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Assassination attempt on Ukraine president's aide

Shots were fired at a car carrying Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy's principal aide on Wednesday (September 22).

In what senior officials are describing as an assassination attempt.

A volley of at least 10 bullets hit the car near the village of Lesnyky, about 3 miles outside the capital Kyiv.

Police say the driver was wounded, but the aide, Serhiy Shefir, survived unscathed.

A criminal case of premeditated murder has been opened.

Shefir is close to the president and leads a group of advisers.

Zelenskiy said he did not know who was behind the attack.

"Who is behind this? Frankly, I do not know. What are these powers? It could be internal, maybe external. Saying 'hello' to me with shots from the forest at my friend's car is a weakness. But the response will be strong."

The head of the president's political party has said that Russia could be behind the attack.

But the Kremlin said suggestions of Russian involvement "have nothing to do with reality."

Zelenskiy, who came to power on a promise to take on the country's oligarchs and fight corruption, is currently in the United States at the U.N. General Assembly.

One of his advisers said the assassination attempt could be a result of the president's fight against oligarchs.

Parliament is due this week to debate a presidential law aimed at reducing their influence.