>> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world, coming to you live from ukraine, i'm michael holmes. and our breaking news this hour, the pace and the strength of russian attacks on ukrainian population centers, including the capital, kyiv, is expected to increase. a senior western intelligence official telling cnn that u.s. and nato officials believe russia is poised to, quote, bombard cities into submission.

already ukrainian civilians have come under increased attacks. you're looking there at the aftermath of fighting on the outskirts of kyiv. the u.s. says about 92% of the forces that russia initially staged outside of ukraine for its invasion are now inside the country. and we're learning that russia also plans to deploy an additional 1,000 mercenaries. meanwhile, we're getting an inside look at that ukrainian nuclear power plant now occupied by russian forces. ukrainian authorities releasing a video of a warning sounding inside the control room. have a listen. >> you're endangering the security of the entire world. attention, stop shooting at the nuclear hazardous facility. stop shooting at a nuclear hazardous facility. stop shooting at a nuclear hazardous facility. attention. >> now, the head of the international atomic energy agency says that while the attack on the plant was a close

call, no radioactive material was released. meanwhile, as russia continues its advance, ukraine's president says nato is giving russia a green light to bombard ukrainian cities by not implementing a no-fly zone. >> translator: nato has deliberately decided not to cover the skies over ukraine. we believe that nato countries have created a narrative that closing the skies over ukraine would provoke russia's direct aggression against nato. this is the self-hypnosis of those who are weak, insecure inside, despite the fact they possess weapons many times stronger than we have. >> russian president vladimir putin spoke with the german chancellor, olaf scholz, on friday. germany says mr. putin told the chancellor that a third round of talks between russia and ukraine is scheduled for the weekend. now, from the attack on the nuclear power plant to the increasing civilian casualties,

oren liebermann has more on where things stand here in ukraine. >> reporter: the unthinkable now another step in russia's invasion of ukraine. russian forces fired on the largest nuclear power plant in europe, seizing control of the zaporizhzhia facility early friday morning. ukraine says the russians fired on the plant from all sides, setting fire to a building near the reactor and threatening to cause a nuclear disaster. >> russian federation continued shooting at the nuclear power plant. unit one, unit two have damage. >> reporter: a spokesperson for the plant says the fighting and the fire have stopped. the international atomic energy agency says radiation levels are normal and workers are being allowed in to continue operating the plant at gunpoint, says the head of the power company. >> it could have been six chernobyls. the russian tank, people knew what they were shelling. they were shelling this at close range. this was terror at a new level. >> reporter: the crisis resulted

in the u.n. security council holding an emergency meeting. >> the world narrowly averted a nuclear catastrophe last night. mr. putin must stop this madness. >> reporter: russia has not let up its attacks across the country, maintaining barrages against major cities. high-rise apartment buildings obliterated in a town just over 30 miles northwest of the capital, kyiv. a cell phone video shot in kharkiv interrupted by a strike on the city council building. homes destroyed in the city of cher niev. >> the terrible expectation is that the suffering we've seen is likely to get worse before it gets better for as long as russia pursues these methods. >> reporter: the ukrainians have had one victory, successfully stalling the convoy advancing on kyiv from the north with direct

attacks and by destroying a bridge on its route. in the south, ukraine still has control over the city of m mar mariupol. residents cut off from water and electricity. meanwhile, odesa is repairing for a possible russian attack. a resident of the occupied city of kherson says they're dealing with violence at the hands of the russian occupiers. priend president biden says it's clear russian forces are intentionally targeting citizens as ukraine accuses russia of war crimes, an accusation the kremlin denies. the international criminal court is investigating. >> this is brutality. this is inhumane. >> reporter: nato has accused russia of using cluster bombs, a devastating weapon that can kill indiscriminately though a senior u.s. defense official says they can't firm that type of a weapon has been used. >> they are geared to execute civilian casualties on a massive scale. so it's like having on each rocket that lands, 100 small hand grenades falling. >> reporter: but the u.s. and

