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Retired US general responds to Putin's war crimes

Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc joins 'The Ingraham Angle' after Putin's army bombs civilians

This is a rush transcript of "The Ingraham Angle" on March 4, 2022. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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BILL HEMMER, FOX NEWS HOST: The images never end. I'm Bill Hemmer in tonight for Laura, and welcome to the end of a very long week.

I'm going to start with the latest news at this hour, where it's 5am in Ukraine and most importantly, Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands. Some analysts worry tonight that the historic city will not be spared from the brutal bombing campaigns we've seen already.

The fire at that nuclear complex is out but the plan is said to be under Russian control. If true, Russians could control 25 percent of Ukraine's power supply now.

Ukrainian officials also wondering that Russia is about to conduct naval landings around Odessa. This as power is out in another port city called Mariupol. And that city has been hammered for days by Russian forces.

Also, residential areas and the town of Kharkiv in the northeast will come under heavy shelling again today. In a moment we'll speak to someone who lives there. Stay tuned for that.

Meantime, Trey Yingst joins us first off. He's live in the capital city. Trey, we heard explosions today, yesterday for you, smoke plumes in the distance. How close can you assess is the Russian army tonight?

TREY YINGST, FOX NEWS FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bill, the current estimates are the Russians are about 15 miles from the city center of Kyiv. The frontline moves every hour and Ukrainian forces are doing their best to push back this Russian offensive.

Remember, to the northwest of this city is the end of that convoy, nearly 40 miles long of Russian tanks and artillery units that officials believe will attempt to surround at least in part this capital city.

Now in the southern part of Ukraine. As you noted in Mariupol, we are seeing a significant play by Russian forces to try to cut off this city of nearly 400,000 people and ultimately take it over. If they are successful in these efforts, it will give them a critical land bridge where they can move in forces and equipment from Crimea. And also, it will connect them to the eastern part of separatists held areas where they have been backing forces there since 2014.

So, all of this playing together with that critical front that's taking place in the second largest city of Ukraine heart Kyiv. And that frontline also is moving by the hour. So you have a lot of moving parts in this invasion taking place. And at the same time, the civilian death toll continues to rise.

The Russians are pulling a page out of their Syria playbook. They're targeting different civilian areas in an effort to really bombard the population try to bring them to their knees and make them surrender. But the Ukrainian forces say, they are not giving up.

We spoke this week with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and he doubled down on this idea of both civilians and soldiers fighting until the end. It's part of the reason they are calling on the international community once again tonight to not only close the airspace over Ukraine, but continue the supply of weapons. Bill.

HEMMER: Trey, give our viewers a sense of what the night has been for you. You're coming up on dawn. Have you heard air raid sirens, or has this been a somewhat of a quiet night? How would you characterize that?

YINGST: A few hours ago, there were a number of explosions in the distance. We couldn't figure out if it was air strikes from the Russians, or artillery units. But they are getting closer and closer to this capital city.

Oftentimes the air raid sirens will go off as they did tonight, telling people to get underground immediately. When you look out the window right now, it is martial law in place. There's a curfew. No one is on the streets. Those who do see occasionally are soldiers or civilians who are volunteering their time to stay here and make sure everything is secure.

They distinguish themselves from anyone else by wrapping yellow tape around their arms. So you know there are Ukrainian forces, and they've set up checkpoints around this city to make sure that Russian saboteurs or any reconnaissance units aren't able to move freely throughout this area.

HEMMER: Remarkable stuff. Trey, thanks. Maybe come back to you a bit later this hour. Thank you. Live in Kyiv.

With me now is Sviatoslav Yurash, a member Ukraine's parliament, former advisor to President Zelenskyy, also a Russian.

Sir, thank you for your time, first of all. And remarkable time. Today, the Russian defense minister reportedly told the UN chief that peace talks have not moved from the starting point. Are these talks even for real do you think?

SVIATOSLAV YURASH, UKRAINIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: These talks are basically for what I can see, the Russian demands are a mirage. Russians are trying to essentially establish what they went to go - to do from the very beginning, that is destroy us, our modernity, our independence, our will to become independent nation. And they demand things which will never pass in the parliament which I'm a part of.

These are things that basically destroy any chance of Ukraine to be its own state. So as far as the conversation there, I must point this out - the points to these peace talks. We need to give them, they are bullies. And we have so many Russians that died or are in Ukraine. The transfer of these bodies needs to be organized and that's something we discussed these negotiations.

Also, with hundreds of their POWs and they have some of ours. We need to talk about that too. Not to mention (inaudible) in corridors. We do need to exchange and give a chance for the civilian population caught up in the crossfire to leave.

