ship. several settlements in southern ukraine have come under heavy fire including from cluster bombs. >> russian forces are stepping up their attacks in the eastern part of the country. the ukrainian military is saying that vladimir putin, his troops, his army appears to be heavily shelling the area in the east. the donbas region ahead of a planned ground offensive. now new military aid including a dozen helicopters from the u.s. is going to start arriving in ukraine soon. that aid is including more heavy duty and sophisticated weaponry than previous shipments. u.s. has now offered more than $3 billion in military aid to ukraine. >> and russia is protesting those u.s. shipments. in a diplomatic note, they warn of unpredictable consequences if the support continues. we have correspondents bringing us latest. jasmine wright is reporting on the new weapons headed for ukraine from the u.s. matt rivers is live in lviv. >> and matt, let's start with you in lviv. ukrainian officials are claiming a success today, that they shot down russian cruise missiles what more do we know? >> reporter: yeah, well we were woke up here by an air raid siren that went off around 5:45 a.m. local time. we were under that warning for about an hour and a 20 minutes after that we got word as to why the air raid siren went off. according to ukrainian officials, several russian war planes had taken off from belarus, from air bases and launched what were said to be four cruise missiles heading to an unspecified target, the ukrainians did not say where, somewhere in the lviv region and they claim that the air defense system managed to track the missiles and take them out before they managed to reach their designated targets. lviv not the only region in ukraine targeted by russian missiles overnight. one struck a southeastern district of kyiv, the mayor calling it the outskirts of kyiv and we know that one person was killed in that attack with other people injured and rescue crews still on the scene out there. and this is something that russia has said it is willing to do. even as we wait for that offensive to begin in the eastern part of the country, and we see shelling in the southern part of the country, we've heard from russian generals saying that they will target what they call decision-making centers in other parts of ukraine and that appears to be what we've been seeing in lviv and also in kyiv overnight. >> so i want to you ask about this horrifying report from ukrainian national police. the bodies of 900 ukrainian people discovered in the kyiv region. what are you hearing about that and what is next in that regard, matt? >> reporter: seemingly each day that goes by we get a bigger picture of the brutality that russian forces engaged in while occupying northern ukraine. this latest report coming from the head of kyiv's regional place saying that more than 900 bodies, showing signs of torture, have been discovered as they managed to go into the towns held by weeks for russian forces. bodies are being examined and during the examinations the signs of gunshot wounds to the head and hands being bound, these are being discovered. that is information that is going to be passed on no the international criminal court which opened up a formal investigation into what is going on in ukraine back on march 2nd but the body of evidence growing seemingly by the day. >> the chief prosecutor for the international criminal court calls ukraine a crime scene at this point. matt rivers, thank you. now a senior pentagon official is telling cnn that they first part of a new shipment worth $800 million in military aid for ukraine is going to start arriving in ukraine within a couple of hours. >> jasmine write is with us from the white house. i know this is different than previous packages that were shipped there. help us understand what exactly the u.s. is sending to ukraine. >> reporter: well, christi and alex, this package is meant to try to meet the needs of the ukrainians as the fight is expected to shift to the donbas region shortly. and so this new package, it is a first time that the u.s. has agreed to send this kind of weaponry. as you could see on the screen here, we had the howitzers, those are good for a long range target as the new fighting that is expected to happen on a clear and open format battlefield, not something that we've seen earlier. we saw that city warfare. and we have new helicopters something that president zelenskyy has pressured the u.s. to send to him. and we have switchblades, good for long range targets and protective equipment. this is coming as the u.s. officials are preparing for the battle to change in terms of the terrain. take a listen to john kirby describe the thinking behind this when he on with our own jake tapper just this week. >> we think that terrain there, which is a little like kansas, it is flat and open like you described, jake, will lend itself for the russians to use mechanized forces in columns and open formations and artillery and long range fire and those are the kind of capabilities you want the ukrainians to have as well. we are tailored their region in the don bass and the fight that we think is coming in the days and weeks to come. >> >> reporter: so there we heard from kirby talking about why they have evolved this type of packaging they've sent. let's be clear, these are weapons that just weeks ago biden administration thought would be viewed as too escalatory and now that has changed. and it appears that russian has taken taken notice after russia formally protested the ongoing shipment of weaponry to ukraine from the u.s. as the u.s. was putting together that latest $800 million package. since a formal diplomatic note to the state department basically warning of consequences if it should continue. now, officials don't know exactly if that new note means that their posture will change into something. but this is something that we of course keep our eye on. alex and christi. >> still missing from the package are the jets and which the ukrainians are asking for and the u.s. has not been willing to give. thank you for that report. now let's dive into this with two people who know this issue better than most. the former u.s. ambassador to ukraine william taylor and retired brigadier general mark kimmet, the assistant secretary of state for political affairs during the bush administration. thank you so much for joining me this morning. i want to start with you, general and the latest news out of the