Return to Transcripts main page
Hala Gorani Tonight
Ukraine: "No Areas Without Sirens" After Russia's Claim Of De- Escalation; As Many As 300 Civilians Killed In The Ukrainian City Of Irpin'; President Zelenskyy Tells Norwegian Parliament The Future Of Europe Is Being Decided In Ukraine; Mayor: Kharkiv Will Always Be Ukrainian; Ukrainian Civilians Flee Fighting Near Mykolaiv; Volunteers Help Scared Ukrainians Arriving In Hungary; Shanghai Tightens Restrictions Amid Lockdown; Israeli Forces On High Alert After Shooting; Astronaut And Two Cosmonauts Back On Earth. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired March 30, 2022 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ELENI GIOKOS, HOST, HALA GORANI TONIGHT: Hello and welcome, I'm Eleni Giokos in Dubai. Let's get straight into the latest on Russia's war in
Ukraine. The mayor of one Ukrainian city under fire, says a sharp escalation in attacks today is yet another confirmation that Russia always
lies. Russia promised to dramatically reduce its assault on Chernihiv and Kyiv as a trust building measure.
And yet, the pictures speak for themselves. Both of those cities have come under renewed attack. In fact, one Ukrainian official says there were no
areas without air raid sirens overnight. And we warn you the next video we're about to show you is graphic and disturbing.
And this is what's left of Irpin, a key suburb of Kyiv. Officials say as many as 300 civilians were killed there before Ukraine recaptured the town
from Russian forces. Bodies are still lying in the streets, and some have reportedly been booby-trapped.
And in the south, new satellite images from Mariupol show entire city blocks wiped out amid an ongoing siege. And among the targets, a Red Cross
warehouse clearly marked with its well-known symbol. Ukraine's president addressed the Norwegian parliament today, saying all of Europe is affected
by this war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE (through translator): The future of the entire continent from north to south, from east to west, is being
decided right now in our land, Ukrainian land, and Ukrainian air space and Ukrainian waters. So that your soldiers won't have to protect the countries
of NATO's east.
So that the Russian mines won't drift towards your ports, your fields. So that your people won't have to get used to the sound of air sirens, and so
the Russian tanks won't be gathering at your borders. We have to stop Russian aggression together, and only together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: A stark warning there. And just a short time ago, a CNN team on the outskirts of Kyiv said heavy fighting is ongoing, including constant
shelling and sporadic small arms fire. Both are mayors of Kyiv and Chernihiv spoke today about Russia's claim of de-escalation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR VITALI KLITSCHKO, KYIV, UKRAINE: Yesterday, information about Russian forces move away from Kyiv, it's not true. All night, we listen to
-- civilians attack, and we listened to huge explosions east of Kyiv and north of Kyiv. I mean, there's battle there, the people died, still died.
MAYOR VLADYSLAV ATROSHENKO, CHERNIHIV, UKRAINE (through translator): Yet, another confirmation that Russia always lies. They are saying about
reducing intensity, they actually have increased the intensity of strikes. Yes, today we've had a colossal mortal attack on the center of Chernihiv.
Twenty five people have been wounded and are now in hospital. They're all civilians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: These are first-hand accounts of what is going on, on the ground. In the meantime, the U.K. Defense Ministry confirms that what we're seeing
on the ground, saying Russia is continuing full scale armed aggression. Let's bring in CNN military analyst, General Wesley Clark; he's a former
NATO supreme allied commander. We have heard the promises coming through from the Russians saying that they plan to scale down forces.
Why would they do this on such a public platform? Do you think it's part of a wider military strategy for some kind of maneuver, or an unsuspecting
surprise, or do you think they're ready to negotiate?
WESLEY CLARK, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, Russian statements are part of the war-winning strategy that the Russians adopt. So, what they want to say
is things that will forestall greater reinforcement of Ukraine, cause confusion in the West, cause doubt for Ukraine reporting. They want to
integrate a strategy of military fighting, public information, and fake diplomacy so that they can build up their forces and do militarily more
successful operations than they've done thus far. That's all it is.
GIOKOS: Yes, OK, General, if you look at what the Russians have been doing across the country, they do have -- you know, they almost have Mariupol. If
you look at the devastation that's caused there. A few other cities are looking vulnerable. What do you think is going on in Putin's war room right
now where he's thinking about regrouping and taking low-hanging fruit?
