Russian missile narrowly misses Zelensky, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Odesa
A Russian missile that killed five people in Odesa on Wednesday narrowly missed the convoy carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The missile landed within a third of a mile from the convoy, and the group felt the impact and saw a “mushroom cloud” of smoke rising from the site, a source told CNN.
“We saw this strike today. You can see who we are dealing with, they don’t care where they strike,” Zelensky later commented from the Black Sea port town, the outlet noted.
“I know that there were victims today, I don’t know all the details yet, but I know that there are dead and wounded,” he continued, adding, “We need to defend ourselves first and foremost.
“The best way to do that is with an air defense system,” Zelensky insisted.
Five people were killed and several others wounded in the strike, Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk later told CNN.
“Shortly after, as we were getting into our cars, we heard a big explosion,” Mitsotakis told reporters.
“I think that for us is the best, most vivid reminder that there is a real war going on here. Every day there is a war, which not only affects the front, the soldiers, it affects our innocent fellow citizens,” he said.
The prime minister added that Zelensky gave him a tour of Odesa — which has been seriously damaged by an onslaught of Russian missiles over the past two years — just before they heard the air raid siren, CNN reported.
Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that the strike took place around 11:40 a.m. Moscow time.
“The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a high-precision missile attack on a hangar in the industrial port district of Odesa, where preparations were underway for the combat use of unmanned boats of the armed forces of Ukraine. The target of the strike has been achieved. The object is hit,” the statement read.
Just a few days earlier, a missile strike on an apartment block in the city killed 12 people, including five children.
Zelensky is known for making trips to high-risk areas of the conflict — but Wednesday may have been one of his closest calls to date, the outlet noted.
After Wednesday’s strike, the president continued to press foreign allies to send more support to his military.
“The world has enough air defense systems and the ability to produce weapons for defense. Weapons are needed here to save lives. Solutions are needed now – not some day, but for the people who endure terrorist attacks every day and night,” he implored.
Just last week, Zelensky also warned that Russia was preparing to launch a summer offensive.
Meanwhile, in Washington, the White House said Wednesday’s strike provided more evidence of the need for President Biden’s $60 billion aid request package for Ukraine, which is currency stalled in Congress.
“This strike is yet another reminder of how Russia is continuing to attack Ukraine recklessly every single day and of Ukraine’s urgent needs, in particular, for air defense interceptors,” a National Security Council spokesperson told CNN.
“We again call on the House of Representatives to take action to support Ukraine so that we can provide the Ukrainian armed forces with the equipment they desperately need to defend against these outrageous Russian attacks,” they added.
