. . our viewers joining us in the united states and all around the world. i'm christina mcfarland in for max foster. russian president vladimir putin takes a drastic step. we'll break down where things go from here. plus, more fallout after florida's governor sends more than 60 migrants to massachusetts. wall street is on edge with the federal reserve expected to

announce another big interest rate hike spurring fears of a recession. hello, and welcome. it's wednesday, september 21st. 9 a.m. here in london. 11 a.m. in moscow where we're following a potentially drastic escalation of russia's war on ukraine. vladimir putin is ordering a partial mobilization to boost his military fight. the russian president says it begins today. those in the reserve and with previous military experience will be subject to it. cnn's covering the story from every angle. we're joined in london and nick peyton walsh is standing by. nick, to you first.

this announcement of a move, partial prescription isn't entirely unexpected given the losses we're seeing russia suffer on the battlefield. what does this mean? >> reporter: what's startling is how fast this will go into action but i think it's fair to say relatively limited. for 12 hours we have been awaiting really a speech from the kremlin head and talk had been possibly he might call for mass mobilization across the entirety of russian civilian population. they say at this point they're talking about partial mobilization of people who have former military experience and who may be in the reserves. now the defense minister went on to say this may be about 300,000 people. i have to say, russia's been struggling with manpower for months. the idea there isn't a ready reserve they could tap into is a tough one to potentially swallow

but it's certainly a move by russia to try to escalate. it's about defending freshly occupied territories. putin is painting russia as a country under threat from nato when frankly this is all because of his decision to invade ukraine. he talks about to those who try to black mail us with nuclear weapons, they should know the prevailing winds could turn in their direction. he's saying nato is threatening with nuclear weapons. that's nonsense. he goes on to say that if territorial integrity of russia is threatened, then they reserve the right to use all means at their disposal. what he doesn't say here -- he does say they would use the mobilization to defend the freshly liberated areas. what he doesn't say in this

instance is that that particular threat weapon of mass destruction would be used to defend the areas. the kremlin is trying seize control of the narrative, christine. >> nick, stand by for us. nick is talking about obviously the planned referendums that take place this week. clearly an attempt by putin to legitimize his actions. what has the response been to not only that but the speech we heard? >> what we're hearing and was announced in a wave yesterday, make up donbas russia's stated goal is to take control. adding more of the kherson region and one of the first areas russia occupied and zaporizhzhia which is partially occupied. they are holding referendums which we saw with crimea. the west is not going to recognize these referendums.

it's up likely in a war they're not taken in a free and fair way. this is as they go to a mass annexation by russia. as nick was pointing out, the justification is russia feels it's under threat. that the west is trying to sort of divide and destroy it. listen to what he had to say. >> translator: their goal is to weaken, divide and to destroy our country. they are talking that in 1991 they broke up the soviet union and now it is time for russia, that russia must fall apart into different regions. >> he did not mention that the perhaps obvious justification for this is russia has been struggling on the battlefield, struggling to replenish the ranks. the u.s. ambassador to ukraine saying sham referendum is weakness of russian failure. the ukrainian presidential

adviser says on the 200th day 36900 day-- of the 300th day wa they are looking at this plan. >> ukraine not surprised to see this is the reaction from putin. i want to have a final word with nick on the ground. all of this from putin is in response to the significant gains ukraine's counter offensive have made in the previous weeks. is this as big a move putin could make? how will this address the issues they're facing on the battlefield? >> in truth, this is smaller than some people felt this would be about. it's partial mobilization, people with experience. addressing manpower issue they've known about and trying

to fix similar measures over the past months. it may be a prelude to prescriptions ahead. what was not explicit was threats to use weapons of mass destruction. those parts of ukraine they thought about and i think, too, a sense of russia leaning more on its feelings of weakness in terms of territorial integrity than talking about expanding its territory out in kherson and zaporizhzhia. ukraine has been on the front lines here. we saw, in fact, just yesterday how in one town where i'm standing russian mercenaries ret retained, they're moving forward and threatening the edge. here's what we saw. >> reporter: the mood here is black and old. from a time past ukraine didn't

feel it was winning taking heavy losses and struggling to hold on. but the russian enemy is something new. this is the very front line with russian positions literally 100 meters away from where i'm standing. the kremlin really wants this bakhmut. on its edges it sent ruthless mercenaries to fight. the shelling endless. they have taken off to their vantage point where they see the bakhmut fighters. they say the russian mercenaries appear to run at them, exposing ukrainian positions so the russian artillery can hit them.

