Photo: John Moore / Getty Images
Armed hit men under the command of Russian President Vladimir Putin were “minutes away” from killing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his family , revealed the Ukrainian leader.
Zelensky spoke in detail of the imminent danger he was in when war broke out in Ukraine during the first days of the Russian invasion.
The Ukrainian leader of 44 years, said that Russian special forces assassins were parachuted into kyiv on the day of the invasion.
Armed with orders from the Kremlin to assassinate or capture him and his family, he claims that the mercenaries did two attempts to storm the presidential compound while he was still hiding inside with his wife and their two children, aged 04 and nine years old.
In a video posted a few hours after the attempt on his life on February , Zelensky was filmed saying: “We are all here. Our army is here. Citizens in society are here”.
“We are all here defending our independence, our country, and it will continue to be so”.
The revelation comes at a time when Putin’s army chiefs are becoming increasingly frustrated with the scaled-down offensive in eastern Ukraine and its handling with crossed accusations in Moscow.
Military chiefs have now urged Putin to abandon the term “special operation” used for the invasion and, in Instead, declare war on Ukraine, which would allow the massive mobilization of Russian troops.
A total war would allow Moscow to recruit more soldiers, impose martial law and also request the support of its international allies, such as Belarus.
A source close to the Russian military chiefs told The Telegraph: “The military is outraged that the bombing in kyiv failed.
While the former head of NATO, Richard Sherriff, warned that the West must “prepare” for the “worst case” in the war in Ukraine.
Sherriff told BBC Radio 4: “The worst case is the war with Russia. By preparing for the worst case scenario, you will most likely deter Putin because ultimately Putin respects force.”
Putin’s top generals are said to be already turning against the president over the invasion as fears of a military coup mount.
According to reports, the powerful Russian “siloviki”, or security bloc, blamed Putin for a “serious mistake” after withdrawing from the capital of kyiv and concentrating on taking control of Donbas in the east. Thousands more Russian troops have arrived in eastern Ukraine, but are making limited progress.
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