>> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. hello and welcome to our viewers in the u.s. and around the world. i'm allison kosik in new york. ukrainian forces are rapidly building on their recent battlefield successes as more russian troops pull out of northern ukraine. ukraine's deputy defense minister on saturday declared the kyiv region liberated. an advisor to president zelenskyy said another 30 settlements are back under ukrainian control.

a warning now, these next images are graphic. the true core of the russian invasion is on full display in a town in a northern suburb of kyiv. journalists report at least 20 men dead in the streets, all were wearing civilian clothes. u.s. intelligence now suggests moskow has set a goal of controlling the eastern region of donbas by early may. some officials believe president vladimir putin needs to show some sort of military victory in ukraine by may 9th. that's when the soviet defeat of the nazis is celebrated each year in moskow with a military parade in red square. ukraine is asking for heavier weapons in anticipation of a renewed offensive in the east. the u.s. is expected to help send soviet tanks from u.s. nato partners possibly within days. and here's how ukrainian protesters were dealt with

saturday in a russian controlled town in central ukraine. with gunfire and loud explosions. at least four people were reported hurt. the capital has been quieter than normal since the russians began withdrawing, but gruesome scenes and destruction litter the landscape everywhere the russians have been. cnn's fred pleitgen has the latest from kyiv, and a warning here some of the images are disturbing. >> reporter: certainly gotten a lot quieter here in the ukrainian capital of kyiv. we have air-raid sirens a couple of times during the day. but by and large it's certainly a lot less than we've been seeing this past week and even the past couple of days. and the ukrainians are essentially saying the russians are leaving the districts around kyiv or retreating. the russians of course blame this was always part of their plan and they're just pulling back back right now. what we're seeing as the russians are moving out is that they certainly have taken some serious lass. i was out in some of these districts around kyiv, and we

saw a lot of tank carcasses, destroyed armored vehicles and then just also positions that were abandoned by the russians as they moved out of here. the other thing, unfortunately, we're still finding are there a lot of dead bodies yet to be recovered. in fact, there was some video came out from odistrict called bucha which is just west of kyiv where the streets seem to be lined with corpses. the ukrainians saying they're going to try to bring some of them away and clean that whole area up. the ukrainians for their part are saying this is definitely not the end. they say they believe the russian forces were beaten as they tried today invade the capital of kyiv and are now essentially trying to regroup. in fact, ukrainian officials say they believe attacks will intensify especially in the southeast of the country, and it's certainly something that they're bracing for. >> our thanks to fred pleitgen for that report. let's bring in cnn military analyst and retired general wesley clark.

general, thanks so much for your time today. ukraine is claiming full control of kyiv with its deputy defense minister declaring the region liberated. but do you actually think russian troops are going to regroup for a later attack on the capital city? >> yes. i think -- you know, it's a great tactical success on the part of the ukrainians but this is far from over. they've got to be very, very careful not to raise expectations. what has to happen now is lots more support has to come in to help ukraine, to drive the russians out, to drive them out of the south and to strengthen the ukrainian force in the donbas area. now, what's going to happen is as you can see from the map the russians are north and south of dnipro. it's going to be the next key objective. if they can drive they can cut

off in the donbas. in order to prevent that they've got to have heavy fighting quote. not javelins, not stingers. that's fine for helping defend cities. they need tanks. they need mobile artillery. they need lots of ammunition. they need fuel. they need repairs. we don't have that for them. it's got to come from our nato allies in eastern europe, and they've got to get it there and get it there quickly. >> so the ukrainians clearly have to prepare for what's coming next. i'm curious as we are watching this from the side lines many of us 30 days into this conflict, what else are you hearing in military circles about the campaign? >> what we're hearing is of course the ukrainians can really fight. they want to win this fight. they don't want to hold. they want to push the russians out, and here's the thing. for campaign after campaign in the last 50 years, 70 years the united states tried to help

