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CNN 10

The Biggest Drone Attack Against Kyiv; Merriam-Webster`s Word of the Year; Special Report for "Call to Earth" Day; The World`s Largest Christmas Light Maze. Aired 4-4:10a ET

Aired November 28, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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


COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: What`s up sunshine. So grateful to be with you today. I`m Coy Wire. Welcome to CNN 10. I lost my voice. Yep. I was outside

in the cold yesterday, not wearing my jacket. And here we are. So bear with me.

Now, I`m pumped to see your submissions for tomorrow`s #YourWordWednesday. Follow me @coywire on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, put your unique

vocabulary word and definition in the comment section on my most recent post in the team, we`re going to choose a winner to work into tomorrow`s

show.

All right, we start today with a story about the war we haven`t talked about much recently. It`s been nearly two years since the war between

Russia and Ukraine began back in February of 2022. Just a couple of days ago, Russia launched its largest drone attack against Ukraine`s capital of

Kyiv since the full-scale invasion began. According to local officials, Ukraine`s air force says they intercepted 71 Iranian made drones in six

regions of Ukraine with the vast majority in the Kyiv region, 77 residential buildings were left without power for several hours before

supply was restored.

The next day, Russian officials reported they foiled more than 20 Ukrainian drone attacks over Russian territory, including the capital Moscow. Russian

air defenses also intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones over Ukrainian areas under Russian control. That`s according to the ministry of defense. There

is no quick end in sight for the war between Russia and Ukrainian. And both are preparing for the long haul.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is asking Western allies for continued support with more advanced arms, ammunition, and financing. Germany

recently admitted that European target goals for providing ammunition would fall short and the White House made it clear that the money U.S. has

available for Ukraine military aid is quickly running out. As Congress remains divided over funding additional support.

One of the problems that more funding could possibly help solve is a shortage of drones in Ukraine. CNN`s Anna Coren explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the outskirts of Kyiv, a soldier puts on a pair of goggles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to OpenTX.

COREN: She`s part of a unit testing the latest batch of drones that have just arrived. Some work, some don`t. But this is the place to find out

before they`re delivered to Ukrainian troops on the Eastern and Southern fronts. Some of these drones are from civilians, produced in homes on

kitchen tables. They can be used for reconnaissance or assault missions.

COREN (on camera): Drones have become a critical component of this war and are absolutely essential to every single Ukrainian unit on the front line.

And while civilians are working with private companies and the military to produce as many drones as possible, these soldiers say they are not nearly

enough.

COREN (voice-over): As Russia`s full-scale invasion approaches a second year, there is now a critical shortage of drones. China`s decision to shut

down exports of parts, citing national security concerns, is part of the problem. However, the biggest issue is Russian electronic warfare.

A Ukrainian official tells CNN, the military uses roughly 30,000 to 40,000 drones per month. They`re cheap and expendable. But soldiers on the ground

say they need at least 10 times more.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: We live in a world where artificial intelligence is becoming a bigger part of our lives, potentially writing messages, creating images and art.

And if it feels like AI is getting so good, that it`s difficult for you to figure out what`s real or not real sometimes, you`re not alone in that

search. Many people are looking for authenticity. And in 2023, authentic is Miriam Webster`s official word of the year. A synonym of real and actual

authentic has several meanings, including true to one`s own personality, spirit, or character.

The dictionary publisher says there have been a high volume of searches this year using the term driven by stories and conversations around AI,

celebrity, culture, identity, and social media.

Celebrities like Taylor Swift, Lainey Wilson, and Sam Smith made headlines this year when they spoke about seeking their authentic voice in authentic

self. Elon Musk also loves the term as he has previously said, people should be more authentic on social media.

I hope that you always have the strength to show your authentic self to the world. The moment we try to be like someone else, well, that`s when we lose

the magic that makes us special. There is no one in the world like you. You are more powerful than you know.

Ten second trivia.

Which of these countries does the Amazon Rainforest NOT cover?

Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay or Brazil?

Paraguay is your answer here. The Amazon Rainforest, the world`s largest tropical rainforest spans approximately 2.6 million square miles in south

America covering parts of eight countries, one territory, but not Paraguay.

Today is called to earth day. And we`re celebrating our shared home shedding light on how our actions can impact distant natural spaces and

what we can do to protect and nurture them.

Next, we`re going to head to the Tropical Andes where biologists Ruthmerry Pillco Huarcaya is participating in the National Geographic and Rolex

Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition, researching one of the ecosystem`s most iconic and endangered species.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): High above the Amazon Rainforest crossing the borders of Ecuador, Columbia, and Peru is the

Andean Cloud Forest. It might sound like something plucked from a fairytale, but it is very much real. And it`s one of the most biodiverse

ecosystems on the planet.

RUTHMERRY PILLCO HUARCAYA, COORDINATOR, ANDEAN BEAR PROJECT: The Cloud Forest has its name because most of the time it`s covered by cloud. Here we

have the trees with an array of orchids, mosses and many other epiphytes that are recovering the trees and they act like sponge. They capture the

moisture and is helping to take back the water into the system. So, playing a key role in this way.

ASHER: Alongside the thousands of species of red plants and 00:06:45 stone Budds lives one of south America`s most iconic mammals.

PILLCO HUARCAYA: The Andean Bear is the only bear we have here in South America. They are medium-sized bears in comparison to their cousin, the

North American Bears. The main characteristic is the facial markings. So many of them have white facial markings that look like spectacles. That`s

why also they are called Spectacled Bears. So these facial markings are unique for each individual. It`s how we can identify different individuals.

ASHER: The Andean Bear is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN with fewer than 10,000 remaining. Ruthmerry has spent the past two years studying the

remaining population in the Cloud Forest in order to develop a conservation strategy for the species. Using camera traps and tracking collars, the

Andean Bear Project is accumulating a database of the creatures habits and the role they play in the ecosystem.

MARK THOMAS, RESEARCHER & DATA ANALYST, ANDEAN BEAR PROJECT: We basically get a deep dive into the life of an Andean Bear. We basically are able to

see where it spends most of its time. So is it in like Puna grasslands, upper mountain forest. We can also see how it interacts, for example, with

the roads that we have that go on here.

The communities rely on these kind of cloud forests or habitats as much as the bears do. For us, understanding all of this information, it gives us

the opportunity to be able to work on the, where do we need to protect? What do we need to protect.

PILLCO HUARCAYA: For conservation to have success, we need to work with people and in this case we need to work with local community are that are

the neighbors of Manu National Part, of this forest. It`s like a chain of information. Our forest is water, and water is life. Not only for plants or

animals but also for us humans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Today`s story getting 10 out of 10 is lit. Look at this delightful sight shining at the world`s largest Christmas light maze. The enchant

experience is a winter wonderland in Kansas City, Kansas. It took more than a month to build it. And it`s an immersive experience. The website says, a

mischievous little elf named Eddie misplaced eight toys meant for kids. And the goal is to find them before Santa`s big night. All while you get your

glow on amid more than 4 million lights.

That looks amazing. If you love Christmas time, that place will make you love it a lot more.

Now it`s shout out time and we are showing lots of love to Grace Webb High School in Hartford, Connecticut. Thank you for spending part of your day

with us. And this shout out goes to Redmond High School in Redmond, Oregon. Go Panthers, keep shining great sunshine. And I look forward to all of Your

Word Wednesday submissions. I`m Coy Wire. I`ll see you right back here tomorrow.

END