Pres. Biden: Ukraine's president
of said tonight he the expected
new phase of Russia's war on his
nation appears to have begun.
If you Ukraine is being targeted
with airstrikes and heavy
shelling.
As Moscow moves in more troops
to press its campaign in the
region.
The city of mariupol in the
southeast continues to hold out
against a punishing Russian
assault.
There's almost completely
leveled the city.
Maintain, Russian missiles
claims their first victims in
the far western city of lviv.
John: The people of largely
spared lviv awoke to an
unfamiliar sight -- black
smoke filling the sky, craters
blown in the Earth.
Ukrainian officials say several
missiles killed at least seven
people, the war's first known
deaths in lviv
>> I think it is not safe
anywhere in Ukraine.
I hope it will be over soon.
When the missiles hit today I
woke up today because of the
explosions.
I was worried for people.
John: The city has been a way
station for supplies and
civilians fleeing war to the
east, but Russia sent a message
with this strike said -- who
fled from donesk.
>> When there is a war against
an insidious enemy going on,
there are no safe havens in
Ukraine.
Missiles are sent from all over.
John: In eastern Ukraine,
kharkiv has been under deadly
bombardment heard a woman
grieves her father, another
victim.
Russia said at also launched
mass overnight strikes on
hundreds of military targets
across Ukraine.
But a senior U.S. Defense
official said today Russian
forces continue to reinforce the
east and south and are still
moving into the donbas region as
they attempt to close in on the
capture of mariupol.
After seven weeks of siege, the
city is in ruins, facing the
risk of full Russian control.
Battered streets are now
littered with the dead.
Now a common sight for the more
than 100,000 civilians still
trapped.
>> We came back to get our
stuff.
We left wearing just winter
clothing and do not have
anything else.
John: They are taking anything
they can from their home, now
smashed and burned.
They don't know where to go but
are desperately trying to flee.
Last weekend, Moscow claim its
forces were close to seizing the
city and asked Ukrainian troops
to lay down their arms, but
there were no signs of
surrender.
This iron and steel works plant
to the east of mariupol is one
of the last pockets of Ukrainian
defense.
>> Russian forces are destroying
mariupol.
They want to wipe off the face
of the Earth other places in
other cities.
We are doing everything to
ensure difference.
John: Ukrainian president letter
mayor zelenskyy appealed to
world leaders for more weapons
and new sanctions.
But today Russia's president
Vladimir Putin his nation's
economy was invincible.
>> We can now confidently say
that such policy of sanctions
towards Russia has failed.
John: The central bank chief
gave a negative assessment and
said that sanctions will now
begin to increasingly affect the
real sectors of the economy.
In the north, Russian troops
have left a deadly legacy of
their retreat, these emergency
workers are removing explosive
devices from the ground to
prevent further harm.
Outside the city, only the
skeleton of this community
remains.
Charred military vehicle show
evidence of a hasty Russian
retreat.
And those who live there are
left to pick up the pieces.
I'm John yang.
For more on the state of the
war, we turn to a retired
lieutenant general.
He had a 35 year career in the
army and served on the national
secure to counsel staff during
both the George W. Bush and the
Obama administration is.
He was also U.S. Ambassador to
nato under president Obama.
And -- cofounder of the
Silverado policy accelerator, a
think tank.
Welcome back to the newshour.
Let me begin with you.
This statement we are hearing
late today that president
zelenskyy is saying the battle
for the east has begun, that
Russia, it's now underway.
What is the significance of
that?
>> The Ukrainians have been
expecting this assault in the
donbas region ever since the
Russians withdrew from Kyiv in
the northern parts of Ukraine.
Now they are spiked the forces
to be resupplied in the east.
That is exactly we we have seen.
U.S. Intelligence is reporting
that 76 technical groups of the
Russian military are in the east
and the south.
What we are seeing is a massive
artillery bombardment of the
Ukrainian positions in donbas
preparing for the assault that
is coming in the coming hours.
Judy: Doug lute, given that that
is underway, what position are
the Ukrainians in to fight back?
Doug: Judy, while this 300 mile
front of the Russian attack is
more narrow than the attack two
months ago.
So they have more concentrated
their forces.
300 mile front is still an
enormously large and
vulnerable front.
While the Russians have massed
forces there, this is the same
Russian army that was defeated
in and around Kyiv.
You cannot change the quality of
the Russian army in these last
few weeks.
And while they are
repositioning, you could be sure
that president zelenskyy's army
is also repositioning and what
we can expect is continued
Ukrainian attacks against the
vulnerable Russian supply lines.
A bit of a replay Kyiv of the
concept we saw north of Kyiv.
Judy: Just quickly, back to you.
The Russians, are they expecting
the Ukrainians to put up a
fierce fight in the east?
>> No doubt, they are expecting
a.
In fact Ukrainians are in
entrenched positions.
They have been fighting in that
region since 20 14.
A lot of for fortifications
there.
