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Russian Military Forces Continue Invasion of Ukraine; Ukrainian Forces Reportedly Launch Counteroffensives against Russian Forces to Halt Encirclement of Kyiv; U.S. and NATO Believe Belarus Preparing to Join Russian War Effort in Ukraine. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired March 23, 2022 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: They see something that in a way they might identify with.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it is on full display. I think that might be the difference. It is on full display there on Capitol Hill. Audie, thank you so much. It is wonderful to have you on set here on NEW DAY.

CORNISH: Yes, thank you so much for having me.

KEILAR: And you can catch Audie on CNN+ coming up soon. That will be starting next week.

And NEW DAY continues right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. It is Wednesday, March 23rd. I'm John Berman in Lviv in western Ukraine. Brianna Keilar in Washington this morning.

The breaking news, Ukrainian forces trying to turn the tables on Vladimir Putin, launching counteroffensive missions north and west of Kyiv. They're attempting to retake towns that were captured by Russian forces. But as Ukrainians go on the offensive in some parts of the country, the Russians are trying to advance in others, moving in from the north and south, attempting to surround Ukrainian troops in the eastern part of Ukraine. That's according to U.K. defense officials.

But the Ukrainians do appear to be making some headway, regaining control of Makarov, a city 30 miles west of Kyiv. This could prevent the Russians from encircling the capital and could threaten their ability to resupply.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(GUNFIRE)

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: this was a fierce fire fight between Ukrainian forces and the Russian military caught on video Near a train station in the Velyka Dymerka, roughly 18 miles from the capital.

KEILAR: And then moments ago, Russian forces fired on a shopping mall, high rise buildings, and private residences in two areas of Kyiv. We're told that four people were injured in those attacks. It's a horrifying scene in the port city of Mariupol. New satellite images from Maxar Technologies revealing fires and widespread destruction that you can see here.

A U.S. defense official says the Russians are firing on the city from ships in the Sea of Azov. This is video showing cruise missiles being launched off the coast of Crimea. And this morning, the Russians claim they struck a military arsenal in northwestern Ukraine with sea launched missiles, continuing an apparent campaign against targets closer to Ukraine's border with Poland.

And badly needed help may be on the way for the Kremlin. The U.S. and NATO believes Belarus is preparing soon to join the Russian war effort. A lot for President Biden to contend with as he leaves for Brussels here in the next hour. He's going to be meeting with NATO allies. He's also expected to announce new sanctions on Russian lawmakers.

BERMAN: We're continuing our coverage in Kyiv with CNN's Frederik Pleitgen. Fred, I do understand there have been air raid sirens going off there, you've been hearing quite a bit, and there is new information about Russian attacks on civilian areas.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You're absolutely right, John. We had the air raid siren going off until literally, until just a couple of seconds ago. That's obviously something, as you know, that is not necessarily uncommon here, especially as the battle unfolding. It doesn't necessarily mean there are going to be airstrikes, but it certainly means the Ukrainians are seeing things in the air which they believe could be dangerous to their forces and dangerous to the city as well.

We also just heard a pretty intense fire fight. I was really interested to see that video that you guys just played of that firefight, very intense one that took place on the outskirts of Kyiv yesterday because the shooting that we were hearing just now seemed to be coming from the same location once again, towards the northeast of the capital.

That shelling on civilian areas that you guys were just alluding to, that happened toward the northwest of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, where apparently a shopping mall was hit, and some residential buildings and a high-rise building was also hit there as well. The Ukrainians saying that so far four people are confirmed to have been wounded in that. It's obviously unclear whether or not that total could rise, because, of course, right now the responders are on the scene there.

In total, we can see that it has been a really intense 24 hours. There has been a lot of shelling going on, especially towards the northeastern part of Kyiv, where apparently the Ukrainians are trying to make headway. You obviously had that great interview just an hour ago with the adviser to President Zelenskyy. That's some of the first information we have gotten of the Ukrainians saying that they're actually making headway, them saying that. We have since been able to get some information from the mayor of a district called Irpin, which is also in the northwest of Kyiv, and he says that now it was held by Russian forces, and he's saying now 80 percent of that district is back in Ukrainian hands. He says there is still 4,000 civilians that are there. But he also said that district as well is getting shelled by Russian forces. So still very much a frontline place, even as the Ukrainians are saying they've made some headway in key areas as they're trying to drive the Russians back away from the Ukrainian capital, John.

BERMAN: Yes, this official who is in President Zelenskyy's orbit says we can confirm progress.