countries defend themselves who weren't that prepared to fight. now we've got a first world country. their soldiers have education just as good as ours. they're just as good technically as we are. we give them our modern weapons, they can use them in 24 hours. plus they know how to fight on that terrain. so we're going to have to do a better job of listening to the ukrainians and what they need and get them the equipment they say they need. and by the way, not only do they need tanks and artillery, they need aircraft. they need air cover for those forces. so somehow we've got to go back and revisit those issues and get them the aircraft they need. they need air support. and they can fly it, but they've got to have the aircraft. >> general, what should we be reading into u.s. intelligence that's telling us russia is shifting its focus to having this victory in early may? if russia takes control of parts of ukraine, would putin just stop there? wouldn't he want more? >> oh, he's going to -- the goal is not any different.

he published what he wanted back in december. he wants ukraine. he wants the baltic states. he wants control over eastern europe. he wants to shatter nato, and he wants the united states out. this is for all the marbles. all he's trying to do right now is -- is stall. he'd like to stall western reinforcement of ukraine. he'd like to have us emotionally, morally disarmed to think that's all he wants. but it isn't. so he wants to disrupt the international system. and with him is china in this. china is on the side lines maybe but rooting for him. china is looking at taiwan. china wants to assert itself, so china and russia have teamed up on this. ukraine is just the current battlefield, but if ukrainians defeat russia on this battlefield everything changes. so the best way to protect nato,

the best way to protect the international system is to give ukraine the assistance it says it needs and let them handle russia on this battlefield. >> general, do you believe negotiations between russia and ukraine will wind up ending -- will it be negotiations that end this war, or will it be decided on the battlefield? >> well, that's exactly right. i mean whatever -- whatever shape these negotiations ultimately take is going to depend on what happens on the battlefield. but, you know, it's in the interest of both russia and ukraine to keep these negotiations going. looking for an opening for the russians,f forestalling of western assistance to ukraine, raising hopes, dashing hopes, finding information and intimidating ukrainians, and at the same time president zelenskyy knows he has to be a willing participant in this because the european allies expect him to. germany, italy, france, they just want it over.

they're very shortsighted on this. they don't understand fully what's really at stake. they want to go back to business at usual in europe i goes. what they've got to understand is there is no more business as usual. these sanctions are for real. they've got to be kept on russia. and the only way through this is to support ukraine wholeheartedly and let them handle russia militarily on the ground. so the ideal negotiation outcome is russia says, please, let me bring all of my troops out of ukraine safely. you can have your country. that's the outcome the international community should be working for. >> all right, general wesley clark, thanks so much for joining us. >> thank you. ukraine says more than 4,000 people were evacuated through humanitarian corridors on saturday. but with russian attacks making it hard to keep the corridors open some refugees are finding their way to safety through more unconventional methods. cnn's ben wedemen has that.

>> reporter: everything will be all right, he sings, for everyone of us. words of comfort for those desperately in need. popular singer and former lawmaker goes from village to village with a simple message. >> smile. >> reporter: this church in the village is now home, temporary home for those who have managed to flee russian occupied territory. volunteering in the kitchen they find peace but not peace of mind. it's really hard, she says. people here are very nice, but i just want to go home. a mechanic in peacetime now runs a complex operation feeding and

housing the displaced. >> this war make us like a family, bring us closer. >> reporter: the church feels like an oasis of the ordinary, far from the madness outside. early evening and a bus approaches marked russian for children. alas, no guarantee of safety. it's coming from a town under russian control. but it didn't pass through a humanitarian corridor negotiated by the red cross. the arrangement whereby these people are able to get out of the russian occupied areas to here is very simple. men on the bus give russian soldiers food and cigarettes, and the russian soldiers let them pass.

