you heard phil black there. they say this is a world gesture. what's their strategy here? is it a retreat? is it a redeployment? >> certainly the pentagon says it's more like repositioning. ukraine says it means that the russian enemies did not meet the goal of the defensive operations. this is not so much strategy as necessity. they are saying this is a war gesture, we want to progress the talks, support the talks, but actually they have to do this. they have to move these units out from kyiv and chernihiv in order to resupply. they have been forced to return to belarus to reorganize, resupply. it's a reply. this can make this a more dangerous moment. they will continue to compensate for the reduced ground capability and mass ground artillery. the teams on the ground are still there. >> nick, to you, it's clear from what claire is outlining that there's a lack of trust here. there was a genuine feeling of optimism yesterday following the peace talks in istanbul. both sides starting to make concessions. are european leaders seeing signs of real seriousness by russia? >> re

let's start with phil black. we heard there are multiple explosions in kyiv. what more are you learning about that? >> reporter: that strike last night impacted a shopping center. there was a fire. at least one person was killed. we don't know if it was the intended target. kyiv remains the primary military target for russia. you mentioned mariupol as well. that is clearly a military target for russia, blockaded and bombarded by russian forces for several weeks now. overnight, yes, they were given a proposal, others say an ultimatum, to let russian forces in. the proposal was eight pages long. at the short of it, it says lay down your weapons, everyone who does that can get out, and it was rejected straight away. they said here's your answer by a colorful expletive. they still have the same two options if they want to take this city, which they certainly appear to do. move in, try and take it by force. street fighting will be difficult and costly, or maintain the siege, continue to apply this horrendous pressure and suffering upon the civilian population. we g

phil black, cnn, lviv, ukraine. >> thanks to phil black for that report. >>> coming up, president biden rolling up his sleeves to get another covid booster shot today. his second. just as the cdc recommended for anyone 50 years old and over. but even though this age group can get another shot, should they? should people over 50 be lining up for the second booster? we're going to get an expert opinion, next. throughout history i've observed marketshaped by the intentional and unfoseeable. for vestors who can navigate leveraging gold, a strategic and sustainable asset... the path is gilded with the potential for rich returns. 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. get ready for next level entertainment. apple tv+ is now on xfinity. howdy y'all. with new apple original series and movies added every month... ...there's always something new to discover. and right now, you can get 3 months of apple tv+ free when you sign up. just say “try apple tv+” to get started

our thanks there to phil black who's live for us from ukraine. natasha bertrand in busless and kevin liptak in poland. >>> steven erlinger is with us now from budweiser lynn. good to see you as we continue to follow now going into the second month of this conflict. we were just talking about the unity among the allies. obviously it's impressive and yet we're just a month in here. what could challenge that united front, especially as we expect this to go on at least for months, if not years? >> well, i think that's right. this is grinding. this is the way russians do war. i think the whole point of biden's visit was to say, yes, we're a month in and we have a long way to go so don't get frantic now because, you know, we have 30 allies in nato. there are 27 countries in the eu. they all have different vulnerabilities. some suffer more from our sanctions on russia than perhaps even russians do. some are much more dependent on russian energy. there's a lot of pressure, even on germany, to block oil imports let alone gas imports. there's a recession c

you saw phil black's report, these horrific facts on mariupol.s this simply to destroy any resistance in that vitally important town to the russians so that they can move in without engaging in street by street combat? >> that's exactly right, anderson. that is part of what they're doing. they don't have the skills or personnel to really do that urban fighting. this is also a campaign of intimidation and terrorism. and what they want to do is use mariupol as an example to the rest of ukraine and to the world to show that putin means what he says. he's going to take it no matter the cost. he doesn't care about the civilian casualties or the rules or warfare or any humanitarian issue. he wants what he wants. he doesn't care how many people are killed. he's going to take it. that coupled with the diplomatic discussions going on with lavrov today, just another example of how the russians operate. so, the diplomatic discussions, they raise hopes in the west. they forestall decisive action by nato member states and other states. they slow things down a

our phil black asks why this is the case. stay with us.home fragrances can be... overwhelming. air wick fresh new day fills your space with fragrance that's always fresh, neverer overpowering. air wick. connect to nature. th is how you imagine your dishwasher. but it may not be as clean as you think. built up grease and limescale could be hiding in your pipes. try finish dishwasher cleaner its dual action formula hygienically cleans hidden limescale and grease in your dishwasher. finish. clean dishwasher. clean dishes. with mucinex nightshift you've got powerful relief from your worst nighttime cold and flu symptoms. so grab nightshift to fight your symptoms, get your zzz's... and get back to your rhythm. feel the power. beat the symptoms fast. >>> a mariupol school being bombed while hundreds of people shelter inside. i'm talking about another target here. this is not the theater. this word coming to us from the city council a short time ago. the statement said about 400 people were inside when the building was destroyed. we're talking ab

