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New Day
Russia Escalates Attacks on Civilian Targets Across Ukraine; European Parliament Recommends Giving Ukraine Candidate Status. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired March 02, 2022 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:16]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to viewers here in the United States and around the world. It is Wednesday, March 2nd. I'm Brianna Keilar with John Berman.
As Russia's assault in Ukraine rages on for a seventh day, Russia claims that it has captured a major city. While a new and gruesome tactical shift has emerged: Russia now targeting civilians.
Just in overnight, new video of an explosion in Kharkiv. You are looking at the regional police department hit by a military strike. Kharkiv National University was also targeted.
In the northern part of Kharkiv, some brand-new video showing that large explosion rocking a neighborhood sending shock waves. We're also learning just moments ago, there was heavy shelling in Mariupol that has left dozens injured. The mayor there says the number of wounded civilians is growing every day.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: In Kyiv, a rocket attacks hit a TV tower and a Holocaust memorial site. That's a TV tower strike you're seeing right there. The Holocaust memorial site, Babyn Yar, where tens of thousands of Jews were murdered there during World War II. Overnight, a chief rabbi of Ukraine asked, how many times can they kill us?
Also, a Russian missile reportedly struck a private maternity clinic near Kyiv. And it tore through multiple apartment blocks. Clearly, civilians are under fire, suffering and dying.
More developments overnight. The Russian military claims it has taken control of this city right here, Kherson right there. It's a key city, a port city on a river. The Russians now say they're in control of it.
New images show Russian military vehicles parked in a main square in the city. Ukraine has denied those claims. CNN has not been immediately able to verify whether or not the Russians are there or not.
All this happening as President Biden used his first State of the Union Address to assert that Moscow would pay the price for invading Ukraine. So many of the images we just showed you, strikes on the northeastern
city of Kharkiv right here.
First report will come from Frederik Pleitgen over the border in Russia in Belgorod where so many of the attacks against Kharkiv have been launched from.
Fred, what are you seeing?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, John. So much of the logistics are going on in the battlefield for Kharkiv. And that's certainly something that we've been seeing throughout the course of this morning as well, with military vehicles continuously again to that direction in Kharkiv.
It's only about I would say 30 miles down the road from here. The border with Ukraine is even closer than that. We do see a lot of Russian forces still pouring in there as well.
One of the things that you've said is obviously very correct. It seems as though more and more of that civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv seems to be under fire. You had two big strikes, one on the university and one on the police department. Russians are using a lot heavier weapons in the civilian areas than they have in the past couple of days.
Obviously, the Ukrainians talking about cruise missiles. Those are very, very heavy weapons. The Russians in the past couple of days have said or they have accused the Ukrainian military of moving into civilian areas and moving weapons into those areas. Of course, impossible to independently verify whether or not that is true.
But, of course, we have heard those kind of claims in the past from leaders who want to justify the fact that civilian areas have been hit. From our vantage point here, we can certainly see the offensive is being hit. It seems to us, though, the Russians are replenishing their forces in Kharkiv. We saw large convoy of Russian military vehicles which to us looked like vehicles not in the battlefield yet. They seemed to be in very good condition. Not like some of the stuff coming out that's clearly showing signs of wear and tear from the battlefield.
So, that seems to be happening. There's one other thing that we've been noticing which seems to have taken on more significance. The U.S. is now saying this they believe some of the Russian forces not necessarily here. The checkpoint you see behind me and giving food donations and at least at one point we saw the donations being put into a military vehicle and also being driven towards the front line area in that direction.
[05:05:07]
Whether or not that means there are any shortages here, very difficult to say, but it's certainly something that caught our eye as it was going on, John. BERMAN: All right. Frederik Pleitgen you can see is up here in
Belgorod. This is Kharkiv right here, you can see the Russians now controlling more of the space around it, and not yet in the city center of Kharkiv. Fred, thank you so much.
BERMAN: And some new information in just the last hour on the battle for Kherson in southern Ukraine. Ukrainians officials say the city has not fallen, contrary to reports in Russian state media.
We have CNN's Michael Holmes joining us from Lviv in western Ukraine.
So, there is disagreement here on what exactly has happened. You've seen the pictures, Michael, but we can't verify them. So, this is a question mark right now.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, exactly. So the Russians claiming to have taken control of that city, Kherson. That's just in the south of the country, just sort of northwest of occupied Crimea. As John was saying and as you were saying, the Ukrainians, they're disputing that, although there have been images of Russian military vehicle in the main square of that city.
Still trying to confirm all of this. Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the Russians are moving to try to surround an important strategic city and John mentioned this, too, Mariupol. It's on the sea and heavy shelling reporting there.
Now, it's long been thought that the Russians want a land bridge from Russia to occupied Crimea and capturing Mariupol would pretty much give them that. That's significant for that reason. As you say, the Russians have been pummeling the second largest city in this country, Kharkiv, as we've seen, and, of course, moving closer to the capitol, Kyiv. Fears that they're going to encircle, to lay siege and to cut off that massive column that we've seen, 40 miles long, 65 kilometers just outside the city. It really gives a sense that a new and grim chapter could be coming in the next couple of days.
