you are in the cnn newsroom. breaking news tonight. former senator orrin hatch has died. his foundation posted a memorial on twitter moments ago writing the hatch foundation sadly announces the passing of senator orrin g. hatch. the former president pro tem of the united states senate and longest serving senator? utah history. he base rated his 88th birthday last month. melanie zinona in washington. and reaction pouring in right now. melanie what are you hearing. >> the tributes are starting to pour in orrin hatch was a giant on capitol hill. he had a career in the senate that spanned 42 years, which is practically multiple lifetimes on capitol hill. during that time he chaired multiple powerful committees including the senate finance committee. during that time he oversaw the passing of the gop tax law, which was a signature livingston achievement for the republican party under donald trump's tenure. he also briefly ran for president. the campaign didn't go anywhere. he ended up sticking around in the senate. and upon his retirement he actually earned the distinction of having passed the most bills into law than any other senator at the time. and aside from politics he was also passionate about music. he was a composer. he played multiple instruments. one of his songs was actually featured in a film, "oceans." as i said he was well licked on capitol hill by members of both sides of the aisle. he was from the by gone era where he was a member of the establishment, worked across the aisle. trying to get along with with people trying throw throwing bombs on capitol hill and trying to get the job done and represent the people of utah. it's too early to say if there are memorial services in washington. but his legacy will be remembered, pam. >> and so many knew orrin hatch. in the senate 42 years passed the most legislation into law than any other senator and known for working across the aisle. he was he was in the senate the same time as now president joe biden. we just found this video right after the 2015 election when there was a ceremonial swearing in of orrin hatch by joe biden, vice-president, let's watch this moment. >> raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and domestic, that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same that you take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and you will well and faithfully zmarj the duties of the office upon which you are about to enter so help me god. >> no doubt. >> doesn't have any doubt. >> the that was a ceremonial swearing in for all of those elected to the senate and re-elected to the senate. but clearly there is a shared history there between the now late orrin hatch and president joe biden. we're going to wait to hear from the white house. but this is notable too at a time when there is so much division and friction right now, melanie, on capitol hill. you know better than most of us because you spend so many days on capitol hill, seeing that divide, and, you know, this was a senator who was sort of an old statesman, right. >> yes. >> he reached across the aisle. bipartisanship his foundation is about civic engagement and bipartisanship. and it really is a big loss, especially at a time when this country needs more of that. >> yeah, and while it's interesting because when he retired the one replacing him was mitt romney who has shown a willingness to buck his party and reach across the aisle. but when it comes to orrin hatch he worked with biden in the senate. served alongside one another. it's no surprise you saw them shaking hands. clearly had a warm relationship. but oro orrin hatch also had an interesting relationship with donald trump. he spoke out against the access hollywood tapes. spoke out when trump criticized the judge. but ultimately orrin hatch did stand by his endorsement of president trump. he in a tenuous relationship like a lot of members of the republican party. >> longtime utah senator orrin hatch dies at 88. we'll have more on the story later in the show. thank you, melanie. it's less than two hours before sunrise in kyiv. and much of ukraine is about to observe orthodox easter. the curfews are in place over fears russia will launch more attacks on the sacred holiday. earlier today the ukrainian president announced top u.s. officials will visit kyiv. he said just hours from how secretary of state antony blinken and defense secretary lloyd austin are due to arrive. now, the white house and state department are staying quiet on those comments. in the meantime, lower left on the skroen, ukrainian officials claim a major blow to russian leadership. they say a strike on a russian command post killed at least two more russian generals. and new satellite images appear to show a second mass grave site near mariupol. cnn can't verify it's true. let's go to ukraine capitol city where we find matt rivers in kyiv. >> reporter: well, pamela we were expecting president zelenskyy to make news at a press conference here in kyiv on saturday evening. but i think it's safe to say everyone was surprised when he announced that a very high level visit from top u.s. officials was in the works. high-profile visitors for the orthodox easter holiday inn juncker on saturday ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy told reporters he would meet with top u.s. officials in kyiv on sunday. >> i don't think this is a big