it's charred. they are almost eyeball to eyeball. the next attack is imminent. we can see a mortar unit the drone operator says and preparing to fire at us. down in the shelter the commander says they've captured russian convicts who were recruited to fight. it was get shot or surrender for the conduct, they said. wagner acted professionally. the shells continue to land all around. bakhmut is a mess. russia edging towards it but not inside. prepared for street-to-street fighting and meanwhile torn to pieces. the losses are heavy and exposed positions around the city, particularly here.

russia's invasion tearing through the green treasured land it seems to covet. why do they want bakhmut so much? they retreated and they want something significant so they throw forces here. of course we have casualties, not today in our unit, but you can't avoid dead or wounded. i lost my close friend five days after we came here. a few roads away andre is cycling home. his eyes tell you how life is here. first the shooting, but there's no electricity or water. it's not too bad. every second house is ruined. there are a lot of people here buying potatoes. we sold half a ton today, she says. who knows if the shelling is coming or going. don't be scared, she said.

24 hours later a ukrainian artillery is hitting positions on the city's edge. russia's closer. much fresh smoke. it's always hard to know what moscow thought it was hitting. walking home with a squeaky wheel and food is maria back to her son. silence and terror in turn enveloping the city. christina, winter a critical week here. by monday, tuesday russia will claim the sham referendums say that the people there want to join russia. that's pretty much a given. how fast does the kremlin put that into effect? what do they do in terms of defending this newly occupied territory, that's a key question. this partial mobilization, what does it do for enthusiasm for

the war inside russia and what december it do for the front line? getting those people equipped, trained, and to the front is a big task. russia has failed at many of those over the past six months of this war. while we are into a very fraught week ahead of us, it is unclear yet how these big rhetorical guest frurs moscow are going to change the front lines here where ukraine remains in the ascendancy. >> nick, very important to have you there during what could prove to be a very critical week in this war. u.s. president joe biden gets his turn at the podium at the u.n. general assembly. he's expected to make the case that russia's invasion of ukraine is a violation of the 1945 charter. he will also have to face meeting with the new british prime minister, liz truss. meanwhile, u.n. secretary general antonio gutierrez kicked

it off with an empassioned plea about addressing the climate change. >> we are in rough satisfies. a winter of global discontent is on the horizon. the cost is raising. inequalities are exploding and our planet is burning. attorneys for the group of migrants flown from texas to massachusetts filed a class action suit saying they defrauded them to advance a political motive. florida's governor, ron desantis, arranged for two planes to fly 50 migrants from venezuela to martha's vineyard. his office responded to the lawsuit saying the migrants have moved on a voluntary basis. they described it as failure of the biden administration to secure the border. >> they were hungry, homeless. they had no opportunity at all. state of florida, it was

volunteer. offered transport to sanctuary jurisdictions because it's our view that, one, the border should be secure and we want to have biden reinstitute policies like remain in mexico and making sure people aren't overwhelming. president joe biden said they may send migrants from texas to delaware which is the president's home state. listen. >> are you sending any migrants to delaware? do you have any comment? >> he should come visit. we have a beautiful shoreline. >> the u.s. customers and border patrol says they have topped 2 million this year. migration from countries like venezuela, nicaragua and cuba is driving up numbers. they face treacherous conditions when crossing the border. cnn's rosa flores shows us just how dangerous it can get.