Now, last hour, I actually got to speak with the mayor of Kharkiv and here's part of what he told me.
KEILAR: We don't have that sound, Michael. If you can give us a sense of what he did tell you.
HOLMES: He was quite emotional. He was saying they are ready to defend that city, that everyone is on board, everyone is united. In urban warfare the people in the city have the advantage because they know the terrain. They know the lay of the land.
He was saying that they are ready. A lot of people have left the city but they will defend it to the end. Quite an emotional interview. Hopefully, you'll get that sound.
KEILAR: Actually, Michael, sorry to interrupt you.
HOLMES: You do have it?
KEILAR: We do have it. Let's go ahead and listen to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VITALI KLITSCHKO, KYIV MAYOR: We'll be fighting. It's every square, every street. People -- it's huge patriotic movement right now. All people. Can you imagine doctors, actors, actors from theater, many professionals, they never -- never have expectation to fight, to keep weapons but right now, they coming to us and ask about weapons. They're ready to fight. It's amazing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yeah, the mayor of Kyiv speaking to me in the last hour. Having stalled in their advance in the face of unexpectedly strong Ukrainian resistance, that Putin will now ratchet things up military. He has form in this, in Grozny, in Chechnya, in Syria as well, he has formed and not shying away from brutal tactics and that's the big fear when it comes to the capitol and elsewhere in this country as well.
Back to you.
KEILAR: Yeah. As Fred Pleitgen just reported, heavier weapons being used in civilian areas.
Michael Holmes live for us in Lviv. Thank you.
BERMAN: So, as cities such as Kharkiv fight for their lives, another trend happening right now, this flow of humanity. Hundreds of thousands of people living in Ukraine trying to get over the border. Hundreds of thousands going to neighboring nations.
Poland is the primary site, 700,000 at least so far it's estimated have left.
CNN's Arwa Damon is live on the Ukrainian side of the border near Poland. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For too many here, this is a family's last day together. An endless stretch of broken hearts and shattered realities on the road to Ukraine's border with Poland. At one of the border crossings, it's a parallel story of different forms of pain.
[05:10:05]
On one side, Ukrainian families. Some have already said good-bye to their husbands, fathers, sons. Men age 18 to 60 are not permitted to leave.
Some families stay together until the end, desperate to postpone that final farewell. They move through within hours.
On the other side, non-Ukrainians -- students and professionals from dozens of nationalities all who we spoke to said they have been here for days in below freezing temperatures angry, delirious, cold, weak. They said they walked here, told they are not permitted to board the buses. Those are for Ukrainians only.
So this is the fourth time you are trying to cross the border?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DAMON: Yasid (ph) is from Afghanistan, here with his uncle and his family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two months that I didn't hear my parents' voice.
DAMON: Oh, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So that's so hard.
DAMON: Yeah.
They have all been on the road for four days back and forth from border crossings. His aunt's arms are aching from carrying their newborn. She had given birth the day before Russia launched the airstrikes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spent the night at the border.
DAMON: They did not think little Somaya (ph) would survive.
We lost track of them at the border. They were able to move to the front of the non-Ukrainian side because of the children. But for the men waiting in the line that has not moved, another night in subzero temperatures is not something they think they can survive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who am I going to tell your problems to? You have no one.
DAMON: How long have you been waiting?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, I've been here for two days now.
DAMON: And you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four days.
DAMON: Four days? Right here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Our parents are home waiting for us. All the time it comes into my mind, I feel like crying. Ukraine is a beautiful country but they don't have to treat us like this. We are not the cause of this.
DAMON: There is not a single person here who can come to terms with how quickly, how violently all they knew to be real and safe was ripped away.
Elena is from Vietnam married to Yuri from Ukraine. They are directed to the Ukraine Ukrainian line. You will have to stay here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I will stay.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have made decision just this morning because I will stay a little longer to wait to see what going on next.
DAMON: How are you explaining this to the children?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My older son, he understands. My little girl, she know the my little girl, she know the war, the war is here, but she doesn't really understand what is the war.
DAMON: Hi. Hi. It's the Afghan family. Did you make it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They didn't let us cross. They said the baby cannot cross. The baby didn't have document.
DAMON: We head over to the school church shelter and there we find this German couple. They used a Ukrainian surrogate to carry their twins.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They say at the border, go away. Go back from the border. The kids are three weeks old. They must go to Poland. We need help.
DAMON: They were waiting for their baby's passports when the war started, a war that has already crushed so many lives and ripped away so many dreams.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: Just one phase there. Some 700,000 people trying to get out and that number will only rise.
Arwa is joining us right now.
Arwa, are you with us at the border. There we go, Arwa. Go ahead.
DAMON: Hi. I am. Hi. And just contrast this with those images that you saw because right here is exactly where the non-Ukrainians were waiting.