he made it out but remains tormented by fear for those who couldn't get away. everything is really bad, she says. her parents are still hiding out in the basement. she hopes they'll get out tomorrow. ben wedemen, cnn, southern ukraine. >> a ukrainian lawmaker says military resistance is not the only way to push back against russia. another one is carrying on with normal life as much as possible but with a gun. parliament member -- spoke with cnn's chief international anchor christian amanpour and told her what the stakes are for the ukrainian people. >> we are doing this for our very survival. and when the survival instinct kicks in, people can do amazing things. people become super heroes, and this is what you're witnessing in ukraine. and at the end of the day i hope that the west will raise up and

get their rose-colored glasses off -- >> you think they still have rose-colored glasses on? >> i do. about the fact we can softball this in a diplomatic way and that putin will back off and that reason can be found behind all of this. well, no. putin's aggression is of such a level that it can only be hit back by force and a force bigger than its own. ukraine is doing fine with all the weapons coming in from the west. but eventually if we are to get rid of it once and for all and to make our world a safer place for everyone and send a strong message to dictators out there as well, we must unite efforts and the international community must be here on the ground pushing back with us on this aggression. >> when we spoke in the first week of the war before i got here you said i've got my machine gun, and you've tweeted i've also got my man cures. your resistance takes many, many forms. and you're actually carrying your pistol right now.

>> i am. i am. i do have my pm with me and i carry it with me all the time. it's become my best friend. >> as we speak we can hear the multiple, you know, anti-aircraft or anti-missile batteries. >> yeah, yeah. but to be honest it's small, compact, comfortable. you can carry it in a sort of backpack or bag, also when i have a big pocket in a coat i used to carry it with me. >> did you ever imagine in your life as an pm in 2022 in ukraine you'd be forced to carry a gun around? >> no, never. i'm very much anti-gun. >> the lawmaker also said maintaining as normal life as possible is a form of resistance. she says it sends a message that people are human and life is worth living. coming up, weary ukrainians struggle to get out of war ravaged areas and hope that an end to the fighting is near. just ahead, i'll ask a former

u.s. ambassador to ukraine if this war could be resolved and how.

i earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through chase with chase freedom unlimited. i earn 5% on our cabin. hello cashback! hello, kevin hart! earn big time with chase freedom unlimited with no annual fee. how do you cashback? chase. make more of what's yours.

before treating your chronic migraine, 15 or more headache days a month each lasting 4 hours or more, you're not the only one with questions about botox®. botox® prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine before they even start, with about 10 minutes of treatment once every 3 months. so, ask your doctor if botox® is right for you, and if a sample is available. effects of botox® may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms. alert your doctor right away, as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems, or muscle weakness can be signs of a life-threatening condition. side effects may include allergic reactions, neck and injection site pain, fatigue, and headache. don't receive botox® if there's a skin infection. tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions and medications, including botulinum toxins,

as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. in a survey, 92% of current users said they wish they'd talked to their doctor and started botox® sooner. plus, right now, you may pay zero dollars for botox®. ask your doctor about botox® today. (customer) [reading] save yourself?! money with farmers? (burke) that's not wrong. when you switch your home and auto policies to farmers, you could save yourself an average of seven hundred and thirty dollars. (customer) that's something. (burke) get a whole lot of something with farmers. ♪we are farmers.bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum♪ even as russia pulls back in some parts of the country and groups are still struggling to get ukrainians out of harms way the international committee for the red cross has managed to get into the battered city of irpin in recent days treating the injured, delivering food and hoping to return next week with more essential supplies.

the aid group tried but was unable to reach mariupol on saturday after arrangements and conditions made it impossible to proceed. some 100,000 residents remain trapped there. according to the u.n. more than 4.1 million refugees have fled ukraine since the fighting started. joining me now is steven piper. he's a research fellow at stanford university and a former ambassador to ukraine. thanks so much for being with us. >> good to be here. >> well, how do you see the war in ukraine playing out? you know, if this is -- how is this going to be resolved? is it resolved through negotiations? or is it just something going to be happening on the battlefield in kind of diplomacy by force? >> well, there is a negotiation to be had. i believe president zelenskyy is prepared for a serious negotiation. unfortunately, however, there's no sign yet that moskow is