[14:05:00]
CLARK: Yes, i think what Putin is doing is first of all, he's keeping the diplomacy going to confuse and divide the West, if he can. He's building up
his logistics and trying to get the forces that are in Ukraine resupplied, and he's mobilizing more forces and more obsolescent equipment to reinforce
these forces. At the same time, he's reaching out to China, looking for assistance and his diplomats --
GIOKOS: Yes --
CLARK: Are going to other countries and telling them, do not assist Ukraine. So all of that is ongoing at the time. He hasn't succeeded
initially, militarily, but he does have weapons factories. He can produce more weapons, he can produce more equipment. He's got lots of people he can
throw into this fight, and it's a very uneven contest, because Kyiv doesn't have the weapons manufacturing --
GIOKOS: Yes --
CLARK: It has a much smaller population. They're just fighting for their lives and their culture there.
GIOKOS: Yes, you know, we've heard President Zelenskyy saying, this is a problem for the world. We've seen the contagion effect from security issues
to economic. NATO has drawn a line of what it can and can't do. You've in the past mentioned the United Nations. Is it time now that the U.N. thinks
about what the strategy should be?
CLARK: Eleni, I think that's exactly right. And the U.N., we should be demanding that the U.N. Intervenes here. First, in a humanitarian sense,
secondly, to call off the fighting and demand a ceasefire. Unfortunately, Russia has thus far blocked the Security Council from passing a resolution.
We need to find an alternative mechanism through the General Assembly.
And all those nations that are sort of sitting on the fence and waiting to see what happens needs to understand that this Russian attack on Ukraine is
an attack on the international system that they depend on for finance, for trade, for travel and so forth. So they've got to stop sitting on the
fence. The U.N. has to be charged to take action, get this all and get the Russians out.
GIOKOS: I think you hit the nail on the head there. You need everyone to agree. You have so many abstentions right now. How concerned are you when
you see the conversations of Russia and China saying, we've got to take our relationship to the next level. Many Africans are also sitting on the
sidelines. Could this be the rise of major polarization globally?
CLARK: Well, I think if this is handled right, there's a tremendous opportunity for the United States and the West to end this challenge. If
it's handled improperly, if Russia is allowed to succeed in its aims in Ukraine, yes, we'll have a much more deeply polarized world. And all these
fence-sitting nations are sort of waiting to see it, because what we did initially is, we said we were taking military action in Ukraine off the
table for NATO and the United States.
That we would give assistance. That was a smart move to bring NATO together to build consensus --
GIOKOS: Yes --
CLARK: Inside Europe, and so forth. But we're reaching a point with the humanitarian dangers where NATO is going to have to take greater risks.
These nations that are in NATO are going to have to do more to assist the Ukrainians, otherwise, it's going to go the wrong way.
GIOKOS: When you say more, do you mean boots on the ground? Do you mean no fly zone? How would that play out in your mind?
CLARK: I think first of all, we've got to get rid of the bureaucratic implement -- impediments that are keeping us from getting more ammunitions
and systems into Ukraine more rapidly. They need old Soviet systems. They need the 1-52, 1-22 millimeter artillery, they need the ammunitions for it,
they need armored vehicles, the stuff they're used to. That stuff is being held by our own allies in eastern Europe.
Some of them are bargaining, some of them are asking for money, some are asking for backfill from the United States. These countries need to
understand that the United States part of NATO will guarantee their protection. They need to cough up --
GIOKOS: Yes --
CLARK: Those resources now, because the best way to protect NATO is to have Ukraine fight and defeat Russia on the ground in Ukraine.
GIOKOS: General Wesley Clark, thank you so much, great to have you on the show. Now, Russia is continuing --
CLARK: Thank you --
GIOKOS: To bomb other areas in the outskirts of Kyiv. Chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour went to Brovary today to show us the horrors the
city's residents are enduring.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): Missiles have struck the town of Brovary, a suburb of eastern Kyiv twice in the last week
alone. This tangled jagged mass of metal and cladding is what's left of a massive warehouse that stored food, paper, and the beer and alcohol that's
no longer allowed to be consumed under martial law. This happened at almost exactly the same time that the Russians were announcing their de-escalation
around Kyiv.
[14:10:00]
(on camera): This missile struck right here, imagine the good fortune of the truck driver who was loading up to take crates and packages and boxes
of food and supplies to the supermarkets in this town, and also to Kyiv. He managed to survive.
