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Ukraine Says, We've Regained Control of Kyiv Suburb as Russians Retreat; U.S. Unable to Identify Top Russian Field Commander in Ukraine; Biden Warns of Potential Russian Cyberattacks Against U.S. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired March 22, 2022 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN NEW DAY: CNN's Fred Pleitgen --

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN NEW DAY: All right. Sorry, Fred, we lost Berman there just for a moment.

Fred, can you tell us what's happening in Kyiv today? Are things calmer where you are?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, they were actually fairly calm during the night, although we did hear air raid sirens every once in a while, Brianna. But I can tell you, as of about -- I would say, about half an hour ago, certainly, things have picked up a great deal. We have been again hearing air raid sirens as this curfew is going on.

And just a couple minutes ago, there was actually a really large explosion. We're certainly trying to locate where exactly that came from and obviously asking the authorities what exactly that was. But it certainly was a massive blast that took place here that we could clearly both hear and then also feel. In fact, a lot of the car alarms of cars that are parked around here, they all went off. So, it was quite a massive blast, even compared to some of the things that we have been seeing the past couple days.

Once again, curfew is in place today because the Ukrainians are saying they believe that there might be pro-Russian saboteurs operating in the city. They believe they could be giving away Ukrainian military positions. And so the Ukrainians are saying they want to try and get to those people, root those people out to make sure that their positions aren't attacked even more than they already are.

At the same, I think John was talking about it, it certainly does seem to be the case, the Ukrainians are saying that they are making some headway on the battlefield, especially here in the battle for the capital, for Kyiv, Brianna. The Russians, of course, sort of trying to encircle the capital, they've been trying to get around it from both in the northwest and the northeast.

We were on that -- or near that frontline yesterday and we did see a lot of outgoing Ukrainian artillery, rocket artillery going towards Russian positions. The Russian positions obviously very exposed right now, especially since they're pretty open countryside there.

And at the same time, they also said that they took that town of Makariv, which is about 50 kilometers to the west of Kyiv. So, what is that, 35 miles to the west of Kyiv. Really important, really strategic town, especially for the Russians as they're trying to encircle this place but also for the Ukrainians as well as they try to fight back against those attempts to encircle the capital.

So, obviously, the Ukrainians saying they want to build on that. Apparently, that town has been really badly damaged and some of the area around that town is still quite contested as well. So, that's certainly where a lot of those big battles are taking place.

And right now, Brianna, I think it's important for me to tell you, we are hearing a little bit of sort of firing going on to the north of the city. I saw some plumes of smoke there. So, we do see that that battle for the capital, for Kyiv, still very much raging even as we see this curfew here in the capital city itself, Brianna.

BERMAN: I'll take it, Fred. We were -- you were just talking about Makariv, this town that the Ukrainians say they have retaken. I was just speaking to the minister of energy, a member of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's cabinet, who says they will retake, the Ukrainians will, more towns and cities in the next few days.

Now part of that might just be the confidence he's trying to give the rest of the people in this country, but what signs are you seeing that perhaps the Ukrainians have taken the offensive?

PLEITGEN: Well, it certainly -- I think it certainly looks as though they are trying to take the offensive in some places. They do seem to be doing that. I mean, look, one of the things that we have to say is that Ukrainian military is obviously still very much outgunned on the battlefield and in the air as well, even though the Ukrainian Air Force is still very much operating. You do have surface-to-air missile systems that are certainly operating here around Kyiv and in other places as well.

However, it's also no secret that the Russians are in somewhat trouble in their offensive on the capital city. You know, they seem to be bogged down with some flooding going on in the areas where they're at and the Ukrainians are really taking them under fire. And they're doing that, obviously, with the weapons that they have but also with weapons that they capture from the Russians themselves and then aim at the Russians. They make them fit again, they shoot rockets at the Russians.

We saw multiple rocket launcher yesterday. It was driving around the streets of Kyiv where you could see the Z that the Russians paint on their vehicle simply painted over with green paint and that rocket launcher then being used against the Russians.

So, they are taking them under fire. We have heard of some possible territorial gains the Ukrainians are making also in the northeast of Kyiv, but, of course, John, needless to say, it is very much an uphill battle for the Ukrainians. And at the same time, the Russians obviously kept talking about possibly trying to bring in reinforcements as well. Even though for them, logistically, it certainly seems pretty difficult to try and keep those troops that they have around the capital city up and running since they are pretty far away from their own border and also the border of Belarus where, of course, they get a lot of their supplies from, John.

BERMAN: And, of course, you were over the border watching them come in not too long ago. Frederik Pleitgen in Kyiv for us this morning, Fred, thanks so much for your report.

KEILAR: And joining us now is Lesia Vasylenko. She is a Ukrainian member of parliament. Thank you so much for being with us. We do appreciate it, Lesia.

