the government in kyiv is hoping to try again in the coming hours to evacuate thousands of civilians from the decimated city of mariupol. two senior ukrainian negotiators say they are ready to go there in person to make sure that it happens. dozens of buses lined up wednesday to evacuate women, children, and the elderly. but ukraine's deputy prime minister says this operation did not work as planned because russia could not ensure a proper cease-fire. as many as 1,000 civilians and an unknown number of soldiers are holed up in a steel factory with basic supplies running low. a ukrainian marine commander reports the city is under constant russian bombardment. president volodymyr zelenskyy says 120,000 civilians are still trapped in mariupol, and the remaining troops do not have the heavy weapons needed to defend the city. the russian push to capture mariupol is part of a larger offensive in the donbas and eastern ukraine. to the north, the military governor of luhansk reporting 80% of the region now under russian control. he says no town is safe and russian forces are destroying everything in their path. ukrainian troops, though, fighting back even as russia increases its troop numbers and firepower, adding 17 battalion tactical groups in just the past week. images circulating on social media show russian forces have taken row business na and also the nearby village of kreminna. there is poor morale issues within the russian ukrainian military. cnn's jim sciutto has details. >> reporter: as russia's attack on the east intensify, there is new evidence that some of its own soldiers have had enough. the security service of ukraine releasing purported new intercepted communications among russian soldiers. one man recounting a conversation he had with his commander. he can be heard saying "we asked the commander, quote, what should we do? we got nothing." he said the commander told him, effing shoot all the civilians to the end and then warned the troops, quote, whoever leaves their post will be a deserter. that's when another soldier on the recording can be heard saying "tell them to f off." as the conversation continues the soldier then complaining that russia has all been abandoned now, saying, "just imagine they didn't provide a way to retreat, didn't say anything, didn't even bring food. f them." cnn cannot vouch for the authenticity of the recording, but ukraine has previously released audio of russian soldiers and russian troops have used unsecured lines of communication according to military observers. as the war enters its 56th day, new images reveal how the situation in mariupol is getting worse by the hour. bodies piling up from the nonstop shelling and fierce street fighting. human remains lining the streets, some with bullet holes in their backs. others killed by missile strikes. ukraine's president, volodymyr zelenskyy, says the slaughter is the worst ukraine has witnessed. >> translator: crimes that are happening there are far more scary and in larger scale than in borodyanka. >> reporter: borodyanka, the town outside kyiv, where russian troops killed numerous civilians and left behind utter destruction. the president of the european council visiting the town today and meeting with zelenskyy, saying that russia's assault has left him speechless. >> there are no words in order to explain what i feel, not as president of the european council, but a father, as a human being. these are atrocities. these are war crimes. it must be punished. it will be punished. >> pete layton is a visiting fellow. he joins me now from brisbane. peter, russian forces have added 17 battalion tactical groups in the past week, four more btgs in the last 24 hours. how significant is that in terms of troop numbers and firepower? >> hello, john. certainly a lot more numbers add a lot more firepower. so they are continuing to try to grind the ukrainian forces down. by the same token, some of those btg groups are not likely to be fully manned, and they might h -- there are reports of syrian and libya troops being hired, so some of those btgs may be marginal. >> at this point, with the offensive already under way, you would have assumed that they have all their ducks in a row before beginning this offensive, that there would be no need to add such significant manpower at this point of the game. >> it would seem this is a sudden rush. russia hasn't prepared very well for this offensive from a military viewpoint. they seem to be driven by the vth victory day on may 9th. it seems president putin wants a victory of some kind on that day. already russia has announced they'll be holding a victory march through mariupol on may 9th. so they are driven by that date. >> it's early days, but from what we understand, the russians have made no territorial gains, at least according to u.s. sources. mariupol is still standing. it's still not completely under russian control. that may change within hours. they've laid siege to it for almost two months. it does not seem this is playing out according to the russian plan, is it? >> very, very much so. certainly at the present time, i think that president putin's casting around for some way to scrape together some form of victory here. around may 9th, he will just declare victory, if you like, at that victory day march and try for a cease-fire around that particular time. so the offensive at the moment, he's aiming to capture as much ground as possible and then once having captured, keep it. >> we just heard jim sciutto reporting on some of these inte intercepts, conversations between russian soldiers. i want to listen to part of another exchange. here we