(voice-over): We are told three workers were killed, but Brovary has never fallen to Russian forces. Directly west of here, Russian and Ukrainian
troops have been fiercely fighting over the town of Irpin, and now it does appear that the Russians are retreating from here. A clear indication that
this war around Kyiv has simply not gone the way Russia planned. Whatever the reason, Moscow says it's retrenching, their intercepted radio
conversations verified by "The New York Times" show their soldiers in distress from the very start.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
AMANPOUR: This was west of the capital in Makariv, in the very first days of the war. Already signaling the focus on civilians once their own so-
called properties were out of harm's way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
AMANPOUR: This security video shows a Russian armored vehicle just blowing up a car, instantly killing the elderly couple inside. Ukraine has lost its
fighters too. Here in the Brovary cemetery, Boris, the caretaker shows us freshly dug graves.
(on camera): This guy, this soldier died on the very first day of the war. It's raining. It's drizzling here today. It's almost as if this city is
crying as it mourns its war dead. Because all of these graves are for the fighters of this place who have fallen in combat since this war began. This
grave has been dug, but the family can't yet bury their son, a soldier who was fighting in a village 15 kilometers away that's held by the Russians.
They haven't yet been able to get his body released.
(voice-over): And even Boris' heart breaks when he tells me about a father who has just lost his son, his only child, and who asked what do I have to
live for now?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Christiane Amanpour, thank you so much for joining us, and thank you so much for bringing us that report. You're visiting various parts of
Ukraine right now, honestly, very difficult to watch some of what you've seen. What's your assessment of the situation on the ground?
AMANPOUR: Well, look, you know, it's really hard to determine, because every time you get a statement from the Kremlin, then facts on the ground
belie what they're saying. Everybody I've spoken to, whether it's, you know, officials here in Ukraine, whether it's the French foreign minister
who I interviewed earlier, whether it's the Americans, whether it's -- you know, the Ukrainian chief of staff to the president, they just are too
skeptical now. They say there's no de-escalation around the capital.
There may be some regrouping. And then what? So everybody is kind of waiting and wondering whether Putin will direct most of his forces towards
the east. But at the moment, the crisis of most urgency for the government and for people is Mariupol in the south where it has been pounded, and
there is no let-up, and no sign of any humanitarian corridor or convoys, of course, they've been trying to do this for weeks now, but it simply hasn't
materialized, and it has been bombed to sort of medieval stone-age style.
It's terrible. You've seen the latest pictures, and it is really tragic what's happening there. And so, that's the main effort and the main plea
now of the Ukrainian government to get a ceasefire to stop the killing of all these civilians. And only then can they really talk about a proper, you
know, peace or a negotiated settlement. They keep putting things on the table. They then get told one minute from Moscow that well, progress has
been made, and the next minute, that actually, no, not enough progress has been made.
So it's very difficult at the moment to actually unpick how this is going to, you know, get to a proper negotiation to end this.
GIOKOS: This is perhaps a moral, philosophical kind of question here, but Christiane, if you're trying to reconcile the urgency that you're seeing on
the ground, the trauma that is happening right this second every single day in Ukraine versus the rhetoric and the talks that are happening at a global
and macro level, do you feel that, and do Ukrainians feel that more should be and could be done by NATO, and even the United Nations which has of
course, been hamstrung by the fact that there's been so many abstentions in condemning this war?
[14:15:00]
AMANPOUR: Well, the absence of the United Nations is quite staggering in attempting at least to convene some kind of, you know, global peace
conference on this. That's what they do. Now, it is true that the UNHCR which deals the refugees, the world food program, UNICEF which deals with
children, the human rights commission, they're all on the ground here trying their best to get humanitarian aid into Mariupol.
But just look what happened. The ICRC, the Red Cross warehouse in Mariupol clearly marked with a massive Red Cross for all above to see has been
shelled. It's just beggars belief. Because this is --
GIOKOS: Yes --
AMANPOUR: Now completely and utterly deliberate. So yes, this government here does believe that not enough yet is being done. And most particularly,
they are asking again and again, and President Zelenskyy did today when he addressed the Norwegian parliament, he asked again for more ammunition to
defend the country. If they are not going to get any boots on the ground or planes in the air from NATO, they at least want the material to be able to
defend themselves.