other nato countries remain steadfast in their refusal to implement a no-fly zone despite ukrainian pleas. >> the only way to actually implement something like a no-fly zone is to send nato planes into ukrainian airspace and to shoot down russian planes, and that could lead to a full-fledged war. >> reporter: oren liebermann, cnn, at the pentagon. >> now, invading russian troops continue to lay siege to key ukrainian cities, including mariupol. itn reporter john irvine joined one of the last civilian convoys to leave that city on wednesday, and he ended up coming face to face with a russian tank. >> without electricity, water, or fuel, we could no longer report from inside mariupol, so we decided to join what would be the last convoy to escape. the city has a large greek community, and athens had tried to secure safe passage for a rag

tag of greek diplomats, citizens, and foreign journalists. with mariupol just five miles behind us, tanks suddenly appeared in the mist. we hoped they were ukrainian, but they were not. we filmed the russians as surreptitiously as possible. i can count four russian tanks. thankfully, the crew as the moment appear to be quite relaxed. somebody from our lead vehicle has gone to have a chat, to convince them that we are who we say we are, an innocent convoy leaving mariupol for safety. you can see the zed on one side of one of the tanks. i can anyway. they're definitely russians.

>> at one point the tank turret turned our way. we were staring down the barrel. it's not clear what spooked them, but something definitely did, and sudden will some of the russian soldiers to the right and left of the tank were kneeling and aiming their rifles at our convoy. thankfully, the situation eventually calmed down. they then checked our i.d.s, searched our vehicles, and allowed us to proceed. it took a while to drive through what turned out to be a large russian armored column. >> dozens and dozens of vehicles, armored personnel carriers, tanks, hundreds of men. >> reporter: their presence confirmed that mariupol is indeed encircled, and it's

taking a pummeling. to the russian-speaking people of this region, it must feel as if these russian soldiers are guilty of frat racide. john irvine, itv news, in eastern ukraine. for more, i'm joined now by malcolm davis from the australian strategic policy institute. he is a senior analyst at that think tank, working on defense strategy and capability. thanks for rejoining us to discuss this. what struck me is you had predicted russian tactics and territorial moves with remarkable accuracy during all of this, especially in light of what nato and the u.s. are saying about putin's plan to bombard cities into submission. give us a sense of how you see putin's forces positioned and next likely moves. >> thanks, michael. look, i think that they are intending to move to that phase.

i think they've realized that their initial phase of light and quick operations to seize cities has failed comprehensively. so they're reverting to type in the form of combined arm operations. that means bringing in lots of heavy artillery, long-range missiles and rockets, air power, and bombarding cities into submission. they did it in grozny in 1994, and that's the way they're going to do it here in ukraine. and the tragedy is, of course, that so many civilians are going to die. so i would expect to see the russians move their forces from the south towards the north now that the russians seem to be making headway in the south, and to meet up with that stalled convoy along the north. then you will see, to put it bluntly, hell unleashed on ukrainian cities. >> yeah, it doesn't bear thinking about. i mean the thing is, you know, throughout this -- i mean there's been sanctions. there's been more sanctions,

brutal sanctions. but how does nato and others deal with such brutality as might be coming without, you know, triggering a broader conflict? what can they do? >> this is the ethical or moral dilemma that we will face in coming weeks as we watch large numbers of ukrainian civilians die under hails of russian artillery and rocket fair. we are going to face incredible pressure to do something more substantial than simply sanctions. there's already a lot of discussion on social media about no-fly zones. president zelenskyy has called for no-fly zones. i think we all understand that if we do a no fly zone, the russians will challenge it, and we will have to shoot down russian fighters. that could then lead to escalation. i think there's also been discussion about increasing the different types of weapons we supply ukrainians, but then the practical aspects of how we get those weapons to the ukrainians,

how we train them so that they can use them effectively, and how we prevent the russians from intercepting or interdicting those weapon supplies and thus generating another chain of escalation comes to the fore. so really i think that what we're facing is that with putin playing the nuclear card, by rattling nuclear sabres, he has effectively warned off nato from further intervention and it's left us in a difficult place because we can't easily increase our involvement in this conflict without risking rapid escalation to a full-on nuclear war. >> speak to the dangers, too, of a man like putin. i mean if he feels cornered or threatened or if he feels he's got nothing to lose. >> look, that is -- that is the issue here. if it becomes clear that russian forces fail to achieve their objectives in the coming weeks

and the whole war is a failure, then putin will be cornered. and there's two ways out of this, i see, at that point. either he's deposed in a coup d'etat, or he escalates. i don't see him coming to the negotiating table in humiliation and accepting a peace agreement that sees russia withdraw with him having lost huge amounts. we are left with one of two scenarios going forward. either russia wins and we end up with a devastatingly bad security environment in europe where we face russia across international borders, that is, thinks in terms of possible next steps against other nato states, or we face the possibility, the uncertainty of a coup d'etat in moscow, or the horrific thought of escalation and what that could involve.