secret. the people from the u.s. are coming to us tomorrow. ish be meeting with the sate secretary mr. blinken and the defense secretary. and we will be waiting for the time when the security situation allows for the president to come and talk to us. >> reporter: the u.s. state department and white house declined to comment on the matter. but skenlsky said talks alone won't help ukraine. >> why is it important for leaders to come to you? i will give you a pragmatic answer. because they should not come here with empty hands now. we are waiting not just for presents or cakes. we are expecting specific things and specific weapons. >> on friday a russian general made clear one of moscow's goals in ukraine by saying russia intends to seize southern parts of the country, to create a land corridor between the eastern donbas region and crimea. on saturday, for the first time in weeks, russia launched major strikes on the southern port city of odesa, which ukrainian officials say hit a residential building, killing at least eight, including an infant. the russian defense ministry said it was targeting a trm nall which housed weapons supplied by the united states and european nations. there was also no letup in the bombardment of the eastern regions of the country. kharkiv came under fire after a barrage of russian shells fell on the city. appear the governor of the luhansk region urged civilians to leave if they could, describing the situation there as around the clock bombing. the ukrainian government add new curfews across the country, saying there could be an increase in russian attacks over the holiday weekend. fierce battles for territory that zelenskyy will no doubt press his potential v.i.p. visitors sunday for help in trying to win. during the press conference on saturday night in kyiv, president zelenskyy got visibly emotional two times including talking about an infant alleged to be among those who died during the missile strike on saturday in the city of odesa. he said that as a parent himself he feels the pain of every parent who lost a child during this war in ukraine. pamela. >> matt rivers, thank you. and coming up this hour, court confrontation, congresswoman marjorie taylor greene grilled for social media posts advocating violence against democrats. also ahead, the maverick on mask off rules ahead making our heads spin especially if you work for a airline. sarah nelson joins us next. and against the odds ukrainian artists incredible journey to showcased his work at one of the world's most prestigious art fairs. you're in the cnn newsroom. 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today. breaking news. former utah senator orrin hatch has died. the longtime republican senator celebrated his 88th birthday just last month. utah governor spencer cox tweeted this. this breaks my heart. abbey and i are so grateful for the opportunities we had to spend time with this incredible public servant. he was also so kind and generous with his time and wisdom. utah mourns with the hatch family. pennsylvania senator pat toomey tweeted, senator hatches with a gentleman, statesman and proud son of pennsylvania. my deepest condolences go out to the entire hatch family and to all who knew and loved him. iowa senator chuck grassley tweeted sad to learn of the passing of my friend orrin hatch pip i worked closely with him on the judiciary committee plus 20 years on finance committee. we had a very good relationship, friendship he has contributed much to public policy and people of utah. barbara and i send our sympathies to his family. cnn senior political analyst ron brownstein joins us now. what is your reaction to the news of orrin hatch's passing and the legacy he leaves behind, ron? >> obviously start with condolences to his family and friends and those who work with him over the years. but orrin hatch is a really interesting figure, pam. because he in many ways tracking the evolution of the republican party over the last five decades. when he was elected originally in 1976 into the early 1980s he was considered part of what what was called the new right, the van guard front tier of conservativism. by the end of his career in a different place. he was known for being able to work with democrats. he worked on the americans with disability act and critical in working with ted kennedy on creating the children's health insurance program and the second clinton term. so in many ways i think his kind of how he positioned relative to the overall party really underscores the kind of changes we have seen in the gop over the last five decades since the raegen era, which is a pretty steady move to the right and toward more confrontational posture toward the other party. >> dana bash i want to bring you in. you spent years reporting on capitol hill. if you're there dana bashible on the phone. >> yes. >> dana, you knew him, spent years on the hill reporting on orrin hatch. and, you know, this is another old school republican. >> um-hum. >> he was not afraid to work across the aisle. that's gone. >> well, it is -- it is not even close to the way it was certainly when senator hatch started, and a lot of what ron brownstein just talked about i witnessed first hand as i covered senator hatch and the likes of senator ted kennedy. they were famously very, very close. orrin hatch a very conservative republican spoke at senator