VLADIMIR PUTIN IS NOT USED TO FACING HIS CRITICS ESPECIALLY AT HOME, AND
FEW CAN BE AS FIERCE AS THE MOTHERS AND WIVES OF DEPLOYED
SOLDIERS. BUT EARLIER, PUTIN MET WITH A
GROUP OF THEM. AND EXPRESSED HIS CONDOLENCES.
>> I WANT YOU TO KNOW. I PERSONALLY AND THE ENTIRE
LEADERSHIP OF THE COUNTRY, SHARE THIS PAIN.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT NOTHING CAN REPLACE THE LOSS.
>> OF COURSE, THE WORDS RING HOLLOW FOR SOME MOTHERS AND
WIVES. THEY'VE STARTED FOLLOWING
SOCIAL MEDIA WITH VIDEOS, MAKING GOOD ON PROMISES THAT
THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT MADE. AMONG THEM BETTER TRAINING AND
BETTER EQUIPMENT, ONE MOTHER SAYS SHE CAN'T BELIEVE THE
RUSSIAN PEOPLE ARE OKAY WITH WHAT IS GOING ON.
>> I CANNOT LOOK IN DIFFERENTLY.
THERE ARE A LOT OF REGIS THINGS HAPPENING, I'M STRUCK BY THE
INDIFFERENCE BY BOTH WOMEN AND IN GENERAL, THE ENTIRE PEOPLE
TO WHAT IS HAPPENING. >> THE KREMLIN HAS OF COURSE IT
CRACKED DOWN ON DISSENT SINCE THE WAR BEGAN.
MANY PEOPLE SAY THIS TIME IS DIFFERENT, BECAUSE THE WORD
MOTHER'S SECRET IN RUSSIA. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN
MET WITH MOTHERS OF SOLDIERS FIGHTING IN UKRAINE TODAY.
THIS IS A RARE MOMENT WHERE PUTIN IS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE
MANY LOST RETURN LIVES IN THIS WAR.
SUSAN, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS DECISION ON PART OF PUTIN TO
HAVE THIS MEETING? >> WELL, IT DOES REFLECT
INCREASING PRESSURE INSIDE OF RUSSIAN SOCIETY EVER SINCE PUTIN
AUTHORIZED AND REQUIRED A PARTIAL MOBILIZATION OF RUSSIA
MEN, CALLING UP HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THEM.
THAT IS INCREASED THE PUSHBACK INSIDE OF RUSSIAN SOCIETY.
HUNDREDS EVER THOUSANDS, PEOPLE LEAVING BUT THOSE REMAINING AND
THEIR FAMILIES EXTREMELY ALARMED AT THE PROSPECT OF AS THEIR
CHILDREN BEING USED AS CANNON FODDER.
WHEN WE LIVED THERE DURING THE CHECHEN WAR, IT WAS THE MOTHERS
OF THE SOLDIERS WHO PROVIDED THE EMOTIONAL POWER AND WHAT EXISTED
OF RESISTANCE INSIDE OF RUSSIA TO THAT CONFLICT.
I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE SAME DYNAMIC PLAYING OUT HERE.
THERE IS A LEVEL OF CASUALTIES THAT THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
CAN'T HIDE FROM ITS OWN PEOPLE. SO I THINK IT IS AN UNUSUAL STEP
BY PUTIN THAT REFLECTS THE ENORMOUS CONCERNS THAT ARE
GROWING INSIDE OF RUSSIA TODAY WHEN CHILDREN ARE BEING USED AS
CANNON FODDER. >> AND THERE HAVE BEEN MORE
RUSSIAN STRIKES NEAR THE LARGEST NUCLEAR PLANT IN
EUROPE. THAT IS WHERE WE FIND CNN'S SAM
KILEY, HE IS IN SEPARATE SIYA. JUST DESCRIBE THE ATMOSPHERE
AND THE SCENE THERE SAM IF YOU CAN PLEASE?
>> RIGHT NOW BECKY, A LITTLE BIT ANXIOUS.
THE AIR RAID SIRENS ARE CURRENTLY GOING UP, I DON'T
HAVE MY MICROPHONE CAN PICK THEM UP.
THEY ARE SLIGHTLY IN THE DISTANCE THERE.
BY AREA, THIS IS A BIG CITY. BUT NORMALLY, ONCE THEY GO OFF
AND NORMALLY ARE AIRSTRIKES, THERE WAS A LOT OF DEFAMATION
THIS MORNING. THERE WAS AN ATTACK ON WHAT
TURNED OUT TO BE A GUY STATION ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN,
YESTERDAY AND THERE HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY ATTACKS CLOSE TO THE
SEPARATES HE HAD NUCLEAR POWER STATION.