prepared seriously to engage in negotiations. and so i think that means for the time being that the fighting is going to continue, and it would be useful for the west to continue the flow of weapons to ukraine to better enable the ukrainians to defend themselves, and at some point perhaps force the kremlin to conclude it cannot achieve its goals on the battlefield and that it needs to negotiate. but, unfortunately, we're not yet at that point. >> do you see russia ever getting to that point, and how much can putin ever be trusted? >> well, i think there is some point where simply the accumulation of both losses of russian soldiers -- and bear in mind the estimate is now as many 10,000 russian soldiers have been killed in action in ukraine in just 5 weeks, and they have lost an incredible amount of material, tanks, aircraft, at

some point it becomes too painful and the kremlin will look to negotiate. that's why it's important the west continue to provide arms to the ukrainians so they can reach that point. now, any negotiation once you get to it is going to be very difficult. there's some hard questions there, but it's pretty clear that president zelenskyy on the ukrainian side is prepared for a serious give-and-take negotiation. the question is when will moskow reach that point? >> if true peace talks between russia and ukraine actually unfold one possibility on the table is that ukraine becomes a neutral state. first explain to us what that exactly means, and is that a good idea? and would that really ensure peace in the region? >> well, the russians one of their demands is that ukraine be neutral. and president zelenskyy has said he's prepared to move away from ukraine's ambition to join nato. ukrainian negotiators last week said that they were prepared to accept neutrality. that would be non-bloc status of

ukraine, no ukrainian forces, however ukraine has said for that kind of nuclear ukraine they would want firm security guarantees there would not be future invasion. and that's where it gets a little bit difficult because some ukrainians suggested what they're looking for is something like the article 5 guarantee in the nato treaty. that's an article where it says an attack against one would be considered an attack against all. at this point i'm not sure there are many countries prepared to commit to ukraine they would be prepared to give a guarantee they'd come to its aid with military forces if russia invades at some future point. the actual guarantee in my mind would be to help ukraine acquire and maintain the military with sufficient weapons they could defeat a russian invasion or

better yet appear to the russians that no invasion would make sense in the first place because the cost would be so high. >> do you think sanctions at this point are having any impact on russia? you know, we're seeing its economy certainly go through devastation right now, but is it having any impact you think in what's happening on the battlefield? >> i think the sanctions are definitely having an impact on the russian economy. there's always been in the last six weeks been an acceleration in inflation. russia's headed for double digit inflation in the coming months. there are projections, for example, by the international financial institute that the russian economy will contract by 15% this year. that's more than the american economy contracted during the great depression. so there are going to be severe impacts on the economy. the problem is that those impacts are coming in the months to follow, and they may not be planning immediate pressure to cause the kremlin to change his

course. now, there are certainly people, the head of the russian central bank, the russian minister of finance who understand just how much damage it's going to be doing to the russian economy as these sanctions take hold, but it's not clear that mr. putin in that very close circle in which he operates or these people are having a chance to talk to him on what's coming down the road for the russian economy. >> thank you for your perspective. a look now at some other stories we're following around the world. voters in hungary will head to the polls in the coming hours. the prime minister faces a rare challenge from the united coalition of opposition parties. he has faced criticism over hungary backslide in democratic standards and his close ties to russian president vladimir putin have come under renewed scrutiny. leading the united opposition is a small town mayor who has

painted mr. orbin as a budding authoritarian following putin's model. and in just a few hours pakistan's government is set to hold a vote of no confidence in prime minister imran khan. he accused the opposition of toppling a government and being under foreign influence. last week he lost the majority in parliament. and current predictions place the number of no confidence votes at 177. that's just five votes over the threshold to remove a prime minister. sri lanka's government is imposing a weekend curfew as unrest grows over a struggling economy. people are crowding stores to buy food and other essentials after the president declared a state of emergency. this as a foreign exchange crisis batters the local currency. now protesters are taking aim at the curfew itself. >> having a curfew is not going to help anybody.