kennedy's funeral, gave one of the eulogies. and that speaks to how things have changed. it's hard to imagine such a thing in today's day and age. but, you know, you're also -- as i'm talking you're looking at some images of senator hatch's tenure. and you see then senator joe biden, one of the most vivid memories that i have of senator hatch is watching him on the senate judiciary committee overseeing so many incredibly important and some very contentious confirmation hearings. you see an image a short while ago of him with -- with judge bork. and that was a confirmation hearing in which -- not his party -- but the other party was very much against him. and things changed dramatically when it came to how supreme court nominees are -- are dealt with, how they are scrutinized. and the partisanship started to increase on -- on those nominations. senator hatch was very active both as judiciary chairman when the republicans had control, and as ranking member on many of those -- those -- those confirmation battles. and just on a personal note, pamela, he was also just a very pleasant person to cover. you know this. you've covered lots of politicians in your time. not everybody enjoys talking to reporters. he was always so polite. and also understood the role of those of us walking the halls as reporters in the u.s. capitol. understood the importance of not just, you know, just a clip or a sound bite but really engaging on the policy that he was working on. and -- his kind is -- is far and few between. and he will be missed. he was just a very -- a very nice man. >> he really was. i remember when i was a supreme court correspondent, i met with him on capitol hill. and he could not have been nicer. just on a personal level. >> um-hum. >> taking the time to meet with me. and, you know, that stuck with me, that not everyone as you point out, dana is like that. not all politicians are like that. in fact most of them try to run airway from us. but he did not. he was so nice. such a statesman, had an incredible life of public service. if you would, ron and dana, stay with us we are going to take a deeper look at his life. senator hatch retired from the senate in 2019 after 42 years. cnn ryan nobles looks back at his life and legacy. >> do you solemnly swear. >> he was one of the longest serving republican senators in the chamber's history. orrin hatch spent more than four decades crafting a legacy of unwavering conservative ideals. the grandson of mormon settlers hatch grew up in a poor mill town outside of pittsburgh. tragedy struck his life early when his older brother died in world war ii. >> i have a white streak in my hair right here because it affected me so drastically. >> in the late 60s hatch moved to utah where he practiced law and raised a family. in 1976 he won a seat in the u.s. senate, arguing the incumbent three-term senator had served too long. but that first term turned into a lifelong career. and the senate, he said, into something of a family. >> we may have been partisan sfrimt. may fight each other very hard. may get irritated may scream and shout. but we look towards the person. we are looking towards somebody who is a member of the family. >> over his seven terms in the senate hatch favor the corporate tax cuts, limited government, deregulation and military spending. he consistently voted against gay rights, abortion and stricter gun laws. >> the second amendment -- >> but despite his ardent conservativism, hatch occasionally reached across the aisle. supporting aids education. the dream actin a stem cell research. in 2000 he made a bid for the republican presidential nomination. >> the reason i'm running for president is because i have more experience than all the rest of these candidates for president put together. >> but he lost to george w. bush. as the ranking republican on the senate finance committee, hatch ushered in the 2017 tax cuts and job act. >> this is a great day for america, because we're going to pass a pro-growth, pro job pro-america bill. >> the bill was lauds a the biggest tax code change in three decades and criticized for favoring corporations and the wealth. >> i come from the poor people. and i've been here working my whole stinkin' career for eem who don't have a chance. and i resent anybody saying i'm just doing this for the rich. give me a break. >> critics also blasted him for helping president trump dismantle the bears ears in the grand staircase. in utah. a devout mormon hatch was a prolific writer of religious music, composing over 300 songs during his lifetime. >> for over 40 years i've had the great honor of serving at your senator. >> he announced his retirement in 2018 shortly after his hometown newspaper, the salt lake tribune called for him to step down. >> i've always been a fighter. but every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves. >> orrin hatch, a lifelong public servant who chose a path of faith and tradition. >> that was from our ryan nobles. i want to bring back dana and ron for some final thoughts. ron, first to you. >> yeah, you know what really struck -- stuijk me listening to that, and what really underscores what we've been talking about in terms of his role in the senate is that he was not really a moderate. he was not susan collins. lisa murkowski. he was a conservative republican. more conservative than mitt romney. but he believed