are. >> translator: we sat there for three days without [ bleep ] anything. our commanders, they received provisions, cigarettes, food, and our command have all [ bleep ] off. they have abandoned everyone and [ bleep ] off. we don't even know where they are. >> we cannot confirm the authenticity of that recording. we don't know when it was recorded. the point here is there doesn't seem any real reason to doubt that it's genuine, and it would seem the russians have a lot more than morale issues. they have some leadership problems as well. >> they have a whole host of problems with logistics and morale and pwillpower. but they're hoping numbers make up for all of those deficiencies. at the end of the day, russians have a lot of artillery pieces, so they're hoping firepower makes up for the weakness in their troops. as we've seen from their attack on the cities, they do like using a lot of firepower, and they don't care about the accuracy of that firepower and who that kills. >> well, that takes us back to general alexander dvornikov, the russian field commander. in syria, he proved he's good at killing civilians. he's good at using chemical weapons on moms and dads and kids. is he out of his depth when it comes to a relatively well trained national military? >> he's fighting a completely different war, you're right. he is fighting a syrian war in europe. it's still having its effect, though, in that president putin wants to devastate parts of the ukraine. he certainly is devastating these cities and causing a lot of depopulation of the cities and creating large refugee streams. it's all of a plan, but it's a bit of a twisted plan. i think what they're looking for mainly is just to capture territory. you can't think that they'll actually rebuild any of these cities they have captured. they will just simply leave them because i don't think russia has the money for that kind of reconstruction. >> or the will, i guess, as well when it comes down to it. peter layton, as always, thank you. we appreciate you being with us. >> thanks, john. good day. the u.s. centers for disease control says the mask mandate for public transportation is still needed, so the u.s. justice department is appealing monday's court ruling which struck down the mandate. airlines and transit agencies have already moved to make masks optional, but the appeal is also aimed at preserving the cdc's authority going forward. >> reporter: two days after a federal judge struck down the federal mask mandate for travelers, the cdc announcing that it is asking the justice department to appeal that ruling by a federal judge. now, the justice department just a day earlier, they had said they would indeed move forward with an appeal if the cdc deemed it necessary, and that is now what is happening. this is the statement from the cdc. they say, quote, to protect cdc's public health authority beyond the ongoing assessment announced last week, cdc has asked doj to proceed with an appeal. it is cdc's continuing assessment that at this time, an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health. now, the cdc also says here that they are going to continue to monitor public health conditions as it relates to the necessity of this mask mandate going forward. but what's really interesting here is that the cdc is explaining its rationale on two fronts. on the one hand, they're saying that, look, we believe the conditions right now in the country make it necessary for this mask mandate to still be standing for travelers to be required to wear masks on planes, for example, as well as trains and other modes of public transportation. but what they're also saying is that they're appealing this decision in order to preserve that legal authority that they had to institute this mask mandate in the first place. and the white house press secretary, jen psaki, she made this point earlier on wednesday as well when she said that, look, there are going to be highs and lows in this pandemic, and that should there be some kind of a new variant, a more serious strain or an uptick in cases once again, that the cdc wants to retain that authority, that legal authority, to be able to reinstitute that mask mandate if necessary. jeremy diamond, cnn, the white house. a new poll finds a majority of american adults favor mask requirements for people traveling on planes, trains, and public transit. only 24% oppose the mandate, and 20% were neutral on the issue. the poll was conducted just before the judge struck down the mandate. shanghai reported more than 18,000 new covid cases wednesday and 8 new deaths although some factory employees are beginning to go back to work. but anger and frustration are growing among those still under lockdown. this new social media video shows an elderly woman who appears to have left quarantine trying to enter a neighborhood. she's seen arguing with covid workers, who are trying to force her to go back to the quarantine center. of course she's not the only one tired of being under quarantine or lockdown in shanghai. cnn's david culver looks at the tense situation there as china doubles down on the zero-covid policy. >> reporter: shanghai residents pushing back after nearly three weeks of lockdown. these videos circulating on social media show people confronting police for being forced from their homes. these are not folks with covid-19 but, rather, people whose apartments are being turned into government quarantine facilities to cope with the surging covid cases. the rising tensions come as chinese officials vow to send every positive case of covid-19 and any close contact to government quarantine, no matter the