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Ukraine: North Korea Sent 8,000 Plus Troops to Russia, Including Drone Unit; Iran's President Says War Should End Now While Tehran is Strong; Flock Surveillance Cameras Triggering Protests, Vandalism. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired August 21, 2026 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[14:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Ukrainian officials are confirming at least 14 people are dead. Over a hundred injured in a Russian double tap strike on a shopping center in central Ukraine. Footage geolocated by CNN shows an explosion, a drone hitting a shopping center.

You can see the fireball ripping through the sky. You can also see smoke in the air from the apparent earlier strike. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the drone struck in two waves with the second strike targeting emergency responders.

The new attack comes as Ukraine is running painfully short on air defenses. And now Russia's aerial strikes could be getting a significant boost. According to a senior Ukrainian intelligence official, a new wave of North Korean troops already in Russia contains a drone unit that could attack targets inside Ukraine.

[14:35:00]

Let's go to CNN chief international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh. Nick, what more are you learning about the surge of North Korean troops?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Boris, forgive me. Just I think it's worth pausing for a moment on the incident you first described -- the absolute horror in Kryvyi Rih earlier on today in the daytime. That's President Zelenskyy's hometown.

A shopping center, peak hours, 14 dead, 121 injured, 22 of them children, and here, Russia, it seems, using jet-powered drones, very fast, flying low, hard to stop, with a 30-minute purposeful gap between the first strike on a clear civilian target and the next strike designed to hit first responders. A sign, really, of how this war is escalating fast. And the North Korean continued and renewed reinforced contribution towards Russia's forces is a sign of that.

A quick reminder, back in October 2024, the first North Korean troops arrived, 10,000, nearly 4,000 of them dead or injured in their work there, trying to defend the Kursk region of Russia from Ukrainian assault and invasion. Now it seems 8,500 new troops are indeed on Russian territory again, there to reinforce the back line, basically, to free up Russian troops to go forwards and assault on Ukrainian territory. But these new troops come with new capabilities, with the knowledge and training of Ukraine's very different type of warfare that their predecessors in October 2024 and since have gained, but also a 400-person strong drone unit, which Ukrainian intelligence officials believe may do recon and indeed attack missions on Ukrainian territory.

That's key, because otherwise they've stayed in Russia proper. And also 290 personnel who will assist in North Korean ballistic missile launches from the Russian town of Voronezh, hitting inside Ukraine. That's key, because Ukraine has been pleading to the United States and its allies for Patriot interceptor missiles.

They're pretty much out. And these North Korean ballistic missiles arriving now and their dozens with personnel to assist are really helping Russia in exploiting that gap. And that horrific death we've seen now, death toll rising of 14 in Kryvyi Rih, a sign, really, of Russia exploiting that weakness -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much for that update -- Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Let's discuss now with Leon Panetta, who of course served as Defense Secretary and CIA Director under President Obama. I mean, this sobering report that we just heard from Nick Paton Walsh there, this North Korean drone unit, these ballistic missiles as well. What does this mean for a war that's already so focused on drone warfare and for Ukraine, especially being so short already when it comes to missile interceptors?

LEON PANETTA, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, what it makes clear is that we're dealing with an axis of adversaries. China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, all are helping each other. All are working together.

North Korea in particular has been doing that with Russia, providing 10,000 fighters and now providing these additional units with drones. And, you know, the United States, frankly, and the President has kind of taken an upside-down approach to dealing with our enemies. He attacks our allies and at the same time tries to appease our enemies.

He just spent last week talking about Kim Jong Un and canceling our exercises in South Korea. So he's got to recognize, the United States has to recognize that this axis of nations is committed to one thing and one thing only, which is to undermine the United States of America. All four of these countries are enemies and we have to treat them like enemies.

HILL: And yet, to your point, the President talking about Kim Jong Un, saying they understand one another, they have this great relationship, that he understands Kim Jong Un, they'll be meeting this year. It's important to note their past three meetings bore no fruit for the United States. North Korea, in fact, has only increased its nuclear weapons capabilities since then.

In some ways, similar language that we've heard in the past, the President used when it comes to Vladimir Putin, as you're talking about this axis as you lay it out. If this, as you put it, upside-down approach doesn't change, what happens?

PANETTA: I think what happens is it weakens the United States of America. It basically makes clear that the United States is operating alone in the world, that we're not going to build strong alliances.

[14:40:00]

Look, since World War II, whether we've had a Democratic or Republican president, they've all agreed on basic principles, that we've got to provide world leadership, that we have to build strong alliances, that we have to maintain a strong military, and that we have to stand up to tyrants. You don't appease tyrants. This president has done the reverse.