>> yeah. and i suppose another option is that this could for years be a simmering insurgency and continue in that vein as well. to that point, i mean do you think putin wants to occupy the whole country, which is a pretty impossible thing to do with a hostile local population? could you perhaps see some sort of rump state of ukraine in the west of the country around lviv, where we are? what would that look like? i mean what would that be? >> yeah, i think that's right. i mean he doesn't have the forces to occupy the entirety of ukraine. i think what he will seek to do is seize control of kyiv to remove the zelenskyy government from power. now, i would hope that zelenskyy and his people would rapidly relocate to lviv where you are to set up a government in exile there, to create a rump ukraine, and from western ukraine would then support an insurgency, a war resistance that would continue to drive up the cost

for russian occupation forces in the east and the south. and i would hope that nato would then support that rump ukraine with the aim being to one day see ukraine recaptured. but that's a long-term strategy. we're talking years there, and with the danger that goes with that outcome of the constant risk of escalation and inadvertent miscalculation leading to a direct russia/nato clash. so i think what you're suggesting there is quite a possible outcome. >> always terrific analysis. malcolm davis, appreciate it. thanks so much. now, ukraine's defenders have some reinforcements coming in the form of foreign volunteers wanting to join the fight. next up, cnn meets a group of westerners who want to stand shoulder to shoulder with ukrainian troops. we'll be right back. up to what's possible...

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refugees are pouring across european borders to escape the fighting here in ukraine. the u.n. says more than 1.2 million people have already fled to other countries. nearly 650,000 of them seeking refuge in poland. many have fled to polish border towns where they've been reunited with family and friends. now, the plight of the refugees is also mobilizing volunteers around the world to help. ukrainian and italian volunteers in rome joining forces to send humanitarian aid, badly needed items like food, blankets, warm clothes, and medicine, all on their way now. >> translator: we hope this war will end as soon as possible. we are worried because ukraine is our homeland, the country where we were born and where we hope to return. i think people feel a great sense of injustice because ukrainians are quiet and peaceful people who live in their own country. we had no demands from anyone. we just wanted to continue our

european journey. >> now, the resolve of the ukrainian people has been nothing less than extraordinary, of course. someone who has seen that up close is actor and activist sean penn. he had the opportunity to speak with the ukrainian president, volodymyr zelenskyy, on the eve of the invasion. cnn's anderson cooper asked the actor if he was surprised by the way mr. zelenskyy has led his country. here's what he had to say. >> i talk about president zelenskyy. i think it should be said that i'm talking about most of what i observed in ukrainian people. you know, we have these inspirational figures in our micro lives. you know, i have extraordinary children that inspire me, an extraordinary estranged wife who inspires me daily. and then there's the macro inspiration of these great figures of history. meeting with president zelenskyy

the day before the invasion and then meeting with him again on the day of the invasion, i don't know if he knew that he was born for this, but it was clear i was in the presence of something -- and, again, i think reflective of so many ukrainians -- that was new, that was new to the modern world in terms of courage and dignity and love that comes out of the man. and the way he has unified that country. and i think mr. putin certainly added to paving the way for that. but this is such an extraordinary moment, and i was endlessly impressed and moved by him and terrified for him and for ukraine. >> i have never been in a country at war in which the

people are so united, so determined. and, again, that word has become a cliche here, the determination. but the resolve here. elderly women, elderly men, children, everybody -- the resolve to not only fight now but fight for however long and whatever happens. >> yeah, there's no question in my mind that this is not going to end soon no matter what because you will have a country of extraordinary insurgencies if putin is successful in this. >> when you left, you walked across -- you ended up having to walk across the border like a lot of people. i assume were you stuck in that long line of cars and decided to just -- this is the way we got to go? >> yeah. we had the luxury of being able to abandon a rented vehicle on

the side of the road. so many of the -- almost all -- this was a startling thing to me. it was mostly women and children, some in groups and some just a mother and their ch child, almost all of those cars. in some cases, the father was dropping them off and returning because we know that from 18 to 60, men are not to leave. they're to stay in the resistance against russia. there was -- i didn't see any luggage. it's as though they wanted to believe they're going to be able to come back. >> that was actor and activist sean penn talking to our anderson cooper earlier. now, ukraine's president has called on foreign volunteers to join the fight against russia, and he now says the first of what he claims are 16,000 foreign fighters are on their way to ukraine.