And they say, you know, that -- you know, they need it. They need it now. They need it fast. They're using a lot. They run out a lot, and they just
need to keep --
GIOKOS: Yes --
AMANPOUR: Getting replenished. Because it is them who have stood up against this much more mighty military machine from Moscow.
GIOKOS: And clearly could have global ramifications. Christiane Amanpour, thank you very much, really good to have you on the show and to speak with
you. And still to come, Russia crushes even the guarded optimism that a deal to end the war might be taking shape. We'll have the latest on the
intense diplomatic efforts. And Germany issues a warning on energy supplies. We'll have the latest on concerns about Russian gas shipments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Russia is throwing cold water on the prospects that a peace deal with Ukraine is beginning to come together, and that's after talks in
Istanbul. The Kremlin's chief spokesman now says, "we cannot yet state anything promising, no breakthroughs, lots of work ahead." Meantime,
Russia's foreign minister met today with his Chinese counterpart who say the two countries are ready to further deepen their relations.
[14:20:00]
China's president is expected to meet virtually with EU leaders on Friday. CNN's Nic Robertson is tracking the diplomatic efforts for us from
Brussels. Nic, listening to China and Russia having conversation about deepening relations, taking it to, you know, a higher level. In the
meantime, China knows what's at stake. What are you making of this very public display of camaraderie?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: There's been a lot of international pressure on China, particularly from the European Union, the
U.S., NATO and others, not to give economic support, not to give military support, not to give political and diplomatic cover to Russia's war in
Ukraine. That's exactly the opposite what happened today. Both Russia and China saying that they were deepening and strengthening their relationship,
taking it to new levels.
Even, the very fact that President Xi before the war met with President Putin and talked about a new strategic relationship between the two
nations. Itself, according to the sort of top European diplomat from -- the representative on China from the European parliament here, that alone was
support from China, explicit support in essence from China for Russia's actions in Ukraine. Russia -- rather, China and Xi Jinping, the leader will
have a video conference with European Union leaders.
Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission president and the Council President Charles Michel on Friday, and the advice they're getting from behind the
scenes is that the EU needs to get really tough with China now. China is backing Russia. It is a way for Russia to get around sanctions to find some
economic support and military support when much of the world wants to see the conflict in Ukraine end, and that the sanctions that all the nations
here are putting on Russia are designed to bring the war to a speedy end.
So, you can expect the conversation on Friday with Xi Jinping to be somewhat frosty from the European Union perspective, because they expect Xi
Jinping to back away from Russia. He's clearly not going to do that. So, on that alone, there's a huge difference of opinion --
GIOKOS: Exactly, I mean --
ROBERTSON: And a huge cast of the European Union and the United States.
GIOKOS: Absolutely, because what he says, you know, to leaders when he meets in private is very different to what we see on the public platform.
Lavrov also said that the West has been world's dominant player for over 500 years. Now, a different era forming of multi-polar international order
that is now here. And this is, I guess the big concern.
Are we going to see sort of a recalibration of the world order where there are clear alliances at play that could cause economic and security risks?
ROBERTSON: We're seeing that already. That's the default of what's happened with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
GIOKOS: Yes --
ROBERTSON: It's forced nations to take sides and take stiff and hard positions. It has caused many nations in the gulf to consider whether or
not they're going to support their allies in Moscow. We're talking here about the Saudis and the close relationship and the dominance that Saudi
Arabia and the Russians have in the oil and gas sector, and the calls from President Biden to Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to increase oil
production.
Saudi is not particularly disposed to do that. They're having a tough diplomatic relationship with President Biden. So it's all happening around
us. There is sort of no line in the sand that gets crossed other than the beginning of the war. These are all things now where nations -- all
decisions that nations are having to take, China is clearly at this time siding with Russia. Nations in the Middle East still figuring out in which
direction they'll go.
Nations in Europe taking a firm position. One of the things that President Biden has been keen to do was align the European nations with the United
States' position on China, on trade, and to curb China's human rights abuses and other issues. And that is now default happening. Because the
European Union, because China is siding with Russia in this, and needs to shore up sanctions. That's the direction the European Union will move in.
It will align closely -- well, closely with the United States, whether China wanted that outcome or not isn't clear. But these are the sorts of
things that are happening as a result of the war.
