Ukraine Says Putin Sent Wagnerians To Assassinate Zelensky
By Donald Standeford, Correspondent - Follow -
Date Published: February 28, 2022 10:30PM UTC
Last Modified: February 28, 2022 10:30PM UTC
KYIV - Ukrainian Pravda news site (based on Ukrainian translation) claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Wagnerians to Ukraine with a special mission to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and 'prepare the ground for Russia's seizure of power.
The Times stated "Wagner's group, a private military company run by one of President Putin's closest allies, oligarch Yevgeny Prigogine, sent mercenaries from Africa five weeks ago on a mission to assassinate Zelensky's government in exchange for a hefty fee".
Ukrainian Pravda stated that their plan reached the Ukrainian government on Saturday morning. Within hours of the plan being revealed to the government, a 'tough' curfew to clear the city of Russian saboteurs was enforced.
The authorities in the city warned civilians that anyone seen on the streets during the curfew will be treated as Kremlin agents and may be 'eliminated'.
Ukrainian Pravda stated that Wagnerians are waiting for the green light from the Kremlin to attack and that their list of people to assassinate includes 23 people, including the Prime Minister, his entire Cabinet, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko and his brother Volodymyr.
The Times reported that between 2,000 to 4,000 mercenaries arrived in Ukraine in January with various tasks they were set out to accomplish. Some of them were reportedly sent out to Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, and 400 people were allegedly given orders from Belarus to assassinate Zelensky himself.
The paper said that the Wagnerians allegedly track Zelensky and his companions on their cellphones, and allegedly always knows where they are located at any given time.
Ukrainian Pravda also said that sources claimed the assassins were ordered to 'slow down' while Putin held "peace talks" with Zelensky this week.