i've got to warn you, some of the video in her report is disturbing. >> reporter: this is what human smuggling looks like. migrants gasping for air in this 2015 case for a trailer. >> can anybody stand up? covered in what i willing humans, 10 people died, authorities say. >> i don't know which one next. just pick one and i'll help you up. >> a similar scene unfolded in june when 53 people died in san antonio in a tractor-trailer. >> that was the worst smuggling disaster in u.s. history. >> reporter: craig layer ahbe is the acting special agent in charge. the arm of dhs that investigates human smuggling and says migrants have more than death to fear. >> the extorsion. the assaults, physical assaults,

sexual assaults. they're real. >> reporter: he says human smuggling has changed in the last decade from small family businesses that charged $2,000 per migrant to multi-national criminal organizations that charge 10,000 and make billions of dollars a year. >> reporter: maybe a vehicle had 50 bodies in it years and years ago, they'll put 150 bodies in that vehicle. >> reporter: layerabee debunked the myth they're brought in on tractor trailers. once in the u.s. the migrants are taken to so-called stash houses. >> i've seen over 70 people in a little apartment. >> reporter: we are shown a stash house they dismantled last year. the windows. small home glued. smugglers tried to hide 37 people there. >> put aluminum foil and

cardboard so nobody can see inside. >> reporter: from those stash houses they're put into tractor trailers. in cars, toolboxes, vans, other vehicles that are sometimes locked shut like this one last week. that had to be pried open by law enforcement. the drivers sometimes get thousands of dollars per migrant according to tiktok videos used by mexican cartels and provided to cnn by public safety. >> they're guiding migrants through the tough terrain. they keep up and continue north. the ones that can't are left behind. sometimes to die.

>> migrant deaths so far this year, a record nearly 750. a number already exceeding last year's total of 557. the alleged driver in the deadly june tractor-trailer tragedy in san antonio went through a check point in laredo. it's unclear if the migrants were already on board. smugglers have no regard for human life. >> reporter: in april they disrupted and dismantled human smuggling organizations. so far 5,000 individuals have been arrested. yesterday eight individuals were arrested and they allegedly helped smuggle hundreds if not thousands of individuals into this country in brutal conditions. rosa flores, cnn, el paso, texas. all eyes will be on the u.s.

federal reserve wednesday with another big interest rate hike expected. wall street has been on edge with the dow dropping another 300 points tuesday. the concerns are weighing on the global markets as well. you can see there in the asian markets all four indices well down there. how u.s. futures are shaping up hours away from an opening bell. the dow, nasdaq and s&p 500 all still down. investors are bracing for the benchmark industry to rise another 3/4 of a percentage point. the big concern is whether the fed can strike a delicate balance between bringing down inflation and preventing a recession. >> reporter: what the fed wants to do is raise rates just enough so that they can cool demand but not so much that they tip us into recession and it's really hard to calibrate exactly. they're hoping that it's just enough medicine that it doesn't kill the patient.

>> of course, stay with cnn for the latest on this announcement later today. up next, questions for claims that don't get found at mar-a-lago .

my active psoriatic arthritis can slow me down. now, skyrizi helps me get going by treating my skin and joints. along with significantly clearer skin, skyrizi helps me move with less joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue. and skyrizi is just 4 doses a year after two starter doses. skyrizi attaches to and reduces a source of excess inflammation that can lead to skin and joint symptoms. with skyrizi, 90% clearer skin and less joint pain is possible. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine, or plan to. with skyrizi, there's nothing like the feeling of improving my skin and joints... ...and that means everything. now's the time to talk to your doctor

about how skyrizi can help treat your psoriatic arthritis- so you can get going. learn how abbvie can help you save. do you have a life insurance policy you no longer need? now you can sell your policy - even a term policy - for an immediate cash payment. we thought we had planned carefully for our retirement. but we quickly realized we needed a way to supplement our income. if you have $100,000 or more of life insurance, you may qualify to sell your policy. don't cancel or let your policy lapse without finding out what it's worth.