and our phil black in lviv, ukraine. i want to go with phil. phil, there's been a major shift what we're hearing from russia in talking about the so-called military operation as they call it. the general, russian general, now claiming that the first stage of this operation is complete. and now they're going to move their focus to the east. why the change in narrative? >> reporter: it's a good question, lynda. these comments from the russian general seem designed to recast the world's understanding of what's taking place on ukraine's battlefields. it seems to suggest almost everything from russia so far has been say deliberate diversion and distraction designed to divide and weaken ukraine's forces. this general says that russia is encircling ukraine cities, entirely or at least partially, not because it necessarily wants to take them, although he says that still may happen, he said the purpose here is to tie down ukraine's forces so that russia can focus on what it really cares about, which is, he says, the even donbas region, where russia has

phil black is awaiting the president's arrival. they want to diversify the sources of natural gas and at the same time wean europe, wean the world of using so much fossil fuels. what can you tell us? >> yeah. this had been a real sticking point between the united states and europe to confronting russia. you remember the united states banned russian oil imports but that was much harder to do in europe. far more dependent on russian oil and gas. what this task force would do is come up with strategies to find alternative sources and also for the u.s. to provide europe with its own liquefied natural gas. 15 billion fewer liters of it. trying to backfill what europe was taking from russia and trying to loosen the dependence and trying to ensure that vladimir putin isn't profiting off of europe's dependence on this gas. now when the president leaves brussels and comes to poland later today, it will really be an opportunity for him to see at much closer range some of these issues he had been talking about at nato over the last several da

but as phil black, our reporter on the ground was saying, it is within the city limits of lviv. there was another strike south of the city on some sort of repair facility. but really meters away from a residential high-rise building. just one miscalculation, one miss, and you're hitting very densely populated areas in western ukraine. what are the russians doing here? >> well, i think they're trying to destroy as much as they can of the ukrainian infrastructure, both military and civilian. i don't think it signals some kind of widening ground offensive because they've ground down even with the offensives they've launched already, so they can throw this firepower and destroy. i hope it presages what the russian ministry of defense suggested would be a pullback after all this degrading the ukrainian military as they put it. a pullback to the east, to the donbas, and a winding down of the war. >> well, i mean, from where i'm sitting, it doesn't feel at all like a winding down of the war because in the same day, we had three air raid sirens and two -- many loud explosions. i guess t

we do want to begin with cnn correspondent phil black in lviv. >> phil, this attack coming shortly before president biden's speech and the target was roughly only 250 miles away from where biden was speaking. >> yeah, that's right, boris. there are some here who think it was a message cand not a too subtle message from president biden. what this attack shows that there is nowhere in this country that is safe from russia's firepower. these were the first to take place within the crowded city limits of lviv itself. people here are a little nervous, i think, a little shaken we by this. a little quieter here, noticeably so, compared to what we have seen, in a city that has otherwise been functioning quite normally over the course of this war, with the exception of the huge intake of refugees who have fought shelter from fighting further east. this fire at the fuel depot was pretty huge. they had to fight it all night in order to bring it under control. and it was extinguished a little after sunrise this morning. the other site that was hit, we are told, by ukrainian officials, they simply des

, our thanks to phil black here in lviv. i'm going to be back in just a few minutes speaking live with a retired general wesley clark. pamela, if there was a false sense of security in this city today it was definitely shattered by those strikes. >> right. i can imagine how unnerving that must be for you, just the fact they hit that fuel depot so close to the residential area, the homes right there, close to where you are standing right now. and i imagine those air-raid sirens that go off in the city will take on a whole new meaning and sense of urgency in the wake of that strike. we'll be back with you soon, don. and with me now democratic congressman seth moulton. hi, congressman. great to have you back on the show. to start with what we heard the president saying today of putin. quote, this man cannot remain in power, and then you have the white house cleaning up his statement. do you buy the administration's cleanup that he wasn't talking about putin's power but that biden was simply saying putin can't have power over hi

. >>> i want to bring in cnn's phil black who is with me in lviv and has more on the russian push on southern part of the country. let's start with mariupol, what's happening in that city right now, that city under siege. >> it's difficult to imagine the suffering taking place here because this bombardment has been going on for weeks. 300,000 people there with very little food, water and heating. it's constant. it's around the clock, we understand. it's in that context that overnight russia made an offer, perhaps an ultimatum that says it's time to give up the fight, put down your weapons. we'll let you leave and start sending in aid right away. that's been rejected by the ukrainians in very blunt terms. that means russia has a choice. it can either continue the bombardment which seems likely, or it could potentially at some point move in and take the city street to street. it seems very likely the suffering there will continue on a vast scale. the ukrainian government says this is not for nothing. the minister of defense says what this is doing is slowing russia's efforts elsewhere

phil black, thank you very much. let's dig deeper with a senior fellow at the atlantic council and a former spokesperson for the organization for secure and cooperation in europe. also with us is cnn political analyst, josh rogin. he's a columnist at "the washington post." good morning, gentlemen. michael, i wanted to start with you, because you are in lviv. and as we just heard from phil black, those russian missile strikes unnerved a lot of the folks there. what did you see yesterday, and what's the situation like where you are now? >> thanks for having me. w well, it's a marketed change this morning than compared to a week ago. this is the third sunday on lent in the julianne calendar which orthodox christians observe here. i just popped into one of the churches here, all boarded up because of the fear of more missile strikes. a packed church. but outside, there's got to be probably only a quarter of the pedestrian traffic you would normally see, compared to about a week ago. i spoke to parking attendants and othe