age. here you see an elderly man shuffling towards a group of other senior citizens. some in their 90s. nort most in wheelchairs, transferred from their nursing home to this isolation facility after testing positive. video shared from inside another center shows elderly patients seemingly left unattended, cots set up in the halls with wooden boards and thin sheets as bedding. since the start of this outbreak in early march, more than 400,000 cases have been reported in the city according to china's national health commission. and most in this metropolis of more than 25 million people are still in strict lockdown. cnn's been living through it. we've mostly been sealed inside our homes, let out only for mandatory covid tests and the occasional government distribution of groceries. last week, we had a brief taste of freedom. i could step out of my apartment and walk all the way to the compound gate, still double-locked. but since, a reversal for our community. new restrictions have us sealed back inside our properties. the draconian and inconsistent policies coupled with the constant uncertainty weigh heavily. people tired, pushing back physically and through words. these banners appeared on the streets of shanghai in the cover of night. this one calling residents to resist the limitless lockdown. this one reading, "people are dying," referring to the dire struggle to secure food and medical care. online, a flood of frustration surfacing on china's heavily controlled internet. on chinese social media platform we weibo, users began quoting the first sentence of china's national anthem. it reads "rise those who don't want to be enslaved," a rally call no longer aimed at foreign oppressors, but, rather, beijing's pandemic response and its harsh restrictions. that line now censored. some residents even boldly calling out chinese officials for a perceived hypocrisy. this person wearing the photo of one of china's foreign ministry spokespersons, who repeatedly accused wefstern governments' covid response of harming well-being. the backlash likely to worsen as the weeks-long lockdown drags on, further damaging china's economic engine. >> implementing a strategy in an excessive manner itself could lead to exactly what the zero-covid strategy wants to avoid. >> reporter: the growing dissent calls into question china's zero-covid strategy at a critical time. later this year, president xi jinping is expected to assume an almost unprecedented third term, paving the way for him to rule for life. but the highly anticipated coronation now marred by discontent over a policy so closely tied to the people's leader. david culver, cnn, shanghai. up next, in france the two candidates in sunday's presidential runoff meet for the first and only debate, and it was a contentious one. we'll have the details. and later, russia tests a new long-range nuclear weapon that vladimir putin says will make russia's enemies think twice about attacking. stay with us. if you're not oozing, then you're losing.. tater totting, cold or hotting. mealin', feelin', pie-ing, trying. color your spread. upgrgrade your bread. pair it. s share it. kraft singles.s. square it. my a1c statayed here, it needed to be here. ruby's a1c is down with rybelsus®. my a1c wasn't at goal, now i'm down with rybelsus®. mom's a1c is down with rybelsus® (♪ ♪) in a clinical study, once-daily rybelsus® significantly lowered a1c better than a leading branded pi. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have 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are new images of the british prime minister arriving in western india. he's there for two days to discuss investments and the war in ukraine, but he has a mess waiting for him back at home. the party-gate scandal and loud demands for his resignation have yet to die down. on wednesday, he apologized yet again for violating his own government's covid lockdown rules and humbly vowed to get on with the job. in the coming hours, parliament is slated to debate whether a committee should investigate his conduct and whether he misled lawmakers. despite all this, boris johnson reportedly told journalists on the way to india he has every intention of running again in the next election. the french presidential candidates clashed in a tv debate just days ahead of sunday's runoff election. for nearly three hours wednesday, president emmanuel macron and his far-right challenger marine le pen sparred over a range of topics including russia, france's commitment to the eu, and the economy. cnn's melissa bell has the details from paris. >> reporter: it was the only debate of a campaign that has seen two very different visions for france pitted against one another. on one hand, that of the incumbent, the centrist, globalist emmanuel macron. on the other, that of the far-right nationalist, marine le pen. the debate began on questions of domestic concern, in particular, the cost of living, which has been central to le pen's campaign. >> translator: here again, i must be the spokesperson of the french people because, mr. macron, i heard you, with your government, you are delighted to have increased french people's purchasing power. but me, i only saw french people who told me about their problems with purchasing power. i only saw french people who told me they can't make it anymore. they can't get by, that they can't make ends meet at the end of the month. >> translator: i am proud that all together, we have made it possible to create 1.2 million pay slips. because i was looking at your program, your 22 measures, there is not even the word "unemployment" in it, which is striking. >> reporter: the