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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
CNN International: At Least 27 Killed in Russian Strikes in Kyiv; NATO Summit Set for Next Week in Ankara; Miracle Rescue in Venezuela; Iran Pauses Talks for Late Supreme Leader's Funeral; U.S. Jobs Gains Miss Expectations by a Wide Margin in June; Ukraine's First Defense Tech Unicorn. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired July 02, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and
you're watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, a massive drone and missile assault by Russia kills at least 27 people in Kyiv. Rescuers pull a man out of the rubble in
Venezuela eight days after two devastating earthquakes there. And Spain go through to the last 16 in the World Cup with a dominating 3-0 win over
Austria.
We do begin with yet another devastating assault on Ukraine's capital by Russia. Ukraine's Air Force says that Russia fired nearly 500 drones and
more than 70 missiles in what it called a massive combined strike, meaning Kyiv targeted in multiple directions simultaneously, over the course of
some 11 hours. Those strikes killed at least 27 people. Rescue workers have been desperately searching through rubble. Moscow calls the assault
retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure.
Vladimir Putin's unprovoked war on Ukraine has cost his own people dearly, though, creating a generation of widows, orphans and walking wounded. New
research estimates a total of 2 million total casualties. That surpasses Stalingrad in World War II, widely considered to be the bloodiest single
battle in history.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates Russia alone has suffered 1.4 million casualties, including those killed, wounded or
missing. That is about 1 percent of Russia's population. It's estimated that nearly half a million Russian fighters have been killed. That's more
than 28 times greater than Soviet fatalities in Afghanistan during the 1980s, more than nine times higher than all Russian and Soviet wars
combined since World War II. The number is just staggering.
For more on this, joining us now is Oleksandr Merezhko. He's a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, chair of its Foreign Affairs Committee.
Oleksandr, it's good to have you back.
OLEKSANDR MEREZHKO, FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIR, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT: Thank you for having me.
SCIUTTO: You, unfortunately, have witnessed multiple aerial attacks on Kyiv in Ukraine since the start of this war. Tell us what you witnessed
yesterday, just a devastating assault over 11 hours.
MEREZHKO: Even though such attacks happen in Ukraine almost on a daily basis, this particular overnight attack was especially ruthless, especially
brutal.
I live in the central part of Kyiv, and it was very loud. I heard explosions, and I have a small child. We had to take the safest place in
our apartment to be sort of on the safe side. And lots of people in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, had to go to bomb shelter. On the eve of this
attack, we were warned by the president himself, who said that such attack is being prepared by Russia. So, it was one of the most tragic episodes and
pages in our history.
SCIUTTO: In terms of Russia today, the Russian people, certainly the Russian economy, has been suffering more than in previous phases of the war
because Ukraine has proven itself quite capable of striking deep inside Russia. I wonder, when you look at that damage to the economy, but also
just the enormous human cost in Russia, more than all wars for Russia combined since World War II. Do you believe that makes the situation less
sustainable for Putin?
MEREZHKO: The truth is that Putin absolutely doesn't care about casualties. He doesn't care about lives of his own people, and he's ready
to sacrifice lots of Russian soldiers in order to conquer Ukraine, to destroy us. We understand that we're dealing with pure evil, with enemy who
will not stop in trying to subjugate Ukraine.
[18:05:00]
We are aware of this, but we have no choice. We have to defend ourselves because we know that if we stop fighting, we will just hear from the map
and from the face of the planet.
SCIUTTO: Where do Ukraine's stocks of air defense missiles stand? And is the U.S. delivering what you need or anything close to what you need?
MEREZHKO: The president himself and our minister of foreign affairs, after this brutal attack, appealed to our partners, to our allies, and of course
to the United States, to the President of the United States, to provide us with the necessary air defense systems, because we lack air defense
systems.
First of all, we need more Patriot systems, which protect our civilian population, our children. And we hope that our American friends will
provide us with the necessary support, because we're talking about lives of civilian population, which is in grave danger, which has been killed by
Russians with impunity today.
SCIUTTO: NATO allies are expected to provide Ukraine with some $70 billion in military support at the NATO Summit in Ankara in Turkey next month.
However, the U.S. is not expected to participate. What does that tell you? Is there really any hope that you get the help you need from the U.S., or
are they a lost partner in this war?
