Driver of Zelensky's Aide Shefir Undergoing Leg Surgery, Report Says

KIEV (Sputnik) - Ukrainian First Presidential Assistant Serhiy Shefir's driver was wounded in the leg as shots were fired on the car of his boss, Ukrainian newspaper Strana.UA reported on Wednesday, citing a source in law enforcement agencies.

"The bullet hit his leg," the source said, adding that the driver is undergoing leg surgery.

The driver has sustained gunshot injuries during an assassination attempt on his boss, Serhiy Shefir, the head of Kiev's regional prosecution, Oleksiy Khomenko, said on Wednesday.

"About 18 shots were fired [at the car]. Serhiy Shefir was not injured, but his driver was wounded. At the moment, his life is not in danger, according to medical workers," Khomenko told reporters.

After surviving an assassination attempt, Shefir has been staying in a safe place, and it is yet to be established if he previously received any threats, the head of the parliamentary faction of the pro-presidential Servant of the People political party said.

"I had a very short conversation with him. Everything is fine, he is alive and well, I have no more information. We do not know yet [if there were any threats]," faction head Davyd Arakhamia told reporters, noting that Shefir is "shocked."

Zelensky Pledges Harsh Response

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that he does not know who is behind the assassination attempt on his First Assistant Serhiy Shefir, and warned of a tough response.

"Shots were fired at the car of my first assistant, more importantly, my close friend, Serhiy Shefir. Serhiy is alive. His driver was wounded, unfortunately ... Immediately after my address at the UN General Assembly, I will travel to the [Ukrainian] capital. To be honest, I do not know who is behind this. What kind of forces are these? They could be internal or external, but I do not consider them 'forces' anyway, as sending me 'greetings' through shelling my friend's car from a forest is a sign of weakness. But the response will be strong," Zelenskyy said in a video message, which he posted on Telegram.

The presidential team will continue its policy toward de-shadowing the economy and fighting criminals, Zelensky assured.

Earlier, the head of the parliamentary faction of the pro-presidential Servant of the People political party, Davyd Arakhamia, said that the assassination attempt on Shefir may be explained by the revenge of smugglers and crime bosses, while a "Russian trace" is also possible.

"I have three theories. This could be a 'greeting' from smugglers and crime bosses. As you know, almost all of them have already left their 'old haunts' in Ukraine. According to information provided by law enforcement officers, they plan to somehow take revenge," Arakhamia told reporters.

According to the politician, opposition to the adoption of the law on oligarchs is also a possible explanation.

"There could also be a Russian trace, we cannot rule this out given the recent very active anti-Russia rhetoric. And of course, [this happened] on the eve of such drastic changes related to fighting political influence of financial and industrial groups. We cannot rule this possibility out either," Arakhamia continued.

Russia Reacts to Allegations

Attempts to find a "Russian trace" in the assassination attempt on Ukraine's first presidential assistant, Serhiy Shefir, even before launching a probe into the incident shows the low level of politics in Ukraine, the deputy speaker of the Russian upper house, Konstantin Kosachev, said on Wednesday.

"The fact that Ukrainian politicians started to search for a 'Russian trace' in the incident before the smoke from the bullets fired had cleared shows exclusively the quality of Ukrainian politics, low and cynical," Kosachev said.