The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it was not sure of the veracity of a CNN article that reported U.S. President Donald Trump had once threatened to bomb Moscow to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from attacking Ukraine.

The Kremlin has cast doubt on the authenticity of last year's audio recording in which US President Donald Trump recounts how, during his first term, he threatened Russian leader Vladimir Putin that he would "bomb Moscow".

Russian media have been reacting to Trump's growing criticism of Putin, the most recent being on Tuesday when he accused the Russian leader of peddling "bulls***" over his intentions in Ukraine, after rejecting U.S. ceasefire proposals.

The apparent suicide of Russia’s transportation minister brought expressions of shock and sorrow from the Kremlin but no new clues as to why Roman Starovoit might have taken his own life amid media speculation he potentially was facing corruption charges.

Roman V. Starovoyt, the transport minister, had governed the Kursk region before Ukrainian forces occupied part of it in 2024.

Former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit died by suicide on Monday, just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin fired him from the job, officials said.