MEREZHKO: We believe that the United States remains our close friend, and we share common values. And it's important to emphasize on the eve of the
4th of July, because we share common values, including right to life, for example.
And we do hope that American people remain on our side, and that the American President will be more active, for humanitarian reasons at least,
in trying to provide us the necessary support. Of course, we are grateful for everything that has already been done to support us during the full-
scale invasion. But we need more support, and we wouldn't like to lose the United States as our closest partner, ally and friend.
SCIUTTO: But do you still have genuine hope for that? Because you've been waiting. And the one continuous part of the Trump administration's policy
towards Ukraine has been reducing aid, not adding aid, military assistance, financial assistance, et cetera. I just wonder, do you still have genuine
hope that the U.S. President shares Ukraine's values, cares about Ukraine's defense?
MEREZHKO: First of all, the United States continues to provide us with the necessary intelligence information. The United States sells the weaponry
which we need, and our European partners are ready to support us financially to buy this weaponry.
Also, there is a bill in the U.S. Congress which envisages more support for Ukraine. So, we have very clear signs, very clear signals that at least
American society, American Congress is firmly on the side of Ukraine. But, of course, we need to continue to work with President Trump in trying to
explain, to persuade him that it's in the best interest of the United States to continue to support Ukraine against Russia, which is waging war
not only against Ukraine, it's waging war against humanity, it's waging war against security of Europe and the United States.
SCIUTTO: Oleksandr Merezhko, I wish you, I wish your young child and your family safety in these coming days and weeks.
MEREZHKO: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Well, now to an incredible rescue in Venezuela. Emergency responders pulling a man from the rubble eight days after twin earthquakes
devastated the country.
Hernan Gil Flores was working as a security guard at a shopping mall. After the earthquakes struck, the parking lot collapsed, trapping him, and you
see video there, in his security cabin. It took days of work before international teams could free him. To keep him alive, workers had given
him water, food, medication. Under the rubble, his rescue is a rare bright spot as Venezuela mourns more than 2,200 people confirmed killed in the
disaster.
Isa Soares was at the scene of that miraculous rescue, and she filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: After so many days of loss and sadness, a moment of celebration here in Playa Grande, in La Guaira, when
rescue workers from all over the world were able to rescue 44-year-old Hernan Gil.
[18:10:00]
He was a security guard in the shopping center just behind me. He was on level minus two. For days, they have been talking to him, keeping him
alive. They've been passing him water. They've been giving him baby food, giving him medicine, communicating with him. I spoke to one rescue worker
who had that task of keeping his spirits up. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARMANDO MARIA, MEMBER, PORTUGUESE RESCUE TEAM FEPC (through translator): He was a very cooperative victim. There were times when we had to keep
talking to him continuously. At other moments, we had to stop talking in order to work, partially because of the noise we ourselves were making.
Following medical guidance, we constantly provided hydration, including isotonic drinks and water, as well as all the food he needed to maintain
the minimum conditions necessary to survive and endure the entire rescue operation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Football, that's how they connected, and it was a miracle rescue, something this country so desperately needs after so many deaths here.
Rescue workers have been celebrating. They've been hugging. They've even been exchanging country patches, because this was a huge global effort from
teams all over the world. His wife, meanwhile, had been waiting every day here, waiting to hug him.
We're told by the Red Cross he's making his way to Caracas. And besides a bruise in his eye and maybe a lesion on his arms, he's doing incredibly
well.
Isa Soares, CNN, Playa Grande, Venezuela.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: One of the international teams that helped rescue Flores were firefighters from Miami, Florida. They provided on-the-ground support as
well as the camera that helped locate him inside that rubble.
Joining me now is Eileen Higgins, the mayor of Miami. Mayor Higgins, thanks so much for taking the time.
EILEEN HIGGINS, MAYOR OF MIAMI: My pleasure.
SCIUTTO: So, this was a days-long operation. It was high risk as well for the crews and certainly for Mr. Flores. Can you explain how Miami Fire and
Rescue, the task force, helped and how they took part on the ground given their long experience in rescues like this?
HIGGINS: Yes. The City of Miami Fire and Rescue Department is the leader in charge of what we call Florida Task Force 2. And that task force deploys
all over the world and in Florida during emergencies. The team is comprised of trained search and rescue personnel, also doctors, in this case civil
and structural engineers, and dogs that can help us look for survivors.
