those moments are going to feel off key. that will be one of the struggles. >> see what his message to putin is tonight, directly to putin. see what he says. thank you very, very much. to our viewers, thanks for watching. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." i'll be back with my cnn colleagues in one hour for cnn's state of the union coverage. "erin burnett outfront" starts right now. "out front" next, explosions in two major cities, the capitol of kyiv and president biden prepares to call out vladimir putin. and volodymyr zelenskyy speaking to cnn from his hidden bunker in kyiv. plus an american couple's premature twins each weighing 4 pounds. the desperate struggle to get those babies out of the country.

let's go "out front." i'm erin burnett. two major cities coming under attack as russia condense si phis its campaign targeting more and more civivilian areas. in kharkiv, this is the graphic aftermath after a building was hit. bodies can be seen on the ground. everything scorched. this is the moment a russian missile struck kharkiv's historic square. you can see what the russians have done to it. in the capitol of kyiv five people were killed when they hit a massive tv area. the holocaust memorial was damage the. that memorial memorializes one of the worst mass killing.

president of ukraine, volodymyr zelenskyy tweeting, what is the point of saying never again in 80 years if they're being bombed again? five killed there. atrocities taking place across ukraine and they are looming large around the world including in washington where president biden will deliver his state of the union address. we are learning biden will blast vladimir putin for a premeditated war. tonight we are getting new information on the 40-mile long russian convoy just outside of kyiv. that convoy had stalled because, frankly, of pretty bad situation within the russian military. fuel shortages. food issues, disorganizes. pretty embarrassing but that is not stopping the vicious air assault. that could be making matters worse. the belorussian president said

he warned zelenskyy that if russia's invasion continues to be slowed down by problems within the russian military and the fierce ukrainian resistance, putin may result in carpet bombing. russia has already fired more than 400 missiles at ukraine. tonight from his bunker in hard-hit kyiv zelenskyy told matthew chance that it is bigger than ukraine. it's about the future of democracy around the world. >> translator: it's essentially the values in life, the democracy for freedom, therefore, this war is for all the world. >> matthew chance joins me "out front" from kyiv. matthew, we'll have much more on your interview with president zelenskyy. what is the latest on the fighting on the ground where you are? what are you seeing and hearing as it's now in the early hours

of the morning when you so often have the onslaughts. >> reporter: yeah, it is. i can tell you outside the window here overlooking kyiv right now it is dead quiet. i mean, there is not a sound, you know, in the air. and, you know, why that is, it's unclear. i can tell you about a couple of hours ago there were enormous explosions to the north of the city in the direction where that giant convoy is making its approaches towards the city outskirts. earlier today there was an airstrike on the main television tower in that northern part of the city. five people were killed in that as you mentioned there. it struck a part of the holocaust memorial. the memorial park in that part of the city. of course, it all kind of adds to the sense of fear and tension

in kyiv right now because there is this great heightened sense of anticipation, that something really bad is going to happen. we've had those reports of that big, long column of russian armor heading in this direction. there are those threads that have been made to carpet bomb or to pound the ukrainian capitol with massive, massive artillery. of course, many of the residents are taking shelter and, you know, were leaving the city in anticipation of what could be a major escalation here. >> matthew chance, thank you very much. as i say, we'll be back with matthew later in this hour with the exclusive conversation he had with president zelenskyy in his hidden bunker under the streets of kyiv as he has described it. phil mattingly outside the white house. you are getting information how president biden will address ukraine and putin. >> reporter: white house

officials didn't anticipate this becoming the center piece but that reality has taken place. he will call on congress to approve more lethal and humanitarian aid. address putin head on. making clear excerpts from the white house, the attack was preme premeditated. also underscoring the history of the western alliance has been the pillar of the globe and that is intentional. the president, i'm told, wants to make it clear why it's a necessity at this moment in time for the western alliance to come together. that alliance has proven itself over the course of the last 72 hours. we have seen sanctions on a level that simply don't have precedent. the president will outline that and make that very clear underscoring why it's so important at this moment in time to address exactly what president zelenskyy was telling matthew, this is bigger than just this moment.

