Ukraine President Volodymr Zelensky says defending and protecting the country is “a struggle for life” after heavy fighting continues in Eastern Ukraine and a journalist was killed and several others were injured in a missile attack on Kyiv. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko joins AC360 to discuss the message Russia is sending by bombing the capital city.

Plus, the mayor of Mariupol says that more than 600 people were injured in a Russian bombing that struck the makeshift hospital facility in the besieged Azovstal steel plant. Yuriy Ryzhenkov is the CEO of the company that owns the plant. He gives Anderson Cooper an update on the evacuation efforts.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says five missiles struck Kyiv while United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was finishing a visit to the Ukrainian capital. Olena Gnes has been hiding in a shelter with her three children in Kyiv since the start of the war while her husband is fighting on the front lines. After two months of talking to her while she’s been sheltering in a Kyiv basement, Anderson Cooper sat down with her, face-to-face, for the first time to get an update on her family and how she still lives in constant fear.

Plus, Moderna is seeking emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine for children ages six months to five-years-old. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins AC360 to explain why he thinks the reward outweighs the risk for parents who are hesitant about getting their children vaccinated.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that any country helping or intervening in Ukraine would be met with “lightning-fast” response from Moscow saying “we have all the tools for this” and “will use them if needed.” António Guterres is the United Nations Secretary-General and recently met with the Russian President. He is meeting with Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky tomorrow. He tells AC360 about his conversation with Putin and says it was a “very useful meeting.”

Plus, Anderson Cooper traveled to the Ukrainian city of Bucha to meet the man who captured some of the most haunting images that show the brutal executions of innocent citizens. He also spoke with the local prosecutor who is working to collect evidence and any other proof that the Russians committed war crimes, something Moscow has denied.  

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New drone video obtained exclusively by CNN shows Russian military vehicles and forces on a Bucha street near civilian bodies despite Russia’s continued denials they were responsible for the carnage. Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, the International Criminal Court prosecutor, has been collecting evidence that points to possible war crimes by the Russian forces. He tells AC360 where his investigation stands and says the families of those who’ve died “deserve answers.”

Plus, CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward traveled to Kharkiv to see the destruction left even as Russians continue to launch rockets at Ukraine’s second largest city. She joins Anderson Cooper back in Kyiv to discuss the level of pride, resilience and defiance she saw “in the face of that kind of bombardment.”

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The head of Ukraine’s railways says Russian forces struck five railway stations in central and western Ukraine as heavy fighting continues in the east. While shadowing paramedics in Kharkiv, CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward and her team were forced to run for safety after getting caught in the crossfire of Russian shelling. She tells Anderson Cooper about how important the first responders are to the locals who are still constantly getting bombarded by Russian forces.

Plus, exclusive new reporting on thousands of text messages sent and received by Mark Meadows that reveal details about former President Trump’s inner circle communications before and after January 6. CNN Special Correspondent Jamie Gangel joins AC360 to explain how Trump’s close associates, supporters and Republican lawmakers worked behind the scenes to try and overturn the election results. 

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CNN's Ed Lavandera tells the story of one village where Ukrainians were held hostage by Russian troops for 3 weeks.

Also, according to the U.N. more than five million people have fled Ukraine since Russian began their invasion with more than seven million internally displaced in the country. 

And since the start of the war, Poland has seen the largest amount of refugees pour over the borders with the latest U.N. data showing nearly three million Ukrainians have escaped to Poland. 

Anderson spoke with actor, director, screenwriter and producer Liev Schreiber who co-founded Blue Check Ukraine to help vet and support Ukrainian aid groups on the ground. He also recently returned from Poland and Ukraine where he was aiding humanitarian efforts. 

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Russia's Vladimir Putin claimed Mariupol is a "success" and is saying that the Russians are "liberating" the besieged port city. He also said that if the remaining defenders were to lay down their arms, Russia "guarantees their lives and decent treatment in accordance with the relevant international legal acts." To date, Ukrainian officials estimate that Russian attacks have cost up to 20,000 lives in Mariupol. President Zelensky said today that Russia is not engaged in war in Mariupol so much as a “terrorist operation.” David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker, who has spent much of his career covering Russia and authored the Pulitzer Prize winning "Lenin's Tomb" talks with Anderson.

Clarissa Ward joins Anderson to talk about the grim situation many around one frontline city in Ukraine are facing. 

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Samantha Power is the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. In her previous work as ambassador to the United Nations and member of the National Security Council, she's rallied the U.S. and other nations to focus more on human rights, refugees and atrocities across the globe. She talks with Anderson about the violence in Ukraine. 

Nadya Tolokonnikova, a founding member of the activist and punk rock group Pussy Riot, which has been publicly protesting Putin for about a decade also talks with Anderson. 

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President Zelensky calls Russians “the source of evil” for their attacks on Ukrainian civilians. The Russian Foreign Minister says of the war, “another stage of this operation is beginning”. The federal court ruling overturning the public transport mask mandate causes confusion across the country. The DOJ says it will appeal the ruling if the CDC says the mandate is still necessary. Patrick Lyoya was killed during an encounter with an officer following a traffic stop in Michigan. His family’s lawyers say the independent autopsy they commissioned shows he was shot in the back of his head.

Air Date: 04/19/2022

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Several U.S. airlines announce masks are optional after court ruling. Delta Air Lines says it is making masks optional, and warned travelers they "may experience inconsistent enforcement during the next 24 hours as this news is more broadly communicated."  Dr. Leana Wen talks about what this means. Also, a restaurant partnered with celebrity chef and global humanitarian José Andrés organization, World Central Kitchen, was hit by a missile strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, leaving four staffers wounded, WCK CEO Nate Mook said Saturday, describing the scene as “horrific brutality.” Chef José Andrés talks about what is going on in Ukraine.

Guests: José Andrés & Dr. Leana Wen.

Airdate: April 18, 2022 

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