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James Foggo is Interviewed about Russia Invading Ukraine; Live Report from Mariupol in Ukraine; Vladimir Kara-Murza is Interviewed about Russia Invading Ukraine; Olga Tokariuk is Interviewed about Russia Invading Ukraine; Yaroslav Trofimov is Interviewed about Russia Invading Ukraine. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired February 24, 2022 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

ADM. JAMES FOGGO, U.S. NAVY (RET.): It worked well in Afghanistan. But we'll see how long that inventory lasts as they fight back.

I think they're going to fight bravely. This -- the Russians are not in their homeland. The Ukrainians are in their homeland. They're defending their homes, their wives, their sons, their daughters, their parents. I think they're going to fight hard. But there's an overwhelming amount of force coming in.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Admiral, it's John Berman in New York. I'm sorry, Admiral.

We were getting reports from our Sam Kiley in Kharkiv, who's up here, that he believed there was some outgoing artillery from the Ukrainians there into Russia over the border.

You know, how much damage could the Ukrainians do?

FOGGO: Well, you know, as General Hertling told you, that was -- Kharkiv was the head of artillery training in the former Warsaw Pact Soviet Union. So, if those strikes are precision, they could do some damage to Russian forces.

Keep in mind, they also have the Javelin anti-tank missiles. You know, open reporting is there's one missile for every Russian tank coming in. They're very effective, shoulder fired, and very accurate. So, they're going to bloody the nose of the Russians before the Russians get too far towards the capital or towards the Dnieper River. And, as I said, I think that they're going to fight for their homeland and use the tools that they have, but they just don't have enough to be able to defeat this overwhelming force. BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: It seems like the Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was right. He said it was highly likely that we'd be seeing Russian tanks rolling into Kyiv.

I guess the question is, when? And what is that going to look like? What do you think?

FOGGO: I think this is going to unfold quickly over the course of the next week. I'm certain that there will be tremendous resistance on the part of the Ukrainians. But, eventually, on the border, particularly in Donbas, where those trenches are, they're going to have a tough fight on their hands. They may be overwhelmed. And then they'll start moving in. How fast they move depends on the resistance of the Ukrainian people.

You mentioned, Brianna, the attacks in the south in Odessa. And early reporting or speculation that that came from the sea. The Russians have got over 30 ships in the Black Sea. They have total control of the Sea of Azov. Probably 75 ships total. They came down from the Caspian Sea fleet in order to secure the Sea of Azov. And they have a very effective cruise missile, called the Kalibr cruise missile, which is like our Tomahawk. It's precision strike.

But the one play that the Russians haven't taken from the American playbook is collateral damage. They have no due regard for collateral damage. So I think there's going to be, unfortunately, a lot of casualties and potentially civilian casualties to both people and infrastructure in Ukraine.

KEILAR: I'm really glad you mentioned that. We're hearing from the Ukrainian government, dozens of casualties already. And as you mentioned, this is just the beginning. I think we're going to be seeing some very tough pictures coming in.

Admiral James Foggo, thank you so much for being with us.

FOGGO: Brianna, thank you very much.

John, in New York, thank you very much for letting me be here.

KEILAR: So, the first U.S. forces arriving now in Latvia, taking position in the Baltics to bolster NATO's eastern flank as a large- scale attack is now underway across Ukraine by Russian forces. We're going to have more on these breaking developments here ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:37:27]

BERMAN: All right, the breaking news this morning, the Russian attack, a wide-scale attack on Ukraine. We're getting reports of explosions all across the country. New reports we can't even keep up with it on our map, all the way west to south Lviv as well.

One of the cities where we are getting reports of blasts and hearing for ourselves is Mariupol, not too far from that separatist region. Our Alex Marquardt is there.

Alex, give us a sense of what you are seeing and hearing this morning.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, where we are now, just about 15 miles from one of the two separatist enclaves that President Putin has just recognized as independent.