this is bigger than the moment, this is about autocracy versus democracy. if you want to understand the urgency, sitting with the first lady in her viewing box will be the ukrainian ambassador to the united states. it brings home the point that this administration is trying to make in a critical momen t i appreciate your time very much, alexander. first, let me ask you how are you doing tonight? >> thank you for having me .

my mother-in-law, we couldn't evacuate her. she resides in an area very dangerously close to your combat operations. it took place in the north, north to kyiv. so there was no absolutely physical possibility for us to reach her and to take her back. we were sharing a town house with her and this is a

manifestation of the great spirit of support and all decisions whether civil or military are providing to them. calmed us down, don't worry, guys, she's in good care and we're looking after her. she'll be fine. so that's great relief. >> it is amazing being there and seeing, you know, what was obviously under great pressure and anxiety, but a functioning country, people going to work, people going to school, people going out to dinner and then all of a sudden it completely and fundamentally changed in that horrific attack. so much of the focus of the world is on president zelenskyy. i know you watched an interview that cnn did with him today. we're going to be playing it this hour. i know you know him personally. what do you think about him right now?

he has risen to become one of the most admired people on the planet. >> i think he already has to be honest. and no person comes to my mind that could compare with him in terms of the charisma and fascination he is causing with -- well, i wouldn't say the whole world because there is a greater tori to the north from where i'm staying that passionately hates him and one person who personally hates him, but other than that i think he quite deservedly enjoys tremendous support and admiration. >> let me ask you because your perspective on this is pretty phenomenal in the sense you know putin and what he is capable of

in a way that few do. you worked for the former president that putin backed and he denied poisoning. there were photos preand post poisoning. you know what putin is capable of. how far do you think he'll go in this fight against ukraine? >> erin, i think at this point it's not only me who knows what putin is capable of and i am so glad so many eyes in the world have opened. i wouldn't even call him a person, a creature, and he's -- well, what is a cornered threat capable of? anything as long as it's aggressive, scared and enraged. that is exactly what's going on

in the bunker where putin is sitting at the moment. he's enraged. he is irritated and he's scared and -- because he's cornered. >> all right. thank you very much. i appreciate your time and wish for your safety. >> just one -- if i -- okay. i only wanted to say my best to all the ukrainians and they will understand me. glory to ukraine. we'll win. >> thank you. incredible. that same sentiment we heard from every single ukrainian on the ground. "out front," mark kim mick, and i really appreciate your taking the time to be with me. he says putin is backed in the corner and he is aggressive, scared and enraged. he wouldn't put anything past him. do you agree? >> well, again -- well, again, i'm not here to talk about

president putin's mental state but i think he is not looking at what's happening right now, he's looking days ahead. i think he is going to see the russian forces turn the tide over what's happened over the last six days. >> so you think it's -- you just think his sticking with it, military might will turn his way? >> history will show russian tactics for war in the cities is extraordinarily brutal. what we're seeing with the missiles and artillery landing is a preparatory act in when we expect to see if he decides to take kyiv, carkharkiv and odesa. the defensive forces certainly have the advantage, but this is

going to be -- this is going to be a volkswagen facing a bulldozer and the russian troops are a bulldozer. they will continue to pile on until they have rubbled that city or taken that city and that 40 mile convoy of vehicles should be indicative of what's coming. >> you know, obviously i met so many ukrainians who are going to fight. they are. they're there fighting. i didn't meet a single man who was trying to leave the country, not a single person. it's incredible. the will to fight i think people are starting to understand around the world, that this is going to be long and horrific if putin stays with it. i want to ask you. there's been all these reports, right, about disarray in the russian troops, they didn't supply them well, that they're not communicating the way that any professional military should. they don't have enough food, enough fuel. the young soldiers didn't seem to know this wasn't a drill. some are surrendering.

