>> LET'S GET MORE ON THIS WITH
CLINT WATCHES, AN NBC NEWS
NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST, A
DISTINGUISHED RESEARCH FELLOW
AT THE FOREIGN POLICY RESEARCH
INSTITUTE CLINTON. THESE
SHOCKING DISCOVERIES OF BODIES
THAT WERE DISCOVERED IN AND
OTHER TOWNS NEAR KYIV. HAS
CONTROL OF THAT REGION CHANGED
SINCE RUSSIAN FORCES BEGAN TO
WITHDRAW FROM THE AREA.
>> YEAH, WE'RE SEEING A
REMARKABLE CHANGE. YOU KNOW,
IF I COULD JUST JUMP BACK, IF
WE JUST LOOK. 2 WEEKS AGO AND
I JUMP FORWARD TO THIS IS LAST
WEEK YOU SEE THE BLUE THERE.
THAT'S WHERE THE UKRAINIANS
ARE TAKING BACK OVER. AND IF I
MOVE NOW TO IN AND AROUND
KYIV. YOU'RE SEEN A MASSIVE
PUSH BY THE CRANE MILITARY AS
THE RUSSIANS HAVE STARTED TO
WITHDRAW. WHAT'S BEEN
FASCINATING TO WATCH IS THE
RUSSIAN WITHDRAW THINK OF IT
SORT OF IS THIS USUALLY 2
UNITS. MAYBE 3 UNITS WILL STAY
ENGAGED HERE WHILE ONE MOVES
BACK TO THE REAR ESSENTIALLY
RETREATS THE RUSSIANS HAVE
EVEN BEEN LEAVING SOLDIERS
TROOPS ARE IN POCKETS RIGHT
NOW IN DOWN HERE IN THIS AREA.
THIS IS IN AROUND WHICH IS
THIS AREA HERE ARE PEANUT,
WHICH IS RICHARD ENGEL HAS
BEEN REPORTING FROM ALL OF
THESE AREAS. WHAT YOU'VE SEEN,
THE UKRAINE MILITARY BE ABLE
TO DO IS REALLY PUSHED BACK IN
THE RUSSIANS ARE MOVING IN
TOWARDS BELARUS. THIS IS ALSO
HAPPENING. THIS BREVARD
CORRIDOR 3 WEEKS AGO WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT COM BOYS,
RUSSIAN CONVOYS ADVANCING HERE
GETTING STUCK AND STYMIED BY
BOTH. JUST ARTILLERY FIRE AND
JUST BOUNCE. THIS IS CREATING
A DYNAMIC SITUATION WHERE I
THINK IF YOU PEEL BACK, WE'RE
REALLY LOOKING AT NOW IS
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE EAST.
THE FIGHT IS GOING TO MOVE
THIS DIRECTION. THESE TROOPS
UP HERE IN KIEV GOING TO MOVE
AROUND AND THAT THAT GENTLEMAN
THAT WAS JUST BEING
INTERVIEWED THEREBY, RIGHT,
RICHARD, I WOULD NOT BE
SURPRISE OF A LOT OF THEM
START REDEPLOYING TO MATCH THE
RUSSIAN ADVANCE HERE.
>> YES, OAKLAND. I WANT TO ASK
ABOUT OTHER PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY. LET'S START IN THE
SOUTH. OVER THE WEEKEND WE SAW
A RUSSIAN MISSILE STRIKE A
FUEL DEPOT IN THE PORT CITY OF
ODESSA. WALK US THROUGH THE
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THAT
CITY AND WHAT IS RUSSIA'S GOAL
IN THAT AREA.
>> SO KIEV IS THE POLITICAL
CAPITAL. BUT ODESSA IS THE
ECONOMIC CAPITAL DOWN HERE.
ODESSA IS ESSENTIALLY THE PORT
THAT COMES OFF THE BLACK SEA.
THAT'S WHERE FOOD FUEL. A LOT
OF MERCHANDISE COMES IN AND
OUT NORMALLY WHENEVER THIS IS
NOT A WAR. THIS IS ALSO A WEEK
REGION. WE GROWING REGION.
THIS IS WHERE THE EXPORTS WILL
GO OUT ON THE IMPORTS WOULD
COME IN HITTING ODESSA'S
ESSENTIALLY TRYING TO CUT OFF
THE FUEL AND AND LIFELINE FOR
THE UKRAINIANS UKRAINIAN
MILITARY. BUT LET'S TAKE IT
BACK TO THE BIGGER PICTURE.
LAST WEEK WE SAW A DARING RAID
OF WHAT LOOKS TO BE TO
UKRAINIAN HIND HELICOPTERS HIT
A RUSSIAN OIL INSIDE RUSSIA
CENTRAL TRYING TO SLOW DOWN
THE FUEL FOR THOSE CONVOYS AND
THOSE ARMORED FORMATIONS THAT
ARE TRYING TO MAKE THEIR WAY
OVER TO THE EAST. SO THIS
BECOMING A BATTLE OF
LOGISTICS. ULTIMATELY, I THINK
WHAT PUTIN HAS TO DO IF YOU
WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL IS TAKE
THIS REGION HERE. THE DUMB
BOSS. IF YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT
HE WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE
ANYTHING AND THEN CLAIM
QUICKLY. I MEAN, IS HE HAVING
SUCCESS IN THAT REGION. WHAT'S
HAPPENING IN THE DONBASS RIGHT
NOW. SO IN AND AROUND THIS
AREA IS IZZY-UM WAS A KEY TOWN
OVER THE WEEKEND. THE RUSSIANS
CLAIM THEY HAVE TAKEN CONTROL
OF THIS. WHAT YOU'RE SEEING
THEM TRY TO DO.
>> IS LINKED THE FORCES HERE
FROM WUHAN STUCK WITH THOSE
COMING DOWN FROM HEART. KEITH.
IN AND AROUND IS SO IF THEY
CAN TAKE THAT THEY WOULD
ESSENTIALLY BE JOINING THEIR
FORCES. THEY'VE GOT A BIG
PROBLEM, THOUGH, ON THEIR
HANDS WHEN YOU ZOOM BACK OUT
HERE IN THE EAST. THEY'RE
TALKING ABOUT TAKING TROOPS
MOVING THEM ALL THE WAY AROUND
RUSSIA BACK INTO THIS EASTERN
FLANK. WHAT IS THE MOTIVATION
OF THOSE TROOPS THAT HAVE BEEN
A NONSTOP BATTLE AND LOSING IN
AND AROUND KYIV IT WON'T BE
THAT EASY TO JUST TAKE THOSE
FORCES OR AND THEN AT THE SAME
TIME YOU SEE RUSSIA NOT REALLY
PICKING UP MORE TROOPS. BUT
LOOKING FOR MERCENARIES IN
PLACES LIKE DONETSK LOOKING
FOLKS FROM SYRIA AND HEZBOLLAH
EVEN IN LEBANON TO COME FILL
THE RANKS. THEY JUST DON'T
HAVE THE MANPOWER REALLY TO
SUSTAIN AND YOU CAN SEE THE
MOMENTUM A SWITCH IN TOWARDS
UKRAINE.
>> BUT WATCH HELPING US
UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN
UKRAINE. SEVERAL WEEKS INTO
THIS WAR. CLINT, THANK YOU AS