>> THANK YOU.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.
I'LL PICK IT UP FROM HERE.
I'M TIFFANY CROSS IN FOR JOY
REID TONIGHT.
WE BEGIN IN UKRAINE WHERE THE
SITUATION ON THE GROUND IS
INCREASINGLY DIRE AS RUSSIAN
FORCES CONTINUE THEIR INVASION
FROM THE NORTH, EAST AND SOUTH.
THIS COMES AS CIVILIAN DEATHS
CONTINUE TO MOUNT FROM RUSSIAN
SELLING MULTI LAUNCH ROCKET
SYSTEMS AND AIR STRIKES.
UKRAINEIANS HAVE BEEN UNDER
ASSAULT FOR DAYS AS RUSSIA
CONTINUES TO BOMB THE CITY
KNOCKING OUT POWER, WATER, AND
HEATING SUPPLIES.
NOW, THIS PREVENTS RESIDENTS
FROM FLEEING.
ONE OFFICIAL SAID THE CITY IS ON
THE BRINK OF HUMANITARIAN
DISASTER.
WITH THE SOUTHERN CITY OF
KHEROSN UNDER ATTACK, ACCORDING THE A SENIOR U.S. DEFENSE
THE A SENIOR U.S. DEFENSE
OFFICIAL 92% OF RUSSIA'S
PROSTAGEPRO
PRESTAGED MILITARY IS IN
UKRAINE.
THE MASSIVE ARMORED COLUMN
THREATENING KYIV REMAINS
STALLED.
REPORTS THAT THE 40 MILE LONG
CONVEY HAS BEEN HALTED BY
UKRAINIAN FORCES.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> WE ALSO HAVE INDICATIONS THAT
THE UKRAINIANS HAVE STRUCK THE
CONVEY ELSEWHERE AND ON THEIR
OWN -- ON VEHICLES.
WE DO BELIEVE THAT THE ACTIONS
BY THE UKRAINIANS HAVE IN FACT
STALLED THAT CONVOY AND
CERTAINLY SLOWED IT DOWN,
STOPPED IT IN SOME PLACES BUT WE
ALSO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT
IT'S ALSO OF A PIECE OF RUSSIAN
CHALLENGES THAT THEY'VE HAD JUST
IN TERMS OF THEIR OWN PHYSICAL
GROUND MOVEMENT, SUSTAINMENT,
LOGISTICS.
THEY'RE RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AND
FOOD FOR THEIR SOLDIERS.
>> THE TALKS WITH UKRAINE HAVE
NOT MOVED FORWARD.
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS IS
SCHEDULED TO TRAVEL TO POLAND
AND ROMANIA NEXT WEEK.
MEANWHILE RUSSIAN TROOPS SEIZED,
SEIZED A NUCLEAR POWER BRANT IN
UKRAINE.
THIS IS THE LARGEST IN EUROPE.
THIS IS AFTER A MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT ATTACK SET PART OF THE
PLANT ON FIRE AND IMMEDIATELY
RAISED GLOBAL FEARS OF A NUCLEAR
CATASTROPHE.
THE U.N. HELD AN EMERGENCY
MEETING TO DISCUSS THE ATTACK
AND CONDEMN THE ESCALATION.
LINDA THOMAS GREENFIELD WARNED
THE WORLD NARROWLY, NARROWLY
AVERTED A MAJOR DISASTER.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THE
WORLD NARROWLY AVERTED A NUCLEAR
CATASTROPHE LAST NIGHT.
WE ALL WAITED TO EXHALE AS WE
WATCHED THE HORRIFIC SITUATION
UNFOLD IN REALTIME.
>> DURING THE MEETING, UKRAINE'S
AMBASSADOR URGED FOR A BAN ON
ALL FLIGHTS OVER UKRAINIAN AIR
SPACE BUT SECRETARY OF STATE
ANTONY BLINKEN PUSHED BACK
NOTING A NO FLY ZONE COULD LEAD
TO A FULL FLEDGED WAR IN EUROPE.
IN A LATE NIGHT ADDRESS
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY VISIBLY
ANGRY SLAMMED NATO FOR REFUSING
THE NO FLY ZONE SAYING ALL THE
PEOPLE WHO DIE FROM THIS DAY
FORWARD WILL ALSO DIE BECAUSE OF
YOU.
YOU HAVE TO SEE HIM TO
UNDERSTAND THE ANGER.
TAKE A LOOK.
[SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE].
>> MEANWHILE, NATO SECRETARY
GENERAL CONFIRMED REPORTS THAT
RUSSIA HAS DEPLOYED CLUSTER
BOMBS.
IN A STATEMENT G 7 FOREIGN
MINISTERS RESPONDED SAYING THOSE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
INDISCRIMINATE ASSAULTS ON
INNOCENT CIVILIANS MUST BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE FOR WAR CRIMES.
LET GET INTO IT.
JOINING ME NOW, NBC NEWS
CORRESPONDENT CAL PERRY IS LIVE
IN LVIV UKRAINE.
