A senior Russian official has issued a new round of nuclear-tinged threats against the United States, Ukraine, and NATO allies, warning that Moscow retains weapons capable of overcoming any defensive preparations.
Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin and former president, wrote on the Russian state-owned social platform Max that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should “remember that Russia can use such weapons that no bomb shelter will help.” Medvedev added that “Americans should not forget about this either,” in a statement widely interpreted as a veiled reference to Moscow’s nuclear arsenal.
The remarks come as the Kremlin escalates its rhetoric amid Ukraine’s continued resistance and as Western military support shows no sign of waning. Medvedev, who previously served as Russia’s president and prime minister, has frequently used threatening language in public statements — particularly when commenting on Western involvement in the war.
In a separate Telegram post, Medvedev mocked what he called a “fictional reality” in which “Kyiv wins, Russia is torn to pieces,” and “Trump’s predecessors live happily ever after.” He went on to suggest that Donald Trump “will return” to reality and could “offer Zelensky to sign a capitulation” within days — a comment seen as an attempt to influence Western political discourse.
The latest statements follow a series of threats directed at Finland, a NATO member that shares an extensive border with Russia. As reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Medvedev recently accused Helsinki of adopting a confrontational policy under the guise of defense preparations.
In a column for the Russian state news agency TASS titled “New Finnish Doctrine: Stupidity, Lies, Ingratitude,” Medvedev claimed that “after joining NATO, Helsinki is pursuing a confrontational course, preparing for war with Russia and apparently creating a springboard for an attack on us.” He also alleged that “military activity is increasing” and that the alliance “is fully involved in these matters and is now actively mastering all five operational domains in Finland: land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.”
Medvedev’s threats are part of a broader Kremlin strategy to use nuclear rhetoric and accusations against NATO as a means of deterring Western support for Ukraine and shaping international public opinion. Analysts say such statements are aimed at undermining allied cohesion and reinforcing Moscow’s narrative that the conflict could escalate beyond conventional warfare if Russia’s core interests are threatened.
While Western officials have repeatedly dismissed Medvedev’s threats as bluster, they underscore Moscow’s continued reliance on nuclear signaling amid mounting battlefield challenges. Russia’s forces have suffered heavy losses in Ukraine, and Western-supplied weapons — including long-range missiles and advanced air defense systems — have eroded the Kremlin’s ability to achieve its objectives quickly.