It has begun. The Russian invasion of Ukraine started Wednesday night (U.S. time) with evidence that dictator Vladimir Putin intends to take more of the country than just the Donbas territory in the eastern part of the country. That evidence came in the form of explosions in the capital Kyiv during a CNN live shot of correspondent Matthew Chance on the roof of his hotel, forcing him to don a flak jacket.
Chance was reporting on a speech Putin had delivered to the Russian people just minutes before as the reported cruise missiles started to drop in the distance:
Essentially and saying that any responsibility for bloodshed as a result of this, basically war that's been suggested or declared by President Putin is on the hands of the Ukrainians who resist.
[Explosion in the distance]
Oh. I tell you what, I just heard a big bang –
[Explosion in the distance]
-- right here behind me. I told you we shouldn’t have done the live shot here.
[Explosion in the distance]
There are big explosions taking place in Kyiv right now.
[Explosion in the distance]
“I can't see where they're taking place from this vantage point here on top of the roof of the hotel in central Kyiv. And I can't explain what they are. But I heard four or five explosions a few moments ago,” he said, unsure host Don Lemon or the audience could hear them.
The missiles continued to drop as Chance was trying to make sense of what was going on around him:
CHANCE -- What I just heard. You could. Right. So I don't know what it is. But I will tell you that the United States has warned –
[Explosion in the distance]
LEMON: Was that another one?
CHANCE-- That the Ukrainians -- Yeah. I mean, I think it was. But they're quite distant from where I am now.
“Have you heard anything explosions, anything similar since you have been in Kyiv,” Lemon asked. “No. No. Absolutely not. This is the first time. This is the first time that we've heard anything,” Chance explained as eve more explosions can be heard:
It's been absolutely silent in this city throughout the course of tonight --
[Explosion in the distance]
-- and for the past several weeks we've not seen anything at all.
[Explosion in the distance]
In fact, I've never heard anything like this in Kyiv for the years that I've been coming here and reporting from here.
Lemon grew more concerned for Chance’s safety as roughly three more explosions went off:
LEMON: Matthew, is it safe where you are?
CHANCE: I can’t quite pinpoint -- Yeah. I think it's relatively safe at the moment. I got a--
[Explosion in the distance]
[Explosion in the distance]
Oh.
LEMON: There's another one.
[Explosion in the distance]
“I've got a flak jacket right here. Let me just get it on,” Chance said as he processed to don’t the protective equipment.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Don Lemon Tonight
February 23, 2022
10:06:49 p.m. Eastern(…)
MATTHEW CHANCE: It's too early for a response, Don, if I'm absolutely honest because this has come out of nowhere, this speech by Vladimir Putin on Russian media basically saying that he's launched a special operation in Donbas, calling on Ukrainians to drop their weapons, saying not to resist. Essentially and saying that any responsibility for bloodshed as a result of this basically war that's been suggested or declared by President Putin is on the hands of the Ukrainians who resist.
[Explosion in the distance]
Oh. I tell you what, I just heard a big bang –
[Explosion in the distance]
-- right here behind me. I told you we shouldn’t have done the live shot here.
[Explosion in the distance]
There are big explosions taking place in Kyiv right now.
[Explosion in the distance]
I can't see where they're taking place from this vantage point here on top of the roof of the hotel in central Kyiv. And I can't explain what they are. But I heard four or five explosions a few moments ago. I don't know whether our viewers or whether you in the studio there could hear --
DON LEMON: We could hear it, Matthew.
CHANCE -- What I just heard. You could. Right. So I don't know what it is. But I will tell you that the United States has warned –
[Explosion in the distance]
LEMON: Was that another one?
CHANCE-- That the Ukrainians -- Yeah. I mean, I think it was. But they're quite distant from where I am now.
But I can tell you that the United States has, of course, warned the Ukrainian authorities that it is possible there could be strikes, air strikes, missile attacks, ground attacks as well on various places around the country including on the capital Kyiv.
Now, I don't know whether that's what we're witnessing now. But it's a remarkable coincidence that I'm hearing these explosions in Kyiv right now.
LEMON: Matthew, let me jump in and ask you--
CHANCE: In the minutes after Vladimir Putin gave that speech.
LEMON: Yes. Minutes after the speech. I just want to -- Have you heard anything explosions, anyting similar since you have been in Kyiv?
CHANCE: No. No. Absolutely not. This is the first time. This is the first time that we've heard anything. It's been absolutely silent in this city throughout the course of tonight --
[Explosion in the distance]
-and for the past several weeks we've not seen anything at all.
[Explosion in the distance]
In fact, I've never heard anything like this in Kyiv for the years that I've been coming here and reporting from here. So, this is the first time. But look, it's going to be more than just a coincidence. I can hear rumblings right now.
LEMON: Matthew, is it safe where you are?
CHANCE: I can’t quite pinpoint -- Yeah. I think it's relatively safe at the moment. I got a--
[Explosion in the distance]
[Explosion in the distance]
Oh.
LEMON: There's another one.
[Explosion in the distance]
CHANCE: I've got a flak jacket right here. Let me just get it on.
LEMON: So, Matthew chance is live for us in Kyiv, Ukraine. Matthew, we’re going to stick with you.
(…)