how much of it do you think is true? does he just power through it? >> well, i think much of it could be true and i think putin will power through it. russians think of war as calculus. the more you put in, the more you will win and they are not using their troops right now because they're using missiles, they're using artillery and rockets. they're going to be fighting house to house, block to block, apartment building to apartment building. like we saw in stalingrad, like we saw in mosul and like they faced in fallujah, this is ugly, brutal fighting. the winner is going to be the one that outlasts the other. >> general, i appreciate your time. thank you so very much. sitting in a house with young men going door to door shooting. they are ready.

next, ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy speaks to cnn from his bunker in kyiv and what made him emotional. they were born as those missiles raining down wednesday night. now the incredible challenge to get them to safety. we're going live to ukraine's border where a humanitarian crisis is unfolding. we've been showing it to you live. a mother collapsing from exhaustion, her daughter in tetears. anything else you wawanna know? is the hype too much? am i ready? i can't tell you everything. but if you want to make history, you gotta call your own shots. we going to the league! we gotta tell people that liberty mutual

customizes car insurance so you only pay for what you need, and we gotta do it fast. [limu u squawks] woo! new personal record, limu! ♪ liberty, libert liberty, liberty. ♪ stuff. we love stuff. and there's some really great stuff out there. but i doubt that any of us will look back on our lives and think, "i wish i'd bought an even thinner tv, found a lighter light beer, or had an even smarter smartphone." do you think any of us will look back on our lives and regret the things we didn't buy? or the places we didn't go? ♪ i'd go the whole wide world ♪ ♪ i'd go the whole wide world ♪ i heard they're like a peach a little bit.

is tim okay??? we got the new my gm rewards card. so, everything we buy has that new car smell. -stahp. -i will not. food's here! this smells like a brand-new car! yup. best-in-class rewards, and a great way toward your next chevrolet, buick, gmc or cadillac. and with all those points on everything we buy... ...we're thinking suv. with leather! a new kind of appreciation with that new car smell. ♪ (jazz music) ♪ (thank you, have a nice day.) ♪ (trumpet solo) ♪ (bell dings) (pages slipping) ♪ ♪ ♪ (trumpet solo) ♪ ♪ ♪ (typing) (bell dings) ♪ ♪ (cheering ♪ ♪ (typing) ♪ ♪ ♪(trumpet solo) ♪ do your eyes bother you?

my eyes feel like a combo of stressed, dry and sandpaper. strypaper? luckily, there's biotrue hydration boost eye drops. biotrue uses naturally inspired ingredients. and no preservatives. try biotrue! lactaid is 100% real milk, just without the lactose. so you can enjoy it even if you're sensitive to dairy. so anyone who says lactaid isn't real milk is also saying mabel here isn't a real cow. and she really hates that.

president volodymyr zelenskyy saying russia will impleasant their plan. it opens up a whole other conversation. all of this coming during a very rare interview with cnn that was conducted by matthew chance inside a bunker inside the be sieged city of kyiv. he spoke with zelenskyy about what he wanted to hear in tonight's address. >> the message. so many messages. i think that he has to give those messages work, that is

very important to be in this war against russia. >> translator: i think first of all he's a world leader. it's very important for people in the united states to understand despite the fact the war is taking place in ukraine, it's essentially the values in life, democracy for freedom, therefore, this war is for all the world and that message should be sent far and wide from ukraine to people in the united states so they understand what it is like for us here. why support for ukraine matters. >> for a long time you downplayed the u.s. intelligence assessments of there being an imminent russian attack? do you regret that? do you think the fact you didn't act earlier has left the people of ukraine unprepared? >> translator: the response you see today, how our army works,

is a testament that we are ready for everything. it's important not to let your enemy anticipate your reaction that's why i did not like that situation where we put everything at risk and tell the world we're preparing for war. >> reporter: united states has said that it will not enforce a no fly zone over the country and it wouldn't put boots on the ground. do you think it is now time for president biden and other western countries to reconsider that and to help you not just with military aid but with manpower? >> translator: i've already turned to some foreign leaders with this request. i believe that leaders must support democratic states of the world who are keen to defend. the powerful issue of closing the air space helps us tremendously. this does not mean dragging nato into this war. we spoke many times with president biden and i'm thankful with them.