We've spent a lot of time in this city, John. We've been away for a few days. We got back this morning. And we have come back to a much more tense city.

And the first thing you notice are the lines, which I want to show you. This is a line that has just gathered outside of a pharmacy. You can see people essentially going in one at a time. And then just to the right of that, a long line at an ATM. All along this street at all these -- at ATMs all along this street you have these long lines. People trying to get money out.

We've been told by various people that they have had to go to different ATMs all across the city to try to find cash. Some people say that they want to stay. A lot of people are confused. And others say that they want to leave but they're not sure if they can leave.

Now, as I mentioned, we drove in this morning, and what struck me was just the steady stream of people flowing out of Mariupol. This is a city of around half a million people. We saw cars and trucks all along that main road coming into the city. At the gas stations were also more long lines.

What has really been remarkable over two weeks of driving around Ukraine, John, is really not seeing very much of a military presence. That has changed today. We have seen the biggest number of Ukrainian military vehicles that we have seen thus far. But the proximity, as we were saying, to that separatist -- those separatist areas makes this a very important place to watch because it is smack in the middle between Crimea and those areas where Putin says he is carrying out what he calls a special operation. This is a part of Ukraine that he would like to control.

And as we've noted, when he recognized those breakaway territories that have been controlled by Russian-backed separatists for the past eight years, he wasn't just recognizing the land that they're on, but the land around them as well. And that includes where we are standing right here in Mariupol, a critical port city on the Sea of Azov, where Russia also has ships.

[06:40:07]

So, we could see a lot -- we could see Russian forces here in the coming days. We could see a really tough time for this city in the next few hours and days, John.

Alexander Marquardt in Mariupol. Please, stay safe.

You get a sense of where Alex is. It's right here. We're talking about the totality of Ukraine right now. This is where Ukraine is.

We're getting our first reports of a new group of U.S. forces arriving up here in Latvia, in the Baltic states. What's the significance of this repositioning now of U.S. forces?

Our special, live coverage continues right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right, the breaking news this morning, Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine.

[06:45:04]

Explosions seen or heard in at least 16 sites across the entire nation of Ukraine.

Joining me now is Russian opposition politician and the author of "The Washington Post" op-ed, "It's Not Just the West that Opposes Putin's War on Ukraine, a lot of Russians do Too," Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Vladimir, thank you so much for being with us this morning.

The leader of your nation just launched a largescale attack in a democratically-elected government in a neighboring nation. What's your reaction this morning?

VLADIMIR KARA-MURZA, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION POLITICIAN: Well, first of all, Vladimir Putin is not the leader of my nation. He's an illegitimate dictator who has been in power now for more than two decades without a single, free and democratic election. So, it is very important and I thank you for quoting that op-ed I had a couple of days ago in "The Washington Post" because this is not Russia's war. This is not our war. This is yet another adventure by the blood- thirsty and deranged Kremlin dictator by the name of Vladimir Putin. This is very important to say at the outset.

So many people here in Moscow, so many of our friends and colleagues, share the feelings of shock, of indignation, of shame, everything that surrounds this -- what could become the largest land war in Europe since the end of the Second World War. This is just mind-boggling that we are even speaking about this. And so this is -- it is very important to say that this is not a war conducted by Russia. This is a war conducted by the Putin dictatorship and so many Russian citizens here oppose this war just as much as people around the world.

BERMAN: How are they going to show their opposition, Vladimir? At this point you're telling us there's large opposition to it. What's going to happen?

KARA-MURZA: Well, we've already had, in the last few hours, we've had several arrests here in Moscow of protesters who tried to go out and demonstrate against this war. We had a complete ban of any kind of public demonstrations here imposed under the hypocritical pretext of Covid two years ago that's still in force today. Now, of course, needless to say, this plan only applies to opposition demonstrations. What Mr. Putin, last year, packed 80,000 people into a closed-door stadium to celebrate the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea, nobody voiced any kind of (INAUDIBLE) and stuff. But if you are an opposition protester, if you're one person standing with a poster, you get arrested and carted away to a police station.