This will not be an easy fight
and the Russians are expecting
70000 and perhaps more Ukrainian
forces to be fighting their
assault there.
Judy: Let me turn you back to
what we have been talking about
for several days and that is the
city of mariupol which the
Russians have all but wiped off
the map by all accounts, by
their attacks on the city.
We understand there is, just a
small hold out of Ukrainian
troops in that city.
What does it look like right
now?
>> It looks like the reports are
probably correct, that the
Russians have sized mariupol.
But I draw a distinction between
siezing and controller.
I think the Russians are in for
a protracted fight in and around
mariupol as they try to resupply
their forces that are now inside
the city.
So the Ukrainians have not
surrendered.
They will shift to a new form of
defense, which is a defense
featuring attacks on the Russian
supply lines and sniping on
the Russian forces inside the
city.
Judy: Meaning, how long can they
hold out?
>> I think indefinitely.
Look, the Ukrainians are
fighting for their homeland.
They have got every reason to
continue to resist and with
leadership coming out of
president zelenskyy, I think
that is exec with we should
expect.
Judy: Why are the Russians so
determined to try, T do
everything they can to capture
mariupol?
We have been hearing about the
land bridge they want.
Explain the significance of
that.
>> Mariupol is very important to
them for two reasons.
One is the importance of the
city to Ukraine itself.
It is one of the major port
cities that they have, the other
being Odessa, critical to the
economy and their ability to
export goods and services before
this assault there was a major
industrial city.
Now it has been mostly
destroyed.
And to the Russians, it is
important because it stands in
the way of the corridor they are
trying to create, the land
bridge between the donbas region
they control, down to crimea.
Crimea is isolated from Russia
and connected only through
bridge the Russians built in the
last for years.
If that bridge gets blown up,
they cannot resupply that
peninsula.
That land bridge to crimea
becomes important to them and
they have to hold mariupol to
have the bridge.
Judy: What would you add to
that?
What does it mean to the
Russians' ability to try to
make headway, to have that land
corridor?
>> I think, as demetri said,
it's very significant because
it connects mainland pressure to
the crimean peninsula which was
seized illegally in 2014.
It gives the Russians potential
to move from crimea west to the
other big port city dessa
and all the way towards moldoa.
There is a potential to regain
momentum in the south.
Judy: To regain momentum, but I
hear both of you saying that the
Ukrainians are not ready to give
up any time soon.
>> Exactly right.
Judy: Demetri, let me come back
to on something else you have
been talking to our producer
about today and that is reports
from Russia that there is now an
open acknowledgment that their
troops are exhausted.
And that there is word they may
be looking at some sort of
national military mobilization.
What are you hearing about
that?
>> The key problems the Russians
are facing is while they still
have a lot of equipment despite
-- they've a lot of armor and a
lot of planes and a lot of ammo
they can bring to this fight,
they do not have a lot of troops
left.
A lot of troops have been killed
and wounded in Ukraine.
The strength of various
battalion tactical units has
been degraded substantially.
They need a lot more manpower.
Ukrainians have a lot of man
problem, because they mobilized
everyone over 18 and below 60
but they do not have a lot of
ammo.
They are asking the west for
weapons to help.
But for the Russians to continue
to fight beyond the donbas will
be very tough fight.
And it is an open question
whether they can seize that.
But the idea they can go on to
Odessa and go back to Kyiv is
not possible without a
nationwide mobilization, without
being able to bring new troops,
hundreds of thousands to
millions of troops that they can
only get soon and nationwide
mobilization of their country
and the economy, for total war.
There are calls on Russian
television, asking Vladimir
Putin to put the country on that
war footing.
Russia not even calling this a
war yet.
Calling it a special military
operation.
But that is what would be
required for them to prosecute
this war on a much larger scale.
It is not clear if Putin is
ready to do that.
Judy: A quick follow-up.
That would take time, what not
to have the troops called up, to
train them and not to mention to
get them into position?
>> This would not be a quick
operation.
You are right.
One problem with mobilizing
people is if they are not
trained and they never held a
weapon before it will take time
before they can be useful to
this fight.
So, this is something that they
are preparing the population on
Russian media to tell them this
will be a long fight.
It is not going to end on may 9
as Putin wishes.
Judy: Finally, the reports we
are hearing and acknowledging
that the punter going that -- at
the Pentagon that there is not
an endless supply of weapons
that the U.S. And nato have been
supplying Ukraine.
How much of an issue is that?
>> It's beginning to be
significant.
We have sent thousands of these
javelin antitank systems and
thousands of stinger air
defense systems to the
Ukrainians and the Ukraine is
are fighting bravely.
It is having a big impact but
they are also having a big
impact on our supply levels.
These systems are not easily
replenished.
It will take years to replenish
the stocks back to their prewar
state.
Judy: That is something I know
we will continue to be looking
at and reporting unpaired
for now, thank you so much to
both of you.
Thank you.