capital kyiv. the capital has been relatively quiet in recent days as the russians have pulled back. now we're getting word of a bombing on the outskirts of the capital, our team is reporting at least one person killed. russia has warned that it would strike what they call decision-making centers in response to these accusations that ukraine is striking inside of russian territory. what do you make of this apparent attack on the kyiv outskirt this is morning? >> well i don't think it is much more than the russians continuing to remind kyiv that they've got the ability to reach out and touch them. that they should consider no area safe. and that they can send a missile and artillery or round to them at any time other than as a warning. >> how about the sinking of the moskva. this russian ship in the black sea. is that going to have an impact on the naval operations along the ukrainian southern coast? >> two things. i would say it will have a significant moral uplift to the ukrainian people. that is obviously the ship that the snake island offenders point their middle finger at. but i think it is important to recognize that the united kingdom lost six war ships in the balkens battle and they didn't stop their resolve or their ability to continue to prosecute the war. i think it might put them on their back foot in terms of command and control for some period of time. but the russians could bring other ships in there unless turkey blocked the straits as they have threatened. >> ambassador taylor, we have now seen that russia plans to escalate their efforts in the eastern part of the country after all of the setbacks elsewhere. notably in the north and around kyiv. and we've been talking about these concerns over the potential for president putin to use nuclear weapons. those concerns renewed in an interview between president zelenskyy and jake tapper. and he said the world should be prepared for the nuclear weapons but at the same time the cia director bill burns is watching this closely but russia has not taken steps in that direction. so given where the fight is right now and russia has suffered these setbacks, how much do you fear putin may escalate this and move toward the nonconventional chemical and nuclear weapons? >> so, alex, there is no real military reason. as general kimmet could describe, for using these kind of weapons in ukraine. none. and bill burns is of course right that there are no -- no indications that the russians are seriously making plans to use these. that said, president zelenskyy is also right that you have to be prepare and you have to be ready for that kind of thing. and there are preparations certainly being made. but i think that bill burns is right, we'll know if they're going to be moving in that direction and so far we've not seen that. >> general, we've been talking a lot about this new weapons shipment, the biden administration touting that they've sent or at least are sending more than $3 billion worth of weapons to ukraine. when you look at this package, which includes howitzers, mi-17 helicopters and switchblade drones and a quite a long list. who do you make of the list? >> three things. number one, i think it is great that we're sending that equipment in if for no other reason than for the combat replacements of what has been destroyed if the fight. number two, it is a great, again, moral uplift, moral boost to both the ukrainians in the western nations that they're doing something to help this fight. number three, i'm not too impressed with what i'm seeing on that long, long list. good equipment there. not a lot of equipment. 18 cannons for example. 18 howitzers is merely one battalion of artillery and the ukrainians have about 50. so that is good to replace what they've already lost but there are no silver bullets or magic bullets in that package that will make any significant difference. >> general, is that because of the stockpiles that we have in this country, we don't have enough to send them? is that why they would send just 18 how itsers in. >> i think it is the combination of the ability to get the equipment to them rapidly. we certainly has a lot in stockpiles. we have a lot in our reserve and our national guard units. so it is not an issue of not having the equipment. it really has more to do with shipment time and availability and other factors that come into play. but it is not because we're short of any of that equipment. >> ambassador, we have heard quite a bit of frustration from president zelenskyy and other top ukrainian officials that they're not getting enough, they're not getting these jets because the biden administration is afraid that that could be a provocation. so what do you make of president zelenskyy's frustration despite the fact that the biden administration seems to be quite happy with the amount that it is sending and what do you make of their position on whether to give fighter jets to ukraine? >> so, alex, president biden has indicated that he thinks what is going on in ukraine is genocide. and if that is true, then there is no limit other than maybe weapons of mass destruction, there is no limit to the kinds of equipment, the kinds of weapons that we should be providing. the only way to stop this genocide, and i agree with the president, it is genocide, the only way to stop it is to give the ukrainians everything they need. give them the heavy weapons, give them the number of howitzers and what they need to stop the genocide. that is the moral thing to do. it is strategic thing to do and what we should be doing. >> general, do you agree. is there a difference between sending the mi-17 helicopters and then turning around an sending more jets? >> look, ambassador taylor is also a combat veteran. he knows this business as well as anybody. but the decision made by the president that this operation to assist ukraine would be done by, with and through nato means that to maintain consensus among the 30 nations within nato we often times have to go to the lowest common denominator and we're seeing that in the provision of weapons and support that we're providing to the ukrainians. while many of the hawkish nations like the united states want to give more, many of the front line states, particularly those nato facings on the border with russia, are a little bit concerned that too much would put them at risk. would more equipment and better equipment have a battlefield consequence? yes. but the diplomats on the ground are assuring us that the upintended consequences or the intended consequences of that action is beyond what they could stomach right now. >> well this debate will certainly continue in the coming days and weeks. but we have to leave it there. ambassador bill taylor and mark kimmet, thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> thank you. do stay with us because we're talking about ukraine and texas. how it took an entire community to reunite two sisters and bring one of them to safety. also in just a little more than a month, trump era border restrictions will come to an endch why more than a dozen states are stepping in to try to stop that. kitchen? 