KYIV, I’M GRIFF GENERAL SINCE
ALONG WITH RACHEL CAMPOS DUFFY,
JOE JOEY JONES AND JACKIE
DeANGELIS.
IT IS MIDNIGHT IN KYIV, AND A
DEFIANT UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT
ZELENSKYY SAYS RUSSIA A WILL
HAVE TO CARPET BOMB THE CAPITAL
AND KILL ITS RESIDENTS IF IT
WANTS TO TAKE THAT CITY.
TREY YINGST JOINS US LIVE WITH
THE LATEST ON THE GROUND.
HEY, TREY.
>> GIVE, GOOD -- GRIFF, GOOD
AFTERNOON.
WE’VE HEARD SOME OF THE LOUDEST
SHELLING SINCE THIS WAR BEGAN,
IT’S BEEN TAKING PLACE FOR ABOUT
THE PAST 4 HOURS -- 24 HOURS.
THESE EXPLOSIONS NOT ONLY COMING
FROM SHELLING, BUT ALSO THE
ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERIES FIRING
OFF AS UKRAINIANS LOOK TO SHOOT
THE RUSSIAN PLANES THAT ARE
OVERHEAD OUT OF THE SKY.
THE CIVILIAN POPULATION HERE
STILL TRYING TO FLEE FOR SAFETY,
AND THERE ARE VOLUNTEERS FROM
ALL OVER THE WORLD GATHERED HERE
IN UKRAINE TO END -- HELP THEM
DO SO.
WE MET ONE AMERICAN THIS
WEEKEND, HIS NAME IS DWIGHT
CROWE, AND HE TRAVELED TO IRPIN
JUST OUTSIDE OF THE CAPITAL CITY
LIMITS TO TRY TO HELP THESE
PEOPLE GETTING OUT OF HARM’S
WAY.
HIS WORDS GIVE YOU AN UNDERLINE
ON WHAT PEOPLE WILLING TO RISK
AMID THIS CONFLICT.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> JUST DOING IT NOT EVEN THAT,
I’M MOSTLY CARRYING STRETCHERS
HELPING CIVILIAN AND WOUNDED
EVACUATION.
THERE’S A LOT OF REALLY
INCREDIBLE UKRAINIAN VOLUNTEERS
THAT ARE LEADING THE CHARGE AND
PUTTING THEMSELF IN HARM’S WAY
FOR THEIR COUNTRYMEN, AND I’M
JUST TRYING TO HELP OUT.
>> Reporter: THE EVACUATIONS
COME AS SERIOUS SHELLING HAS
TAKEN PLACE ONCE AGAIN IN THE
SOUTHERN CITIES IN UKRAINE.
MARIUPOL, A POPULATION OF NEARLY
400,000 PEOPLE, SURROUNDED BY
RUSSIAN FORCES STILL AT THIS
HOUR.
YOU CAN SEE IN THIS VIDEO TANKS
IN THE STREET ISES FIRING AT
CIVILIAN AREAS, APARTMENT
BUILDINGS, AND MANY PEOPLE THERE
HAVE BEEN KILLED, MORE THAN
1600, SINCE THE INVASION BEGAN
SO FAR ACCORDING TO THE DEPUTY
MAYOR.
NOW, UKRAINIAN VOLODYMYR
ZELENSKYY REMAINS IN THE
CAPITAL, HE REMAINS DEFIANT, AND
HE HAD THIS TO SAY TODAY.
>> TRANSLATOR: IF THEY KILL ALL
OF US, THEN THEY WILL ENTER
KYIV.
IF THIS IS THE GOAL, THEN LET
THEM ENTER, BUT THEY WILL END UP
LEAVING A ALONE THIS THIS LAND,
CERTAINLY WITHOUT US.
THEY WILL NOT FIND FRIENDS AMONG
US.
>> Reporter: THE STREETS OF
KYIV ARE PREPARED FOR A GROUND
INVASION.
THERE ARE SOLDIERS DUG IN ON THE
SIDES OF THE ROADS NEARLY EVERY
BLOCK, THEY HAVE CHECKPOINTS SET
UP, THEY HAVE MOVED BARRIERS
INTO THE ROADWAYS, AND THEY’RE
READY, HEELS DUG IN TO PREPARE
FOR THIS POSSIBLE RUSSIAN
ADVANCE.
BACK TO YOU.
GRIFF: AND, TREY, WE’VE BEEN
WORRYING ABOUT THIS PUSH INTO
THE CAPITAL.
YOU’VE BEEN DOING AMAZING,
PHENOMENAL REPORTING TO GIVE US
A SENSE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
KYIV, AND IT APPEARS THAT FROM
THE NORTHWEST ALONG WITH THE
NORTHEAST, RUSSIAN FORCES REALLY
CLOSING IN, THAT ARTILLERY
SHELLING GETTING WORSE.
