Russian forces almost captured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his household within the presidential places of work throughout the first few hours of their invasion of Ukraine, in keeping with a brand new report.

Russian President Vladimir Putin initially directed his army forces to attempt to seize the capital however they failed due to fierce Ukrainian resistance. Nonetheless, Russian forces got here inside minutes of catching Zelensky, doubtlessly to assassinate him on February 24, the day Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced the invasion, TIME reported.

The TIME article features a collection of interviews with the president and his closest advisers.

Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky takes questions at a press convention on April 23, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Russian forces almost captured Zelensky and his household within the presidential places of work throughout the first few hours of their invasion of Ukraine, in keeping with a brand new report. John Moore/Getty

Earlier than dawn on February 24, Zelensky and his spouse Olena Zelenska instructed their kids—a 17-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son—that bombing had began and that they wanted to organize to evacuate.

"We woke them up," Zelensky instructed TIME's Simon Shuster, who spent two weeks within the presidential compound this month. "It was loud. There have been explosions over there."

Zelensky stated that his recollection of the primary few hours of the battle have been "fragmented" however sure recollections stood out. The Ukrainian army instructed the president that Russian strike groups had parachuted into Kyiv to assassinate him or seize him and his household.

On the night of February 24, gunfights broke out within the authorities quarter and safety shut the lights within the compound and introduced bulletproof vests and assault rifles for Zelensky and about 12 of his advisors, TIME reported.

One among them, Oleksiy Arestovych, a veteran of Ukraine's army intelligence service, stated that Russian troops tried to storm the presidential compound twice, whereas Zelensky and his household have been nonetheless there.

American and British forces provided to evacuate the president and his group, so they might arrange a authorities in exile. Zelensky reportedly stated "I would like ammunition, not a journey."

There was additionally a bunker outdoors Kyiv that the president may have gone to, which was safe and will face up to a protracted siege. Nonetheless, Zelensky refused to depart Kyiv, as a substitute taking to the streets regardless of close by combating to report video addresses to the Ukrainian individuals.

After failing to seize the Ukrainian capital, originally of April the Russian army withdrew its forces from Kyiv and the northern metropolis of Chernihiv, as a substitute focusing its assault on the Donbas area in japanese Ukraine. Western officers stated that the change in army techniques gave the Russian military an opportunity to regroup and re-stock assets and ammunition after experiencing heavy losses.