phil black for us there in lviv. thanks very much, phil. >>> right now ukrainian and russian investigations are in istanbul for a new round of talks. russia's demands for a recognition of crimea's independence are major sticking points. ukraine's president zelenskyy said the obvious goal of these talks are piece as well as the restoration of normal life. ukrainian is ready to accept nonnuclear status with security guarantee. cnn has all of the angles. we have atika shubert in val valencia, spain. let's go to istanbul for arwa damon. i know the heads of delegation are on site. what can we expect to come out of this? i know president zelenskyy yesterday hinted at concessions but said he wouldn't compromise peace for territory. >> reporter: it's highly unlikely, isa, we'll see a signing of a document or more concrete outcome of the negotiations sadly although that is one of the hopes that does exist. we heard from president erdogan who addressed both delegations saying that the groundwork is there for a more concrete out

phil black, cnn, london. >> our thanks to phil black for that report. >>> moments ago the mayor of mariupole a cynical and destructive war against humanity. he accused putin of genocide for these attacks. joining us now to discuss war crimes, the possibility of prosecutions for putin's aggression, ambassador david scheffer, the former ambassador at large for war crimes issue. is now director emeritus at the center for international human rights at northwestern university. thank you for joining us. vice president harris called these, quote, atrocities of unimaginable proportions, but she deferred to the u.n. on whether they're war crimes. i mean what else could they be? they are clearly targeting civilians. >> i think the time has arrived where our officials can use the term "atrocity crimes" more liberally. they don't have to say war crimes or crimes against humanity, genocide. these are all atrocity crimes. the day will come when we define whether or not it's specifically a war crime or a crime against humanity. all of them have different standards of proof and evidence, intention, who act

phil black, cnn, london. >>> russia's foreign minister says that suffering is at the hands of someone else, not russia. >> translator: at the meeting of the u.n. security council our delegation presented facts about this maternity hospital having long been seized by the azof ba tallian and other radicals and they have driven all the pregnant women and the nurses out of it and set up a base for the ultra radical azof of ukraine. >>> two weeks after the attack of ukraine they had a bizarre recollection of the attack. >> we do not plan to attack other countries and we did not attack ukraine. >> clearly insinuating ukraine is attacking its own people. the country is wheepg a chemical weapons attack. ukraine has 80 million tons of ammonia ready for the attack. if you want to know russia's plans, look at what russia accuses others of. nina dos santos joins us from london. nina, some of these claims are so baseless and they go back a few years now. it's been circulating for quite a while. how is the u.s. and ukrainians, how are they countering this narrative from russia. >> it's not just ukr

. >> phil black joins us now live from lviv. russia has been firing on the critical coastal city from the sea of a zof. across ukraine. there is clear evidence of ukrainian forces fighting back, fighting to regain territory from russia. not just in makariv and kyiv . and at the port city of mariupol on the sea of azoff, it is increasingly difficult to get information out of that besieged city. have an accurate sense of what is happening day by day. satellite images show that the indiscriminate bombardment continues. there is clearly day by day more destruction. the deputy mayor told us that 90% of the city's infrastructure has been damaged. what it doesn't show is the suffering on the ground. the people hiding out in the buildings, still thought to be hundreds of thousands on very little food and water clearly in great fear. we heard from some days that russian naval ships have turned their weapons on mariupol as well and the u.s. defense officials believe that, yeah, there's a group of seven naval ships and several of which hav

and phil black joins us now live from lviv. good to see you, phil. there is a sense of desperation on the part of russia's military right now bogged down in their faultering war on ukraine and that, of course, means more bombardments from afar targeting civilians. what is the latest on these attacks right across the country? >> reporter: rosemary, that's the announcement to ukrainian allies. they're firing from a distance, russian forces. more often indiscriminately. when they get close to ukrainian forces, it's a tough fight. you mentioned mf akariv, that's an example. small town not far from kyiv at all where there has been intense fighting since the earliest days of this war. they're going to encircle and eventually retake the capitol, kyiv. this is another example of ukraine's spirited resistance. a lot of ukrainians. it's taking place there. >> between the shelling and airstrikes at mariupol, people even the living. handoff and beneath them . over the weekend. an art school. this is a is sense of what these large shelters are like. days later it

i'm joined by cnn's phil black. phil, we are seeing this clear effort by the ukrainians to take the fight to the russians. >> reporter: john, a real effort to regain territory they've lost. we've seen that in the capitol of mak amakariv. they describe the ukrainian fighters as agile, nimble, fighting real hard. you get a sense of that from some of the video which shows the intense firefight. a small band of ukrainian defenders under fire, returning fire. one of them standing out in the open firing a rocket propelled grenade into the distance. there is also evidence what they're up against, the russian war machine, a new video of the naval vessel off the coast of crimea firing a volley of cruz missiles at targets unknown but potentially across a wide area in the range of those weapons. we should talk about mariupol, the besieged city on the area. and they back up what we're hearing and that is the indiscriminate bombing every day. what they don't show is the suffering of the people who are hiding in the buildings and