[07:05:00]

I wanted to ask you, we're hearing with Makariv being retaken by Ukrainians and hearing Ukrainian officials say that other cities will be retaken by the Ukrainians. Do you believe that to be true?

LESIA VASYLENKO, UKRAINIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: Of course. This is the goal that our army has before it. And it's the only goal to retake the cities, to regain control of everything that Russia has taken under their control and to de-occupy Ukraine from the Russian forces. This is the main task of the military. This is what they work 24/7 to achieve.

Makariv is actually a town just very close to where I am located now. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to Kyiv yesterday before the curfew, so I had to stop over sort of midway. And Makariv, I know very well. I mean, it's on my route, which I often take when I go to see family.

So, the devastation in that town was massive in comparison to the actual town. It's very small. It's very calm. There's not much going on there normally, but now there's the whole war brewing.

KEILAR: What about the southern part of the country where Russian forces have had this sort of southern and the eastern, I guess, the southeastern part of the country, Russian forces have had better luck there. They've done better there. Is there any appetite in Ukraine for conceding any of that land or does that territory have to come back to Ukraine in negotiations?

VASYLENKO: No concessions are possible as to land, as to people, as to anything that is by international law, Ukrainian. I mean, you know, Ukrainian -- Ukraine did nothing wrong and Ukrainians did nothing wrong. We just lived our life as a sovereign state abiding by the rules of international law. And then one day, Russia decided that enough of that and that they're going to declare themselves more sovereign than us. And they are going to invade and take on the territories.

Actually, to play up to this dialogue of concession that Russia is trying to lead on the international arena is very dangerous not just for Ukraine but for the whole world. I mean, can you imagine the inspiration that Putin is going to provide to all of those other totalitarian and authoritarian leaders out there who are also planning and scheming to invade other countries, take on their territories?

If concessions are made in terms of territory to Russia right now, it will be a message to everyone else out there saying, okay, look, it's okay, you can invade another country. Then there will be international peace talks and then you will be able to get some territory snatched up from the countries you initially invaded. I mean, that would be utterly wrong and I think that would destroy the whole system of defense and security that is there in the world.

That's a wrongful act. That's a crime of aggression. So, that's also a punishment for that. It's already prescribed in international law. And I think that the best thing we can do as an international community now is just to follow on with these rules.

KEILAR: What is your message right now to NATO countries and to your neighbors, to the U.S.?

VASYLENKO: They are all these countries who are standing by watching Ukraine, cope and making bets how many more days Ukraine will last. They are acting irresponsibly and they are soliciting the crime of aggression that Putin is committing against Ukraine. The only responsible action that can be taken now towards not just Ukraine but towards global peace and security and towards the many nations that want to live peacefully in the world, the only responsible thing would be to stand by Ukraine and to help us physically eradicate the aggression that Putin is waging on Ukraine and on the peace and security system in the world.

If he is not stopped, he will prevail and he will continue pushing on with his aggression to other countries. NATO member state, non-NATO member state, he doesn't care. He just wants to rebuild his empire. Empires must be stopped. They must stain history. And the only responsible thing is to do is to act now, to provide a no-fly zone over Ukraine and also to be here present on the ground providing humanitarian assistance to the many Ukrainian civilians who are dying at Russian hands, but also and most importantly, to force Russia to de-occupy Ukraine and reinstate Ukraine's sovereign borders.

KEILAR: Lesia Vasylenko, thank you so much for being with us this morning. We appreciate it.

VASYLENKO: Thank you.

KEILAR: Berman?

BERMAN: So, we have seen the horrific damage in Mariupol. Bombs are falling every ten minutes. That's according to one Ukrainian soldier. The city has refused to surrender to the Russians. It's been difficult to make contact with people there because the conditions are so horrific and not that many people have been able to escape. But a few have. And I talked to a woman who got out with her elderly parents and virtually nothing else.

[07:10:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN (voice over): This small apartment in Lviv, in Western Ukraine is now a safe haven for a family of refugees from Mariupol. Natalia and her parents, Ihor and Halyna, arrived in Lviv just a day ago after a harrowing cross-country journey.

Your parents are elderly. They're in their 80s. How hard was it to get them out?

NATALIA HAYETSKA, FLED FROM MARIUPOL: It was incredibly difficult. In fact, I had no chance to evacuate my parents. I have got elderly parents and four pets that I will not leave.

I set myself the task of taking everyone out. Without our own transport, our chances were very miserable. That's why it is incredibly difficult. But, thanks to good people and people who helped, it became possible.

BERMAN: And what was happening in the city when you left?

HAYETSKA: No infrastructure, no portable water, no water at all, no electricity. And there was constant bombing. And not only artillery, they were also using UAVs and some aircrafts. They are dropping bombs all over the city.

