Russian Missile Strikes Near Zelenskyy Motorcade In Odessa: What We Know

Speculation has been circulating on social media regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's presence in Odesa during a Russian missile attack on the port city.

According to reports from Kathimerini and other Greek media outlets, Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the southern Ukrainian city. However, as of Wednesday morning, neither government had publicly confirmed this.

Photo Credit: PTI

Russian Missile Strikes Near Zelenskyy Motorcade - Watch

Reports of explosions in Odesa coincide with these events, with a video posted on X by pro-Ukrainian Eastern European news outlet Nexta capturing the sound of a blast in the city. User Anna Winter on X claimed that an Iskander missile had struck infrastructure in Odesa. Additionally, a Ukrainian Telegram channel tracking air alerts reported that five people had been killed and another five injured in a missile strike.

The widely shared clip was accompanied by commentary from pro-Ukrainian X user "Jay in Kyiv," who wrote, "Russians send ballistic missiles to the centre of Odesa while the Greek Prime Minister and Zelenskyy are in town." Similarly, independent Russian language news outlet Politics of the Country posted on Telegram, "The moment of today's arrival in Odesa."

Eyewitnesses reportedly saw Zelenskyy's motorcade in the city at the time of the attack, leading to speculation about his presence. Greek media outlets have also confirmed Zelenskyy's visit to Odesa during the missile strike, as reported by Newsweek. Russian military blogger Karnaukhov expressed scepticism, suggesting that the incident may have been orchestrated to intimidate Zelenskyy or his entourage. Other sources on Telegram suggested that the attack was a provocation aimed at boosting Zelenskyy's popularity.

The Kyiv Independent reported that Ukraine experienced an air alarm in the Odesa region while the Greek Prime Minister was in the country for a few hours. It was stated that an Iskander or Onyx missile may have hit Odesa, as per local media reports, although no official confirmation was provided.

The Odesa region was targeted in a widespread attack by Russia, involving five S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles and numerous drones, as revealed by Ukraine's Air Force, as reported by Kyiv Independent.

There was no confirmation regarding President Zelenskyy's proximity to any missile strikes in Odesa, and Newsweek reached out to his office for clarification. Protothema, citing anonymous sources within Greece's government, reported that a missile landed "150 meters from where the Greek delegation was situated."

Amid reports of the city being targeted, Greek journalist Chris Koseloglou stated on X that sources from the Athens government assured there were "no security issues concerning the Prime Minister and the Greek mission."

Last August, Athens became part of the Group of Seven (G7) joint declaration on security commitments for Ukraine, while Zelenskyy participated in the first Ukraine-Balkan summit in Athens that same month. In January, Zelenskyy mentioned discussing Kyiv's defence needs with Mitsotakis, particularly in terms of air defence and artillery.