sara sidner met up with some of those who are heeding his call. >> reporter: at this poland train station where the world's newest refugees are flooding in, we spot several men dressed in military gear, walking with purpose out into the cold while most everyone else is trying to come in. we wondered who these men are who can only speak english and are itching to get to the border with ukraine. they agreed to talk to us, but first names only. and they ask us for help finding a ride to the border, 20 minutes' drive away. can you tell me what it is you are doing here in poland very close to the border with ukraine? >> just trying to help protect freedom. simple as that. >> what is your biggest concern? you're also here. are you going in? how many people? what's your biggest concern, and where are you going? >> we don't really know right now. >> there are six men total. they say they are strangers who met here in poland.

mike is from clearwater, florida. a.j. is from south dakota. matt is from nottingham, england. what does this remind you of, this time in history? >> 1936 when fascism rose in spain. a lot of people went over but not enough. if we'd had crushed fascism in 1936, we could have avoided 1939. that's what this feels like. if we don't stop it now, it's going to be our kids fighting this fight. >> they all came for one purpose, to fight for ukraine. most of these men say they are veterans of war, but matt makes clear he has no military experience. but they say they all left once they saw the brutal attack on ukrainian citizens, jumping into action a day before president zelenskyy called for more foreign fighters to join him in the fight against russia.

>> reporter: you're going in without a plan. why? >> those people also have family and friends and, you know, somebody's got to stand up for them. you know, it's not just the u.s. much it's not just britain. it's the whole world's coming together. >> reporter: it's 3:00 a.m. with no plan, no one to pick them up on the ukrainian side of the border, and little equipment. some don't even have a heavy jacket in below freezing temperatures. they jump in a taxi, head for the border, and disappear into the night. and they weren't the only ones. this french canadian, who goes by the name wally, says he received a call from a friend in ukraine asking for help. >> i'm a veteran. so last friday, my friend who's in the jeep, he called me and said, okay, we really need you. >> reporter: they and the other foreign men all heading into war without the might of their

country's military to back them up. i mean, you guys are going into war without a huge plan. what's your worry? >> not getting there. >> reporter: sara sidner, cnn, poland. a catastrophe in the making. fears sparked by the attack on a ukrainian power plant remain. we'll have the details when we come back. ♪ i've been everywhere, man. ♪ ♪ i've been everywhere, man.n. ♪ ♪ crossed the desert's bare, man. ♪ ♪ i've breathed the mountain air, man. ♪ ♪ of travel i've had my share, man. ♪ ♪ i've been everywhere. ♪ ♪ i've been to: pittsburgh, parkersburg,g, ♪ ♪ gravelbourg, colorado, ♪ ♪ ellensburg, cedar city, dodge city, what a pity. ♪ ♪ i've been everywhere, man. ♪ ♪ i've been everywhere, man. ♪ ♪ i've been everywhere. ♪

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parach param . >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. hello, everyone. i'm michael holmes here in lviv, ukraine, with the latest now on russia's invasion of this country, and it is an ominous

warning. according to both the u.s. and nato, russia is now prepared to, quote, bombard cities into submission, a move that will no doubt cause even more significant civilian casualties. it doesn't really bear thinking about what could be happening soon. you can see hear just some of the destruction already endured by ukraine's population. the u.s. also says russia is poised to send up to 1,000 more mercenaries to ukraine. this coming as the ukrainian president, volodymyr zelenskyy, is blasting nato for not approving a no-fly zone over ukraine. he said that gives russia the green light to bomb ukrainian towns and villages even more. and he called the nato countries weak and insecure. >> translator: nato summit took place today, a weak summit, a confused summit, a summit that shows that not everyone considers the struggle for freedom to be europe's number one goal.

