eaent and is not for pregnant women or people allergic to its ingredients. who says you have to wait until monday? talk to your doctor or visit myplenity.com to learn more. >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. hello and welcome to our viewers around the world and in the united states this hour. it's just past 7:00 a.m. here in lviv, ukraine. i'm hala gorani. a 35-hour curfew in kyiv is set to expire this hour. intense russian attacks on civilians and residential buildings prompted the move initially. and although it may have kept people off the streets, it did not stop the russian bombardment of the capital and other cities. authorities in mariupol along the southern coast say the russians bombed a theater where

hundreds of people were taking shelter from the fighting. it is not clear still how many were killed or wounded. and to the north in chernihiv, witnesses say ten people were killed when russian shells hit a group lining up for bread. video of the scene shows lifeless bodies on the ground and others being carried away, injured. russia is denying responsibility. in central ukraine, a civilian convoy heading for zaporizhzhia came under artillery fire from russian troops. local officials say at least five people were hurt, including a child in serious condition. in the capital, kyiv, russian shells hit a 12-story apartment building, wounding two people. you see the giant fireball filmed from a distance there. this attack sparked a major fire and damaged another residential building nearby. a u.s. defense official says russia has launched almost 1,000 missiles since the invasion of

ukraine began. an adviser to president volodymyr zelenskyy reports ukrainian forces are now beginning counterstrikes against russians in several directions. and a frightening situation for journalists as well. this is a crew from the russian language network current time. they came under russian artillery fire northwest of kyiv. fortunately they were not hurt. president zelenskyy brought his plea for more help directly to the american congress in a virtual speech wednesday. he referred to pivotal moments in u.s. history, reminding lawmakers assembled there of the urgent response that the u.s. had to pearl harbor or to september 11th. he reiterated his request for a no-fly zone, saying russia has turned the ukrainian sky into a source of death. finally he had a message for president joe biden.

>> the president biden, you are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. i wish you could be the leader of the world. being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. >> well, after mr. zelenskyy's speech, president biden signed off on an additional $800 million in security assistance to ukraine. it will include -- and this is quite crucial because this is what politicians here and people are demanding -- anti-aircraft systems but also drones, grenade launchers, guns and ammunition. the aid stops short of a no-fly zone or fighter jets over concerns that that would lead to direct conflict with russia. but the u.s. president did make his harshest condemnation yet of vladimir putin, a remark you're about to hear that the kremlin called unforgivable.

>> oh, i think he is a war criminal. >> he is a war criminal, said biden. with attacks on schools, hospitals, bomb shelters, and now even bread lines, you don't have to look too far for evidence of potential war crimes. cnn's oren liebermann reports from the pentagon. >> reporter: on the streets of chernihiv in northern ukraine, they came looking for bread when the russian shells landed. a regional official says ten people were killed in the bombardment, the latest victims in the russian attacks that have claimed more and more civilian lives. in the city of mariupol, hundreds sought shelter in the drama theater, their fate now unknown after the city council says russia bombed the building. the russian word for "children" was written on both sides of the building. conditions being described as unbearable and just hell by

residents who have been able to flee. >> almost 350,000, 400,000 people locked in the city without food, water, heating supply. now it's still cold in ukraine, and the fate of thousands of people is absolutely uncertain. >> reporter: another apartment building hit in the capital, kyiv, near the city center as the streets are deserted for a 35-hour curfew. even escape has become difficult. a civilian evacuation convoy en route to the city of zaporizhzhia came under attack, wounding five. ukraine has struck back, destroying a number of russian helicopters near the occupied city of kherson. the conflict raging as negotiations show some promise. russian minister sergey lavrov says he hopes for compromise. ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy vows his country will not fold. >> translator: the meetings are ongoing as i'm told. the positions are sounding more