they did not hear me. i kept telling them, ukraine will fight hardest of all. us alone against russia, we would not be able to do it. >> reporter: your army has enjoyed some significant battlefield victories in the past week. i myself have been to see some of the russian armored colonies that have been totally hammered and destroyed by weapons and the menu have fighting the russian advance. are you now concerned though that the kremlin will double down on its military operations and hit ukraine even harder? >> translator:, first, why are we winning or why are we defending ourselves? because this is our home. yes, russia will double up but take a look at them. why are our men more powerful, stronger, successful? we have what we need to protect and they do not even understand us. they do not know the streets. they do not know the people. do not understand our

philosophy, aspirations, what type of people we are. they don't know anything here. they were sent here to fight and to die. >> reporter: sending a delegation to meet the russians for talks. did anything substantial come out of that? is there any hope as the world watches for diplomacy? >> they decided to begin to speak about the situation and i wanted -- i really nt wa -- wanted, first of all, everybody has to stop fighting and to go to that point from where it was begin. yes, it began five, six -- six days ago. i think there are things you can do it and that is very important moment. if you will do this and if those side is ready, it means they are ready for the peace.

if they don't ready, it means you're just, you know -- >> reporter: do you think you're wasting your time or do you think they're ready? >> we'll see. >> i mean, just amazing to watch that. max, just to emphasize, he has been offered by the united states to be air lifted out of the country. he has stayed. he has fought. he has been firm, he has resolved. living in that bunker and leading his country from there and he has been in that bunker for days. he says russia's marked him target number one, his family target number two. you watch him there as a leader and you watch him there as a human being. where was his mind? >> reporter: he was -- he was obviously under a lot of strain. i mean, you could see he looked very pale. you may noticed he had not

shaved for a few days. he was wearing kharkiv military fatigues which have become characteristic of him during this conflict. he obviously is feeling a lot of pressure, as you might expect, as a sort of war leader in this very tense moment. he was asked at one point, you know, when was the last time you saw your family? and he thought about it and he said, look, i haven't seen them since the beginning of the war, since the war started. and he seemed very upset about that, quite emotional about it. particularly when you consider that he knows or that he thinks that his family are targets for the russian military. and so this is a man who is under a lot of pressure, under a lot of success but he's trying, succeeding i think in many ways to step up to this kind of role of being the sort of, you know, strong man of ukraine standing

up to this like massive russian threat that the country is facing, erin. >> matthew, thank you very much. thank you so much for that. just amazing to watch that. i do think, you know, as the world looks at president zelenskyy, you do have to realize he is a human being, right? he knows if there's one person putin will kill if he can kill, it's him. he knows full well that that may have been the last time he ever saw them and he's still willing to stay, lead, to that. it is incredible. you heard him telling president biden to stay strong and we have special coverage at the top of the hour. next, breaking news we are learning, president biden is about to make an announcement tonight that targets russian aircraft. they were born seven weeks premature as the missiles rained

down. desperate struggle tonight to get those twins to safety. i've got moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there's skyrizi. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months, after just 2 doses. skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms

such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches, or coughs, or if you plan to, or recently received a vaccine. ♪ nothing is everything ♪ talk to your dermatologist about skyrizi. learn how abbvie could help you save. inner voice (furniture maker): i'm constantly nodding... ...because i know everything about furniture ...but with the business side... ...i'm feeling a little lost. quickbooks can help. an easy way to get paid, pay your staff, and know where your business stands. new business? no problem. success starts with intuit quickbooks. (fisher investments) in this market, you'll find fisher investments is different than other money managers. (other money manager) different how? aren't we all just looking for the hottest stocks? (fisher investments) nope. we use diversified strategies to position our client's portfolios for their long-term goals. (other money manager) but you still sell investments that generate high commissions for you, right? (fisher investments) no, we don't sell commission products. we're a fiduciary, obligated to act in our client's best interest. (other money manager) so when do you make more money, only when your clients make more money? (fisher investments) yep. we do better when our clients do better. at fisher investments, we're clearly different. ♪ i'm gonna keep on lovin' you ♪

turns out everyone does sound better in the shower. and it turns out the general is a quality insurance company that's been saving people money for nearly 60 years. for a great low rate, and nearly 60 years of quality coverage, go with the general. what does a foster kid need from you? to be brave. to show up. for staying connected. the questions they weren't able to ask. show up for the first day of school, the last day at their current address. for the mornings when everything's wrong. for the manicure that makes everything right, for right now. show up, however you can, for the foster kids who need it most— at helpfosterchildren.com behold...unlimited wireless for only 30 bucks.

that's pretty cool, but you know what's cooler? for the foster kids who need it most— saving up to 400 bucks! exactly. and if we really want to take it up a notch... get all that and nationwide 5g included. oh nice shot, send that to me. i got you. break free from the big three and get connected to the nations most reliable 5g network. get the new samsung galaxy s22 series on xfinity mobile. and right now, save big with up to $750 off a new samsung device. switch today. breaking news. cnn learning that president biden is set to announce that the u.s. is banning russian aircraft from u.s. air space. sources say that will happen during his state of the union address which is set to happen in the next two hours. it comes as russia escalates the attack on kyiv.

incredibly terrifying not for just people in kyiv but, well, if there are personal ties there, their twin newborns were delivered as missiles were coming down. alex spec tore is the father of these twin boys. alex, gosh, i'm so sorry. i can't imagine the stress and the anxiety and fear. lenny and loisha, i know they've -- they're there. they're named. they're alive. they're in a hospital in kyiv right now where russian forces are undergoing more deadly strikes. the convoy. it's terrifying. who are worried are you? >> incredibly worried. just worried, tired but most

incredibly hopeful. today they were transferred from one hospital where there was no shelter. there was no basement. so from that hospital when the air raids would start, they would have to run across the street into a church where there was a basement. like you said, these are 32 1/2 weeks old babies but today they were transferred by a team, by an ambulance and accompanied to a safe place, to a hospital which has proper equipment and, yeah, they are in good space and in good company. >> which is a miracle. i mean, your surrogate went into labor just hours after putin announced the invasion. >> yes. >> i can only imagine the role the stress and fear played that night. the trip to the hospital a daunting journey, terrifying journey taking hours. that hospital where your

surrogate was first taken, where she gave birth was attacked today i understand. they say this. they posted photos of significant damage to the facility. this is the hospital where your children were born. it's terrifying. it's terrifying for you and your surrogate. gosh, how is she doing? >> you know, she's there with the children and she's amazing. as far as we are concerned right now, she -- it's also her son who was waiting for his mom at home. both of them are part of our family right now. we're in constant touch with her. she goes out to the pharmacy to buy the necessary supplies and sends us pictures, videos. yeah, she seems to be -- she seems to be doing well and strong in health and spirit. >> what a nmagnificent woman. she has her 6-year-old boy. i know the doctor says they might need hospital care for two

weeks. that is an unimaginable amount of time. you don't know what kyiv is going to look like by then. obviously i'm sure you are watching horrific headlines and speculation about what he might be planning. do you have any sense of when you will be able to see your babies and to hold them? >> we're hoping every day that this moment will come soon and, you know, every day we're faced with seemingly busy area. long-term of course we're speaking for medical transfer. going into ukraine and just being with the babies. who knows, you know?