Our team's role was really when it became very technical. Mr. Gil was buried under tons of rubble, concrete, and so we had to make sure we were
moving things, cutting concrete, but then with every move you have structural engineers armed with lasers to make sure that the structure
doesn't collapse and injure any of the rescue personnel and certainly not Mr. Hernan Gil because that's who we were trying to save, and fortunately,
our team was able to do that.
SCIUTTO: The timing is significant because you often hear that finding survivors, really the window is three days after an earthquake. This, of
course, was seven days after. How did they manage to keep him alive and safe that long?
HIGGINS: Well, once he was located, even before we were able to move things out of the way, we were able to get a tube down to him to keep him
hydrated, obviously water, electrolytes, a little more protein-based nutrition, all liquids. And so, that helped keep him in good health while
we were able to work on the more technical sides of things of moving enough of the structure out of the way to bring him out safely.
It's a long operation. These things don't happen quickly. They have to be done very, very carefully or someone gets injured. That's what you train
for. As they say, you always play how you practice, and this team is one of the best trained teams in America, and I think today you see why the State
Department called on the City of Miami's Fire Rescue Department and our task force, Florida Task Force 2, to head down to Venezuela to help.
SCIUTTO: It's notable that the same team operated in response to that just catastrophic collapse of the condo in Surfside, Florida, five years ago.
Many of our viewers may remember that in 2021. Did they learn lessons from that that they applied in this situation in Venezuela?
HIGGINS: Yes. I was on the scene in Surfside at the time. That was a very similar-looking situation where you have a pancake building. There are
pancake buildings all over Venezuela. They learned to work in collaboration. Surfside was another example where teams from all over the
world came to Florida to help us.
[18:15:00]
We had teams from Israel, teams from Mexico. That's what's so good about urban search and rescue teams. They are used to working in collaboration
with people from all around the world because each one of our teams is specialized. They're experts in certain things. So, the team at Surfside
makes sense that they were deployed to Venezuela because a lot of the structural issues were very much the same.
SCIUTTO: I'm certain the people of Venezuela appreciate the help of the team from Miami. Mayor Eileen Higgins, thanks so much for joining.
HIGGINS: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Well, Iran is pausing diplomacy as it prepares to finally bury its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ceremonies taking place
from July 4th through July 9th. Tehran is warning the U.S. and Israel against launching any attacks during that day's long funeral. Iranian
negotiators have now left Doha and Qatar. Qatar says indirect talks with the U.S. showed positive progress.
Israel is also marking 1,000 days since the October 7th attacks in 2023. Although a ceasefire has been in effect since October last year in Gaza,
Israel has carried out nearly daily strikes. And Hamas, of course, continues to refuse to disarm. The Israeli prime minister is offering no
prospect of lasting peace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I want to know if it's over, if it's behind us, or if we're continuing?
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): It will never be over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): And if the goal of "total victory" is still valid?
NETANYAHU (through translator): Let me tell you something, it will never be over. Do you want to live? in the Middle East and in the world, you have
to be strong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Joining me now is Richard Haas, professor emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, author as well of a number of books, including, "Home
& Away," on Substack. Richard, good to have you back.
RICHARD HAAS, PRESIDENT EMERITUS, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS AND AUTHOR, "HOME & AWAY" SUBSTACK: Good to be with you.
SCIUTTO: Let me begin with your read of the status, but also the prospects of these U.S.-Iran negotiations. And it's interesting to talks about Gaza
prior, right? Because in Gaza, you got to a ceasefire but the gunfire continues there. The attacks by Israel. And many of the core issues have
not been addressed, including disarming Hamas.
And I wonder if you see a similar future for these talks with Iran? I mean, The Wall Street Journal, you know, called them today, you know, not a
forever war, but forever negotiations.
HAAS: That sounds to me pretty accurate. The Strait of Hormuz is going to be every once in a while, closed, perhaps by Iran. Certainly, fees are
going to be charged. The nuclear talks could go on for months or, I think, more likely years. And even if an agreement ever is reached, there's going
to be all sorts of questions about Iranian compliance. There's the issues of American financial transfers to Iran. And then big issues aren't even
covered by the MOU, including Iranian support for groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran's ballistic missile capabilities.
So, I think you can assume that the future is essentially a scratchy, one step forward, maybe two steps back, set of negotiations between the United
States and Iran, possibly with intermittent violence.