>> meanwhile, we're learning about 100 people could be trapped in the rubble of a wrecked apartment block this. it was hit by shelling on wednesday. the town is just northwest of kyiv and has seen persistent shelling in the past few days. now, by the way, in a phone call with the german chancellor on friday, the russian president, vladimir putin, called news of russian shelling ukrainian cities, quote, gross propaganda fakes. see the video for yourself. a no-fly zone over ukraine has been a red line for nato. to impose one would put nato pilots at risk of direct confrontation with russia, of course, something nato wants to avoid. cnn's natasha bertrand reports for us from brussels. >> reporter: secretary of state antony blinken was here in brussels today meeting with his eu and nato counterparts to discussion the situation in ukraine. the eu and nato foreign ministers agreed that the coordination has been

unprecedented between the u.s. and its allies on this particular issue that they would continue providing humanitarian assistance and lethal aid equipment to ukraine to fend off the russian aggression. in remarks earlier today, secretary blinken pretty much ruled out the idea of a no fly zone would be imposed over ukrainian airspace because of how that might put u.s. and nato forces at risk of direct engagement with russian troops. but he did say that the u.s., nato and europe would continue to provide that support to ukraine and reiterated how impressed the u.s. and its allies have been with ukraine's fighting spirit and how they have managed to fend off the russians thus far, overperforming in a way that the u.s. and its allies did not necessarily expect. they ended on kind of a grim note. nato officials and blinken both warning that the situation could get a lot worse. it could get a lot uglier as russia continues to bring in heavier equipment and begins targeting civilians in a more indiscriminate way.

but secretary blinken said the u.s. and its allies are doing everything to continue diplomacy with russia and they hope to continue on that path in the future. natasha bertrand, cnn, brussels. now, the attack on europe's largest nuclear power plant by russian forces earlier on friday has brought international condemnation unsurprisingly. the u.s. ambassador to the u.n. says disaster was narrowly averted. ukraine's president calling it nuclear terror. luckily radiation levels have remained stable. with the very latest, cnn's phil black. >> reporter: flares light up the sky over europe's biggest nuclear power station. there was fighting nearby, and fire broke out in a training facility outside the main reactor complex. the russian government claimed a ukrainian provocation triggered a firefight around the plant and claimed ukrainian forces deliberately set the fire. ukraine says the plant came under attack from russian troops, blaming their shelling

for the fire. >> translator: the russian tanks knew that they were firing with a direct fire at the station. that is terror of an unprecedented level. >> reporter: the fire quickly fueled fears of a chernobyl-like disaster, but nuclear experts tell cnn there's no evidence of that at this stage. >> not all fires at a power plant have catastrophic consequences. >> reporter: one expert says zaporizhzhia's reactor design is inherently much safer than the one that failed at chernobyl. the international atomic energy agency says ukrainian officials report safety systems for the plant's six reactors have not been affected and there has been no release of radioactive material. but the agency's director general says he remains gravely concerned. >> we have to know this is an unprecedented situation. what we have is a situation which is very difficult to sustain. and what has happened tonight --

or last night is proof of that. i have been saying for a few days now i'm extremely concerned this is something which is very, very fragile, very unstable as a situation. >> reporter: the fire was extinguished within hours. the company that runs the plant in southeastern ukraine says management there are now, quote, working at gunpoint as russian troops occupy the facility. the incident triggered more international condemnation of russia's actions. >> this just demonstrates the recklessness of this war and the importance of ending it and the importance of russia withdrawing all its troops and engaging in good faith diplomatic efforts. >> reporter: ukraine has requested help safeguarding its 15 nuclear reactors which are dotted throughout the country. russian forces quickly seized control of the chernobyl site in ukraine's north last week. >> the radioactivity that was released in '86 from the

chernobyl crisis, or tragedy, you know, spread all over -- i mean not just ukraine but all over western europe and into russia as well. so the russians understand the risks that are associated with a nuclear power plant. the ukrainian professionals do too. so i'm sure they're both, you know, working to try to avoid the worst. but nuclear power plants are dangerous. >> reporter: especially dangerous when the nuclear facilities are being fought over in a war zone. phil black, cnn, london. we'll take a quick break here on the program. when we come back on "cnn newsroom," some of ukraine's youngest and sickest were already fighting for their lives. now war forcing them to flee. we'll travel with them on their journey to safety. ♪ "how bizarre"e" by omc ♪ no annual fee on anyny discover card. ♪ ♪