war in ukraine is another issue that has loomed large in the campaign so far, and it featured heavily in wednesday night's debate with emmanuel macron attacking marine le pen not only on her historic proximity to vladimir putin but on her party's loan from a russian bank back in 2014. >> translator: you still haven't paid back that loan. >> translator: it's quite long, mr. macron. yes, we are a poor party, but this is not shameful. >> translator: i never thought it's shameful. my problem, mrs. le pen, i hope you'll recognize, is that all this creates a dependence. >> translator: i have no dependence other than repaying my loan, mr. macron. >> translator: but your loan was not contracted with just any bank, even for russia, but with the interests, power, and everyone will be able to verify it, and so you need to own up to it. that's all. own up to it, mrs. le pen. >> reporter: from russia, the candidates moved on to europe. on one hand, macron, the pro european federalist, on the other, marine le pen, while she's come back from more euroskeptic positions of the last few years, still wants to see europe reformed in order that it become a much looser alliance of sovereign nations. >> translator: let me say to emmanuel macron that there is no european sovereignty because there is no european people. there is a sovereignty when there's a people. there's a french sovereignty. there's no european sovereignty, and i've understood that you wish to replace french with european sovereignty. you've done it symbolically by replacing the french flag with the european one under the arc de triomphe. >> translator: changing a club on your own by reducing your membership fee, by saying, i choose my rules, well, either the others follow you because that's europe, there are 27 of us around the table, or you go your own way. and what you describe in your program sounds like going your own way. the second thing you propose is an alliance with russia, which is amongst your priorities. it's always in your program. it's amazing. >> reporter: in 2017, marine le pen was widely seen to have lost the election on the night of the debate. this time, she'd spent a couple of days preparing, and if the polls have been widening in favor of emmanuel macron, it seems that there is still everything to play for when france goes to the polls on sunday. and as the debate reminded us, very much at stake. melissa bell, cnn, paris. more western sanctions are on the way for russia. the latest target, individuals and banks trying to get around sanctions that are already in place. we'll have those details just ahead. plus, some russian oligarchs are growing tired of the war in ukraine and their support of vladimir putin is waning. my colleague, john vause, is live in ukraine after the break with the details. stay with us. when a normal day is anything but normal, we 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unbeatable internet. made to do anything so you can do anything. only xfinity will upgrade your tech after 3 years for a more reliable connection. get that and more with xfi complete. upgrade today. welcome back, everybody. i'm john vause live in lviv, ukraine. 30 minutes past the hour. the kremlin has carried out a test launch of one of its newest and most advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of flying 10,000 kilometers. the timing also notable. vladimir putin says the new missile should make russia's enemies think twice. cnn's barbara starr has more reporting in from the pentagon. >> reporter: russia releasing video of this intercontinental ballistic missile test, modernizing a key strategic weapon just as it presses forward with its new offensive in the donbas region of ukraine. russian president vladimir putin bragging that the launch was a momentous event. >> translator: this truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure russia's security from external threats, and provide food for thought for those who, in the heat of frenzied aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country. >> reporter: the rs-28 missile, sometimes called the satan 2, was revealed back in 2016. it's designed to replace a soviet-era model. russia claims it can carry multiple nuclear warheads and has a range of more than 6,800 miles, making it potentially capable of striking the u.s. russia says the missile was launched wednesday afternoon from northern russia, traveling across the country to a test site in the far east. the pentagon says the test was not a surprise. >> they provided advance notice of this launch. the defense department said today that we did not deem the test a threat to the united states or its allies. >> reporter: but a senior u.s. defense official still said the launch was not something that would be done by a responsible nuclear power in the current tense environment. as putin's war in ukraine drags on, russia appears to be determined to proceed with its advanced weapons. the u.s. canceled the scheduled icbm test earlier this month. >> we're at a very tenuous point. we wanted to make sure we were doing prudent things and managing escalation. >> reporter: the question now, will the u.s. resume testing its own intercontinental ballistic missiles? barbara starr, cnn, the pentagon. well, russia is already flying a flag of victory over parts of ukraine, but it's the soviet victory flag from world war ii which has been seen in parts of occupied areas. this comes ahead of the may 9th deadline, which is russia's world war ii victory day, and a date which this year putin is hoping to declare some kind of vic victory. new u.s. sanctions announced wednesday, once again