realistic. but we need more time to get decisions in the interest of ukraine. >> reporter: with acts of protest growing more public in russia, president vladimir putin called some of his own citizens traitors. >> translator: obviously the west will try to rely on the so-called fifth column, on national traitors, on those who earn money here with us but live there. and i mean live there, not even in the geographical sense of the word but according to their thoughts, their slavish consciousness. >> reporter: the u.s. is working on getting more lethal aid to ukraine, which is pushing for more advanced weaponry. nato reiterating the alliance is united in the decision not to impose a no-fly zone over ukraine. >> we see death. we see destruction. we see human suffering in ukraine, but this can become even worse if nato took actions that actually turned this into a full-fledged war between nato and russia. >> reporter: oren liebermann,

cnn, at the pentagon. >> joining me now live here in lviv is a senior fellow at the atlantic. counsel, thanks for joining us. we were speaking earlier, and you argue there's a need for not just an overall no-fly zone but a potential humanitarian no-fly zone over some parts of ukraine. >> i don't think we see the political will right now for the west to do a complete no-fly zone over ukraine. let's look at past history where in other theaters of war, i think this was done where you have a humanitarian no-fly zone over a certain part of the country, in this case over western ukraine, where there are displaced people seeking shelter and protection. i think that would come across, i think, to the west and to mr. putin as less of a confrontation. this is purely for humanitarian reasons. but whether, again, the political will is there in the west is difficult to tell. >> because you'd have to enforce it. >> it would have to be enforced. but the other thing is

mr. zelenskyy is still also pressing for those polish mig jets to come here. >> mm-hmm. >> and i'd also argue, hala, is that what's the difference between providing lethal weaponry and these jets? i mean it's already -- the precedent is there as well. i'm getting worried the west does not have the ability or the willingness to come to ukraine's assistance. the feeling i'm getting from a lot of people is we are pretty much in this alone, and we're protecting nato's eastern flank, and i think what you're going to see is more and more kind of micro alliances with neighboring countries who also feel threatened by mr. putin. >> do you think there's any hope at this stage in those talks that russia are conducting because we're hearing from lavrov sort of the beginning of -- we're getting the sense from him there may be some overlap where there was none a few days before. same with zelenskyy. any hope on that front, do you think? >> i think the russians like to project a bit of diplomatic

front that, yes, we're talking. yes, we understand. yes, we're going to negotiate over this and that. but i know from my own time here with the osc -- i was here in 2014, 2015. we had multiple talks with the russian-backed thugs in donetsk and representatives from moscow. each time a cease-fire was negotiated, it was broken shortly afterwards. there's a pattern of lying and deceit on the russian side, and i don't think we should expect anything less right now. >> it's a bit of a different situation only in the sense that here the russians are certainly not performing the way they had hoped. >> right. >> their ground advances have stalled. they're starting to use crude aerial bombardments on clearly marked civilian targets. i mean what does that tell you about what their intentions are? >> yeah, their intentions are to throw everything they have, and these crude missiles are the same ones they also used on donetsk. we call them kind of stupid missiles. they're not guided and they land anywhere. but most of the time in

populated centers with maximum damage. so it will be a kind of scorched earth policy, sad to say. and then perhaps they'll retreat. but it's very sad what we're about to see, i think, happen to more civilian deaths and destruction. and then of course it's going to push more people out of the country in the short to medium term. we're probably looks at upwards of 10 million, which is a quarter of the ukrainian population. >> what could at this stage make putin retreat, turn back, stop this insane war? >> china. i think that's the only leverage the west has left with mr. putin is to put pressure on beijing because don't forget, china also has interests here, economic interests. before the violence began, president zelenskyy called china their closest economic partner. a lot of energy and food security for china depends on ukraine, not entirely but part of it. so i don't think they want to see ukraine destructed or ukraine totally in russian hands.