visit coventrydirect.com to find out if your policy qualifies. or call the number on your screen. coventry direct, redefining insurance.

welcome back. the judge tapped to serve as special master, the documents with the classified is front and center in court. cnn's evan perez has the details from washington. >> for weeks donald trump has said the fbi had no reason to seize government documents from his home because he declassified any documents that were marked classified and they found them. he's made that claim in interviews and social media, but the former president's lawyers in two different federal courts have yet to make that argument.

a hearing in brooklyn on tuesday, federal judge raymond dearie questioned trump's lawyers on whether they plan to present truth the documents were classified. judge dearie is acting as a special master or independent third party to review special documents seized from trump's palm beach estate. trump's lawyers said they aren't ready to say whether the documents are declassified. in a separate court filing through a federal appeals court in atlanta trump's lawyers also stopped short of saying trump declassified documents. that court is reviewing a lower court decision that blocks the justice department from accessing about 100 documents that the government says are classified. trump lawyers told the appeals court that the justice department, quote, assumes without either side presenting any proof that the documents

are, in fact, classified. evan perez, cnn, washington. donald trump ally and ceo mike lindell in federal court the fbi's seizure of his cell phone. it was done as part of his investigation into a colorado elections security breach. lindell says it may have been an illegal search. he wants to block the justice department from having access to his phone data which he says he uses for his business. they had obtained a warrant approved by a federal judge on the search according to the court records. a writer who claims she was raped by former u.s. president donald trump plans to file a new lawsuit against him. lawyers for e. jean carroll says she intends to sue trump under new york state's adult survivor's act. it gives them one year window.

she accuses trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid 1990s in a new york department store. the former president has repeatedly denied the claim. now hurricane fiona has grown to a category 4 storm leaving the turks and caicos behind it as it churns further into the atlantic. on tuesday the storm ripped through the islands with sustained winds. residents are under a shelter in place order but so far thankfully no deaths or injuries have been reported. other islands at least five deaths have been listed. some power has been restored in puerto rico. 1 million remain without power amid the difficult cleanup. pedram javaheri has been tracking the storm's path. >> reporter: this is an incredible storm causing

significant damage across puerto rico and into the turks and caicos. it is now getting stronger and it is getting larger as it approaches the north. want to show you the cloud field associated with the storm from the northern fringe to southern fringe. it fits right into the state of alaska speaking to the incredible size of the storm system. look at the ferocity. the circulation, symmetry, you're looking at a 130 mile per hour sustained wind storm which is a healthy category 4. further strengthening expected. bottom of the screen, the turks and caicos. some of it getting the outer bands. it is gradually moving away from the turks. what we're watching, 750 miles north. the storm system is going to move over there if favorable for further development where water temperatures climb up into the middle 80s. 30 degrees celsius, typically 82

fahrenheit is what you want. it will be well above that in the immediate path. notice where it ends up, just west of bermuda. that is where tropical storms have been prompted. the closest run for bermuda is thursday night into friday morning. the system maintains the 140-mile-an-hour strength. mid level category 4. the models we suggest, 150, maybe 200 miles west of bermuda on early friday morning. if that's the case, we know the outer bands will still produce tropical storm force winds in bermuda. that's why folks are taking the storm very seriously and eventually it ends up across the canadian maritime still bringing winds that are equivalent. there's an incoming front shoving this away from the eastern united states but parts of canada look like we'll be the last area of significant impacts with the system sometime later this week.