And so that's the point on which there is agreement. But as far as the actual ending to the warfare, unfortunately Russians aren't given a chance.

HEMMER: Sviat, when you talk about this, they were talking about human corridors as well that would enable some Ukrainians to leave maybe by the millions in some of these towns. Is there any progress that would help build a corridor in some of these hard hit areas that would eventually save human lives?

YURASH: There is an agreement or a matter, but as far as the question what Russians actually do, it's very opposite in the agreement. They are shelling residential quarters. We - you can watch the imagery. It's all online. They are attacking civilians, are attacking humanitarian centers, and they are killing people.

Basically, with this indiscriminately, the fact of the matter is in that nuclear powered town, which you discussed on the day yesterday, a part of my family lives, and they have no weaponry.

So they went on the street with Ukrainian flags to protest the Russians. And they have shotted them, thrown grenades at them. I mean, this is just essentially Russia showing how much it cares about civilians in Ukraine.

HEMMER: Yes. Which town was that? Because right now there are concerns about another nuclear facility as we speak tonight.

YURASH: That's (inaudible). That's the one you discussed

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YURASH: --the one in south of Ukraine.

HEMMER: Yes. One of the largest in all of--

YURASH: Yes.

HEMMER: Can you describe for us, our U.S. ambassador, the UN was talking about this a bit earlier today, about the nuclear facilities in Ukraine. Just roll this here, guys, and listen to her.

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LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Nuclear facilities cannot become part of this conflict. Russia must halt any further use of force that might put at further risk all 15 operable reactors across Ukraine, or interfere with Ukraine's ability to maintain the safety and the security of its 37 nuclear facilities.

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HEMMER: I don't know if you know the answer to this, Sviat. But is this part of the discussions with the Russians? Because the nuclear disaster would be - would spread beyond the borders of Ukraine. Go ahead.

YURASH: Indeed. And they have been shelling that biggest nuclear power plant in Europe. The fact of the matter is, this is the way of them to trying to hold Europe hostage to say, you do anything and we will blow this up. We will show you what actually is to fight with the Russians.

And essentially, that's the reality of what's happening. They have been reportedly mining the nuclear station. I've seen reports of that account. And the point is they will just believe that (inaudible) negotiation not with us. But the Europe trying to tell it to basically pull back.

HEMMER: Sviat, good luck. Throughout the day--

YURASH: Thank you very much.

HEMMER: --and in the days to come. Thank you for your time, sir.

YURASH: Thank you.

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GREENFIELD: Mr. Putin must stop this madness. And he must stop it now. Cooler heads must prevail. Russian forces are now 20 miles and closing from Ukraine's second largest nuclear facility. So this imminent danger continues.

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HEMMER: So there was the U.S. Ambassador again in the UN a bit earlier today warning about another major nuclear plant in southern Ukraine under threat from Russian forces.

This after a fire broke out of the largest facility after they came under Russian fire. I'll show you on the board where that is behind me. The is all southern Ukraine now in the southern area here.

If you put your eye here in this - on this part that - Sviat was talking about this from yesterday. And there is really reached a point where it was - where the world was holding its breath for about three hours.

Now, the issue is over here in Mykolaiv. All right. So this is a little further west. And what the ambassador was describing, there was the Russian military indeed they have. They went this way to Mariupol that we mentioned. They've also gone this way past Kherson. They're coming up in Mykolaiv very soon.

Well, in this area, the southern part of Ukraine. You have you have giant nuclear reactors. And the concern we had from yesterday was well founded, because this situation was dire. You have six reactors that are lined up, five better online.

You had Russian forces come up to the town. You had Ukrainian civilians, not soldiers, but civilians by the thousands who had lined the road that leads into this nuclear power plant, trying to hold off the Russian army. Well, that lasted a total of 12 hours.

They were scattered. They were spread apart. And then when the dust settled, the Russian military moved in. Fortunately, for the world - not just Ukraine, but also for the world. The fire was 1200 yards to the south and east of these nuclear reactors, and it did not get inside. It could have been a completely different story.

When I go to the second largest city now in Ukraine. Right now the town of Kharkiv. We've talked about a lot, heavy shelling for days in that city. Watch.

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HEMMER: They are going on for some time. The mayor is Ihor Terekhov, telling Washington Post from his bunker, the following. "They are destroying entire districts where lots of people live. They just want to destroy and demolish the city. This is a pure example of genocide, the genocide of Ukrainian nation."

That is where my next guest has been living under siege for days with me now. Iryna Skrypnykova Thank you for your time. The mayor says, you're not going to give up. How are you doing?

