Ukrainian officials have said on Thursday afternoon that they “cannot exclude” that Russia deliberately “directed” their ballistic missiles at President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Greek Prime Minister’s motorcade.
President Zelensky and Kyriakos Mitsotakis were very close to the explosions which they believe was an assassination attempt at the Black Sea Port of Odessa.
Ihor Zhovkva, a top diplomatic adviser, told CNN Live, “It really was less than 500 metres from us.
“What was that?… You cannot exclude it was directed at the delegation of my president or the delegation of foreign guests.”
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Both President Zelensky and the Greek Prime Minister witnessed the Russian missile strike they confirmed at a press conference, which had killed five people.
The Russian Defence Ministry said that their forces attacked a hanger which was housing Ukrainian naval drones at Odessa Port, they added, “the goal has been achieved.”
Zhovka said, “It took the missile less than three minutes to reach the target, the site of the port of Odesa.
“Have we had enough air defence, this ballistic missile could have been intercepted.”
An ally of Vladimir Putin has insisted that that their troops had not launched the ballistic missiles in a targeted attack on Zelensky and the Greek NATO Prime Minister.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, insists that had it of been an assassination attempt then they would have destroyed their target, he added that it is obvious “to everyone” there was no planned strike on the motorcade.
Mitsotakis, was caught up in a Russian ballistic missile strike at 11.43am on Thursday.
The Greek state minister tavros Papastavrou, who is in the Greek mission, said: “There is no issue with the security of the Prime Minister and the Greek mission. We are all fine.”
elensky was not injured and their meeting took place, the press conference was not broadcast live amid security reasons.
Mitsotakis wrote on Telegram, “President Zelensky and his staff showed and explained to us the importance of the port and what is being done to restore and strengthen the Ukrainian sea route and what damage he experienced during the attacks.
“Already at the very end we heard the sound of sirens and explosions that were very close to us.”
Mitsotakis added, that it is one thing to hear and discuss war, but it is “quite another to experience war firsthand.”
He said at a press conference with Zelenskyy in Odesa, “We were in Odesa port. President Zelenskyy and his staff showed us and explained the importance of the port and what was being done to restore and strengthen the Ukrainian sea route, as well as what damage the port received during the attacks.
“And at the end we heard the sound of sirens and an explosion that occurred very close to us. We did not have time to go to some protected place.
“And therefore this is a very, very impressive experience.”
