Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky escaped serious injuries after he was involved in a car crash in Kyiv, a spokesperson said on Thursday. The accident occurred after a car traveling at high speed crashed into his motorcade, seriously injuring the driver. The press secretary said that Zelensky was lucky to have not suffered serious injuries.
However, his driver had to be hospitalized. The accident took place just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin survived an assassination attempt in Moscow when his limousine was hit by a "loud bang" followed by "heavy smoke". It is reported some of his bodyguards have vanished amid claims secret information about the 69-year-old's movement was compromised.
Attack on Zelensky
According to Zelensky's spokesperson, Sergei Nikiforov, the incident happened in Kyiv and the medics who were traveling with him afterward evaluated him. His injuries are not serious but the accident could have been fatal.
"The president was examined by a doctor, no serious injuries were found," he said in a Facebook post.
An investigation has been launched and the circumstances of the accident will be clarified by law enforcement officers. Shortly after Nikiforov delivered the statement, Zelensky released the video of the nighttime address he delivers on a daily basis.
The driver in the other car was treated by medics accompanying Zelensky and transferred to an ambulance, according to Nikiforov.
Hours before the accident Zelensky made a surprise visit to the freshly liberated city of Izyum on Wednesday. He promised to drive all Russian military out of his nation during his visit to the city.
The bold statement comes as Ukrainian troops have recaptured lost territory that had been held by forces backed by Moscow during the conflict that began on February 24.
According to Zelensky, troops are " moving in only one direction- forward and towards victory" as they continue to drive back in Ukraine. His soldiers continued their fightback on Wednesday and eventually reached the Russian-controlled border of Donbas.
Strange Coincidence
Zelensky's car crash in Kyiv took place just hours after Putin allegedly survived an assassination attempt on Wednesday. The Russian President was apparently traveling in a limousine when a "loud bang" indicated a probable attack, but the vehicle continued on its way to safety.
Putin was returning to his official residence on an indeterminate date in a decoy or "backup" motorcade despite intense security concerns, the anti-Kremlin channel claimed.
This reportedly included five armored vehicles, with Putin riding in the third.
"On the way to the residence, a few kilometers away, the first escort car was blocked by an ambulance, [and] the second escort car drove around without stopping [due to the] sudden obstacle, and during the detour of the obstacle.
In Putin's car "a loud bang sounded from the left front wheel followed by heavy smoke".
Putin's limousine left the attack area and drove to the safety of the house "despite the problems with control."
"Subsequently, the body of a man was found driving [the] ambulance, which blocked the first car from the motorcade," said SVR General.
It comes as a strange coincidence that both the heads of the warring nations narrowly escaped death on the same day. More interestingly, the incidents happened when both Putin and Zelensky were traveling in their cars.
