Moscow has no choice but to eliminate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and prime minister, who has accused Kyiv of launching a "terrorist attack" on the Kremlin.
Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, made the remarks on his Telegram channel, where he regularly issues nuclear threats against Ukraine.
His post came shortly after Moscow accused Ukraine of attempting to assassinate Vladimir Putin with two drones, which crashed into the Russian president's Kremlin residence early on Wednesday morning.
Zelensky denied any involvement, saying his country didn't possess weapons capable of such strikes.
"After today's terrorist attack, there are no options left aside the physical elimination of Zelensky and his cabal," said Medvedev.
Medvedev also said Zelensky did not need to sign "an instrument of unconditional surrender."
"Hitler, as is known, did not sign it either. There will always be some substitute," he wrote.
Newsweek has contacted Ukraine's Foreign Ministry via email for comment.
Earlier, the press service of the Kremlin said in a statement that two Ukrainian drones had crashed into the Kremlin after being taken down by electronic-warfare systems.
It described the incident as "a planned terrorist act" and an attempt on Putin's life, while a member of the Russian parliament, Mikhail Sheremet, called for a retaliatory missile strike on Zelensky's residence in Kyiv.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was not in the Kremlin at the time.
Zelensky denied any involvement, telling a press conference his forces were busy "defending our villages and cities" and "we do not have enough weapons even for this."
His press secretary, Serhiy Nikiforov, also denied that Ukraine had launched a strike on the Kremlin, telling reporters that Ukraine does not attack foreign territories.
"We have no information about the so-called night attacks on the Kremlin," Nikiforov said. "President Zelensky has repeatedly stated: Ukraine directs all available forces and means to liberate its own territories and not to attack others."
A video of the incident, posted by Moscow residents on Telegram, shows what appears to be a drone approaching the Kremlin before an explosion. Another clip shows smoke rising into the sky.