we are constantly working minute after minute, 24/7 we're taking shifts also because of the amount of support that is coming and we have to keep coordinating different ends. >> all of our thoughts and just wishes for their safety and care to you and of course also to your surrogate, as i said, just hearing about the love and care she is giving to them. it is magnificent. i know you must feel lucky for that. thank you. you're in my thoughts. >> thanks so much. next cnn learning the u.s. intelligence committee. the u.n. warning this could lead to the biggest rev f refugees.

they're not t sure if they'll er see each otherer again. with tylenol dissolve packs. relief without the water. where does the stress go when you're driving a lincoln? does it float off into the clouds? daddy! when you're (frustrated grunts) you mighhave your own theory. but maybe it's better to just let it go. with hepatitis c i felt i couldn't be at my best for my family. in only 8 weeks with mavyret i was cured. i faced reminders of my hep c every day. i worried about my hep c. but in only 8 weeks with mavyret i was cured. mavyret is the only 8-week cure for all types of hep c. before starting mavyret your doctor will test if you've had hepatitis b which may flare up and cause serious liver problems during and after treatment. tell your doctor if you've had hepatitis b, a liver or kidney transplant, other liver problems, hiv-1,or other medical conditions,

and all medicines you take. don't take mavyret with atazanavir or rifampin, or if you've had certain liver problems. if you've had or have serious liver problems other than hep c, there's a rare chance they may worsen. signs of serious liver problems may include yellowing of the skin, abdominal pain or swelling, confusion, and unexplained bleeding or bruising. tell your doctor if you develop symptoms of liver disease. common side effects include headache and tiredness. with hep c behind me, i feel free fearless because i am cured. talk to your doctor about mavyret. learn how abbvie could help you save. i brought in ensure max protein, with thirty grams of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks! (sighs wearily) here i'll take that! (excited yell) woo-hoo! ensure max protein. with thirty grams of protein, one gram of sugar, and nutrients to support immune health.

when you need help it's great to be in sync with customer service. a team of reps who can anticipate the next step genesys technology is changing the way customer service teams anticipate what customers need. because happy customers are music to our ears. genesys, we're behind every customer smile.

house speaker nancy pelosi says there are some heads of state who believe putin is suffering from emotional issues. >> some people say he has cancer and some people say he has brain fog from covid. other people think he is a complete raging bully. whatever it is, the people of ukraine are paying the price for

it. >> two sources tell cnn that evaluating putin's state of mind is now the top priority. it should be out front now dr. kenneth declava. he's with the state department in moscow. i appreciate your time. you have extensive experience on this and you have studied put inexclusively. when you look at all of the appearances you have had if there is some in the very obvious to you or is this 9 same putin you're aware of? >> yes and no. let me explain the no part in grows any, in 2008 and syria in

2015, 2016. this is the same putin who had another person killed in 2016 and who attempted to skip. if you frame two speeches, one given 20 years ago when president spoke to the people in germany. he got a sitting and then you compare that to a pooech last monday after meeting with his

security council. it's tragic for president putin who would have perhaps before this been recognized as one of the greatest leaders in russian history. certainly tragic for the people of ukraine and for the courageous president zelenskyy. >> so it is necessary, we have started to hear this drum beat. he's changed. there's something deeply wrong. a lot of people with credibility is saying it. >> this is a different putin. he was always calculating and cold but this is different. he seems erratic. >> this behavior is different than in the past. this all seems to me like in some respect he's gone off the rails. >> off the rails, erratic.