IRYNA SKRYPNYKOVA, KHARKIV RESIDENT: Hey. OK. We're doing OK, but it's scary right now here. Because couple of hours ago, there were again the missile attacks. I heard the plane and it was really scary.

HEMMER: Yes. Are you in your home, or are you in a bomb shelter? Where are you, Iryna?

SKRYPNYKOVA: Now in my home. And they restored to the (inaudible) city because we had no electricity for two days. But now I'm in my home and hope I will stay here for quite a while.

HEMMER: If you wanted to leave, could you?

SKRYPNYKOVA: I can't leave because my family's here. My family's here. My mother, my grandparents, and my husband's parents. They are also here. And they're pretty old, so we can't leave them. They will have no ability to go and buy food or something. And we're just doing this for them.

HEMMER: Yes. We've been following the shelling of your city. Can you give us a sense of what it sounds like? Because it seems to be nonstop.

SKRYPNYKOVA: I'm not sure how to describe it, because it just - the sound if you will hear it and you will never forget it. Because you hear it and you jump out from your flat and hiding and just heard it. That's - yes.

HEMMER: How much food do you have? How much water do you have?

SKRYPNYKOVA: It's enough for now. It's enough for now, but I'm not sure how long will it take. So we just don't understand when all this will stop.

HEMMER: Yes. Iryna, do you speak Russian?

SKRYPNYKOVA: Yes.

HEMMER: Is that - Kharkiv speaks primarily Russian. Is that your first language, or was it Ukrainian?

SKRYPNYKOVA: I use Ukrainian Russian. I can speak freely both languages. But you know, when they say it's about the - like, they say, Russian people are feeling bad here, but it's not - it never was.

HEMMER: The reason I ask you that it's because just, I wonder if you've ever been able to stop and imagine that your town wouldn't be invaded the way it has been by Russians?

SKRYPNYKOVA: Yes. And I don't understand why they're doing this.

HEMMER: What's your message for Putin tonight?

SKRYPNYKOVA: Oh, I don't know. Please stop this. We don't deserve it. We didn't want it. They go here. Just go away. We don't need their troops here.

HEMMER: I hope that comes true for you, Iryna. And my best to you and your family.

SKRYPNYKOVA: Thank you.

HEMMER: Yes. We can hear the anguish in your voice. Hang on and hang tough. OK. Thank you for your time.

SKRYPNYKOVA: Thank you.

HEMMER: You can learn more about her story at Fox News digital, who brought us that woman a bit earlier today.

When I move down west back to the capital city of Kyiv, Russian forces are trying to encircle the city. That is their intent. And if they treat Kyiv, the way they have surrounding towns, this city will be shelled.

Oleksandr Mukhin, an entrepreneur. He's in Kyiv. We have - sir, thank you for your time now.

OLEKSANDR MUKHIN, UKRANIAN ENTREPRENEUR: Thank you, sir.

HEMMER: We've had reports of a renewed assault. What is the situation there where you are?

MUKHIN: Well, the current situation is stable. But, of course, it's never easy. It never has been for the last week or so. We didn't hear explosions or air defenses to working for the last few hours. But usually it's like every 30 minutes or so.

We hear missiles, warning sirens all over the city. We hear explosions, which is our air defense military protecting us from Belarusian and Russian missiles coming and heating our, not only military facilities, but unfortunately, residential sectors as well.

HEMMER: Yes. Well, Olek, when we talked to our correspondent Trey Yingst a few minutes ago, he said the last air raid siren was three hours prior, which would have been about 2 o'clock in the morning your time.

Does that fit the pattern? Does it - or does the bombing usually happen at night? Or does it happen during the day?

MUKHIN: Well, it's happening like every single hour or so. Usually during the night, it's more severe, because Russian troops they tend to attack more aggressively during the night. Obviously, it's some sort of military tactic, which I'm not - no expert to talk about.

And usually we spend the night in the underground shelter, or in the basement to try to get some protection, or at least a sense of protection. This night was relatively easy and relatively safe. But of course, you need to understand that today, you cannot be safe anywhere in Ukraine.

HEMMER: How close do you believe the Russian army is to (inaudible) in Kyiv?

MUKHIN: Well, we don't know for sure. But according to our military, they are trying to surround our city. But the heroes from Ukrainian military and civilians, volunteers, who are helping them, they tried to push back and defend our city.

Of course, for now, we believe that the Kyiv will not fall. And the enemy understands this as well. They feel that they are losing that's why they are shelling our city to try to strike fear in our hearts. But that's not going to happen.

HEMMER: Yes. Olek, that's a city of 3 million people. And we've seen the images from various towns that have already been invaded by the Russian army. They've been obliterated. How much consideration have you given it a possibility in the town in which you live?