John, I can't tell you how relieved we were to get here this morning and not see that line because late last night when we had left this crossing, we were watching people really begin to feel the severe effects of the bitter cold. One man from Algeria were frozen in place. They were begging him to get into an ambulance and to just get warm.
All he was doing is standing there staring down at the ground saying, it's not my fault. I didn't do anything. It's not my fault, I didn't do anything.
We have been asking people here and also on the polish side, customs officials why it is that this took them this long to begin processing these non-Ukrainians and they're both just blaming the other side for it. So far, there hasn't been much of a response as to why they in particular have to suffer in these dreadful conditions for so long, John.
[05:15:07]
BERMAN: Arwa Damon at the border, maybe a good sign that that line isn't there. Hopefully, that means they have worked out whatever issues there were.
Arwa Damon, terrific reporting. Thank you so much.
In Ukraine, everyone knows about the Chernobyl plant under control. We have breaking news, word that a number of nuclear power plant workers are blocking road -- a road from Russian forces as the IAEA says Ukraine is requesting immediate help in protecting a number of these nuclear sites. Stand by.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:20:06]
KEILAR: An overwhelming majority of the E.U. parliament voting in favor of giving Ukraine candidate status to join the bloc. Ukrainian President Zelensky is requesting immediate recognition. However, the process is extremely complex. It usually takes years and he's asking to essentially shortcut that.
CNN's Natasha Bertrand is live at the European headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, with more.
This was a big vote, Natasha.
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: It was. And importantly, they stopped short of actually voting to fast track that E.U. membership for Zelensky that Ukraine and Zelensky had been calling for. It was an overwhelming vote to allow Ukraine to begin negotiations essentially to become a candidate to enter the E.U.
Let me tell you in my conversations at the European parliament with members, they were saying there is a lot of division here about whether Ukraine should be allowed to kind of fast track its membership into the E.U. A lot of them feel as though the Ukraine does not meet the requirements to join the bloc. They feel it is not a top priority at this moment to have those negotiations begin.
The top priority they say is to end the war, provide humanitarian assistance and to continue to supply lethal equipment to Ukraine to help them fend off Russia. Not everyone agrees with that. There were eight member states including Poland that have called for Ukraine to be fast tracked, its membership to be fast tracked amid the Russian onslaught.
But broadly there is a sense this is going to take a long time, this is not going to happen in the next few weeks, months, or maybe even years. Some members -- some countries within the European Union or outside the European Union have been waiting about a decade to join. It's a very, very long and complex process that involves the country having to reform the financial, legal, and political elements of society in order to come in line with the European standards.
This is something Zelensky has been pushing for in the last few days because he feels this would put Ukraine on equal footing with European states and, therefore, broaden support from the West for Ukraine showing Russia they are a united front. But ultimately, this is not going to come soon. In the meantime, these members of parliament have told me they are focusing on continuing these shipments of supplies, humanitarian assistance including, you know, supplies including ammunition, fuel, things that Ukraine really needs at this moment and not so much on this request by Zelensky to join the European Union.
However, it was a very emotional moment yesterday when Zelensky did address the parliament by a video link from Ukraine. Many members said it was one of the watershed moments of their career. Of course, we heard the translator for the European parliament broke down in tears crying as he translated Zelensky's statement. Many members are moved by Zelensky's situation and they are doing everything to support them during the war -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Yeah, the overwhelming response from the members there was pretty amazing to watch as well.
Natasha, thank you for that report.
BERMAN: A Russian tennis star risking her safety to speak out against Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine. Her brave message condemning the invasion, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:28:08]
KEILAR: Russia's top ranked female tennis star Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has made one of the strongest statements of any Russia athlete, condemning Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
She wrote on social media: I have been playing tennis since I was a kid. I have represented Russia all my life. This is my home and my country. But now, I am in complete fear as are my friends and family but I am not afraid to clearly state my position. I'm against war and violence.
Personal ambitions or political motives cannot justify violence. This takes away the future not only from us but also from our children. I am confused and do not know how to help in this situation. I'm just an athlete who plays tennis. I'm not a politician, not a public figure. I can only speak out against this. Stop the violence and stop the war.
Joining us from Dubai is Anastasia herself. We've been seeing athletes but you stand out for how strong you have been condemning the war. Why did you decide to do this?
ANASTASIA PAVLYUCHENKOVA, RUSSIA'S TOP-RANKED WOMAN TENNIS PLAYER: Thank you. Well, first of all, it's very difficult times for everybody, I would say, and it just -- it caused me fear. I'm confused. I don't know what's going to happen next so as an athlete, I'm not a politician. I don't know much about it, but I can only speak out and I would like more athletes joining me and speak out on this matter.
KEILAR: And how do you think that might affect things if more athletes do speak out?
PAVLYUCHENKOVA: I don't know. I just hope -- you know, again, as I said in my message on social media, I'm not a politician.
[05:30:00]