so that's the only space i think we have left sadly. >> and you think the willingness is there on china's part right now or not? >> hard to say. i think at the moment, they're playing a waiting game, watching what's happening because don't forget, this is of course a lesson for xi jinping when it comes to taiwan. i think the stomach of the chinese dragon is growling right now, looking at taiwan and seeing what's happening here. at the same time, i think china has a sense of pragmatism in it that there's economic interests here that need to be protected. >> also it can't be happy that this is really disrupting what it hoped would be its post-covid economic recovery. this is really driving commodity prices up. they're so sensitive to those commodity prices. >> yes. >> i wonder at what point does china come in and say -- and what could they say because by some accounts, putin is delusional right now. he doesn't even realize how badly his army is suffering on the ground in some cases and how some of his tanks and helicopters are getting shot out of the sky. can china even do anything at this stage? >> i think that trip of putin to

beijing during the olympics was very important, and i would think that this was discussed and that he was given sort of an okay to come here. but i don't think neither of them thought it would go that badly for russia and this long. i think only a few days. and i think the thinking then was to maybe grab key interests, that land bridge for example between russia and crimea, to establish that. but they seem to be intent on keeping on going, and, again, more death and destruction. >> michael bociurkiw, thank you very much for joining us live in lviv. we're going to take a quick break. more of our breaking news coverage after this. some russians go abroad to do what's not allowed at home, speaking out against the war. still ahead, we go to an anti-war concert in istanbul where a russian rap artist amplified the russian anti-war message. we'll be right back. cut. liberty mu... liline? cut.

libertrty mutual customizes your car insurance so you o only pay for what you need. cut. liberty m... am i allowed to riff? what if i come o out of the wat? 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. ♪ did i tell you i bought our car from carvana? yeah, ma. it was so easy! i found the perfect car, under budget too! and i get seven days to love it

or my money back... i love it! i thought online meant no one to help me, but susan from carvana had all the answers. she didn't try to upsell me. not once, because they're not salespeople! what are you...? guess who just checked in on me? mom... susan from carvana! [laughs] we'll drive you happy at carvana. from a pioneer in photographic film to a master of the digital age, we're always searching for new ways to imagine, create and capture your world. but why stop there? when there's so much more we can do. in healthcare, we are revolutionizing diagnostics by applying our imaging expertise and ai technology which aim to enable earlier detection of disease. but why stop there? when we can apply our expertise in cell biology to help make vital vaccines and treatments available to all. and we can focus our research and development on medicines to tackle unmet medical needs, including cancers and infectious diseases.

but why stop there? when we can also consider the health of the planet. our innovations in data storage are reducing co2 emissions. we'll never stop innovating for a healthier, more sustainable world. fujifilm value from innovation hey lily, i need a new wireless plan for my business, but all my employees need something different. oh, we can help with that. okay, imagine this. your mover, rob, he's on the scene and needs a plan with a mobile hotspot. we cut to downtown, your sales rep lisa has to send some files, like asap! so basically i can pick the right plan for each employee. yeah i should've just led with that. with at&t business. you can pick the best plan for each employee and get the best deals on every smart phone. your mission: stand up to moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and take. it. on... ...with rinvoq. rinvoq a once-daily pill

can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling. and for some...rinvoq can even significantly reduce ra fatigue. that's rinvoq relief. with ra, your overactive immune system attacks your joints. rinvoq regulates it to help stop the attack. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancer; death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older with at least one heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. talk to your rheumatologist about rinvoq relief. rinvoq. make it your mission. learn how abbvie could help you save on rivnoq.

the russian state television journalist who protested the war in ukraine during a live broadcast says it was impossible for her to stay sigh lent anymo. she rushed the set of a newscast on russia's channel 1 on monday, holding a large sign that said "no war." on wednesday, she told my colleague, christiane amanpour, that the act has changed her life forever. >> i just want to know on a human level, how do you feel? are you feeling scared right now? >> translator: no. you know, i don't feel scared, but at the moment, of course, i feel a huge burden of responsibility, and i realize that my life has changed irrevocably.