SCIUTTO: That doesn't sound like a ringing strategic victory for the U.S. in the region. I wonder, in your view, and you speak to a lot of folks in
positions of power in the region, where does U.S. credibility stand right now in the Mideast?
HAAS: Well, it doesn't look or sound like a great strategic victory for the simple reason it isn't. The United States is arguably worse off than it
was four months ago. I would say the same thing for Israel. I'd say the same thing for the Gulf countries or our partners in the region.
Iran is, if you will, weaker than it was in some ways because of all the attacks. But I actually think its position in the region has been enhanced.
It's demonstrated its ability to threaten its neighbors. It's demonstrated its ability to block the Strait of Hormuz. And as a result, its position --
its influence in the region has actually gone up.
SCIUTTO: Yes. You wrote this week in your Substack column that Israel is facing a growing backlash here in the U.S. through a series of
miscalculations, including a focus by many pro-Israel committees, such as AIPAC, on just Republicans and the Israeli right-wing. We're seeing that
now in a number of elections as they play out here in this election cycle.
How significant is that shift? And what does it mean for Israel's own security and its relationship going forward with the U.S.?
[18:20:00]
HAAS: Look, I think it was significant. I think it was underway already because of things like generational change. Older people who were alive at
the time, say, of World War II or Israel's founding or even Israel's early decades saw Israel sympathetically as David. Younger people see Israel as
Goliath. In their language, they see it as a colonizer or what have you. Gaza made it ever worse.
And then more recently -- and that particularly on the left, and then on the right, you have all sorts of unhappiness with Israel's role in
persuading Donald Trump to undertake this war of choice against Iran. I think it raises real questions about Israel's access to American military
aid going forward, possibly American weapon systems.
I also think the day will come where you can have the United States not backing Israel in the U.N. Security Council if there's some move on
sanctions, say, because of settler violence or land confiscation or Israeli occupation of Gaza or Lebanon. So, I think this special relationship is,
shall we say, not so special anymore.
SCIUTTO: How about the U.S. relationship with Gulf allies? I've been speaking to diplomats in the region, and you see this in a lot of the
reporting from the region, that that sort of pact with the U.S. is now on shaky ground, this idea of, you know, you have U.S. bases there, that's
going to protect you. Well, it didn't protect them entirely, you know, by any means during this war.
Where does that leave U.S. relations with its Gulf allies, but also Trump administration aspirations of expanding the Abraham Accords?
HAAS: Well, the relationships are much worse. The United States didn't consult in many cases about this war. A lot of the Arab countries were
reluctant to criticize us publicly, but not so much privately.
And, yes, as you point out, we couldn't defend them, we couldn't protect them. Their futures are much worse off than it looked, say, four or five
months ago. I think what they're going to do is diversify their portfolios. A lot of them are going to try to reach some kind of accommodation with
Iran. I wouldn't be surprised in some cases if they reduced their security relationship with us.
They might expand it with others, say, like the Saudis did with Ukraine. And I see zero chance anytime soon for progress on the Abraham Accords,
given where Israel is going, or if you will, not going, in trying to establish some type of a working relationship with Palestinians.
SCIUTTO: You speak to people in the Trump administration, and I know the bravado, and Trump, of course, claims, you know, total surrender, absolute
victory, et cetera. And you'll hear the same from JD Vance and others.
Do they all buy that, in your view? Because what you're saying about the view among Gulf allies and others is something I hear quite consistently,
and I'm sure they're hearing it, if folks are willing to speak to them honestly. Do you think anybody inside that building knows that they didn't
come out on top here?
HAAS: Well, I think a lot of them know, whether they will admit it to themselves, much less talk about it publicly in front of the president, is
anybody's guess. The evidence we have, certainly in the run-up to the war, is people were not prepared to speak truth to power. I don't think this is
an administration where you prosper by saying things that aren't welcome. So, my hunch is they're spinning it to themselves and spinning it to one
another, for the most part.
SCIUTTO: Sounds something like the Putin administration, too. Bad news doesn't travel up the chain. Richard Haas, always good to have you.
HAAS: Thanks so much.
SCIUTTO: Still ahead, no 4th of July fireworks in the labor market. New numbers show U.S. job growth slowing sharply in June. Why the jobs report
missed expectations so badly, that's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:25:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, U.S. stocks finished mixed on the last trading day of the week. The Dow closed at yet more
record highs. The nasdaq pulled back, with chip stocks falling for a second straight session. Tesla was a big loser, falling more than 7 percent.
