Zelenskyy Has Survived Three Assassination Attempts Since the Ukraine Invasion

One of the most interesting things about the Ukrainian reaction to Russia’s invasion has been the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. All politics aside, Zelenskyy has provided a level of leadership that’s sorely lacking among the fossils who are leading the U.S. these days.

The actor-turned-president, who actually rode into power on the heels of a sitcom he starred in as a teacher who finds himself elected president, is standing behind his people in the face of unimaginable horror.

Facing a foe like Russia isn’t without its risks, and Zelenskyy has seen his share. In fact, he has survived three assassination attempts since the invasion.

“Two different outfits have been sent to kill the Ukrainian president — mercenaries of the Kremlin-backed Wagner group and Chechen special forces. Both have been thwarted by anti-war elements within Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB),” reports The Times of London.

The Wagner Group was responsible for two of the attempts. What’s notable about the mysterious group tied to the Kremlin is that, should they successfully kill Zelenskyy, Russia could deny involvement in the action.

“They would be going in there with a very high-profile mission, something that the Russians would want to be deniable — a decapitation of a head of state is a huge mission,” said a diplomatic source to the Times. “In terms of the impact on Russian sovereign policy, this would be perhaps their biggest mission so far. It would have a major impact on the war.”

The New York Post reports that other sources informed the Times that there are “still more than 400 Wagner Group members in Kyiv, after they infiltrated Ukraine with a “kill list” of 24 officials whose deaths would cause chaos in Ukrainian government.”

On Saturday, a group of Chechen assassins made a third attempt to target Zelenskyy, but forces eliminated them before they could get to the president.

Earlier today, my PJ Media colleague Matt Margolis wrote that Zelenskyy pressed U.S. senators for more lethal aid, as well as an American embargo of Russian oil. And, of course, Zelenskyy declined an American offer to help him evacuate from Ukraine last week.

“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” he told U.S. officials.