Zelensky: "Survived More Than Five Assassination Attempts by Putin... Gradually Getting Used to It"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that he has survived more than five assassination attempts by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

In an interview with the British daily The Sun on the 20th (local time), President Zelensky said, "I don't know exactly how many assassination plots were aimed at me by the Russian side, but at least 5 to 6 of them were foiled by Ukrainian intelligence agencies."

He compared the Russian assassination attempts to COVID-19. When he first faced the initial assassination plot, it was like the panic when COVID-19 first spread, but he gradually became accustomed to it.

President Zelensky explained that assassination attempts "(at first) feel very scary and you don't know what to do," but "now it is just about sharing information that another group has crossed into Ukraine to attempt an assassination."

President Zelensky mentioned that even now, nearly two years after Russia invaded Ukraine, Russia is still trying to remove him from power, and that the Russian operation aiming to oust him by the end of the year is called 'Maidan 3.'

Maidan refers to the large-scale anti-government protests that began in November 2013 at Independence Square (Maidan) in Kyiv, Ukraine. Known as the 'Euromaidan Revolution,' the protests led to the ousting of then-President Viktor Yanukovych, who pursued a pro-Russian and anti-Western policy.

President Zelensky said that Russia's Maidan 3 operation "may not involve assassination but aims to change the president," adding, "They will use every means at their disposal."

President Zelensky also accused Russia of currently supporting Hamas in the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas. He said Putin is trying to divert global attention from the war in Ukraine by causing problems in the Balkans and elsewhere.

President Zelensky warned that Putin is "lighting fires all over the world" and that "today, Ukraine is at the center of a global risk that could escalate into World War III."

Regarding recent developments in the war, he acknowledged that they have achieved success by destroying part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, limiting Russia's influence in the Black Sea, but admitted that the counteroffensive on land has been insufficient. He emphasized that soldiers are advancing on the front lines and that more air defense weapons are desperately needed to protect civilians in major cities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.