certain roads where Russian armor often comes on stock gets burned, and often even abandoned as well.
We saw one tank that local farmers were trying to get going again after the Russian crew had abandoned it, also to intense shelling around that particular city. And we saw yesterday, how what appeared to be cluster munitions had fallen into a vegetable patch into a civilian car in a very sleepy suburban part of Mykolaiv.
At five o'clock this morning, there was shelling a game that hit a residential complex or a number of them certainly, on the outskirts of Mykolaiv. Again, a sign of how the shelling by Russian forces has become so indiscriminate, it simply cannot be down to recklessness or targeting. We heard from a hospital source that there was one dead and at least three injured from that shelling.
[12:05:00]
And so, the day continued to see Russian forces trying to move in and the regional governor Vitaliy Kim, at the end of the day appeared to suggest, they had in fact been pushed back out of the international airport of Mykolaiv. A back and forth, they're constantly fluid, but a sign that Russia's advance towards this strategic port is certainly not going with the speed. I think some thought it might at the start, John?
KING: Nick Paton Walsh, very important reporting on the southern port coast. Nick, thank you so much. Now two challenges for every Ukrainian still inside the country. How to survive? And if necessary, how to get out? As more bullets and mortars fly in and around population centers, more and more people as you heard our correspondents report there are fleeing. Near the site of that near nuclear disaster, the fight for space on train cars headed elsewhere is intense. CNN's Sam Kiley was right there to turn the camera on the desperate rush to escape.
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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A collective breath is held as a long-awaited evacuation train slows to a halt. The odds of getting out determined by access to a carriage door.
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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, what we're seeing here is this catastrophe of a movement of population of people who are separating from their husbands, separating from fathers, lovers partying in tears, the men left behind, women and children being, if they can packed on to trains and shipped off - for shipped off or driven off eventually 600 miles to Lviv. That train was going to Lviv.
Now the reason for this, sudden evacuation or sudden increase in evacuation was twofold. First of all, the presence of the nuclear power station and the Russian takeover of the biggest nuclear power station in Russia - sorry, in Europe with six reactors, John. And the other issue was, of course, the growing presence of Russian troops.
They were reported to be about 30 miles away from that location. And they were potentially closing in. And the pattern around the rest of the country has been that as Russian troops have come within range, particularly with multiple rocket-launching systems. They ran them down on civilian areas. And for that reason, young men, old men are saying goodbye to their loved ones and families.
We did meet one elderly gentleman who was 80. He was a former paratrooper. He said, he'd been a paratrooper in the Soviet Army, but now he hated Russians. These are his words. He was staying on. He said, he'd built not Molotov cocktails ready for them. He had his hunting rifle ready to go to fight them, and that he was prepared to die.
But particularly moving that to discussion because he broke down when he mentioned how, excuse me, his grandson had been under bombing for a week in Kharkiv. Now, Kharkiv is majority Russian speaking city of million and a half people, second largest city in the country, and arguably the one perhaps with the exception of northern Kyiv, which has been a most heavily hammered by this switching strategy really from the Russian troops.
The more they've got bogged down, John, as we've seen and heard from Nick Paton Walsh's reporting there in the south, than we've heard from Matthew Chance in the north in both locations, Russian forces not prevailing at the speed that they would like to or not prevailing at all frontlines, barely moving. This has meant that they have switched their operations to try to pummel the civilian population out.
And that of course, we've seen in the past. We've seen it in Aleppo. We've seen it with the deliberate Russian bombing of hospitals in Syria. And of course, we saw the mass devastation in Chechnya all those years back, relatively early stages of Vladimir Putin's, what I think we can now call rule, John?
KING: This images, Sam, of your reporting, it's their stunning heartbreaking but very important to bring people for that very reason, you just noted to give them the context of this as these families' fleet - as these family fleets. Sam Kiley, appreciate that report. We will stay in touch. And here's another sad image for you, this Sunday captured by a New York Times photographer on the ground.
So, to close look at the everyday horror of this new war. We should warn, you are warning now, that's graphic, very hard to look at, especially for parents and young children. This is the damage moments after impact from Russian artillery. Three Ukrainian civilians dead on the pavement. Medics trying to resuscitate afford the dead. A mother, her teenage son and young daughter. It's heartbreaking, heartbreaking killed by Russian artillery.
