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Ukraine Claims Strike on Russian Black Sea Flagship; Interview with Finnish Prime Minister on Potential NATO Membership; WTO Slashes Global Trade Outlook for 2022. Aired 10-10:40a ET

Aired April 14, 2022 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): I'm Becky Anderson, coming to you live from London. Hello and welcome to the show. You're watching CONNECT

THE WORLD.

And today on the show, an interview with the foreign minister of Finland, as that country considers membership in NATO.

And I'll speak to the director general of the World Trade Organization about the impact that Russia's war on Ukraine is having on trade around the

world.

Plus, next hour, we'll go live to Kyiv and speak to the U.N.'s crisis coordinator for Ukraine, as nine humanitarian corridors do open for today.

First up, the very latest for you. Russia has suffered a crucial blow to the heart of its Black Sea fleet as the brutal war in Ukraine marches on

for a 55th day. We're getting conflicting reports of what exactly happened to the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet.

Moscow claims the vessel remains afloat but sailors have evacuated due to a fire on board. Ukraine taking credit, saying it was struck by one of its

anti-ship missiles and started to sink.

The Pentagon weighed in earlier today, saying the boat is still above water and is now heading east. Spokesperson John Kirby spoke to my colleague,

Brianna Keilar, earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADM. JOHN KIRBY (RET.), PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: We do assess that there was an explosion, at least one explosion on this cruiser; a fairly major

one at that, that has caused extensive damage to the ship.

We assess that the ship is able to make its own way and it is doing that. It is heading more toward now, we think, the east. We think it is going to

be putting in at probably Sebastopol for repairs.

The ship was operating with a few other Russian naval vessels, about 60 miles south of Odessa. The explosion was sizable enough that we picked up

indications that other naval vessels around her tried to come to her assistance.

Eventually that wasn't apparently needed. So she is making her own way now across the Black Sea and we'll continue to try to monitor this as best we

can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Ukrainian forces say a special operations unit destroyed a bridge in the Kharkiv region as a Russian convoy there was crossing. If

verified, these two operations would be a huge boost for Ukraine's military as it braces for a large-scale escalation in Russian attacks in the eastern

part of the country.

Let's dig a little deeper on this, the latest on Russia's flagship in the Black Sea. Want to bring in CNN's Matt Rivers, who is live for you in Lviv

at this point.

We just heard from John Kirby there. There are conflicting reports.

What do we know at this point today about that ship?

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Becky. Basically, it is who you want to believe when it comes to the cause of what caused this

fire. I think all sides basically -- the Americans, the Russians, the Ukrainians, everyone is saying there was an explosion, there was a large

fire, there was ammunition on board that ship, that detonated as a result of this fire.

It is just the cause of that is where the difference has come in. Russian state media not saying what the cause of the fire was, basically saying

that is currently under investigation but the fire is now out and sailors have been evacuated at this point. No word from them on casualties or

anything like that.

The Ukrainians are saying it is their own armed forces, the reason why one of the most important ships in Russia's fleet is essentially out of

commission, with Ukrainian armed forces saying they launched several shore- based cruise missiles, called Neptune missiles.

Those missiles were developed here in Ukraine. They have been recently added to the armed forces here within the last year or so. They say it was

several of those missiles that struck the ship and caused it to basically become nonoperational at this point.

So I think that we're waiting for further independent confirmation, because CNN can't verify at the moment whether this ship was hit by missiles; the

United States, as you heard, also seemingly not able to verify that information as of yet.

What is clear is that one of the most important ships in Russia's Black Sea fleet is now out of commission.

ANDERSON: Yes, and you pointed out that it is a -- it is a crucial asset in Russia's navy.

Question is, does taking it out of commission at this point, does that change anything with regard what is going on in the east at this point, as

concerns grow for an escalation in Russia's offensive?

[10:05:00]

RIVERS: There is no question that it hurts the Russian navy's ability, the technical ability to operate. This is one of the most important ships. We

can show you some of the basic details about the ship.

It is obviously the flagship vessel of the Black Sea fleet, as we mentioned. Up to 529 sailors can be on there and it has a huge amount of

weapons on that ship, everything anti-ship and antiaircraft missiles. You're talking about torpedoes, missile defense systems.