Despite the release of strong Q2 delivery numbers, lots of people buying electric cars.
Little to celebrate ahead of the July 4th holiday weekend on the jobs front as well. The U.S. added only 57,000 jobs last month. That was well below
expectations. Numbers for the past two months were revised lower as well.
The leisure and hospitality sector lost 61,000 jobs. That's something of a surprise. Some had thought the World Cup would give that sector a boost.
The unemployment rate did fall, though. Why? Well, because more Americans left the workforce.
Joining me now, Rana Foroohar. Rana, always good to have you.
RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: I wonder if I could dig in to start on 720,000 people leaving the labor force. Labor force participation down. I mean, you wrote demographics
playing a big role in that. Can you explain?
FOROOHAR: Yes. For sure, Jim. You know, baby boomers are looking at this market. They're looking at A.I. taking jobs, and they're saying, you know
what? This is maybe a good time for me to step off track and to take that retirement.
It's also coming at a time when, despite these jobs numbers, you know, you still have a stock market that is by historic standards at highs. You know,
it's been volatile recently. But a lot of people just kind of think, look, I've got my 401(k). This is a good time to retire. And so, they're stepping
off.
That doesn't say good things. That's not a good reason for the unemployment figure to not be rising. But that's what's happening.
SCIUTTO: When you look at the trend line overall, this disappointing report, more revisions down the last couple of months, as well as, I mean,
some positive months here and there. But in general, it's not exactly going gangbusters. Is this a healthy, just a barely healthy job market? What is
it in your view?
FOROOHAR: Well, I've always thought that this job market that we're in is very bifurcated. I mean, you know, you talked about the World Cup and the
fact that the labor numbers from travel and tourism didn't come in as strong as they should be. Well, that's for sure. But you don't really want
an economy that's that dependent on travel and tourism.
I would have liked to see more manufacturing jobs. Those were promised to us by Trump, particularly during Trump II, that that hasn't really
materialized. I would like to see many other sectors of the economy, you know, higher-paid, middle-class jobs really rising. Instead, we've had an
economy that's really dependent on services, like health care, for example. Health care jobs, you know, they're still growing, but those typically are
not super high-paying jobs.
So, I look at this market, and I see a few people on top that are doing very well, and then I see a larger portion that is precarious and becoming
more so as A.I. moves into different fields.
SCIUTTO: I mean, does that phrase, you see a few people doing well, a larger portion not doing so great, does that describe the U.S. economy at
this point?
FOROOHAR: Jim, I thought that that described the U.S. economy for about a decade now, if not more. You know, we have times that are better than
others and times where you can kind of mask the underlying trends in different ways.
[18:30:00]
But, look, we are living in a two-America situation. We all know that. We feel that. And I think that when we get a stock market correction, watch
out, because that's when you're going to really feel it.
SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, because that is certainly a Democratic Party message, right, particularly going into this cycle. But you also hear many
Republicans talk about that. I mean, that's been the root argument of Republican populists, not that, you know, the policies have necessarily
served them.
FOROOHAR: Yes.
SCIUTTO: If you were a policy advisor, what policies would you recommend to begin addressing that increasing wealth disparity?
FOROOHAR: I loved that you asked me that question, the way that you framed it, because I have long been interested in the fact that both the far right
and the far left seem to be overlapping. There is populism. It is not a partisan thing. It is about working people in America feeling, nobody's
fighting for me. Where is the job I can do? Where is the education?
Here's what I would do. And interestingly, both sides are ready to do this. I would have a serious industrial policy, not just a trade strategy to put
tariffs on China, but at home, how are we going to build back middle-class jobs? How are we going to create resilient supply chains? How are we going
to have a more balanced economy? And that's something that you see both sides actually working on. You know, shipbuilding is one area. I have a new
book coming out on that in October. But there are areas, there are areas here that we can work on together.
SCIUTTO: Shipbuilding, maybe chipmaking as well. I mean, there was a move for a while in that space.
FOROOHAR: Shipbuilding, exactly.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Well, we're going to have to keep talking about that, right? Because we haven't heard those solutions yet come through. Rana Foroohar,
always good to have you.
FOROOHAR: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: Checking some of today's other business headlines, the Financial Times reports that OpenAI is in talks to give the U.S. government a 5
percent stake in the firm as it plans for a big IPO. The talks are said to be in the early stages. Other A.I. companies could announce similar moves,
according to that report. A 5 percent stake in OpenAI would be worth, what, well, $42 billion.