Up next for us. We map out Russia's brutal assault on Ukraine's major cities. The United States and NATO now rushing anti-tank, anti- aircraft missiles but Ukraine's president says there is much more, he needs from the west.
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KING: Our next guest was about to leave Ukraine for a family vacation when the Russian invasion began. Kateryna Shapiro, her husband and four-year-old daughter, now among the more than 1.7 million refugees who have had to flee a war zone. Kateryna Shapiro, joins me now. Kateryna, so grateful for your time and you are one of millions now, that our hearts go out to around the world.
I want to ask you, you're in Germany now after going from Kyiv, your home in Kharkiv to the airport in Kyiv, getting off a plane several days in Kyiv, then to Odessa, then to Moldova, now to Germany. How do you explain this to a four-year-old? Kateryna, can you hear me? Kateryna, it's John King. Can you hear me?
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KATERYNA SHAPIRO, FLEEING UKRAINE WITH FAMILY: Yes, I can hear you.
KING: OK, good. We're just having some technical issues up. You had an ordeal, where you were trying to go on a vacation. You're on a plane at the Kyiv airport. You're told to get off the plane. You stay in Kyiv for several days. Then after because of shelling there, you move to Odessa to Moldova, and now to Germany. How do you explain all of this, the past week of your life to a four-year-old?
SHAPIRO: Well, my child, she's really scared now at the moment. You know, I have no explanation for this, because now I feel like it's a nightmare. So, no explanations for everything that is happening.
KING: We have pictures of your neighborhood back in Kharkiv. And you are told, do we have some photos that show the neighborhood, not your particular house, but you're told that your home has been destroyed.
SHAPIRO: Yes, yes. My home is destroyed now. It was yesterday.
KING: And explained the emotions, you think you're going on a vacation. That is a good thing for a family. A family gets excited to go on a trip, to get a deserved break after hard work. And then Vladimir Putin invades your country. And you're in Kyiv for a week, watching shelling. Walk us through that?
SHAPIRO: Well, we were going to education to Egypt. So, we'd right from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Airport. So, we came on the plane, and we've been there for 10 minutes. And then in 10 minutes, the pilot said that we have to leave the plane. And as soon as regard to the exit of the airport, there started to be an explosions and bombs.
So, we started to run away from the airport. And my husband, he ran towards the bombs because he wanted to take a car because it was really outside, it was really cold. So, he wanted to take us in the car. So, he took the car and he picked us up on the road. And then we got to Kyiv to apartment. And we were there at the 18th floor. So, we've seen all this nightmare that was happening from our window.
KING: And so, explosions in Kyiv and also on your travels. Just tell us how you dealt with that? What you saw, and just the toll it takes?
SHAPIRO: I saw explosions actually, when I was having another interview when I was in Odessa. The next day, the next morning, we woke up because I'm not sure the name of the plane this, like military really fast plane. He flights like right over our heads. And we saw it because we ran outside to see what's happening. And we saw this plane flying over our heads, it drops four bombs. We saw it. And also, we saw because this plane was really, really low. We saw the Russian symbols on it.
KING: And you had to leave your father behind because he took ill. Are you still in contact with him? Are you confident he will be able to get out soon? And what about other friends back home?
SHAPIRO: Yes. My father is - he's still in the hospital. We are in touch. At the moment, he is not able to leave the hospital because he has difficulties with breathing because he had three COVID in a row. So, he's got really trouble with his lungs. So, he's not able to walk by his own. So, my mom, she's with him. She's trying to help him to feel better. So as soon as he feels better, they will try to cross the border.
KING: Vladimir Putin says, Ukraine is not a country, that Ukraine is part of Russia. How would you answer Vladimir Putin?
SHAPIRO: No. No. Ukraine is an absolutely independent, beautiful, lovely, really kind country and it's not Russia. Russia is Russia. Ukraine is Ukraine.
KING: How confident are you, Kateryna? I know it's been a horrible, horrible 10 days plus here. How confident are you you'll get to go home?
SHAPIRO: I don't know. I'll tell you honestly, I don't know. Because at the moment, the only thing that I'm thinking of is safety and the future of my child. At the moment, there is - well it's not safe. I mean, it's a hell out there. So, I need to think about my child firstly.