So you have a ship that is capable in a lot of different ways. We were talking to a military analyst, who says Russia losing this guided missile

cruiser is basically like the United States Navy losing an aircraft carrier.

This is a huge deal for Russia's ability to operate. It is worth mentioning, this is a symbolic blow to Russia as well. This ship is named

after Moscow, after the capital of Russia. It is a flagship vessel, a vessel involved, our viewers will remember, in the early part of the war,

when those Ukrainian armed forces on Snake Island off the coast of Ukraine, told Russia warship, "Go eff yourself," that was one of the warships, this

one we're talking about today, involved in all of that.

So for the Ukrainians, not only does this make a difference on the battlefield and Russia's -- hurting Russia's ability to operate, it is a

symbolic blow, a blow to Russia's Navy, at a time when we have seen other gains made by the Ukrainian military across the country.

ANDERSON: Absolutely.

Matt Rivers is on the ground for you.

Vladimir Putin's attempts to weaken NATO could be backfiring. The Finnish government is out with a new report, saying if Finland and Sweden become

full NATO members, quoting now, "the threshold for using military force in the Baltic Sea region would rise."

The report predicts the long-term effect would be enhanced stability in the region. Finland and Sweden are officially nonaligned, now considering

applying for full membership to the U.S.-led military alliance. The Finnish prime minister says a decision on that could come within weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANNA MARIN, FINNISH PRIME MINISTER: The difference between being a partner and being a member is very clear and will remain so. There is no

other way to have security guarantees than under NATO's deterrence and common defense by NATO Article 5.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Russian state media reporting a warning to Sweden and to Finland about joining NATO. The Kremlin says Russia would then have two new, quote,

"officially registered adversaries."

A short time ago, I spoke to Finland's foreign minister and asked him if he is concerned about Russia's threats.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PEKKA HAAVISTO, FINNISH FOREIGN MINISTER: Basically, of course, we are quite ready that some reaction will come from Russia. It is very much the

debate within the U.S. and Russia and so forth, of course. Finland has always been against nuclear weapons, we don't have our old nuclear

capability and, of course, it is hopeful that also Russia (INAUDIBLE).

ANDERSON: I want to press you here.

Just how seriously do you take that threat?

HAAVISTO: We are quite prepared for different kind of threats. But of course, one issue that we know is that there is more loose augmentation

(ph) about the using of nuclear and chemical weapons.

Also (INAUDIBLE) Ukraine conflict and then we are looking for possibility to strengthen our security through the NATO members. Of course, that means

that NATO Russian alliance had better possibilities to respond to different kind of threats.

ANDERSON: I just wonder how you're prepared for the threat. After all, you do not have a huge defense budget at this point.

HAAVISTO: Finland actually has quite strong conventional army. They have more than 280,000 reservists, we have conscription army, we have

(INAUDIBLE) F-35 fighters. Sixty of them are (INAUDIBLE) Finland and so forth. So we have been taking quite good care of our national defense

forces.

Of course we live in a world, as we see, from Russian attack against Ukraine, that also new security threats appear (INAUDIBLE) then also cyber,

hybrid security. And of course through close cooperation with NATO, we can address all those different threats.

ANDERSON: Is NATO membership now a foregone conclusion, given what you have just said, given that the security threat and the challenge from

Russia has clearly changed during this period?

[10:10:00]

HAAVISTO: I think we have seen a major shift in the public opinion in Finland during the recent weeks. A clear majority of population is now

supporting for the NATO membership. I think also the majority now in Finland's parliament, that is currently discuss this matter in the coming

weeks.

And if the majority clearly will state that, of course, then the process will go on. And then it is depending on NATO and 30 NATO member states how

rapid the process can be.

ANDERSON: I want to talk about your relations with Russia. Of course you share a border. Clearly any threats are on that border as far as the

military threat is concerned. Your relations have been relatively good for years.

And yet in a report published by the Finnish government, a security report published by the Finnish government on Wednesday, it said, and I quote,

"Finland would aim to continue to maintain functioning relations with Russia, in the event it becomes a NATO member."

I have to ask, how would that work?

HAAVISTO: We have many NATO countries that have a normal relationship with Russia, like in our neighborhood, Norway and so forth. And, of course,

despite what (INAUDIBLE) COVID-19, it's of course limited a little bit, the traveling over the border. We have a normal functional border with Russia.