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>> yes, ma'am. so, they were not -- they were escaping. they were on the border and i took them -- i went with them to a place in a shelter where they were able to reach their destination and take them to poland. >> okay. so when you saw her with your nephew come off that plane, bring us into that moment, what was going through your mind? what was going through your heart? >> it was just, i was just happy to see them. that they are near me. and they are now will be safe. and just having part of family with me. and so it is just like -- it was -- i have most of family in ukraine and they just are a part of my family. so when my nephew and -- i was just happy to see them and for them to be with me. >> help us understand what her journey was like. i know that it was long and she went through poland and had tote to germany to get to texas. how much of the fighting did theyen counter. >> a lot. so whatever they escape from, from ukraine to kyiv and to come to poland, it was -- they didn't want to leave. i kind of told them that i will be there. i will come to poland. i will take you with your child. i'll be every step with you. will you n-- you will not be alone. so when we found people to the border, that they wanted to cross the border, she came to poland and there were a team to take them on a journey that was just -- they are just trying to figure out what is next steps we need to take. so she is a mother with a child. it was just, it was really hard to keep her calm, to just have to trust god for our next steps to see what we need to do and everything will be okay. and we're trying to take them to the united states. they did not really have the paperwork that we needed. and so weeks and weeks we were trying to figure out what the next steps and how were the paperwork we could do and where we need to go. and weeks later with our congressman, his office reached us and told us what steps we need to take and they just go to the embassy and whatever you have, try to apply. and we did. >> u.s. congressman randy weber who is secured the travel documents for her to get here. you've said this was nothing short of a miracle. >> yes. >> how is your -- how is your nephew doing? i know they've only been here since wednesday. but how is he doing? because talk about a -- what is really difficult for us as adults but for children, help us understand what he's going through. >> he's very active boy so we try to keep him active. but we could see every day he always asks where is grandma, where is grandpa. he's calling like brothers and sisters, like that he used to see them every day and he's still asking them sometimes, you know and so we're just trying to pictures the him, just to keep him so that he remembers them and video calls and as a kid he still has a hard time, he sleeps sometimes a little bit harder and in different places because we move so much in europe. we were always constantly moving. and he come here, it also hurt to feed him because i don't know if he feels something, but they have struggles with, you know, yeah. >> yeah. >> but he's -- >> well nastia, you've got a heck of a story to tell to get your sister here. really highlights the meaning of family and what our priorities are and katarina i want to say welcome to the u.s. welcome to you and your son and please take good care of each other. and of yourself. >> thank you. >> of course. nastia boyd, we appreciate it. what an amazing story and i echo that welcome. now ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy spoke with jake tapper about the human toll and the emotional toll that russia's invasion is taking on kyiv as a person, as a president. as well as the people of ukraine. he calls the horrors being uncovered now a tragedy and a disaster. take a listen. >> i'm sure you have seen the video of the ukrainian mom finding her son in a well. >> yeah. >> and her sorrow, her crying. just is devastating to hear. [ crying ] >> and you have seen a lot of videos like that. what is it like for you as the president of this country to see those videos, to hear the crying of the moms? >> translator: this is the scariest i've seen in my life in principal. i look at this first of all as a father. hurts so, so much. it is a tragedy. it is suffer. i won't be able to imagine the scale of suffering of these people. of this woman. it is a family's tragedy. it is a disaster. the dreams and the life you just lost. we live for our kids, that is true. kids are the best. we were given by god and by family. it is a great pain for them. i can't watch it as a father. only because all you want after this is revenge and to kill. i have to watch as the president of the state who died and there are millions of people who want to live. all of us want to fight. >> now if you would like to safely and securely help the people of ukraine who are in need of shelter, food and water, you could go to cnn.com/impact and there 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because of the committee's makeup and he said he was, quote, targeted to send a message. bannon's lawyers will also be arguing that he was protecting the former president's executive privilege. a georgia man has been arrested in connection with a killing of three people. he faced three counts of malice murder at the lock, stock and barrel shooting range in georgia. the victims were the range owner and his wife and their 17-year-old grandson. authorities say the 21-year-old suspect stole a cache of firearms from range. he's being held at the local county jail. and veteran state and screen actress liz shiriddan died on thursday morning. she had dozens of film credits but she was best known for playing jerry seinfeld's mother which ran for nine seasons. she was also an author and a trained dancer. she made her broadway debut in 1971 and