There is a (INAUDIBLE) and nationwide public petition that has been organized by (INAUDIBLE), Russia's last real remaining opposition party. Tens of thousands of Russians have already signed this petition and continue to sign it against the war with Ukraine. In the last few days, and again even more intense in the last few hours, we have seen some of Russia's leading cultural figures, scientists, writers, musicians, sports people, journalists, local municipal elected lawmakers from across the country adding their name to this protest against this criminal war, criminal, illegitimate and senseless war that has been launched by Vladimir Putin. This is yet another crime against humanity conducted by the Putin dictatorship.

And I have to say, now being here on CNN, for years and year we, in the Russian opposition, warned those western politicians, those western appeasers, who tried to look Putin in the eye, who tried to conduct the reset with Putin and so on and so forth. We tried to warn everyone how this will end. Why is it that every generation must repeat the same mistake?

BERMAN: Vladimir Kara-Murza, I'm quite certain that your message right now will not be heard across the wide public in Russia because of censorship and whatnot. I know you're taking great risks even talking to us.

Please, stay safe. Thank you.

KARA-MURZA: Thank you so much.

KEILAR: All right, let's now go inside of Ukraine.

Joining us is Olga Tokariuk. She is a freelance journalist in Ukraine and a non-resident fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

Olga, just talk to us a little bit about what Ukrainians are feeling, what they're telling you.

OLGA TOKARIUK, FREELANCE JOURNALIST IN UKRAINE: Well, you can imagine people waking up to the sound of explosions, what can they feel? Of course they feel fear, but they also feel determination to resist because Ukraine has been attacked without any reason. You know, Ukraine did nothing to be facing this invasion. This is a unilateral decision of Putin, who basically gone full Hitler and started an invasion of a sovereign and independent country.

Well, people, you know, are trying to adjust to this situation that is very fluid. We are receiving updates every few minutes about, you know, Russian troops trying to break into Ukraine's territory. Now, in recent of days, that are -- that they are coming towards Kyiv. Russian tanks have broken through Ukrainian border in the Kyiv region and are moving towards Kyiv.

So, they are like cues (ph) and on the exit of Kyiv people are trying to -- to leave the city and to move to the western parts of the country. Although it is unclear whether it would be safe in other regions because Russia has been launching these air strikes over all Ukrainian territory. There are dozens of killed civilians. And Ukrainian servicemen and probably (INAUDIBLE) like very -- you know, very first initial figures.

[06:50:02]

And we will see them growing in the next couple of hours.

People are trying to, you know, stock up on food, (INAUDIBLE), at the supermarkets for water. Also, at the gas stations, at the ATMs to withdraw cash. So, you know, it's a very chaotic situation.

KEILAR: Olga, Ukrainians have an effective history of resisting Russian rule. How significant is the resistance? How are Ukrainians going to respond here?

TOKARIUK: Well, Ukrainians are going to resist. There is no doubt about that. And Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his address just a couple of hours ago, he told all Ukrainians who are able and willing to join the resistance to do so. He said the state will provide you with weapons. Just join the resistance and we will give you everything necessary to defend our land.

So, there will be resistance. That's for sure. We are already seeing reports by the Ukraine officials that seven Russian aircraft have been destroyed by Ukraine armed forces. There are also Russian tanks that have been destroyed. Ukrainian army is, you know, waging heavy battles now on different fronts.

But, of course, we would need support from the western in that. You know, Ukraine shouldn't be left alone. Ukrainians shouldn't be left alone with Russia, because Russia is a threat, not just to Ukraine, it's a threat to European global security and peace.

KEILAR: Yes, it's pretty clear that a resistance will be getting backup from western countries, including the U.S.

Olga Tokariuk, thank you so much for joining us this morning from Ukraine.