BERMAN: We've heard awful stories about dozens, maybe hundreds, maybe thousands of people killed in Mariupol, people being buried in the streets, no way to have funerals.

HAYETSKA: Yes, that's true. People were carrying those who were killed closer to the road and covering them with blankets. They were waiting for someone to collect the bodies. Some people buried the bodies in the yard because they knew no one would come to them. This is all true.

BERMAN: Despite the odds, Natalia, her parents and all four cats made it safely to Lviv after a four-day journey.

HALYNA ZHELEZNIAK, MOTHER: I'm 84, and this was the first time in my life when I felt horror. I couldn't believe it happened. It was just a shock. I couldn't believe it. But this is the reality my family and I had to face.

I'm grateful to my daughter, Natalia, for saving us. She simply saved us. She didn't leave us behind. I still can't believe that such a small woman is capable of such a heroic deed.

BERMAN: Now, they're taking it day by day, unsure how to move forward or even where to go next.

Can you believe that Vladimir Putin, that Russia, is doing this to your city?

IHOR ZHELEZNIAK, FATHER: I couldn't have imagined two months ago that something awful like this, such a crime, could take place. How is this even possible? He's a murderer.

How can a person feel when this is the only thing left? I have absolutely nothing now.

BERMAN: Do you ever think you'll see Mariupol again?

I. ZHELEZNIAK: In the year 3000, the Mariupol I left will maybe be back in the year 3000, but I'm not going to live that long because there are only ruins.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Mariupol might be back in the year 3000, but I'm not going to live that long.

Natalia told us that she managed to stay alive during those weeks Mariupol was under siege by staying busy with getting food, finding ways to help other people and eventually that became too hard. She didn't think that they had much of a chance of getting out alive. She didn't think they would make it, but she says she knew if they stayed they wouldn't. And that's just one family there in that city, Brianna.

KEILAR: I think it also speaks to, as she said, having multiple pets and elderly parents, it's this idea of leaving your life behind and a lot of people, they don't want to do that, right? The choice is to leave and completely abandon the things they love. And so they're torn between these two things. Thank God she got out. Thank God.

BERMAN: Yes, absolutely.

All right, U.S. defense officials are unsure of who is in command of Russian troops in Ukraine. Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby joins us ahead.

A senior NATO official says all signs point to a stalemate in Ukraine. Why that official warns that could mean more dangerous days ahead.

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[07:15:00]

BERMAN: All right. Welcome back. I'm John Berman live in Lviv in Western Ukraine. Russian forces appear to be struggling, nearly one month after Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of this country. Sources tell CNN that the U.S. has not determined whether Russia has a top commander leading their war effort here. Plus, we're told they're also starting to have inventory issues with precision- guided munitions.

Joining me now, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, thanks so much for being with us.

If I can, I want to start with the situation just outside of Kyiv, Makariv, this town that Ukrainian officials now say they have retaken. And I just had one cabinet member tell me, John, that they expect to retake more towns over the next few days. What kind of visibility do you have on this Ukrainian counteroffensive?

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: We know that they have conducted other counterattacks, John, and including just last few days down in Mykolaiv, in the south of Ukraine. So, we have talked about the way the Ukrainians are bravely defending their country, and they are. But they are now in places and at times going on an offensive. They are going after Russians and pushing them out of places where the Russians have been in the past.

[07:20:02]

So, we have seen this now increase over the last few days. And it's a real testament to their ability to fight, to plan, to adapt and to, again, try to push Russian forces back out.

So, I can't confirm this particular report. Certainly, we're not in any position to refute it. Ukrainians know obviously better than we do what they're doing on a daily basis. But it is of a piece and it's certainly consistent with the kind of fighting and the kinds of capabilities that we have seen the Ukrainians use.

BERMAN: How far can these counteroffensive efforts go and how can you help them?

KIRBY: Well, we're going to continue to help them by getting them the kinds of security systems, materials they need in the fight. The president just signed out another $800 million of security assistance to Ukraine, defensive assistance. We're now actively working to get that stuff over to Ukraine and get it into the hands of these Ukrainian fighters. So, that's what we're going to continue to do, is make sure we meet those promises and those commitments.

We're also working with allies and partners to make sure they can also have a way to provide security assistance to Ukrainians. We're trying to get them the systems that they know how to use, that they're trained on and that they're able to use effectively in the field.

Now, how far can it go? I think that's really a great question and it's one that Ukrainians are probably better to answer. But what you can see, and you're there yourself, John, you can see they're very much in the fight. And they're willing to continue to press whatever advantage that they can get to push back the Russians.

BERMAN: So, this CNN reporting that Russian forces in some cases are competing with each other rather than coordinating, that they're having resupply issues.