. >> joining me here, cnn international correspondent phil black. phil, we have seen these strikes overnight. jim sciutto was just reporting, across the country, particularly the infrastructure locations. >> that's right, john. russia is continuing to show it has the will and capability to launch cruise missile strikes anywhere across the country. the focus the last few days have been support, logistical infrastructure. once again another fuel depot was hit a short distance from where we are. that's what they struck here in lviv in saturday, too. we've seen that in mykolaiv in recent days. they've also been hitting weapons storage locations in different parts of the country as well. all of this is to disrupt the supplies to ukraine's fighting units. if you interrupt their supply of fuel and weapons, you put pressure on the defense and increase the likelihood that the defense will falter. >> there will be so much focus on the sit si of azov that's been under siege. one of the things the president says, he acknowledge it is difficulty they're having in

phil black, cnn, lviv, western ukraine. >> phil, thank you very much. we appreciate that. just hours, the next round of talks with ukraine will begin in turkey. after weeks of brutal fighting, what are both sides looking for at the negotiating table? joining me now to discuss this is a former u.s. ambassador to ukraine, john hertz, senior director at the atlantic council's yeur asis center. they are saying zelenskyy would accept non-nuclear status. what would that mean in practice? >> well, it's pretty simple. one of the conditions putin has had for ending this war, this new invasion, is that ukraine establish i have to say as a neutral nation, not part of nato and not part of the west. zelenskyy in his interest of finding an horrible out for his country is going to consider this. but putin's objectives go far beyond neutrality. he wants the ukrainians to disarm so he can essentially dom dominate is country. and he also wants land that zelenskyy is not willing to give up. i have low expectations for these negotiations because negotiators don't seem to reflect putin's ideas

joining me is phil black. we're watching the military operations. maybe 20% removed from the kyiv area, what are you seeing? >> it suggests ukrainians are seeing an up tick in attacks. there is new russian hardware being relocated there. it fits what we're seeing around kyiv and chernihiv. areas where russia says it is pulling back. ukrainians say, yes, they believe that's the case. 20% of russian hardware around the capitol of kyiv has been moved back into belarus. the assumption is they'll be reblen fished. you do have this movement taking place. what that does not mean yet is russia has given up on assaulting the capitol, its outskirts or the other city of chernihiv. what we're hearing is artillery strikes in particular still continues. >> mariupol. i want to preface this by saying we've been here before. both the russians and ukrainians are saying a humanitarian corridor has opened up with a number of buses being brought in to get civilians out. what's the hope at least here? >> the hope is this could be the first attempt to get a fleet of buses

phil black, cnn, london. >> thank you for that. i want to bring in cedrs cedric leighton. biden will announce a new package of assistance for ukraine, including more javelins and stinger missiles but stopping short of a no fly zone. why does this assistance mean so much for ukrainians? >> let's take a look, don, at this and good evening to you. this is the javelin anti tank guided missile system. so again, it's designed to go against tanks. it's a 3.6, 3.5-foot long missile shoulder fired. key thing, shoulder fired. a single soldier can operate this missile. so this is extremely important and as far as the range goes, it is 8200 feet -- it has a range of 8200 feet. it can go that far. over a mile and a half and can do that quite well. now, as far as the air part is concerned, this is the stinger missile and a stinger is basically a manned portable air defense system as it says here. it's five feet long with a maximum range of five miles and can reach an altitude of 5,500 feet. this is the key thing. it's a heat seeking anti-aircraft missile. so as a heat seeking missile, i

phil black, cnn, lviv, ukraine. >> all right, phil. now to some of the disturbing video, russian troops opening fire on protesters. this is in the city of kherson. it's hard to watch. ben wedeman joins me now. what are we learning about the attacks on innocent protesters? >> reporter: we've been in touch with a woman who shot some of this video. she said this has been going on every day at noon in kherson, occupied by the russians. the only major city occupied by the russians since the beginning of march. they've been going there, chanting go home, basically protesting peacefully against the russians. in the past, sometimes the russian soldiers were shooting in the air. today, they threw stun grenades and fired live ammunition at people in the crowd. we see some video of a man who is bleeding profusely from his leg. but this just shows that even if the russians are iebl to take control of certain areas, the population simply is not accepting their presence. >> and there's conflicting reports about how many russian soldiers have died in

phil black reports. >> it's impossible not to notice.arry a distijtive mark. trucks, tanks, logistical vehicles. the they are advancing through ukraine with the letter z painted in white. the people being invaded have noticed. here in the eastern ukrainian town, an angry crowd swarms after and attacks a single vehicle. it's only obvious connection to the war, the letter z. >> it's almost certainly some kind of tactical group. there's a million different theories about what it means, but i think it's a marking. easy to mark. like a square or triangle. >> in a war where the want to be conquerers are not flying their national flag, that single character has taken on special significance. at a recent gymnastics world cup event, a 20-year-old competitor accepted his bronze medal wearing a z on his chest. he was standing next to a ukrainian athlete. the sports governing body described it as shocking behavior, but how do you describe this? terminally ill children and their carers formed a giant z outside a hospice in the russian city. >> it's d