i don't think there's some sort of sad fate in store for me, but i'm hoping that i won't face criminal charges. i wanted to show to the world that russians are against the war. the majority of russians are against the war, and even if they support the kremlin policy, they are pacifists. they hate war inside themselves. everybody in russia is scared by what's going on. everybody is confused. our life changed overnight. russians are really scared by what's going on, and their faces show fear and confusion. i don't yet what to do next, what my steps will be. at the moment, my children are

safe, and of course i fear for them very much. but i hope they will be okay. >> well, so far she has not been charged for the actual on-air protest, but a moscow court did find her guilty of organizing an unauthorized public event for a video statement she recorded prior to her appearance. she was fined nearly $300 for that. now, one of russia's top ballerinas is also taking a stand, leaving the world famous bolshoi ballet to protest the war. olga smir nova left moscow for the netherlands, where she is joining the dutch national ballet with her first performance, in fact, already scheduled for april. the prima ballerina had been with the bolshoi for more than a decade, where she became a principal soloist. regarding the choice to leave her country, smirnova says, quote, i never thought i would be ashamed of russia.

i have always been proud of talented russian people, of our cultural and athletic achievements, but now i feel that a line has been drawn that separates the before and the after. well, since speaking out against the war is off limits inside of russia, some ordinary russians are taking a stand abroad. this week a large crowd attended an anti-war concert in istanbul headlined by a top russian rap artist. and as jomana karadsheh reports, no one there missed a beat in criticizing the invasion. ♪ >> reporter: to protest putin's war, top russian rap artist oxxxymiron canceled concerts in russia. on tuesday, he kick-started the first of his russians against war charity gigs in istanbul. ♪ proceeds from this concert streamed live, he announced, will be going to ukraine, and

donations came rolling in fast. tickets for this event sold out pretty much immediately. it is packed here, but not everyone is here for the music. >> i want to meet people with the same views as me. i want to meet with them and to feel that i'm not alone with this position. >> reporter: 28-year-old anatoli is not alone. many here left russia in recent days, escaping a crackdown on dissent, where thousands have been detained at protests, even calling putin's invasion what it is, a war, has been criminalized. >> when we are posting something on social media, at least we know that nobody's going to come for us. but back home, even now they have a new law if you post something, that you can be arrested. at least we can speak up from here. >> reporter: like many of those here tonight, masha and daria have no plan. they just bought plane tickets and left the country. >> we are not feeling safe

there. we are afraid of this iron curtain thing. >> reporter: they're here to help ukraine, they say. it's the least they can do. >> it's very hard to feel that you are on the side of aggressor, you know? it's like you feel responsibility. you feel shame. you're also a victim of the situation because back home, it didn't feel like -- it's very hard to understand what can you do. >> reporter: the crowd spontaneously chants what they couldn't back in russia. "no to war." tanya just arrived in istanbul. she said she was detained and fined in st. petersburg for taking part in a protest. she had to leave her parents behind. opposing the war has even torn apart her own family. >> they watch tv, and they listen to propaganda, and it's really hard because now many, many families in russia are divided between these two sides, those who are again war and

those who unfortunately support, but they even don't know what do they support. >> tonya, do you have hope that you will have a future in your country someday? >> during the putin's regime, no. no. definitely not. >> reporter: there is so much uncertainty here. it's the fear of the unknown. many don't know when or if they'll be able to go back home. jomana karadsheh, cnn, istanbul. well, if you would like to help the people in ukraine who may be in need of basic things like shelter, food, and water, go to cnn.com/impact, and you can find ways to help there. when we come back, they are outnumbered and outgunned, yet ukrainian forces are stalling the russian advance. how they're doing it, ahead.

( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) with our unique tub over tub installation in just a day, bath fitter doesn't just fit your bath, it fits your busy schedule. why have over two million people welcomed bath fitter into their homes? it just fits. bath fitter. call now or visit bathfitter.com to book your free consultation.