The Japanese yen rallied Thursday after sinking to a 40-year low against the U.S. dollar. The bounce came as traders braced for a possible
intervention by Japanese officials. Sources tell Reuters the finance ministry is remaining silent to keep investors guessing about any potential
government support for the yen.
It is an end of an era in the gaming world. Sony says it will soon stop making games for its PlayStation console on discs. It says new releases
will be available only now as downloads beginning in early 2028. Sony says consumers prefer digital formats to discs and that the change will have no
impact on games already released.
Well, chief executive of Nissan tells CNN his company is close to announcing a partnership with rival Honda. This comes after merger talks
between the two Japanese automakers fell through just last year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IVAN ESPINOSA, PRESIDENT AND CEO, NISSAN: So, there's particularly no discussion about integration at the moment, but we are talking a lot about
individual projects that we can collaborate on because both companies have needs. The industry is becoming very difficult and very challenging. So, we
need to start finding friends to share investment, to share development costs with, and so on.
So, particularly we're exploring what we can do here in North America in the form of probably some joint vehicle projects, also exploring whether we
could share some battery capacity for future hybrid powertrains. We're also exploring electric architecture sharing. There's a few things ongoing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: The Nissan CEO there, neither company has announced a timeframe for such a partnership.
Coming up, Ukraine's defense tech industry welcomes its first unicorn. I'm going to speak with the CEO about how unmanned vehicles go beyond drones
and how his company is impacting conflicts outside Ukraine, outside Europe, around the world.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:35:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto. And here are the international headlines we're watching today.
Emergency rescuers in Venezuela pulled a man from the rubble eight days after the earthquakes devastated the country. Hernan Gil Flores was trapped
under a shopping mall parking lot. It took 70 hours for local and international teams to free him. More than 2,200 people are confirmed
killed in the disaster.
Talks with the U.S. are on pause as Iran prepares to bury its former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His multi-day funeral is set to
begin on Friday with events planned in both Iran and Iraq. The Ayatollah was killed in February during the first day of airstrikes by the U.S. and
Israel.
Russia overnight hit Kyiv with a massive barrage, hitting many civilian targets once again. Ukrainian officials say the bombardment included nearly
500 drones, more than 70 missiles, and killed at least 27 people. Moscow claimed the attack was in response to weeks of Ukrainian drone strikes deep
inside Russian territory.
Ukraine's UFORCE is making waves as Ukraine's first defense tech unicorn. That is a private firm valued at a billion dollars or more. The company
designs and makes unmanned vehicles, not just aerial drones, but also systems for land and sea. The tech is an important part of Ukraine's fight
against Russia's ongoing invasion. It's also now seeing incredible interest from other countries, not just in the Persian Gulf amid the war with Iran,
but in the West as well.
Joining me now is CEO Oleg Rogynskyy. Thanks so much for taking the time.
OLEG ROGYNSKYY, CEO, UFORCE: Jim, thank you for inviting me.
SCIUTTO: So, first, I'm curious, and I'm sure many of our viewers are curious, how did companies such as UFORCE do it, right? I mean, this is a
remarkable Ukrainian innovation in the midst of a war for survival.
ROGYNSKYY: The innovation started with a number of people who are highly motivated to help Ukraine come in together and looking at what were the
problems that the front line needed first and foremost. And so, UFORCE started with our sea drones, Magura, that were highly effective in the
Black Sea. That was the first product that produced combat effects that are worldwide known. And then our Nemesis program, which is the drone that is
delivering a large portion of battle effects on the front line, followed thereafter.
[18:40:00]
SCIUTTO: You know, speaking of the Black Sea, I often say to people that Ukraine won the naval war without its own navy, really, and chased the
Russian Black Sea fleet from the Black Sea. I don't think a lot of folks know that, and that was largely because of drone warfare.
You often make the point that the mission of UFORCE is to make defense dramatically cheaper than offense. Can you explain why exactly?
ROGYNSKYY: Yes, absolutely. So, as -- actually Admiral Paparo, the head of Indo-Pacific Command, said in his congressional testimony, cheap kill mass.
So, large number of autonomous drones that can behave in swarms, that are not expensive, that can be easily replaced, and they can overwhelm the
enemy, are very important for the future of warfare.
