War has shown Zelenskyy's true qualities to all, says wife Olena

Olena Zelenska also said she has not seen her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy, since Russia invaded Ukraine

Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, says the war with Russia has not changed her husband but only revealed to the world his determination to prevail and the fact that he is a man you can rely on.

Ms Zelenska, in an interview published Friday in the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, also said she has not seen her husband, 44-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy, since Russia invaded Ukraine.

When Ms Zelenska woke up on Feb. 24, the day the war began, her husband was already awake and dressed. He told her simply: “It’s started,” and left for the office in Kyiv, she recalled.

“Since Feb. 24, I have been seeing my husband just like you — on TV and on the video recordings of his speeches," she said.

Ms Zelenska said the couple's two children were with her but she did not disclose their location.

She accused Russia of trying to carry out a genocide against the Ukrainian people and expressed her sympathy with the more than 11 million Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes.

Poland has accepted the largest number of them, with 3 million crossing into Poland since the war began and 1.6 million Ukrainians registering for national identification numbers, indicating they plan to remain for some time. Most are women and children.