targeting russia's financial system as well as punishing a commercial bank said to be at the heart of the kremlin's attempts to evade sanctions. russian companies that mine cryptocurrencies have also been targeted and visa restrictions imposed on more than 600 individuals. also sanctioned were dozens of individuals and shell companies who were allegedly part of a vast global network aligned with an already sanctioned oligarch. for some who are close to vladimir putin, being sanctioned by the west is a source of pride. for others, particularly the uber wealthy oligarchs are becoming tired of their assets being seized or frozen. so could that be a threat to vladimir putin's hold on power. cnn's brian todd takes a closer look. >> money is not everything. >> reporter: a russian billionaire and bank founder now lashing out against vladimir putin's war in ukraine. oh el oleg tinkov in an instagram post calls the war insane. innocent people are dying. generals waking up with a hangover realizing they have a [ bleep ] army. he asked the west to give mr. putin a clear bit to save his face and stop this massacre. >> he's the first of the financial elite to speak out against the war directly and criticize vladimir putin. it's significant because when others have spoken out, they have not talked to putin themselves. >> reporter: oligarchs like oleg deripaska have campaigned for peace but avoided slamming putin directly. one oligarch has criticized putin directly, but he renounced his russian citizenship in a facebook post last month. >> translator: i do not accept this citizenship. my russian citizenship with the fascist putin at the helm. >> reporter: tinkov has been sanctioned by the uk. there's a growing list of luxury toys allegedly belonging to russian elites that have been seized following the start of the ukraine war, including several superyachts confiscated in european ports. this ship with multiple vip suites and a pool that turns into a helipad, which french officials linked to sanctioned oil executive igor sechin. the dill bar, worth at least $600 million, with one of the largest pools ever put on a yacht, about 80 feet long, believed to be owned by a russian mining magnate, who also possessed what the u.s. treasury called one of russia's largest privately owned aircraft. >> the seizure of yachts and mansions and financial assets is placing increasing pressure on russian oligarchs who reside overseas. that's why we're starting to see them speak out in this way. >> reporter: but is this a turning point for vladimir putin? if he continues to lose support from the oligarchs, could his hold on power be legitimately threatened? >> they have become politically less important, economically still somewhat important, but not as important as others from, say, the security services who are closer to the decision making and closer to vladimir putin. >> reporter: analysts say putin started several years ago to replace the oligarchs in his closest inner circle with people from his own background, elites from russia's intelligence services and military. one analyst says among those putin cronies getting sanctioned by the west is a badge of honor, and he doesn't expect any of them to stage a palace coup anytime soon. brian todd, cnn, washington. i'll see you back here at the top of the hour, but for now, my colleague kim brunhuber picks it up in atlanta. he'll have details about a syrian american doctor who keeps buying one-way tickets to ukraine. top doctors there tend to the wounded. his heartwarming story in a moment. raise the jar to the best gelato... you've ever tasted. talenti. raise the jar. missn control, we are go for launch. um, she's eating the rocket. ♪ lunchables! built to be eaten. we're a different kind of dentistry. one who believes in doing anything it takes to make dentistry work for your life. so we offer a complete exam and x-rays free to new patients without insurance - everyday. plus, patients get 20% off their treatment plan. we're on your corner and in your corner every step of the way. because your anything is our everything. aspen dental. anything to make you smile. book today at aspendental.com, walk in, or call 1-800-aspendental. 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>> reporter: sunrise on the edge of ruaha national park. here in central tanzania, livestock is life. >> translator: our tribe be believes they're part of the family, and we cannot live without them. >> reporter: another day, another deadly threat for livestock and people. stefano asicheka is part of a little known tribe with a long history with lions. >> translator: in our tribe, our customs, our tradition raised us to have pride in killing a lion as a young man, and we are made to believe that once you kill one, it at least reduces the threat. >> reporter: traditionally, young warriors like this would gain rewards and status from killing lions. part of the lion defenders program, asicheka is showing them ways to protect the tribe while preserving the pride. >> translator: lion defenders work in the village areas, and their task is to surveil the borders early in the morning for lion tracks and to inform elders of the areas. >> reporter: the lion defenders are part of the ruaha carnivore project founded by amy dickman in 2009. when she first came here four years previously, things were bad. >> it was the highest rate of lion killing detected in east africa in modern times. >> reporter: she said she had to work hard to gain the tribe's trust. >> we said, we are just here to find out why you're killing these lions. and if there's a way that you could achieve whatever you achieve