I WANT TO START WITH YOU, CAL.
YOU'RE IN KYIV AND I WANT TO
PAINT THE PICTURE FOR OUR
VIEWERS OF WHAT WE'VE SEEN.
THE SCENES COMING OUT OF UKRAINE
ARE SCARY.
THERE ARE SCENES THAT BLANKETED
OUR SCREENS WITH SEVERE GAS TI
CASUALTIES.
THREE SCHOOLS WERE SHELLED.
A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT UNDER
CONTROL.
PAINT THE SCENE FOR WHAT IT'S
LIKE IN LVIV RIGHT NOW FOR OUR
VIEWERS.
>> WELL, LOOK, WHERE I AM IN THE
WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY,
THIS IS A CITY THAT'S DEALING
WITH A REFUGEE CRISIS.
A CITY THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE
VIOLENCE THROUGH CROWDS OF
PEOPLE LOST, CONFUSED, SHOCKED
BY WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IN PLACES
LIKE KYIV AND PLACES IN THE
EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY AND
IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE
COUNTRY, AS YOU'VE LAID OUT,
WE'RE SEEING RUSSIANS BE CHECKED
OFF AND START SHELLING THEM
INDISCRIMINATELY OR TARGETING
CIVILIANS THAT ACCORDING TO THE
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT AND THIS
IS A RUSSIAN TACTIC THAT WE'VE
SEEN.
IT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE IN THIS
COUNTRY FEARED WAS COMING AND IT
NOW SEEMS TO HAVE ARRIVED.
WE SAW THIS IN CHECHNYA IN 2000
AND SYRIA A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THE PENTAGON
BRIEFING AND WE HEAR THE
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT RUSSIAN
COLUMNS BEING BOGGED DOWN AND
SUPPLY CHAINS BEING BOGGED DOWN AND HIT, THESE COLUMNS ARE
AND HIT, THESE COLUMNS ARE
SLOWING DOWN BUT NOT STOPPING.
WE'RE SEEING THIS PLAY OUT.
IT'S LEAVING PEOPLE HERE
WONDERING IF KYIV IS GOING TO BE
REMEMBERED LIKE ALEPPO AND YOU
HAVE TO REMEMBER IN THIS PART OF
THE COUNTRY WHERE I AM, MEN ARE
DROPPING FAMILIES OFF AT THE
BORDER AND RETURNING TO THE
FIGHT, SOME OF THEM WITH NO
MILITARY EXPERIENCE, SOME
CIVILIANS NOT PART OF THIS
MILITARY AND THAT IS WHO IS
FIGHTING THIS WAR.
NOT WANTING TO START A WIDER CONFLICT, THE REALITY IS WITHOUT
CONFLICT, THE REALITY IS WITHOUT
A NEW FLY ZONE, YOU HAVE SAY ZIL
YIN
-- CIVILIANS FIGHTING AGAINST
THE RUSSIAN ARMY AND CIVILIANS
WILL PAY THE HEAVIEST PRICE. >> I WANT TO ASK AND GET CLEAR
>> I WANT TO ASK AND GET CLEAR
FOR THE VIEWERS, HOW FAR IS THIS
CONVEY FROM THE CAPITOL.
>> Reporter: IT'S STILL 40
KILOMETERS FROM KYIV.
IT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE
COUNTRY FROM WHERE I AM.
THAT'S SO UNNERVING FOR PEOPLE
THAT FLED THE VIOLENCE IN THE
EAST IS THEY COME TO A PLACE
WHERE I'M IN LVIV SUPPOSED TO BE
SAFE AND THE FALL BACK POSITION
FOR CIVILIANS.
THERE AREN'T ANY AIR STRIKES BUT
AN INDICATION PEOPLE IN THIS
COUNTRY WHO DIDN'T THINK THERE
WOULD BE A WAR A WEEK AND A HALF
AGO ARE TERRIFIED THE ENTIRE
COUNTRY WILL BE ENGULFED IN
VIOLENCE, TIFFANY.
>> THAT'S QUITE A SCARY SCENE,
CAL.
I WANT TO BRING YOU IN, BEN,.
WE'VE SEEN THE PROTESTS ALL
ACROSS RUSSIA, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
ARRESTED RISKING THEIR LIVES
PROTESTING.
PAINT THE SCENE WHAT IS
HAPPENING THERE THIS EVENING.
>> Reporter: HERE THE SITUATION IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER
IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER
PARTS OF THE COUNTRY BUT VERY
MINIMAL.
0
ODESSA IS A CITY THAT HAS ONE
OF THE BIGGEST PORTS IN THE
COUNTRY AND THE THIRD LARGEST
CITY IN THE NATION.
WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR RUSSIA
TO TAKE IS ECONOMICALLY, IF THEY
CONTROL THE PORT PAY HAVE A HUGE
CUTOFF FROM THE UKRAINE
GOVERNMENT BUT IF THEY TAKE THE
CITY, THEY CONTROL THE SOUTH OF
THE COUNTRY BEING ABLE TO MOVE
FORCES EASILY IN AND OUT OF THE
WATER IS A BIG MOVE FOR THEM.