Russians just can come and go and we have many families who have relatives on all sides of the border and so forth. Our border guards are cooperating

and so forth. There is normal communication.

ANDERSON: That, though, could clearly change, correct, given the threats that we have heard from Moscow over the past 48 hours. Let's be quite clear

here.

HAAVISTO: Well, of course, we are hoping to maintain a peaceful border with Finland and Russia. There is no motivation for us to have a

(INAUDIBLE) on the border. What we're looking for our own security in different situations and different risks during the years to come. And we

are, of course, living now with Russia, that we have many (INAUDIBLE) things also for the future. We have to be prepared for those.

ANDERSON: Have you spoken to your Russian counterpart about this, Sergey Lavrov?

HAAVISTO: Well, my last bilateral meeting was in December. And, of course, the time -- at the time Russia has been quite busy with Ukraine, as we

know. And Finland has been implementing also all the sanctions decided by European Union.

It's very important we have a clear message to Russia that violation against international norms against Ukraine is something that we don't

accept.

ANDERSON: Given where we are at, isn't it time to talk to Sergey Lavrov?

Do you intend to?

HAAVISTO: We have had discussions with our presidents within our present means (INAUDIBLE) recently and we had substantive, normal diplomatic

relations to Russia. And we do all this, what we are doing, preparing for applying NATO membership very publicly.

For us it is very important that NATO maintains the open door policy and we have those countries that fulfill the NATO criteria can apply for the

membership. And this is, of course, our own security (INAUDIBLE) that we have done, based on those changes that recently happened in Europe.

ANDERSON: Joe Biden, the U.S. President, has described Russia's acts in Ukraine as genocide. That goes further than others, including Emmanuel

Macron, who is described using that term as not useful. He's describing acts of war crimes on the ground.

What is your assessment?

Is it your assessment we're seeing acts of genocide at this point?

HAAVISTO: The thing (INAUDIBLE) has been supporting the International Criminal Court on investigating what has exactly happened. There might have

happened war crimes, there might have happened crimes against humanity and so forth.

And I think it is very important that, firstly, before the definition of what was exactly happened, we have the full investigation from places like

Bucha and other places, where certainly civilians have been attacked in a way that is not allowed in the international legislation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: The Finnish foreign minister, speaking to me earlier.

[10:15:00]

ANDERSON: In the next hour of CONNECT THE WORLD, I'll be talking to William Alberque. He keeps his eye on weapons of mass destruction for the

International Institute for Strategic Studies. Before that, he directed a top NATO division, has decades of experience in arms control.

I'll be asking him about European unity and Russia's military plans for Eastern Ukraine. Do be sure to head to cnn.com, an enormous amount of

analysis there.

Not least a story on a 12-year-old Ukrainian boy with hoop dreams. He and his family tried to take a boat to safety. Then Russian rockets came

raining down. Their story is also at cnn.com and on the CNN app.

Ahead on this show, CONNECT THE WORLD, the World Trade Organization forecasts a gloomy outlook for international trade. We'll be speaking with

the director general about the uncertainty caused by war and where Russia's place is now in global trade.

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ANDERSON: Well, the ripple effects of Russia's war in Ukraine prompting major global organizations to call for urgent, coordinated action on food

security.

Heads of the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund, the World Food Programme and the World Trade Organization signed a joint statement,

in which they warned that households are under more and more pressure due to supply shortages and higher prices for food staples.

And for food producers, the soaring prices of fertilizer and natural gas needed to make that fertilizer are making business in many places

unsustainable. David McKenzie with this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The early starts and the intense work at the Phillips-Sakekela (ph) bakery in Lagos used to be worth

it, used to be profitable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Entirely this year, precisely around the time of the bombing of Ukraine, it has affected the supply of wheat, which has affected

our primary item of our production, which is the white wheat loaf. Our flour has been very expensive. The prices are changing constantly.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Now they can only afford to produce half of what they did. And each tin gets less dough.

This war is horrifying for Ukraine's people. It could be devastating for global food security. Russia and Ukraine are agricultural export

powerhouses.