BUT YET THE SOUTH ROUTE SEEMS A
LITTLE BIT STILL OPEN.
TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT
THAT SOUTHERN INGRESS ROUTE IS
IN REALLY HOW CLOSE YOU’RE
SEEING THINGS CLOSE IN, IF YOU
CAN.
>> Reporter: YEAH, LOOK, THIS
SOUTHERN ROUTE IS EXTREMELY
SIGNIFICANT NOT ONLY FOR
CIVILIANS TO EVACUATE THE CITY,
BUT ALSO TO KEEP OPEN THAT
CRITICAL SUPPLY LINE FOR
UKRAINIAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT.
IT’S THE MAIN LINE, THE ARTERY
THAT HAS BEEN ALLOWING THE
UKRAINIAN FORCES WHO ARE
FIGHTING BOTH THE WEST AND EAST
SIDE OF THE CITY TO DO SO AND
THEN RESUPPLY THOSE TROOPS ON
THE FRONT LINES.
AND IT WILL BE CRITICAL IN THE
DAYS AHEAD.
ANALYSTS DO BELIEVE THE RUSSIAN
TROOPS INTEND TO TRY AND
SURROUND THIS CITY, BUT THEY
WILL HAVE TROUBLE DOING SO.
AND REMEMBER, EARLY ON IN THIS
OPERATION CONDUCTED BY RUSSIA
THERE WAS A SENSE THAT THE
RUSSIANS WERE GOING TO MOVE
FORWARD WITH THEIR INVASION VERY
QUICKLY, IN 2-3 DAYS, TO TRY TO
TAKE THE CAPITAL OF KYIV.
IT’S BEEN ALMOST THREE WEEKS,
AND THEY HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO DO
SO.
IT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR THE
UKRAINIANS TO MAINTAIN THESE
LINES AND KEEP THAT SOUTHERN
SUPPLY LINE OPEN SO CIVILIANS
CAN LEAVE AND THEY CAN CONTINUE
TO RESUPPLY THEIR TROOPS ON THE
FRONT LINES.
RACHEL: HI, TREY, I JUST HOPE
YOU’RE STAYING SAFE OUT THERE.
WE’RE SO PROUD OF ALL YOUR
REPORTING.
YOU DID PLAY A CLIP OF ZELENSKYY
SOUNDING DEFIANT, BUT "THE NEW
YORK POST" REPORTED IN THAT SAME
INTERVIEW HE SAID HE WANTS TO
START, ZELENSKYY SAID, HE WANTS
TO START THE PROCESS OF A PEACE
SETTLEMENT.
I KNOW GERMANY AND FRANCE HAVE
TRIED WITH NO LUCK.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL HE ABOUT THIS
AND ALSO ABOUT ANY EFFORTS ON
THE U.S. SIDE TO HELP MOVE A
PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT ALONG?
>> Reporter: YEAH.
TODAY PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY CALLS
FOR MORE WESTERN INVOLVEMENT IN
A PEACE PROCESS.
ONE INTERESTING THING THAT WE
LEARNED TODAY IS THAT THE
ISRAELIS ARE INVOLVED.
PRIME MINISTER NAFTALI BENEFIT
TRYING TO CONVINCE THE SIDES TO
COME TO JERUSALEM AND HAVE PEACE
TALKS THERE.
IT WOULD BE SYMBOLIC, BUT THE
PROBLEM IS GETTING BOTH SIDES TO
THE TABLE AND HAVING THEM AGREE
ON EVEN THE FRAMEWORK OF A PEACE
IF CONVERSATION.
AT THIS POINT IT DOESN’T APPEAR
WE ARE THERE YET.
BOTH SIDES ARE CONTINUING THEIR
PROCESS, THE UKRAINIANS
DEFENDING THEIR SOVEREIGN
COUNTRY AND THE RUSSIANS PUSHING
FORWARD WITH THEIR INVASION.
THE CONVERSATIONS DO CONTINUE,
BUT A WAR OF THIS SCALE IS
EXTREMELY MESSY, IT’S EXTREMELY
COMPLICATED, AND IT MAKES IT
VERY DIFFICULT TO EVEN START
FORMAL CONVERSATIONS THAT COULD
LEAD TO SOME SORT OF PEACE
SETTLEMENT.
JOEY: TREY, THIS IS JOEY.
WE’VE HEARD ALL THE TALK ABOUT
PROVIDING FIGHTER JETS, MiGS
FROM, PERHAPS, POLAND, OUR OWN
GOVERNMENT’S GONE BACK AND FORTH
ON THIS, AND THE UKRAINIAN
PRESIDENT KEEPS SAYING THEY NEED
HELP TO, AS THEY SAY, CLOSE THE
SKY.