we continue our breaking news coverage. i'm hala gorani in lviv, ukraine. a u.s. defense official says the russian offensive in ukraine is, quote, generally stalled. but that has not slowed russia's relentless shelling of ukraine's civilian population. a theater being used as a shelter in the coastal city of mariupol was reduced to rubble on wednesday. if there was any doubt as to whether or not the russian attackers knew children were inside, well, the word "children" had been painted on the outside. it was visible from the skies. and hundreds of people were believed to be in the building at the time. the number of casualties is not yet known. also among the developments today to the north in chernihiv, witnesses say ten people were killed when russian shells hit a bread line. video showed lifeless bodies on the ground and others being carried away. russia denies that its forces

are responsible for this carnage. in the capital, kyiv, russian shells hit a 12-story apartment building, wounding two people. the attack sparked a major fire and damaged another residential building nearby. kyiv's mayor had these words for russia. >> putin says he's only targeting military targets. bull [ bleep ]. sorry. >> vita lirks i klitschko there. most recently in wednesday's address to the american congress. the u.s. and nato are concerned that either action would risk a wider war with nuclear armed russia. but as fred pleitgen reports, ukraine has been able to hold russia back through other means. take a look.

>> this is how ukraine's army is halting russia's advance, using anti-aircraft weapons like the u.s.-made stinger against low-flying helicopters. now answering ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy's plea, the u.s. says longer-range anti-aircraft missiles are arriving in ukraine, including the powerful s-300. >> translator: you know what kind of defense systems we need, s-300s and other similar systems. you know how much depends on the battlefield on russia's ability to use aircraft. >> reporter: after zelenskyy's impassioned speech to congress, president biden announced a massive new security assistance package worth $800 million, including drones, anti-tank weapons, and 20 million rounds of ammunition. >> it includes 800 anti-aircraft systems to make sure the ukrainian military can continue

to stop the planes and helicopters that have been attacking their people and to defend their ukrainian airspace. >> reporter: despite being drastically outgunned, ukraine's forces have been putting up a tough fight. the country's ground troops led by a veteran of ukraine's defendant of the donbas region. meanwhile, the chief commander of the armed forces, who is widely credited with reforming ukraine's military, vows to fight the russians to the last drop of blood. "i don't have any illusions and don't wait for a gift from god," he says. "i fought, and have been preparing my armed forces." the weapons supplied by the u.s. and its allies are giving them a fighting chance. ukrainian units blowing up russian tanked with shoulder-fired missiles like the javelin supplied by the u.s. or a similar anti-tank weapon made in britain. >> we're at a crucial point in the battle here where ukraine is

tipping the balance against russia. russia is clearly in trouble. >> reporter: ukrainian troops have fought tooth and nail with russian tanks on the ground despite being massively outgunned by vladimir putin's army. while the u.s. and nato still reject the idea of a no-fly zone, the biden administration has made clear it will continue to arm kyiv's forces to help as they bog down the russian military and inflict massive casualties. fred pleitgen, cnn, lviv, ukraine. well, the u.s. president did not mince his words when he was asked about vladimir putin. he took it a step further, calling the russian president a war criminal. it's an allegation not taken lightly with the international criminal court already investigating whether russia's attacks meet the bar to be considered legitimate war crimes. the icc's chief prosecutor sat down exclusively with my colleague anderson cooper to talk about the investigation so

far. >> in the past, getting justice has taken years and years, decades sometimes. what is the time frame you think this may take? >> i think this is a test for us. international justice has been -- has done remarkable things since nuremberg, but it's not been an easy road. it's been criticized for being slow, for being ineffective and not making a real difference to people's lives. i think this is a test for the court. it's a test for me, for the office, that we see the whole world is holdingi its breath. >> because the whole world is watching what's happening here, the stakes are high not only for finding justice here but for the international order of law. >> i think this is why we need the law more than ever. we have to value the law, restrain ourselves individually when we have the upper hand and realize for our collective survival and for the collective progression of civilization, humanity, this law is worth fighting for, protecting and

supporting. and what i'm really keen is it's not a burden of me as prosecutor. it's not a burden of the office of prosecutor. it's not a burden just of ukraine or of states. these red lines that demark basic norms of acceptable conduct, a prohibition against genocide, need to be policed by all of us. >> in the world of politics and international, you know, diplomacy, political leaders are often wary of drawing red lines. you're not wary of drawing a red line when it comes to the law. >> well, you know, there's red lines. these are the basic minimum standards. this is an opportunity to mobilize the law and send the law into battle to protect and to deter and to insist on accountability because if we don't do this, we're going to keep on having these sweet nothings of never again, of wringing our hands and knowing