people have to run businesses. they need to live on a daily base. they need to go like every single day people are going to suffer and be a continuous thing. >> the government says it's seeking help from the international monetary fund and loans from india and china. i'm allison kosik. for our international viewers marketplace africa is next. for viewers in north america our coverage continues in just a moment. ♪ my name is austin james. as a musician living with diabetes, fingersticks can be a real challenge. that's why i use the freestyle libre 2 system. with a painless, one-second scacan i know my glucose numbers without fingersticks. now i'm managing my diabetes better and i've lowered my a1c from 8.2 to 6.7.

take the mystery out of managing your diabetes and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free at freestylelibre.us should all underarms be the same? so, what is wrong with these? whether they're waxed. natural. unique. shaved. sensitive. all underarms deserve the best care. new dove ultimate antiperspirant. our unique water based formula and 6x more glycerin. helps restore skin to its best condition leaving you feeling confident all day. new dove ultimate. i strip on public transit. i strip with the guys. i strip all by myself. breathe right strips open your nose for relief you can feel right away, helping you take in air more easily, day or night. it's lawn season. and i need a lawn. quick. the fast way to bring it up to speed.

is scotts turf builder rapid grass. rapid grass is a revolutionary mix of seed and fertilizer that will change the way you grow grass. it grows two times faster than seed alone for full, green grass in just weeks. after growing grass this fast, everything else just seems... slow. it's lawn season. let's get to the yard. download the scotts my lawn app today for your personalized lawn plan. 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.

xfinity mobile runs on america's most reliable 5g network, but for up to half the price of verizon, so you have more money for more stuff. this phone? fewer groceries. this phone? more groceries! this phone? fewer concert tickets. this phone? more concert tickets. and not just for my shows. switch to xfinity mobile for half the price of verizon. that's a savings of over $500 a year. switch today.

>> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. welcome back to our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. i'm allison kosik. let's get you up to speed with the latest developments in ukraine where the deputy defense minister says the entire kyiv region has been liberated, cleared of russian forces. cnn cannot independently confirm that. still, ukrainian troops have been gaining ground around the capital as the russian military said it was de-escalating there. meantime u.s. intelligence now

believes russia is seeking a victory of sorts by trying to take control of eastern ukraine by early may. a possible target date could be may 9th when russia traditionally celebrates victory over the nazis in world war ii, what russia calls its great patriotic war. and two former ukrainian pows who were part of a prisoner exchange are now talking about their captivity. they said russian troops forced them to shout dplory to russia during their imprizmsonment and beat up those who refused. a news anchor sat down with cnn's don lemon to discuss the difficult challenges she faces. >> how are you? >> i never know what's the right answer to this question considering who's asking me about this. i mean, if people from ukraine

is asking me how am i, i would say i am fine because i am alive, my kids are okay and my husband is alive. but i mean if somebody from the outside is asking me i say the comprehension of what is going on will come later because it still feels even to me so unreal. >> i'm sure you could feel the pulse of the nation. you could feel -- what was that like? >> for me it was very emotional because being a news anchor the beginning of the start of the war for me meant my husband was leaving for the army. we understood that this war will impact every family in this way, one way or another way. that morning we knew some of our tv anchors were not able to be at the tv station because they had to take care of their kids, to take them to safety.

and the bigger discussion i had with my husband maybe months before invasion because he was being very responsible about this war, and he said you have to make me a promise that on the day of the invasion or whenever it starts you just put the kids in the car and take them to safety and i go to the army. and i said what about my job? i mean i have a mission to go to the tv station, and i don't think it's less important than your mission to go to the army. >> as you're on the air then you knew your husband was going to have to go away. did he go away immediately? >> actually when i was done with my first broadcast on that day i rushed back home because he was already back from western ukraine where he took kids. he had only 15 minutes to get back his backpack, put on his uniform and go and be at the

designated place. >> and what was that like? >> for me it was heart breaking because to tell you the truth i didn't know whether i was going to see him again because the guys are going to the war. what can you expect? >> how did you decide who goes on the air when? because i notice when i'm here i'm flipping through channel after channel after channel. it has a different name on the screen but it's the same -- same picture, same people on. >> now it's divided very proportionally amongst all tv channels. one day we have a night shift. next day we have more night shift, then we have day shift and then we repeat. it's all equally divided between channels but we're also all the time in the studio. so anytime somebody cannot be on the air, cannot broadcast for whatever reasons, they feel bad, i mean they're sick or whatever happens with their technical

