Boris Bondarev, a Russian diplomat at the United Nations office in Geneva, resigned from his post on Monday in protest of the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine.
"For 20 years of my diplomatic career I have seen different turns of our foreign policy, but never have I been so ashamed of my country as on Feb. 24 of this year," Bondarev wrote in his resignation message, which was also shared on LinkedIn.
"The aggressive war unleashed by Putin against Ukraine and in fact against the entire Western world is not only a crime against the Ukrainian people but also, perhaps, the most serious crime against the people of Russia, with a bold letter Z crossing out all hopes and prospects for a prosperous free society in our country," Bondarev continued.
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The statement is one of the most powerful Kremlin critiques to come from a Russian diplomat or official since the war began, The Washington Post notes.
Those at the helm of the invasion just want to "remain in power forever," Bondarev added, before criticizing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who he said went from a respected individual to "a person who constantly broadcasts conflicting statements and threatens the world."
"The Ministry has become my home and family," the now ex-diplomat concluded. "But I simply cannot any longer share in this bloody, witless and absolutely needless ignominy. Job offers are welcome …"