part of the job description of the senator was trying to find agreement with the other side where it was possible to make progress for the country. and i think that is what has significantly eroded, the belief that part of your job, whatever your ideology is to try to find ways to reach agreement. and he certainly embodied that to good effect at critical points in his career, which i believe was the longest serving of any republican senator ever. >> dana. >> yeah, we were just looking at images of senators hatch and kennedy hugging. and senator hatch wiping a tear from his eye. i mean, that kind of spoke volumes. and ron is of course right. and ryan's piece was just spot-on when it came to senator hatch's legislative record and his legacy, which is one of very conservative values, of very conservative ideology. and yet somebody who didn't see bipartisanship as a dirty word. i also am so glad that ryan included the fact that he was a musician and a pianist, and he loved, loved to sing. he talked about it all the time. and his faith. he was a devout mormon. and i will just say on a personal level, he -- underneath his suit he -- his shirt you see he is wearing the shirt and tie. under the shirt he would wear what's known as a mizuza, in the jewish faith you put that on the door of your house. and he had a mizuza hanging around his neck. and he would -- knowing that i'm jewish would show it to me to talk about the mormons and how the mormons have an affinity for jews and certainly have an affinity for israel. and it just -- when i'm looking at him i think about that and those moments and his faith. and the fact that when he -- certainly he represented utah which has a big mormon population. but when he was in the united states senate, especially when he first came, that was a very different kind of -- of senator and of faith to bring into the u.s. senate. >> certainly was. i imagine we're going to be hearing more stories about him as reaction pours in at this hour. dana bash, ron brownstein, thank you both. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ we believe there's an innovovator in all of us. ♪ that's why we build technology that makes it possible for every business... and every person... to come to the table and do more incredible things. at jp morgan, the only definition of wealth that matters is yours. it can be a smaller house, but a bier nest egg. a goal to work toward, or the freedom to walk awa with 200 years of experience, personalized advice, and commission free trades on an award-winning app, we are working for you. planning. investing. advice. jp morgan wealth management. xfinity mobile runs on america's most reliable 5g network, but for up to half the price of verizon, so you have more money for more stuff. this phone? fewer groceries. this phone? more groceries! this phone? fewer 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why is zelenskyy so adamant about that? >> president zelenskyy needs the united states. he appreciates the united states. he appreciates the fact that leaders show up to demonstrate support. and so that's a big deal. i think president zelenskyy also said when he was talking about president biden's visit, that when the security arranges situation allows. -- that's important. he understands the importance of security. he also understands that secretary blinken if he comes and secretary austin if he comes, represent the united states in a way -- and coming into kyiv is the most concrete demonstration of support. >> the british embassy will be opening in kyiv. i mean, that is worth mentioning. it's reopening there. the u.s. as we know has been reluctant to take that step, even though several western countries have. is the u.s. reluctance despite the zelenskyy lobbying significant. >> i'm not sure there is a reluctance on the part of the united states. >> what is it then? >> i've talked to the diplomats. and they're ego are to get back, to do their job in kyiv. kyiv is where the job needs to be done. it's where you can speak. where you listen, take messages, give messages. that has -- they want to be back. they want to do it in a secure environment. so that's -- that's what they're taking very careful steps before they can move back. >> so i guess reluctance in the fact that they're not going back right now. they want to make sure the security situation is okay and so forth. but it's not for a lack of wanting to go back. they want to go there, as you said, to do their work. and to be a diplomat, the best way to do that is to be on the ground. the united nations secretary general will also meet with zelenskyy. on wednesday, the day after he meets with russian president putin in moscow on tuesday. zelenskyy says it's wrong to go to russia first. what do you think about it. >> president zelenskyy is exactly right. so the u.n. secretary general should first go to kyiv, should have the conversations with ukrainians, with president zelenskyy. he should get that story, that idea, their demands of the russians. and then he should go to moscow. and then he should have this conversation with president putin. president putin needs to hear what the ukrainians are thinking and saying and need. president putin does not understand the ukrainians. and so the way to get him to understand what's going on in his war that he is -- that he is conducting against ukraine is to have