BUT WHAT TYPE OF -- DO YOU SEE
ANY UKRAINIAN AIR FORCE IN THE
AIR IN KYIV PROTECTING THE CITY
NOW?
ONE THING THAT’S BEEN REPORTED
OUR GOVERNMENT SAID THAT IT’S
MOSTLY A GROUND WAR AND THAT’S
WHY THEY DIDN’T SUPPORT IT.
ANOTHER REPORT SHOWED THAT -YARD
LINE HAS A LOT OF JETS STILL OF
THEIR OWN.
IT JUST SEEMS TO NOT MATCH UP,
WHAT THEY’RE ASKING FOR, AS
OPPOSED TO WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT
IS SAYING THEY HAVE.
>> Reporter: YEAH, LOOK, THE
UKRAINIAN AIR FORCE IS STILL
VERY MUCH IN PLAY HERE.
EARLY ON IN THE WAR WE SAW A LOT
MORE UKRAINIAN PLANES IN THE
SKY, BUT THEY ARE STILL
OPERATING, THEY’RE STILL ABLE TO
LAND AT BASES IN THE WESTERN
PART OF THE COUNTRY.
WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY THE
NUMBERS BASED ON THE BASES
BECAUSE THE UKRAINIANS, THEY
WANT TO KEEP THAT INFORMATION
PRIVATE.
BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THEY ARE
CALLING FOR MORE JETS.
THEY WANT FIGHTER JETS DELIVERED
TO THIS COUNTRY.
WE’VE SEEN THE POLITICAL BACK
AND FORTH.
BUT THEY DO HAVE SOMETHING
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THE
RUSSIANS SAY THEY DON’T HAVE,
AND WE’VE SEEN IT IN ACTION, AND
THAT’S AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS.
THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF BATTERIES
AROUND THIS CITY.
WE SAW THEM FIRING OFF TONIGHT
AS THEY’RE TRYING TO SHOOT THOSE
RUSSIAN GENT OUT OF THE SKY --
JETS OUT OF THE SKY, AND I THINK
THAT’S WHERE WE’RE GOING TO SEE
MOST OF THE AID FOCUS ON BECAUSE
THERE IS THAT DEBATE OF NATO AND
NOT WANTING TO DRAG IN OTHER
COUNTRIES INTO THIS CONFLICT,
AND IT’S A VERY FINE LINE HERE.
THE RUSSIANS TODAY, EVEN THE
DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER, SAID
THEY WOULD START TARGETING THE
CONVOY’S WEAPONS EVEN IF THEY’RE
DELIVERED BY NATO COUNTRIES.
YOU IMAGINE IF THERE ARE FIGHTER
JETS DELIVERED, IT RAISES THAT
QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT
THE RUSSIANS WOULD DIRECTLY
TARGET FOREIGN PLANES THAT ARE
BROUGHT HERE TO THIS COUNTRY.
JACKIE: TREY, IT’S JACKIE, GOOD
EVENING TO YOU.
YOU HAVE MENTIONED THAT THE
ANTICIPATION ON THE GROUND WITH
THE RUSSIAN FORCES WOULD MAKE
THEIR OFFENSIVE ON KYIV QUICKER,
AND IT’S TAKEN ROUGHLY THREE
WEEKS TO TRY TO ENCROACH UPON
THAT AREA.
WHAT DO YOU THINK CHANGED?
IS IT WHAT WE’RE SEEING ON THE
GROUND WITH RESPECT TO
UKRAINIANS FIGHTING, BEING
WILLING TO STAY IN THEIR COUNTRY
AND TRYING TO PROTECT IT?
DO YOU THINK THAT IS
STRATEGICALLY WHAT’S HERE
BECAUSE IF IT IS, IT ALMOST
SOUNDS LIKE IT’S BECOME A GAME
OF CHICK WHEN YOU HEAR ZELENSKYY
TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THEY’LL
JUST HAVE TO BOMB IT AND HAVE
TREMENDOUS BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS.
>> Reporter: YEAH, LOOK, I
THINK IT’S A TWO-PART ISSUE.
ONE HAS TO DO WITH THE
UKRAINIANS, ONE HAS TO DO WITH
THE RUSSIANS.
ON THE UKRAINIAN SIDE, THERE’S
FIERCE RESISTANCE.
THE RUSSIANS ARE NOT WALKING
INTO UKRAINE AS EARLY REPORTS
INDICATED THEY MIGHT.
AND AS MOSCOW REALLY TRIED TO
PUSH TO THEIR PEOPLE THAT A THEY
WOULD.
SO THEY’VE FACED VERY SERIOUS
RESISTANCE NOT ONLY AROUND KYIV,
BUT KHARKIV, A NUMBER OF THE
NORTHEASTERN CITIES.
