Russian missile nearly hits Zelensky’s motorcade
A Russian missile struck near Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s motorcade Wednesday in the city of Odesa.
The missile hit about 490 feet from the motorcade, which was accompanied by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, according to Greek outlet Protothema.
Greek and Ukrainian officials continued on their way after the missile strike and held a meeting in the southern Ukrainian city on the Black Sea.
Following the attack, Zelensky posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, but did not mention the Russian strike.
Zelensky said the two leaders had met at the site of a nine-story residential building that was hit by a Russian strike March 2 that killed 12 people.
At a joint press conference with Mitsotakis, Zelensky told reporters that the world “saw this blow today,” referencing the Russian strike that hit near his motorcade.
“You can see who we are dealing with. They don’t care where they strike,” Zelensky said, according to comments shared by Ukrainian media outlets. “I know there were victims today. I don’t know all the details yet, but I know there are dead and wounded.”
Russia has bombed cities across Ukraine as part of a campaign to subdue the Ukrainian people, including through targeting energy infrastructure.
The International Criminal Court this week announced arrest warrants for two Russian commanders allegedly responsible for bombing campaigns.
Zelensky has survived multiple assassination attempts in the war that began in February 2022 and has committed to traveling across Ukraine throughout the conflict, including to the front lines.
The Ukrainian president became famous for his quip shortly after Russia invaded, in which he said he needed “ammunition, not a ride,” referring to a U.S. request to evacuate him out of Ukraine.
Still, the strike in Odesa was a close call and points to a growing concern for Ukrainian officials such as Zelensky who continue traveling across the war-torn country. Last year, Ukraine’s interior minister died after a helicopter crash in Kyiv.
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