As of: March 7, 2024, 1:18 p.m
By: Stephanie Munk
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A Russian attack in Ukraine came dangerously close to the head of government of a NATO state.
Was the Alliance Falls “150 meters” away?
Odessa - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has been directly on the front lines in the Ukraine war several times - but he has apparently never escaped a Russian attack as narrowly as he did on Wednesday (March 6th).
According to a report in the US magazine
Politico,
a Russian missile hit just a few hundred meters from his vehicle.
Also in the convoy was the head of government of a NATO state: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
This raises the question of whether the attack almost triggered the collapse of NATO.
Volodymyr Zelenskyj (r.), President of Ukraine, and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece, on March 6, 2024 during their visit to Odessa.
© Uncredited/Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/AP/dpa
Russian attack during visit to Odessa – just 150 meters from Zelensky convoy?
There are various different reports about how much Zelensky and Mitsotakis were really affected by Russia's attack.
Politico
writes that a rocket hit just a few hundred meters from a convoy containing Zelensky and Mitsotakis.
The US news channel
CNN
also reports on this: A Russian missile exploded near the motorcade of the two heads of state.
A confidential source located the impact 500 meters from the government convoy.
“The group felt the force of the impact and saw a mushroom cloud of smoke,” it said.
The US news portal
Newsweek
even reported an impact just 150 meters from Zelenskyj and Mitsotakis' vehicle, citing Greek media.
And former US Congressman Adam Kinzinger commented on the attack on X (formerly Twitter): “Russia has just come within 150 meters of Article 5, according to news of an attack in Odessa, the almost Greek one Prime Minister met.”
NATO almost collapsed due to Russian attack?
Situation is unclear
Article 5 of NATO describes the alliance case, according to which an attack on a NATO state would result in a joint reaction from all allies.
However, according to Newsweek
, it is
unclear whether an attack on a NATO head of government in a country like Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO, would even trigger the alliance case.
The
dpa
news agency , on the other hand, reported a Russian attack on Wednesday morning when Zelensky was leading the Greek Prime Minister on foot through Odessa.
When the rockets flew in, Zelenskyj was showing his guest the port facilities on the Black Sea, then sirens and explosions could be heard nearby.
According to Ukrainian reports, Mitsotakis said: “We didn’t manage to get into a shelter.”
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Russian attack killed five people in Odessa - Zelensky and Mitsotakis are fine
The Ukrainian president and the Greek head of government are doing well after the Russian attack.
But according to initial findings by Ukrainian investigators, at least five people were killed by the shelling.
Mitsotakis later expressed his dismay at the incident.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the shelling had destroyed a hall in the port of Odessa.
Ukrainian sea drones were prepared there for combat use.
The information cannot be independently verified
.
(smu)