[08:05:03]

Obviously, they're very wary, Fred, not to count their chickens before they hatch, in other words, because they know the Russians are going to fight fiercely to retake the towns once the Ukrainians get there. But it does show that the Ukrainian efforts to an extent in some places are working.

PLEITGEN: Yes, it's certainly -- we believe that it certainly does. There is one other indication that was pretty obvious as well yesterday when the Ukrainians announced they have retaken the town of Makarov. And they posted some video that we were able to geolocate, that it was actually really in that town, so it seems as though that is confirmed. That's a strategic location. That's about 35 miles west of the Ukrainian capital and also on that axis from which the Russians would be trying to surround the Ukrainian capital. So that's a big deal for the Ukrainians to have been able to take that town back.

And, of course, from there, they could then also pressure those Russian forces that are towards the northeast of Ukraine's capital in Kyiv and try to further push them back as well. We know from the U.S. that the Russians apparently are having big problems with logistics, getting things as simple as food and water to their troops, but then, of course, also resupplying them in other ways as well. As you know tanks and artillery require lot of maintenance pretty much around the clock. The Russians having big problems with that.

And so the Ukrainians say that they're on the move there, but, of course, as you've noted, very wary to give out any detailed information, not just because they're afraid those gains could be reversed, but, of course, also not to tip the Russian forces off as to what they're exactly trying to do.

BERMAN: Understandable. Frederik Pleitgen in Kyiv, thanks so much, Fred.

I want to bring in Miro Popovich. He is a U.S. citizen fighting in his homeland of Ukraine. Miro, it's always great to get a chance to talk with you and check in with you again. We have been reporting and we just heard from a Ukrainian official that there has been progress in retaking some of the ground that the Russians had seized. Is this something that you can feel where you are and doing what you're doing?

MIRO POPOVICH, U.S. CITIZEN FIGHTING IN UKRAINE: Yes, of course. Obviously, our military making big progress. I'm happy about it. And, yes, we can feel that.

We knew -- I think when the second week of war started, we already knew that Russians are not as good as they seem. But it is a war, and there is a lot of casualties. And I'm happy, I'm happy that we're making the progress. I'm not happy that they are targeting civilian targets like a shopping mall. But two days ago, they bombed shopping mall with ballistic rockets, and unfortunately my dental clinic was destroyed, and that was a bummer. But they will rebuild. But happy the military is making -- yes, completely, yes.

BERMAN: Yes, no, just one sign of how life, everyday life is being targeted and affected all over this country. There was a curfew in Kyiv over the last day-and-a-half or so. What did that mean for you? What were you doing during this time that civilians were being asked to stay inside?

POPOVICH: Well, for us, because we help the police forces, we were looking for -- it helps us, first of all, to deliver humanitarian, you know, humanitarian missions more precisely and quickly, because everything in the city is empty. And the second is the saboteurs, they cannot really operate and navigate missiles and whatever, because nobody can be on the street. And if you see somebody outside, you just stop them and ask them what the hell are they doing. It's easier.

BERMAN: How much have you been sleeping, Miro?

POPOVICH: Not too much. And I'm really slow right now because I got flu yesterday. I'm sick. And I have flu. So I'm separated right now from my unit for a couple of days until I get better. But, yes, the sleep here is -- you get probably six hours, but it is not like six hours as a whole. You get two hours here, two hours there, two hours here. And basically, it is exhausting. But there are military on the front line, and it is much more complicated than -- much more tiring to be on the front line than what we are doing. So I appreciate what our army and National Guard is doing. And I have no room -- I have no room to complain. So we do our job, they do their job, and, yes.

BERMAN: Tomorrow marks one month since the beginning of the Russian invasion. How much longer are you prepared to stay and fight?

[08:10:00]

POPOVICH: Until we die. That's it. It is not just -- I'm not saying it just to say it, but until it's resolved. If we have to do it another month, let's do another month. If we have to do it another year, let's do it another year. We have no other choice here. We can't just run or move our country away from Russia. We are geographically stuck here. So we have to resolve this issue, completely resolve this issue. And we're going to do it until it is resolved, basically. So we are prepared.

It is very tiring mentally, and physically it is very tiring. But we know why we do this. And I know it is really tiring for them as well. And they die from nothing, and we, if we have to die, we die for our freedom. So that's it.

BERMAN: Miro Popovich, first of all, get better. I hope you feel better soon. And we thank you so much for joining us. Stay safe.

POPOVICH: Yes. Thank you.