GIOKOS: Yes, exactly. And China is so important globally with regard to trade and also holding trillions of dollars worth of years' treasuries,
it's going to be fascinating to see, Nic. Thank you so much for your analysis, and I'm sure it's a conversation we'll have quite often in the
next few weeks. So, Germany and Austria are both issuing an early warning on energy supply, saying there could be shortages of natural gas if a
standoff with Moscow leads to Russia closing the taps.
[14:25:00]
These fears come as Russia demands to be paid in rubles rather than in dollars or euros, and threatens to cut off supplies if those demands aren't
met. But just a short time ago, we've learned that Vladimir Putin told Germany's chancellor the payments can still be made in euros to a bank
that's not affected by sanctions. The German chancellor is said to be asking for more details on that plan. David McKenzie joining me now live
from London to discuss these latest developments.
Europe needs the oil and gas, Russia needs the money. You know, this is going to be a really interesting one to see about the pain that will be
inflicted on either side.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the important part of this, Eleni, is that there is a practical implication of this geo-political
shift. The European Union which is obviously piling on massive amounts of sanctions on Russia, well, the one caveat to that of course is, in many
ways, oil and particularly natural gas. Now, the German economy minister warning that they could have rationing in the country, saying to
businesses, households, even hospitals that they need to start being careful with their natural gas usage.
And the economic giant of Europe really represents many European countries that are heavily dependent on Russia, $7 billion plus a year in exports of
natural gas from Russia, much of that going to the European Union. This is a lifeline for Vladimir Putin. And the Ukrainian officials have been
complaining about this, it's a way to get around the very harsh sanctions on both the financial export and services industries. Here's the economy
minister of Germany.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT HABECK, ECONOMY MINISTER, GERMANY (through translator): We are in a situation in which i have to clearly state that every safe kilowatt hour of
energy helps. And this is why I want to also use this declaration of the early warning with an appeal to industrialists and private consumers to
help us to help Germany to help Ukraine by saving gas and energy overall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: I think here's where this becomes important in the coming weeks, particularly in nations of Europe which have had a remarkably united front
in the sanctions of Russia. If it starts hurting the pocketbook, the lifestyle of Europeans, we will see if that united front continues if this
war drags out. So, again, it has very real implications for the conflict and for the European Union. Eleni?
GIOKOS: All right, David McKenzie in London, thank you so very much for that update. And still to come tonight, millions of people have fled
Ukraine. And we'll show you how fellow refugees are trying to provide some comfort ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
GIOKOS: Welcome back. I'm Eleni Giokos in Dubai.
Since the early weeks of the invasion, the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has been nearly encircled by Russian forces. But Ukrainian soldiers are
reclaiming territory. One soldier tells Reuters they're pushing the Russians back slowly and steadily.
Earlier, I spoke to Kharkiv's mayor, who is in a similar determined position. And I began by asking him if he's worried about the intelligence
that is suggesting that Russia wants to split Ukraine and control the east.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR IHOR TEREKHOV, KHARKIV, UKRAINE (through translator): I can totally definitely say that city of Kharkiv is a Ukrainian city and it will remain
Ukrainian. Kharkiv will never accept Russian Federation rule.
Russia is a aggressor who attacked a peaceful country of Ukraine. We didn't want to wage war against anyone. But we have to defend ourselves and we
have to carry on our heroic defense against the Russian occupiers.
GIOKOS: Tell us about the security situation on the ground right now in Kharkiv.
TEREKHOV (through translator): The situation is really tense. As of the 24th of February, the shelling is constant. The infrastructure is being
ruined. And to date, many parts of town were shelled and the parts of town where people live were hit.
So people have to spend their time in bomb shelters in order to save their lives. So we didn't have basically a single day when the city was not
shelled and we were not living to the tune of massive explosions.
GIOKOS: Are you winning in the fight?
Because Russians -- and from what we understand -- have come up against major resilience.
TEREKHOV (through translator): As to the motivation, I can totally tell you that troops, motivation are civilians, motivation is totally different
than the motivation of our enemy because we're fighting for our freedom. We are defending our land, a peaceful country that never attacked anyone.
And, of course, we are counting on the support of the United States and Great Britain, other European country, support for Ukraine so we could
defend ourselves and we could be victorious.
First of all, we're talking about weaponry. It's very important for us to get the weapons that we need. And clearly the closing the skies over
Ukraine is one of the paramount things that we totally require, because the air is being -- is killing our people. The rockets and bombs are coming
from the air. So this is probably the biggest area of concern.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: That was the mayor of Kharkiv, speaking to me earlier.