facilities or they have to go to the bomb shelter, they fill in. >> there's a backup. >> yes. >> i notice -- i think it's just one camera, straight to camera. there's no different -- it's not fancy. >> yes. because it's -- >> no bells and whistles. >> because it's wartime. >> is there any understanding for you as a media person that the russian people are being brainwashed, that they're not seeing free press? and that's why they're in part doing what they're doing? large part really because they're not getting the right information. >> you know what? i have -- i have a very personal story about this because my husband was born and raised in russia. his parents are in russia. and they've been to ukraine many times. they've seen us, they've seen people. they know what is going on, but

still at this point they are brainwashed by russian news, and they think that we deserved it. >> so you don't think you'll have a relationship with your in-laws? >> not very close relationships. we had actually break after crimea was annexed. >> you had a break? >> a five-year break. >> did he talk to them? >> sometimes just saying how the kids are. >> has he spoken to them? >> he asked his mom not to text him because he said it's very hypocritical of her to be asking how he is or showing some care for him when our children are being bombarded by russian missiles. >> do they believe him? >> i don't think so. >> that's tough. >> but you know having a job now

unlike many people in ukraine, that's what keeps me distracted of all my worries that i have because that's the only time i don't think where my husband is or whether he's alive now or something happened. >> it's a nice distraction. >> yes. >> you said you have a mission. is that mission to inform people and not have them be like russians? >> this is the first mission that you said, that inform people and not to be -- to be real news and not propaganda. but now i have special -- i see a special mission for myself. as i was the person to announce that the war has started, i have to announce that it has ended. so i'm waiting for this mission to happen in my life. hopefully i will see that moment this year. >> what will you say? >> i don't -- i don't think i will have words at that point, and maybe i will start saying something about ukraine and will

be pushing my partner to pick-me-up and crying because i think at that time i will have an excuse for tears. >> cnn's don lemon there speaking with a ukrainian journalist. another war casualty, the death of a ukrainian journalist. maxine levine was killed by russian forces near kyiv according to the office of ukraine's attorney general. the photo journalist was found unarmed with two gunshot wounds. he had worked for a number of major western news outlets including reuters and the bbc. in a statement reuters said it is deeply saddened by his loss calling his death a huge loss to the world of journalism. in his bio levine described him as a photographer, videographer, father and human being. just ahead how russia is trying to protect its economy from the weight of global

sanctions as the war in ukraine is now in its sixth week. ♪ three times the electorlytes and half the sugar. ♪ pedialyte powder packsks. feel better fast. ( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) if you don't repaint every now and then, it's like the old you is still hanging around. younger zoe: i'm listening to music. so today, let's paint... ...with behr, america's most trusted paint brand, and make your home, yours. behr. exclusively at the home depot. ♪ ♪

we believe there's an innovator in all of us. ♪ that's why we build technology that makes it possible for every business... and every person... to come to the table and do more incredible things. 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. ok, let's talk about those changes to your financial plan. bill, mary? hey... it's our former broker carl. carl, say hi to nina, our schwab financial consultant. hm... i know how difficult these calls can be. not with schwab. nina made it easier to set up our financial plan. we can check in on it anytime. it changes when our goals change. planning can't be that easy. actually, it can be, carl. look forward to planning with schwab.