secretary gutierrez go to kyiv first and then moscow. >> what are you meaning you say you doesn't understand the ukrainians. >> he doesn't understand the ukrainians in general. when he made a blunder when he sent his military down the nepa river to kyiv thought he would take over in three days. he didn't understand that ukraine was going to fight really hard. he didn't understand the ukrainian military was so strong. he didn't understand the ukrainian people, ukrainian nation were going to resist as they did. he didn't understand president zelenskyy was so resolute and brave. he thought he would -- he would scatter like others -- other flags that we have seen. >> and you think he is still now that they've had to switch gears and reassess their battle strategy, you think he still doesn't understand. >> i think he still doesn't understand. he still doesn't understand ukraine as a nation. that's what he said -- that's what he believed. that's what he is going after. so, yes, he learned his lessoned. he got bloodied trying to take kyiv. now he goes to the east to try it there. we're hearing people say that the ukrainian military can beat the russian military. they need the weapons. they need the nato weapons, the u.s. weapons. if they get those weapons in volume in time, ukrainians can win. >> i remember at the beginning of this war there was just sort of an outlook by many ertz not you. but let eye of people thought it was a foregone conclusion thought that russia given the military might was getting in there and take control of ukraine. that's not what we are seeing. of course they were able to take control of some larger -- smaller cities and so forth. but the ukrainians still have the will to fight and are putting up an incredible fight against the russians. at the same time ukraine is claiming the forced deportation of civilians to russian-controlled territories. and we have new satellite imagery showing a mass grave near mariupol. if there are war crimes, what is the likelihood that the international community can hold russia accountable? i know that is on so many people's minds. >> it is and it should be. and the answer is they will be held accountable. but it will take time. but the first thing that has to happen is the ukrainians have to win. if the russians win it's very hardly lard to hold them accountable. but that's another reason that we should be providing those weapons, flowing the weapons so the ukrainians can stop the genocide if that's what it is. so the ukrainians can stop the war crimes. that's the way to do it is the ukrainians winning on the battlefield. >> all right, former ambassador william taylor. thank you very much. >> thanks, pam. you're in the cnn newsroom. still ahead, mask on or mask off. the friendly skies got a bit hostile during the pandemic. will showing our faces make things better or maybe worse? sara nelson from the international flight attendant association joins us nexext. it's innovative. my go to toothpaste is going to be p pronamel repa. if your moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms are stopping you in your trac... choose stela® from the start... and move toward relief after the first dose... with injections every two months. stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. feel unstoppable. ask your doctor how lasting remission can start with stelara®. janssen can help you explore cost support options. . at airports across the country there is confusion and uncertainty after a federal judge overturned the federal transportation mask mandate this week. now the bide. administration is challenging the rule. but in the meantime a patchwork of different rules is forming from coast to coast. perhaps no one is affected by all of this more than america's flight attendants. joining us now is sara nelson, the president of the association of flight attendants. hi, sara. how are flight attendants reacting to this news. >> hi. i'll tell you the immediate reaction was a lot of relief that we no longer need to enforce this with passengers who have been very combative for a long time and has made our lives really hard. and there are some not looking forward to going into a summer wearing a mask for 14, 15, 16 hour days. but let me be real here too. the masks were put in place to stem the spread of the pandemic. it was a health measure. and it was also a public confidence and safety measure. and the general public is generally supportive of the mask mandate in transportation. so removing the mask mandate doesn't really necessarily change that conflict onboard, because there are people who really want to see that there. and flight attendants still have to manage the interactions between passengers. >> right. and i imagine there are some flight attendants who as you sort of alluded to might be concerned about the potential health implication attention of people not wearing the maverick. >> that's right. we've got people immunocompromised like the public and who have children at home or grandchildren who have not been able to get vaccinated. we're hearing from everyone from all sides of this. what's been unfortunate is that this was made out to be a political issue instead of a public health issue. i want to be very clear. there is a sigh of relief after two years. but it doesn't enthe conflict. and also the confusion with all the different policies. it was