Dmitri Medvedev threatened Zelensky with death, following a Christmas speech of his, using insults and provocative references.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, currently the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, threatened the death of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a message posted on Telegram. Medvedev commented on Zelensky's Christmas speech, in which the Ukrainian leader expressed a desire to see the death of a person, interpreted as referring to Vladimir Putin. Medvedev stated that Zelensky not only wishes for Putin's death but also for the entire Russian nation, and used extremely harsh language, suggesting that after Zelensky's death, his body should be displayed for scientific purposes. This tirade was considered unusually aggressive even by Medvedev's standards.

In his speech, Zelensky evoked a desire for peace for Ukraine, while the Kremlin accused Ukraine of attempts to attack Putin's residence, accusations denied by Kiev. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there have been numerous assassination plots against Zelensky, but these have been thwarted by Ukrainian security services. Zelensky dismissed the Kremlin's claims, calling them a "farce."