You know, he's backed away from world leadership. He's basically criticized and weakened our alliances. And he has not stood up to tyrants, whether it's Putin, whether it's Xi, whether it's Kim Jong Un.

I mean, even now in Iran, the likelihood is that a regime, a hardline regime, is likely to be able to advance their strength as a result of that war. So almost on every front, the United States is operating alone, and as a result of that, I think, appears weaker in the world.

HILL: In terms of the U.S. position, I do want to get your take on something that we heard out of Iran. Iran's president today saying it would be better if the war would just end now, while Tehran is in a position of strength. When you hear those comments, especially as there are some indications, right, that Iran may be starting to feel a bit of this economic squeeze from the U.S., how do you read not only those comments from the president, but the decision to put them out now?

PANETTA: I think both parties are in a stalemate right now. And I know they're all kind of making motions. The United States is trying to apply some economic pressure.

Iran continues to close the Straits of Hormuz, putting economic pressure on the United States, and basically firing missiles at our allies in the Arab world. Both are hoping the other side will give. I don't see that happening.

Our intelligence makes clear that economic pressure alone is not going to have Iran be willing to come to any kind of agreement on ending the war. And so what I see right now is a prescription for a prolonged war that's going to continue and will continue to, frankly, hurt the United States economically, but also in terms of our strength in the world. The rest of the world is looking at the situation in Iran, and what they see is the possibility of another lost war.

That would really hurt credibility of America in the world that we're dealing with, which is very dangerous.

HILL: Secretary Leon Panetta, always appreciate your insight and your perspective. Thank you.

PANETTA: Thank you.

HILL: Still to come here, the growing outrage now turning into full-on destruction, protests, vandalism, all targeting the controversial Flock cameras around the country.

[14:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: You could say that opposition to Flock surveillance cameras has reached a galactic level. This week, one protester invoked Darth Vader at a San Diego City Council meeting to make his point against Flock cameras, which track license plates and other vehicle data. Watch this clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The emperor is a fan of Flock, and we must continue utilizing Flock technologies so that we can follow and surveil the rebel scum as they move from playground to playground, from playground to pool, from pool to gymnasium, because we all know that the Flock cameras are not only following the license plate readers, they are following children. They are following children in parks and gymnasiums, and we need this. I need this so I can stalk my ex- girlfriend.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Who's Darth Vader's ex-girlfriend? Meeting attendees could be heard laughing at Vader's support, but the opposition against Flock cameras has become a serious movement, despite law enforcement defending Flock cameras as major crime-fighting tools. CNN's Meena Duerson sat down with one masked activist called NoMark to understand what's driving this backlash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MEENA DUERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So we're in downtown Minneapolis where hundreds of people have come out to protest against Flock.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: F***k Flock cameras, bro, I hate those things.

DUERSON: They're protesting what they say is surveillance that they didn't sign up for.

CROWD: No more (INAUDIBLE)! No more (INAUDIBLE)!

DUERSON: One of the biggest faces of this protest calls himself NoMark. He says he's a masked vigilante who's saving the country from Flock.

DUERSON (voice-over): Flock license plate cameras use AI to track vehicles. Police contract with the company using its national database to find stolen cars and missing people. But dozens of officers are now accused of misusing the data, like a cop investigators say searched for his ex 717 times. In videos that have gotten millions of views, NoMark destroys the cameras, making him a hero to a growing following angry over surveillance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go, let's go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I took down a Flock camera in honor of you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you actually?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes, yes, bro, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, look at that.

DUERSON: Oh wow, someone got this one.

NOMARK, ANTI-FLOCK ACTIVIST: Someone beat me to it. It seemed like, you know, every like week I would see a new article about how these cameras are being misused, how they're being used to stalk people.

DUERSON: When you hear law enforcement talk about all the uses, you know, for these cameras, what's your reaction?

NOMARK: Flock cameras haven't been here forever. Crimes, they can solve crimes without them. But I think for every crime that these cameras solve, there's 10 issues with them.

[14:50:00]

DUERSON: What to you makes these cameras different? Because there's surveillance cameras everywhere.

NOMARK: They can look up exactly where you've been. It stores your information. Like, if they put it in your license plate, they can have it, you know, this person is right here right now.

DUERSON: So you feel like it's too much information?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's way too much information. I think it's way too powerful, especially, you know, you don't even need a warrant to search it. You can look up anyone, even if they're, you know, suspected of a crime or not.

DUERSON: Flock is one of a handful of companies that make ALPRs, which is an automated license plate reader. And they work by capturing when your vehicle goes past them, the license plate, but also any markings on the vehicle that are distinguishing.