On the field of battle, farmers will struggle to plant crops. With export ports blockaded by Russian warships, it has pushed the prices even higher.

So the 10 hours Maria Maridoke (ph) spends selling bread won't be enough to feed her two children. She says customers don't have the cash anymore and

often refuse to pay the going rate.

[10:20:00]

MCKENZIE (voice-over): And even on the fertile slopes of Mount Kenya, they are hurting.

Caroline Kimarua had to slash her workforce. The cost of fertilizer for her tea and coffee plantations has doubled in recent months.

CAROLINE KIMARUA, FARMER: You have no money to buy the fertilizer, at that high cost.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): And Russia is one of the world's biggest fertilizer producers. Sanctions and trade disruptions likely to push prices even

higher.

MCKENZIE: Could this be any worse time?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The war is starting at one of the worst times. We were already thinking we are in a recovery mode. On top of that, there are

already inflation pressures that were across the world. Africans are spending a lot on fuel and spending a lot on food. The need in this current

moment, this is a tough time for the continent.

MCKENZIE: The impact of this conflict is coming on top of already soaring global grain prices. And if you look at this map over here, of course,

countries across the world could feel the pain. But economists point to specific African countries, like Senegal, which imports more than 50

percent of its wheat from Ukraine and Russia, and Somalia, which imports more than 90 percent.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): And in Somalia, already suffering from generational drought, hundreds of thousands of children, like this 7-month old, are

hollowed out by hunger and sickness.

If the rains fail again, the war in Europe could push this crisis into a catastrophe, even into famine. Aid agencies depend heavily on grain from

Ukraine -- David McKenzie, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: As David showed us, the soaring cost of basic goods -- yeast, wheat, oil, fertilizer -- is adding to this food crisis. These prices have

spiked and they have led the World Trade Organization to slash its global forecast for the year.

As you can see from this chart, the predicted growth this year of international trade, at nearly 5 percent before the war, that's being cut

now to just 3 percent. As expected, the war in Ukraine affecting people far beyond its borders.

The WTO director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has reiterated the warning that the impact will be felt most by those who are already struggling. She

said, particularly in low income families and countries, where food accounts for a large fraction of household spending.

I'm delighted the director general of the World Trade Organization joins me now live.

A most important report at what is such an important time. You heard David's report there, speaking specifically to Africa. I'm normally based

in the Gulf, in the wider Middle East and we know the story around the Middle East and North Africa is a really, really tough one as well. You

called for urgent action in relation to this food crisis.

What does your appeal mean in practice?

What practical steps are you calling for, from governments and private companies, many of whom I'm thinking oil and gas here are making

significant money on the prices.

NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION: Thank you, Becky. We think that we need coordinated action from the international

community. And that is why the heads of organizations, the IMF, World Bank, put out this report.

Specifically I think from the point of view of the WTO, first of all, we're seeing members should avoid putting export restrictions or prohibitions so

we have the free flow of trade in the world because, when there is a tendency to hold back food, you know, during a crisis, policymakers tend to

hold back.

And that will exacerbate the rising food prices. So the free flow of trade is one.

The second is those countries that have additional buffer stocks, to release that money to international markets so prices can come down.

We also need financing. Countries are suffering, not just from this food crisis; remember, they haven't recovered from the pandemic. And then we

have the fact that high inflation may lead central banks to tighten and raise interest rates, which will exacerbate the debt service problems of

poor countries.

So financially, they will be strapped. We also need action, we need financing grants to enable countries to purchase food.

ANDERSON: I want to pull up a chart here that shows your estimates for 2023, your global trade estimates for 2023. What jumps out here

specifically for me -- and I'm sure many of our viewers -- is just the widespread of possibilities, illustrated at the tail end of this.

I have to ask you, you know, I hear your appeal for coordinated action.

[10:25:00]

ANDERSON: Without that, how much worse could this get?

And I guess we are looking at even more sanctions imposed at this point, aren't we?

OKONJO-IWEALA: You know, Becky, without coordinated action, we're looking at a real, real serious crisis, particularly for low income countries and

food import-dependent countries.

We -- it will be a very, very difficult situation. Let me just say that part of what we can do to avoid that is to also put in place some kind of

humanitarian corridor for Ukrainian farmers, to be able to harvest the winter crop they planted. The harvest is due in July.

