Anurag Kumar
In an interview aired on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy revealed that he carries a pistol and would have fought to the end with his inner circle had the Russians stormed his Kyiv headquarters at the start of the war.
“I am able to fire. Could you foresee (a headline such as) “Russians seize the Ukrainian president”? This is an outrage. He told the 1 1 television channel, “I believe this would be a disgrace.”
In the initial days following the invasion on February 24, 2022, Ukrainian officials claimed that Russian intelligence units attempted to breach the city of Kiev but were repulsed and unable to reach the central Bankova Street, where the presidential offices are located.
Other Russian units attempted to advance on the fringes of Kiev, but were unsuccessful. Additionally, city officials reported several failed sabotage attempts.
“I believe we would not be here if they had entered the administration,” Zelenskiy said. It was unclear to which Russian divisions he referred.
“No one would have been captured because our defense of Bankova Street was meticulously planned.” We would have stayed until the end,” he said.
When asked if he carried a pistol and practiced using it, he responded affirmatively, denying that he might have used it to commit suicide rather than be captured.
“No, no, no. It is not my intention (to fire) myself. Certainly, to fire back,” he said.