And the biggest area of concern, he's reiterating, is the air. That the where they're getting the most issues and attacks.
And this video shows a Holocaust memorial in his city destroyed. Considering that the Kremlin's claim that it's denazifying Ukraine, it's
worth pointing out how is strike (ph) markets like this are being shelled indiscriminately, too.
In southern Ukraine near the city of Mykolaiv, the relentless fighting has become too close and too much to bear for some residents. Some are fleeing
to safety as the Russian troops, marked in red, draw closer.
[14:35:00]
GIOKOS: Others staying behind, too scared to leave, instead taking shelter in their homes. CNN's Ben Wedeman reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The blasted, burnt-out hulks of Russia's might lie on a road outside Mykolaiv. War rumbles in the
distance.
Lieutenant Colonel Yaroslav Tchipurni (ph) doubts peace or even a pause is in hand.
"Russia," he says, "put such a huge effort into invading Ukrainian territory, it's hard to imagine it will leave so easily."
WEDEMAN: As fighting raged on the road, just a few minutes' drive from here, were civilians, many of them huddling in their cellars for
protection, scared of the fighting but terrified of the danger if they tried to flee.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): This house in the nearby village of Shevchenko took a direct hit. Bombardment is less frequent now.
It's just calm enough for 72-year-old Natalia to pack up and go.
"It's impossible to tolerate this anymore," she says, "I'm already an old woman."
A neighbor will drive her to nearby Mykolaiv. Shrapnel riddled his car and shattered the back window.
"I'm not afraid to die," says Natalia. "But I'm just not ready. I haven't gone to confession yet."
In an adjacent town, Lubya shows me the potato cellar she hid in for days.
"It's cold here," she says, "there was no electricity for two weeks."
As fate would have it, she did well to stay down there. One day, a rocket landed in her back yard.
Tongue in cheek, she told us, the Russians left a gift for her, a gift that keeps on ticking.
WEDEMAN: All right, we have to leave this spot because this rocket has not exploded.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Many of the villages near the front have been largely abandoned. Only the most stubborn stay behind -- Ben Wedeman, CNN,
outside Mykolaiv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: The U.N. Refugee Agency says 4 million people have now left Ukraine and that includes 2 million children forced to flee Russia's brutal
war. Those refugees have poured into neighboring countries, like Poland, Romania, Hungary and Moldova.
More than 6.5 million people are internally displaced. A woman from Mariupol tells us what it's like to have to escape your home and what your
priorities become.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANA BERG, MARIUPOL REFUGEE: You only have one desire, to just stay alive and be safe. But whenever you get out, there is a new stage of hell when
you try to understand that you are now a refugee, homeless. And you're kind of partially broken because of what you have gone through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees have ended up in Hungary. As they arrive in Budapest, volunteers greet them with supplies,
guidance and a welcome dose of compassion. And that's because many volunteers know all too well what they're going through. Matt Rivers shows
us why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Each time a new group shows up, it's anybody's guess how many refugees there will be. But more than a
month into this war, weary Ukrainians keep coming and coming. Looking for safety in the Hungarian capital of Budapest.
RIVERS: So authorities here say that as compared to a few weeks ago, things are now much more organized. So once people come in, they get
processed. And then the idea is to get them to where they want to go.
So if they want to stay here, they go to door number four, over here, to get local accommodation. Door number three, that would take them to the
airport. And number two and number one over here, this is where refugees go when they want to go to the train station here locally.
RIVERS (voice-over): Making their journey a little easier, is Yiuliia Pokhylenko. She's a volunteer translating Ukrainian into Hungarian or
English. And here, she helps us speak with this couple who left behind family as they fled Ukraine just a week ago.
RIVERS: Are you worried about them?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Yes, very. So worried. She wants whatever body wants, to stay alive and be healthy. And --
RIVERS: She wants what everybody wants?
YIULIIA POKHYLENKO, UKRAINIAN REFUGEE/VOLUNTEER: -- if it's finish -- yes.
RIVERS: To be safe.
POKHYLENKO: She says, it's finish.
RIVERS (voice-over): Yiuliia has a gentle touch with these new arrivals. She's warm and kind and empathetic, because she too is a refugee from a
suburb of Kyiv. She fled amidst intense fighting a few weeks ago.
