CaliToday (26/9/2025): In a furious and threatening response, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council and former president, has lashed out at Washington and Kyiv following recent advice offered by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Russian officials. The high-ranking Kremlin figure ominously declared that the occupiers possess "weapons against which bomb shelters offer no protection."
The outburst was triggered by a comment from President Zelensky, who, in a recent interview, urged officials in the aggressor nation to remember the location of their nearest bomb shelters. Unable to ignore the remark, Medvedev took to the Russian messaging app Max to post a blistering retort.
"Russia can use weapons that bomb shelters cannot protect against. And the Americans should remember this," the controversial politician wrote, directly escalating the rhetoric to include a threat against the United States.
The Exchange That Sparked the Threat
The incident began with an interview President Zelensky gave to the American news outlet Axios. When asked about Ukraine's military strategy, Zelensky issued a stark warning to Kremlin officials who continue to prosecute the war.
"They should know where their bomb shelters are," Zelensky stated. "They will need them. If they do not end this war, they will still need them. They need to know that we in Ukraine will respond every single day. If they strike us, we will strike back."
In his comments, Zelensky explicitly acknowledged the potential for Ukraine to use long-range weaponry against targets inside Russia, signaling a shift towards a more symmetrical response to Russia's relentless attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Medvedev's Pattern of Escalation
Medvedev's reaction is consistent with his role as one of the Kremlin's most aggressive and belligerent mouthpieces. Throughout the full-scale invasion, he has frequently made headlines with crude and escalatory threats, often invoking the specter of nuclear war.
His latest statement is a thinly veiled nuclear threat, as strategic nuclear weapons are the primary armaments against which conventional bomb shelters are rendered useless. By directing the warning specifically at the United States, Medvedev is attempting to deter Washington from continuing its military support for Ukraine, particularly the provision of long-range missiles that could enable the strikes Zelensky alluded to.
Analysts view these repeated threats as a sign of both frustration and a calculated strategy within the Kremlin. While they reflect genuine anger over Ukraine's growing military capabilities and Western support, they are also intended to create fear and division among Western allies, hoping to erode their resolve to aid Kyiv. As of this morning, there has been no official response from the White House or the Pentagon regarding Medvedev's latest comments.
