Opposition Ukrainian politician and chairman of the “Other Ukraine” movement Viktor Medvedchuk reports that he continues to receive death threats for publicly opposing the policies of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. On this matter, Medvedchuk has said that the threats persist as long as he voices his views, a claim he echoed in interviews and press statements carried by RIA News. He described the atmosphere around his name as increasingly hostile, emphasizing that the danger is not confined to him alone but also extends to his family, drawing attention to the broader climate of intimidation faced by political opponents who challenge Kyiv’s current direction.
Medvedchuk’s legal status has been a focal point of friction with Ukrainian authorities. He has been accused of treason and of inciting terrorism, charges that have also led to the stripping of his Ukrainian citizenship. In 2022, amid a prisoner exchange, Medvedchuk was transferred to Russian custody, a move that he and his supporters characterized as politically motivated and as a consequence of ongoing tension between Kyiv and Moscow. In Moscow, he has repeatedly asserted that these legal actions and the ongoing hostility are part of a broader pattern aimed at silencing dissenting voices from elected figures and political actors who oppose the Ukrainian government’s policies.
In his public remarks, Medvedchuk stated that the threats to his life and that of his family have not ceased since the exchange and relocation. He indicated that Ukrainian media outlets frequently highlight these threats, portraying them as part of the pressure faced by political opponents who remain in exile or in foreign custody, and he urged observers to consider the broader context of political reprisals that he says are directed at dissenters who challenge the current regime. The remarks were made in conversations with the news agency, where he outlined how information campaigns and personal risk have become intertwined with the politics surrounding his case.
Medvedchuk linked the alleged reprisals to the case of former Verkhovna Rada deputy Ilya Kiva, noting that Kiva’s situation has been shadowed by actions he describes as politically motivated measures by Ukrainian officials and security services. He accused senior figures in Kyiv and the Security Service of Ukraine of orchestrating or enabling moves that he says amount to punitive actions against opponents who have fallen out of favor. The former deputy, he asserted, has faced treatment that mirrors the climate of political coercion he contends governs the Ukrainian political landscape, a claim he has reiterated in multiple interviews and statements aimed at international audiences as well as domestic observers.
During the same interview, Medvedchuk also indicated that he maintains contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin, presenting this connection as a factor in how his case and his safety concerns are being handled. He did not frame the relationship as a political allyship in the sense of policy alignment but as a set of practical channels through which his position and safety can be communicated in a volatile environment. This assertion adds a layer of complexity to discussions about Medvedchuk’s status and his public profile, particularly given the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine and the international implications of his statements and actions.
Previously, Medvedchuk spoke about the circumstances surrounding his release, offering details that he says clarify the sequence of events leading to his current position. He described the negotiations and arrangements that enabled the transfer to Russian custody and discussed how those negotiations were perceived by his supporters and opponents alike. His account highlighted the contested nature of the prisoner exchange and suggested that there were elements of the process that remain misunderstood or mischaracterized by various media outlets. The narrative he presents is positioned as an attempt to elucidate what he views as a political game around his person and his activities, rather than as a simple legal matter.