we'll start our coverage in lviv in western ukraine where phil black is. phil, in kyiv the capital, there's an intense firefight and air raid sirens are happening all the time now. what's the latest? >> reporter: abby, around kyiv and other places, too, but particularly around the capital we are seeing fierce resistance turning into something more, turning into counterattacks, and they are effective counterattacks that in particular have regained territory to the west and northwest of the capital of kyiv this is extraordinary really. not a scenario people were talking about a month ago when the war began, the idea of the ukrainians actually fighting back and regaining ground and territory in this way and it's potentially significant if they're able to hold this ground, perhaps consolidate those gains but that's a big if. it is significant because it would allow them to slow down and even prevent plans to encircle, get close to and take the capital, which analysts still believe is russia's intention. these sorts of gains slow down that effort. can they maint

. >> our phil black is in lviv, ukraine. so, phil, let's start with the attacks that we've been seeing there where you are. i know you've been out reporting on one attack on a fuel depot there yesterday. and i believe russian authorities briefed on those attacks today. what's the latest? >> reporter: well, kim, there were two clear -- well, there are some clear dynamics that are established and playing out in this war almost every day. and one of them is russia using its undeniable superiority in terms of air power and missiles and so forth to be able to strike at specific targets, almost at will, almost anywhere across this vast country. and we saw that yesterday here in lviv, with those multiple strikes on two targets. one was a fuel depot. the other one has been described business ukrainian authorities only as military infrastructure. but the russians now reporting on those attacks say that the other target was a radio repair plant of some kind. but there is -- these are just simply the latest in russia's very specific str

phil black, cnn, london. >> phil, thank you. and thank you for watching, everyone.. [coins falling] the zebra compares the top ...insurance companies ...so you could save over 900 dollars on car and home insurance. that's a lot of cash. [gurgling] compare and save today at thezebra.com i've always focused on my career. but when we found out our son had autism, his future became my focus. lavender baths always calmed him. so we turned bath time into a business. ♪ and building it with my son has been my dream job. ♪ at northwestern mutual, our version of financial planning helps you live your dreams today. find a northwestern mutual advisor at nm.com ♪ ♪ ♪ hey google. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> this is cnn breaking news. >> hello and welcome to our viewers in the united states and all around the world. i'm michael holmes coming to you live from lviv in ukraine. russia again proposing a limited ceasefire in five ukrainian cities set to take effect in just a few hours from now. another chance to get civilians out and aid supplies in. now it include

for more on these developments we have a phil black in ukraine and kevin is in poland. i'll start with you, kevin -- oh, phil, actually who's in lviv. good to have you with us, phil. so we're seeing a major shift in the way russia is reporting the war in ukraine. a top russian general now saying that the first stage of this so-called operation is complete and that the focus is going to turn to the east. what should we make about this changing narrative we're hearing from russia? >> it's really hard to say, linda. these comments from the top russian general suggests everything we've seen in the war so far from russia has been a deliberate diversion, an attempt to distract, divide and weaken ukraine's forces. he says russia has been encircling ukrainian cities not because it wants to take them although he says they may still do but the purpose to tie-down ukraine forces so that russia can focus on what it really wants which is establishing greater control in the eastern donbas region where russia has recognized the independence of two break aways, so-called peoples republi

phil black live with me in lviv. the news around the city seems to be these ukranian forces seeming to make progress. >> in the west, there's been intense fighting since the early days of the war. yesterday we were seeing video from the local police chief who was able to revisit that area again because ukraine has reclaimed it, they've gained control, they've taken that territory back from russia. it's completely devastated. it's still under bombardment. west of kyiv in irpin, there was real pressure in the early days. that was humanitarian exodus in there. they're back working in that region and the ukranian forces are back in control of about 80% of it. all of this is encouraging in that sense, because what it means, at the very least, it slows russia's attempts to surround the capitol. switching to mariupol, that southern city that is under siege, under bombardment, has been for weeks, we do have these aerial pictures that show a lifeless city, or at least that section of it. it matches what we're seeing from sate

phil black is live. let's start with what more can you tell us about the video we have watched. >> reporter: officials are giving us a more accurate idea of what happened in the theater on the day it was struck. that was an march 16th. it's taken time to piece it together. there's no real government services in the city anymore. they believe there were some 900 people in total, of which 600 survives. 300 were killed. those who died were mostly on the upper floor and mostly to one side of the theater. you can see from the picture, the video that people are walking out covered in dust and debris but walking downstairs and part of the building that appears to be standing. there's video of another section of the building which is clearly where the explosion took place. it has been torn apart. there the person shooting the video says this is where people are lining up just a short time before. remember, this is the building where people had written in very large letters outside the russian world, for children