And now, in terms of deterrence, had Russia known how hard Ukraine would punch back, how many sophisticated drone systems, how autonomous, how high
quality they would be, and how many of them would be there in terms of pricing and availability, they probably would have thought harder before
they would be going in.
And so, from that perspective, deterrence of the future is not just nuclear, but it's also about having the drones, the operators, the
autonomy, the capabilities, and the mass that would make the aggressor think twice.
SCIUTTO: It's been a remarkable turnaround to see nations coming to Ukraine for help now, because as you know, the narrative for so long was
that Ukraine depends on the West, particularly the U.S., for its own defense. And now, many of those countries, including the U.S., are coming
to you, coming to your country, certainly, but to companies like your own. Does it give you a sense of pride that the tables have turned?
ROGYNSKYY: You know, warfare is never something to be, I don't know, happy about, pride, maybe, but, you know, in the future, most of the wars will be
fought with autonomous systems. Ukraine is paving the way right now.
Ukraine is writing a playbook, and countries, including the United States, are really watching, learning, and I believe that there'll be a number of
cases where countries will learn and adopt Ukraine's playbook to defend themselves, to prevent future wars, and to make aggression a hundred times
more costly.
SCIUTTO: Is it possible that the U.S. now needs Ukraine more than Ukraine needs the U.S.?
ROGYNSKYY: I think both require, need their partnership. Ukraine still, as you mentioned in the previous episode, suffers from these massive missile
barrages. And unfortunately, modern drone technology is not able to intercept ballistic and cruise missiles as effectively. I think within a
year or two we will, but for now, American technology, especially missile defense, is second to none.
At the same time, when it comes to cheap kill mass, when it comes to projecting power at minimal cost, high effectiveness, and with an ingenuity
and startup approach, where you ship, you iterate, you learn, you have the shortest possible, what they call, kill chain, and your kill chain is
always three, four steps ahead of your opponent, that is something that Ukraine is leading the way with.
SCIUTTO: Is it possible, do you think, with these advances, that now Ukraine can win this war, not just survive another day, but win the war?
ROGYNSKYY: Well, there's many definitions of winning the war. What I'm now confident in, and I was born a couple hundred kilometers from the current
front line, I'm not confident in that Ukraine will hold. And you know what? Some people were saying that Ukraine will fall in three days. Well, not
falling in three days is already winning. It's more than five -- it's close to five years now, and Ukraine still holds, innovates, and now, as you
said, helps other countries.
And so, from that perspective, I think Ukraine already won. Now, we just need to continue partnering with other countries, and at some point, that
deterrence is going to really work, and Russia will have to back off.
SCIUTTO: Oleg Rogynskyy, congratulations for the work that you do, and we appreciate you joining.
ROGYNSKYY: Thank you for having me.
SCIUTTO: Still to come, Spain cruised past Austria to advance to the round of 16 in the World Cup. We're going to have details of that match, and a
preview of two more to come every day. They're great ones.
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[18:45:00]
SCIUTTO: An overwhelming victory for Spain in the World Cup today as they demolished Austria 3-0 in California. It's their first knockout stage win
since they won the World Cup back in 2010. They will now play either Portugal or Croatia next week. Those two teams kick off just minutes from
now in Toronto, Canada. And later tonight, Switzerland take on Algeria. That match in Vancouver.
Don Riddell in Atlanta. And of course, Don, you know, watching this game, you can see why Spain is one of the favorites. They looked really strong. A
lot of attacking options.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, you're absolutely right. One of the pre-tournament favorites, if not the favorite. Remember, they're European
champions. Young team, exciting team, star-studded. They had to be patient in this one, though. But in the end, this was a very, very comfortable win.
3-nil, Mikel Oyarzabal scoring two of the goals. That's his second brace of this tournament, meaning he's now on four for the tournament. Just a couple
behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the race for the golden boot.
La Roja also keeping a clean sheet in this one. So, they'll be very pleased about that. And they now park up and await the winners of Croatia against
Portugal. And this one is fascinating. And we suspect that whatever happens in this game later this evening could well mark the end of an era. You
could build this one up. You could hype it as the battle of the 40- somethings as Cristiano Ronaldo goes head-to-head with Luka Modric. We assume, for the loser, it will be their last World Cup game. But whatever
happens, it's an opportunity to admire two European legends of this game.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTO MARTINEZ, PORTUGAL HEAD COACH (through translator): I think we are talking about players who are above public opinion because their longevity
in the game makes them special. We are talking about Luka Modric, who is now over 40 years old and continues to play an important role despite the
number of matches he has behind him.