christina? >> we hope for residents of bermuda it does stay west. across the caribbean at least five deaths have been found. puerto rico has restored power to 300,000 customers but more than a million remain without power amid a difficult cleanup. layla santiago spoke to residents still in need of the most basic supplies. >> reporter: fiona wiped out power to the roughly 3.1 million residents here. 60% without water and 1200 people housed in shelters. five years ago puerto rico was ravaged by hurricane maria now barely recovered from that catastrophic storm, the island and its people are suffering again. officials say at least two have died on the island as a result of the storm. one man swept away by a flooded river and another man died while

trying to fill his generator with gases setting it on fire. the goal, access and to start moving in much-needed supplies to these isolated areas. the island's interior, this is part of the problem. the mudslides that block the road and access to that power substation. >> hector was gathering drinking water off the mountain side. he came to the mountain side to get water because there's no water at his house. >> power, you know, we know we're going to face that and we can deal with that. biggest concern is water. can't live without water. >> reporter: carlos vargas lives beyond a big mudslide. the national guard had to evacuate 35,000 people before the mudslide demolished the building. >> we carry the elderly in their chairs, their beds and we just

ran over and carried them over the landslide so we could get them out before the house collapsed. >> reporter: the recovery ahead without its own set of challenges. >> the hurricane and the related storm has impacted the whole island so we're still in the middle of this event. we are basically responding at this point. the next step will be recovery. lines are forming, people getting gas, diesel to power the generators they need to be able to turn the lights on at home since there is no power. the governor says he expects that by tomorrow night a good chunk of the island will have power restored. one big exception, the southern part of the island. one of the hardest hit areas in puerto rico right now. layla santiago, cnn, puerto rico. time for a quick break now

but when we come back, gathering in crisis. the u.n. general assembly begins day two in the hours ahead, but ukraine isn't the only issue topping the agenda. and get back to your rhythm. feel the power. beat the symptoms fast.

when we started selling my health products online our shipping process was painfully slow. then we found shipstation. now we're shipping out orders 5 times faster and we're saving a ton. go to shipstation.com /tv and get 2 months free.

there's a reason comcast business powers more businesses than any other provider. actually, there's a few... comcast business offers the fastest, reliable network... the protection of security edge... and the most reliable 5g network. want me to keep going? i can... whether your business is starting or growing, you need comcast business. technology solutions that put you ahead get started with fast speeds and advanced security together for $69.99 a month for 12 months. plus find out how to get up to a $650 prepaid card with a qualifying bundle.

let's get you up to speed on our top stories this hour. russia's defense ministry says the country will call up 300,000 reservists as part of the partial mobilization announced earlier by president vladimir putin. the move is meant to boost russia's military readiness. members in the reserve and with

previous experience will take part of the prescription. take a listen to his address. >> translator: in order to protect our homeland, sovereignty and its territorial integrity, in order to provide for safety of people of liberated territories, i think it is necessary to support the decision to partially mobilize citizens of russian federation. i would like to underline this is a partial mobilization. >> there's been swift global reaction to this announcement from the russian president. the u.s. ambassador says, quote, sham referendum are signs of weakness. the united states will never recognize the annexed ukrainian territory and we will stand with ukraine for as long as it takes. germany's minister said it was a bad and wrong development and brittain's defense secretary says the russian president is breaking his own promises not to mobilize parts of his population

and that illegal annexation is an admission of failure. day two of the u.n. general assembly kicks off in the coming hours and we're expecting more world leaders to address russia's war on ukraine and the stalled iran nuclear deal. ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy is going to speak remotely and president joe biden has meetings with a few people. >> reporter: it's rare for a u.s. president to adjust his speaking spot. that's what joe biden did. he will go later today. in fact, he will be going several speakers after the president of iran. u.s. officials say president biden will condemn russia strongly for its invasion of ukraine and also comment on security council reform.

