Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has issued threats towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, labeling him a derogatory term and indicating that Zelensky may have to hide for the remainder of his life. This development follows Russia’s claim that Ukraine conducted a drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s official residences in the Novgorod region on December 29. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not present any evidence to support this assertion. Zelensky has refuted the report as misinformation and suggested that Russia may be preparing to target government buildings in Ukraine.
Medvedev, currently serving as the deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, is known for making aggressive and disrespectful comments on social media. He has accused Zelensky of obstructing conflict resolution efforts as US-sponsored peace negotiations progress.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha highlighted that Russia has not provided credible evidence to substantiate its claims. Sybiha emphasized that Moscow’s failure to do so is due to the nonexistence of such an attack. These conflicting statements risk disrupting peace initiatives, with US President Donald Trump expressing disapproval of the situation following his conversation with Putin about the alleged attack.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, observed that since Trump initiated diplomatic efforts at the beginning of the year to end the conflict, the Kremlin has been attempting to prolong peace talks to continue the war without interference, avoid US pressure for meaningful negotiations, and potentially secure concessions regarding US-Russian relations.
In separate messages on Telegram, Medvedev went a step further by implying that Zelensky’s downfall should be followed by a public display in St Petersburg, Russia. Medvedev’s ongoing criticisms of the West elicited a stern response from Trump in August, after Medvedev suggested that Trump’s ultimatums were escalating tensions towards war.
Today, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that its nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has been deployed in Belarus. The ministry released a video showing combat vehicles from the ballistic missile system undergoing training exercises in a forest. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko previously stated that up to 10 such missile systems would be stationed in Belarus.
Russian President Vladimir Putin disclosed earlier this month that the Oreshnik system would be operational before the year concludes.