phil black, cnn, london. >>> much more from ukraine, coming up.osemary church over to you, my friend. >> thank you, michael. appreciate it. >>> well, countries around the world are cutting ties with russia as it escalates attacks in ukraine. but not china. after the break, why chinese state media sounds a lot like russian media. >>> plus, are sanctions on russia also affecting china? the precarious position some chinese businesses find themselves in, and will it cause china to change its tune on the invasion? s, fingersticks can be a real challenge. that's why i use the freestyle libre 2 system. with a painless, one-second s scan i know my y glucose numbers without fingersticks. now i'm managing my diabetes s 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 ♪the zebra♪ been getting a lot of calls like this lately. [coins falling] the zebra compares the top ...insurance companies ...so you could save over 900 dollars on car and home

phil black has the story. you some images in report are graphic. >> reporter: the russian military says it's in control of the port. that fiercely burning ship suggests otherwise. the landing vessel began exploding. not long after sunrise. other boats and warships can be seen scrambling to get away from the fire. as debris falls in the water around them. ukraine says it destroyed the boat and the fire spread to weapons. ukraine hasn't revealed what weapons it used to carry out the attack. >> fiercely fought the territory in the east. local man inspects what's left of his city. pointing out bodies when he sees them. while shells continue to fall nearby. russia military says all this is in their control now. ukraine says the fight isn't over. driving through mariupol is an apock lip tick experience. bodies and debris lie on the road. someone is shooting. the driver slams his foot down to get away. being outside in this besieged city is dangerous. after weeks of russia's blockade and bombardment, people have no c

putin is also going into heavy support areas. >> all right, our thanks to phil black for that report. we've got our technical issues figured out. we want to bring in maria sabre. thank you so much for joining us right now. i want your take on what president biden said. president biden said, vladimir putin, this man cannot remain in power. it's caused quite a controversy in the u.s. i fear we lost her shot again. can you still hear me? hopefully we'll get her back in a second. in the meantime, we'll take a quick break. our special live coverage continues right after this.. uh-. $0 copays s on virtual visits for primary care and d mental health. tatake advantage now. wow! this is how you imagine your dishwasher. but it may not be as clean as you think. built up grease and limescale could be hiding in your pipes. try finish dishwasher cleaner its dual action formula hygienically cleans hidden limesle and grease in your dishwasher. finish. clean dishwasher. clean. ♪ ♪ it's electric... made extraordinary. ingenuity... in motion. it listens, learns, adapts and anticipates your every need. w

. >> cnn international correspondent phil black with me here in lviv. phil, we're getting our first look or additional look at some of the devastation in mariupol. >> that's right, john. we know some of the basic facts, that mariupol has been under siege for four weeks, that 90% of the buildings have been damaged or destroyed, 90% of the homes, i should say. we've seen the images and now we have satellite images that put that in context. this is what the statistics mean. they show not just individual buildings, but because of the high, wide bird's-eye view, we see whole blocks in residential areas just simply gone, destroyed, in ruins. the damage is really extraordinary and it's difficult to see the fire power that achieves that. there are still around 600,000 people. it is a dire humanitarian situation, and it is ongoing and it's not at an end. >> we've heard reports, including from some victims, that ukranians are being killed or injured by land mines, the presence of land mines around the country. i talked to a 15-year-old boy who said he lost his mot

phil black, cnn, lviv, western ukraine. >>> well, i will have more from lviv at the top of the hour.osemary church at the cnn center. rosemary. >> thank you so much, hala. appreciate it. >>> well, still to come. amid the outpouring of social media posts from ukraine, one group is trying to use that information to turn the tide of war against russia. >> putin's whole strategy of war and his way of thinking are analog and we hope a thing of the past and here is what the future looks like. it's happening now. the world is watching. and documenting what he's doing. >>> after the break, more on the online army using video, like this, to help ukraine. ♪ 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 scan 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 >>> welcome back, ever

phil black, cnn, lviv, ukraine. >> a closer look now at the russian military's performance in ukraine. assessments from both the nato and the united states claim that the kremlin's campaign is stalled on the ground, which is leading to an uptick in the air strikes and longer-range missile attacks, as well. and the pentagon says that is causing more widespread destruction and the increased targeting of civilians. a russian tabloid reported on monday that the russian defense ministry reported nearly 10,000 deaths so far in ukraine, so there is some acknowledgment on the russian side of these heavy losses. a short time later, however, that report had vanished. the director of the international security program at the laurie institute. he is with us from sydney. first, let me ask you about this recapturing according to ukrainian forces of makariv close to kyiv. what do you make of it? >> look, i think alongside a lot of the other news we are getting, it -- it strongly suggests that the -- that the russian campaign is stalled. um, the problem with all these -- um -- you know, bits of infor

phil black shows us. >> reporter: it's impossible not to notice.russian vehicles invading ukraine carry a distinctive mark. trucks, tanks, fighting, engineering and logistical vehicles, they are advancing through ukraine with the letter "z" painted conspicuously in white. the people being invaded for noticed. here in the eastern ukrainian town an angry crowd swarms after and attacks a single vehicle. it's only obvious connection to the war, the letter "z." >> it's almost certainly some kind of tactical grouping. there's a million different theories what "z" means, but i think it's just a mark because the easy thing to mark is like a square or triangle. >> reporter: in a war where wanny be conquers are not flying their national flag that has taken on significance. he was standing next to a ukrainian athlete. the sports governing body described it as shocking behavior, but how do you describe this? terminally ill children and their carers formed a giant "z" outside a hospice in the russian cit city. >> it's dangerous when small little symbols become

