Kremlin Responds To Zelensky Comment Hinting At Assassination Of Top Leadership

Russia on Friday blasted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his „irresponsible” threats after the day prior he said that leaders in Moscow should check for bomb shelters near the Kremlin if the country does not stop its war in Ukraine.

Zelensky had told Axios that Russian officials „have to know where their bomb shelters are,” adding: „If they will not stop the war, they will need it in any case.”

He did caveat the threat by saying he won’t target civilians as „we are not terrorists” but then underscored, „They have to know that we in Ukraine, each day, we will answer. If they attack us, we will answer them.”

Zelensky also stressed that if Ukraine receives long-range weaponry from the United States, then „we will use it.” This is an especially dangerous scenario as it is flirting with WW3, given Moscow has long issued a red line related to such long-range weapons attacking Russian territory.

The Ukrainian leader could be upping these threats not only out of desperation, but after earlier this month Russia struck Ukrainian government buildings in the capital for the first time of the war, and it was not far from Zelensky’s own office.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to the threats as follows: „Zelensky is clearly continuing his desperate efforts. That’s why he’s issuing threats left and right, which is quite irresponsible,” according to the AFP.

Former Russian president and current top national security official Dmitry Medvedev also responded, by saying:

„The freak should understand something else: Russia can use weapons that no bomb shelter will save you from. And the Americans should remember this too.”

This appeared to be another veiled nuclear threat, and hint at runaway escalation if American long-range weapons are used to attack government buildings in Moscow.

There was at least one notable time earlier in the conflict that Ukraine sent small drones against the Kremlin complex in Moscow, damaging a dome and putting the capital on high alert.

Zelensky directly threatens President Vladimir Putin.

He says that he will use long-range American weapons against Moscow.

When asked if the Kremlin leadership should find the „nearest bomb shelters?,”

He answers, „They will need it” pic.twitter.com/LzQo2C8Qeu

— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) September 25, 2025

Meanwhile, constant cross-border drone attacks targeting Russian energy sites continue. On Thursday Ukrainian drones struck the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region.

It marks the second attack on the site within a month, and it sparked a large fire, which was soon extinguished with no casualties. The Afipsky refinery is one of the largest in southern Russia.

* * *

Below are more headlines and developments on NATO, Russia, and Ukraine, via Newsquawk:

• European officials privately told Russia they are ready to shoot down jets and view Russia’s Estonia incursion as deliberate, according to Bloomberg.
• French President Macron said France stands ready to support Denmark in assessing the situation and contributing to the security of Danish airspace, according to X.
• US President Trump said Ukraine has a shot at getting territory back and that Russia is doing poorly, adding that he is dissatisfied with what Russian President Putin is doing, according to Reuters.
• IAEA said a drone was downed and detonated around 800 metres from the perimeter of Ukraine’s South nuclear power plant overnight, noting that 22 UAVs were observed late last night and this morning and that its team heard gunfire and explosions, according to Reuters.
• US President Trump said he believes Turkey will halt purchases of Russian oil, adding that it is harder for Hungary and Slovakia as they are landlocked with one pipeline, according to Reuters.