now, we reported to you

earlier that the united nations says more than 1 million people have fled ukraine since russia invaded. they include children with heartbreaking illnesses. arwa damon rides along on a train carrying some of them out of the country to find safety and the medical treatment they desperately need. >> reporter: a train speeds through the darkness and crosses the ukrainian border into poland. most of these children are from hospices in and around kharkiv. it had the best palliative care for children in ukraine. now one of the areas most intensely bombarded. too intense, too incomprehensible for words. but it is also filled with so much love. love among strangers seen in the tenderness of the touch of the medical team, the whispered words of "you're safe now." love of a mother who will dig up superhuman strength just to keep

her child safe. >> hi, victoria. hi! oh, look at that smile! >> reporter: victoria, who has cerebral palsy, can't sit up. her mother doesn't know what to say. she has so much pain in her soul, her tears just won't stop. they had to get closer to the border with poland before this humanitarian train could pick them up. eira carried victoria for three days through the panic of others trying to flee. trains so packed she could not even put her down until now. this doctor worked to bring the families together inside ukraine to get on this train organized by the polish government and warsaw clinical hospital. it's a trip that could have

killed any one of these children, even without a war. that reality had the medical team so understandably anxious, we were not permitted to film anything until the children were safely onboard and stabilized. >> how old are you, sofia? >> 5. thank you. >> reporter: while this train was heading toward safety, eira heard that her town was bombed. >> reporter: eira follows

quietly as victoria is carried off the train. they are now away from their home that was filled with such love, a home and family that may no longer be. arwa damon, cnn, warsaw. now, the people in ukraine may be in need of the very basics -- shelter, food, water, warm clothes. it's below zero here in celsius. if you would like to help, please go to cnn.com/impact. there you will find several ways that you can help. now, despite claiming otherwise, it is becoming clear that russia is targeting civilian sites. cnn's wolf blitzer talked to the ukrainian ambassador to the u.s. and asked her if there was a message for president putin. >> i can only quote my president with this message so that he said today that the occupiers saw that they could make ukrainians to surrender by switching off the tv, cutting off the mobile communication,

interrupting food supplies, switching off electricity and heating. but even if they deprive us of oxygen, as my president said, we will take deep breaths, and we will say get out. so despite the fact that it has been really brutal, you all see in real time photos and videos of targeting hospitals, kindergartens, schools all over ukraine, residential complexes. ukrainians still standing strong. we are defending our homes. >> you certainly are. you received a standing ovation the other night when you attended the state of the union address here in washington. it was a really powerful moment. what did that moment of unity here in the united states mean to you and to your country? >> well, these ovations were to the people of ukraine and to the president of ukraine. and i hear from people of ukraine three things actually when i talk to many people, not only my leaders but also

ordinary people and family from back home. first they, of course, talk to me about the pain and sorrow from the lost lives, from destroyed homes, from all the devastation that russian criminals brought to my country. second, of course, i hear about unity, unity and resolve despite of this pain to continue the fight because this is the only home we have, and we love it, whether it's east, west, whether we speak ukrainian or any other language. but i also hear hope, and i think powerful statements during the state of the union was about that as well. and we ukrainians hope that despite of the fact what's going on right now, that international rules and international laws still did not collapse and that we actually can count on all of our friends and allies to stand together with us in act and that we can stop putin and stop him soon. >> now, that was the ukrainian

ambassador to the u.s. speaking with cnn's wolf blitzer there. all right. i'm going to send it back to atlanta. paula newton's going to pick up coverage after this quick break. i'll see you in a little bit. (whispers) whoa, what is that? ♪ who is this new device? i'm cue and i'm here to protect the family. hey, that's my job. i'm a smart home testing lab. i'm fast andnd super accurate. please be negative. don't worry, i got this. woah! shhh, they're coming... ♪ yesss! we're really warming up to you, cue. just wait till you see what else i can do.