joining me now, cnn's phil black live in lviv. right on cue, i think that's the beginning of an air raid siren about to go off. >> yeah, it sounds like it. while there is some evidence russia has began moving some units and equipment north across the boarder into belarus, broadly across the battle front and across the country sirens have been going off, rocket fire, artillery fire has been felt everywhere notably around chernihiv and kyiv. this is a goodwill gesture to create an atmosphere where talks with prosper. overwhelmingly the consensus is that goodwill gesture is a cover for the acceptance of reality on the ground, which is these are the areas where russian forces have failed in their tasks of seizing these things quickly. in the case of kyiv, also failing to encircle the capitol once their attempts have failed. the ukrainian response is to assume these forces are being pulled out to resupply, lick their wounds in the words of one official and redeploy. the question is where? russia said it wants to focus the efforts in th

phil black, cnn, lviv, ukraine. >>> well, the u.s. is getting ready to accept a new wave of ukrainian refugees. we'll have details on that story, plus a major increase in humanitarian aid. stay with us for that. we'll be right back. you're watching cnn. (johnny cash) ♪ i've traveled every road in this here land! ♪ ♪ i've been everywhere, man. ♪ ♪ i've been everywhere, man. ♪ ♪ crossed the desert's bare, man. ♪ ♪ i've breathed the mountain air, man. ♪ ♪ of travel i've had my share, man. ♪ ♪ i've been everywhere. ♪ ♪ i've been to: pittsburgh, parkersburg, ♪ ♪ gravelbourg, colorado, ♪ ♪ ellensburg, cedar city, dodge city, what a pity. ♪ ♪ i've been everywhere, man. ♪ ♪ i've been everywhere, man. ♪ ♪ i've been everywhere. ♪ since suzie's got goals, she'll want a plan to reach them. so she'll get some help from fidelity, and she'll feel so good about her plan, she can focus on living it. that's the planning effect, from fidelity. plain aspirin could be hurting your stomach. vazalore 325 liquid-filled aspirin capsule is clinically shown in

phil black, cnn, lviv, ukraine. >> just unbelievable to see the rubble there. i want to bring in cnn military analyst and retired air force colonel cedric leighton. you can see this video. how do you live in a place if people come back with no infrastructure? it's blown out and gone? >> absolutely, don. that's something as modern people who live in cities and live in urban areas is really hard for us to understand that all of that can go away and this is really proof of that. it's quite amazing, actually. >> we just had the video up of the sinking russian warship that's extraordinary and an attack -- it's an important russian asset that was attacked and destroyed. >> yeah, absolutely. in fact, let me show you a little bit about that. this is the type of warship that we're talking about here. this is an amphibious warship, the alligator class. the actual name of the ship is the orsk. the same types of ships are the ones we talked about awhile back that went between the islands and you can see they've got about 15 trucks on each of these ships right here and when

phil black, cnn, london. >> thanks for watching, everyone, spending part of your day with me. holmes live in lviv, ukraine. our breaking news continues in a moment. >>> this war was one man's choice and one man alone. >> it's a war of all nationalities. >> silence the guns. >> we want just peace. >> hello and welcome to viewers and all around the school, i am michael holmes live at lviv.

i want to bring in cnn international correspondent phil black. phil, while that's happening in mariupol and we're watching that very closely, it is not far from where there does appear to be a new increase in russian military activity, and this is in the east, in the donbas region. >> that's what we're hearing from ukrainian military officials in the east, in the donetsk region, we noticed a big uptick in fighting and another concerning allegation over the use of phosphorous weapons in civilian areas. russia hasn't responded to these allegations before, yet to respond to this one, but that illegal under international law. in kharkiv, they talked about a massive increase overnight. one official said they were attacked by russian rockets almost 400 times. which is an extraordinary figure. and they attribute this sudden uptick to new troops moving into the region on russia's side and joining the fight. it helps build this picture of a transition that we are seeing across the various battle fronts, where, yes, russia says it is focusing attention on t

. >>> cnn's phil black joins me here in lviv. you heard brianna talk about president zelenskyy. skeptical i think of the talks between the ukrainians and the russians, or at least cautious. >> maybe even dismissive. he said they're just words. that is what he is seeing, what his military is seeing so far. russia, in its goodwill gesture for the peace talks, is pulling back forces from chernihiv. but on the ground the bombardment continues even though ukrainian officials, u.s. forces are being pulled back. some are being sent across the border north to belarus. the belief is they are being resupplied and they will be sent back to the east. that is where ukrainian officials are already seeing an uptick in the intensity of violence that is taking place there. largely because of they're seeing russian hardware moved into that location. it is adding to the density of that fight, they say. the ukrainians are still pushing back. we were talking about chernihiv a while ago. that is where the ukrainians say they have reta ttaken ground. they are trying to break the blockade where there i