what is coming tomorrow because we saw it yesterday. >> we've seen video of a maternity hospital being attacked. we've seen, you know, a pregnant woman being brought out who ultimately died, as did her baby. and on the face of it, that would seem to be a war crime. is that enough from a legal standpoint? >> well, it's a start. i mean clearly i'm here for a reason, and we have reasonable grounds to believe crimes within the jurisdiction of the court have been committed. >> you have reasonable grounds to believe that alleged crimes against humanity have been committed? >> absolutely. and when one sees -- the law is clear on this. it is a crime to intentionally target civilians. it is a crime to intentionally target civilian objects. of course there has to be further investigation. were those civilian objects being used to launch attacks that made them legitimate targets? even then it's no license to use cluster bombs or disproportionate attacks in concentrated civilian areas.

>> the icc chief prosecutor there in an interview with anderson cooper. he also says that anyone can be served an indictment regardless of military rank or civilian status. i'll have more from lviv in yoiblg at the top of the hour. first let's bring in john vause in atlanta. >> hala, thank you. russia has avoided defaulting on its sovereign debt, made good on interest payments which fell due wednesday. the finance minister told state media, the $117 million payment came from russia's foreign reserves which have been frozen by the u.s. a treasury spokesman says the payment will be allowed to go through, but there is trouble ahead still with a $2 billion debt falling due next month. we'll take a short break. when we come back, on the front lines of a misinformation war. we'll meet the activists taking on the kremlin's propaganda machine, a determined resistance armed only with proof. at adp, we use data-driven insights to design hr solutions

to provide flexible pay options and greater workforce visibility today, so you can have more success tomorrow. ♪ one thing leads to another, yeah, yeah ♪ your record label is taking off. but so is your sound engineer. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match itantly delivers quality candidates matching your job descption. visit indeed.com/hire after oneering photographic film, we made it our mission to help change the world... in healthcare, our imaging expertise and ai technology aims to help diagnose disease earlier. but why stop there? when we can apply our expertise in cell biology and specialized technologies to help make vital vaccines and treatments available to all. we'll never stop innovating for a healthier world. fujifilm value from innovation i'll pick this one up. i earn 3% cash back on dining including takeout with chase freedom unlimited.

so, it's not a problem at all. you guys aren't gonna give me the fake bill fight? c'mon, kev. you're earning 3% cash back. humor me. where is my wallet? i am paying. where is my wallet? i thought i gave it to you. oooohhh? oh, that's not it either. no. no. stop, i insist. that was good though. earn big time with chase freedom unlimited with no annual fee. how do you cashback? chase. make more of what's yours.

i've been making yogurt that is less sweet and high in protein since 2005. now we're doing the same for plant based. still rich and creamy. plant-based siggi's: more protein and less sugar than leading yogurt alternatives.

russian disinformation flooding social media is now being met by determined resistance. fighting back with the truth and armed with videos and images of the death and destruction caused by putin's war of choice. cnn talked to the online activists on the front lines of an information war. >> you should be here in poland. you should see all these people, refugees from ukraine, people like you and me. >> reporter: hackers fighting against russia's information war. >> we knew that there are people all around the world who would like to do something. but since they can't buy a gun and fight against russia, we decided to let them use their

smartphones instead. >> reporter: this man part of so-called squad 303, online activists in poland who have built a tool that allows anyone to send text messages and emails to russians to give them information about the war in ukraine, an attempt to get around vladimir putin's growing digital iron curtain. russia recently cut off access to facebook and twitter. >> there's a new group that just came out with a website to allow you to text russian cell phones. >> so how many text messages do you think you've sent to russians over the past few weeks? >> 3,000, 4,000, 5,000, 6,000. i couldn't count. it keeps going. >> reporter: crawford has spent hours messaging russians. he says most of his texts don't get a response and some people tell him to go away, but others engage. >> it's been a mixed bag. i had a gentleman pretty early on that reached out to me and sent me a picture of where he's