also very difficult that this came down for some people in the middle of a flight so that people didn't know what the rules were. they signed up for a certain number of rules when any got on the flight. a changed mid-flight. he the public got a taste of what it's like for flight attendants. and you can't pull over or walk away. you have to deal with the issues right there. that can be very uncomfortable. >> let's talk about that more. because we have a tlip clip of what some flight attendants had to deal with during this pandemic. >> come on. >> let's go. >> how dare you. >> be sivrl. >> who the [ bleep ] -- nose. i mean, blch hours for this flight. >> we've seen many cases where adult bankers are acting like pet lant children. flight attendants had to step in. put in a horrible situation. so, you know, you mention the relief that they don't have to enforce the rules any more. but we know at this point -- know delta united and american airlines say they will restore flight privileges on a case by case basis for some passengers banned por for not following rules. what do you make of the decision? >> it's terrible timing if nothing else, pamela. we're still in the middle of this pandemic. this is an announcement that just came too soon. there is, as you noted, still an appeal on this mask policy. this is still up in the air. and sending the message that someone can come back who had willfully broken rules puts flight attendance in a difficult position. because we feel the airlines don't have our backs here. we're not saying the people can't come back and fly again. but to be so eager on the trigger to say that some can come back it's in conflict with what the f.a.a. acting administrator did on the exact same day. he announced that the f.a.a.'s zero tolerance for acting out on a plane, being disruptive, being violent, will not -- not be allowed to go on. not to be allowed to go on without severe consequence. and we need to to be clear with people. because a lot of the events have nothing to do with masks at all. it's been about people acting out. everybody is stressed to the max. and we have had -- did we have had to bear the brunt of that. so there is a lot still here to deal with. and it was not helpful the airlines made that announcement. we need them to talk with us first. american airlines has agreed to do that certainly. and they are holding off while this appeal is taking place. and we hope that the other airlines fall in line as well. we were really not happy with that announcement. >> and you've asked the other airlines to talk with you. and they haven't responded yet. >> we're working on that. >> okay. >> and so we're continuing to deal with that. but the announcement that's got out there was that people are going to be able to come back. now, some have said on a case by case basis -- my point here is that we have rushed too quickly to make the changes. and we all have to take a moment here, get back to good public policy that's put in place where all stakeholders are involved, everyone knows what's happening. it's communicated well to all the people who have to enforce it and the public. and we all get along better that way. continuing to operate this way is going to create more and more conflict for the people on the front lines, flight attendance, gate agents, people in retail everywhere. we all just need to get back to good policy making. >> in other words, flight attendants were blind-sided when the airlines came out and said we're going to reinstall people banned. >> that's right. >> and it's interesting too this is being appealed by the administration. so there is that chance that the mask mandate could be put back into effect, depending on what the courts rule. so we'll be following this soo well the administration -- thank you, they did not ask for a stay. they asked for appeal. and this is about the authority of the health care professionals. and so do we need that to to stay in place. we asked people to put on the mask before the spread of the disease. we need order here. i think that's what the administration is trying to do. >> all right, sara nelson, thank you so much. we'll be right back. at vanguard, you're more than just an investor, you're an owner tooln that helps you bui a future for those u love. vanguard. become an owner. ♪ (drum roll) ♪ ♪ (energetic music) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (camera shutters) the all-new lx 600. ready for any arena. ♪ ♪ [♪] did you know you can address one of the root causes of aging by targeting all the cells in your body? try tru niagen. life as we know it cannot exist without nad. as we age, nad can decrease by as much as 50%. tru niagen is proven to increase nad, to support heart and muscle health, and energy production that starts in your cells. address one of the root causes of aging with tru niagen, researched by the world's top scientific institutions. russian opposition leader and fierce putin crediten alexey navalny has been in jail more than a year. the story of how he got there after an alleged attempt on his life and after tracking down his failed assassins is told with the urgency and drama of a spy thriller. here is a preview of the new cnn film, navalny. >> when you come to room of a comatose patient you just telling him news. telling him his story. alexey, don't worry, you were poisoned, a murder attempt. putin