through it through conservation rather than killing. >> reporter: and eventually persistence paid off. >> they really opened up. since then, it's really been a transformative relationship in working with them for conservation. we certainly know the lion killings have decreased by over 70% in the core area that we're working in. >> reporter: the project offers financial incentives to protect lions by funding community services like education, doctors, and vets. >> we'd love to collaborate with you guys. >> reporter: dickman and her team have joined forces with other conservation projects in kenya and zambia to form a larger nonprofit, lion landscapes. >> it really can be a way of uplifting people and making sure that wildlife is a way to get people out of poverty as well. >> reporter: asicheka also gives tours of the park to help his tribe see wildlife from a new perspective. >> translator: many people love seeing animals. even the locals who used to hunt them want to see the lions. they feel a sense of ownership and get to understand the right reasons why we are protecting lions. >> let us know what you're doing to answer the call with the #calltoearth. we'll be right back after a short break. allergies d't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily stops your body from overreacting to allergens all seon long. psst! psst! flonase all good. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ actor johnny depp returned to the stand in his defamation court against ex-wife amber heard. he described their relationship, and how it changed, accused heard of calling him names and making demeaning comments. also, an argument in 2015 resulted in him seeking medical care. let's listen. >> she threw the large bottle, ask it made contact, and shattered everywhere. and then, i looked down and realized that the -- the tip of my finger had been severed. >> >> he is suing her for a wash ash post op-ed, when which she wrote about her experience with domestic abuse, even though she didn't name him, depp claims it cost him film work. a sir kran american doctor lives in texas knows all too well war has on a health system. the doctor has made more than 30 trips to his home country of syria to help ease the heavy burden put on medical medical professionals this, and now he is risking his life to help fellow doctors in war-ravaged ukraine. dr. sanjay gupta has the story of a man who keeps buying one-way tickets to war zones. >> whenever i travel to the war zones, and i leave my home, always one way ticket. >> reporter: the doctor is getting ready for a journey he has made before. his third trip from his home in edinburgh, texas, to eastern ukraine. >> as a physician first, it's our duty and our ethics to help every needed person in the world. >> reporter: i understand that feeling. i have been in war zones and disaster zonings as a reporter. we were in haiti at the same time in 2010. at times, i have felt compelled to help. how much to you worry now about your own safety? >> every time i go back, i say, this is maybe the last time i will be going. but when i decide to come, it is a lot of fear and then a minute, i just remember my promise and people lost their life and i see their children not seeing them. >> reporter: but a syrian-american ran over 30 medical missions since 2011 to help his homehand from the catas catastrophic war there. but even as conflicts continue in sir kra, he finds himself in a similar situation in another country. >> what happened in ukraine, it happened in syria. and i feel myself that i am part of it. >> reporter: nearly to months of war, and at least 119 attacks on clinics ask hospitals, have left ukrainian-health system in disarray and desperately in need of outside help. >> the hospitals which have been attacked by the russian. >> reporter: the doctor spends the next five days in an almost-constant blur of action. i wonder, if you can just sort of describe what you are encountering is not enough care to be given? >> a lot of high-complicated surgeries. trauma, like we did a surgery monday for like a person lost half of the upper posterior upper shoulder, the upper arm, the chest. this man survived. >> reporter: there are issues with water, and electricity. there are shortages of medical supplies. performing as many as half a dozen operations in a day, when the doctor and his ukrainian colleagues are doing, in the context of things, nothing short of miraculous. one thing he learned in syria is the need to perform sin skin gr grafts as soon as possible to reduce the risk of infection. >> you facilitate healing and prevent infection. >> these are patients who have been injured in -- in these explosions we have been witnessing on television. they may lose skin, they may have fractured bones, they may need amputations so you are creating flaps to try and care for them, right? >> amputation, you make a big different in people' leife. >> reporter: but he doesn't just provide medical support, though. he provides a form of mental nourishment to the doctors as well. >> when i see ukrainian doctors suffering because he exhausted, meantly, physically, and that attack on them, i see us ourself we are there. that is why this is all make me come to ukraine, and be with them. >> reporter: the morning after our call, he started for home but leaving with a promise that he will be back. dr. sanjay gupta, cnn reporting. and if you would like to help people in ukraine wmay nee shemter, food, and water, go to cnn.com/impact and you can find several ways you can help. thanks for watching this hour of "cnn newsroom." our 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