They also need to be able to plant in September, to plant now also the spring crops. So there are certain things we can do to make sure the

situation is eased.

ANDERSON: The problem is, even if that wheat gets planted and is grown at the moment in the east, where so many of those supply lines are based, in

the east, there on the coast, you know, quite frankly, there is a full-on war going on.

And it is -- we're expecting it to get worse, to escalate. Obviously that is a major concern. Many countries have already removed Russia's most

favored nation status, the MFN status, allowing them to apply higher tariffs than would normally be charged to WTO countries.

Is the war, as it continues, will you consider stripping Russia of its WTO membership altogether, having a trade deal function, if members aren't

doing business with a significant player?

OKONJO-IWEALA: Well, Becky, let me say this, we don't have any instrument as of now for suspending or expelling a member. So that is extremely

difficult.

And I think that is why members are taking whatever steps they feel they need to take, including the suspension of most favored nation status. They

can charge higher tariffs on Russian goods.

We don't have that instrument as of now. I think to deal with this situation, countries that can plant additional crops should do so. We're

encouraging that very much. There is an initiative between the European Union and Africa, the farm initiative, to encourage additional planting,

European countries and also in African countries.

We have the land in most of our countries and we can use heat tolerant varieties of the crops and plant them. But we would need support for those

countries with purchasing higher cost fertilizer, supporting small farmers, so they can indeed be able to plant additional acreage.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Very briefly -- sorry.

Very briefly, since this war has begun, have you spoken with any representative of the Russian government?

OKONJO-IWEALA: Well, we do have the Russian ambassador to the WTO and we're in regular contact. He's based in Geneva, yes. So we do meet with him

from time to time, yes.

ANDERSON: You are encouraging peace.

What are you telling them?

OKONJO-IWEALA: Absolutely, like the United Nations secretary-general said, we really support peace. I think the biggest way to sort out the problem of

the food shortages, supply chain problems we experience in the world now, is peace. And we totally encourage that.

ANDERSON: It is always a pleasure to speak to you. Thank you very much indeed for joining us. I'm sorry the global trade forecast is such a gloomy

one. I say gloomy at best at this point. Let's hope things improve. Thank you.

OKONJO-IWEALA: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Taking a short break. Back after this.

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[10:30:00]

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ANDERSON: Moscow is denying Ukraine's claim that a Ukrainian missile hit a Russian warship in the Black Sea. The Russian defense ministry says sailors

evacuated the Moskva after a fire broke out on board and the ship is still afloat. There is no information on casualties.

CNN's Matthew Chance had rare access to the Moskva in 2015, when Russia was bombing rebel targets. Here is some of his reporting from back then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing now on the missile cruiser, the Moskva, which means Moscow in Russian. And

it's a key vessel in Russia's military operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Military analyst Col. Cedric Leighton joining me for more on this.

Differing perspectives about what is actually going on with that vessel.

How likely is it, let's start here, that a fire broke out on board?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, I think that's one fact that maybe both sides agree on, Becky. I think that there is

definitely a fire on board. The fact of the matter is that they had to evacuate the Moskva.

The problem is what caused that fire. And I think there are enough questions about the Russian version of events that it is at least possible

that a missile did cause the fire; it's also possible that some kind of explosion occurred.

The Russians indicated that there was an ammunition storage area that exploded. That could have very well been caused by a missile or by

something else.

ANDERSON: Whoever you believe at this point, it is clearly a vessel that is incapacitated.

What kind of blow would this vessel be, completely out of service be, to the Russian navy in the Black Sea?

Just explain that. And the context here, of course, is how important vessels in the Black Sea at this point are to the Russian assault in the

east.

LEIGHTON: And they're very important, Becky. So there are two things here.

Number one, they are important to the assault in the east but this was actually in the western part of the Black Sea, which meant that it was

facing off Odessa, the Odessa area on the western part of the Ukrainian coast.

So both areas are critically important for the Russians and certainly for the Ukrainians. As far as the importance of the vessel itself, the key fact

of this vessel, the Moskva, is that it is a -- you know, as Matthew Chance mentioned in this report, it is a guided missile cruiser.

And that in and of itself is operationally critical for the Russian effort, to use standoff weapons to attack targets on the ground in Ukraine.