[14:40:00]
RIVERS (voice-over): Yiuliia took this video just before she left of the shelter she used when the bombs were falling.
And on her way out of the city, she took this video of shell casings on the ground.
RIVERS: Was it difficult to leave your country?
POKHYLENKO: Yes, of course. It's --
RIVERS: Why?
POKHYLENKO: Because it's your country. It's your land. It's -- so shocked. It's so sad and surprising for what's happened and for why.
RIVERS (voice-over): She's been here for several weeks with no plans to leave. Yiuliia desperately wants to be back in Ukraine but for now she'll
help however she can.
RIVERS: Why are you doing this?
POKHYLENKO: Little help, it's help. Everybody want help Ukraine how they can.
RIVERS (voice-over): And today, that meant everything from serving up hot drinks to guiding this woman to get her medication. However, she can show
people that she cares. And at the end of our interview, a hug for us, too.
POKHYLENKO: Tell everybody about this story.
RIVERS: I will. I will.
RIVERS (voice-over): And a message.
POKHYLENKO: Help, please. Stop this.
RIVERS: We will. Thank you.
POKHYLENKO: Ukraine.
RIVERS (voice-over): Matt Rivers. CNN, Budapest, Hungary.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: We'll be right back after this break. Stay with CNN.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
GIOKOS: We'll bring you now some other key stories from around the world.
Actor Bruce Willis is stepping away from acting because of a health condition. His family revealed that the "Die Hard" star is suffering from
aphasia, which impacts his ability to communicate and, as a result, he'll be taking a break from Hollywood.
In China, Shanghai is reporting nearly 6,000 new COVID-19 infections, accounting for 70 percent of all new cases across the country; 9 million
people have been tested in a part of the city put under lockdown on Monday.
The outbreak is fueling panic in China's financial hub. And Chinese authorities are clamping down with even tighter lockdown restrictions.
CNN's David Culver reports from Shanghai.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Emotions in Shanghai are at a breaking point. Chinese social media showing people shoulder to shoulder,
pushing to get vegetables. Panicked shoppers stocking up ahead of an unprecedented citywide lockdown.
The plan is to shut Shanghai down in two phases: first, the eastern half, from the Huangpu River; then the west.
[14:45:00]
CULVER (voice-over): In all, some 25 million people confined to their homes. Already, desperate stories emerging. This woman pleading for
permission to leave her compound, saying that her husband needs his cancer treatment.
This latest Omicron-fueled surge in cases is China's worst outbreak since Wuhan two years ago. And yet, for some living in the country's
international financial hub, Shanghai, this is unlike anything experienced here before.
Videos circulated on social media show hundreds of COVID patients filling up crowded hospitals. So to keep in line with President Xi Jinping's zero-
COVID policy, Shanghai has turned stadiums and exhibition centers into centralized makeshift hospitals. This video is from the Shanghai Expo
Center, said to hold more than 6,000 patients.
On Twitter, expat Emma Leaning, chronicling her experience testing positive with mild symptoms.
"Taken to the Expo Center, given just a bucket and rag to wash up every day. Just about every day outside, you hear a blaring loudspeaker with a
new announcement. On this cold, rainy day, another mandatory COVID test. My neighbors and I hurried out to the nearest government testing site."
CULVER: They only let us out of the gate just for the test and then we head back in.
CULVER (voice-over): Once done, your neighborhood gate is locked back up. Stores and restaurants, that have had just one confirmed case pass through,
are treated like a crime scene, roped off and disinfected.
Since confirming its first Omicron case in mid-December, Mainland China's average new daily case count has surged from double digits to more than
5,000.
There are more than 65,000 active cases and counting. The virus has spread to 29 provinces and regions. The lockdowns and mass testing bring life to a
near halt in many places and could have global economic impacts. China's Jilin province, an industrial hub, along with the steelmaking center,
Tangshan, lock down. China's Silicon Valley, Shenzhen, is only just reopening after putting 17 million residents under lockdown for week.
Back in Shanghai, this latest lockdown is forcing Tesla's Gigafactory to hit the brakes on production. And it's already caused a Shanghai Disneyland
to shut its gates. This bustling metropolis, powering down.
