Ukraine’s Zelenskyy involved in car crash in Kyiv, not seriously hurt: officials

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s car was involved in a traffic accident in Kyiv, but he is not seriously hurt, his spokesman Serhii Nykyforov said in a Facebook post early on Thursday.

Nykyforov, who did not say when the accident occurred, said Zelenskyy’s car had collided with a private vehicle.

“The president was examined by a doctor, no serious injuries were found,” he said, adding the accident would be investigated.

Medics accompanying Zelenskyy gave the driver of the private car emergency aid and put him in an ambulance, he said.

Minutes after Nykyforov made his statement, Zelenskyy’s office released the video of the nighttime address that the president gives every day.

Zelenskyy was returning to Kyiv after making a surprise visit on Wednesday to the northeast city of Izium – until four days ago Russia’s main bastion and logistics hub in the region – where he watched as the Ukrainian flag was raised in front of the charred city council building.

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In a social media post, Zelenskyy said: “Our blue-yellow flag is already flying in de-occupied Izium. And it will be so in every Ukrainian city and village.”

The president also met with civilians who described what they had experienced under Russian forces, who have since been beaten back from several northeastern towns by a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive.

2:16 Russian troops retreat amid swift Ukrainian eastern counteroffensive

Zelenskyy handed out medals to soldiers who freed the Balakliia area, another town retaken in recent days. Citizens and police told reporters civilians were killed during months of Russian occupation.

Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians, and Reuters could not immediately verify the claims.

Zelenskyy was scheduled to speak to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 21, and the assembly was due to consider on Friday a proposal for him to address the annual gathering of world leaders in a recorded video. Russia is opposed to Zelenskyy speaking.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren and Ronald Popeski;Editing by Leslie Adler and Grant McCool)