many world leaders criticized russia during their speeches on tuesday. the french president denounced russia for its invasion and con dealt those who were trying to remain neutral on the a nair. >> translator: those who are keeping silent today are in a way complicit with the cause of a new imperialism, a new order that is trampling over the current order and there's no peace possible here. >> reporter: the french president denounced as fake the planned referendums announced in eastern ukraine yesterday. as for iran, the french president also met with iranian president ryidi yesterday. the two men discussing the stalled nuclear deal that died after president trump withdrew the u.s. from the agreement. the iranians want guarantees. the western countries feel they've gone far enough. the french president said the

ball is in iran's court. richard roth, cnn, united nations. a group of iranian protesters rallied in istanbul over the death of a young woman in custody by the morality police. an aide to iran's supreme leader has promised a thorough investigation into the death according to one report. that pledge came during a meeting with her family monday. the rare show of public defiance is brewing. five protesters were killed by security forces according to human rights monitor. iran hasn't seen protests of this scale since 2019 when the government raised gas prices. what's notable this time is the number of women who are taking part. some chanting, women, life, freedom and burning their head scarves. on tuesday in this extraordinary video the woman in this video

stood on top of a utility box and cut her hair in protest with the crowd chanting, death to the dictator. all right. still ahead, soaring inflation is forcing some california teachers out of their homes. so where are they going? we'll tell you next. fast pain r. and now get rerelief without a pill with tylylenol dissolve packs. relief without the water.

who says you have to spend more on skincare to get results? i power up my skin with olay. it works. guaranteed. try niacinamide for strength, retinol 24 for smoothness and vitamin c for brightness. i like to use them all! olay. face anything.

hi. welcome back to "cnn newsroom." investors worldwide will be keeping a close eye on the u.s. federal reserve today where another interest rate hike of 3/4 of a percentage point is expected to be announced in an effort to cool inflation. major companies like ford are feeling the pinch from inflation. shares of the automaker fell on tuesday after a warning of rising costs and parts shortages. the gap is facing challenges as well. the clothing retailer said it's cutting 500 corporate jobs. inflation and surging rent

prices are pushing out teachers who can't afford to live in the areas where they work. we have a closer look of how the problem is facing educators across the u.s. >> reporter: for shanika whitten it is a struggle that starts before the sun comes up. a single mom living in los angeles battling debilitating ms. >> i'm right here in the vip section. >> reporter: and yet still determined to get to work on time. she let us tag along on the drive telling me about her journey. >> there's been months where i was worried about oh, i'm not going to be able to afford to pay rent this month. >> reporter: she's worked more than 20 years in special education, always for the l.a. school system, but rising rents and a surge have forced her and other school employees out. >> it's sad to live the way we are because of inflation and everything is going up except

your paycheck. the paycheck is not going up. oh, how am i going to continue to survive? >> reporter: it's a common burden felt by teachers and other school employees nationwide. on average rents have nearly doubled in the past ten years. cost of living increasing at roughly six times the rate it was a decade ago. to retain talent, they're doubling as employers and landlords. from mountainous eagle county, colorado, to the beach paradise of maui, hawaii, school districts are fund being affordable housing for staff but construction is often years off leaving some school districts to act urgently asking parents in this message to step forward if they have a room for rent. some 66 people already offering their homes to educators. in silicon valley, this former convent no longer for nuns now used for teacher housing. the national teacher association

supports these measures, affordable housing and pay for teachers. for those individuals. and livers here with his wife and teacher and their kids. it's normal and disbelief. the quality. the average rent for a 3 bedroom is 3,000 a month. she's paying half of that and feels one of the lucky ones. >> living where i am, paying

what i pay, it's a blessing. it's a blessing. >> reporter: teachers in los angeles start with a salary around $56,000 a year. that puts them in this difficult middle ground. they earn too much to qualify for california's affordable housing though not enough, they point out, to cover comfortable, convenient housing. it's left school systems desperately trying to find creative ways to both recruit and retain what is a dwindling workforce. >> david culver there. still ahead this hour, how far would you go to cheer on your favorite team. 500 miles, 1,000? how about walking from spain at that qatar? that's what t one football fan attempting.

