'Absolutely Needless Ignominy': Russian Diplomat Resigns Over Ukraine Invasion

Boris Bondarev called the invasion a crime against both the Ukrainian people and the people of Russia.

Russian Mission in Geneva. Image used for representative purposes.

(Photo: Facebook)

A Russian diplomat at the country's permanent mission at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, resigned on Monday, 23 May, because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"I went to the mission like any other Monday morning and I forwarded my resignation letter and I walked out," Boris Bondarev told Reuters.

"I started to imagine this a few years ago but the scale of this disaster drove me to do it," he added.

Russia invaded Ukraine three months back on 24 February, waging the deadliest conflict Europe has seen since the Second World War.

In his public statement, the diplomat said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was "a good illustration of the degradation of the system".

"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," he wrote.

"Never have I been so ashamed of my country," the statement added.

Bondarev also said that he had expressed his concern and dismay to the senior embassy staff a lot of times about the invasion, but his concerns were not listened to.

"I was told to keep my mouth shut in order to avoid ramifications," Bondarev was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Talking about the ministry, he said, "The (Russian foreign) ministry has become my home and family. But I simply cannot any longer share in this bloody, witless, and absolutely needless ignominy."

(With inputs from Reuters and The Guardian)