KEILAR: U.S. and NATO officials believe that Belarus could soon join Russia in its war against Ukraine, and that the country is already taking steps to do so. A NATO military official said a final decision for Belarus' involvement in the war still has to be made in Moscow.

Joining me now is CNN's senior global affairs analyst Bianna Golodryga. And Bianna, put this into context for us, because the decision has to be made in Moscow. Is this really Belarus' decision anyway?

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SECURITY GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: No. And we've discussed this before, Brianna. Belarus at this point is just a satellite state of Russia. Their leader, Alexander Lukashenko beholden to Vladimir Putin, especially over the course of the last few years. They have extended them a financial lifeline. We have seen a meeting between the two of them every few months.

And we have seen buildup to this exact scenario, where before the war, before Russia invaded Ukraine, we saw Russia and Belarusian troops with joint military exercises in Belarus, and there was about 30,000 Russian troops there at the time. The question was, would they stay there permanently? What would Belarus' role be in this war? Up until now Lukashenko has said that he is not participating in the war, but obviously, as you mentioned, he really is beholden to Vladimir Putin.

And it is a clearer sign of the desperation that we're seeing on the Russian front, to be honest with you, if in fact they do need the extra reinforcements from the Belarusian troops who, by the way, are not very well trained. They haven't fought a war outside of their own land and the perimeter there. So they're seeing what Russian troops are now facing against the Ukrainian resistance. I'm not sure how emboldened they will be now to join them. But, of course, these troops don't have much say in this. It is all about what Vladimir Putin decides for them to do.

KEILAR: Yes, and that's a very interesting point. And I wonder what is this going to mean for Belarus? Is this potentially going to destabilize Belarus? Could there be backlash there?

GOLODRYGA: We call him, or he's called often the last dictator in Europe. I would say there are two dictators in Europe now, Vladimir Putin and little Vladimir Putin, and that is Alexander Lukashenko, though he's physically much taller. This puts them now at the peril of getting sanctioned by the west, and the United States in particular. And that is some of the leverage the U.S. has now to warn Belarus and Lukashenko that, listen, if you join this war, you are just as culpable and then will be on the receiving end of the sanctions, the heavy sanctions that we have leveled against Russia.

But how much say Lukashenko has now given that he has Vladimir Putin to thank for being in power, that is still debatable. I will say what is most alarming about that is last month, Belarus gave up their nonnuclear status. So the question is, will we start to see Russia start to transport any of their nuclear armament facilities there into Belarus. U.S. intel says they don't see that as of yet.

KEILAR: Very important to note. Bianna, thank you so much for that. Really appreciate it.

GOLODRYGA: Sure.

KEILAR: Just in, we're getting word that Russian forces have stolen a convoy of buses. These were empty buses that were driving into Mariupol to rescue people there in that besieged city. It is being called the center of hell in Ukraine right now.

Plus, chilling words this morning as Vladimir Putin's spokesman refuses to rule out the use of nuclear weapons. Christiane Amanpour will join us live on an interview that she had that is very important.

And CNN is live in New Orleans, where a tornado hit overnight. More on that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:18:17]

KEILAR: This morning is a massive cleanup beginning in New Orleans after a tornado hit and left a trail of destruction in several areas. This storm, you're looking at it here, it flipped cars, it tore the roofs off of some homes. Others were just completely ripped off of their foundations. One person that we know of was killed. And when you see these stunning images of the damage, that seems like a miracle.

CNN's Derek Van Dam joining us now from hard hit St. Bernard Parish.

Derek, tell us what you're seeing now that the day has dawned.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Brianna, we have got our first light here, just adjacent to the lower Ninth ward, east of New Orleans. And we're getting that first glimpse of daylight and getting us and revealing to us as well as the residents here the true nature of the devastation that was left behind by this powerful tornado that struck about 7:30 local time last night.

Let's take you to the air, show you what it looks like from above. And you too at home can get an idea of just how bad it was. In fact we talked to the St. Bernard Parish president earlier this morning and he told CNN that when you guys see what happened overnight, once that daylight hits the damage scene, you're going to see that it was truly a miracle. And he was referencing of course the limited amount of injuries that occurred with this powerful tornado and unfortunately there was a confirmed fatality, but that number, of course, with the devastation that we're seeing behind us could have been much, much higher.

I want to show you the nature of a tornado. As a meteorologist, we studied this in depth, we understand damage patterns, and this is very characteristic of a powerful tornado. It is indiscriminate in what it destroys. Look behind me here, you can see homes completely untouched, virtually untouched by this tornado and then you can see clearly what is a school bus behind me that has been flipped.

