Russia-Ukraine War: Zelensky says Russian mercenaries ordered to kill him

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said that Russian mercenaries had been ordered to assassinate him. According to a report by The Times, over 400 Russian mercenaries are operating in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with orders from the Kremlin to assassinate Zelensky and his government and prepare the ground for Moscow to take control. A private militia, known as the Wagner Group, allegedly has orders from Vladimir Putin to take out Zelensky and 23 other government figures, as per the report.

The Times reported that the Wagner Group, run by ​​a close ally of the Russian President who is often dubbed 'Putin's chef', flew in mercenaries from Africa five weeks ago on a mission to decapitate Zelensky’s government in return for a handsome financial bonus. 

Information about their mission reached the Ukrainian government over the weekend, following which Kyiv declared a 36-hour “hard” curfew to sweep the city for Russian saboteurs, warning civilians that they would be seen as Kremlin agents and risked “liquidated” if they stepped outside. The Times even reported that the killers-for-hire have now been told to put on the breaks while Putin holds “peace talks” with Zelensky this week. 

However, they have reportedly been informed that the Kremlin leader has no desire to reach a deal, branding the meeting on the Belarus border as “smoke and mirrors”. Meanwhile, news of the assassination has not seemed to faze Zelensky. When the US offered to extract him, he told President Joe Biden, “I need ammunition, not a ride”. 

Russia-Ukraine war

 Moscow launched an offensive on Thursday, 24 February, with a series of airstrikes on Ukraine's cities and its military bases, followed by a ground assault that rolled forces in from several areas in the east. Lakhs of people have been forced to be internally displaced owing to rampant bombings on residential buildings in the eastern Ukraine region. However, the Kremlin has repeatedly stated that it harboured no plans to occupy Ukrainian territory. 

Moreover, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed that the special operation targetted only Ukrainian military infrastructure, and the civilian population was not in danger. On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said that he was willing to hold talks with Russia in Belarus, but he also added that he did not have a strong belief in the success of the negotiations. Zelensky has said that the net 24 hours was a crucial period for Ukraine. 

(Image: AP)