KIRBY: Yes.

BERMAN: If we know this, don't the Russians? I mean, my question to you is what signs have you seen that that they may be trying to correct this?

KIRBY: Well, we know that they have been frustrated, John. They are running out of fuel. They're running out of food. They are not integrating their operations in a joint manner the way you would think a modern military would. Their commanders aren't necessarily talking to one another and coordinating air to ground. We have seen tension between the air forces and the ground forces about how well or how poorly they're supporting one another. The same could go in the maritime environment.

And they're having trouble with what we call command and control. They're having trouble talking to one another, physically talking to one another, resorting to the use of cell phones in some cases. So, they're definitely struggling. And that's why I think we have seen no real major progress by the Russians on the ground except for in the south, where they had shorter supply lines coming out of Crimea than they do in the north.

So, they're definitely struggling. We're seeing that. They're going to try to regroup. We can expect them to try to fix these problems and to try to overwhelm the Ukrainian resistance, which is why, again, we're working so hard to get the Ukrainians what they need as quickly as possible.

BERMAN: If they are having such problems and in some cases are so inept, has the rest of the world, including the United States, perhaps been too afraid of them? If their fear is to somehow start World War III or get dragged in to a greater conflict, are the Russians capable of a greater conflict?

KIRBY: Well, look, it's not about fear. It's about prudence here. You're talking about a nuclear armed power and you're talking about a leader, Vladimir Putin, who has talked openly and dangerously using rhetoric regarding nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. There's nothing -- you can't take that lightly. In fact, we would be imprudent to do that. We have to take that seriously.

So, I mean, the concern is real that this war could escalate and broaden and that's not good not only for our national security or for Europe, but it's not good for the people of Ukraine to have this war escalate into those sorts of realms here when you're talking about weapons of mass destruction. So, we have to take it seriously, and we very much do.

BERMAN: President Biden suggested that the Russians might launch a cyberattack against the United States. He warned American companies to be ready for this. There are the air raid sirens going off in Lviv. It does happen every few hours. So, President Biden warning about a cyberattack in the United States.

If that were to happen, would the United States consider that an act of war?

KIRBY: Well, I think the president has been very clear, first of all, about the propensity here for a cyberattack. That's why he had a chance to warn corporate leaders. Obviously, we are constantly monitoring our own critical infrastructure here at the Pentagon and throughout the U.S. government to make sure that we can remain resilient against a cyberattack.

I won't get into hypotheticals here, but the president has been very clear if we're attacked in cyberspace, there will be consequences for that. There will be an American response.

BERMAN: Very unusual, very important meeting that President Biden will have with European leaders and NATO later this week. What concrete military measures, if any, do you expect might come out of that? What will be discussed?

KIRBY: Well, look, I can tell you one thing, we were just in NATOs with Secretary Austin last week and it was a lot of time and attention taken by defense ministers to talk about these NATO battle groups and the NATO response force and how we're going to flesh that out, how, as an alliance, we're going to bolster NATO's eastern flank with additional capability, additional forces, additional leadership.

[07:25:13]

And so I would expect that this week, when the president goes to NATO, that there will be follow-on discussions about realizing and actualizing those forces and those capabilities. I won't get ahead of the agenda or announcement that they might or might not make but this is a very important time for the alliance. The alliance has never been more united or resolved than it is right now. And for the president to go and to attend a special session of NATO leaders, I think this is exactly the right time and it's the right place for him to be because NATO is really proving very, very relevant in this struggle.

BERMAN: NATO officials have told CNN that they see this as a likely stalemate. Does the Pentagon agree with that?

KIRBY: I think we're trying to steer away from bumper stickers and labels here. What we have seen is that the Russians have been frustrated. They have been stalled now for now day 27. And, really, they only have two population centers that they have actually taken and they have not been able to take any others. And they are slowed.

And some of that, John, is due to their own ineptitude. We've talked about that a few minutes ago. A lot of it is due to the Ukrainian resistance and how bravely and how creatively they are fighting back. We talked about that a few minutes ago.

That's not by accident, John. I mean, that's really the basis of eight years-long work by the United States, by Canada, by the U.K. and other allies to train their military on these kinds of systems that we are now providing them in near record time and in record numbers.

BERMAN: Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, thank you so much for joining us this morning. I do appreciate it.

KIRBY: Stay safe over there, John.

BERMAN: New this morning, shocking new video of what appears to be the moment a Chinese airliner plunged from the sky.

Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, AMERICAN ACTOR: Your lives, your limbs, your futures are being sacrificed for a senseless war condemned by the entire world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Arnold Schwarzenegger clearly hitting a nerve when he blasted the Kremlin in a message to the Russian people. How the Kremlin is now firing back.

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[07:30:00]