>> JAPAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER HAS
MADE A SURPRISING VISIT TO
UKRAINE, MEETING WITH PRESIDENT
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY ON A
SUNDAY.
YOKOHAMA KAWHI SAYS COCOA IS
DETERMINED TO KEEP SUPPORTING
UKRAINE ANTI ANNOUNCED NEW
DELIVERIES OF DEFENSE
EQUIPMENT.
>> SINCE YOU THINK JAPAN,
CALLING THE COUNTRY A VERY
IMPORTANT AND STRONG PARTNER
BUT HE ALSO STRESSED THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF EUROPE'S
CONTINUED AID AT A CONFERENCE
IN SWEDEN.
>> TO CREATE AN ARSENAL FOR THE
DEFENSE OF FREEDOM, EUROPE
NEEDS JOINT WEAPONS PRODUCTION.
--
THEN NOW.
NEW >> RUSSIAN PRESIDENT
VLADIMIR PUTIN CELEBRATED THE
ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS ON SUNDAY.
JUST ONE DAY AFTER DEADLY
MISSILE STRIKES POUNDED AN
EASTERN UKRAINIAN TOWN.
>> THEY ARE AMONG THE LATEST IN
A STRING OF RAMPED UP ATTACKS
BY RUSSIA TO CNN'S FRED
PLEITGEN REPORTS.
>> REPORTER: AS THE NEW YEAR
BEGINS, RUSSIA'S AERIAL ASSAULT
ON UKRAINE CONTINUES.
AT LEAST 11 CIVILIANS,
INCLUDING FIVE CHILDREN, KILLED
BY MISSILE STRIKES AROUND --
IN THE EAST OF THE COUNTRY.
THE BUILDINGS THEY WERE IN
REDUCED TO NOTHING MORE THAN
RUBBLE.
TWO HOUSES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED
TO THE GROUND, THIS OFFICIAL
SAYS.
134 PRIVATE HOUSES AND 15
APARTMENT BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN
DAMAGED.
SEARCH OPERATIONS ARE ONGOING.
UKRAINE SAYS RUSSIA HAS STEPPED
UP ATTACKS BOTH ON THE GROUND
AND IN THE AIR THE PAST WEEKS,
KILLING NEARLY 120 CIVILIANS
AND WOUNDING NEARLY 500 MORE
SINCE DECEMBER 29TH.
[SIRENS]
THE U.S. CLAIMS THAT RUSSIA HAS
USED MISSILES PROCURED FROM
NORTH KOREA TO ATTACK KHARKIV
IN NORTHEASTERN UKRAINE.
MOSCOW HAS NOT COMMENTED SO FAR,
AND UKRAINIAN AUTHORITIES
INVESTIGATING THE WRECKAGE SAY
THEY HAVE NOT YET COME TO A
FINAL CONCLUSION ABOUT THE
MISSILE'S ORIGIN.
>> TRANSLATOR: MOST LIKELY IT
WAS SUPPLIED BY NORTH KOREA, OR
PRODUCED RECENTLY EASING
BLUEPRINTS FROM RUSSIA FROM
NORTH KOREA.
>> REPORTER: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT
VLADIMIR PUTIN CELEBRATING
ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS, AS HE
ESCALATES HIS ASSAULT AGAINST
UKRAINE.
MEETING WITH FAMILIES OF
RUSSIAN SOLDIERS KILLED ON THE
BATTLEFIELD, AND VOWING TO
SUPPORT THE LOVED ONES OF ALL
OF THOSE HE SENDS TO THE WAR
ZONE.
>> TRANSLATOR: YOU KNOW THAT
MANY OF OUR MEN, COURAGEOUS
RUSSIAN GUYS, EVEN NOW ON THIS
HOLIDAY DEFENDING THE INTERESTS
OF OUR COUNTRY WITH ARMS IN
HAND.
I WANT TO ASSURE YOU WE WILL
ALWAYS HAVE YOUR BACK.
>> REPORTER: KYIV SAYS THE
RUSSIAN ARMY IS SUFFERING
CATASTROPHIC LOSSES AS IT TRIES
TO PUSH FORWARD AND SEVERAL
SECTORS ALONG THE FRONT LINE.
UKRAINE'S GROUND FORCES
RELEASING THIS VIDEO,
PURPORTING TO SHOW RUSSIAN
TROOPS RETREATING AFTER LOSING
SEVERAL TANKS AND ARMORED
VEHICLES IN A FIELD ASSAULT.
CNN CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY
THE DATE AND LOCATION OF THE
VIDEO.
AN ANGRY UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT,
CONDEMNING PUTIN'S RENEWED
ONSLAUGHT.
>> HE TRIED AGAIN TO BRING
UKRAINE TO ITS KNEES WITH
AIRSTRIKES, LARGE SCALE ATTACKS,
SPECIAL COMBINED ATTACKS AIMED
AT OVERLOADING OUR AIR DEFENSE
AND STRIKING CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> REPORTER: RUSSIA'S
LEADERSHIP SHOWS NO SIGNS OF
BACKING OFF AS UKRAINIANS GEAR
UP TO DEFEND THEIR LAND OF WHAT
COULD BE ANOTHER YEAR OF
WARFARE.
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN, KYIV.
>> ZANNY, I HAVE GOT A VERY
BRIEF TIME, BUT I WANT TO
QUICKLY ASK YOU ABOUT ZELENSKYY
AND YOUR INTERVIEW.
HE SEEMED, IN YOUR INTERVIEW
WITH ZELENSKYY, HE SEEMED VERY
FRUSTRATED.
YOU KNOW, VERY QUICKLY, IS
THERE A PATH FOR UKRAINE TO
RESIST RUSSIA?
IT DOES FEEL LIKE THE RUSSIANS
ARE GAINING GROUND?
>> YEAH, HE WAS VERY
FRUSTRATED.
HE SENSES THAT THAT NARRATIVE
HAS SHIFTED IN THE WEST, AND
PEOPLE THINK THE RUSSIANS HAD
THE UPPER HAND.
HE WAS PUSHING AGAINST THAT.
BUT MOSTLY I THINK, HE WAS
FRUSTRATED BY THE LACK OF
ASSISTANCE, THE AID BEING HELD
UP BOTH IN THE U.S. AND THE
EUROPEAN AID.
AND HIS ARGUMENT WAS VERY, VERY
CLEAR.
HE SAID IF YOU ARE NOT HELPING
UKRAINE, YOU ARE HELPING
YOURSELVES.
AND THIS WAS PARTICULARLY IN
EUROPE.
AND HE CALLED PUTIN AN ANIMAL
WHO SENSES WEAKNESS.
AND THAT IF YOU ALLOWED PUTIN
TO WIN IN UKRAINE, IT WOULD BE
MUCH MUCH WORSE, IT WOULD BE AN
EXISTENTIAL RISK FOR THE REST.
AND THAT ARGUMENT, JUST AT THE
MOMENT IS LANDING.
I THINK, AND THAT IS WHAT IS
REALLY THE UNDERPINNING HIS
SENSE OF FRUSTRATION, WHICH WAS
VERY REAL.
SO YES, IT IS GOING TO BE A