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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Kremlin officials should prepare for potential strikes if Russia continues its war, saying they "have to know where their bomb shelters are."
In an interview with U.S. media outlet Axios, Zelensky stated that Ukraine will not target civilians in Russia but indicated that political and energy centers, including the Kremlin, are no longer off limits. "If they will not stop the war, they will need [the bomb shelters] in any case," he said.
The Ukrainian leader revealed that he had secured explicit support from U.S. President Donald Trump to carry out retaliatory strikes on Russian energy infrastructure and arms factories. Zelensky also said he requested an additional long-range weapon system from Washington, which he declined to name publicly, suggesting it would serve both as a deterrent and as leverage to push Russian President Vladimir Putin toward negotiations.
"If we will have such long-distance weapons from the United States, we will use it," Zelensky said in a clip released by Axios. He added that Trump had told him during a meeting in New York, saying "We will work on it."
The U.S. president has recently hardened his position toward Moscow. Following his discussions with Zelensky in New York, Trump said that Ukraine could win back all of its territory — a sharp departure from earlier comments suggesting Kyiv might need to cede land.
Vice President JD Vance reinforced this shift, warning that Trump was growing "incredibly impatient" with Russia’s refusal to negotiate. "If the Russians refuse to negotiate in good faith, I think it's going to be very, very bad for their country," Vance said.
Ukraine has already conducted drone attacks and long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities, aiming to undermine Moscow’s war effort. Zelensky said Trump supported a policy of responding directly to Russian attacks in kind, including energy infrastructure.
"They have to know that we in Ukraine, each day, we will answer," he said, stressing that Ukrainian strikes will remain focused on military and strategic sites rather than civilian targets.
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