working. then i sent him -- we like to travel so i sent him pictures of my travels. he sent me pictures of his travels. >> i'm from a generation of radio-free europe, and we all remember how hard it is to live in an enslaved country where you do not have proper information, real information about the world. i can remember the time when we used to listen to radio free europe. the only voice from the free world for enslaved people in poland. >> reporter: thomas kent is the former ceo of radio free europe and an expert in russian disinformation. do you think some people in russia will be receptive to these messages, or will they say, why is there an american sending me a text message? >> well, a certain number of people are going to say, yeah, absolutely this is hostile

propaganda. this is spam. this is an attempt at psychological warfare against us. but many others will be grateful for some information that they're having trouble to get and maybe be affected by the fact that there's someone out at the end of the communication who really would like to hear from them. >> reporter: other so-called activists taking a different approach on the telegram group called the ukraine i.t. army has amassed 300,000 members. it send out lists of russian websites to attack. you're a coder, not a gunner. >> yeah, that's true. >> reporter: we spoke to an organizer of the group over the phone. he said he is in ukraine. so i think i saw over the weekend, you took down some food delivery services, like for takeout in russia. i think i saw you guys targeted some banking services in russia. i mean what you're doing is targeting russian citizens, people in russia.

do you think that's fair? >> well, that's exactly the point that i wanted to convey, right? we want those people feel that the war has started. and not only ukraine's involved in that because many -- >> reporter: donie o'sullivan, cnn, new york. ukrainian authorities say pieces of a downed missile have hit a residential high rise in kyiv. at least one person was killed. three wounded when an apartment caught fire. about 30 people we're told were evacuated from that building. emergency crews say the fire was quickly put out, but a note on the timing. this happened around 5:00 a.m. local time, two hours before a curfew was set to end at 7:00 a.m. in the capital. still to come on "cnn newsroom," free at last. the long struggle is over to free a british woman detained for six years in iran. all the details in just a moment.

with angi, you can connect with and see ratings and reviews. and when youook and pay throug you're covered by our happiness check out angi.com today. angi... andone. at adp, we use datdriven insights to design hr solutions to help you engage and retain top performers today, so you can have more success tomorrow. ♪ one thing leads to another, yeah, yeah ♪ 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. ♪ your mission: stand up to moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and take. it. on... ...with rinvoq. rinvoq a once-daily pill can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling. and for some...rinvoq can even significantly reduce ra fatigue. that's rinvoq relief. with ra, your overactive immune system attacks your joints. rinvoq regulates it to help stop the attack. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancer; death, heart attack, stroke,

and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older with at least one heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. talk to your rheumatologist about rinvoq relief. rinvoq. make it your mission. learn how abbvie could help you save on rivnoq. nicorette knows, quitting smoking is freaking hard. you get advice like: just stop. go for a run. go for 10 runs! run a marathon. instead, start small. with nicorette. which can lead to something big. start stopping with nicorette.

allergies don't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily stops your body from overreacting to allergens all season long. psst! psst! flonase all good.

at least four people are dead, more than a hundred injured after a strong earthquake in japan. the 7.3 magnitude quake was centered east of fukushima. that's where an earthquake and tsunami led to a meltdown at a boyar plant 11 years ago. the tsunami warning was issued just after the quake, but was later cancelled. the quake also derailed a bullet train leaving almost 80 people trapped for a number of hours. they did eventually get out through emergency exits, and no one was hurt. british iranian woman held by iran for six years is now back home in the uk. a charity worker was detained in 2016 while visiting relatives in iran. she is now at home with her husband and daughter who was just a toddler when she saw her last. >> reporter: free at last. finally, home after almost six years in detention in iran. the end of a long and arduous

fight for freedom for both her and her family. gabriella was too young to understand the serious nature of her mother's situation. arrested and detained in iran in 2016, separated from her daughter seen here just a matter of months ago delivering a speech on her mother's behalf written from a jail cell in tehran. >> one day, may we live in a world where we do not need to fight for our freedom. >> reporter: the british iranian national had been on vacation visiting family with her daughter when she was arrested. accused of working with organizations allegedly plotting to overthrow the iranian regime. it is an accusation she has vehemently denied. but the situation was further complicated in 2017 when boris johnson, then-foreign secretary, made an appalling blunder. inaccurately telling parliament