MUKHIN: Well, for now, we don't know what's going to happen next. Yesterday, I couldn't have imagined that Russian army will hit nuclear power plant, let alone try to prevent firefighters to come and put the fire out. Because that's our biggest concern.

We're not leaving our home. We will defend our land, we will defend our home with arms - with weapons in our hands. But if nuclear catastrophe happens, there is no going back. Everybody will suffer. And all the countries who are not willing to help us at this moment, they won't have any other countries to have a relationship with.

A few days ago, Russians successfully hit Holocaust memorial complex Babi Yar in the center of Kyiv. They hit Kyiv television tower, five civilians burned alive just walking down the street of their city.

They hit the heating main near the central train station, where there are thousands and thousands women and children waiting for the evacuation from Kyiv. And it's like 200 meters to the right 200 meters to the left. There would have been like a thousands of civilian casualties. So for now, we stay put. We keep calm, but of course we are afraid for civilian people.

HEMMER: You are brave, and so too are many millions of your countrymen and women. Are you in a shelter by the way, and who's with you?

MUKHIN: For now, I'm with my wife. My parents are in Kyiv as well. Right now I'm at home. So basically, I'm just trying to shed a light on what's happening here and help everybody we can to spread the truth.

HEMMER: Well, we hear you loud and clear. Thank you for your time, Oleksandr. My best to you. Good luck.

MUKHIN: Thank you. Glory to Ukraine.

HEMMER: Just outside of Kyiv in the town of Irpin to the northwest, stands between Russian forces and the capital city. Irpin was the center of intense fighting today, as Ukrainian Special Forces held off repeated attacks by Russian forces.

Despite the heavy fighting, morale said to be high among the defenders. One soldier telling the Wall Street Journal "The Russians keep trying to enter and to encircle us, but they just can't. We are together, we are organized, and we are strong-willed."

Former journalist Serhii Popov was just in the town of Irpin. Sir, thank you for your time tonight. What did you see their?

SERHII POPOV, FMR UKRAINE JOURNALIST: Hello. Thank you. Well, actually, they managed to leave Irpin a few days ago. We spent here night in basement, just when all the students started. When it was most fighting for Gostomel airport.

Well, actually Irpin is very close to Kyiv. It's actually Kyiv. It's like a part of the city just--

HEMMER: Kind of like a neighborhood to Kyiv, right, just out there on the outskirts. There is a bridge in Irpin that has been blown up by the Ukrainian military. Did you see that bridge?

POPOV: Yes, I moved through this bridge even before it was blown up. And so there is no more way to keep Irpin. But there is another way to Kyiv, and I think that Russian forces tried to rip this another road to Kyiv.

HEMMER: Yes. Can I ask you this? But we're told, since the bridge was blown up, you've been able to hold back that Russian convoy from getting closer to your city. Is that true?

POPOV: Well, actually, yes. Yes, it's true. Actually, it's not just one bridge that was blown up. So we had to - we lost a lot of infrastructure objects just to prevent Russian forces to get closer to Kyiv.

HEMMER: What are you going to do today when the sun comes up then?

POPOV: Well, I don't know. Well, actually, as I told you before, we managed to move out from Irpin and now I'm in Zhytomyr. It's 140 kilometers from Kyiv. It's more quiet place, but we still have bombings.

Just a couple of hours ago, something blown again. I don't know exactly what was it, but it was a very powerful sound of explosion. I think we will find out it just in a half an hour, maybe less. Zhytomyr is preparing to (inaudible)

HEMMER: So, you were able to move a pretty good distance across your country. That's very interesting. I don't think a lot of people would be able to think that that is possible, but you were able to do it. What does that tell us?

POPOV: Well, I didn't know. You know, actually the most important thing is that Ukrainians all together - and it's quite easy to find somebody who can help you. And even here now, some people - some soldiers, yes, they go to take their weapons to protect country. Everybody who can't hold weapons, they try to help the army, try to help our local defense forces.

And actually, it's not the war situation at least here wherever I am. Yes, there is sirens all the day. We hear bombings. Just yesterday, Russians blew a school. I don't know why, just they blew the school. A day before, they blew a few private houses and there is a lot of destruction in this place.

We were just 500 meters near the center of bombings. So - but we quiet calm. We help each other and is moving with the shelters, with food. So I think that we can hold all this and we can fight back.

HEMMER: Serhii, you're brave. And thank you for sharing your story. It's nice to see you tonight. And good luck throughout the day today. Thank you for your time.

Got a Fox News alert right now. There is new footage released by Sky News today. And this will show you just how dangerous the situation in Ukraine is for everyone, including reporters on the scene.