schwab! ♪ large out-of-state corporations have set their sights on california. they've written a ballot proposal to allow online sports betting. they tell us it will fund programs for the homeless, but read the fine print. 90% of the profits go to out-of-state corporations, leaving almost nothing for the homeless. no real jobs are created here. but the promise between our state and our sovereign tribes would be broken forever. these out-of-state corporations

don't care about california. but we do. stand with us. ♪

these women marched through budapest saturday to shine a light on the smallest victims of the war in ukraine, the children. the organizer as well as many of the marchers are ukrainian refugees. the u.n. says at least 120 children have been killed since russia invaded ukraine. women and children are also on the mind of ukraine's former president. poroshenko spoke to cnn in front of a bombed area that used to be a place where children played. >> please understand this is not a film of horror. this is real today life of ukrainian capital. this is how we live in kyiv. just behind me this is the children basketball center. it was built here and this is

the russian missiles who attacked, and we are here. this is the respect of the memories of the victims which is happening here in kyiv, and this is just a demonstration how disastrous is the war. and our brave armed forces is fighting and protecting ukraine. but russian armed forces is not fighting with honor. they're fighting with the women, the children, with the elderly people, killing and torturing civilians. and we should stop them. we should stop them. and we should understand that if we do not stop them here in ukraine definitely they go further, they make a public

statement. definitely we need more weapons. can you imagine just one thing ukraine and future of europe and the world depend on 100 fighter jets, from 300 tanks and from 500 armed personal carrier, and thousands of ukrainians enlist in the armed forces. >> the russian government is dealing with an onslaught of global sanctions doing everything it can to keep its economy afloat. meantime a fuel depot near the ukrainian border was recently attacked. for more on all this, here's cnn's atika schubert. >> two issues that we're following out of russia today. first are the attempts to try and keep the russian economy

from collapsing under the weight of sanctions. russia's central bank has moved to stabilize the currency, jacking up interest rates, imposing very strict capital controls. and now the russian ruble is at about the same level as it was before the start of the invasion. russia also threatened to cut off gas supplies to europe unless existing energy contracts were paid in rubles. that deadline was friday, and it came and went. and gas is still flowing to europe, but i think it's important to remember that europe is still heavily dependent on russia, nearly 40% of its energy needs come from russian oil and gas. now, the second issue we're following is this announcement by the russian ministry of defense that the ukrainian air force conducted a missile attack on a fuel depot inside russian territory on the city of b

belgorod. now, a video has surfaced of this attack. cnn has geolocated the video, but we cannot confirm the two helicopters seen in that video are in fact from the ukrainian military. the ukrainian government has refused to confirm or deny the attack. in citing emergency services, however, russia's state news agency is reporting that 16,000 cubic meters or more than 3 million gallons of fuel were set on fire as a result of that attack. so that would be a significant logistical blow for russian troops that have been using b belgoro as a staging ground for russian attacks.

according to the meta historym of war organizing the sale the proceeds will support the ukrainian military and civilians. the auction was announced in wednesday and within 24 hours they managed to sell more than 1,000 artworks raising more than half a million dollars. the digital art pieces were made by ukrainian and foreign artist. they depict various moments and aspects of the conflict since it started on february 24th. and if you would like to safely and securely help people in ukraine who may be in need of shelter, food and water, please go to cnn.com/impact. there you'll find several ways you can help. snow is not just fun for skiers and snowmobilers, but a lack of this vital resource spells trouble for parts of the u.s. details when we come back.

you'd think the sax player would be getting ready for his solo... but no. he's currently checkin' his investmes. you gotta have a plan outside the band, man. digital tools so impressive, you just can't stop. what would you like the power to do? this is vuity™, the first and only fda approved eye-drop that improves age-related blurry near vision. wait, what? it sounded like you just said an eye drop that may help you see up close. i did. it's an innovative way to... so, wait. i don't always have to wear reading glasses? yeah! vuity™ helps you see up close. so, i can see up close with just my eyes?

