Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy survived three assassination attempts last week, The Times reported. The assassination attempts were foiled after authorities in the Eastern European nation were alerted about the threat well in advance by Russia’s Federal Security Service. The revelations came at a time when the fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian forces entered the second week on Friday, with no signs of let-up between both the warring sides. However, both the countries agreed to set up humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians during the second round of talks in Belarus on Thursday.
A report carried by the Times said two different outfits had been roped in to kill Zelenskyy, who has been hailed as a ‘wartime hero’ across the world for not fleeing Kyiv and leading the fight against Moscow’s invasion. The outfits are said to have mercenaries of the Kremlin-backed Wagner group and Chechen special forces, the report added.
“I can say that we have received information from [Russia’s Federal Security Service], who do not want to take part in this bloody war,” the Times quoted Ukraine secretary of national security and defence as saying while speaking to local TV stations.
According to the report, as many as 400 Wagner Group members are still in Kyiv and are aiming to kill 24 officials in the Ukrainian government.
Meanwhile, US senator Lindsey Graham called for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assassination on live television during an interview to Fox News. Somebody in Russia has to step up and take “this guy out”, the senator said, reiterating that only Russian people can fix this issue. The senator also later took to Twitter and repeated what he felt was best for Russia.
“The only people who can fix this are the Russian people. Easy to say, hard to do. Unless you want to live in darkness for the rest of your life, be isolated from the rest of the world in abject poverty, and live in darkness you need to step up to the plate,” Lindsey Graham tweeted.
Earlier in the day, Russian forces captured the Zaporizhzhia plant – Europe’s largest – after attacking it in the early hours of Friday, setting an adjacent five-storey training facility on fire, Ukrainian authorities said. Russia has blamed the attack on the plant on Ukrainian saboteurs.