The 3 lives of Volodymyr Zelenskyy: How RUSSIANS helped Prez survive assassination attempts
In what is likely to be a major embarrassment for Russian President Vladimir Putin, news has emerged that Russian anti-war groups were behind the foiling of three attempts on Volodymyr Zelenskyy's life. New reports say that the Ukrainian President survived three assassination attempts since the invasion began, thanks to tip-offs the Ukrainians received.
As we reported on February 28, Putin reportedly ordered as many as 400 mercenaries from the deadly Wagner Group into Ukraine as early as January 2022. The group was tasked with assassinating Zelenskyy, as well as other key officials, who stayed back to fight against the Russians. It appears the US also knew about the attempts and asked if Zelenskyy wanted to be evacuated from Kyiv, leading to his now-iconic quote, "I need ammunition, not a ride."
RELATED ARTICLES
‘I don’t bite’: Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeals to Vladimir Putin for face-to-face meeting
ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN: Elite unit of Chechen assassins hunting Zelenskyy has been 'eliminated'
The Ukrainian President has proved to be a major thorn in Putin's way, defiantly organizing Ukraine's resistance, all while rallying support for the nation through his speeches and calls to world leaders. Almost as if to mock Putin, he has also frequently taken to social media to speak not just to Ukrainians, but also Russians and urged them to stop the war. The defiance continues, thanks to the help from the Russians themselves.
How Zelenskyy survived three assassination attempts
Ever since the war broke out, ordinary Russians have made it very clear that they don't support it. Thousands have been arrested and detained for protesting in Russian cities, while many celebrities have taken to social media to defy Putin. However, perhaps the greatest act yet was to tip-off Ukraine about the hit squads sent to kill Zelenskyy. The Times of London reported that two attempts by the Wagner Group and one by Chechen special forces were thwarted by "anti-war elements within Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB)."
The claims are yet to be fully verified, but it appears to be the narrative Ukrainians are telling the rest of the world. Oleksiy Danilov, the Secretary for the National Council for Security and Defence of Ukraine, said in a statement that a Chechen unit "came to kill our president, and was eliminated." He added, "We received information from the FSB, who ... do not want to take part in this bloody war."
One source said there was a good reason for the Wagner Group to be involved. "They would be going in there with a very high-profile mission, something that the Russians would want to be deniable." The source added, "In terms of the impact on Russian sovereign policy, this would be perhaps their biggest mission so far." One of those attempts took place on February 26, on the outskirts of Kyiv, which is when the Chechen unit was killed.
Days before that attempt, Zelenskyy said in a televised statement, "The enemy marked me as target No. 1, my family as target No. 2." In that same statement, he said Kyiv would be under lockdown to let Ukrainian security forces hunt and takedown "saboteurs" who had entered the city. If the FSB was indeed involved, it would present a huge challenge not seen before to Putin's reign. It could also have massive repercussions for the FSB, but so far, it appears Putin hasn't touched the service.