RAINY AND, THEREFORE, HE HAS NO
CHOICE BUT TO ESCALATE THE WAR
HERE IN UKRAINE.
BACKED IN A CORNER, PRESIDENT
VLADIMIR PUTIN PUT RUSSIA
FURTHER ON WAR FOOTING TO TRY TO
REVERSE STUNNING LOSSES IN
UKRAINE.
I DEEM IT NECESSARY TO SUPPORT
THE PROPOSAL OF THE MINISTRY OF
DEFENSE AND THE GENERAL COMMAND
FOR PARTIAL MOBILIZATION IN THE
RUSSIAN FEDERATION, HE SAID.
THAT INCLUDES A CALL-UP OF
RESERVES W NEW AMERICAN AND
EUROPEAN WEAPONS AND INCREASED
INTELLIGENCE COOPERATION,
UKRAINE’S MILITARY HAS LIBERATED
THOUSANDS OF SQUARE MILES FROM
RUSSIA OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
PERHAPS IN RESPONSE IN A
SEEMINGLY COORDINATED MOVE FOUR
PARTS OF UKRAINE THAT ARE
PARTIALLY OR COMPLETELY
CONTROLLED BY RUSSIAN TROOPS ARE
NOW HOLDING VOTES TO BECOME PART
OF RUSSIA.
THE U.S. HAS CALLED THE VOTE A
SHAM, BUT IT COULD GIVE RUSSIA A
PRETEXT TO ANNEX UKRAINIAN
TERRITORY.
THEN THREATEN TO DEFEND IT WITH
NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
PUTIN ALREADY THIS MORNING
THREATENING RUSSIA WOULD USE ALL
THE MEANS AT ITS DISPOSAL,
ADDING, THIS IS NOT A BLUFF.
UKRAINIANS ARE STILL EXHUMING
BODIES FROM MASS GRAVES OUTSIDE
TOWNS THAT RECAPTURED FROM
RUSSIA.
A CIVIL DEFENSE WORKER SAYS MANY
OF THE BODIES HAD THEIR HANDS
BOUND AND SHOWED SIGNS OF
TORTURE.
MAXIME TOLD US HOW HE WAS
TORTURED BY RUSSIAN
INTERROGATORS WITH ELECTRIC
SHOCKS.
THEY EXPECTED HE WAS PASSING ON
INTELLIGENCE TO UKRAINIAN
FORCES.
THIS WAS YOUR CELL?
>> YES, FOUR PEOPLE.
FOUR MEN.
>> Reporter: MAXIME TOOK ME TO
THE BASEMENT.
THIS WAS THE TORTURE ROOM.
MAXIME SAYS HE WAS SEATED AND
HANDCUFFED AND SHOWED ME A
PICTURE OF THE MACHINE THEY USED
TO GIVE HIM ELECTRIC SHOCKS.
WHAT WERE THEY ASKING?
THEY SAID, YOU TALK.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE WANT.
TELL US.
MAXIME SAYS HE WAS RESCUED WHEN
UKRAINIAN FORCES DROVE THE
RUSSIANS OUT.
SENIOR UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS THIS
MORNING DISMISSED RUSSIA’S MOVE
TO CALL UP RESERVES, SAYING IT
IS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS AND SHOWS