Russia’s war rhetoric just turned even darker. Allies of Vladimir Putin have issued a chilling threat against Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, warning he could end up dead in a prison cell like disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The explosive comments come as anger mounts inside the Kremlin over battlefield frustrations. Ukrainian strikes with long-range missiles and drones continue to hammer Russian targets while Moscow struggles to secure fresh territorial gains. Ukraine’s general staff said the pressure is biting. On Tuesday alone, Russian forces reportedly suffered record losses for this year — 1,700 troops in just 24 hours. Putin loyalists have now unleashed a barrage of personal attacks on Zelensky. Mikhail Sheremet, a Kremlin-installed MP in annexed Crimea, branded the Ukrainian leader a “criminal” and “war criminal” who would “sooner or later face the punishment he deserves.” Sheremet warned that everyone around Zelensky could end up with a fate “similar to Epstein’s.” Other senior figures echoed the threats. Colonel-General Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of Russia’s parliamentary defence committee, insisted Zelensky should be captured alive and put on trial. “We need Zelensky alive so that he can be brought to justice,” he declared. Kartapolov accused him of crimes against both Ukrainians and Russians. The Russian official also hurled insults, calling Zelensky a “crooked little thief” and an “illegitimate” president. He claimed the Ukrainian leader would eventually be forced to sign a surrender agreement dictated by Moscow. Kartapolov insisted Russia needed Zelensky alive for one reason. Someone, he said, must be capable of organising the signing of peace agreements on Russia’s terms. But the threats did not stop there. The same official warned that any country supplying Ukraine with components for a nuclear bomb could face Russian military strikes. He offered no evidence but claimed Moscow had already stopped such an attempt involving Britain. “This…is a direct threat to our country,” he said. If it happened again, he warned, Russia would feel “obliged to strike” the nation responsible. He said the supposed attempt to supply nuclear weapons had been “nipped in the bud.” Kartapolov also took aim at Western leaders backing Kyiv. Britain’s Sir Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz, he claimed, would soon be “consigned to the dustbin of history.” Another fierce attack came from Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and one of Putin’s most aggressive public allies. Medvedev mocked Zelensky in deeply insulting terms. He sneered that Zelensky hoped to hold elections in what he called a “dying country.” According to Medvedev, regaining legitimate status through elections was the Ukrainian leader’s “only chance to stay alive.” Medvedev also suggested that a Ukrainian military figure — not Zelensky — should sign any future surrender agreement with Russia. He said his remarks were meant to “dispel the illusions” of those who believed peace negotiations depended on Zelensky. The bitter rhetoric highlights the personal hostility at the heart of the conflict. Nearly four years into the war, Zelensky — once a comedian — continues to frustrate former KGB officer Putin. Meanwhile, Ukraine says it is still striking back. In one recent attack, Ukrainian forces reportedly destroyed a blast furnace and workshop at the Alchevsk Metallurgical Combine in the Luhansk region. Russia has also continued attacks of its own. Ukrainian officials say Moscow struck grain-exporting ships while they were being loaded in the Odesa region. The civilian vessels were flying the flags of Barbados and Palau. Overnight drone attacks also targeted the port of Chornomorsk. As the war grinds on, the rhetoric from Moscow shows no sign of cooling. Instead, the threats — and the fighting — appear to be escalating. Russia threatens Zelensky with death like Epstein for making Putin 'look a failure'