One of the network's news teams, five of them in a car were attacked outside of Kyiv. This is stunning stuff. It runs for several minutes and we wanted to share this extended clip with you tonight. Watch here.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But the government has warned for days of Russian saboteurs, who've infiltrated the country to bring terror. Death squads who are attacking civilians in their cars as they flee. They do exist, as we found out.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We think it's a Ukrainian checkpoint and a mistake, so we identify ourselves.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somehow we have to get out of this, but the rounds keep coming. It's a professional ambush. The bullets just don't miss.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm hit, but escaped a car with producer Dominic Van Heerden, we make our way down the embankment.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Camera Operator Richie Mocker has taken two rounds to his body armor, but he's still stuck in the car. He runs for it in a hail of bullets.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The five of us have made it out of the car down the embankment. And we just can't believe we're alive.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We run into a warehouse unit looking for cover.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know any rescue will take hours. We're stuck, fighting outside with no idea what's going on.

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HEMMER: A correspondent is a gentleman by the name of Stuart Ramsey with Sky News. His crew of four others, total of five, remarkably are all ok. But a truly unvarnished look at the dangers that face all of them inside Ukraine tonight.

All right. Now, this.

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JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law. And we have seen the use of cluster bombs. We have seen reports of use of other types of weapons which will be in violation of international law.

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Well, that's the NATO Secretary General now Jens Stoltenberg are a bit earlier today on these reports that Russian forces are deploying cluster bombs against Ukrainian targets, including civilian targets.

There are also reports that the Russian military could deploy thermobaric bombs, also known as vacuum bombs. Not confirmed on that. But what does it tell us about Putin's overall strategy in war?

With me now retired brigadier general Don Bullock. And general, thank you for your time tonight. Thank you for being here.

DON BOLDUC, RETIRED GENERAL U.S. ARMY: Well, thank you for having me, Bill.

HEMMER: First on the cluster bombs. These are wicked weapons of war. Explain how they work. And why would Russia use them?

BOLDUC: Well, Bill, I've got to give you credit for the last 30 minutes here, nearly 30 minutes I've been watching the face of war and the devastation of all the weapons, and having 81 months in combat, commanding thousands of special operations troops and not bringing home 72 of my own, and watching the devastation that happens to the civilians out there, these cluster bombs are a very dangerous weapon that creates long-term casualties, because a majority of the cluster bombs, or a good percentage of the cluster bombs, after they explode, our duds, and they remain duds, and they remain duds for a long time.

And the devastation that it wreaks on civilians, the devastation that it wreaks inside urban areas, it's just not a legitimate weapon, and it certainly isn't a weapon that should be used for the proportionality that we're seeing. And left in the hands of Putin, left in the hands of his generals, these things are going to be used indiscriminately to kill, maim, and create an unbelievable amount of devastation and loss of life. That's what these cluster bombs are going to do. They are devastating. In my opinion, they should not be being used. But Putin, he is going to use them, because they are on the battlefield.

HEMMER: And General, the vacuum bomb that we described here, it's a mixture of chemicals and fire, and it just obliterates everything around it. Explain, perhaps, why Putin would resort to this tool in such a brutal war? And if he does, what will he stop at, General?

BOLDUC: Well, that is just the question, right. These hyperbaric vacuum bombs are devastating. They have two explosions associated with them. One is the gas, and it spreads and it goes into crevices, into buildings, any open area. And then the second explosion ignites that gas, and it vaporizes anything in its path. And it's been used since World War II, and it's only become more and more lethal in the variety of uses for it by air, by land, rocket, even types of grenades have this capability that he is capable of using. And he won't stop to use this. He will use it in these urban areas to clear out buildings, to vaporize everybody.

HEMMER: Yes, I think that's the question, General. If he were to drop one of these type of bombs on an urban area, a city, many of these towns that we are talking about have at least a half-million people in them. What would be the result of that?

BOLDUC: It's going to be untold casualties of civilians, mostly, and any of the military that happens to be confronting him at the time. But these - - it's just going to be under devastation inside a population center. And a moral leader would never use that. But this guy, he's got no morals. So if it's on the battlefield, he's going to use it.

HEMMER: There is a team heading into the Hague to investigate war crimes already. I don't know what your view is on that. I can tell you what mine is. I saw some video online last night that just kept me up at night, and that is the video, in Kharkiv. I don't if you have seen it or not.

BOLDUC: Yes.