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KING: Understood, understood. Amen. Thank you so much for your time and for your courage and your bravery. And we wish you all the best and we will keep in touch in the days ahead, I promise.
SHAPIRO: Thank you so much. Thank you.
KING: Thank you. Thank you. As you could see the heartbreak right there, just one of 1.7 million people so far, the number climbing by the minute. Leaving for more information about how you can help humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Go to cnn.com/impact. When we come back, more ahead on the devastation in Ukraine. But first, one heartbreak, one helpful moment here, a bomb, a shelter, a song and look at this brave young girl.
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[12:25:00]
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KING: Latest now as rush escalates its attacks across Ukraine. Just one example. This new video shows smoke, Russian missiles heading toward the airport, beneath the airport. That's about 120 miles southwest of the capital of Kyiv. More images shared by the state emergency service. Show first responders fighting the fire, amid that thick black smoke. The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, denouncing reports of Russian forces targeting civilians. Even Secretary Blinken says, in areas that are supposed to be safe escape routes.
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ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: In the last several days, more strikes have killed and wounded civilians as they try to leave the cities that are being surrounded by Russian forces. And there continue to be reports of attacks by Russian forces on agreed upon humanitarian corridors.
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KING: Chilling video shows the moment to Russian airstrike hit one evacuation route. We want to warn you, this is extremely disturbing, difficult to watch. CNN has determined that striking an evacuation checkpoint. The mayor says at least eight people were killed.
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MAYOR ALEXANDER MARKUSHIN, IRPIN, UKRAINE: These are not an army. These are animals. They are killing civilians. They're shelling our city, our residential buildings and ambulances. They're firing on ambulances.
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KING: And this, look at this image, on the Poland-Ukraine border captured by Reuters, a little boy crying, dragging his backpack. President Biden spoke just this morning with the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom to discuss Russia's assault on Ukraine and next steps. The allies are imposing economic sanctions and rushing weapons and other military supplies. But Ukraine's president says, he needs more, much more to stop Russian advances on major cities.
Let's take a quick look at the state of play. You see the red, the red are advances of Russian troops over the last 10 to 12 days. You see an encircling not quite as fast as Russia would like, but around the city of Kyiv here. I want to bring up the major highways and just show - right here we just showed you, Russian forces are up here north of the city. Russian forces are out here, fighting in Irpin the city to the northwest suburb.
At this point, let's bring in the former commander of U.S. special operations in Europe, Major General Michael Repass. General, I read something you wrote an op-ed, you wrote for Fox News on the importance of logistics in war. When you see the Russian forces to the northeast of Kyiv here to the northwest of Kyiv here by the airport, but not just the airport, also to the major highways. These two lines here, the highways that head west, those are toward the NATO countries. If you're trying to keep food, other supplies coming into Kyiv. It looks like the Russians are trying to cut off those highways.
MAY. GEN. MICHAEL REPASS (RET.), FORMER COMMANDER U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES IN EUROPE: Right. The Russians are going to try to cut off those highways. There's going to be a major logistical challenge to keep those things open. The Ukrainian army along with the Territorial Defense Force, and also the national guard are doing a very good job, along with the other security services, keep those roads open.
KING: And so, I'm going to bring back another map now, just show if you come up to the map, you see the NATO nations over here. Our Barbara Starr at the Pentagon today reporting, the United States is planning - talking about sending an additional air defense assets to the NATO countries.
But President Zelenskyy wants more, including he wants a MiG fighter jets from Poland. The United States working on perhaps a swap out agreement. Poland would give those MiGs to Ukraine, the United States would send in jets to backup Poland. What more do you believe NATO, the west can do right now when it comes to military assistance?
GEN. REPASS: Great question, John. OK, so first off, just backing up on the airplanes. That discussion came up a few days ago with the E.U., started there and they had some pretty good momentum, and they ran into do some problems with that. That discussion is restarted. Ukraine has the pilots that are capable of flying those aircraft. The nations that own the aircraft have kept them well maintained and their mission capable.
So, this makes a lot of sense to be able to transfer this equipment rapidly into capable hands. And as the Ukrainian Air Force has demonstrated, he given the aircraft or if they have the aircraft, they're going to fight and they're going to be very, very good at taking down Russian aircraft with that. So, the additional things that they need, you've already mentioned the air defense business. I'm working with some retired general officers, who are also working on air defense trying to get that thing moving.
