Russia-Ukraine War: “To be captured by Russia would be a shame”: Volodymyr Zelenskyj

Lviv:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy carries a pistol and would have fought to the death with his inner circle if the Russians had attacked his headquarters in Kiev earlier in the war, he said in an interview shown on Saturday.

“I know how to shoot. Can you imagine (a headline like) “The President of Ukraine is captured by Russians?” That’s a shame. I think that would be a shame,” he told TV channel 11.

In the first days after the February 24, 2022 invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russian intelligence units tried to enter Kiev but were defeated and failed to reach central Bankova Street, where the president’s offices are located.

Other Russian units attacked the outskirts of Kiev but failed to advance. Officials also reported several unsuccessful attempts at sabotage within the city.

“I think if they had gone into the administration, we wouldn’t be here,” said Zelenskyy. It was not clear which Russian units he was referring to.

“No one would have been captured because we had a very seriously prepared defense of Bankova Street. We would have been there to the end,” he said.

When asked if he carried a pistol and had practiced using it, he replied that he did, while dismissing a suggestion that he had used it to kill himself rather than get captured.

“No no no. It’s not (to shoot) me. To shoot back safely,” he said.