cnn's phil black takes a look at why the invasion is not unfolding the way russia predicted. >> reporter: russian munitions are still having a devastating impact on civilians in key cities. in mariupol, in the capital kyiv. but russian forces are still making little progress advancing across ukrainian territory. the core u.s. assessment hasn't changed for much of the war. >> the kremlin's forces remain stalled in many areas. >> reporter: and experts agree almost three weeks in, russia is in trouble. >> no wars go according to plan. the problem is that russia's plan was extremely bad. >> reporter: the key question, why? >> i would argue it is a mix of everything. it is a failed or botched concept of operation with plenty of wrong assumptions about the very nature of the battlefield, russia believing in a way that ukrainians would capitulate or ukraine would crumble. >> reporter: experts believe russia's failure to secure a quick, definitive win, has revealed another major flaw in its planning. >> russia's out of available combat forces to put into this fight. >> reporter: analysts say rus

phil black, thank you very much for that. erica? jim?john, thank you. >>> officials in mykolaiv say at least 20 people are dead following the attack that left this massive hole in an administration building on tuesday. >> keep in mind what we're seeing here. multiple cities in ukraine, russia's deliberating attacking civilian targets. civilians are dying, it's happening every day. cnn international correspondent ben wedeman is there. so ben, i mean, we had you at the site of that attack earlier this week in and around there. can you explain to folks at home exactly where these bombs and missiles and rockets are falling and who's suffering as a result? >> reporter: well, specifically, jim, this was on the regional governor's headquarters, which is in the heart of the city. literally in the heart of the city. it is surrounded by apartment buildings, home to civilian residents and we saw that just row after every floor blasted, windows shattered. and in fact, this is the regional governor's office. this is civilian's office. this is not a m

cnn's phil black has more on the latest fighting. >> reporter: on the same day russia said it would limit attacks on chernihiv, its forces rained munitions down across shopping and residential areas. russia's purported goodwill gesture didn't prevent another difficult, painful night for this city. the town's mayor says russia increased the intensity of its strikes. he said 25 people were wounded in a colossal attack. chernihiv is cut off, surrounded. the ukrainian defenders are holding off russia's soldiers while russia's shells and rockets crash down from above. this ukrainian soldier says he's embarrassed he believes stories of russia's power. their only advantage, he says, they fight well against civilians. artiem is scared. he's 18. he was struck down by a russian shell while walking in the center of chernihiv. he's being moved to another facility in a car that wasn't designed for passengers like him. volunteer ambulance drivers are now a vital service as russia's bombardment tears apart the city and the people who live here one blast at a time. this is another area russia said it was

phil black, cnn, lviv, ukraine. >> so much misery and pain. the united nations says russia's war on ukraine has driven nearly 3.5 million people out of the country. take a look at the map. the vast majority are heading west to neighboring countries and if you include those who are displaced internally but still in ukraine, the number jumps to at least 10 million people driven from their homes. that is almost, to put it in perspective, a quarter of ukraine's population now forced from their homes. the u.n. says more than 90% of the people who fled ukraine are women and children and they are at a, quote, heightened risk of gender-based violence and other forms of exploitation and abuse. poland has registered the highest number of ukrainian refugees so far with more than 2.1 million people crossing as of monday. the u.n. says poland is now one of the largest refugee-hosting countries in the world and it happened almost overnight. many of them are continuing their journey to other european countries. cnn's ed lavandera shows us one polish couple o

cnn's phil black reports. >> translator: our plans are not to occupy ukraine.to impose ourselves on anyone. >> reporter: with those false words, the unthinkable began. violence, destruction, and suffering rained down on ukraine and its people. in this new time of horrors, people sheltered underground or risked being bombed in their homes. vast numbers had little choice but to flee. their leader had a choice but decided to stay. the president is here, he said from the streets of kyiv. russia's firepower, its vastly greater numbers, failed to make quick early progress. some of the first russian units to try pushing in to major cities were wiped out. while advanced weapons supplied by allies added to russian' losses, here knocking an attack helicopter out of the sky. vladimir putin insisted russians and ukrainians are one people. ukrainian civilians showed they disagreed by chasing russian vehicles, lying down before them, climbing on top of them. even defying russian gunfire to peacefully protest the invasion. b while ukraine's spirited resistance inspired the wo

phil black, cnn, lviv, ukraine. >> thank you very much, phil.'s get some more now in the battle for ukrainian capital. our cnn chief anchor christiane amanpour is joining us from there. the pentagon says, what about 20% of russian forces that have been repositioned around kiev are sort of falk back right now. but there is still heavy fighting around the capital. are you there in kiev. what are you seeing? >> reporter: well, exactly. we do not believe that the russians have an intention of coming any further in. that we know has been established the last couple weeks. but there has been a huge amount of fighting and long range artillery battles really on the outskirts. so we went to the town of bovary, it's north of the center. it's an outskirt. it's been attacked twice in the matter of about a week by missiles and we saw the factory that was really a depo, a few depo, really get the brunt of it. >> reporter: this happened at almost exactly the same time that the russians were announcing their deescalation around kiev. this missile struck right h