Flock says they have over 120,000 cameras across 49 states.

DUERSON (voice-over): Anger against Flock has now reached a fever pitch. We found its cameras have been vandalized in more than 33 states. Earlier this month in Winona, Minnesota, police announced that every single Flock camera in town had been stolen.

DUERSON: This is one of the eight cameras that Winona police say were cut down by vandals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (BEEP) the Flock cameras.

DUERSON: Did you get that? This guy just drove by and shouted, (BEEP) the Flock cameras. That seems like basically the sentiment that led to these getting chopped down in the middle of the night.

JEROME CHRISTENSON, WINONA, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL MEMBER: Yes, that's the post. You bet you.

DUERSON: So somebody just cut this off?

CHRISTENSON: Just got up here and ...

DUERSON (voice-over): Jerome Christenson is on the city council here in Winona.

DUERSON: What do you think should happen?

CHRISTENSON: I'd put them back right where they were. I think that they provide a useful tool for our local police catching the bad guys.

DUERSON: Do you think that these are legitimate concerns that people are having?

CHRISTENSON: Of course they are. AI is creeping into our everyday lives. We're on the edge of the profoundly unfamiliar.

DUERSON (voice-over): Nearly two weeks after the cameras were stolen, Winona police announced they would not be replaced.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, so I am prepared to talk about the horrors of Flock cameras and surveillance, et cetera. I'm now going to say thank you to all of you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While I don't like rewarding bad behavior, I'm glad to see the Flock cameras gone.

CHRISTENSON: For the moment, we're not going to rush out and buy new cameras and put them up and make a big deal out of it. Just let it settle down. It'll go away.

DUERSON: Do you think people are going to forget about this?

CHRISTENSON: Oh yes, yes, yes. As soon as the football season starts. If the Vikings start winning, nobody in Winona is going to pay a whole hell of a lot of attention.

DUERSON (voice-over): Last week, Flock announced changes to address criticisms, shortening the time the company stores data and adding safeguards to flag inappropriate lookups. In an interview with CNN, CEO Garrett Langley apologized to those who felt they'd been victimized by the technology.

GARRETT LANGLEY, FOUNDER & CEO, FLOCK: I'm sorry that the system has failed you. I'm sorry that you no longer trust the police department that's job is to protect you.

DUERSON: Does Flock take accountability?

LANGLEY: I think the whole industry does. You know, we have an obligation to make everyone feel safe.

DUERSON (voice-over): But the backlash shows no sign of slowing down. Anti-Flock activists behind the page DeFlock say they've tracked over 100 cities who've stopped using the cameras. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are now calling for the cameras to be regulated or even banned.

DUERSON: Do you think that there is a movement towards this kind of vigilante justice? You think it's like a dangerous way to go?

NOMARK: I think a lot of people feel that the system is not working right now. So people are starting to take it into their own hands. I mean, I wish people didn't have to do that.

You know, I wish the system just worked. I think it is a little dangerous. I think it's a little scary that people do this. But, I mean, I do think it's nice to see people fighting back.

DUERSON (voice-over): Meena Duerson, CNN, Minneapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Our thanks to Meena.

Coming up, zoo vets and cancer specialists come together to help save a python in a way that's never been tried before. The slithery details when we come back.

[14:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. We begin with a reptile recovery not seen before. Britain's Chester Zoo reports that this 15-foot python named Jodie Foster is thriving after receiving a cancer therapy usually only given to humans.

Jodie is believed to be the first snake in the world to receive what's called electrochemotherapy. It was used to help fight a malignant tumor in her jawbone, combining electrical pulses and a specific cancer drug. The zoo says that months after the treatment, Jodie is cancer-free and back to her bright and feisty self.

Also, the world's oldest person has 117 reasons to celebrate. Today is U.K. native Ethel Caterham's birthday. The Guinness World Record says she is the first British person ever to live that long.

Caterham says she spent the day celebrating with her friends and family, and she got one major birthday well-wish from the world's oldest man who lives in Brazil and is 113 years old. Meantime, the Nashville Zoo going bananas over some new residents.

Meet Miso, Matcha, and May. These baby spider monkeys are receiving around-the-clock care at the zoo nursery after they were rescued from some illegal wildlife trade. Mexican spider monkeys are heavily trafficked across the U.S.-Mexico border. Poachers often kill their moms and steal their babies to sell them.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched the Wildlife Confiscations Network in 2023, placing rescued animals, including spider monkeys like these, into safe and professionally managed environments like the Nashville Zoo. Quite cute.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

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