[08:20:08]

It has traveled at least 100 yards from where it was parked earlier this morning. And then here directly behind my right shoulder is a home where the roof has been completely lifted off.

We talked to some residents who actually rode out this tornado. It was a mother and father of two children that were 6 and 8 years old. They lived just down the road, within this neighborhood in St. Bernard Parish. They told me that they could actually feel the pressure drop within their ears as the tornado approached, that's how powerful it was.

They took a mattress from their bed and hid inside their bath to take cover and fortunately all were OK here -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes. Thank God they're alive. Derek, thank you so much for that live report for us from St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. Berman?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Russians firing cruise missiles into Ukraine from the coast of Crimea. What does this mean for the Ukrainian resistance?

Vladimir Putin's top spokesman refusing to rule out the use of nuclear weapons. CNN's Christiane Amanpour joins us next with her exclusive interview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:25:16]

BERMAN: Overnight, Russian forces hijacking a convoy of 11 empty buses traveling toward Mariupol to rescue people fleeing Russia's bombardment of that city. Ukrainian officials say the bused drivers and several emergency service workers were also taken away to an unknown location.

CNN's Phil Black with me here in Lviv with the details -- Phil.

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, so we know that the bombardment of Mariupol continues. Hundreds of thousands of people in desperate conditions. But every day humanitarian corridor is opened to the west, through Russian territory, into Ukrainian territory. It is a slow, dangerous journey. People come under fire, shelling, there have been serious injuries. But people have only been getting out in their own private vehicles so

far. A few thousand a day, but that's it. Today, a fleet of these 11 buses, empty buses tried to get in to help more people get out. They didn't get in there in the end. They got pretty close to the outskirts of the city, but then we understand they were stopped by Russian forces at a checkpoint, taken away we don't know where.

This is one of nine humanitarian corridors that are open today. Often trying to get people away from the most serious, most intense -- the most dangerous fighting. For example, in Luhansk, in the far east to the country near the Russian border, about 80 people made it out of a corridor in small vans and buses there.

But to give you a sense of just what they're fleeing, these are really dangerous places, where the civilians are being bombarded and shelled and just in that area of Luhansk yesterday there was a shelling on a residential building, three people were killed including two children.

BERMAN: And to deprive them of their way out, empty buses. Phil Black, thank you for that. Brianna?

KEILAR: Vladimir Putin's chief spokesman Dmitry Peskov conceding that Russia has yet to achieve any of its military goals in Ukraine. But in an exclusive interview with CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour, Peskov refused to deny that Moscow could resort to the use of nuclear weapons. Let's listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: President Putin said that if anybody tries to stop him, very bad things will happen. And I want to know whether you are convinced or confident that your boss will not use that option.

DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN SPOKESPERSON: Well, we have a concept of domestic security. And, well, it's public. You can read all the reasons for nuclear arms to be used. So if it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be used in accordance with our concept.

AMANPOUR: Well --

PESKOV: There are no other reasons that were mentioned in that text.

AMANPOUR: So you are basically saying only an existential threat to your country. I still don't know whether I've got a full answer from you. And I just -- I'm just going to assume that President Putin wants to scare the world and keep the world on tenterhooks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Joining us now from Brussels is Christiane Amanpour on that interview. She's our chief international anchor.

Christiane, really essential interview that you did there with Dmitry Peskov. And like you said, you were unclear. Clearly this is what Russia wants to dangle in front of the world. AMANPOUR: Well, you know, Brianna, yes, yes, but it's also worse than

that, because now the fact that he's put this option -- it wasn't Peskov who put it there, it was Putin himself over the last several weeks means that NATO allies have to adjust and have figure out how to respond and what they might do.

It is known as kind of an emotional psychological drama, because the whole idea of the nuclear deterrent is to ensure that nobody ever uses them because the result would be so calamitous for everyone. But now that there are these much less powerful, quote, unquote, "tactical nukes," smaller than the Hiroshima bomb, it apparently according to some raises potentially a threshold on the willingness to use.

So this is really, really, really dangerous and difficult. And Putin keeps putting it on the table without actually saying it, but saying it and you heard that Peskov did not rule it out. I also spoke to him about whether this military campaign of theirs, after nearly four weeks now, was going according to plan. And whether they would, you know, keep going, and this is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: What does President Putin thing he has achieved in Ukraine to date?

PESKOV: Well, first of all, not yet. It hasn't achieved yet and we're speaking about a special military operation that is going on and it is going on strictly in accordance with the plans and with purposes that were established beforehand.

[08:30:00]