are you comfortable with either of those descriptions, doctor? >> no. with all due respect to my senior colleagues, i think what we have here is an intelligence failure on the part of putin's intelligence agencies and putin must be very, very angry and disappointed. >> meaning they told him he would be welcome with open arms? >> that this would be over in 48 hours and the courageous ukrainian people have -- and the courage of president zelenskyy, they've fought back. putin is an eighth degree in judo and what we have here is the young judo master president zelenskyy has choked him out. that's a wonderful thing for the world to see, especially in a time after covid. the other thing is i would say i don't think he's erratic or changed but he certainly is in more of a hurry, and that's a

very important question, which is why now? why not wait? why not play out his brilliant strategy that was working short of full invasion. the saddest thing here, putin's gone from being a respected world leader when he first came to power to he's now looking more and more like russia's slovodin milosevic. >> thank you for your time. >> thank you very much. on sunday in hungary i saw families at rest stops and you knew exactly who the ukrainians were because they were white, exhausted, their face the, you could see it. when you talked to them and asked where they were going, they didn't know. even on the airplane you see the ukraine passports. they wait days to get out of the country and figure out where the next steps are. the complete unknown. where are they going to go?

what in the world is going to happen to these people? tonight we're going to take you live to a border crossing and a translator moved to tears during an address by ukraine's president. >> we are fighting. just for our land and for our freedom. d or a few years old. we wanna buy your car. so g go to carvana and enter your license plate answer a few questions. and our techno wizardry calculates your car's value and gives you a real offer in seconds. when you're ready, we'll come to you, pay you on the spot and pick up your car, that's it. so ditch the old way of selling your car, and say hello to the new way at carvana.

as a struggling actor, i need all the breaks that i can get. at liberty butchemel... cut. liberty mu... line? cut. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. cut. liberty m... am i allowed to riff? what if i come out of the water? liberty biberty... cut. we'll dub it. liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ do you think any of us will look back in our lives, and regret the things we didn't buy? (camera shutters) or the places we didn't go. ♪ ♪

russian military strike has just torn through two blocks of apartments in a small town roughly 30 miles outside kyiv. we'll show you the new video coming in where you can see entire blocks. we don't have it yet, but when we do, we'll thoughia. we have literally just confirmed this. it comes as the united nations is warning the situation in ukraine could become the largest refugee crisis in europe so far this century. they estimate 677,000 refugees have fled ukraine since russia's invasion. i remember talking to pamela brown on saturday night when i was in ukraine near the border and it was 150,000. we're up to nearly 700,000. this just gives you a sense of the scale of number of people who are surging toward the western borders of ukraine. it comes as they have indicated

russian forces have amped up air and artillery strikes designed to destroy and blast people over large areas in very populous parts of ukraine. sara sidner is out front near the poland/ukraine border where so many hundreds of thousands of families frankly have sought refuge from the violence. >> a 15-year-old's desperate tears. she says she has just walked across the border to meet her mother, but her mother has just fainted. she has no pulse, she is not breathing. volunteer medics from israel rush in. they get her breathing, but she remains unconscious. she needs a hospital. it takes 30 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. >> you saved her life. >> this is life on the polish side of the border with ukraine. >> it's only woman and children. they come alone after three days in the cold. >> in poland, hope and heartbreak are everywhere. as refugees pack into the

country. olga fled the country with her 9-year-old daughter, angelina. olga had to leave her husband behind so he could fight with whatever he could find. >> so difficult. i cannot tell you how this difficulty is, the feeling you lose your life, you know. and here, we don't know what to do. >> she is still shell-shocked but at least has friend to take her in. >> we heard bombs, like explosion. and of course, we watched the news and watched that russian soldiers are there in kyiv, in odesa, and we saw tanks, yes, and it was panic. >> as night falls in the bitter cold, more heartbreak. but the polish people are offering refugees a warm welcome, warm clothes, a warm

place to stay, a warm meal, even diapers and toys for children. a grassroots effort smack in the middle of a supermarket parking lot just a few kilometers from the border. victoria is a college student in poland but she's from ukraine. she is skipping studying for finals and spending her time volunteering while her family fights for ukraine. >> my father is actually like helping the city to hold the ground and just like that. and i'm trying to help as much as i can because i can't just stand there and watch it happen and just be like, oh, yeah. no, it's actually kind of very, very hard for me. >> at the nearest polish train station, refugees stuff themselves inside, looking for help. many get just that. but not everyone is treated equally. this cameroonian woman doesn't want any more trouble so she hides her face. in ukraine, she says she was shoved from the free train while trying to escape with her child,