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north korea has fired what appears to be a single ballistic missile into the waters east of the korean peninsula. now, that's according to south korean officials. seoul held an emergency meeting of its national security council in response to pyongyang's ninth test of the year. the u.s. condemned the launch and says it's monitoring the situation. analysts say the increased testing shows north korean leader kim jong un is trying to show his nation remains a key player in the struggle for power. now, as russian troops pummel ukrainian cities calls are growing for the man who ordered this invasion to face war crimes charges. now, the u.s. embassy in kyiv sent this tweet. you see it there. on friday. saying "russia's attack on a ukrainian nuclear plant is a war cr crime." the state department later told other embassies not to share that tweet. but as brian todd reports, some want prosecutors to go after president putin himself.

>> reporter: demand is growing for the russian president and former kgb colonel in the kremlin to be prosecuted for war crimes. >> mr. putin is a war criminal. he has to sit behind the bars in international criminal court. >> reporter: the international criminal court is now investigating possible war crimes by the russians in ukraine. >> the whole world is watching. and the whole world is concerned about the events that are unfolding in this horrible conflict. >> reporter: while the biden administration is for now not saying whether vladimir putin has committed war crimes in ukraine, one of america's closest allies isn't mincing words. >> what we have seen already from vladimir putin's regime in the use of the munitions that they have already been -- they've been dropping on innocent civilians, mr. speaker, in my view already fully qualifies as a war crime. >> reporter: the munitions in question which would point to war crimes? cluster bombs in a crowded,

densely populated area. nato's secretary-general confirms russia is using them. amnesty international says one fell on a ukrainian kindergarten. they're considered indiscriminate. a missile explodes thousands of feet in the air, releasing smaller bombs that detonate when they fall to the ground. and a horrific weapon called the vacuum bomb, which america's ambassador to the u.n. says russia is preparing to use. >> these bombs are thought of as bombs that can basically vaporize people. and they can suck the oxygen out of an area. that's never supposed to be used in a civilian area. that's why it's so alarming. >> reporter: experts say in some previous cases where war crimes have been alleged arguments could be maifdmade that the tha of state did not know about them or a commander went rogue. but one veteran war crimes prosecutor says that's not what happened in ukraine. >> this situation goes exactly to the top. no question this is putin's decision-making, that he has

full knowledge of what's going on there and he's in control. you know, i predict in a few months there will be an arrest warrant for vladimir putin. >> reporter: but actually bringing putin to justice is another matter. only a few convictions have ever been won in the international criminal court. as for apprehending putin -- >> it's very difficult to imagine a scenario in which putin will actually be in the dock. as a head of state, as somebody that nobody's going to be able to go into russia and apprehend him. >> reporter: but an indictment for war crimes, experts say, could weaken putin in other ways. >> no more summits. no more hope of visiting his tens of billions of dollars of property. and i think in the end it will make him quite dispensable as a leader of russia. >> the kremlin has categorically denied committing war crimes in ukraine. putin's main spokesman saying, "we strongly reject this." the russians have also denied targeting civilians in ukraine. brian todd, cnn, washington. ukraine has won its first gold medal of the 2022 beijing

winter paralympics. now, it was in the parabiathlon men's sprint standing event. the games kicked off with a message of peace. now, during the ceremony on friday the president for the international paralympic committee made an impassioned plea for dialogue and diplomacy, not war and hate. and some shocking and sad news from the world of cricket. aussie shane warne, who is widely considered one of the greatest to ever play the game, passed away suddenly of a suspected heart attack on friday. he was only 52 years old. warne is best known for delivering the ball of the century in a 1993 ashes match against england. all right. i'm paula newton. we will continue with our breaking news coverage live from ukraine and michael holmes right after the break. (johnny cash) ♪ i've traveled every road in this here land! ♪

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get started with internet and voice for just $64.99 a month. and ask how to add securityedge™. or, ask how to get up to a $650 prepaid card. >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. hello and welcome to our viewers joining us all around the world. coming to you live from ukraine. i'm michael holmes. and bringing you up to date on our breaking news this hour, a dire warning about the civilian toll from russia's shifting invasion tactics here in ukraine. a senior western intelligence official telling cnn that u.s. and nato officials believe that nato is poised to, quote, bombard cities into submission. already ukrainian civilians have come under increased attacks. you're looking there at the aftermath of fighting. this is on the outskirts o