Ex-Russian president calls for Zelenskyy's 'elimination,' Ukraine reacts
What's the story
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday said that Russia has no option left but to "eliminate" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His comments came after Moscow accused Kyiv of attempted drone attacks on the Kremlin to assassinate President Vladimir Putin. Taking to Telegram, Medvedev said, "After today's terrorist attack, there are no options left but the physical elimination of Zelenskyy and his cabal."
Quotes
Empty barrel makes more noise: Zelenskyy's advisor
Following Medvedev's remarks, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelenskyy, said the former Russian president's "threatening" statement can be compared to the Finnish saying, "An empty barrel makes more noise." The phrase infers that people with the least knowledge speak the loudest, and is often meant as an insult. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy denied Ukraine's role in the drone strike, stating, "We didn't attack Putin."
Twitter Post
Check out Podolyak's Twitter post
There is a brilliant Finnish remark for any threatening statement by a typical Russian subject "Medvedev" (deputy head of RF’s Security Council), especially about "physical destruction": Tyhjät tynnyrit kolisevat eniten (translated - An empty barrel makes more noise. There is a…
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) May 3, 2023
Details
Russia termed the incident 'terrorist attack'
Speaking at a press conference, Zelenskyy added that Russia accused Kyiv of the purported attack because Putin needs a way to motivate his people as he has "no victories." Notably, Russia claimed that Ukraine sent two drones to attack Putin, both of which were disabled by the Russian defenses. Terming it a "terrorist attack," Russia said it reserves the "right to retaliate."