The same can be said of our captain, Cristiano Ronaldo. People talk about age, but age is just a number. What matters is what they do and the
importance they have through the example they set in the dressing room. Luka Modric is an example for millions of young athletes and new
generations who love football.
[18:50:00]
I believe that the longevity both of our captain and of Luka Modric makes them true icons of the game.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: Absolutely true. Hopefully, it's going to be a good game.
SCIUTTO: Yes, no question. I'm going to run right from this broadcast to watch that game. I got to ask you about last night. Because, of course, the
U.S. went through. In my household, and I know I'm not alone in this, there are a lot of questions, you might even say outrage at that red card against
Balogun, what is your view? Do you think it deserved it?
RIDDELL: It's so hard because some replays look better than others. Some replays look a lot worse than others. And I mean, it did look awful. It did
look absolutely awful. A lot of people will compare it to Lionel Messi's challenge against Algeria in Argentina's first game, and he got nothing for
that.
It's just something that you have to get on with. This happens. I could actually make an argument that this will help the United States team kind
of rally around Balogun, and they'll want to win this game now against Belgium for even more reasons, because it means they can get him back after
his suspension in the quarterfinal.
But there is no question there is outrage about it. The fans that CNN spoke to, definitely not happy. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The refs were probably being paid off. It was absolutely ridiculous. That red card was horrendous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll miss Balogun. I mean, his energy is just like peak. I mean, you saw it today. We heard it today when he's out on the
pitch, and he's just -- he's got the ball. People are just electric. So, yes, we're going to miss him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very disappointed about the red card that happened. Number 20 is a great player we're going to be missing out on, but we're
ready for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: Yes, no question. He's their breakout star, scoring three goals already. Looked dangerous every time he's involved. So, hopefully the U.S.
will play another game with him at this World Cup.
SCIUTTO: Yes. You know, I'm with you. And I hope this is not entirely wishful thinking that that could be a kind of galvanizing thing, as we saw
in the match yesterday after he was sent off. But we'll see if they could find like a good, dangerous replacement for him up front. We'll be watching
on Monday. Don Riddell, thanks so much.
Well, after months of anticipation and a possibly transformed Madison Square Garden, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's big day could be here.
What's happening inside the garden just ahead?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: In tonight's Good Brief, a wedding rehearsal is reportedly underway for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Where else but New York's
Madison Square Garden? TMZ spotted Travis' mother, Donna Kelce, at the airport earlier. Sources tell CNN that about 100 guests are attending the
rehearsal. About 1,000 are invited to the celebration on Friday itself. Fans doing their best to catch a glimpse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I heard that it was going to be here, I was like trying to put in my mind, how? How was she going to decorate that? A
stadium, like a basketball rink? Like I didn't know.
[18:55:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It makes sense, but I just don't think it's typical of her, but I'm sure it'll be gorgeous and beautiful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Joining us now with details, entertainment correspondent, Elizabeth Wagmeister. Elizabeth, you know the Knicks just won there. They
made history, so this is a different kind of history for the Garden.
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: This is certainly a different type of history, but I bet you that we will see some of the
Knicks players here, because you remember that Taylor Swift was in game four, and she has become friends with them.
But let me tell you what is going on right now behind me. As you mentioned, we have sources who tell us that some sort of rehearsal event was scheduled
to happen tonight with about 100 people, and we saw what we believe to be Taylor Swift's SUV that pulled in over an hour ago. And then right up here
in front of me, there are street closures, and only certain cars can come by. And I have seen a ton of black SUVs come in.
Now, unfortunately, I cannot tell you who was in them because, of course, there's tinted windows, but it's not just that. When the black SUVs are
coming up here, they are driving under a tent, and then that tent continues all the way to the entrance at Madison Square Garden, which means that the
celebrities or the family members who are arriving, they are completely shielded as they are coming in. And that is probably why Taylor wanted to
have her wedding here, for safety and security.
So, a lot more to come. We'll see what happens this weekend.
SCIUTTO: Well, I hope you find your way inside, Elizabeth. We'll count on you for the stories. Thanks so much.
And thanks to all of you for joining. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
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