tried to kill. and he opened his like blue eyes wide and looked at me and said very clear, [speaking foreign language]. come on poisoned? i don't believe it. like he is back. athletics alexi. putin is supposed to be not so stupid to use this. his wording expletive, if you want to kill someone shoot him. >> jesus christ, like real allegesy. impossible to believe it it's kind of stupid, the whole idea of poisoning with a chemical weapon, this is why -- this is not smart. because even reasonable people they refused to believe, like, what? come on? poisoned. seriously. >> the kremlin and russian security services deny any role in navalny's poisoning. kristo grazov, the lead russian investigator at the independent outline working working closely with navalny and his team in the assassination attempt. this film comes at a critical moment. russia's invasion in ukraine getting more destructivive by the day. what can navalny's story tell us about vladimir putin and russia. >> well what it does tell us. almost reads like a prequel to the war today. because it told us this person has absolutely no ethical boundaries. he has no boundaries that make his actions logical or humane. and in a way when we were investigating that, the poisoning of alexi navalny one of the concerns i had was how to tell this story to an audience that will find it hard to believe that a leader of a huge nation in the 21st century has a machine to kill his own people. now it seems like it's all out in the open. it's clear it's less hard today to believe that. but the two things are well connected. they are connected to the kremlin regime trying to perpetuate itself or find any distractions or a threat to that. >> what was the most surprising thing you uncovered during your investigation? >> well, i think it was really the scale of this machinery, of this fsb unit that is sponsored by the russian state that had gone on for four years, tailing naval through every place he went during his presidential campaign, and after that during his political activities. but what really shocked me was that he was not the only one they were tailing. that in fact they had tailed and poisoned, killed actually three opposition figures in russia. and poisoned but hadn't successfully killed many more. so it's the scale of this machine that was trying to physically eliminate anybody dissenting with putin who posed a threat to him. >> what can you tell us about the methods and strategy that you used to track down navalny's would be killers? i mean, that was such an incredible reporting that was done. and i know our clarissa ward at cnn was part of this. tell us how you were able to accomplish that. >> i think we succeeded in this because we had made several previous investigations on russian poisoning attempts on other people. one of the breakthroughs that we made was in 2018 when we were able to identify the poisoners of the scriptles, the double agent, the former russian spy who was living in the uk and poisoned two by two officers. in that investigation we were able by using phone records and travel data obtained from the russian black market essentially to identify these officers. then we found out they had received their poison, their nova czech capsules from a military institute in russia. disguised as a civilian institute for r & d for different drinks. and we assumed that in this case if somebody poisoned alexander navalny they would have used the same institute, poison produced in the same facility. we started tailing the phone calls of the scientists at the the institute just before navalny was poisoned for the period he was poisoned. we found they communicated with agents of russian security services in the days and hours before his poisoning. we were able to tail the people through travel records to the exactly places navalny went and where he was poisoned. that was pretty much a closed case then. >> wow, incredible work that did you for sure. and i'm so looking forward to seeing this. kr sichlt ito thank you. >> thank you. >> the new cnn film navalny premiers tomorrow night at 9 eastern on cnn. you were you are in the cnn newsroom. up next the death of a longtime utah senator orrin hatch, former show senator max bach us joins us live with his reflections after this quick break. ♪ ♪ ♪simply irresistible♪ applplebee's irresist-a-bowls are back. now starting at $8.99. now that's eatin' good in the neighborhood. ♪ ♪ we believe there's an innovator in all of us. ♪ that's why we build technology that makes it possible for every business... and every person... to come to the table and do more incredible things. . >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. i'm pamela brown in washington. you are in the cnn newsroom on this saturday evening. and we begin this hour with breaking news. former u.s. senator orrin hatch has died at the age of 88. the republican icon served 42 years in the chamber. the longest-serving senator in utah history. he retired in 2019. he was known as a gentleman with unwavering conservative principles and valued by partisan compromise for the common good. which seems to be so rare in today's political climate. cnn correspondents are covering all of the reactions pouring in. we're going to get to joe johns at the white house. melanie zinona and senator max baucus in just a moment. but ryan nobles looks back at orrin hatch's life and