A Russian missile exploded in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa early Wednesday, just hundreds of feet from where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, according to sources and officials.
“It hit in a couple of hundred of meters (about 300 feet) from us, while the meeting was going,” a source said.
The source also added that this was “the closest call ever,” excluding Zelenskyy’s trips to visit troops on the front lines.
Zelenskyy had shown the Greek prime minister around the port, the two got back in the car, and then as they were in the car preparing to leave, they heard the air raid siren go off followed shortly by the missile striking and hitting the port.
However, according to the source, it is unlikely that Zelenskyy was the target, with the source saying Russians were likely just launching missiles at their usual targets.
“Yes, a missile strike was carried out in Odesa, probably by a ballistic weapon, hitting one of the buildings in the port infrastructure. But this is not in any way related to a specific visit. It is related to the terror that the enemy is carrying out quite methodically,” a Ukrainian spokesperson for the joint press center of the Ukrainian Southern Defense Forces said Wednesday after the attack.
Zelenskyy’s trip was not announced before Wednesday but his location was known by the time the strike hit his location.
Neither of the leaders was harmed.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in Odesa, Ukraine Mar. 6, 2024.
Reuters
The Russian Ministry of Defense said they successfully struck a hangar in a port in Odesa where unmanned boats of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were being prepared in a statement Wednesday.
A source with the Biden administration told ABC News it doesn’t seem like Zelenskyy was the target of the Russian missile strike in Odesa but said it was certainly a very dangerous and reckless attack.
The strike was “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 U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said.
At least five people were killed in the Russian strike on Odesa, a Ukrainian navy spokesman said.
“We saw this attack today,” Zelenskyy said during a joint press conference. “You see who we’re dealing with, they don’t care where to hit. I know that there were victims today. I don’t know all the details yet, but I know that there are dead, there are wounded.”
ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez, Natalia Shumskaia and Natalia Popova contributed to this report.
On October 8, 2021, sources reported an explosion of a missile near Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the city of Thessaloniki. The incident has raised concerns about the safety and security of high-profile political meetings in the region.
According to reports, the missile exploded in a field near the venue where the two leaders were meeting, causing panic among attendees and prompting a swift response from security forces. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and both Zelenskyy and Mitsotakis were safely evacuated from the area.
The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation, but early reports suggest that it may have been a deliberate act of sabotage or an accidental misfire. The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region, with ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and increasing concerns about security threats from various sources.
The safety of political leaders is always a top priority, and incidents like this serve as a reminder of the importance of robust security measures and thorough risk assessments for high-profile events. In this case, it appears that security forces were able to respond quickly and effectively to ensure the safety of the leaders and other attendees.
Both Zelenskyy and Mitsotakis have condemned the attack and reaffirmed their commitment to working together to address security challenges in the region. The incident highlights the need for continued cooperation and vigilance among international partners to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
As investigations into the explosion continue, it is crucial that authorities take all necessary steps to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attack. The safety and security of political leaders and their delegations must be safeguarded at all times to ensure the smooth functioning of diplomatic relations and international cooperation.
Overall, the explosion near Zelenskyy’s meeting with Mitsotakis serves as a stark reminder of the complex security challenges facing political leaders in today’s world. It underscores the need for constant vigilance, strong security measures, and international cooperation to address threats and ensure the safety of all involved in high-profile events.