But the other thing that is really important about this, Becky, is that this was the flagship, is the flagship of the Russian Black Sea fleet.

That's where the admiral is on board. It directs the operations of the Black Sea fleet from. And that, to lose that vessel is a critical blow to

the Russian navy, regardless of how it happened.

ANDERSON: Briefly, does the Ukraine military actually have the capability to hit a vessel like this?

[10:35:00]

LEIGHTON: It does. They have the indigenous missile known as the Neptune, which was developed off of an older Soviet design. It is a naval cruise

missile that can go in and attack ships from the ground. And so it is very possible that they did this.

ANDERSON: Cedric, good to have you on, sir. Your analysis is so important in this point. Thank you.

Ukraine claiming its special operations forces destroyed a bridge in the Kharkiv region as a Russian convoy crossed it. This and surrounding areas

enduring intense Russian shelling. The regional governor there reporting four more civilian deaths in the city today.

Nima Elbagir and her team toured bombed-out neighbors as Russian forces moved in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Desolate, bare, lifeless: this is what it looks like after weeks of

relentless Russian shelling. Sovdika (ph), the most densely populated district in Kharkiv, it is being bombed day after day, night after night.

There are very few people left; the elderly, mostly.

One man stayed behind to keep his mother safe.

ELBAGIR: Igor says that he lives on the 16th floor of one of these buildings with his mother. He says his mother is deeply religious and

deeply committed to staying here, even though they're almost entirely surrounded and she won't leave. So he won't leave.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): But this is a front line under renewed pressure. The Russians are pushing hard.

ELBAGIR: That is so close. Those are Russian positions. They're shelling toward us. We are just over a mile away from the Russian forces. This is

their route into Kharkiv and then on into Ukraine. For now, this is the front line. That could change at any moment now. They're trying as hard as

they can to push that front line inwards.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): The soldiers want to show us more evidence of the heavy bombardment.

ELBAGIR: They want us to move very quickly because Russian snipers are operating in this area. We have got to move.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): The rumble you hear is the constant shelling.

ELBAGIR: The shelling has been absolutely relentless. From the moment we arrived we have been hearing it. We have to be careful where we step

because the Russians are also dispersing mines from the rockets that they're sending over into here.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): The shelling has intensified over the last few days. Regional officials told CNN this is evidence of the renewed Russian

military push.

ELBAGIR: So from where we are, we're pretty much surrounded by Russian troops on three sides. Tens of thousands of Russian troops are believed to

be amassing to come into Kharkiv, to come into Ukraine from this direction.

We have got to move.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): The soldiers wanted us out of there. It was becoming too intense. Just 30 minutes later, we saw why.

This warehouse is in the south of Sovdika (ph). It took a direct hit. This is an area that, after the initial aborted invasion, has been beyond the

reach of Russian ground troops. But now, once again, nowhere is safe -- Nima Elbagir, CNN, Kharkiv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: The head of the United Nations calling for a war crimes investigation of Russia after scenes of mass killings of civilians in

Bucha. Next hour, I talk to the U.N. crisis coordinator for Ukraine who was just in Bucha about what is a possible war crimes probe and what the U.N.

is doing now in Ukraine. That's coming up.

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[10:40:00]

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ANDERSON: Let's get you up to speed on the other stories on our radar right now.

And tensions high amid a new surge in violence across the West Bank. Latest casualties include a 20-year-old Palestinian man, shot dead during clashes,

and a 14-year-old Palestinian boy. Israel says he'd attacked soldiers with a Molotov cocktail.

More than 300 people have died in the devastating floods and mudslides hitting South Africa's east coast. Homes and roadways in the city of Durban

have been washed away and more rain is in the forecast. South Africa's president visited victims on Wednesday and said the government would do

everything in its power to help.

Elon Musk is eyeing a new frontier. He's launching a $43 billion bid for Twitter. Musk said he wants to transform it. Twitter says the board is

carefully reviewing his offer. We expect them to do so.

The beautiful game not so beautiful at the end of the Atletico Madrid Manchester City college match. Shoves, pushes and a handful of yellow

cards. Even police called in for what ended as a scoreless draw. Nobody needs to see that on the pitch.

(WORLD SPORT)

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