And our coverage of the ongoing attack in Ukraine continues as Russia has begun overnight to attack. Our CNN teams on the ground hearing new explosions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:55:38]

BERMAN: All right, the breaking news, overnight, a large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine launched by Russia. You can see here on the map, at least 16 different locations targeted, witnessed by our own CNN teams or by locals telling us they are hearing and seeing things.

Joining me now from Kyiv, the capital, is Yaroslav Trofimov, chief foreign affairs correspondent for "The Wall Street Journal."

Yaroslav, thank you so much for being with us.

You're on the streets right now.

YAROSLAV TROFIMOV, CHIEF FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL": Yes, John.

BERMAN: Give us the significance of what you are seeing and hearing.

TROFIMOV: Well, you know, the air strikes and the missile strikes began about 5:00 a.m. in the morning and they've been going on non- stop ever since. But they were followed quite quickly by a massive land invasion all over Ukrainian borders, from Belarus in the north, from Russia to the east, from Crimea in the south, and recently by airborne landings just in the outskirts of Kyiv at the military airports of Gostomed.

So, really, we're seeing a full-on, a fully-fledged invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

BERMAN: Give me the historical significance of this moment to see the post-World War II order truly unended before your very eyes this morning?

TROFIMOV: Right. What we're seeing now is an attempt by Russia to basically (INAUDIBLE) Ukraine as a separate, sovereign country. Sort of (INAUDIBLE) wars of conquest that we haven't seen, you know, since the 1930s really.

BERMAN: What do you think the Ukrainians are going to do about it? How able are they to push back?

TROFIMOV: Well, I think it's going to be a challenge for the Ukrainian armed forces to resist just because Russia's air superiority. You know, Ukraine has not been provided air defenses that it was asking its western partners to sell them. So, (INAUDIBLE), Russia definitely has an overwhelming advantage.

However, you know, one thing is to take, another is to hold. And the population in cities like Kyiv is extremely opposed to President Putin and to Russian occupation of their country. So there will definitely be resistance. There will be an insurgency later on. And this will not end with a quick, bloodless (ph) conquest.

BERMAN: We've seen pictures from the city where you are right now, in Kyiv, of long lines of traffic, people trying to flee to the western part of the country. What's the mood there on the streets?

TROFIMOV: Well, the streets are empty. You know, I can smell now this -- sort of the smoke of burning documents. There are pieces of ash floating around in the air from nearby government offices. There are lots of reservists in (INAUDIBLE) the streets, joining up with the units because of the pull-out (ph) of the reservists. And, you know, stores are still open. People are stocking up on food. People are getting cash out of ATMs. And people are just stunned that something like this could really, really happen. Nobody really believe that until the last moment, just like that, their country could be invaded.

BERMAN: An unprovoked attack on a neighboring nation. And now the smell of burning documents as people prepare for the possibility, honestly, of an occupation.

Yaroslav, thank you so much for being with us.

Please, stay safe.

And NEW DAY continues right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

KEILAR: Good morning to viewers here in the United States and around the world. It is Thursday, February 24th. And I am Brianna Keilar, with John Berman. This is CNN's special live coverage of breaking news.

Ukraine under siege from all sides. Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashing a multi-pronged large-scale military invasion. No city is safe. Explosions reported in at least 16 locations in Ukraine all over, from Kyiv, to Mariupol, Odessa in the south, all the way west to Lviv.

We have brand-new images from the Ukrainian ministry of internal affairs showing damage done by a bombing operation near Kyiv. Some of Kyiv's 3 million citizens grabbing their belongings, fleeing west in their cars in this exodus from the capital.

CNN has obtained this exclusive video from Ukrainian border guards. And here you can see military vehicles, these are Russian military vehicles, entering Ukraine from Belarus in the north.

[07:00:00]

President Putin went on state TV. He announced a special military operation, as he calls it, saying that it is to protect the Donbas region. The goal that he