To the outside world, the scenes are apocalyptic. China, once again, trying to prove it can contain the invisible villain -- David Culver, CNN,
Shanghai.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Israeli forces say they've arrested five people in connection with Tuesday's shooting and identified the attacker. Authorities were seen
carrying out raids in the West Bank.
Now the attacks started just outside Tel Aviv and five people were killed. The armed wing of the Palestinian Fatah movement is claiming
responsibility. And this is the third deadly attack in Israel within a week.
Now Israel's prime minister is urging all Israelis who can carry a gun to do so. CNN's Hadas Gold is standing by in Jerusalem.
Hadas, three similar attacks in a very short period of time.
Are they connected?
HADAS GOLD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that at least the first two attacks were done by people who claimed affiliation or the
Israeli security forces believe they had affiliation with ISIS. The last attack on Tuesday near Tel Aviv, that one is connected to -- it was carried
out by a Palestinian from the West Bank, who is connected to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.
What's unique is not only how there were three in a week, 11 people now dead, but not occurring in the typical hot spots we're used to seeing
violence, in places like Jerusalem or the West Bank. These were happening in Israeli cities, in places that typically don't see this type of
violence.
We spent the whole day talking to locals. Many of them were shocked that such an action could happen in their city. I should note two Ukrainian
citizens were also killed as well as a driver, a father holding his baby, as well as a police officer, one of two who engaged the attacker. They did
manage to shoot and kill him.
The Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett saying that Israel is now facing what he calls a wave of murderous Arab terrorism and they'll fight terror
with an iron fist. He is now calling on all citizens who have a license to carry a firearm to carry their guns with them at all ,times in order to be
ready to respond to any sort of incident.
The Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas has also come out condemning the attack. Security officials were already worried about
heightened tensions ahead of especially a curious calendar twist, because Ramadan, Passover and Easter are all going to overlap in the next coming
weeks.
[14:50:00]
GOLD: So tensions have already been rising. Now there's concern this violence will just go further.
Hadas Gold, thank you so much for that update.
And still to come tonight, an out of this world show of unity. How astronauts from Russia and the U.S. are rising above geopolitical tensions
on Earth. Stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
GIOKOS: Russia and the U.S. are at odds over Ukraine but, in space, unity prevails. A NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts have touched down
after a record-breaking stint at the International Space Station. CNN's Kristin Fisher has the story.
KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE & DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Where else on Earth right now can you find this level of communication and cooperation between
U.S. and Russian government officials?
But this is the kind of thing that the International Space Station was designed to do, transcend these geopolitical troubles on Earth. It has done
so successfully more than 20 years. But the war in Ukraine testing this partnership at the International Space Station like never before.
And today it passed -- this partnership passed a very critical test. And there was a lot of concern heading into today that perhaps the Russians
might leave Mark Vande Hei, the NASA astronaut, leave him there at the International Space Station and just bring the two cosmonauts home.
That concern stemmed from a video that the head of the Russian space agency shared on social media, a heavily edited video, that appears to show two
Russian cosmonauts waving goodbye to the NASA astronaut.
Roscosmos general director denied it; NASA said they weren't worried about it and didn't take it seriously. But there was concern. Fortunately, that
concern turned out to be unfounded. It was a successful and soft landing for Mark and his two Russian cosmonaut counterparts.
They touched down in Kazakhstan. That's standard operating procedure for this Soyuz spacecraft. And one of the remarkable things we were able to see
on this live feed was, once they landed successfully inside Moscow's mission control, there was a sign that said, "Welcome back, Mark," in both
Russian and in English.
[14:55:00]
FISHER: So clearly a good sign for the people that are hoping that this partnership at the space station between Russia and the United States will
continue, despite what's happening on the ground in Ukraine.
And one more thing, this is also a very big day for Mark Vande Hei personally. He just beat Scott Kelly's record and became the American
astronaut who has spent the longest amount of time in space during a single space flight, 355 days in space.
He says that he is looking forward to having a cup of coffee, real coffee, not the dehydrated astronaut kind. But he's looking forward to having a cup
of coffee with his wife.
The other thing he really wants when he gets back to Earth, now that he's on an airplane, heading back to Houston, Texas, is that he's looking
forward to some Texas chips and guacamole, which you obviously can't have when you're up in space.
GIOKOS: All right. Thanks so much to Kristin Fisher for that story, that heart-warming story. I'm Eleni Giokos. Thank you so much for watching
tonight. Stay with CNN. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
END