THE UKRAINIANS ARE FIGHTING BACK
AND TRYING TO PUSH BACK THIS
RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE FORCE, A
LOT OF THEM ARE YOUNG 18,
19-YEAR-OLDS WHO ARE CONSCRIPTS,
THEY’RE HERE FIGHTING THEIR
FIRST WAR, AND THE VIDEOS THAT
WE’VE SEEN OF THESE TROOPS --
AND, JOEY, YOU PROBABLY CAN
SPEAK MORE TO THIS, BUT THEY’RE
NOT ORGANIZED IN A LOT OF CASES.
THEY GET HIT ONCE, AND YOU SEE
THEM GETTING OUT OF THEIR APCs
AND TANKS AND RUNNING IN
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
I THINK THE ONE THING YOU’LL
LOOK AT IN THE COMING WEEKS AND
ANALYSTS WILL REALLY OBSERVE IS
THAT THE RUSSIANS HAVE THESE
SPECIAL UNITS THAT HAVE BEEN
OPERATING.
THEY SEND THEM TO TAKE OVER A
AIR BASES JUST OUTSIDE OF THE
CITY, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO JUST
THE REGULAR FIGHTING FORCE, THE
COMBAT TROOPS ON THE GROUND,
MANY OF THEM DO NOT HAVE COMBAT
EXPERIENCE.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY ARE
SEEING WAR, AND IT’S SHOWING IN
Z MANY PARTS OF THIS WAR.
GRIFF: TREY, I CAN’T SAY ENOUGH
COMPLIMENTARY THINGS ABOUT YOUR
COVERAGE.
YOU’VE BEEN DOING THIS NOW FOR
THREE WEEK, AND I THINK THAT
ASPIRING JOURNALISTS WHO WANT TO
COVER ARMED CONFLICTS SHOULD
STUDY THE WAY YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO CAPTURE THE IMAGES OF THE
SCORCHED EARTH TACTICS OF THE
RUSSIAN FORCES, TO CAPTURE THE
HUMANITY OF THE CIVILIANS
FLEEING, RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES
WITH NOTHING.
BUT I TO WANT TO ASK YOU JUST
BECAUSE -- I DO WANT TO ASK YOU
JUST BECAUSE OUT OF EVERYTHING
YOU’VE SEEN, IS THERE ONE MOMENT
, IS THERE ONE IMAGE, ONE
EXCHANGE SO FAR IN YOUR MIND
THAT REALLY ENCAPPS LATES,
REALLY CAPTURES THE STORY FOR
THE WORLD TO SEE?
>> Reporter: THANK YOU, AND
IT’S A GREAT QUESTION.
DWIGHT CROWE, THE GUY THAT YOU
HEARD THERE ARE THERE IN OUR
ORIGINAL PIECE.
THERE WAS A MOMENT WHERE HE WAS
HELPING THESE ELDERLY WOMEN
ACROSS A BRIDGE THAT HAD BEEN
TARGETED BY THE UKRAINIANS SO
THEY COULD STOP THE RUSSIAN
ADVANCE ON THE CITY.
AND THIS LOCATION, A NUMBER OF
PEOPLE HAVE DIED AROUND THERE.
THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT
SHELLINGS TAKING PLACE THERE.
EVEN REPORTS OF SNIPERS.
AND IT’S A VOLATILE SITUATION,
BUT THERE WAS THIS ONE ELDERLY
WOMAN, AND SHE COULD BARELY MAKE
IT ACROSS THE BRIDGE.
BUT DWIGHT HELPED HER, AND HE
WAS HELPING HER THE WHOLE WAY
ACROSS.
AND THEN WHEN SHE GOT ACROSS THE
BRIDGE, HE KIND OF WENT ON TO
HELP OTHER PEOPLE AS THEY WERE
CROSSING, AND SHE STARTED TO
CRY.
AND IT WAS THIS MOMENT WHERE HE
RECOGNIZED THAT THAT THERE WAS
ANOTHER HUMAN THAT FELT SAFE
WITH HIM NEARBY, AND AND THEY
PUT HER INTO A WHEEL BARER ROW
BECAUSE SHE WOULDN’T WALK WITH
UP THIS EMBANKMENT.
AS THEY’RE TAKING HER UP, DWIGHT
REACHES HIS HAND OUT, AND HE
WALKS UP WITH HER HOLDING HER
HAND.
AND THEN SHE GETS TO THE
AMBULANCE AND SMILES AT HIM AND
WAVES GOOD-BYE, AND THAT WAS A
MOMENT THAT STANDS OUT IN MY
MIND AMID THIS VERY DARK AND
DESTRUCTIVE TIME FOR UKRAINE, A
MOMENT OF LIFE.
GRIFF: WE WERE JUST SHOWING THAT
VIDEO OF DWIGHT WITH THAT WOMAN.
TREY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
COVERAGE.