appeared in several more productions of frank merry well over the years she celebrated her 93rd birthday this week. she's survived by her daughter and son-in-law. and more than a dozen states are challenging the biden administration's plan to end title 42. which is a trump era border control policy which stopped many migrants from seeking asylum in the united states. >> the restriction is set to end may 23rd and even moderates are worried that will lead to a massive migrant surge at the southern border. we have the story. >> reporter: more than 20 states have filed a lawsuit against the biden administration for its decision to end a public health authority known as title 42. that is an authority that has allowed border officials to turn migrants away at the u.s./mexico border over the course of the pandemic. but the cdc recently decided that that is an authority that is going to end next month on may 23rd. now the states allege that that is going to cause them harm, that the release of migrants could cause the states harm and the administration did not go through a notice and comment permit and asking the court to block this from happening. now the biden administration has been contending with political fallout over the last few weeks for deciding to terminate this order and some of that fallout was included in the lawsuit including remarks from democratic senators like senator joe manchin who called it, quote, a frightening decision. now the white house and the department of homeland security say they are putting preparations in place for what they anticipate is going to be an increase of migrants at u.s./mexico border but all eyes are on the court to see how this unfolds and whether this decision does get blocked. >> thank you so much. well outrage is growing in grand rapids, michigan, after a officer shot an unarmed black man. what a witness who saw the whole thing is saying about it. 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[mosquitoes buzzing] i got you. got mosquitoes? don't call any pro, call the orkin pro. with over 120 years of experience, nobody's better. orkin. the best in pests. thanks for wasting my time. the russian state-backed tv channel archie america ended its operations last month. as of today, a radio station also backed by the russian state continues to parrot kremlin talking points and fuel the information in two american cities including right here in washington, d.c. take a look. driving around downtown washington, if you tune the radio to 105.5 fm, you land on -- >> you're listening to radio -- ♪ >> radio sputnik, a station funded by a russian state media agency, right in the american capital on public airwaves. here in d.c., you can listen to sputnik on am and fm radio. they continue to broadcast even though other platforms have been taken off youtube and facebook because of it. >> the host can be heard parroting. >> i already knew that ukrainian nazis were real. >> the host lee stranahan calls himself pro-russian. and while the world condemns russia for the atrocities in bucha, where the ukrainians were bound and executed, some sputnik hosts aren't convinced. >> there's not much dispute over whether these atrocities actually occurred. i think the question is who's responsible for doing it? >> they claim to simply be offering a different viewpoint. asking questions, challenging the narrative which often veers into conspiracies, seeding doubt and distrust, classic misinformation. the companies that put sputnik on the air are forced to register. sputnik is required to tell listeners who backed them, a media group funded by the international government. none of the sputnik hosts we reached out to would speak to us for this story, except scottie nels hughes who was in a fill-in host for lee stranahan. >> we know that russian state media is putting out lies about this conflict. i say that as someone on the ground in ukraine. why should the united states tolerate having russian state media. >> let the american people make that decision. trust the american people to hear what they're saying, make the decision whether or not they believe that is the truth happening. >> after the 2016 presidential election, the u.s. intelligence community led by james clapper put out a report, accusing sputnik of being part of russia's interference effort. >> there's this gray area of first amendment protection rights versus an insidious presence in our country that is really there to weaken and destroy our system. that's really what this is about. and it's state sponsored. >> sputnik programming is only broadcast in two u.s. cities. washington, d.c. and kansas city, missouri. rn broadcasting helps get sputnik on the air. its owner who lives in florida told us, he, quote, stands with ukraine. rn broadcasting is dedicated to the unferted exchange of information and ideas he said. that choice is the ultimate under pinning of the republic. it isn't the job to censor content either, commissioner jeffrey starks told us, instead, to the let listeners know where that conflict is coming from. >> the public must have transparency in order to be informed and make their own decisions about separating truth from disinformation. the ftc has given authority here, given listeners transparency to change the doubt. >> starks said he finds some of sputnik's content deplorable, but on public airwaves even if a station is backed by a country committing war crimes they can in the u.s. continue to broadcast. christi, it comes down to private companies doing what they want. you can't find sputnik in apple store, for example. so they aren't going to censor what they're saying. the most the u.s. can do is force them to krech sister as foreign agent, the companies that are putting them on the air and reveal where this programming is backed by. that's the capital of russia, moscow. >> right. that's important to point out. great questions there, by the way, alex. thank you so much. you know, here in d.c., we're talking about winter. we're talking about winter in the midwest. storms in the southeast. we've got your easter weekend forecast which is a little dicey. stay close. ♪ ♪ nice suits, you guys blend right in. the world needs s you back. i'm retired greg, you know this. people have their money just sitting around doing nothing... that's bad, they s shouldn't do that. they're getttting crushed by inflation. well, i feel for them. they're taking financial advice from memes. 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