ONE COULD ARGUE THAT ONE OF THE
REASONS THEY PUSHED TO TAKE
CRIMEA IN 2014 IS SIMILAR IN
JUST BEING ABLE TO CONTROL THE
SOUTH.
NOW AS KHARKIV IS BEING BOMBED
AND KYIV IS BEING ATTACKED SO
REGULARLY, A PLACE LIKE ODESSA
IS PREPARING.
WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE
STREETS AND TALK WITH PEOPLE,
STILL CALM.
PEOPLE ARE STILL GOING OUT, JUST
TODAY I MET SOMEBODY WHO HAD
JUST COME FROM THE DENTIST.
THE DENTIST WAS STILL OPEN.
BUT THERE IS AN UNDER CURRENT OF
FEAR.
THEY'RE SETTING UP HEDGEHOGS,
WHICH ARE ANTI TANK DEFENSES
AROUND THE CITY.
THESE PEOPLE ARE VOLUNTEERS ARE
ALL GOING TO THE BEACHES WHERE
KIDS USED TO PLAY PACKING THESE
SAND BAGS TO DISTRIBUTE AROUND
THE CITY AT CHECK POINTS AND
BUILDING UP DEPLOYMENTS TO
DEFENSE.
SO IT'S TENSE.
YOU CAN FEEL SOON THESE PROBLEMS
WILL START BUT FOR NOW, WHILE
WE'RE WAITING FOR THEM TO START,
THERE IS A SENSE OF LIFE HAS TO
GO ON AND THE PREPARATIONS HAVE
TO CONTINUE.
>> AS YOU WERE TALKING, OUR
VIEWERS WERE ABLE TO SEE THE
SCENES OF PEOPLE THERE PREPARING
FOR AN I'MMPENDING BATTLE.
STAY SAFE AND WE'LL CHECK BACK
IN IF THERE IS ANY BREAKING
NEWS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I WANT TO BRING IN A "NEWS WEEK"
EDITOR AND FORMER FBI DOUBLE
AGENT AND AUTHOR OF "HOW TO
CATCH A RUSSIAN SPY."
VERY HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE THIS
MORNING.
THESE ARE VERY SCARY SCENES WE
SEE COMING OUT OF UKRAINE.
YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT
THIS FROM PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY'S
POINT FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE AND,
YOU KNOW, HE'S VISIBLY ANGRY
WITH NATO, AS YOU JUST SAW AND
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE IT
WAS TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN HE WAS
STANDING ON THE WORLD STAGE
SAYING HEY, I GOT 200,000 TROOPS
AT MY BORDER AND THE WORLD NEEDS
TO HELP.
WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING FOR
UKRAINE NOW?
BECAUSE I HAVE TO TELL YOU FOR
PEOPLE THAT DON'T WAKE UP AND
READ EIGHT PAPERS BEFORE THE
SUNRISE, IT LOOKS LIKE THE WORLD
IS STANDING BY WATCHING AS WE
WATCH PUTIN LAY WASTE TO THESE
CITIES WHERE WOMEN AND CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES LIVE.
>> YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
IT'S A TERRIBLE SITUATION.
IT'S ALREADY A HUMAN TRAGEDY
UNFOLDING AND I THINK PRESIDENT
BIDEN SPECIFICALLY IS TASKED
WITH A REALLY ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE
TASK AND THAT IS TO HELP THE
PEOPLE OF UKRAINE, TO SUPPORT
PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY BUT ALSO TO
KEEP THE U.S. AND FRANKLY, NATO
OUT OF A WAR WITH RUSSIA.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS A REAL
CHALLENGE.
WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT NO FLY
ZONES, PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY ASKED
THE U.S. AND NATO AND BOTH
REFUSED.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND IF
WE SEND COMBAT TROOPS WHILE
THEY'RE ON THE GROUND OR WITHIN
THE AIR, THEY'RE GOING TO COME
IN CONFLICT WITH RUSSIAN FORCES
AND THAT IS UNDOUBTEDLY GOING TO
LEAD TO ESCALATION OF WAR
BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
WE CAN'T DO THAT.
OUR QUESTION WHAT CAN BE DONE?
THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE REPORTED
ON QUITE A BIT.
WE HAVE QUITE A STRONG FEELING
THERE IS A GRAY AREA FOR COVERT
ACTION.
THAT IS TO SAY U.S. MILITARY, IF
YOU HAD THE CIA TO HELP UKRAINE,
NOT JUST WITH WEAPONS BUT TO DO
THINGS THAT ALLOW FOR PLAUSIBLE
DENIABILITY AND THIS IS PERHAPS
THE GREATEST AREA WHERE THE U.S.
AND PERHAPS NATO AND OTHER
FORCES CAN GET IN.
LOOK, WE'VE SEEN THE UKRAINIANS
USE TURKISH DRONES.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS FLYING
THE DRONES THERE ARE THINGS THAT