THAT IS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR MONTHS BECKY BECAUSE ALSO, THAT
LOCATION IS A FIRE BASED USED BY THE RUSSIANS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS WHOLE
RELENTLESS CAMPAIGN BY RUSSIA NOW TO TRY AND BREAK THE POWER
GENERATING CAPABILITIES AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS OF UKRAINE
IS THAT IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE KREMLIN GOING AFTER UKRAINE
CIVILIAN POPULATION. HAVEN'T BEEN UP BACK IN THIS
ATTEMPT TO CATCH KYIV, HARKEY BUT IT SWITCHED TO BOMBARDIER
IN THE CITIES PARTICULAR HARK EVEN YOU SAW THE MASS
DESTRUCTION OF MARIO PEOPLE. AND NOW WE ARE SEEING THIS
LATEST EFFORT TO TRY AND BREAK THE WHEEL OF THE UKRAINIAN
PEOPLE. SHOULD NOT COME AS ANY SURPRISE,
THEY TALKED ABOUT THE RUSSIANS WEAPONIZING WINTER.
IF YOU ARE RAGING A WAR TO TRY AND WIN IT, THAT IS EXACTLY
WHAT YOU WOULD DO. WHAT THE UKRAINIANS RESPONSE
THAT IS YES, OF COURSE HE IS DOING THAT.
GIVE US THE CAPABILITY TO DEFEND OURSELVES AGAINST THE
SWARMS OF CRUISE AND MISSILES THAT THE RUSSIANS ARE SENDING
TO ATTACK OUR GENERATING CAPABILITIES.
AND THEN BE ABLE TO NOT ONLY GET THEIR WINTER BUT CONTINUE
TO HAVE MILITARY SUCCESS ON THE GROUND.
AT THE MOMENT, THERE IS ANTI AIRCRAFT CAPABILITIES COMING IN
AND IT'S NOT THE TOP AND STUFF. NOT THE STUFF THAT WILL GIVE
THE UKRAINIANS THE STRATEGIC OR EVEN TACTICAL EDGE BECKY.
>> THE HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC 8 ENERGY
AGENCY, OUR VIEWERS HEARD HIM EARLIER.
SEARING THE OUTAGES COULD LEAD TO A NUCLEAR ACCIDENT.
IT'S THE SORT OF WARNING THAT JUST DOESN'T GET ANY MORE
CONCERNING. I MEAN YOU TALK ABOUT THESE
DEFENSE SYSTEMS THAT THE ACRONYMS ARE YOU NO INTENT ON
GETTING FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND I'VE BEEN ASKING
FOR, FOR BOTS. NOW WHAT LIKELIHOOD THAT THOSE
SUPPORTING THEM WILL ACTUALLY SEND WHAT THEY NEED AT THIS
POINT? >> WELL, ONE OF THE COUNTRIES
THEY'VE RUN BRITNEY ASKING FOR HELP IS ISRAEL WHICH HAS ITS
OWN ISSUES WITH RUSSIA, RELATED TO RUSSIA'S ROLE AND SUPPORT OF
-- AND SYRIA.
THE ISRAELIS HAVE BEEN GIVING MORAL AND OTHER HUMANITARIAN
SUPPORT TO UKRAINE, BUT REFUSING TO THIS --
HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED, ANTI MISSILE SYSTEM.
THE IRON DOME IN THE OTHER BIGGER SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE SEEN
SO FREQUENTLY AND ACTION THERE. THAT IS SOMETHING THEY ARE
CONTINUING TO WORK, AND THEY HAVEN'T GOT, THEY HAVEN'T GOT
ACCESS YET TO THE PATRIOT MISSILES.
GERMANY AND POLAND ARE KIND OF DISCUSSING WHETHER OR NOT THEY
OUGHT TO SUPPLY THEM BUT THEY NEED TO NEGOTIATE, THAT ALSO
WITH THE UNITED STATES. THAT WILL BE A VERY EFFECTIVE
ANTI MISSILE SYSTEM. THERE IS A LOT OF EQUIPMENT OUT
THERE, WHEN I THINK THE PATH AND HAS BEEN SO FAR IN THIS
GOES BACK TO 2014 WHEN UKRAINE WAS FIRST INVADED BY RUSSIA AND
THE PROXIES, IS THAT THE NATO AND HER ALLIES HAVE BEEN
SOMEWHAT BEHIND THE LOOP. THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ANXIOUS
ABOUT THE EXCESSIVE REACTION COMING FROM MOSCOW, AND
PARTICULARLY WITH THE USE OF SOPHISTICATED MISSILE SYSTEMS.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY CATCH UP. HE'S BACK IN 2014, UKRAINE GOT
A LETHAL AID. NOW IT IS GETTING TANKING
EQUIPMENTS, GETTING TANKS AND GETTING ARMORED PERSONNEL
CARRIERS. IT IS GETTING STRONGER MISSILES,
IT'S GETTING OTHER MISSILES THAT CAN BRING DOWN INCOMING
AIRCRAFT FROM RUSSIA. IT IS NOT THE TOP AND STUFF
HERE BECKY. >> SAM KILEY, ON THE GROUND,
ZAPORIZHZHIA IN UKRAINE. SAM, THANK YOU.