The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, issued a direct warning to senior Russian officials on Thursday: if they do not end the war in Ukraine, they could become military targets. In an interview with the Axios news site in New York, Zelensky said he hopes to obtain a more powerful US weapon, the name of which he did not reveal, to threaten territories in Russia.

“If we have such long-range weapons from the United States, we will use them,” Zelensky said. “They have to know where the bomb shelters are, they will need them. If they don’t stop the war, they will need them anyway,” he added.

The Ukrainian president assured that his country has combat drones capable of traveling up to 3,000 kilometers. The Kremlin, the seat of the Russian presidency and Vladimir Putin’s official residence, is located about 450 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.

No attacks on civilians, Zelensky insists

In May, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States lifted range restrictions on the weapons they supply to kyiv. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz noted at the time that this measure would allow Ukraine to “defend itself… by attacking military positions in Russia.”

Nevertheless, Zelensky asserted that Ukraine would not attack civilians in Russia: “We are not terrorists,” he explained. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly labeled Russia a “terrorist” for bombing civilian infrastructure and residential areas.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has recently stepped up its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Zelensky claimed this month that hitting Russian oil refineries constitutes “the most effective sanction.”

Western support for Ukraine’s ability to attack inside Russia has wavered. Washington and European capitals fear that Russia could respond by expanding its attacks. Russian drones and aircraft have already repeatedly violated the airspace of NATO member countries.

Regarding Ukraine’s indefinite suspension of wartime elections, Zelensky told Axios that he would not seek to remain in power once peace is achieved: “My goal is to end the war,” he said.

Earlier this year, Trump accused Zelensky of acting like a dictator who uses war as a pretext to cling to power.