while white ukrainians will helped out and black men, she says, were treated worse. >> all the black guys, no, no, no. there was one inside the train, t went in the train and showed him a gun. >> they put a gun to a black man's face. >> they said walk out and he walked out. >> you're telling me there is discrimination by the ukrainians against black people? >> about black people entering the train, the free train. they help the people, they do not want to help blacks. >> she said discrimnaze was rearing its ugly head at the most terrifying moment. >> sara joins me now. you know, i did notice on the ukrainian side of the border, especially going to the polish area where you are, more people of color than i saw anywhere else in the country, heading specifically to the polish border where you are. and the incredible agony that people went through to get there. days, days of suffering, and all women and children, except for some people of color, because

those would be people who perhaps were not ukrainian citizens, might have been students studying in the country, getting ph.d.s or others. where are you now and what are you seeing of the people who are just coming through? and just to make sure people understand, 24 hours a day. >> yeah, it gets quiet and all of a sudden you have a mass of people. you saw that bus that just passed us. usually they come in in buses. this is about seven kilometers or so, so we're talking three or so miles from the actual border between poland and ukraine. and this is an area that has been set up to literally help in any way possible. when people get here from ukraine, they actually come and get food, they get diapers and they get warmth. they are trying to make sure that people are warm, but it just doesn't stop throughout the night. erin. >> thank you so much.

sara mentioned the cold. i hope everyone understands, it is a biting cold. you have all these children there, and they're sort of sleeping in piles with their coats just to try to keep them warm. it takes days to get to the border. "outfront" next, president volodymyr zelenskyy's powerful speech to the world and how it brought his translator to tears. strypaper? luckily, there's biotrue hydration boost eyeye drops. biotrue uses naturally inspired ingredients. and no preservatives. try biotrue! to be a thriver with metastatic breast cancer means asking for what we want. and need. and we need more te. so, we want kisqali. women are living longer than ever before with kisqali when taken with an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant in postmenopausal women with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. kisqali is a pill that's significantly more effective at delaying disease progression versus an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant alone. kisqali can cause lung problems, or an abnormal heartbeat, which can lead to death.

it can cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts that may result in severe infections. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including breathing problems, cough, chest pain, a change in your heartbeat, dizziness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdomen pain, bleeding, bruising, fever, chills or other symptoms of an infection, a severe or worsening rash, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. avoid grapefruit during treatment. ask your doctor about living longer with kisqali. do you think any of us will look back in our lives, and regret the things we didn't buy? (camera shutters) or the places we didn't go. ♪ ♪

this is elodia. she's a recording artist. 1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're connecting throughout the next 10. through projectup, comcast is committing $1 billion so millions more students, past... and present, can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities.

finally tonight, the emotional toll of putin's invasion. you feel it. you feel it in ukraine. you feel it in the face of every person there. today, we heard it on the world's stage through the voice of an interpreter for the european parliament as the ukrainian president addressed the eu. you can hear the interpreter trying not to cry. as zelenskyy said this. >> translator: we're fighting. just for our land. and for our freedom. despite the fact that all of the cities of our country are now blocked.

nobody is going to enter and intervene with our freedom, and believe you me. >> zelenskyy went on to talk about the lives lost, children killed by putin's air strikes. and when he finished, a standing ovation. as so many around this world we live in are so deeply moved by what is unfolding in ukraine. our special coverage of president biden's state of the union address begins now with anderson cooper and jake tapper. this is cnn breaking news. >> these are live pictures from the ukrainian capital where new explosions were heard tonight. the city bracing for an all-out assault by russian forces. vladimir putin's brutal war is intensifying at this hour as president biden is about to deliver his first state of the union address. i'm anderson cooper coming to you tonight from lviv in western ukraine for this special edition of "ac 360." there is grave concern across this