Zelensky aide quits over his flats attack ‘mistake’

A KEY adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky has resigned after suggesting a strike on a block of flats in Dnipro, which saw dozens killed, was the result of a rocket intercept by Ukraine’s air defence.

Oleksiy Arestovych yesterday posted a photo of his letter of resignation, saying he decided to “set an example of civilised behaviour” after he made a “major mistake”.

On a live Youtube show over the weekend, he cited preliminary reports that suggested the flats were damaged by the debris from a Ukrainian air defence missile which had shot down a Russian rocket.

Military experts have suggested the building in Dnipro was hit by a Kh-22 Russian anti-ship missile. The blast killed at least 44 people including six children.

Russian propaganda outlets which originally ignored the attack then latched on to Mr Arestovych’s comments in order to suggest that Ukraine had only itself to blame for the blast.

Mr Arestovych, a Russian speaker, has in recent months gained a sizeable social media profile and emerged as a key voice of the Ukrainian government for independent Russian media, which has irked Ukraine’s most radical circles who oppose the idea of reaching out to Russians, whatever their views on the war.