According to multiple media outlets, a 20-year veteran of Russia’s diplomatic service resigned Monday in protest of his country’s war on Ukraine.

Boris Bondarev, a diplomat posted to Russia’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva, posted a statement on a LinkedIn account condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticising the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for complicity in what he called a “aggressive war” — language that is prohibited in Russia under wartime censorship laws.

Also read: What did Zelensky ask of business leaders regarding Russia at Davos

“For twenty 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 February 24 of this year,” Bondarev made the comment in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to attack Ukraine. “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 was contacted by the famous Russian business journal Kommersant, which confirmed the legitimacy of the message. The New York Times confirmed receipt of an email resignation submitted to officials in Geneva.

The Russian embassy in Geneva declined to comment to CNN, and Bondarev did not respond to inquiries sent to his LinkedIn account.

Also read: Why is Roscosmos chief proposing Russian names for disputed Kuril islands

According to the LinkedIn post, Russia’s leadership is corrupt, “Those who conceived this war want only one thing – to remain in power forever, live in pompous tasteless palaces, sail on yachts comparable in tonnage and cost to the entire Russian Navy, enjoying unlimited power and complete impunity. To achieve that they are willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes. Thousands of Russians and Ukrainians have already died just for this. “

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also singled out for scathing criticism.

“I regret to admit that over all these twenty years the level of lies and unprofessionalism in the work of the Foreign Ministry has been increasing all the time. However, in most recent years, this has become simply catastrophic. Instead of unbiased information, impartial analysis and sober forecasting, there are propaganda clichés in the spirit of Soviet newspapers of the 1930s,” he wrote in the post.

Also read: Ukraine launches psychological support program – All you need to know

“Today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not about diplomacy. It is all about warmongering, lies and hatred. It serves interests of few, the very few people thus contributing to further isolation and degradation of my country. Russia no longer has allies, and there is no one to blame but its reckless and ill-conceived policy,” the post added.

Bondarev’s LinkedIn page portrays him as a Russian diplomatic veteran with expertise in arms control and nonproliferation. The profile photo now includes the hashtag #opentowork.

Bondarev’s resignation, according to the US State Department, demonstrates that “despite the Kremlin’s propaganda, there are Russians who profoundly disagree with what President Putin is doing in Ukraine and share our concern about the danger he is creating for the entire global community.”

According to a State Department spokesperson, it is encouraging that “many are willing to stand up to” Putin and that “it takes immense bravery to stand up to an oppressor, and it requires courage to speak truth to power, especially given the Russian government’s long and terrible track record of attempting to silence legitimate and peaceful protests and dissent.”

“Plummeting morale is clearly not limited to Russia’s military forces fighting in Ukraine,” they said. 

“Boris Bondarev’s statement underscores that people around the world, including in Russia and even within the Russian government, are recognizing the brutality of the Kremlin’s assault on the Ukrainian people,” the spokesperson added. “They are doing so despite the Kremlin’s best efforts to manufacture and perpetuate disinformation.”