HEMMER: But there's a bomb that drops. And a gentleman walks out of a home, we are not showing on TV for obvious reasons, and he's got all this on an iPhone. and he is recording it, and there is just devastation all over him. And you see four women walking down the street and they are screaming and crying, and the camera pans to the left, and there's human bodies on the ground. These aren't soldiers. These are civilians. To me they look like 65-year-old women missing limbs. That is a war crime, sir, on camera.

BOLDUC: It is absolutely a war crime.

HEMMER: Isn't that all the evidence you need?

BOLDUC: Listen, the invasion is a war crime. I don't need a special commission. I don't need a bunch of investigations. I don't need a team of lawyers or a team of anybody to make the observation that this whole invasion is a war crime, and Putin is a war criminal. And any of his officers who are executing these kinds of directives from him are committing war crimes, as well. And it is unforgivable in its nature.

HEMMER: General, thank you for your time. Appreciate you coming on. General Bolduc, thank you.

President Zelenskyy's request now for a no-fly zone over Ukraine rejected by U.S. and NATO officials today. Secretary of State Blinken laid out why this is not to something the allies want to do. Here he is in Brussels.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The only way to actually implement something like a no-fly zone is to send NATO planes into Ukrainian airspace and to shoot down Russian planes. And that could lead to a full-fledged war in Europe. President Biden has been clear that we are not going to get into a war with Russia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: So that is the position as of tonight. Retired Brigadier General Robert Spalding is with me now, Hudson Institute senior fellow. And General Spalding, thank you for your time this evening. Let's talk about a no-fly zone. If you were to initiate that, what are the risks that come with that, sir?

DR. ROBERT SPALDING, HUDSON INSTITUTE SENIOR FELLOW: Well, for the aircraft involved, most of the risk would be where are you going to deploy out of, what airfields are you going to use? In addition, you need tankers, so those are typically pretty large aircraft that are easy to shoot down. You also need AWACS to identify aircraft that are flying around.

And then, on the battlefield, it's likely that you have surface to air, mobile surface to air missile systems that are moving around. So establishing a no-fly zone, while is pretty straightforward, would have some complications and risks to the aircrews of the tankers, of the AWACS, and of course to the fighters that are there to enforce it. So it's easy to do in terms of actually executing it, but it's complicated in terms of getting all the pieces in place and making it happen.

HEMMER: We had a no-fly zone over Iraq for many years, in southern Iraq. We had a no-fly zone over Kosovo in the late 1990s. What did we learn from that when you fly at 15,000 feet?

SPALDING: Well, for the most part, the Iraqi air force wasn't really a problem for the United States. I don't think the Russians would be, either. The problem is, where are you going to stage out of? It is likely you would have to stage out of airfields that are outside of Ukraine, and then you would only be able to clear the airspace over the area of Ukraine that's closest to those airfields. You wouldn't be able to go to the extent all the way to the Russian border.

So the other issue is you don't have any airfields within Ukraine that are likely going to be able to be used because you have to be concerned about the Russians actually capturing those areas where the aircraft are used. So it is some challenge for the military to establish that.

That being said, we have highly trained and expert folks who could do that. The problem is, as Secretary Blinken stated, is you get into this challenge where you potentially have a conflict between the U.S. or Europe and Russia, and this involves nuclear weapons.

HEMMER: Yes, and that is the point we are driving at here, sir. And that is air to air combat with the Russian air force. And the imagination goes when you consider the possibility of a head-to-head conflict like that.

SPALDING: Well, we had to shoot downs the Cold War. They didn't progress to further conflict, but the risk always remains when you have these types of confrontations that it could escalate when you have two powers that are nuclear armed.

HEMMER: Do you see a way around a no-fly zone to prevent the devastation from going another month or two, perhaps, in Ukraine?

SPALDING: I really don't. I think what the main problem here is when we forced the Ukrainians to give up nuclear weapons, you really gave an out for Putin to carry out this invasion of Ukraine. So having no nuclear weapons in Ukraine, they really don't have the ability to deter an attack. And because the Russians have really all of the -- we really waited too long to supply equipment and aircraft and other material for the Ukrainians to resist a Russian invasion. I think now it is far too late, and the Russians really have the advantage.

HEMMER: General, thank you for your time. This is hotly debated, and we will see whether or not it comes back in the coming days or even weeks. General Spalding, thank you.

So the Ukrainian town of Lviv near the Polish border has been spared the brunt of the fighting, but has been flooded with refugees fleeing Russia's onslaught. Lucas Tomlinson is at his post yet again today, and we check in live with you. Lucas, good morning there is you get ready for another day. Hello.