she had been training journalists in iran. >> i acknowledge that the words i used were open to being misinterpreted and i apologize. >> her husband, richard, tirelessly championed her case throughout her detention. embarking on hunger strikes to pressure the british government to take tougher action against the iranian regime. >> the government structure isn't working. the government's approach is unchanged. >> reporter: after several years in tehran's notorious prison, ratcliffe was placed under house arrest due to the coronavirus pandemic and in april 2021, she was handed a further one-year sentence and a travel ban when charges of spreading propaganda against the iranian regime. in the background, ongoing negotiations to revive the iran nuclear deal. controversy around a now settled multimillion dollar debt to iran predating the iranian revolution. and according to foreign secretary, tenacious british

diplomacy. >> i do pay tribute to foreign office officials who have worked tirelessly for years to make this happen. >> reporter: for her family, the wait for her return has been long and difficult. now, their fight for freedom is finally coming to a close. >> i think, you know, it's the beginning of a new life. >> reporter: cnn london. well, wednesday was my freedom day around the world. a day when students in more than 140 countries hold events to raise awareness about modern slavery. usually, we bring you many of those events live throughout the day here on cnn but because of our extensive coverage of the war in ukraine, we are putting them all on our special my freedom day website. you can find it at cnn.com/myfreedomday. lo here is a look at some of those student-led events we love so much. my freedom day.

>> freedom to me is being able to be surrounded by those i love, being able to support others, and also having an opportunity to speak for what i believe in. >> freedom means being able to express myself. >> i feel free when i can play football. >> i feel free when i jump on a trampoline. >> i feel free when i get to play the keyboard. >> i feel free when i can walk to school without having to worry about my safety. >> everyone deserves freedom and basic human rights. >> as students, it is imperative that we become catalysts for change in education, regarding the effects and consequences of human trafficking.

>> threatens life and thousands of people, especially children. >> to me, freedom is not just what makes dreams come true. it's what makes dreaming possible. >> freedom is the ability to express one's self without being judged or looked down upon. >> to me, freedom means to have privacy. >> freedom is the ability to make your own choice. >> freedom, to me, means having freedom of expression. >> freedom to me is that no one can take away your human rights. >> let freedom ring across the globe on march 16th and support cnn international's efforts to spread awareness. >> break the silence. be free. >> my freedom day! >> well done, kids. that is all the time we have this hour. i am john vause. back live to hala gorani in lviv, ukraine, right after this. see you tomorrow.

alright, so...cordless headphonones, you can watch movies through your phone? and y'all got electric cars? yeah. (laughs) anything else you wanna ow? 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!

i may have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. or psoriatic arthritis. but we are so much more. we're team players and artists. designers and do-it-yourselfers. parents and friends. if joint pain is getting in the way of who you are, it's time to talk to your doctor about enbrel. enbrel helps relieve joint pain, and helps stop permanent joint damage. plus enbrel helps skin get clearer in psoriatic arthritis. ask your doctor about enbrel, so you can get back to your true self. play ball! enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common. or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have persistent fever,

bruising, bleeding or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. visit enbrel.com to see how your joint damage could progress. enbrel. eligible patients may pay as little as $5 per month.

this is xfinity rewards. our way of showing our appreciation. with rewards of all shapes and sizes. [ cheers ] are we actually going? yes!! and once in a lifetime moments. two tickets to nascar! yes! find rewards like these and so many more in the xfinity app.

this is cnn breaking news. hello and welcome to our viewers around the world and in the united states this hour. i'm hala gorani coming to you live from lviv, in ukraine. and we begin this hour with breaking news. at least one person is dead and three others wounded after debris from a downed missile hit a residential building in kyiv. authorities say a fire broke out in the 16-story building but it was put out pretty quickly. the state emergency service reports 30 people have bee