uh-huh. with one drop in each eye, once daily. in focus? yep. [laughs] like, really? really. vuity™ is a prescription eye drop to help you see up close. ow! wait, what? wait. wait? wait, what? see for yourself. use vuity™ with caution in night driving and hazardous activities in poor light. also, if your vision is not clear, do not drive or use machinery. contact your doctor immediately if you have sudden vision loss. most common side-effects are headache and eye redness. ♪ ♪ nothing like a weekend in the woods. it's a good choice all around, like screening for colon cancer... when caught in early stages it's more treatable. i'm cologuard. i'm noninvasive... and i detect altered dna in your stool to find 92% of colon cancers... even in early stages. early stages. yep. it's for people 45 plus at average risk for colon cancer,

not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider if cologuard is right for you. we're in. at jp morgan, the only definition of wealth that matters is yours. it can be a smaller house, but a bigger nest egg. a goal to work toward, or the freedom to walk away. with 200 years of experience, personalized advice, and commission free trades on an award-winning app, we are working for you. planning. investing. advice. jp morgan wealth management. like pulsing, electric shocks, sharp, stabbing pains, or an intense burning sensation. what is this nightmare? it's how some people describe... shingles. a painful, blistering rash that could interrupt your life for weeks. forget social events and weekend getaways. if you've had chickenpox,

the virus that causes shingles is already inside of you. if you're 50 years or older ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingles. we strip in the community garden. i've been stripping here for years. i strip before take-off. breathe right strips open your nose for relief you can feel right away, helping you take in air more easily, wherever you are. welcome back. i am alison kosik. now, to the mega drought in california. america's most populous state is already experiencing its driest year in nearly a century. and new evidence shows the

devastating dry spell may be worsening. cnn's stephanie elam has the story. >> reporter: the beautiful sierra nevada mountains. a winter wonderland where people come to enjoy the snow. but this is taking the fun out of it. in california's last snow pack survey of the wet season, just 2 1/2 inches of snow were measured. containing the equivalent of only one inch of water. that's a mere 4% of the april-1st average. most of the seven readings here were on dirt and grass. >> as of april 1st, where we should be in terms of our snowpack, we should be standing on roughly 5 feet of snow. so my feet should be roughly right here. >> reporter: think of the snow pack as a frozen reservoir. the state says it is responsible for about 30% of california's water, including drinking water. it is a beautiful day out here but that is actually part of the problem. these rushing waters not all of

this water is going to make it to california's reservoirs, which are already low. >> we could approximate losing it down into the groundwater, down in the soil so that would help replenish the ground water. at the same time, we could lose some through evaporation. >> reporter: winter in california started off wet. but hopes of a drought-busting rainy season quickly dried up. by march, the state had notched the driest first three months after year in its recorded history. >> some would consider this a wake-up call. i disagree. the alarm's already gone off. climate change is here and it's been here across the american west. >> reporter: according to the u.s. drought monitor, more of northern california sank into extreme drought. so did parts of utah and new mexico. even worse, parts of oregon and nevada are in exceptional drought. >> we are encouraging people to do common-sense things. >> reporter: last summer, california governor gavin newsom called on residents to cut their water consumption. >> a 15% voluntary reduction.

not only on residences but industrial commercial operations and agricultural operationings. >> now, the governor is urging local leaders to institute bans on watering grass near commercial and industrial buildings but for residential areas, no mandatory cuts for now. >> we may really see some mandatory water -- water restrictions in place by the summertime. >> secretary pointing out those reliably wet winters we use the to get in california, say, 50 or 100 years ago are just not something we should bank on any longer and, therefore, he says residents in california and throughout the west really do need to change the relationship with water and learn to use less. stephanie elam, cnn, near lake tahoe. monday night's march madness men's title game is now set. kansas eastly defeated villa nova 81-65 in the first semifinal game. kansas has won three championships in program history. the last one coming in 2008. they will meet six-time

champions north carolina for the title. the tarheels defeated their bitter rival duke in a nailbiter, 81-77. thanks for spending part of your day with me. i'm alison kosik. stay with us. our coverage, live, from ukraine is next.

this is cnn breaking news. hello. welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm john vause on a snowy sunday morning here in lviv with cnn's ongoing coverage of russia's war in ukraine. well, as russian forces redeploy to the east of ukraine, for what's expected to be a major offensive on the donbas region, as many as 30 villages and towns north of the capital are, once again, under ukrainian control with the government declaring the kyiv region liberated. but this is not a russian retreat. once they have rearmed, re