The authorities claim a unit of elite Chechen special forces was involved in the plan.
Ukrainian authorities have said that an assassination plot against its country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has been foiled.
During a briefing on Tuesday (1 March), Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council chief Oleksiy Danilov stated that a unit of elite Chechen special forces, known as Kadyrovites, were involved in the plan to assassinate Zelensky.
According to a Telegram post by Ukrainian authorities, he also reported that the unit of Kadyrovites was eliminated.
“We are well aware of the special operation that was to take place directly by the Kadyrovites to eliminate our president,” Danilov is quoted as saying in the post.
However, he added that with information received from members of Russia’s Federal Security Service, who Danilov said were against the war on Ukraine, the unit of Kadyrovites was divided in two – with one being destroyed in the town in Gostomel and the other “under fire”.
Amid the ongoing chaos since Russia’s invasion of its neighbour last week, Zelensky has continued to release videos assuring the population that he is still in the country with no plans on leaving.
The Associated Press reported at the weekend that the US Government urged the Ukrainian leader to leave Kyiv but Zelensky refused, instead urging supporters to send weapons in order to help fight back.
“The fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride,” the President stated, according to a US Government Intelligence Official quoted by the news agency.
Meanwhile, Zelensky also gave an emotional address to the European Parliament calling for support from Europe on Tuesday.
“We are fighting just for our land and for our freedom,” he said
“Nobody is going to break us. We are strong. We’re Ukrainian.”
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