- [narrator] as you ready for what's next, you think about what really matters and what it means to be connected to everyone around you, to your community. we want to make the most of these moments, these new memories, together. and custom gear from customer ink can help. we've developed new tools to make it easy to create custom products and get them to everyone, whether you're together now or still apart. custom ink has hundreds of products to help you feel connected. upload your logo or start your design today at customink.com shipstation saves us so much time it makes it really easy and seamless pick an order print everything you need

slap the label on ito the box and it's ready to go our cost for shipping, were cut in half just like that go to shipstation/tv and get 2 months free welcome back. crews are working to contain a fire at an oil refinery in ohio. the fire broke out on tuesday just outside toledo. a company spokesperson says two people were hurt. all other employees were accounted for. the refinery has been shut town to put out the fire. in chicago eight people were taken to hospital from the scene

of a building explosion on tuesday morning. at least three of them are listed in serious to critical condition. what caused the explosion remains unknown. officials in the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives as well as the chicago's police department bomb unit were assisting on the scene. the washington monument was temporarily closed on tuesday after being vandalized. a man splashed red paint and wrote a profane message on the base of the monument. he was taken into custody a short time later. it was due to be reopened today. they don't know if the temporary closure will affect visiting hours. finally at this hour, one super bowl superman is doing the foot work to motivate himself and others to walk from spain to qatar for the world cup. >> reporter: to paraphrase the old saying, the journey of a

thousand miles begins with a single step. well, a journey of over 4,900 kilometers begins here for this man, santiago sanchez. the 41-year-old set out on foot with one goal in mind, to get to doe hare, qatar. towing a camping kit on wheels and. >> aing 14 to 15 kilometers per day since january, he's traveled france, monaco, italy, then by boat to albania, greece, turkey. now he's reached iraq's curd disstand region. he's been greeted with offerings of tea, food and lodging. kindness is a universal language. many are surprised at the distance he's traveled. others feel inspired. >> translator: oftentimes i have to take out the map, show where spain is and what the route is.

the route i took to get there and what i have left. >> translator: yes, i was really surprised especially when i found out he came from spain on foot. i was very inspired by this. to go to other countries and be in good health like him. >> reporter: sanchez says the decision to leave his comfortable life and loved ones back home was not an easy one yet to him it is not about the destination but the journey itself. >> translator: i had my job, my football team, my friends, my family. a life of comfort. if you don't set a date for your dreams, you don't realize them. you have to say on this day i go and on this day i left. eight months later and here i am. >> reporter: he will next head to iran before crossing the persian gulf to doe hare. he hopes to teach others the essential wisdom of slowing down hive's hectic pace and following one's dreams. >> translator: solitude is often

good and necessary. we're all living at a very fast pace and you have to push the pause button and realize that you are alive. open your arms, breathe. i found my button. many people do not know where their button is and this can be a good way to inspire other people so that they can find this pause button. >> reporter: a message he also hopes resonates with his national team. >> translator: in the end, i go to support my national team. i go to support spain. it is not easy to reach qatar and i want to give them a little bit of motivation so they give it all on the pitch. >> reporter: michael holmes, cnn. >> let's hope spain does well at this year's world cup, eh? that does it for this edition of "cnn newsroom." stay with us, "early start" with kristin fischer is up next.

zyrteeeec works hard at hour one and twice as hard when you take it again the next day. so betty can be the barcode beat conductoror. ♪ go betty! let's be more than our a allergies! zeize the daday. zyrtec.

with angi, you can connect with and see ratings and reviews. and when you book and pay throug you're covered by our happiness check out angi.com today. angi... and done.

hey! if we want to build the future, we're going to need some things. like a high-speed internet connection that can turn my ideas into reality. like the skills to become the world's most powerful coder. way more space to collaborate. through project up, comcast is committing $1b to open doors for the next generation so they can build a future of unlimited possibilities.

it is wednesday, september 21st. 5 a.m. in new york. thank you so much for getting an "early start" with us. i'm kristin fischer. russian president vladimir putin just escalated his invasion of ukraine in a very big way announcing what essentially amounts to a draft calling up 300,000 military reservists starting immediately. >> translator: i think it is necessary to support the decision to partially mobilize citizens of russian federation. i would like to underl