LUCAS TOMLINSON, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Bill, good morning. Officials tell me a no-fly zone over this country would have no effect on some of the 500 ballistic and short range and cruise missiles that are flying into this country, it would have no effect whatsoever. We just got this video in from Chernihiv located two hours north of the capital, a city that has largely been reduced to rubble. Earlier, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy addressed the European continent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Do not be silent. Support Ukraine. Because if Ukraine does not survive, the whole of Europe will not survive. If Ukraine falls, the whole of Europe will fall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TOMLINSON: Tens of thousands of people poured out on the streets of Prague earlier to hear Zelenskyy's virtual address, this as that convoy stalled outside the capital. Many analysts wondering, Bill, where are the Russian soldiers in that convoy? Why don't sat images ever show people outside the vehicle that you would expect in any kind of military convoy that's parked. There are reports there is low morale among those soldiers. They're eating expired food. We spoke to one woman earlier on the streets here who said that her mother lives near that convoy and has had Russian soldiers coming into her home and ransacking her food.

Here in Lviv, we traveled 30 minutes north of here and saw a former American soldier training with foreign fighters. He offered this explanation for Russia's military problems in this country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Ukrainians have killed a lot of Russians in this past week, and I'm surprised how fast the Russians want to throw their troops behind enemy lines to die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TOMLINSON: Now, we passed a number of checkpoints going up to the city. This is a university town, Bill, as I've mentioned before. However, once you leave the city, we traveled 30 minutes north from here with numerous checkpoints. You've seen a lot of local militias, citizen soldiers, men building sandbags and many just armed with hunting rifles, standing a watch, standing a post, clearly on wartime footing. Some of those fighters said they had seen some Russian gunships flying overhead, Bill.

HEMMER: Lucas, your background is in the military, U.S. Navy, and I just want to draw on that, because there were military experts earlier today suggesting the Russians have supply and fuel that will get them to Sunday, which means two days from now. Are you hearing that? And if so, what can you report on that, if true?

TOMLINSON: Certainly, we are talking about the convoy, and this stalled convoy. There are certainly a lot of questions about the fuel issues and also the mud, the fact that these vehicles that are supposed to be -- this is supposed to be an all-weather force, Bill, and the fact that they have to stick to main roads is certainly raising questions. Those tanks should be able to go through any kind of land, certainly this rich farmland here in Ukraine.

In terms of the warships, Bill, off the coast of Odessa, we are starting to get some reporting in that some of those ships might have turned around and gone back to Crimea. But as you know just a couple days ago, we first reported that a group of Russian warships had left Crimea and are posed to do an amphibious assault in Odessa, Ukraine's third largest city.

However, there are some reporting tonight from Ukrainian officials that some of those ships may have turned around. So we don't know if that is a diversion tactic, perhaps. You mentioned Kherson, that city north of Crimea, would some soldiers be coming down there? But again, back to your logistical problems and fuel, is this Russian army capable of moving that far, Bill?

HEMMER: Great point. Lucas, one last thing here. I have described this Putin march as slow, slower than he wants, steady, but deliberate. Would you agree with that?

TOMLINSON: I like slow and steady. In terms of deliberate, I think when you look at some of the tactics, the shelling of civilian areas, cruise missiles flying into apartment buildings, indiscriminate shelling with artillery and some of the jet aircraft, Bill. I would say this is looking like Grozny and Chechnya and parts of Syria, perhaps Aleppo. So deliberately, officials would say deliberately evil, targeting civilian areas, Bill.

HEMMER: Yes, with intent on that. Lucas, thank you. Nice to see you. Great work over there, Lucas. Thank you. Lucas Tomlinson.

Did China get more than it bargained for when it joined forces with Vladimir Putin one month ago from today? We'll explore that and more when we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Gunfire earlier today in the town of Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine. Coming up on 6:00 in the morning, the sun is going to rise in a moment here. Kharkiv is where we were speaking with Iryna (ph) about 40 minutes ago. You heard her voice, and she is locked into a death struggle here in Kharkiv. This city has been surrounded by Russian forces for a week now and just getting pounded repeatedly.

Here is Kyiv, where we were speaking with Trey a bit earlier in the hour, and Lucas is over here by the Polish border just before the break. Down here in the south, there has been a lot of activity here. The Russian military has been able to move rather well in the south, as opposed to the north, primarily because they took this Crimea peninsula eight years ago and they put up a big military base there. And the Ukrainian army has been fighting here just about 50, 60 percent of them for the past eight years dug in, waiting for the next Russian invasion. Well, the invasion came, but it didn't come through this section of the country.

In the meantime, here is where the Russian army came in, right from Mariupol, and there is a big battle happening there as we speak. That's a battle that has gone on for three or four days now, and that city is just getting hammered, as well.

