Zelensky was not harmed, nor were any staff members in either delegation.
Ukraine’s key southern port city of Odesa has been coming under increased Russian drone and rocket attack of late, resulting in fears that Moscow could possibly be eyeing its takeover next.
It is perhaps for this reason that President Volodymyr Zelensky made a visit Wednesday to the Black Sea hub. In a bit of risky move, the Ukrainian leader also brought along Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the official visit. Russia reportedly sent missiles or drones against the city at the very moment of their visit.
Zelensky and Mitsotakis said explosions rang out while they toured Odesa. “We heard the sound of sirens and explosions that took place near us. We did not have time to get to a shelter,” Mitsotakis told reporters. There are emerging reports and allegations that this was a targeted assassination attempt.
“It is a very intense experience… It’s really different to read about the war in newspapers, and to hear it with your own ears, see it with your own eyes,” Mitsotakis said of the strikes that reportedly hit close.
Zelensky in turn said before a press conference that he’s heard initial reports of “dead and wounded” from Wednesday’s fresh Russian strike on Odesa. “You can see who we are facing. They don’t care where they strike,” he told reporters.
Some online pundits are going so far as to call it an ‘assassination attempt’ targeting Zelensky, given some reports say at least one of the strikes hit very near where the pair were visiting. According to Politico:
An explosion rocked the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Wednesday during a top-secret visit there by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The blast, caused by a ballistic missile, took place a few hundred meters away from the leaders’ motorcade, a Greek official who was not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to POLITICO.
Greek State Minister Stavros Papastavrou, a top aide to Mitsotakis, confirmed to domestic media that there are no injuries among the Greek delegation following the explosion.
And The Washington Post has bluntly stated, “A Russian missile strike appeared to target Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, landing near his motorcade in the Black Sea port city of Odessa, where the president was meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.”
While it could be that Zelensky is playing up the incident for greater drama and sympathy, PM Mitsotakis appeared to confirm that the explosion was close. “Shortly afterwards, as we were getting into our cars, we heard a big explosion,” he said. Greek officials told the Protothema news outlet that a missile landed and exploded merely about 500 feet away.
Though perhaps a premature conclusion, this is what some pundits are saying in the wake of the new Odesa attack…
As for Zelensky, there’s as yet no official indication from his office that he was targeted by Russia in an assassination attempt, but he has condemned the strikes, especially given it happened at a moment the two heads of state were physically there. Zelensky was not harmed, nor were any staff members in either delegation.
Zelensky in the aftermath said of Russian forces, “They have either completely lost their minds or just don’t control what their army is doing. This is why we need protection. Air defense systems are the best way.” Kiev has been urging the West to immediately send more anti-air systems after a series of deadly attacks on Odesa. On Saturday a wave of Russian drone and artillery strikes reportedly killed at least 11 people in Odesa, some of them women and children.
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