So in the south, what the Russians are trying to do is build this land bridge here, and connect it all the way over here to Odessa. And in the coming days, you are going to hear a lot more about the city of 1 million in southwestern Ukraine and see whether or not the Russian army makes a move on this city, and if so, what comes from that?

The other story is the nuclear issue, and 24 hours ago this was the concern. Now, it is over in a town called Mykolaiv, and the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. earlier today was talking about this -- well, this power plant from yesterday is the largest in Europe, nuclear power plant. This is the second largest nuclear power plant in the country of Ukraine, and the Russian military was said to be about 20 miles and closing in. Will they manage this, as well as they tried to manage this the day before? So the world waits on that.

Now there was this from Beijing, China, as it relates to Ukraine from today, also. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WANG WENBIN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, FOREIGN MINISTRY INFORMATION DEPARTMENT OF CHINA: China decides its own position and policy based on the merits of the matter itself. We welcome all diplomatic efforts that are conducive to the political settlement of the Ukraine issue, and support dialogue and negotiation by Russia and Ukraine for a political settlement that is good for long term stability and security in Europe. China will continue to play a constructive part in seeking and realizing peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: The reason we bring this up, it was a month ago today where in Beijing, China, President Xi and Vladimir Putin essentially shook hands on a deal where they would be friends. And by invading Ukraine, Russia just hasn't strained perhaps relations with the west, of course, but also has it strained those relations with close partner of China?

"The Wall Street Journal" notes this, quote, "China declared its Russia friendship had no limits. It's having second thoughts. Russia's subsequent invasion of its neighbor is forcing Beijing into adjusting its foreign policy in a way that risks damaging relations with the U.S.-led west and undoing years of efforts to paint itself as a responsible world leader," end quote.

Elbridge Colby, former department assistant secretary of defense, Elbridge, good evening to you, and thank you for your time.

ELBRIDGE COLBY, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Good to be with you, Bill.

HEMMER: Is there a chance the Chinese might turn on Moscow after this?

COLBY: I think there is almost no chance, Bill. I think the Chinese are probably trying to avoid taking as much of the blame as possible. They might be trying to adjust their tactics, particularly in this diplomatic context.

But I think that statement you referred to, Bill, suggested that there were no limits to the relationship between China and Russia, and apparently Xi Jinping put that in there. Their relationship is closer than it has been for 70 years. And I think probably if anything, the Chinese, like the Russians appear to have been surprised by some of the frustrations that the Russians have run into.

But both of them see the United States in particular and our alliance network as the core of their problem, and I think they knew that. And if anything, this is kind of going to force the Russians more into China's embrace and make them more subservient. So I would be very surprised if the Chinese fundamentally change their tune other than some diplomatic tap dancing.

HEMMER: Given the way the western world has responded to Russia, and the western companies that have basically shut their operations down, Moscow's stock market hasn't been open for days. And the brutality of the invasion has stunned the world. Does that have no impact on Chinese leadership, do you think?

COLBY: I think it does. I think it's cautionary and sobering for them, thinking about, say, invading Taiwan, how the world has reacted. But I will say this, Bill. It is not exactly a one-to-one thing. China is 10 times the economic size of Russia, so everybody is a lot more dependent and intertwined with the Chinese economy than they are with Russia.

And the other thing is, a lot of these sanctions bullets can't be fired more than once. A lot of the European economies are taking hits to decouple, and they should, from the Russian economy sector, for instance. That's going to expose their economies, and the Chinese knows that. So I don't think we should take too much sanguinity from this. And really what, I think what is critical here, Bill, is that the Ukrainians are fighting hard. And that is the key insight to take, is that there is nothing that is going to deter an invasion like a stout military defense, and that's, I think, the example to take from this tragedy.

HEMMER: Elbridge, thank you for your time. We'll see where it goes, right, together, right, day by day. The world is stepping into a whole new place. Elbridge Colby thank you for your time.

Final thoughts when we come back on this Friday night.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Before we go tonight, there was a scene earlier today from Prague in the Czech Republic. We want to share that with you. President Zelenskyy was speaking remotely to thousands and thousands in Prague, and this was that scene. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHEERS)

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: And on and on it went. Tomorrow he will address U.S. senators at 9:30 a.m. eastern time, and we will have coverage of that when that happens.

That does it for us at the end of a very long week. I'm Bill Hemmer in for Laura. Laura is back on Monday. Join me every Monday through Friday with Dana at 9:00 a.m. eastern time in AMERICA'S NEWSROOM. And stay with the FOX News Channel all night long for all the development out of Ukraine.

Shannon Bream out of Washington, Benjamin Hall in Kyiv will take it from here. Good night. We'll see you again on Monday. Have a good weekend.

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